1 John 1:1-7

1,225, that's 1,225. It's the first book of 1 John chapter 1. So 1,225.

1 John 1 · chapter mention

That's 1 John chapter 1. And we're going to read verses 1 to 7.

1 John 1 · chapter mention

1 John chapter 1, verse 1.

1 John 1:1

To be able to share fellowship with the Lord's people here is always a privilege.

And I want us to look together at 1 John, and particularly the first few verses of that

particular letter that John wrote.

I wish I was there. I wonder if you can look back perhaps to an event in history,

and you say, well, if only I could have been there. I would just love to have witnessed it

with my very own eyes. If only I could have seen, or maybe it's a sporting event.

And you can look back and say, wow, what an atmosphere. What a kind of situation this must

have been in. We thought all was lost, and then suddenly everything was changed, and our team

won. I wish I was there. I suppose we all have moments like that, when we can look back and say,

I wish I was there. And somehow we feel because we weren't there, we've missed out.

Yes, we've read about it. Yes, we've read about it. We've heard about it. But because we weren't there,

we've missed out. And I suppose there are people in the world today, and we may be among them,

who say that they've missed out because they weren't present when Jesus walked here upon earth.

It must have been wonderful to be where Jesus was. People who visited the Holy Land, they look around

and they see various places, and they try to imagine what it would have been like in Jesus' day.

To be among the shepherds who went to the stable. To gaze at the infant Jesus, to look at Mary and Joseph,

and to worship. It must have been great to be there. To be there when the wise men visited,

bringing their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. And we may say, well, I wish I'd been there.

It must have been quite a spectacle. Or, I wish I'd been there when Jesus preached his sermon on the mount.

I'd have loved to have been there when he spoke about the prodigal son, and how the lost son came back,

and how the father embraced him. I wish I'd have been there to hear from the lips of Jesus these

wonderful stories. I wish I'd have been there when he was crucified.

And then, a few days later, I wish I'd been there to look into the empty grave.

I wish I'd been there to see the risen Christ.

I wish I'd been there.

And you may feel, well, you've missed out because you weren't there.

And yet I want to remind you of words that were spoken to Thomas all those years ago.

Thomas, because you have seen, you have believed.

Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe.

Believe.

Now, John wants to show us that we haven't missed out because we weren't there.

John writes, and he tells us that he's seen Jesus, he's touched Jesus,

that he's heard Jesus with his very own ears.

And he wants us to enjoy fellowship as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ,

as though we had been there.

You see, John is the last surviving member of the apostles.

He didn't know what it was like to be actually present during Jesus' ministry.

But he was passing from the scene of time.

And he wants the believers to know that they can have the truth.

And knowing that truth, no matter what age they might find themselves in,

to know Jesus and to walk with Jesus by faith

was to have life that was abundant and everlasting.

Somebody has said he wrote his gospel,

that men might have eternal life.

And he writes his epistle,

that they might know beyond a shadow of doubt

that they had that eternal life.

So John writes his epistle.

And he needed to write it.

He was writing to people that hadn't been present.

He is getting towards the end of his life.

And as he writes to these people who weren't there,

there were others who were attacking them.

There were a group of people called the Gnostics.

And they thought that they had an understanding of the truth,

as others didn't have.

They were attacking the ordinary,

in inverted commas, believers,

who they considered lesser mortals than themselves.

They had arrived at true knowledge.

But their teaching was false.

They didn't have a right understanding of who Jesus was.

But John is determined to show them the real Jesus,

the authentic Jesus.

And that knowing this Jesus was to have eternal life.

John says,

in effect,

you haven't missed out.

And so as we look at these verses together,

we have to notice that John introduces to us

the historical Jesus.

See what he says in chapter 1 and verse 1 of his epistle.

He says,

that which was from the beginning.

It's a similar start, isn't it,

to John's Gospel.

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

John is introducing us to the central person,

the central character of the Gospel,

even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And he doesn't want anybody to be left in doubt

as to who this person is.

And so he shows us

that the one who came into the world,

this historic Jesus,

is none other than the one

who was eternally God,

who became man.

Before the world existed,

the Lord Jesus was.

But the Word became flesh

and dwelt among us,

John says in his Gospel.

And John and others had come to believe

that Jesus was indeed

God made flesh.

Right at the beginning

of Jesus' ministry,

John heard Jesus,

he saw Jesus,

and he touched Jesus.

He had a first-hand knowledge

of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He was an eyewitness.

But he was an eyewitness

to the fact

that this one who was born

was none other

than God manifest in flesh.

