"Got Life?"

Well, this past week, I was listening to a 55-0 old recording between Apollo 13 astronaut

Jack Swigert and NASA mission control, Houston.

Swigert, okay, Houston, we've had a problem here.

Houston, this is Houston.

Say again, please.

Swigert, Houston, we've had a problem here.

We've had a main B bus undervolt.

And with that, the Apollo 13 mission shifted from landing on the moon to getting these three astronauts home without dying.

The Apostle John, in 1 John, by the way, John is the disciple whom Jesus loved.

This is the writer of the book of Revelation.

He would have been in his 80s when he wrote this epistle, 1 John.

So if you're not there yet, please turn to 1 John.

Well, he's writing to a group of churches in what's present-day Western Turkey.

These would have been a lot of the same churches in Revelation 2 and 3.

Ephesus, Sardis, Philadelphia, Phrygia, Laodicea.

And he's writing to these Christians in the late first century.

And he's saying, okay, churches, we've got a problem.

The essence of the problem was false teaching.

Now, if you're in 1 John, let me show you.

In 1 John 2, verse 26, look what he says.

1 John 2:26

And now, little children, oops, I write these things to you about those.

This is verse 26.

I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

And look at chapter 4, verse 1.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.

For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

So there was this influence on these churches in Western Turkey at the end of the first century of these false teachers.

In the false teaching was running along three different lines.

We see it in chapter 3, verse 7.

Little children, let no one deceive you.

Whoever practices righteousness is righteous as he is righteous.

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.

From the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

So here's the lie that was going on.

The lie was going, hey, you can be a follower of Jesus and do whatever you want in your lifestyle.

It doesn't matter.

That was the lie.

That was the deception.

You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, with whoever you want.

It doesn't matter.

The second line of deception we see in chapter 2, verse 9.

Whoever says he's in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, walking in the light of God, and yet hate your brother,

whether that's some kind of flat-out denial or some kind of downplaying,

it's a lie.

What we'll see as we move through 1 John is we must be loving one another, those born of God.

So that's the second lie.

But the primary root falsehood we see in chapter 4, verses 2 and 3.

We read,

By this you know the Spirit of God.

Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

And every spirit that does not confess Jesus has come in the flesh is not from God.

The root issue, the falsehood that was the kind of the headwaters of all these other lies,

was a denial that Jesus had come in the flesh.

A denial of the incarnation.

Okay, churches, we've got a problem.

Today, there is a downplaying or denying even of the need to live moral, holy lives in obedience to Jesus.

Today, there is a downplaying and even a denying of the need to love all who've been born of God.

And certainly today, there is a denial of who Jesus truly is,

whether that's that He's fully God or fully man or both fully God and fully man.

Then there are denials.

I mean, that's why we have cults.

Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Jesus.

In the first century, the Apostle John writes into this problem.

That's why we have this epistle, this letter.

He's writing to all these churches.

It's a circular letter.

He's seeking to pastor them through this problem.

But it's more complicated than what I've told you,

because look at chapter 2, verse 19.

They went out from us, but they were not of us.

For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.

But they went out.

The church had been splintering.

People were leaving over these issues.

I don't know about you, but if I was living in the first century and seeing this happen in my own church,

with people I love, I'd be discouraged, shocked,

questioning whether this whole Christianity thing is true,

and questioning whether I was truly born of God.

John writes to assure these Christians in these churches in the first century and us

of who Jesus truly is and what it means to belong to him,

which now brings us to verses 1 through 4.

In 1 John 1, 1 through 4,

John starts this letter seeking to convince these churches of this one truth.

Jesus is our life.

Five points.

You can see it in your bulletin.

Five points to help you see the case John is making,

that this Jesus is our life.

You got life?

You got Jesus?

First point.

This Jesus is fully God.

Notice where John begins his letter.

1 John 1,

that which was from the beginning.

And we got to ask,

well, which beginning is this beginning?

And it is the beginning.

As in Genesis 1, 1,

in the beginning.

John begins this letter by starting off at creation.

Why start there?

Look at the end of 1, 1.

Concerning the word of life.

That which was at the beginning concerning the word of life.

Remember John 1, 1?

The gospel of John?

In the beginning was the word,

and the word was with God,

and the word was God.

That word, word,

is the Greek word logos.

Ultimate expression.

The full and final communication of reality.

It's a reference to Jesus.

He is the full and final expression of God.

And notice,

at the end of verse 1,

it is,

he is the word of life.

