The Certain Fellowship of Life with God & Each Other
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Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
In this time of re-establishing our worship to God, our ministry of the gospel, our service to and with each other after in-personal shut down. In this time when our congregation members - move from 2nd to third generation. In this time when some newer member sand attenders - very aware that in our culture and even in our denomination - very different pulling the church in very different directions - activity should church be primarily engaged in - dialogue with the religions, as another path to truth, social justice, just proclamation and evangelism. social justice to fix social, political cultural or more narrowly spiritual problems. Also aware nationally, globally - subtle discrimination against Christian faith, persecution against its view of absolute truths, exclusive claims of Jesus Christ. Well this can leave people confused: what way should we go, what really is salvation, is it all just a bunch of religion that people don’t agree on and can’t really know.
Now imagine on top of that - in the church some of these voices not only present but shouting loudly, and indeed one group splits off starts other. This is the confusing mess that the church in Asia Minor. Remember Ephesus - key church - 2 or 3x bigger than Barrie, now capital of Roman province. Centre of wealth. But persecution, false teaching of Colossians, remember what Timothy - had to correct , train - not truth unto godliness people - but early gnosticism - i. speculation - myths, severe rituals and practices on one hand, and on the other - ii. over spiritualized view of world - do whatever you want in body, doesn’t matter, lesser even evil sphere… all that matters.
Well that was 30 years after Christ, time of Paul.. Now fast forward another 20-25 years of so. Sporadic persecutions, not big one yet of 95ish when last book of Bible Revelation written by John. The false teaching led to a split Cerinthus - docetism, gnosticism - system developing, full blown in next generations. Man was Jesus, divine Christ descends on, leaves before Cross. And a lot of people just a Christianity that was tired, unsure, and guess what commitment to LORD, commitment to holy living, commitment to the Mission on decline.
And what does the living Christ provide for such a time, what does He provide us even this morning through John's three letters? Let me illustrate: Mark Twain story of time in life, on an island… stingy hold on to…
well now return to Ephesus. Last living Apostle - knows these people so well, but doesn't leave dry systematic theological statement, doesn’t leave a church manual, doesn’t even just leave -past account of who Jesus is and what we must turn to him for. He delivers to us - a way to have certainty that we not just some truth or life philosophy, but that we have the life from above that’s in Jesus, working among us establishing His life in this community of faith. He delivers the keygma - Jesus’ authorized message by the apostles and the didache, the teaching, discipleship that goes along with that. John delivers three tests - theological, moral, social. Who Jesus is John Newton get that right all else doesn’t matter. But God is light - of course, warmth, but also purity. And then God is love- new type of love that social relationship wise. But in this introduction boils it all down to the question of what real fellowship of God is: It’s source, content, and purpose.He had already written a gospel looking in the past so you might believe and be saved. Not giving us that. He will write a book on the future and fulfillment Revelation , not this. But now he writes for the present … fellowship.. the instruction in how to do that fellowship. 1 John 1:3
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:13 KNOWING AND Confidence
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
assurance of this and acting out of that assurance, boldness, for last day, before God now, confidence to ask, - Do you know in midst of all those groups and voices - most basically Christian and give yourself to that!
Key Truth: Those in Koinonia with Jesus will enjoy the confidence to live out that fellowship with believers and the world!
A) The SOURCE of true Koinonia-fellowship with Jesus is Spiritual Life, not mere knowledge.
The last 300 years in the West we have studied everything to death. Thought by scientific study could conquer reality and the world. When this was applied to faith, things took a very strange turn, instead of trying to know God, theology, universities and seminaries began to study not the object of worship - the person God, but the subject who was trying to understand. The focus went from Studies of God, to studies of religion, trying to understand our religious impulses and knowledge and practices. The focus was on our spirituality and spiritual experience. Actually Kant said - two fields of inquiry one in science proper and the other - which include God and religion, is practical reason - cut off from reality and just really looking at the categories of our human mind and soul. Can’t get beyond ourselves.
Well, in John’s latter days, the mystery cults from the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire flooding in, those Jewish believers who wouldn’t count Jesus as fully God the Son of God and Christianity as the fulfillment of the Od Covenant - the church was living in a time when people like to today -trying make religion - a merging of a all this knowledge and practices - for a cool satisfying religious experience. And what does the last living apostle deliver as the miracle medicine that is the cure-all?
