Fellowship and Fullness of Joy - 1 John 1:1-4

Well, I'm going to read from 1 John 1, verses 1 through 4.

1 John 1:1–4

So, follow me in your Bible or your devices.

The word of the Lord reads, 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 testified to it and proclaimed to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.

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.

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

So we have four voices, four verses, and briefly I'll have just four points to follow us through.

And so let's start with verse one, and our first theme is the reality of Christ, and that the reality of this Christ is proclaimed here.

You know, first John is probably one of the few books I would say I have probably preached the most through.

In different churches and settings, it's always been a favorite of mine to start off with in the church where I'm serving.

And John here is starting this letter here with echoes of the Gospel of John, one.

But here he's obviously laying the foundation for the rest of the book and the rest of the teaching here, which is Christ, the foundation of the faith.

And so, first we want to see here the eternal Christ in this first verse and the reality of Christ proclaimed here.

You read it here, it says, from the beginning.

So that points toward the eternal existence of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus did not begin in the incarnation at Bethlehem.

He always was.

He is God of God, light of light, the only begotten.

So the opening phrase here, as I mentioned, echoes John 1.1, which, if we're familiar with, says, in the beginning was the Word.

And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The emphasis is the pre-existence of Christ and his deity.

For only God has no beginning.

This highlights the chasm between the creature, those who are listening, and the creator, which is the Lord Jesus.

That He is infinite, that we are finite.

And we see this also in Colossians 1.17, when it speaks of the internality of Christ, and obviously his sharing of attributes with God the Father, because he is not just the only begotten Son, but He is God.

Colossians 1.17 says, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.

All things were created through him and for him.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

So we see the eternal Christ, but we also see here the incarnate Christ.

The word here is, as we see here, it is something to be seen, something tangible.

The word is visible, it can be experienced with the senses as evidentiary of the reality of the incarnation.

We see the language here says, which we have heard.

That means it's this word, the Lord Jesus, was audible.

He engaged with their ears as they listened to him, speak.

And then we see here, which we have seen with our own eyes, not only audible, but visible and captured by sight.

Remember what we read in Colossians 1, 15, it says that he is the image of the invisible God.

He is made God in the incarnate state as a son.

He was visible.

Yet he always was.

Let's not lose track of that.

And it says, which we have looked upon.

So not only was he captured by their sight, he is now just not a, it's not just a mere glance out of the corner of our gaze.

No, they looked upon him carefully.

We're able to observe him and look upon him as he moved, talked, breathed, and worked.

That's what we read in the Gospels.

And then it continues, and have touched him with our hands.

Touch the one who is holy, holy, holy.

Touch him with unclean hands, yet he remained clean.

He who is the holy one of Israel could be touched with unclean, as we read in the Gospels, and leprous hands, and he would remain clean.

And he would make that which was unclean clean.

You know, we think about what the writer here is speaking of, John, and I thought there's various experiences throughout the Gospels where those who touched the Lord, and something happened.

We see the leper in Luke 8, 1 through 3.

And it reads, When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.

And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.

And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, I will be clean.

And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

We think of Thomas and the Gospel of John, chapter 20, 27, and 28.

John 20 · chapter mention

Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here and see my hands, and put out your hand and place it into my side.

Do not disbelieve, but believe.

Thomas answered him, My Lord and my God.

Note the progression here of the sensory testimony of these witnesses.

Christianity, yes, is forced in faith.

But we see it also rest on eyewitness testimony.

And as we continue in this verse, we go from the internality of Christ, the incarnate Christ, which is seen and visible and heard.

But then we read the verse and it talks about how Christ is the word of life.

Jesus is identified as the word of life.

He is the logos.

He is the word, the message, and the authority of God.

He is the only begotten and God's chosen King.

God's Son is the last and ultimate complete revelation of God to humanity.

Hebrews 1, verses 1 to 2 says, Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to the to uh fathers, our fathers by the prophets.

Hebrews 1:1–2

But in these last days he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

Christ is the word, the word of life.

I think of Peter with Jesus, who's the word of life, John 6, 66 to 69.