That word life is repeated a few times

in these first two verses.

And what's being said here

is that Jesus is the full and final expression of God,

the eternally existent,

second person of the Trinity,

and the source of eternal life.

And not just length of days.

Quality of life.

I have come,

I came,

that they might have life,

and might have it abundantly,

John 10, 10.

What's interesting about Jesus

in that little phrase,

eternal life,

is how he defines it.

If you flip back in your Bibles

to the gospel of John,

to John chapter 17,

John 17 · chapter mention

in verse 3,

Jesus is praying a prayer

to his heavenly Father.

It's the high priestly prayer.

And he defines eternal life for us.

And this is eternal life.

That they know you,

the only true God,

and Jesus Christ,

whom you have sent.

That they know you.

What is striking about this definition

of eternal life

is that he defines eternal life

as in terms of being

in relationship with God.

To know God.

And Jesus.

Through Jesus.

So in chapter 1, verse 2,

we have the word of life,

which is the eternal life.

Did you see that?

Let testify to it

and proclaim to you

the eternal life.

And this eternal life

was with the Father.

Distinct from God the Father,

yet fully God.

We're in the deep end of the pool.

Verse 3,

we learn that the word of life

is not only distinct

from the Father,

but he goes

by a name.

Jesus Christ.

John starts his letter

in the beginning

showing us that Jesus

is fully God.

Apparently,

the late, great coach

Vince Lombardi

started every

Green Bay Packers season

with a team meeting

at which he would

hold up a football

and say something

to the extent of,

this is a football.

And what he would be saying

is it all starts with this.

This ball is the object

of winning

or losing the game.

The Apostle John

is pointing to the

eternally existent

second person

of the Trinity,

the Son,

Jesus Christ,

and he's saying

it all starts

with Him.

Do you know

what it would mean

for your salvation

if Jesus was not

fully God?

Your sins would not

be forgiven.

Because we sin

against a holy,

eternal God,

we must pay

a just

and eternal penalty.

And the only payment

to satisfy

God's eternal wrath

is an eternally

just

and satisfying payment.

What John

will later say,

you'll use the word

propitiation

for that.

But because Jesus

is fully God,

His payment

on the cross

for your sins

and mine

have completely

satisfied

God's eternal wrath.

there is therefore

now no condemnation

for those who

are in Christ Jesus.

Because God's wrath

has been paid

in full.

This Jesus,

He is fully God

and this Jesus

is our life.

Point two,

this Jesus

is fully man.

Not only is Jesus

fully God,

He is fully man.

If you're part

of King's place,

totally God,

totally man.

Remember,

this was the

issue at hand

in this region

in the first century.

There was heresy

saying that Jesus

who had not come

and was part,

became flesh.

So look what John

explicitly does

in chapter one,

verse two.

The life,

the word of life,

was made

manifest.

And we have

seen it

and testified to it

and proclaimed to you

the eternal life

which was with the

Father

and was made

manifest

to us.

That little phrase,

that verb,

made manifest,

is saying something

really important.

this eternal life

which was

with the Father

has now been

made manifest

to us.

The us,

of course,

if you're wondering,

is the apostle

John speaking

on behalf

of all the other

apostles sent out

by Jesus

who had seen Him,

touched Him,

sent out by Him.

But what is this

made manifest

business?

John is taking

his apostolic

bazooka,

loading it up

on his shoulder,

setting his sights

on it,

and he's taking

a Christological

doctrine missile,

dropping it

into his bazooka,

and this thing

is a powerful

cluster bomb

of truth

that he's going

to aim at

this false

teaching

of there not

being an incarnation

and he's going

to eradicate it

from these churches.

Look how he does it.

There are seven

statements

in this passage

in which he

makes a case

that there is

in our incarnation.

Look how he does it.

He starts by saying

that which was

from the beginning

which we have

heard

with our own ears,

which we have seen

with our own eyes,

which we

have touched

with our own

hands.

That word touched,

the way to think

about it is

imagine a blind

person going up

to someone

to feel their

face,

to delicately touch

in order to know

and to identify.

It's that kind

of intimate

touching.

You're familiar,

you know

to touch

concerning the

word of life.

The life was

made manifest.

We have seen it.

Verse 3,

we have seen

and heard.

That gets at

what this

made manifest

means.

It's the second

person of the

trinity,

the eternal

word of life

breaking into

time and space

and taking on

flesh that can

be seen,

heard,

and touched.