The God-man.

And so when John testifies,

he testifies of him

who was from the beginning.

Him who was from eternity.

But man

who could be reached

and touched

and heard

and seen

with the physical eye.

Earlier on,

John had been arrested

along with Peter.

And in Acts chapter 4

Acts 4 · chapter mention

and verse 20,

we find him answering

those who said to him,

John, be quiet.

Peter, be quiet.

Don't speak anymore

about this Jesus

and the resurrection.

And they had replied,

we cannot help speaking

about what we have seen

and heard.

How could John be silent?

And he continues

to the end of his days

telling us

of this real, authentic,

historical Jesus.

His message was the same,

of course,

as the Apostle Paul

who writes in 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4 and verse 6.

For God,

who said,

let light shine in darkness,

made his light shine

in the hearts

to give us the light

of the knowledge

of the glory of God

in the face

of Jesus Christ.

That's a historical Jesus.

The glory of God

is seen in the face

of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we ought to be lost

in wonder,

love,

and praise

as we see

this historic Jesus

by faith.

The God-Man.

But John saw

in this historic Jesus

the God-Man

who gives life.

He tells us

in verse 2,

the life appeared

and we have seen it

and testify to it

and we proclaim to you

the eternal life

which was with the Father

and has appeared

to us.

John saw

in Jesus

the God-Man,

but he also saw him

as the one

in whom was life.

He was the very

word of life.

He was the

eternal life.

Eternal life

was to be found

in him.

Later on

in his epistle

chapter 5

and verse 20

he says

he is the

true God

and eternal life.

Life was found

in a person.

Eternal life

was found

in this Jesus.

The one

who was truly God

who became

man.

It's the epistle

isn't it

of eternal life.

And every believer

no matter what age

they find themselves

in

can have

the very life

of the Lord

Jesus Christ

in their life.

Christ

in the believer

and the believer

in Christ.

He is the vine.

we are the branches

and in him

we bear fruit

because his life

is in us

abundant

everlasting

eternal life.

The one

who is eternal

the one

who conquered

death

and the grave

as man

is the only one

who can give us

this eternal life.

life

that life

is in the person

of the Lord

Jesus Christ.

See what he says

in 1 John 3

and verse 9

No one

who is born

of God

will continue

in sin

because God's

seed

remains

in him.

He cannot

go on sinning

because he has been

born

of God.

The very life

of God

in the soul

of man.

So the historic

Jesus for John

is not only

the God-man

but the God-man

who gives

this eternal

abundant life.

And that abundant

life

that eternal life

cannot ever

be taken away.

His seed

remains

in you

and remains

in me.

But John

goes further.

He not only

introduces us

to the historic

Jesus as the

God-man

and the one

who gives

life

but he actually

tells us

that we can

enjoy fellowship

with him.

Verse 3

We proclaim

to you

what we have

seen and heard

so that you

also may have

fellowship

with us

and our

fellowship

is with the

Father

and with his

Son

Jesus Christ.

Notice the

train of thought

that he has

here.

This chain

that exists.

We have

fellowship

with John.

We have

fellowship

with John

but also

with the

Lord Jesus

Christ

and with

the Father.

We proclaim

to you

what we have

seen and heard

so that you

may have

fellowship

with us

and with

the Lord

Jesus Christ

and with

the Father.

A wonderful

fellowship

exists

amongst

believers

of all

ages.

We may

be comparatively

small as far

as numbers

go

but we are

part of a

number that

is being

made up

which we

will be

unable

to count.

A number

that no

man can

number

we are

told

in

Revelation.

And we

will be

made up

called

from all

lands

and all

countries

and all

kinds

of

backgrounds

brought

into

fellowship

with the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

Brought

into

fellowship

with the

Father

through

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

Enjoying

that

oneness

and that

unity

in

him.

And the

wonderful

thing is

that though

we may

belong to

clubs

etc.

in this

life

and the

day will

come when

we will

be removed

because of

death or

moving away

to another

area

so that

we are

no longer

a member

of this

football club

or this

particular

organization.

our names

will be

removed

but our

names will

not be

removed

from the

church of

the Lord

Jesus

Christ.

There is

a hymn

that says

that we

enjoy

mystic

sweet

communion

with those

whose rest

is one.

The church

is one

and that

fellowship

that we

enjoy

so that I

can have

fellowship

if you like

with John

because his

fellowship is

with the

Father and

with his

son the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

I can

enjoy

fellowship

with the

things that

he believed

and that I

can believe

so that I

have not

missed out

and neither

have you

missed out.

