Straight from the Source

The Case before Us — (Verse 5)

“Message” — Greek (epangelia) — “announcement or promise”

“Which we have heard of him and declare unto you” — God left heaven & came to this world to deliver an important message…some insight on how we are to have fellowship with almighty God!

Think about this for a second with me…where was Jesus in the beginning?…With the Father right?…Then where did He come?…Here right?…Now where is He?…At the right hand of the Father making intercession for you and I!

This message was so important that God Himself had to deliver it! And what did we do with the message and the messenger God Himself? We discarded the message and the messenger by hanging Him on a cross! We murdered the very one who came to save us! We murdered God!

John 3:19-20 — 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Oh sinful and stiffnecked people that we are! I’m telling you this morning friend, it’s a miracle that He wants anything to do with us at all!

John 8:12 — Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 9:5 — As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 12:35-36 — 35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 36a While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.

1 Timothy 6:16 — Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Revelation 21:23 — And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

“At all” — Greek (oudeis) — “by no means, absolutely none”

John Phillips — Light! What an amazing and wonderful thing light is. Darkness cannot drive out the light, but light can drive out the darkness. There can be no fellowship between light and darkness—and God is light.

1 Peter 2:9 — But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1 Thessalonians 5:5 — Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Matthew 5:14 — Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

John Falconer said — "I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light" (in Sills, The Missionary Call, 181) — CCE

C. T. Studd — "Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell" (Hannah, "C T Studd") — CCE

The Case Against Us — (Verses 6,8,10)

Saying and Doing are two different things!

If we’re going to talk the talk, we ought to be walking the walk, Amen!

Our lives ought to back up what our lips are saying!

The Christ that Cleanses Us — (Verse 7)

The Confession that Keeps Us in Communion — (Verse 9)