What John is

talking about

is the incarnation.

John is

claiming,

this is part

of his case,

that he

himself had

personally

sensory

experience

with the

eternal

word of life

made manifest

in the flesh.

John didn't

hear about

Jesus through

a big game

of telephone.

He had

first-hand

experience.

He had

heard and

touched and

saw the

incarnate

eternal

word of life,

Jesus.

And the

emphasis here

is on sight

over and

over again.

Seen,

looked,

saw.

It's an

eyewitness.

Now, if you

wanted to get

credible testimony

in a court of

law to make

your case,

you're going to

find a reliable

eyewitness.

And John

is that.

So what

exactly had

John heard,

touched,

seen?

Let me

remind you

of some

things.

John had

heard all

of Jesus'

teaching.

John was

with Jesus

at the

beginning of

his three-year

itinerant

ministry.

He heard

everything that

Jesus taught

and he saw

people marvel

at his

teaching.

Do you

remember at

the cross

what Jesus

said to

John?

first he

says to

Mary,

behold,

this is

your son

and to

John,

behold,

your mother.

That's the

John writing

this.

He heard

that.

Just think

about what

John had

touched.

According to

John 13,

it was John

who had

leaned against

Jesus at

the last

supper.

Tender.

It was

John who

Jesus spoke

to after

his resurrection

and said,

see my

hands,

my feet,

that it is

I myself,

touch and

see.

This John

had touched

the resurrected

body of

Jesus Christ.

Just imagine

what John

had seen.

Miracles,

Jesus' death,

burial,

Jesus'

resurrection,

Jesus'

ascension.

And

could you

imagine what

he had seen?

He's writing

50 years

afterwards

and what's in

his mind

is as clear

as day.

he had heard

and touched

and seen.

Remember that

Vince Lombardi

quote?

This is a

football.

John is

pointing to

Jesus and

saying,

this Jesus

is fully

God and

fully man.

It all

starts with

him.

If Jesus

were not fully

man, do you

know what that

would mean

for your

salvation?

salvation,

it would

mean that

he would

not have

been able

to fully

represent you

as a

perfect,

sinless

representative

on the

cross.

It means

he would

not be able

to identify

with you

in every

single way.

It means

that his

perfect life

of righteousness

would have

been a

sham.

You can't

impute that

to someone

now.

He lived

a sinless

perfect life

because he

was human.

He could

give it

to us.

The fact

that Jesus

is fully

God and

fully man

makes him

the perfect

mediator

between God

and man.

He is

alone the

perfect

savior

of sinful

men and

women.

There is

therefore

salvation

in no one

else.

Because this

Jesus is

fully God

and fully

man.

The eternal

word of

life was

made manifest

in the

flesh to

be our

one and

only savior.

This Jesus

is fully

man.

This Jesus

is our

life.

Which brings

me to point

three.

This Jesus

is who we

proclaim.

He is

our message.

What do you

tell people?

What are you

telling people?

Where are you

telling them to

find life?

Do you notice

in chapter 1

verse 2

life was made

manifest and we

have seen it

and testify to it

and proclaim

to you the

eternal life.

John Stott

helped me see

this this week.

That word testify

means to have

a personal

experience and

you tell somebody

about it.

So maybe you're

thinking right

now well man

I haven't seen

Jesus in person.

I haven't heard

his audible

voice.

I haven't touched

him.

I don't have

personal first

hand experience

like that.

Well maybe you

don't but if

you have bowed

your knee to

Jesus you have

had a personal

experience with

Jesus.

you are not

the same of

what you were

before coming

to Jesus.

You've been

radically changed.

You have a

personal experience.

You've got

something to say

because he's

changed you.

That word

proclaim carries

a sense of

commission of

being sent out.

You may be

saying well I'm

not an apostle

like John but

you have been

sent out by the

risen Jesus by

virtue of the

great commission.

Go make

disciples.

We're all sent

out.

You have

experienced him

and you've been

sent out by him.

That's why we

don't proclaim

ourselves but

him.

Fully God

fully man who

was sent to die

in the place of

sinners.

That's the

message of the

apostle John and

all of the

apostles.

That's the

message entrusted

to us that we

proclaim to

others and call

everyone everywhere

in light of

that Jesus.

That Jesus

repent and

believe.

The main verb

of these four

verses shows up

in verse 3.

That which we

have seen and

heard we

proclaim also to

you.

Proclaim.