Jesus

introduces

this

historic

Jesus

to us.

So it

asks the

question.

Do you

know the

one

who is

with the

Father?

One

who is

eternal

with the

Father?

Do you

enjoy

the

wonderful

gift

of eternal

life

in the

one who

was made

flesh

and dwelt

among us?

Do you

enjoy

the

fellowship

of the

Lord's

people?

Do you

enjoy

fellowship

with the

Father

and with

the

Son?

Or are

you still

saying,

if only

I had

been

there,

I too

would

believe?

My friends,

we don't

have to be

there to

believe

and to

enjoy

fellowship.

So John

introduces

a historic

Jesus.

But John

also

introduces us

to the

one he

knew

intimately.

This

wasn't a

far-off

Jesus.

It was

one he

had an

association

with.

And in the

latter part

of verse

one, he

brings it

home to

us when

he says,

which we

have heard,

that which

was from

the beginning,

which we

have heard,

which we

have seen

with our

eyes,

which we

have looked

at,

and our

hands have

touched.

John

was

there.

We hear

that John

heard

Jesus.

And of

course there

was that

physical

hearing.

There were

times when

Jesus took

his disciples

apart and

taught to

them personally.

He addressed

them in

an intimate

way.

John

enjoyed the

blessing of

hearing the

very words

of Jesus

with the

physical ear.

He'd heard

Jesus when

he was there

by the lake

of Galilee.

Follow me.

And he'd

left his

nets and

followed Jesus

that he

might be a

fisher of

men.

He'd

heard Jesus

speaking to

Nicodemus

saying,

you must

be born

again,

Nicodemus,

if you

would have

life.

He heard

Jesus

addressing

the multitude,

come to

me,

all you

who are

weary

and burdened.

He heard

Jesus

saying,

suffer

little

children

to come

unto me

and forbid

them not

for of

such is

the kingdom

of heaven.

he was

actually

present

when Jesus

went to

the home

of Jairus

and reached

out and

touched that

little girl

and said,

little maid,

arise,

little maid,

get up.

He was

present.

He heard

Jesus

physically.

He heard

Jesus speak

about the

parable of

the sower.

He listened

to Jesus'

instruction

as the

5,000

were miraculously

fed.

He heard

Jesus say,

I am

the door.

I am

the good

shepherd.

I am

the resurrection

and the

life.

He heard

those things

physically.

John says,

I'm declaring

to you

someone I

actually

heard.

but it

was more

than just

a physical

hearing for

John.

And that's

what I want

to bring

home to

you this

morning.

There

wasn't

just the

physical

hearing,

was there?

There was

that spiritual

hearing.

The words

of Jesus

meant

something

to John.

They were

words that

affected

his heart.

They had

dropped,

if you

like,

the vital

length.

From the

head

to the

heart.

And John

believed

from the

heart.

His ears

were open.

He had

been

effectually

called,

if you

like,

from his

nets,

follow me.

And he

hadn't just

heard physically,

he heard

spiritually.

And he

left all

and followed

the Lord

Jesus.

Jesus.

But others

heard Jesus

and it

made

absolutely

no

difference

at all.

And we

can easily

illustrate that.

There's a

passage in

John chapter

John 6 · chapter mention

6.

And in

John chapter

John 6 · chapter mention

6,

Jesus is at

the height

of his

popularity.

Thousands

are flocking

to hear

him.

And in

John 6

and verse

35,

he announces

to those

crowds,

I am

the bread

of life.

And if

you come

to me,

you will

never go

hungry,

and you

will never

be thirsty.

Of course,

Jesus is

speaking in

spiritual

terms.

Because he

goes on

in that

same passage

to say,

this bread

that I'm

talking about

is my

flesh,

which I

will give

for the

life of

the world.

For my

flesh is

real food,

and my

blood is

real drink.

Whoever

eats my

flesh and

drinks my

blood remains

in me,

and I

in him.

Now here's

this vast

crowd.

They're hearing

Jesus physically.

Among them

are the

5,000,

no doubt,

who had

enjoyed a

feast that

Jesus had

miraculously

provided.

But they

didn't

understand

what Jesus

was saying.

How can

this man,

verse 52,

give us

his flesh

to eat?

Of course,

Jesus was

speaking of

his death

at Calvary.

He was

saying,

in effect,

if you

want to

have life,

you have

to come

to me.

For if

you eat

the bread

that I

offer you,

you will

live forever.

