The Word Of Life

1 A PASTOR IN ZIMBABWE • HAS REPORTEDLY CONVINCED HIS CONGREGATION • THAT HIS HOLY PENS CAN MAKE STUDENTS PASS THEIR EXAMS • AND THE MORE YOU PAY FOR ONE, 2 3 • THE BETTER GRADES YOU'LL GET. • THIS PASTOR IS SELLING THE PENS, • WHICH COST FROM $1 TO $20. • ACCORDING TO A NEWS STATION IN ZIMBABWE 4 • THE PASTOR TOLD HIS CONGREGATION • THOSE TAKING EXAMS ONLY NEEDED FAITH • AND ONE OF THE SPECIAL PENS TO PASS. • "THEY ARE ANOINTED AND I DECLARE PASSES WHEN YOUR CHILDREN SIT FOR EXAMS. 5 • THEY ARE SAID TO WORK FOR ANYONE WHO IS SITTING FOR ANY TEST," • ONE PARISHIONER TESTIFIED: • "MY SON IS NOT VERY BRIGHT AND I THINK THIS WILL HELP HIM. • WITH THE KNOWLEDGE HE HAS ACQUIRED AND THIS PEN FROM THE MAN OF GOD, 6 • I THINK IT IS GOING TO WORK." • ERROR AND FALSE TEACHING IS NOTHING NEW • AS SOON AS THE GOSPEL BEGAN TO BE TAUGHT • PEOPLE BEGAN TO GET IT WRONG 7 • IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WE ARE GOING TO ENCOUNTER FALSE TEACHINGS • SOME MAY NOT BE AS OBVIOUS AS SPECIAL PENS TO PASS A TEST 8 • SOME FALSE TEACHING MAY SOUND VERY APPEALING TO US (PAUSE) • TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE FALSE TEACHING • WE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS 9 • TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN THE STUDY • OF THE BOOK OF 1ST JOHN • TURN TO 1ST JOHN 1:1 • THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN TO CORRECT A FALSE TEACHING • A FALSE TEACHING THAT SAID IN PART THAT 10 • CHRIST DID NOT REALLY COME IN PHYSICAL FORM • BUT ONLY APPEARED TO BE A MAN • A FALSE TEACHING THAT SAID YOU COULD ONLY BE SAVED • AND GO TO HEAVEN IF YOU HAD SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE • A SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE ONLY THOSE TEACHING THIS FALSE GOSPEL HAD 11 1 JOHN 1:1 12 WHAT WAS FROM THE BEGINNING, WHAT WE HAVE HEARD, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH OUR EYES, WHAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT AND TOUCHED WITH OUR HANDS, CONCERNING THE WORD OF LIFE— CHRIST WAS FROM THE BEGINNING 13 • JOHN BEGINS THIS LETTER WITH THE WORDS • WHAT WAS FROM THE BEGINNING, • THESE WORDS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO HOW HE BEGINS HIS GOSPEL 14 JOHN 1:1 IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD. 15 • IN BOTH CASES JOHN IS COMMUNICATING • AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION ABOUT CHRIST • CHRIST IS ETERNAL, HE EXISTED BEFORE TIME EVEN STARTED • IT DOES NOT SAY CHRIST BEGAN AT THE BEGINNING • IT SAYS HE WAS FROM THE BEGINNING • AT THE START OF ALL THINGS HE ALREADY WAS 16 • THIS ESTABLISHES THAT JESUS CHRIST IS DIVINE • ONLY THE DIVINE IS ETERNAL • ONLY THE DIVINE EXISTED BEFORE TIME BEGAN • REMEMBER JOHN IS WRITING THIS LETTER TO CORRECT FALSE TEACHERS 17 18 • ONE OF THE PRIMARY THINGS THESE FALSE TEACHERS TAUGHT • WAS THAT GOD, CHRIST, DID NOT BECOME FLESH AND BLOOD • THAT CHRIST ONLY APPEARED TO BECOME HUMAN • SO JOHN STARTS OFF THIS LETTER TO CORRECT THEM 19 • BY STATING THAT THE ONE HE IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT • IS CERTAINLY GOD, WHO IS ETERNAL • AND WHO DID BECOME A MAN • A MAN THAT JOHN AND THE OTHER APOSTLES KNEW PERSONALLY THE APOSTLES HAD FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE WITH CHRIST • FROM EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THESE FALSE TEACHERS • NONE OF THEM ACTUALLY KNEW JESUS • THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE APOSTLES 20 21 • SO TO CORRECT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN TEACHING • JOHN POINTS OUT SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT • WHAT WE HAVE HEARD, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH OUR EYES, WHAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT AND TOUCHED WITH OUR HANDS, 22 • WHEN JOHN SAYS WE HE MEANS THE APOSTLES • AND HE IS SAYING THAT THE ONE • WHO WAS FROM THE BEGINNING IS THE SAME ONE • HE AND THE APOSTLES HEARD SPEAK WITH THEIR OWN EARS 23 • AND THE ONE THEY SAW WITH THEIR OWN EYES (PAUSE) • LOOKED AT MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT • THAN JUST SEEING WITH YOUR EYES • LOOKED AT AND TOUCHED GO TOGETHER 24 • IT LITERALLY MEANS TO CLOSELY EXAMINE • JOHN IS ESTABLISHING HIS CREDIBILITY TO COMMENT ABOUT JESUS CHRIST • HE AND THE APOSTLES CAN SPEAK ABOUT JESUS CHRIST • BECAUSE THEY HEARD, SAW, EXAMINED HIM FOR 3 YEARS 25 • THEY SAW HIS MIRACLES THEY HEARD HIS TEACHING • THEY KNEW THE REALITY THAT THE ONE WHO WAS IN THE BEGINNING • HAD COME IN THE FLESH • ONE WHO WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE GOD HAD TAKEN ON HUMAN FORM • SEE THE FALSE TEACHERS HAD NO FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST BUT 26 27 • THE APOSTLES HAD KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST • THEY HAD FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE WITH CHRIST • THEY HAD WALKED HUNDREDS OF MILES WITH HIM • THEY HAD OBSERVED HOW HE CARED FOR PEOPLE 28 • AND THEY HAD HEARD HIS WORDS • JOHN SAYS THEY HAD HEARD AND SEEN AND LOOKED AT AND TOUCHED THINGS • CONCERNING THE WORD OF LIFE— • JOHN COULD BE TALKING ABOUT • THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL 29 • THEY HEARD AND SAW THE GOSPEL MESSAGE • WHICH IS VERY TRUE THEY DID HEAR AND SEE AND EVEN TOUCH • THE GOSPEL MESSAGE 30 • OR IT COULD BE “THE WORD OF LIFE” • IS DESCRIBING JESUS CHRIST • HE IS CALLED THE WORD BY JOHN MANY TIMES (PAUSE) • IN THE DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST’S RETURN JOHN WRITES REVELATION 19:12–13 31 HIS EYES ARE A FLAME OF FIRE, AND ON HIS HEAD ARE MANY DIADEMS; AND HE HAS A NAME WRITTEN ON HIM WHICH NO ONE KNOWS EXCEPT HIMSELF. HE IS CLOTHED WITH A ROBE DIPPED IN BLOOD, AND HIS NAME IS CALLED THE WORD OF GOD. • AND CHRIST IS CERTAINLY THE LIFE 32 JOHN 11:25–26 JESUS SAID TO HER, “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE; HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL LIVE EVEN IF HE DIES, AND EVERYONE WHO LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER DIE. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?” 