It reads, After this many of the disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

So Jesus said to the twelve, Do you want to go away as well?

And Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

And we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.

Christ is the Word, and by the nature the Word of life.

For in him is life, life eternal.

Jesus is the fountain of eternal life.

And we see further in this first verse, the application is simple.

The faith, the way biblical Christianity is grounded and rooted in historical reality.

Not silly myths, fantasy or fairy tales.

For they had seen him, they had heard him, they had gazed upon him, and they had touched him.

And he is eternal, for he has always existed as God the Father.

And he is the word of life.

Verse 2 reads, The life was made manifest, and we have seen it and testified to it and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.

So eternal life was revealed.

To manifest is to bring out, to reveal, to make known, which was unknown.

Eternal life is found in a person.

Divine life made visible in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Also note the comment here in the verse, which was with the Father.

The eternality of Jesus, Jesus existed, in and before eternity, in eternal fellowship with the Father.

Remember Christ's words where he says, For before Abraham was, I am, in John 8.58.

Jesus in eternity past was in the presence of the Father, because there the God is the Godhead is triune in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We see in Scripture that he was with the Father, being glorified, and loved by the Father.

If you ever have Bible trivia night and they ask you, what was the Son and God the Father doing before the foundations, before time?

And we read this in John 17, 5.

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

What was the Father doing?

Glorifying the Son.

And we go down a couple of verses in John 17, 24.

Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

So the eternal Christ, the pre-existing Christ, before the foundation of the world, before time, was being glorified and loved by God the Father.

Hence why God is love.

You know, when you think about that concept, no one walks around.

I wish my wife was here because she would giggle.

No one walks around and says, man, Robert is love.

You know what I mean?

They say Robert is loving.

But they don't say it every day because sometimes I'm not that loving.

You know what I mean?

It's a state that I progress into or digress to.

That's why I'm not love.

But I can be loving as a creature.

But we never say that about God.

We say God is love.

He's never increasing or progressing to a state of love because he just is.

And part of that is because what was God the Father, God the Son, and the Spirit doing before the foundations, before Genesis 1, we see this here.

The Father was loving the Son.

The Father was glorifying the Son.

And so having and possessing life, the Lord Jesus, the nature of this life he possesses is eternal.

He is able to give life to all those who would believe.

Because Jesus is eternal.

He is this wellspring, this fountain of life, this infinite source and giver of this eternal life.

And what God gives never diminishes.

For God's life gives without emptying, it enriches without impoverishment.

My son, if he asks for something, I give it to him sometimes.

When I give it to him, I have less of it now.

Like if I have 20 bucks and I give him 10, I have now less money than I started.

God never gets impoverished when he gives.

This Christ who always was, always is, now has been manifested, and he is what?

The last and ultimate revelation of God.

And what does he reveal to us?

Who God is, and that God is a God of love.

For we see in Acts 17, 28, in him, speaking of Christ, we live and move and have our being.

Not only do we have life, but also in him precedes eternal life for those who would believe.

So we see the apostolic witness in these first two verses, where John emphasizes in both verse 1 and 2 the importance of eyewitness testimony, particularly with the focus on the testimony of the apostles.

This speaks of the gospels and their eyewitness testimony.

And so as we move on now to verse 3, we're talking about the pre-existent Christ, the reality of Christ.

Christ has been manifested now.

He has made God known to those who have eyes to hear and have eyes to see, I mean, and ears to hear.

Let's look at verse 3 now.

Our third point: a proclaimed Trinitarian fellowship.

Verse 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.

We see here again the testimony of that which was seen and heard has now been proclaimed.

Fellowship with the triune God is more than a social construct.

It is more than Sunday religion.

It is union with Christ.

It is reconciliation with God, the Father, our Creator.

You know, as as people, I'm speaking to people who have come to know the Lord.

If we were forgiven, that would be enough.

The rebel and the traitor who has been forgiven.

But man, when you read the gospels, and when we talk about this fellowship, which we're going to get in more to, the rebel has not only been forgiven, his slate is not just clean.