The words

that I

am speaking

to you,

they are

spirit,

and they

are life.

They

heard.

And then

in verse

66 of

John chapter

John 6 · chapter mention

6,

we get

these words,

from that

time,

many of

his disciples

turned back

and no

longer

followed

him.

They

heard

physically,

but they

did not

hear

spiritually.

It

made no

difference.

They

heard,

but

rejected.

They

were

present,

but it

made no

difference.

What about

John?

Well,

when many

turned away,

Jesus

turned to

the

apostles.

apostles.

And he

says to

them,

in John

6 and

verse 67,

you do

not want

to leave

too,

do you?

And

Peter,

speaking for

the others,

including

John,

says,

Lord,

to whom

shall we

go?

You

have the

words of

eternal

life.

we

believe

and know

that you

are the

Holy One

of God.

What was

the difference

then between

John's

hearing

and the

crowds?

Well,

there was

the hearing

by faith.

There was

the spiritual

hearing.

Their ears

had been

unstopped

to hear

the message

of salvation,

to see

that Jesus

Christ was

the bread

of life

and that

in his

death

was life

for them.

My

friends,

how are

you listening

to the

Lord Jesus?

If only

I had been

there,

you say,

but people

were there

and it

made no

difference,

but we

today can

hear him

by faith

and take

hold of

him

and know

this

historic

Jesus

as our

Lord

and Savior.

The

spiritual

hearing

so that

you might

say today

in 2015,

I have

hurt.

But John

goes on

and says

he actually

saw

Jesus.

You think

you put this

first,

before the

hearing,

but it

shows how

important

the word

of the

Lord is.

John,

however,

saw Jesus.

Now we

don't have

a physical

description

of Jesus.

He is

described

in Isaiah

53 and

verse 2.

He had

no beauty

or majesty

to attract

us to

him.

Nothing in

his appearance

that we

should desire

him.

So I

would suggest

if Jesus

walked through

Karageline

today,

it wouldn't

mean that

people

automatically

believed

in him.

It just

wouldn't

happen,

no more

than it

did in

the days

when Jesus

walked here

upon earth.

They might

see,

but not

believe.

And again,

there is the

physical

seeing which

is different

to the

spiritual

seeing.

And again,

we can

illustrate it

from John's

own gospel.

In John

John 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9,

we have a

blind man.

And Jesus

puts clay

on this

man's eyes.

And after

washing in

the pool

of Siloam,

this man

is able

to see.

Physically,

he had

sight.

He could

look up

at the

sky and

the trees

and the

flowers,

and he

could look

at people.

Who has

done this

miracle in

his life?

Well,

he recognizes

that it

must have

been a

prophet who

had opened

his eyes.

But he

needs to

see something

more.

Later on,

he's brought

into touch

with the

Lord Jesus.

He looks

upon

Jesus.

And Jesus

says to

him in

John 9

and verse

35,

Do you

believe in

the Son

of Man?

Who is

this man?

Well,

Jesus

identifies

himself as

that man.

He

identifies

himself as

the Messiah.

And another

miracle takes

place.

For his

spiritual eyes

are opened.

And we

read in

verse 38

of John 9,

Lord,

he says,

I believe.

And he

worshipped

him.

He saw

with the

physical eye,

but he

saw with

the spiritual

eye.

His

physical

eyes were

opened

opened,

that he

might see

spiritually

who

Jesus

was.

Of course,

there were

others present

that day,

the Pharisees

among them,

and we're

told that they

remained

spiritually

blind.

These men

thought they

saw.

They were

Moses'

disciples.

They were the

religious

authorities.

eyes,

but they

didn't see

Jesus

as the

Messiah.

They didn't

see him

as God

made flesh.

They were

blind to

eternal

things,

blind to the

fact that

God had

been made

flesh and

was living

among them.

And it

was a

terrible

blindness

not to

see Jesus.

Jesus.

And there

may be

somebody here

this morning

who says,

if only I

had seen,

I would

believe.

Would you?

I don't

know.

But you

weren't

living then.

But you

can believe

today.

You can

believe by

reaching out

to him.

and seeing

him as

he's revealed

himself in

scripture.

You can

know him

by the

spirit working

in your

life,

showing you

him.

We spoke

of Thomas

earlier on.

If I

can only

see, he

says,

the nail

prints,

and put

my finger

into those

nail prints,

and put

my fist

into his

side,

then I

would

believe.

And then

Jesus is

present.

Thomas,

because you

have seen,

you believe,

blessed,

happy are

those who

have not

seen,

yet believe.