33 • JOHN USED BOTH OF THESE TERMS TO DESCRIBE CHRIST • IT MAKES SENSE THAT HE WOULD COMBINE THESE TERMS HERE • AND REFER TO JESUS AS THE WORD OF LIFE (PAUSE) • BOTH IDEAS ARE TRUE AND ACCURATE • WHAT THE APOSTLES HEARD AND SAW AND EXAMINED • WAS BOTH THE WORD OF LIFE, THE GOSPEL • AND THE WORD OF LIFE, JESUS CHRIST • THE TWO CANNOT BE SEPARATED THEY ARE ONE AND THE SAME 34 • YOU CANNOT HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER • AND JOHN KNOWS THAT BECAUSE HE HAD • FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE (PAUSE) • IT IS ALWAYS WISE TO GET THE OPINION OF SOMEONE • WITH FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE 35 IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE TELEGRAPH • THE FIRST PLANS WERE BEING MADE FOR A LINE • FROM WASHINGTON TO BALTIMORE • FIVE MEN WERE APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE • THE POSSIBILITIES OF SUCH A LINE 36 • AND TO MAKE THEIR REPORTS • TWO DID SOME QUICK FIGURING AND CONCLUDED "NO" IT CANT BE DONE • TWO MORE, READ UP ON WHAT HAD BEEN DONE WITH • THE TELEGRAPH IN EXPERIMENTS THEY SAID "GIVE IT A TRIAL." 37 38 • ONE MAN WENT OUT AND FOUND A WORKING TELEGRAPH • HEARD IT WORKING, SAW THE MESSAGES TRANSMITTED • ACTUALLY TAPPED OUT A MESSAGE HIMSELF • HE RETURNED AND REPORTED, "YES, THE LINE IS ENTIRELY PRACTICAL." 39 • HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE SENSATION • OF RECEIVING A MESSAGE OVER THE EXPERIMENTAL WIRE, • HE REALIZED THE POSSIBILITIES, AND COME TO AN EMPHATIC CONCLUSION. • IN THE SAME WAY THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES IS SO POWERFUL 40 • BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY HEARD • AND SAW AND TOUCHED CHRIST, THEY HAD FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE • OF THE MIRACLES, BUT NOT JUST THE MIRACLES, OF HIS GRACE 41 • OF HIS FORGIVENESS, ULTIMATELY OF HIS LOVE • AND THEY PROCLAIMED THAT HE WAS ETERNAL, FROM THE BEGINNING • AND THAT HE WAS THE WORD OF LIFE • AND THAT HE CAME AS A MAN IN PHYSICAL FORM 1 JOHN 1:2 42 AND THE LIFE WAS MANIFESTED, AND WE HAVE SEEN AND TESTIFY AND PROCLAIM TO YOU THE ETERNAL LIFE, WHICH WAS WITH THE FATHER AND WAS MANIFESTED TO US— 43 CHRIST CAME IN PHYSICAL FORM • WHEN THE TEXT SAYS • AND THE LIFE WAS MANIFESTED, • THAT MEANS IT TOOK ON PHYSICAL FORM 44 • TO BE MANIFESTED MEANS TO COME INTO EXISTENCE • IN HIS GOSPEL JOHN DESCRIBED THIS SAME EVENT JOHN 1:14 45 AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH, AND DWELT AMONG US, AND WE SAW HIS GLORY, GLORY AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN FROM THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH. • I AM NOT SURE IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO SAY THIS MORE CLEARLY • YOU MIGHT WONDER WHY THE FALSE TEACHERS • SAID JESUS DID NOT COME IN PHYSICAL FORM • WELL SEE THEY HAD THIS IDEA 46 • THAT EVERYTHING PHYSICAL WAS BAD AND SINFUL • AND EVERYTHING SPIRITUAL WAS GOOD AND HOLY • TO SUPPORT THIS IDEA THEY HAD TO SAY • GOD DID NOT COME IN PHYSICAL FORM 47 • BECAUSE IF ALL PHYSICAL THINGS ARE BAD • GOD COULD NEVER BECOME PHYSICAL • THIS IDEA OF PHYSICAL BAD SPIRITUAL HOLY • REALLY MESSED UP EVERYTHING ABOUT THEIR THEOLOGY 48 49 • JOHN IS GOING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IT CAUSED AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BOOK • BUT FIRST HE IS GOING TO REPEAT SOMETHING • HE REPEATS IT BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT 50 • HE JUST TOLD THEM THE APOSTLES • HEARD AND SAW AND EXAMINED JESUS • NOW HE REPEATS THAT IDEA WHEN HE SAYS • WE HAVE SEEN AND TESTIFY AND PROCLAIM TO YOU 51 • JOHN IS SAYING WE SAW CHRIST AND WE HAVE TESTIFIED • ABOUT