Man, he has been brought home.

He's been given the robe of righteousness and the ring of sonship and invited to dine at the table.

The table of fellowship.

The church's unity, as we speak of this fellowship, flows from our union with Christ.

The word Christian, which is the word we favor to use a lot when we ask people, you know, who want to be members or trying to get their spiritual condition and state at.

We ask them, like, are you a Christian?

The odd thing is the Bible only uses the Bible and the New Testament only uses that word three times.

85 times the word in Christ is used.

I think that is a better definition of the spiritual state of the believer.

Because that's what the Bible says.

You are Christians, but speaking of being in Christ, which is the term that's used 85 times, speaks about your union with Christ.

And if you are in Christ, because you have the Holy Spirit, you are in this fellowship between what?

The triune God.

It's one God.

Territulian says this God is one, but he is never alone.

Because what?

There's the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And so this Trinitarian fellowship, this union in Christ is also the basis of our adoption.

Remember, you're just not the rebel who's been forgiven.

You've been brought home.

You've been given the ring of sonship.

I'm going to read Galatians 4, 4 through 7, which is a great passage.

It shows here the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and how they as one work together in the redemption and salvation and sanctification of his adopted people.

Galatians 4, 4 through 7 says, But when the fullness of time has come, God sent forth the Son, the God, the Father, sent in the Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba Father.

So you are no longer a slave, but a son.

And if a son, then an heir through God.

This Trinitarian fellowship, the Father sends the Son, the Spirit indwells in us, seals us.

It is the paperwork.

You know, my uh I say this to my wife and to my children.

Uh my children are adopted, so papers are important.

And I tell them all the time when, you know, they're unsure about where we're at in our relationship because they're being grounded.

I remind them and said, hey son, I have papers on you.

You're with me.

Same thing with my wife.

So if you ever leave, I'm going with you because I have papers.

Likewise, here we see that the spirit, you know what, indwells in us.

And it's like the indwelling and the token dwelling within you, that you are God.

That you are and you have been reconciled with God the Father through the Son.

And that's what we see here in Galatians 4, that this Trinitarian relationship between this triune God works for the salvation of those who are his.

And as Paul mentions here in Galatians, you become sons and daughters through the Son.

And that is what this fellowship here that is speaking of.

Because remember, read it.

It says, so that you too may have fellowship with us.

This is the apostle speaking.

And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

So the Apostle is saying, I hope and I pray that you would repent and believe and be in Christ.

And in union with Christ, your fellowship is with us, because our fellowship is with God the Father through the Son.

There is some Trinitarian work and language being used here because we are now engrafted into what God.

Family.

For through the Son we become sons.

You know, Jonathan Edward speaks of the Trinity.

He calls it the supreme harmony.

As I mentioned, Cheritulin expresses God as being one, but never alone.

C.S.

Lewis describes the Trinity as this eternal dance between the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

For we see the Son glorifies the Father, and the Father glorifies the Son.

And then we see throughout Scripture the Spirit glorifies the Son and the Father, drawing people to believe, to be born again, and they henceforth glorify the Father and the Son.

So the Trinity is this boundless, wonderful splendor of majestic, bottomless ocean of a plentitude of overflowing life and love.

That is what as believers we are born into, being born again, called into, drawn out.

This is the fellowship and the sacred dance you're invited to.

And so that is what the author here is saying.

You know, Michael Reeves in his book, Delighting in the Trinity, says this: In the triune God is a love behind all love.

The life behind all life.

The music behind all music, the beauty beyond all beauty, and the joy behind all joy.

Salvation is to know God through his son, the Lord Jesus.

And in being in communion with God in Christ, being a son who's adopted through the Son of God, you're engrafted into this relationship, this communion.

And it's, remember, it's tangible, it can be seen.

What I love about the Lord's table is not only is the word preached as it is now, but then the word is what made visible through the elements, through the bread and the fruit of the vine.

So the Trinitarian love of God, the Godhead, pours out on those who are in Christ.

John 17, 20 and 26, this is the priestly prayer.

