Confident Fellowship: Fellowship With God

There's John, the Gospel, and then there's 1 John, the Letter.

So we're going to be reading from John's Gospel, Chapter 1, verses 1 to 14.

And Connor is going to come and read that for us.

All right, it's on page 1063 in the Church Bibles.

1063.

It's from the Gospel of John, not 1 John.

Okay.

Thanks very much, Connor.

And turn to then 1 John, written by the same author.

John's Gospel really introduces us to who Jesus is and tells us how we can believe.

1 John is to give us assurance or confidence in what we believe.

So we're going to look at 1 John, Chapter 1, verses 1 to 4.

1 John 1:1–4

Let's read those few verses together.

1 John, Chapter 1, verses 1 to 4.

1 John 1:1–4

1 John, chapter 1, verses 1 through 5.

1 John 1:1–5

We proclaim concerning the word of life.

The life appeared.

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.

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.

We write this to make our or your joy complete.

Well, keep your Bibles open there and we're going to pray

and ask God to help us as we look at his word together.

We're starting a new series in 1 John.

Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for your word.

We thank you for these accounts and these letters

that we can read together

that tell us about who Jesus is

and gives us assurance and confidence

in what we can believe.

We pray that it will not just be words on a page

but that your words would be the very life of God

instructing us, teaching us

and helping us to see

the life that you have come to give.

So help us all, we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Last Sunday evening

on RTE's The Meaning of Life

you may have watched it

Gay Byrne interviewed the actor

and the TV personality Stephen Fry

One of the questions that Byrne asked

it wasn't the main one

but one of them he asked was this

Does your life have a meaning?

Fry's response was this

I don't think the universe has a meaning

And his answer to the question

what happens to you when you die

he said this

Anybody who thinks they know

what happens when we die

is a fool or a liar

Now that's the belief of an atheist

and it reflects what the philosopher

Bertrand Russell once called

the firm foundation of unyielding despair

hopelessness

In other words

we've come from nowhere

and we're all heading nowhere

And that's the reality

for so many people

We are void of meaning and purpose

and it leaves us lonely and empty

It perhaps explains why Ireland

has one of the highest suicide rates in Europe

People are desperate to find meaning

or true life

Life that really satisfies

and fulfills

and wherever they turn

it doesn't deliver

So our question this morning is

Is there meaning to life?

Can we even find true life?

And if we discover this life

are we even certain that it is true?

Well as John begins his letter

He makes this extraordinary claim

to know where we can find true life

and how we can be absolutely certain

that it is true

He claims to know where we can find life

and how we can be absolutely certain

and how we can be absolutely certain

it is true

Look at what he says

It comes at the very end of verse 1

of 1 John chapter 1

1 John 1 · chapter mention

He says this

We proclaim

concerning the word of life

Or look at the middle of verse 2

He says

We proclaim to you

the eternal life

John and his fellow apostles

claim to know

true and eternal life

and they are inviting us

people like you and me

to know and experience this life

So look at the beginning of verse 3

He says

We proclaim to you

what we have seen and heard

so that you also

may have fellowship with us

He's making it very clear

at the very beginning

we want you

to have the life

that we also have

So what is

this life that he is offering?

What is this life that he's

proclaiming or declaring?

