1 John 1
Notes
Transcript
Handout
What is truth?
What is truth?
Do you remember who asked this question?
If you guessed Pontius Pilate you were right! How ironic is that? Pilate stood before Jesus who is the way the Truth and the Life. and if Pilate genuinely wanted to know the truth Jesus was right there in front of him. Jesus is omniscient that is He knows everything, We need to be sure we are not making the same mistake as Pilate. We have the truth right here (Hold up Bible) Are we looking else where? There is a popular belief to today that there is no absolute truth. No they believe that truth is relative. That means what you believe is true form you and what I believe is true for me. There is no absolute truth.
My favorite rebuttal to this false claim came from a Christian talk show host. He had a guest on who believed in relative truth and as they were talking. He takes her purse and starts going through it. At which point she gets offended and demands her purse back. At which point the talk show host responds, “Oh you may have a problem with me going through your purse, but I don’t have a problem with it!”
Do you see how quickly relative truth breaks down? There is absolute truth and part of that is you don’t take someone else’s belongings and shuffle through them.
As we dig into the truth of 1 John Chapter 1 this morning, let’s pray that God will give us eyes to see and ears to hear His truth this morning. And may we be like the man who built his house on the rock, that after he heard the teachings of Jesus he obeyed. And when the winds and waves came what did his house do? It stood right? Are the winds and waves coming in our lives? Absolutely, Jesus told us they were coming!
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Who likes the truth of that promise? Does this promise bring joy to your heart? As we look at 1 John this morning, a major theme is truth.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
One of the main reason John is writing this letter to the early church is because false teachers are trying to deceive them. Is this still a problem today? Is there false teaching in other religions? Is there false teaching within the church today?
ABSOLUTELY!
So before we look at the various false teachings that John refutes in chapter 1, John first establishes why we should listen to him. So why should you trust what John is writing this morning? Let’s look at the first couple verses of chapter one.
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— 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—
John is saying listen to me I was there! I was an eye witness. I have you ever used the expression, “I will believe it when I see it!” This is what John is saying. He is pleading with us to believe him because he was there. He saw Jesus and His ministry with his own eyes. Listen to how Luke put it in chapter one of his gospel.
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
Do you have certainty in what you believe it can only come from here (Hold up Bible) How can we trust this??? (Hold up Bible) Because it is eye witness accounts.
This morning, we are going to look at four false teachings you must be equipped to refute. The church in the first century faced them and we still face them today.
The first false teaching you must be able to refute is that Jesus wasn’t real or was not truly a man. John begins with we saw Him so Jesus must be real but others say Jesus was just a spirit John says no we physically touched Him he was fully man. Why is that so important. Why does Jesus need to be fully man to save us from our sins? What is the wages of our sin? According to
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God is Just He could not ignore our sin or wink at it. Your sin must be paid for! So Jesus had to come and Jesus had to take the guilt of our sin on Himself because He was spotless. Jesus never sinned therefore He could die in your place. The righteous for the unrighteous. The just for the unjust. Do see the importance here? You sin requires by the law your death and eternal separation from God forever. For Jesus to be your substitute He had to take on flesh live under the law and keep it perfectly because we can’t. That is why He is the spotless lamb that takes away the sin of the world. What good news!
Not only does he take our sin but He gives us His righteousness.