It’s not mere knowledge or religious practices. Look what John does. 1 John 1:1-2 ,. There are three ways he describes the source of true gospel fellowship. There is a theological, historical, and experiential source to true fellowship with God. But he describes it like a riddle. Such an unusual letter, no dear, or from , more like sermon or tractate, probably still ministering in the midst of them. Also unlike other NT books, including his own gospel, no quotations or allusions to the OT, except one about Cain, Instead John begins with a a bit of riddle the punchline which he doesn’t deliver until three steps later. The riddle doesn’t begin with a masculine person, or feminine word gospel. But a neuter message, three times we get this which, - from beginning, we saw, received, touched, was with Father but manifest to us! What is this which? Let’s look at the first part of the source of the fellowship
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
While no OT quotations or allusions, the letter alludes to the 4th gospel again and again. And here we learn something about the audience. They were primarily Gentile with less knowledge of the OT, and communication had to happen more in the idiom, language and though forms of the Greek speakers. And here we see old old John isn’t just restating some message in old language again and again, but it is restated in new language and new applications for the new problems facing believers. But what doesn’t change is that the message he is declaring is not about our spirituality, it is about God.
It is from the beginning. In Greek that is the ache. In the beginning was the word. Not only is John saying the message that’s the source is from the beginning of what Jesus declared, but it is Jesus the Son of God, who was in the beginning. Now note this application. the false teachers, like Cerinthus, and later gnostics, doecitism, Jesus the man, wasn’t form the beginning, God just adopted him, only appeared human, John says the core of our fellowship is with the 2nd person of the Trinity, the Son of God from the beginning. What else does John call this which: not just beginning - but like in Gospel of John, HE v.1b concerning the WORD OF LIFE. As the Word He is the true light that enlightens every man, that the darkness can’t understand or overcome.
But third name to this One who is the message is in
1 John 1:2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
The which is the eternal life which was with the Father. Now think back to John’s gospel, in the prologue, ch 1 who is Jesus, And the Word was with God. And the Word was God. A key theme in John is this life from above, to know Jesus is to have this eternal life. The Bible says we are spiritually dead, can be a person enjoying greatest food, entertainment but spiritually dead and is connected from life from above, fulness of life. But who is this which, it is the eternal life which was WITH, TOWARDS God, not only God himself, but with the person of the Father - the Son was toward the Father - so he can eternally reflect His glory in the Trinity, band to us in Creation. And John is saying the source of our fellowship is that Eternal Son reflecting the Father - he came with that life of God -and he once for all, manifest that life to us.
Now if we carefully pay attention to this riddle we see, that John say he with the other apostles, in the past definitely once and for all, HAD HEARD, HEAD SEEN. John is saying source is real historical Son of God comes incarnate as Jesus - God and Man together - past event you’ve got to believe that, and it is a message. John changes tenses and comes to this is a key word LOOKED UPON, inwardly perceived the true meaning of this Message who is Jesus. That verb looked upon, is like the inner light goes on, the eureka moment of all history - once for all the Word, the LIFE manifest, in the person of Jesus making know who God is! John is now using the aorist , shifting to what historically they witnessed once and for all - they actually saw, and heard, and touched this God-man. Now this is not just a message, but it is the biggest most extraordinary fact of the universe - the most unexpected happening in the history of universe. Not just universe out of nothing, by God. But now God becomes man.
God became localized and joined perfectly to our humanity. Changes everything - so that the source of the fellowship that will alone last for the ages is this person - and every word, every action of Jesus is the revelation of the heart of God that changes everything. And John is saying we only access you have to that reality is the witness of the apostles. They really saw and experienced it all, Jesus by Spirit, authorized and empowered them to give the meaning and explanation of JESUS to the world for all history!
And this is why John keeps using the word we, even though all the other apostles have been martyred, only one left into old age. He had been persecuted in Jerusalem one of the key leaders, Hellenistic Jewish believers with him, and now for about 30 years living with his aunt, Mary and ministering among these Asia Minor churches. And He says in v.2- its not the gnostic speculations, its not the rituals, its not human spirituality that is the course, its the apostolic witness to the living Word and Actions of Jesus. At the heart of that witness isn’t just that Jesus is truly God, but listen when did the disciples really handle Jesus in the most significant way - Luke 24 Resurrection Christ, God conquering sin and death and hell, in and for the humans - says touch and handle me. And they do just that for the 40 days. Karl Barth so right to say that Jesus is God for man, and Man for God.