Well we're going to see it

in three steps

First

what we call the essence

of life

This life

is not a thing

or a thought

This life is a person

Look what John

and his apostles have to say

about this life

Three things

First

look at verse 1

That which was

from the beginning

So from before time began

from before the world existed

from before any life on earth

this life was

in the beginning

He was simply there

Life

was there

So that which was

from the beginning

Now look down at the end

of verse 2

We're told something else

That which was

from the beginning

was with

the Father

This life

in the beginning

was with the Father

In other words

he was

with God

And he was

one

with God

This life

was personally

and intimately

involved

and connected

with God

to the point

of where

John said in his gospel

he was

God

So he was

from the beginning

with the Father

and look at the end

of verse 2

And now

appeared

to us

So that we could

know this life

he appeared

to us

in human form

Let me remind you

how John put it

in his gospel

when he wrote

about this life

He said

within the beginning

was the Word

and the Word

was with God

and the Word

was God

and the Word

became flesh

and made his dwelling

among us

This life

that was at the beginning

took on

human form

took on

flesh

and bone

He had lungs

that breathed

in fresh air

to sustain

his fragile body

He had a heart

just like you

and me

that pumped

blood around

his body

refueling

with oxygen

He appeared

like one of us

so that we

could know

this true

and eternal

life

And in case

we are in any doubt

as to his identity

just look forward

to 1 John

1 John 5:11

chapter 5

verse 11

1 John

1 John 5:11

chapter 5

verse 11

If we are not sure

who this life is

it is a person

well who is it

here it is

And this is the testimony

God has given us

eternal life

and this life

is in his

Son

He who has the Son

has life

He who does not

have the Son of God

does not

have life

So this life

this person

is the Son

this is

Jesus Christ

Jesus the God

man

who literally

moved into this world

and made this earth

his home

He walked

and he talked

he laughed

and he cried

He is not some kind

of demigod

half God

and half man

He is fully God

and fully man

He is the creator

of life

the sustainer

of life

the provider

of life

He is from the beginning

He was with the Father

and has appeared

to us

So John says

I am proclaiming to you

this is who I am telling you about

I am telling you about

the word of life

I want to proclaim to you

the eternal life

So first

the essence of life

second

the evidence

of life

because this life

is not

made up

this is

true

this is not

all legend

or lies

John and the

apostles

are concerned

to give us

evidence

for this life

so look at

verse 1

let's read it

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

this we proclaim

concerning

the word of life

now can you see

how the evidence

is building up

on top of each other

creating this

this watertight

case

if you like

four things

he tells us

they heard

Jesus speak

to people

they heard

with their own

ears

what Jesus

said and taught

about his

identity

and mission

it's not a

second hand

account

not only did

they hear

but they

saw

Jesus

with their

own eyes

as Jesus

moved onto

this planet

and began

to walk

around

they saw

him

they didn't

have to rely

on what others

saw

they saw

for themselves

they saw

him alive

they saw

him crucified

and killed

and they saw

him raised

from the dead

and not only

that they

looked at

Jesus

in other words

not only did

they see

him

but they

saw him

do things

they saw

Jesus

perform

his miracles

they saw

Jesus

heal the sick

by a word

or by simply

touching someone

they saw

Jesus

raise people

from the dead

they saw

Jesus

eating and

drinking

they saw

Jesus

sleeping

and working

and not only

that

they actually

touched

Jesus

he wasn't

a spirit

or part

of their

imagination

he wasn't

a ghostly

figure

Jesus

was a

physical

being

that they

could

hug

that they

could

embrace

he was

a person

that they

could

shove

to wake

up

as he

slept

on the

boat

he was

a human

being

that they

could

carry

when he

was

tired

they

heard

they

saw

they

looked

at

they

touched

eli

they

wrote

So that we can read their testimony for ourselves.

That's what John's Gospel is.

It is a first-hand eyewitness account of seeing, hearing, touching and listening to Jesus and writing it down.

So that we can engage and hear and listen.

Let's have a look at one of those eyewitness accounts.

Go back to John's Gospel. Keep your finger in one John.

And go back to John's Gospel, chapter 20, verse 24.

Now I think this is extremely helpful for us because it's one of the apostles called Thomas.

And he's a sceptic. He's a doubter.

He's like one of these people who says, you don't expect me to believe all this, do you?

I'm not sure if I can believe it.

Now as we read this, let's remember a couple of things.

First, Jesus has died and Jesus has now risen again.

And Thomas doesn't believe it.

And as we read this, try and feel the senses that are going on.

What they saw, what they hear, what they touch, what they looked at.

Let's read verse 24.

Now Thomas, called Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.

So the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord.

But Thomas is a doubter.

He said to them, unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, unless I touch him, he's saying, I will not believe it.

A week later, his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.

Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and he said, he heard him say, peace be with you.

Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here, see my hands, reach out your hand and put it into my side, touch it, stop doubting and believe.

Thomas said to him, my Lord and my God.

Then Jesus told him, because you have seen me, you have believed.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

And Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.

But these are written, that you, people like you and me, may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name.

Do you see how important that is?

Christianity is rooted in historical fact.

These are eyewitness accounts, real people, who heard, who saw, who touched.

It's not a legend or a lie.

These are factual eyewitness accounts that have been written down and recorded for us,

so that we can know that Jesus is the God-man who has come to give life.

So the essence of life is Jesus.

He is a person.

And the evidence is clearly there for us all to see and to hear.

But this life is to be experienced.

It's to be experienced and it's to be enjoyed.

For example, you could tell me that a lovely ripe mango tastes good.

You could even show me by eating one and cutting off great big slices and saying it tastes good.

But I'm only going to know it tastes good when I actually bite into it for myself and eat it.

And so John is saying, to really know this life, you must experience it.

Yes, Jesus is the life.

Yes, here's all the evidence for it.

But if you are to know it and enjoy it, you must experience it for yourself.

You must taste it.

Three things.

First, John is saying, we have fellowship with the Father and the Son.

This is where the life is.