CHRIST AND WE NOW PROCLAIM THESE THINGS TO YOU • SO WHAT IS IT THAT THEY ARE TESTIFYING AND PROCLAIMING? • WELL FIRST, THAT CHRIST IS ETERNAL HE WAS WITH THE FATHER 52 • BEFORE TIME BEGAN SECOND THEY ARE PROCLAIMING • THAT JESUS CHRIST OFFERS ETERNAL LIFE AND FINALLY THEY ARE TESTIFYING THAT • CHRIST PHYSICALLY CAME IN THE FORM OF A MAN, THAT HE WAS MANIFESTED • JOHN STATES WHAT THEY ARE PROCLAIMING WHEN HE WRITES • THE ETERNAL LIFE, WHICH WAS WITH THE FATHER AND WAS MANIFESTED TO US— • THIS IS PRETTY AMAZING IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT • SEE IN THE STORIES IN THE ANCIENT WORLD • GODS WOULD COME TO EARTH AND APPEAR TO BE MEN 53 54 • THEY WOULD LOOK LIKE MEN BUT THEY WERE NOT MEN • THIS HAPPENS IN GREEK MYTHS, HINDU MYTHS MANY ANCIENT CULTURES HAVE SIMILAR STORIES • SO YOU CAN KINDA SEE WHERE THESE FALSE TEACHERS 55 • GOT THE IDEA THAT CHRIST MIGHT JUST LOOK LIKE A MAN • BUT CHRIST HAD TO COME AS A MAN • AND BE TEMPTED AS WE ARE TEMPTED • AND YET LIVE A SINLESS LIFE • AND DIE ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR OUR SINS HEBREWS 4:15 56 FOR WE DO NOT HAVE A HIGH PRIEST WHO CANNOT SYMPATHIZE WITH OUR WEAKNESSES, BUT ONE WHO HAS BEEN TEMPTED IN ALL THINGS AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN. 57 • WE CAN TRUST THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES ON THIS • THEY HEARD HIM, THEY SAW HIM, THEY WALKED WITH HIM • CHRIST WHO WAS WITH THE FATHER BEFORE TIME BEGAN • TOOK ON HUMAN FORM, BECAME PHYSICALLY HUMAN C.S. LEWIS DESCRIBED THE INCARNATION IN A FASCINATING WAY 58 • LYING AT YOUR FEET IS YOUR DOG. • IMAGINE, FOR THE MOMENT • THAT YOUR DOG AND EVERY DOG IS IN DEEP DISTRESS 59 • SOME OF US LOVE DOGS VERY MUCH • IF IT WOULD HELP ALL THE DOGS IN THE WORLD TO BECOME LIKE MEN • WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO BECOME A DOG? • WOULD YOU PUT DOWN YOUR HUMAN NATURE, 60 • LEAVE YOUR LOVED ONES, YOUR JOB, HOBBIES, • YOUR ART AND LITERATURE AND MUSIC, • AND CHOOSE INSTEAD OF THE INTIMATE COMMUNION WITH YOUR BELOVED, • THE POOR SUBSTITUTE OF LOOKING INTO THE BELOVED’S FACE 61 • AND WAGGING YOUR TAIL, UNABLE TO SMILE OR SPEAK? • CHRIST BY BECOMING MAN LIMITED THE THING • WHICH TO HIM WAS THE MOST PRECIOUS THING IN THE WORLD; • HIS UNHAMPERED, UNHINDERED COMMUNION WITH THE FATHER. 62 • HE DID THIS FOR US, BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY WAY • OUR SINS COULD BE PAID FOR • THE ONLY WAY WE COULD ENTER INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD 1 JOHN 1:3–4 63 WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD WE PROCLAIM TO YOU ALSO, SO THAT YOU TOO MAY HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH US; AND INDEED OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER, AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. THESE THINGS WE WRITE, SO THAT OUR JOY MAY BE MADE COMPLETE. 64 • JOHN REPEATS THE IDEA THAT THE APOSTLES TESTIFIED OF WHAT THEY SAW AND HEARD • SAYING; WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD WE PROCLAIM TO YOU ALSO, • I THINK THE REASON JOHN KEEPS REPEATING THIS 65 • IS BECAUSE IT IS THE KEY TO THIS ENTIRE LETTER • HE IS PROCLAIMING AND TESTIFYING FROM FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE • JOHN MAY HAVE GOTTEN HIS UNDERSTANDING • OF HOW IMPORTANT FIRSTHAND TESTIMONY IS FROM JESUS JOHN 3:11 66 “TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, WE SPEAK OF WHAT WE KNOW AND TESTIFY OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, AND YOU DO NOT ACCEPT OUR TESTIMONY. 