Announce.

We proclaim

Jesus.

Why?

Why him?

He's the

life.

The eternal

life.

The word of

life.

And he is the

hope of all

nations because

he alone offers

eternal life both

in terms of length

and quality.

Salvation is in

no one else.

Remember John

17 3.

Salvation is

talked about in

terms of

relationship to

God.

We announce

Jesus to

people to

repent and

to believe so

they enter into

a right

relationship, a

saving relationship

with the living

God through the

Son.

Eternal life is

a personal

relationship with

God through

Jesus.

So let me ask

you a question.

What are you

telling people?

Who are you

talking about?

Who are you

telling people to

go find life

in?

Flip back in

your Bibles to

1 John 5.

Maybe this will

make it all the

more clear.

1 John 5

11 through

13.

And this is the

testimony that

God gave us

eternal life.

And this life is

in his Son.

Whoever has

the Son has

life.

Whoever does

not have the

Son of God

does not have

life.

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.

This Jesus is

who we proclaim.

He is our

message because

he is the

life.

This Jesus is

our life.

Point four.

This Jesus is

who we share.

in verse three

we have the

first of two

what's called

purpose statements.

We see them in

the words so

that.

Look with me.

Verse three.

That which we

have seen and

heard we proclaim

also to you so

that for the

purpose of you

too may have

fellowship with us

and indeed our

fellowship is with

the Father and

with his Son

Jesus Christ.

The purpose of

our proclaiming

Jesus is

fellowship according

to this verse.

So what is

fellowship?

It's the Greek

word koinonia

and it's

describing a

kind of

relationship.

A kind of

relationship with

someone else that

is deep and

meaningful and

aimed.

It's deep

because when you

have koinonia

with someone

you're getting

down to what

matters most.

What's most

important and

it's meaningful

because not only

are you sharing

what's most

important.

People are

sharing with

you what's

most important

to them.

It's so good.

It's so meaningful

but it's also

aimed.

What matters

most aims

you.

Let me give

you two examples

of this from

this past week

in my life.

Thursday night

I had dinner

with a brother

and if you

walked into

the restaurant

and saw us

sitting together

you'd be like

what are they

doing together?

Different

ethnicity than

me.

Wears different

kinds of

clothes.

Speaks different

than I speak.

He's from a

different part of

the country.

He's experienced

all sorts of

hardship that I

have never

dreamed of.

But you know

what we had in

common?

The word of

life.

Jesus.

Jesus.

And all of

those differences

were petty

little differences

because we got

to fellowship

and together.

He encouraged

me.

I encouraged

him.

So here's this

person that I

would have no

business with

outside of Jesus.

And here we are

sharing a meal

together.

Talking about

Jesus.

another example.

Yesterday

morning at

625 AM I'm

doing my

devotion.

I'm writing

2 Corinthians

12 9.

Talking about

his grace is

sufficient for

you.

For in

weakness his

power is made

perfect.

I'm writing

that bling

bling bling

to my parents.

Hey mom and

dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

They got their

DNA.

I grew up in

their home.

Went on

vacations.

They're things I

do because they

built them into

me.

These are some of

the closest people

in my life.

We've got a lot

in common but you

know what we got

to talk about?

Jesus.

What means most

to me about my

relationship with

my parents is

that they love

Jesus.

I don't take

that for granted.

And so here we

have in the span

of 48 hours

me fellowshipping

with a man

it makes no sense

outside of Jesus

and then here I

am fellowshipping

with my mom and

dad.

We could have

talked about a

whole lot of

different stuff.

There's so much

in common

but what matters

most is Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

When it comes

to fellowship

Jesus is the

life center

of our

relationships.

And in this

passage there's a

horizontal dimension

so that you too

may have fellowship

with us.

So we

experience a

degree of

fellowship based

upon whether

either of us

are loving

Jesus.

fellowship.

And there's also

this vertical

component and

indeed our

fellowship is with

the Father and

with his son

Jesus Christ.

Fellowship in

verse 3 is the

way John is

talking about

salvation.

We have a

relationship with

God and his

son.

that vertical

fellowship is a

salvific

relationship.

And it flows

out into our

relationships with

others.

So our

fellowship with

one another

begins with our

fellowship with

God our

Father through

the Son.

And as we go

through 1 John

you're going to

notice that this

fellowship is spoken

of in familial

terms.

Father,

Son,

Children.

We're one

family in the

Lord.

United with

Jesus our

life.

