Born of God: "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.

I got their

DNA.

I grew up in

their home.

Went on

vacations.

There's 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.

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.

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.

fellowship.

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 4

and we were writing

we are writing

these things

so that

our joy

may be complete.

The our

in verse 4

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 all together

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.

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.

He goes on

to talk about

how that fruit

glorifies

the Father

in Heaven.

If you would turn

to John 15

John 15:11

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

the apostle

Paul

or 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