The Joy of Authentic Fellowship
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Series Introduction
Thought: Mother’s Day (if momma’s happy, then everyone is happy…)
It is an incredible thing to experience the peace of God.
Knowing I am secure in Him.
Knowing that life has purpose.
Knowing that I am not alone—but God is with me.
What seems to rob us from consistently experiencing this amazing peace is all the stuff of life (stress, busyness, pain, betrayal, loss, decisions).
We are constantly trying to navigate through all the stuff and make sense of what we are to do.
Add to our life are powerful emotions that impact our lives in such ways that it is so difficult to distinguish between truth and a lie.
So God, in His amazing grace, gives to us His Word—His written revelation.
Who God is.
What He does.
HIs interaction with people (you and me).
In His Word, He gives to us the way in which He wants us to do life—in doing life in such a way that invites peace with Him.
This subject—our life and HIs Word—is so important, so timely, that I believe we need to reacquaint ourselves with what Ted Dakker says is “the forgotten way.”
KEY POINT: God has a way in which He wants the Christian to live.
In fact, God has a book in His Word that specifically addresses “The Way of the Christian Life.”
1 John.
One of the close original followers of Jesus was a young man by the name of John.
Fisherman
Brother of James
Member of the inner circle (close friend of Jesus)
Last original disciple (others died—killed for faith).
God uses John to write five books:
Gospel (Life of Christ)
1, 2, 3 John (Living Life in the light of Christ)
Revelation (The Return of Christ)
1 John is all about THE WAY OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
It was never ment to be a mystery. God does not want you to guess your way through all the stuff of life.
KEY POINT: God wants you to confidently do life in a way that saturates you with peace.
It is in 1 John that we are given God’s revelation on how we can fully experience this authentic, genuine, real peace.
When we look at this book (this letter) from John—we are confronted with a choice:
Ignore it.
Reject it.
Pretend to acknowledge it.
Misunderstand it.
Believe and do it.
KEY POINT: My intention for this preaching series is for us to recognize that there is a way that God wants us to specifically do life—and that we would do it!
Transition
We begin at the beginning with 1 John 1:1-4.
Text
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—
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—
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.
4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Notes about the text
This is one long sentence.
It does not include the customary salutation (greeting) or personal reference (does not identify the author).
One Bible teacher referred to this opening of 1 John as a grammatical tangle.
So, are task is to disentangle it.
The main verb does not show up until verse 3.
Introduction to today’s message
But, what we have here is a powerful declaration!
There is a purpose that God wants us to grasp about life.
And, there is a goal—something that God wants all those who would believe and trust Him to experience in the end.
What we have here is not some thrown together, last minute plan of God.
What we have here is something so meticulously designed—purposefully put together—created from the very beginning of time.
It is...
The Word of Life
The Word of Life
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—
The Word of life is the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ—it is God’s redemptive plan to rescue anyone who would believe.
“That which was from the beginning...”
From the very beginning, this Gospel message was set.
At the center of this message is the Eternal Son of God.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jesus is more than a good teacher, or a nice person…but He is the infinite Son of God.
20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
“…which we have heard...”
Here the eternal entered time and appeared to human beings.
14 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.
We have words here that that lead us from the most abstract to the most physical of God’s revelation.
To have heard was not enough; people “heard” God’s voice in the Old Testament.
To have seen was more compelling.
But to have touched was the conclusive proof.
I think of Thomas following Jesus’ resurrection where he need to see Jesus face to face in order to believe.
“…we have heard…seen with our eyes…looked upon and have touched with our hands…(verse 3)…we have seen and heard...”
Here, John is giving his personal testimony—a personal experience, interpreted (explained) by the reality of God’s truth, providing authority to the calling of God upon his life.
Which leads John to...
The Word of Life Proclaimed
The Word of Life Proclaimed
Here in verse 3 we finally meet the main verb of the sentence: “…we proclaim...”
The truth of Christ is not meant to be concealed.
The message of Christ is not meant to be a mere personal message.
The message of Christ—this Word of Life—has always been designed to be shared.
It is a message that changes lives!
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—
This is why the Gospel of Jesus Christ is at the heart of what the church is all about.
It is the message that the lost can be found.
It is the message that the hurting can be healed.
It is the message that the sinner can be saved.
It is this message that the Christian is also called to continue to boldly proclaim.
This is our purpose!
But, it is a purpose with a purpose! (a goal in mind)
Fellowship
Fellowship
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.
Goal #1 Fellowship with one another
Goal #1 Fellowship with one another
“…so that you too may have fellowship with us...”
The proclamation of the Gospel Message was not an end in itself, its purpose, immediate and ultimate begins with fellowship.
This fellowship was created by Christ in the days of His earthly ministry with His disciples—and it was deepened by the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost—and it extended to the next generation of Christians—down the ages to you and me.
This is the unbroken succession of the heritage of Faith—this Faith in Jesus Christ.
We are called to be connected to one another—a band of brothers and sisters in Christ—doing life together.
“Fellowship” is a specifically Christian word and it denotes that common participation in the grace of God.
But, this fellowship is further explained by Goal #2:
Goal #2 Fellowship with God
Goal #2 Fellowship with God
“…indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ.”
The message of life—the Gospel of Jesus Christ—leads us by faith into reconciliation!
Sins are forgiven.
New life is established.
Adoption into the Family of God is completed.
God is with us—His Spirit indwells within us—we now belong to Him.
This leads us naturally to the third Goal established here in 1 John:
Goal #3 Joy
Goal #3 Joy
4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This message does not just bring joy to John who is writing these words—but it will bring joy—a completed joy to all who would embrace this message!
Joy is the ultimate result of the word of life.
This make our joy complete.
And, what is the secret of fullness of joy? It is the complete and perfect “Word of Life.”
It is the fellowship which the proclamation of the Good News creates; for if the immediate purpose of the proclamation is the establishment of fellowship, the ultimate purpose is the completion of joy.
In other words, from proclamation we have fellowship—and authentic fellowship brings completed joy.
Conclusion
The way of the Christian life is centered on the truth and message of Jesus Christ.
The way of the Christian life embraces the purpose of proclaiming the truth—the Good News—the Word of Life.
The way of the Christian life is a life filled, saturated with authentic fellowship with God and with one another.
The way of the Christian life leads to completed joy.
Altar Call
Fellowship and joy is experienced through the Good News.
The Good News is Jesus Christ.
Sin separates us from God.
God loves us and sent His Son to take our place (death) and give us life.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.