Well, that brings us to the third part of Jesus as the course of the fellowship. Not just theologically and historically, but experientially. You get that sense that they more than any others - perceived and experienced Jesus, but then John says in v.2 that eternal life that was with the Father - was made MANIFEST TO US. What is he talking about? Its what Jesus promised that by the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son would make their home on earth in the hearts, the souls of believers by the Holy Spirit. There is a wrong way to think about Jesus being a personal Saviour, as if personal banker or trainer, life coach - can down play King of Haven and Earth, but Jesus is person, and relates to us personally! The same way the apostles experience life from above in Christ, if and only if we will take hold of this Jesus through the APOSTOLIC WITNESS< through their record, authorized testimony and record and account of who Jesus is what He taught, - then we can get to the not only the source of but the content of the true fellowship:
And this morning I need to say it to each elder and each deacons - lead us in our lives - to point to words and actions of Jesus - lead us in teaching, and in example to have mercy and truth that points to this apostolic message of Jesus that our world so needs, that we need for living faithful lives together.
B. The CONTENT of the True Fellowship is MUTUAL-SHARING of LIFE FROM ABOVE WITH GOD and Each Other.
If you’ve got this straight that Jesus is the source of this life from above, this new spiritual life, this WORD of what God is really like. Then you are ready for both what this fellowship is and does, and also what the purpose of knowing Jesus is. For the gnostic false teachers - error on two sides, - one was strict asceticism - method to prove right feel like in groove, but emphasis on legalism - your actions, status, and how different from others. Same time they fell into licence, do what ever you want in the body, since free from constraint of the flesh, just spiritual high through secret knowledge. But John says the content isn’t that legalism or that license, the content of the fellowship you have by apostolic witness to the living Jesus is - a sharing a and a partnership with this resurrection life of Jesus.
What does the Son life with/in and towards the Father look like? Know from the gospel its TRUTH, LIGHT, LIFE - mutual friendship . And so in v.3 John says here’s the content of what a gospel fellowship looks like:
1 John 1:3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John has said that the Son was with the Father in deepest fellowship of light and love from the beginning, but the Son becomes human , lays down his life to reconcile, raises us to renew - and drawing us into fellowship with Triune God - we can really be people who -others would say - they call God Father and mean more than their earthly Father. They know Jesus the Son of God as their own brother - and even joy perfect relationships that God the Son has with God the Father. PARTNERS with the living God!
This is actually a business Word, - like Marianne's got two brothers who along with a another partner - share a company - all those concerns, liability, they experienced death of worker during work - hearts knit together in that, they experienced joy company did well, share with employees - doing it together - they have equipment they share with each other, make huge plans together .. At the heart of what church is to be about - is that partnering, sharing in the first of all with God, but never alone - so secondarily - you share in the business, the resources, the joy and the sorrows of God’s kingdom with these brothers and sisters fellows partners
Now the false teachers, gnostic followers, live anyway you want - easy-believism - or would say just have strict legalism, these ritual practices, but don’t need this radical transformation of inside - partner with God in grace. But John isn’t writing this letter to third generation churches in Asia Minor so they could just believe - why he wrote his gospel; But not these letters to the churches. He writes these so that you and I would be sure we have this fellowship this real true fellowship w the Father and the Son and with each other in partnership of the gospel. Discipleship requires real assurance, 40x this word false teachers used for spiritual knowledge or rituals -”know” , but John uses it about knowing you have this partnership with Jesus know Him, not just about Him. And it uses the word confidence 25x! John says if this church is going to make the transition through persecution, through dryness and humdrum, through false teaching, need to get confidence to really live out this partnership.
Today it is out of fashion to ask about assurance, just assume everyone is saved, John says no, must have deep assurance, not given varies from time to time, but assurance as goal that will result in effective Christian living. Do you know your saved? As we prepare for communion season - true believer? What this book so good for. IN the gospel he laid out 7 signs so you would believe that Jesus is the Christ. But in his epistle he lays down 3 tests - to give you assurance, and to fill your Christian living with the confidence and power - to live out all the at faith in Christ, partnership with God implies. What are those
Three Tests:
- that give content to the partnership? They revolve around who are God is a light and as love. But he gives them as 3 tests or marks of those who have come into true knowing and fellowship with God through Christ.
2. Ethical Test: God is light, not just mind thing and warmth thing But light stands for purity that purifies and drives out darkness in our lives. Not continuing in sin, real repentance and growth in righteousness of life. But then if you have this light in you, the result is not just individual holiness, that sets you apart from others , cuts you off. One commentary on 1 John called radical hospitality. This Light creates an inviting and as we saw from Numbers, not flaky tolerance, but action and costly hospitality, inviting in belief in transformation. So too this #3 gives a Relational Test. John is going to say: can’t love God whom you can’t see, who loved yo first, if aren’t living brother whom you can see. Going to show that love is all about costly self-sacrifice . But these two tests all hinge on the first one which is the foundational one - it is the #1 theological test: faith in Jesus Christ as God Incarnate - come in the flesh - We proclaim this LIFE of Jesus, come into contact and share in this life He brought, and then we g out proclaims it.