So have

you seen

Jesus?

Have your

eyes been

opened by

the Spirit

of God?

Have you

a testimony?

John had

a testimony.

Remember,

how he

gone to

the

empty

tomb?

And he

looked in,

and we

have his

testimony.

He saw

the empty

tomb.

And the

Bible says,

he saw

and

believed.

Have you

believed?

And the

final thing

that John

tells us

here,

is that he

not only

heard Jesus,

he not only

saw Jesus,

but he

had touched

Jesus.

Physically,

John had

actually leaned

against Jesus

at the

Last Supper.

This

apostle had

had physical

contact with

Jesus.

During the

three years

he had been

with Jesus,

he had

listened,

he had

seen,

he had

touched.

touched.

Jesus,

we know,

was a

tactile

person.

He often

reached out

and touched

those who

would be

regarded as

the

untouchables

of the

day.

He reached

out to

people.

On many

occasions,

he'd taken

children to

himself.

He touched

them.

And John

had touched

Jesus.

And to

touch

Jesus

would have

made a

difference,

wouldn't it?

Well,

not always.

Again,

it's not too

difficult to

look at an

illustration of

this from the

Scriptures

themselves.

in Luke

Luke 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8

and verse

40 onward,

we have a

story of a

sick woman.

She'd had a

hemorrhage for

12 years.

She'd spent

all her

money and

various quacks

using the

remedies of

the day.

But rather

than get

better,

she got

worse.

And Jesus

was on

his way to

Jairus'

house.

He'd had

an emergency

call.

And as he

makes his

way there,

the crowds

were jostling

him.

But this

woman,

she reaches

out and

she touches

Jesus.

And Jesus

asked the

question,

who

touched

me?

And the

disciples

think it's

such a

ridiculous

question.

Peter said,

Master,

the people

are crowding

and pressing

against you.

Lots of

people are

touching me

and yet

you're asking,

who touched

me?

Well,

there was

someone in

the crowd

who was

reaching out

by faith.

It was

more than a

physical

touching.

It was a

spiritual

touching.

She reached

out.

And that

touch of

faith

made a

complete

difference

to her

life.

She was a

changed

person.

The

hemorrhage

ceased.

And the

Lord commends

her for

her faith.

Now,

we have

not heard,

we have

not seen,

and we

have not

touched

Jesus

physically.

But John

is saying

to us

very clearly,

I'm telling

you about

this Jesus

who I

have seen,

that I have

heard,

that I have

touched.

and I'm

writing this

so that you

might have

fellowship

with me

and with

the Lord

Jesus Christ

and with

the Father.

And we

write this,

he says,

in 1 John

1 John 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and verse 4,

to make

our or

your joy

complete.

So,

in conclusion,

let me say

this,

we have

not missed

out

because we

weren't

present.

Oh,

no.

We can

still hear,

we still

see,

and we

can still

touch by

faith.

Oh,

it requires

a miracle

of the grace

of God.

it requires

a miracle

of the

new birth

for our

deaf years

need to

be opened

and our

blind eyes

need to

be opened.

And we

need to be

given the

gift of

faith to

believe

and to

reach out

to him.

Seek it

with all

your

hearts.

grace.

But we

can receive

all this

wonderful

gift of

grace.

This

wonderful

gift of

eternal

life.

We can

receive the

miracle of

the assurance

of eternal

life through

faith.

So,

reach out

today while

you have

the opportunity.

And enjoy

fellowship with

the Father

and with

his Son,

the Lord

Jesus Christ.

Who John,

all those

years ago,

heard saying,

I am

the way,

the truth,

and the

life.

No man

comes to

the Father

but by

me.

So,

in him

is one

who is

the truth,

who is

the life,

who is

the way.

May we

know what

it is to

come to

him through

faith,

that we

might know

the Father

and enjoy

fellowship

forevermore.

Let's pray

together.

Father,

thank you

for the

historic

Jesus.

thank you

that we're

not following

a fairy

story.

We're

following

the truth.

We're

following

one who

said,

I am

the truth.

Thank you,

gracious and

eternal God,

that we have

in your

word these

wonderful

stories of

Jesus.

And these

are written

that we

might

believe.

these are

written that

we might

know

eternal

life.

So bless

us each

one.

And if

there is

one here

this morning

who has

not trusted

in the

Lord,

we pray

that their

ears will

be unstopped.

We pray

that their

eyes will

be opened.

We pray

that they

will be

given the

gift to

reach out

and take

hold of

Christ.

And this

we pray

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.