This is, you know, whenever you see the Son of God speaking to God the Father, you should probably listen.

Because there is a Trinitarian conversation going on.

And this is a scripture that's uh I've read many times and always is encouraging, always is uplifting.

Verse 20 reads, I do, and this is Jesus praying to God the Father, I do not ask for those, for these only.

He's talking about the apostles, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.

Speaking about the Christians, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Verse 22.

That they may be one even as we are one.

I in them, and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them as you have loved me.

Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you.

And these know that you have sent me.

I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.

This is an expounding of what we're talking about in 1 John, the fellowship.

Christ is praying for the disciples and those who would believe through the disciples, the church, and he's asking that they would be one.

And here's a reference point: one like you and I.

For God is one, but he is never alone.

And then his prayer is that God the Father would love them.

God the Father loved the church, the disciples, as he has loved what?

The Son.

We've already mentioned what was God the Father doing before the foundation?

Loving the Son.

And that is the manner which the Son, praying to the Father, asked that he would love us.

This is the fellowship that the apostle is referring to, that he desires that what they would be part of.

For if you are in fellowship with us, our fellowship is with God the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ.

This is this Trinitarian fellowship, this being in Christ, this communing and abiding with him, that those who believe are called and invited to.

Christianity is not about a change in lifestyle or behavior.

At its core, it's about knowing God through his Son, the Lord Jesus.

Knowing the love of God is the very thing that makes you and I loving, and the only thing that satisfies.

That is the gospel invitation, is to repent and believe.

Come and be satisfied.

Taste and see, and know that the Lord is good.

I think that's why we hear Jesus' invitation many times as he preaches.

Come, all those who are what?

Heavy laden and weary.

Come to me and you will find rest.

Come, all those who are thirsty, and drink of this water of life, and you will not thirst again.

You will be satisfied.

He says, Come, all those who are hungry, eat of the bread of life.

Come and eat, and you will never hunger again.

So mention Christianity is not about a change in lifestyle, it is about knowing God and being in fellowship with this triune God by the Spirit through the Son, where the creature is reconciled with his creator.

When we finish in verse 4, our final and last point to land the plane and wrap this up.

Verse 4, and we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Some manuscripts said of our joy says your joy.

So God desires joy for his people.

Not just joy, but fullness of joy, which means whole, complete.

Complete means no deficiency, to be thoroughly full, exhaustively complete in its entirety, to not be lacking of or in need of more to be full.

It means to achieve satisfaction of fullness of joy.

This is an indestructible joy also, as the tides can shift, the winds can change, but the triune God remains the same in all his perfections.

He is the pearl of great price.

You know, Paul wrote a little letter to the Philippians from prison.

And he uses some form of the word joy 16 times in this small letter.

It's only four chapters.

He does it to highlight the frequency of being glad in God.

And he wants people to see to be glad in God regardless of circumstances.

And that's why I would say that the most joyful man in Rome is writing an epistle of joy from prison.

Because his joy is indestructible, it's not dependent upon context or circumstances.

It is in the Son of God.

It is in the triune Godhead.

This is why James can say in James chapter 1, verse 2, I count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.

James 1:2

Complete joy is what is given in the fellowship of the triune God.

It is eternal.

I want us to hear the good word from the Lord in the parable of the servants in Matthew 25, 23 on this theme of fullness of joy.

Verse 23 reads.

That is what you want to hear at the end.

And it continues, You have been faithful over a little.

I will set you over much.

Enter into the joy of your master.

For that is what fellowship with God gives and promises is joy that is complete.

So complete joy only comes through the gospel, through knowing Christ, walking in fellowship with this triune God.

Many seek joy in soft, flaky sand castles.

They put their heart and their passions, man, in a house of glass.

You know what?

It cannot bear the weight of your desires.

It will break in time over the stress under the stress of it.

Jonathan Edwards, speaking of God being a fountain of life and joy, says this.

Quote, God is the highest good of the reasonable creature.

The enjoyment of him is our proper and is the only happiness which our souls can be satisfied.