But to finish this introduction to the fellowship John is proclaiming. We must not only see the source, and the content of that partnership, but also the source an result. and this comes in v4.
C. The RESULT of Living in Partnership in God’s Life is JOY made permanent and full.
And here I need you this morning to respond with a daring faith. We here promises daily of full protection 99.99% viruses and bacteria extra layer of protection, buy this lottery ticket, get this retirement package, this car life to the full. We look at stuff of creation if I just had this then complete . Really saying, I just need one more thing. But consider John, last living Apostle, - fullness of life in Risen Lord Jesus, he is the one at the Lords’ chest at the dinner, he was the one in inner circle, he was the one - actually touched and held Jesus first resurrection day and Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into them. Filled with such authority on day of Pentecost with Peter proclaiming fearlessly good news. And again and again - REJOICE…
And he says: we write these things. And there is where I need to call you to an extraordinary act of faith - John is saying the apostolic writing - his among the last, but that body of writing inspired by Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus bring to remembrance and teach you all things - is the precise and abiding form - written by those Jesus authorized as His deputies his apostles -
Says when you receive this instruction, this teaching this gospel - in its written form - then our joy may be complete. Not just talking to the apostles joy there. Us as opposed to you will be joyful. But now royal we - we and you - raising above all this false teaching and practice and all the uncertainty of the times, John says we’ve got assured progress - not just believe and wait around for heaven, but the light of God and the Love God growing us in our fellowship, the kingdom of God grow, even if the anti-Christ and false teaching and hard times come. Together entering the same fellowship with Jesus the apostles had, the church, that receives and grows in this apostolic Word that joins us to Jesus, brought to place where get more and more full of joy and light and love of Christ. Are you up to the three tests? Do you believe that receiving this word and searching out the partnership - you will have ullness of Joy
Psalm 16:11 says:
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
But listen to how John uses that word full with joy: in the Gospels Jesus is saying:
JOY!!! John 15:11, 16:24, 17:13
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Wow what promises from jesus that you are to have faith he’ll fulfill but look how John says they get fulfilled:
1 John 1:4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
John was one of the sons of thunder who became the beloved apostle and also the Apostle of Love. remember he wanted to to blast the Samaritans. But now at the end of his transformed life, he says I’ve got something better than mere happiness with this world, or us being right and others wrong, I’ve got the life of God shared with me for the world. Any one who would twist and compromise, watch out he passionate. Story of Cerinthus in bath house, ok young men - time to leave - God could bring this house down - not dwell with him. But look at the emotional quality that dominated life now- JOY - and look at that last verse - walking tin the truth. Not just believing it - this is the way to discipleship and assurance - to walk in the way the truth and the life - that’s our partnership , fellowship - and the path to certain completion of God’s plan - and the verb tense that John uses in our closing verse, so important apostates Joy, Ephesians, Asia minor church, believers in heaven, believers now in our day -
When we becomes certain and strong in this fellowship with Jesus - when we understand our gathering our church-ing to be partner-ing with Christ, and the apostles, and even more participating with them - then we will be part of the growth in joy to completion. That’s the goal for you and me:
3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Let me conclude with another illustration of partnership. JRR TOLKIEN”s LOrd of the Rings. So interesting that evil Lord brings destruction wants ring for power - but one competing against all others for the Ring of Power. But story can’t really happen just with Bilbo getting the ring as good as he is. It has to come to one who doesn’t want the power for himself. The fellowship of the ring fails and falters when one like Boromir tries to seize for himself even saying use it for good purpose. But selfishly taking it. But the story happens and moves and comes to completion - when team of those who each play different part - living in that fellowship - Frodo, and best friend Sam Gamgee follow him to the edge of doom , got wise counsel of a Gandalf, who’ve got the companionship and bran of those dwarves, the swiftness of those elves And John says, this fellowship rooted in Christ, transmitted by the message of the Apostles - we’ve got tot reimagine fellowship of the Church - not as first of all our coffee hour or even small group Christian friendship - necessary and good things, - but we are participating in the life of Christ together - changes our whole life - and it brings only joy that lasts. And at the end of the day unless you want the rings of powers of this world, its possessions and all the other things that are passing way for yourself., don’t you understand that the believers goal of life - is this fellowship with God , that pulls us into a fellowship with one another in this life, that will last forever!