67 • AND THEN JOHN TELLS US THE REASON • HE AND THE APOSTLES HAVE PROCLAIMED THESE THINGS • SO THAT YOU TOO MAY HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH US; AND INDEED OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER, AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. • THIS IS THE GOAL, THIS IS THE RESULT THEY ARE SEEKING • WHEN THEY PROCLAIM WHAT THEY SAW AND HEARD • THAT WE, ALL CHRISTIANS, MAY HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE APOSTLES 68 69 • AND THAT FELLOWSHIP IS WITH GOD THE FATHER AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST • IN THIS STATEMENT WE FIND THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK • JOHN IS CORRECTING FALSE TEACHERS WHO ARE DRAWING • BELIEVERS OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD BY THEIR TEACHING • HE AND THE OTHER APOSTLES HAVE WITNESSED, THEY HAVE TESTIFIED • THEY HAVE PROCLAIMED WHAT THEY HEARD AND SAW AND EXAMINED 70 71 • CONCERNING CHRIST, THE GOSPEL MESSAGE, THE WORD OF LIFE • AND IF WE WILL LISTEN TO THEIR TESTIMONY • AND NOT THE TESTIMONY OF THE FALSE TEACHERS 72 • WE CAN HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH, ABIDE WITH, • WALK WITH THEM, AND WITH GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE SON • JOHN CONCLUDES THE INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTER SAYING • THESE THINGS WE WRITE, • WHEN JOHN SAYS THESE THINGS WE WRITE • HE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR LETTER • BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO UNDERSTAND THIS 73 74 • AND I THINK IT MAKES THE STATEMENT MORE POWERFUL • AND FITS WITH WHAT JOHN HAS JUST BEEN SAYING • JOHN BEEN SAYING WE HEARD, WE SAW, WE WITNESS, WE PROCLAIM 75 • AND THIS WE SEEMS TO MEAN ALL THE APOSTLES • THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HEARD AND SAW AND PROCLAIM • SO IF THE WE IN WE WRITE IS STILL THE APOSTLES • THEN IT MAKES SENSE THAT ”THESE THINGS” • MEANS THE ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT • ALL THE WRITINGS, THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES • AND I THINK JOHN IS GIVING US THE REASON • HE AND THE OTHER APOSTLES WROTE THE NEW TESTAMENT 76 • SO THAT OUR JOY MAY BE MADE COMPLETE. • THEIR JOY, THEIR PEACE WITH GOD COULD NOT BE • COMPLETE UNLESS THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD • TO HELP OTHERS WALK IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD 77 78 • WHAT AN AMAZING IDEA, THE IDEA THAT OUR JOY IS LINKED • TO HELPING OTHER PEOPLE WALK IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD • THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND, THAT MY JOY, YOUR JOY 79 • IS NOT MADE COMPLETE IF WE ARE NOT DOING • EVERYTHING WE ARE ABLE TO DO TO HELP OTHERS • WALK IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD 80 • THIS IS WHERE WE CAN FIND JOY • IN FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST • THE WHOLE WORLD IS ASKING THE QUESTION WHERE IS JOY TO BE FOUND? 