To go to heaven fully to enjoy God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied.

It is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here, better than fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of any or all earthly friends.

These are but shadows, but the enjoyment of God is the substance.

These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun.

These are but streams, but God is the fountain.

These are but drops, but God is the ocean.

That is what it is to know God.

To drink deeply in the fountain of love, joy, peace.

There is nothing better.

There is no greater joy.

And that's what John in this letter is saying.

Those who believe.

Those who have repented, and Christ is their Lord because they believe him, this is what you are part of.

You are in relationship with this God, this triune God, and this is what you receive, is what joy that is never deficient, that is complete.

Fullness of joy is only found in the Son of God, whose shoulders were broad enough to bear the weight of our sins upon the cross.

For he took upon himself the infirmities of us all.

Though our sins were as red as scarlet, he made us white as snow.

The application.

If we're believers, we should abide in the Lord.

We should rest in him.

Trust him.

We should read our word.

We should fellowship not just with God and abide in him, but also his people.

Because remember, the apostle says, you should join, you should what?

Have fellowship with us.

Because our fellowship is with God the Father through his son.

You know, and I tell this to my children, because I want them to always cherish and love the church.

That there is something happening in that room that happens nowhere else.

The worship of God.

The word that gives life.

The word of life is there.

Do not waste your time checking your Facebook.

Do not turn your back upon the majesty of God that is being worshiped.

For it gives life to dry bones.

There is something going on in the room when the people of God come together and the triune God is being adored.

Worship is being ascribed to him.

And sometimes there's people who need to be encouraged and exhorted.

And sometimes there are those who are far off.

And they hear the good shepherd's voice.

And then they what?

Are drawn near.

And they what?

They join the fellowship of the saints, where Christ is the head, the Spirit binds them, and God is their father.

That is Sunday.

And yet we are in fellowship with God, yes, throughout the week.

So at first, as Christians, we should be encouraged and excited.

This is what you're part of.

This is the family of God.

But the question is for some, if you truly encounter the word of life, are you in fellowship with God?

Are you around the people of God, around the word, and you don't feel a part of it?

I would say search your heart and question have you encountered the word of life?

Are you a spectator?

Are you observing from the cheap seats?

Do you truly have fellowship?

It's quite simple.

Christ says, those who what believe in their heart and confess with their mouth that Christ is the Son of God will be saved.

And those who by their faith have the right to be called children of God.

That is the invitation.

If you do not believe, I pray that you would believe, that God would grant you faith, give you a heart to believe, and ears to hear, the good shepherd's voice.

Lastly, another point of application would be reminded that our joy is rooted in Christ.

You know, you know, as a Christian, many of you I presume are, we love the Lord, we do.

But man, our affections and our hearts so easily become untethered from God.

So easily it can be tied to something else.

Hence, we have to continually abide in the Lord.

So the question would be: is your joy rooted in Christ?

If it needs to be strengthened because your affections are weak right now, abide in him.

Abide in him more.

Commune with him.

Drink deeply of the word.

Consume it.

Memorize it.

Read it out loud.

Have it read back to you.

Pray.

Commune with the Lord.

Talk to him.

Then participate in the means of grace, especially offered through the church.

The Lord's day isn't to be messed with.

Do not neglect the gathering.

For if you are a Christian, your soul is nourished by the worship, the song, the word, and the table.

And there is something when two or three are gathered.

And they what, because the spirit in them exalts together the Lord.

What I love about liturgy is when things are done in unison.

Obviously the singing, but even the creeds, the confessions, the catechisms, the reading of scripture that is read out loud, that is read and responded back to.

All those things are means of grace that feed the Spirit of God within you, so that you would be reminded and grow stronger in your joy that is rooted in the Lord.

Hebrews 12, 2 says, Look into Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

That you would what?

Grow in your joy.

Many times as Christians, when we are joyless, my father would say, sometimes that is why people do not believe us.

Because as we see Paul when he's writing to the church in Philippi, if you read that epistle, the happiest man in Rome is writing a letter from a prison.

To be in fellowship with him.

Let us pray.