Authority to Announce

Introduction

A person’s experience carries weight in the telling.

When I try to tell a story that someone else told me.

And I thought it was hilarious, but I just can’t quite get it right! Something is lost.

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[A person’s experience carries weight in the telling!]

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When you are walking with Jesus, people see the difference.

This is true when we talk about our faith.

There is a difference between hearing about Jesus from someone who just goes to church.

Or from someone who has studied His life from a theoretical perspective!

And compare that to someone who understood the depths of their own sin and the sacrifice of Jesus.

When that person, who knows what Jesus has done and who walks with Him and follows Him, when they talk about Jesus, there is something real and powerful that comes in their words.

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[When you are walking with Jesus, people see the difference.]

Authority

Gnosticism

John was facing a challenging time for the purity of the Gospel.

Some were claiming to be followers of Jesus, but in reality had a distorted view of the Gospel.

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[Gnosticism]

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Partially why John was so specific about saying that Jesus was able to be touched.

He was a physical being, not just a spirit. Incarnation!

But, there is also something else going on....notice the “we” statements.

His authority to proclaim the Gospel was directly related to his personal relationship with Jesus.

The “Word of life!” - this idea of “word” that he opened up his Gospel with.

John 1:1 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Christ came to restore fellowship.

This is the life that was “made manifest to us!”

And the reason Christ came was to restore fellowship.

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[Christ came to restore fellowship.]

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Notice that there are two levels of this fellowship: with us is the first level.

Define fellowship: What it isn’t. Greek literature uses it to describe partners in business, joint owners of a piece of property, or shareholders in a common enterprise.

In the church, as believers, we are connected.

The care of others is in our own self-interest.

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

But, let us notice that this isn’t the only level of fellowship that we experience.

v. 3 - “and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

And indeed = “even more so”

Our fellowship is great, but without fellowship with the Lord, it is meaningless.

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Fellowship with the Lord completes our joy.

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Emptiness is destroyed when we walk with Jesus.

Walking with Jesus fills us and fulfills us.

Announcement

Now, based on John’s relationship with Jesus, he now emphasizes the announcement.

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God is light.

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A common theme for John to use:

John 1:4–5 ESV

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Light is a picture of purity and protection.

And God is pure light!

“In Him is no darkness at all!”

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“When John says that there is no darkness in teh light of God, he proves that all the lights of others are stained by some blemish.”

Jerome (5th Century)

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All other lights we might look to have some weakness, some blemish, some corruption.

God alone provides the pure light.

Every person has sinned.

Three corrupt lights:

Walking in darkness while claiming to be in the light.

Claiming to have no sin nature.

Claiming to have never sinned.

Instead, our response is: Confession and Cleansing and Commitment to the Word.

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Every person has sinned.

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Because of that sin, we are separated from God.

But, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, His righteousness covers us and removes our sin.

When God looks at us, He sees that holiness rather than your sin.

But, this is the only light that provides that salvation.

Conclusion

Spelunking - the exploration of caves.

Light is life.

Something I’ve always been fascinated by.

Carlsbad (NM) to Fantastic Caverns (MO) to Cave of the Winds (CO) to Onyx Cave (AK).

One of our school’s traditions was when you were a sixth grader you got to go to Alabaster Caverns.

Paired up with a fourth grader for the day.

Really, trusting an 11 year old with the life of a 9 year old in a cave??

But, okay… It wasn’t just the caves, there was lots of woods to explore, smaller caves.

And they’d just open the doors of the bus and we’d have the run of the place.

For the tour of the actual caves, they had us assigned with tour guides.

Get down there and they’d turn off the lights and it would be utter darkness.

Hit your face with your hand dark.

But, can you imagine what it would be like to be in one of those situations, maybe a first explorer, and have your light go out.

For those first explorers that didn’t have the benefit of flashlights, but depended upon kerosene lanterns.

Light is extinguished and you’ve got to get a new flame going in the utter and complete darkness.

At that point...

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Light is life.

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In the same way, when we are walking through life, we must have the light of Jesus.

Destruction awaits those who walk in darkness.

But, for those who are in Jesus...

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Eternity is found only in the light of Christ.

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