81 • IT IS NOT FOUND IN UNBELIEF, • VOLTAIRE WAS AN ATHEIST OF THE STRONGEST KIND • HE WROTE: “I WISH I HAD NEVER BEEN BORN.” • JOY IS NOT FOUND IN PLEASURE, 82 • LORD BYRON LIVED A LIFE OF PLEASURE IF ANYONE DID. • HE WROTE: “THE WORM, THE CANKER, AND GRIEF ARE MINE ALONE.” • JOY IS NOT FOUND IN MONEY, • JAY GOULD, THE AMERICAN MILLIONAIRE, HAD PLENTY OF THAT. 83 • WHEN DYING, HE SAID: “I SUPPOSE I AM THE MOST MISERABLE MAN ON EARTH.” • JOY IS NOT FOUND IN POSITION AND FAME, • LORD BEACONSFIELD ENJOYED MORE THAN HIS SHARE OF BOTH. HE WROTE: • “YOUTH IS A MISTAKE; MANHOOD A STRUGGLE; OLD AGE A REGRET.” 84 • JOY IS NOT FOUND IN MILITARY GLORY, • ALEXANDER THE GREAT CONQUERED THE KNOWN WORLD IN HIS DAY. • HAVING DONE SO, HE WEPT IN HIS TENT BECAUSE, HE SAID, • “THERE ARE NO MORE WORLDS TO CONQUER.” 85 • WHERE THEN IS REAL JOY FOUND? • THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE, IN CHRIST ALONE. • IN WALKING WITH, IN ABIDING IN, IN FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST • AND OUR JOY IS MADE COMPLETE IN HELPING OTHER CHRISTIANS • TO WALK IN FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST AS WELL 86 JOHN IS WRITING THIS LETTER • TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENCOUNTERED FALSE TEACHERS • THE EARLY CHURCH HAD MANY SUCH FALSE TEACHERS • SURLY BY NOW NEARLY 2000 YEARS LATER • WE HAVE ALL THIS FALSE TEACH STUFF SORTED OUT • CERTAINLY NO ONE IS TEACHING ANYTHING OTHER THAN • THE GOSPEL WITNESS AND TESTIMONY • THE WORDS JOHN AND THE OTHER APOSTLES WROTE 87 88 • ABOUT WHAT THEY HEARD AND SAW AND EXAMINED • CONCERNING THE WORD OF LIFE • SADLY WE FACE FALSE TEACHERS IN OUR DAY • JUST AS ALL CHRISTIANS OVER THE LAST 2000 YEARS HAVE FACED 89 • TODAY THEY HAVE NAMES LIKE “PROSPERITY GOSPEL” • OR “NAME IT AND CLAIM IT” OR MAYBE THEY CALL IT • “LIBERATION THEOLOGY” OR “THE SOCIAL JUSTICE GOSPEL” • SO WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE ARE NOT SURE IF SOMEONE 90 • IS TEACHING GOD’S WORD OR A FALSE TEACHING? • I THINK JOHN HAS JUST TOLD US WHAT TO DO • WE GO BACK AND READ THE WITNESS, THE TESTIMONY, THE PROCLAMATIONS • OF THOSE WHO WERE THERE WITH CHRIST • THOSE WHO HEARD AND SAW AND EXAMINED THE WORD OF LIFE • AND WE SEE IF WHAT SOMEONE TEACHES TODAY LINES UP WITH • WHAT THEY SAID THEY HEARD AND SAW • IS SOMEONE TEACHING THAT GOD LOVES US 91 92 • AND WANTS AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH US? • ARE THEY TEACHING THAT WE ALL SIN • WE THINK SAY AND DO THINGS THAT GO AGAINST GOD’S WILL • ARE THEY TEACHING THAT WE CANT FIX THAT OUR SELVES? 93 • DO THEY TEACH THAT GOD CAME IN THE FORM OF A MAN • LIVED A SINLESS LIFE, DIED ON THE CROSS, ROSE AGAIN AFTER THREE DAYS • AND THAT HE IS COMING BACK? • DO THEY TEACH THAT ALL WE CAN DO TO ENTER INTO A RELATIONSHIP 94 • WITH CHRIST IS TO PLACE OUR FAITH IN WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS? • IF THEY ARE NOT TEACHING THESE THINGS • IF THEY ARE TEACHING SOMETHING ELSE 95 • WE NEED TO KNOW WE ARE DEALING WITH FALSE TEACHERS • BECAUSE THOSE WHO WALKED WITH CHRIST HAVE SAID • SALVATION IS FOUND IN CHRIST ALONE THROUGH FAITH ALONE • IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE WHO HAS NOT PLACED THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST… 96