We have fellowship with the Father and the Son.

Look at the middle of verse 3.

He says, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

This is where life is.

Now, fellowship is a word we often use in kind of religious terms, but we're not always sure what it conveys.

It reflects two big ideas.

On the one hand, deep, personal and intimate relationship.

It's like a marriage.

Deep, personal, intimate relationship.

And on the other hand, shared, committed and involved partnership.

And John has experienced this fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

And now he is saying to us, I personally share in the loving relationship that the Father has for the Son

and that the love that the Son has for the Father.

I share in this deep, intimate relationship.

I know this love.

And he goes on to say that I share in the partnership that the Father has with the Son.

And I share in the partnership that the Son has with the Father.

I'm involved in the work of God, just as the Father sent the Son.

So I am now proclaiming this Son, this life to you.

I'm in the fellowship.

I have a relationship.

I'm in this partnership.

This is not just intellectual ideas on a page.

This is an experience in life.

And John says, I have fellowship with the Father and with the Son.

But he doesn't stop there because John goes on to invite us to share in this fellowship.

He wants us to be involved in it.

Look at the beginning of verse 3.

He says, we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard.

So they've seen all of these things.

They've come to experience it for themselves.

And here's the reason they proclaim it and pass it on.

So that you also may have fellowship with us.

John is making it crystal clear.

He says, we can have fellowship with God.

We can join John and the other apostles and all those in the line of history

who've entered into that fellowship and enjoy a relationship and partnership with God.

So as John proclaims the word of life, as he proclaims this eternal life,

he is inviting people into the fellowship.

Enjoy what we have.

Now what John saw and heard, he wrote down.

So that as people like you and me read this testimony,

as we hear these same words,

we too can believe.

And we are invited to share in this fellowship.

We can know God.

This is not just an idea of way out there.

This is to be experienced.

Not just for the head.

This is for the heart.

And this fellowship, he says,

is to be enjoyed.

He is inviting us into a fellowship

that is marked by joy.

Look at verse 4.

We write this

to make our joy complete.

So at the very start of his letter,

he's saying,

I proclaim to you Jesus.

I'm giving you evidence for Jesus.

I'm inviting you into fellowship with God.

And the reason

we write this

to make our,

or your notes will have this at the bottom of the Bible,

your joy complete.

You see,

this is not a cold or impersonal fellowship.

This is a fellowship that brings real and lasting joy.

It completes our joy.

Listen to this quote from C.S. Lewis.

He says,

we are half-hearted creatures,

fooling about with drink

and sex

and ambition

when infinite joy

is offered to us.

We're like an ignorant child

who wants to go on making mud pies

in a slum

because he cannot imagine

what is meant

by the offer of a holiday

at the sea.

Do you see,

fellowship with God

isn't just a thought or an idea.

It is a life

of infinite joy

so that our joy can be complete.

And we need to be clear

as we understand this joy.

This life of infinite joy

does not mean

the absence of difficulties or struggles.

A joy that is complete

will not mean

the end of painful or hard times.

And I know that some of us here this morning

are facing difficult and hard times.

So where's the joy in all of that?

Well, the joy is experienced

in the midst of difficult things.

As we enter into fellowship

with the Father

and with His Son, Jesus Christ,

we are entering into the love

the Father has for the Son

and the Son has for the Father.

We're entering into that partnership.

We discover that within that fellowship

that God is enough.

That God is sufficient.

That within this fellowship

He will keep you

and He will hold you

and your life will find meaning and purpose.

This is the essence of life.

This is where we are finally satisfied

and fulfilled.

This is where all the searching ends

and where life begins.

And so John starts out,

he says,

look at the evidence.

Look at what we have heard

and what we have seen

and what we've looked at

and what we have touched.

Look at the evidence.

Read it.

Hear it.

Believe it.

And you will experience

deep, infinite joy.

Fellowship with God,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Let's pray together.

Father, we are amazed

that God,

in all His greatness,

the Creator of life,

the Sustainer of life,

the provider of life,

would become so small

as a person

to walk this earth

so that we could know you

intimately

and personally.

And we thank you

that you have invited us

to share in that fellowship.

to know deep,

personal,

and intimate relationship

with the Father

and with the Son.

To share in that love.

To share in that partnership.

And in that,

to know infinite joy.

A joy that completes,

fulfills,

and satisfies.

So would you please help us

not to turn away

and to seek life

in other things

or in other people.

Forgive us

when we try to find life

in our work

or even our loved ones

or in any other kind of activity.

activity.

But we pray

that we would find it

purely in Jesus.

The source of life.

The word of life.

The eternal life.

Please help us, we pray.

Amen.