So what are you

focusing on when

you get together

with other

Christians?

There's a place

to talk about

football.

There's a place

to talk about

food, family,

stuff going on

at church,

things going on

politically in the

country.

Of course there's

things to talk

about like that.

But what are you

getting to what

matters most?

Are you getting

to Jesus?

What he's doing

in your life?

Are you finding

your time with

other Christians

building you up

in the Lord?

Or is it a

missed opportunity?

How do we do

this together?

Well it begins

with us all

each abiding

in Jesus.

That's where it

all starts.

Going deep

with Jesus in

prayer.

Receiving

meaningful words

from him

about him

and lining

up what

matters most

to his

mission.

And when we're

all doing that

together,

we're going to

fellowship in

Jesus.

This Jesus

is who we

share.

This Jesus,

he is our

life.

Five,

this Jesus

is our joy.

our joy

producing

life.

Second purpose

clause is in

verse four,

and we were

writing,

we are writing

these things

so that

our joy

may be

complete.

The hour

in verse four

is John's

joy as well

as the

Christians in

all of these

churches in

western Turkey

in the end of

the first century.

Their joy.

It's an

altogether

our joy.

A shared

joy.

What is

joy?

Helpful

distinction is

talking about

happiness as

a gladness

that's dependent

upon your

circumstances.

As your

circumstances

change,

so does your

happiness.

Joy is a

gladness

that's

dependent

on Jesus.

and because

Jesus is the

same today,

yesterday,

and forever,

it's possible

to find

fullness of

joy in

him,

regardless of

how hard

or unhappy

your circumstances

are,

because your

joy is in

Jesus.

In John

15,

Jesus talks

about him

being a vine

and we are

the branches.

If we

abide in

him and

him in

us,

we will

bear much

fruit.

Goes on to

talk about

how that

fruit

glorifies

the

father in

heaven.

If you

would turn

to John

John 15:11

15,

verse 11,

I want

you to

see something.

What

comes of

abiding

in Jesus?

Verse 11,

these things

I have spoken

to you,

I am the

vine,

you are the

branches,

if you

abide in

me and

I in

you,

you will

bear much

fruit.

These things

I have spoken

to you,

that purpose

clause,

my joy,

my joy,

Jesus'

joy,

may be in

you and

that your

joy may

be full,

complete.

Full and

complete joy

comes as a

result of

abiding in

Jesus,

the eternal

word of

life made

manifest in

the flesh.

Which means

this,

no one can

steal your

joy,

but you

can shoot

yourself in

the foot.

We can

believe lies.

For example,

if you believe

that Jesus

is somehow

less fully

God or

less fully

man,

you will

have diminished

joy.

Because

fullness of

joy is

believing in

who Jesus

fully is.

fully God,

fully man.

If you

think somehow

that obedience

to Jesus in

all areas of

your life is

somehow optional,

you can do

whatever you

want,

whenever you

want to do

it,

you will have

diminished

joy.

Because true

joy,

fullness of

joy,

is fully

obeying Jesus

in all that

he commanded.

His commandments

are not

burdensome.

We love

him with

our obedience.

if you

are not

abounding

in love

for those

born of

God,

it will

result in

diminished

joy.

Because our

fullness of

joy is to

love others

as Jesus

for the joy

set before

him,

loved us

by giving

himself for

us.

That's

the these

things

he's writing

about.

Believe all

truth about

Jesus,

fullness of

joy.

Obey all

the commands

Jesus has

called us

to obey,

fullness of

joy.

Abound in

love for

all those

born of

God through

the blood

of Jesus,

fullness of

joy.

This

Jesus is

our life.

He's our

joy.

joy.

The

apostle

John is

basically

saying,

okay,

churches,

we've got a

problem.

There's a

false

teaching.

There's

another

Jesus being

preached.

So he

says,

this Jesus

I preach

is fully

God.

This

Jesus is

fully man.

This

Jesus is

whom we

proclaim.

This

Jesus is

who we

share,

and this

Jesus is

our joy.

Christ

the King

Church,

this

Jesus is

our life.

Let's

pray.

God in

heaven,

would you

do a

work by

your spirit

in us

and that

we see

Jesus fully,

that we

obey him

and all

that he

commands,

that we

love one

another

regardless of

what each

of us

looks like,

or do

or live

with an

abounding

love.

All for

the glory

of Jesus

and the

joy that's

in him.

In your name

we pray.

Amen.