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Sermons from the
Book of 1 John |
WHAT A FELLOWSHIP! |
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Other sermons from 1 John
Sharing The Word Of Life (1:1-3) This series of sermons is presently being preached and will be added to as available
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When you read the book of 1 John you never have to wonder why John is writing. Several times in the book John makes it very clear why he is writing. We read, "And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (1:4); "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (2:1); and "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father" (2:12-13). In the words, "I write unto you," John gives specific reasons why he is writing. The first reason we find is that our “joy may be full.” The Christian life is to be more than a burden. It is to be a blessing. It is to be more than a drudgery. It is to be a delight. The Christian life is to be a glorious experience, not grievous. The Christian life can be one of "joy!" The word "joy" describes an inner gladness, a deep seated pleasure. It is a cheerful heart that leads to a cheerful behavior. The word "full" speaks of filling and leveling up a hollow. "Full joy" is a life filled with joy! John also describes the realm in which this fullness of joy is experienced. It is in the fellowship that believers enjoy and experience. If you will notice, the word "fellowship" is found four times in verses three through seven (Vs. 3,6,7). I once heard someone say that fellowship is two fellows in the same ship. I think that is a good interpretation, for the word means, "to have in common." It describes a "partnership." The word was used at times to describe the intimate relationship between a husband and wife. This fullness of joy is one that is derived from a fellowship that I would like to describe as being both horizontal and vertical. If we want to enjoy and experience this fullness of joy, then we need to learn about this horizontal and vertical fellowship. First, let's think about the matter of: 1. HORIZONTAL FELLOWSHIP! This fellowship is the fellowship we enjoy with our spiritual family. In verse two John speaks of "fellowship with us." This is the fellowship with have with those around us, a fellowship enjoyed and experienced within the family of God. An unbelieving Greek writer Lucian (A.D. 120-200) made the following statement upon observing the warm fellowship of Christians: “It is incredible to see the fervor with which the people of that religion help each other in their wants. They spare nothing. Their first legislator [Jesus] has put it into their heads that they are brethren.” We are brethren and one of the blessings of that relationship is the fellowship we experience and enjoying with one another. First, think with me of: A) The Basis Of This Fellowship For one thing, it speaks of our redemption in Christ. Every member of the family of God shares this one great truth; we have accepted the Lord Jesus as Saviour. There is much about us that is different. We are different as far as backgrounds, personalities, and race. But, if saved, all have been redeemed through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, it speaks of our relationship with Christ. We have not been saved, but we also have been made the son's of God. If you are saved, then you are my spiritual brother. We belong to the same family. We are spiritually kin! You may live in a distant state or even on the other side of the world than me, but this we share in common. We are brethren! We have been made one in Jesus Christ. This is the basis of our fellowship. Dr. Walter Wilson told the story of visiting in a home and the members of the family were asked to quote Bible verses. One little girl quoted John 3:16 as follows: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have INTERNAL LIFE.” We share something that has happened internally, thus we have fellowship one with the other. Think with me also of: B) The Blessings Of This Fellowship This fellowship promotes and provides many wonderful blessings. There is the strength we draw from one another. As we assemble together, fellowship with one another, we draw from our family spiritual strength. Oftentimes, the testimony of another believer has been just what we needed to hear. There have been times when a brother put his or her arm around us with an encouraging word, and it was just what we needed. There is also the service we share with one another. We join our hearts and hands in the great work of the Kingdom of God. As one, we reach out to each other and to those who are not members of our family. We serve together in the great cause of sharing the Word of Life. We often sing:
Yes, I am glad that I am a part of the family of God! I am glad that you are my brother and sister in Christ. It is a wonderful family to which we belong! What a fellowship! Secondly, let's notice the matter of: 2. VERTICAL FELLOWSHIP Horizontal fellowship is fellowship with the Family. Vertical fellowship is fellowship with the Father. John writes in verse three, “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” He then says in verse six, “We have fellowship with Him.” We not only have fellowship with the family around us but also with the Father above us. Our redemption in Christ and our relationship with Christ has not only brought us into fellowship with one another, but also in fellowship with God. Just as our redemption in Christ and our relationship with Christ is required to have fellowship with one another, it is also required in order to have fellowship with God. It is only through the redemptive work of Christ that brings us into a relationship with God that we can have fellowship with the Father. John speaks of this fellowship with the Father as something he personally enjoyed and something that we can personally enjoy. Or to put it another way, John is telling us that we can experience and enjoy fellowship the Father and the Lord Jesus just as he did. For at least three years John had personal contact with the Lord Jesus. He had seen Him, heard Him, and handled Him (Vs. 1). You could say, he got as close to the Lord Jesus as anyone could. Yet, we as believers can enjoy the same closeness as John did when he was in the physical presence of Jesus. Even though we do not have the privilege to be in the physical presence of Jesus as did John, His presence can be just as real through the presence and person of the Holy Spirit. We read in JOhn 14:16-18, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." The word "comforter" speaks of an "advocate, a defending attorney, or helper." The word actually means, "one called alongside to help." The word "another" speaks of one of the same kind. Jesus told His disciples that He was going away, but He would send in the person of the Holy Spirit One just as Himself. He would be with them in the Holy Spirit. For approximately three and a half years Jesus had been with His disciples. Now He was going away, but when the Holy Spirit came, He would "abide with them forever." He would dwell in them. Jesus had been with them, but in the Holy Spirit He would live in them. He would not leave them "comfortless." The word means, "bereft of parents, orphans." He would not leave them alone. He said, "I will come to you." How would He come to them? In the person of the Holy Spirit. In the person of the Holy Spirit that indwells the believer, we enjoy the presence of Jesus just as real as did the disciples when they were in His physical presence. What a fellowship! It would have been great to have walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry, but we are not missing anything. Our walk with Him can be as real as it was to the disciples. His presence and our fellowship can be as if we were in His physical presence, through the Holt Spirit that indwells us. Now, notice what John has to say about this fellowship with the Father. First, He reminds us of: A) The Walk That Severs Our Fellowship With God We read in verses five through six, "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." John tells us that our fellowship with the Father can be interrupted, broken, and severed. I think it would be fitting to insert here a word about the difference between fellowship and relationship. It is possible that our fellowship can be broken, but not our relationship. Let's imagine that a son and father are not getting along with one another. They never talk to one another. They never see each other. Something has created a division between them. Now, the son will always be a son, no matter what has happened. He could even go as far to have his name changed, but like it or not, the father is still his father, and he is still his son. The fellowship has been interrupted, but not their relationship. We will always be son's of God. Once saved, always saved! But, it is possible for our fellowship with God to be broken. That is what John is talking about. Saying that, how and why is our fellowship broken? First, John describes the character of God. He speaks of "God" as One that "is light." Light represents the holiness of God. There is no dark side to His character. There are no shadows to His personality. JOhn states that "in Him is no darkness at all." The word "no" is a double negative which could be translated, "in Him, there is no darkness, not any at all." He is totally, completely, and absolutely holy and without sin. Then John speaks of the conduct of man. He describes the matter of one walking "in darkness." Walking in darkness is walking unholy, un-Christ-like, in a sinful way. John uses the word "darkness" ten times in his letter to speak of sin and the matter of walking in sin. After defining God as light and then describing one walking in darkness John speaks of one claiming to have fellowship with God, yet they are walking in darkness. You notice the words, "If we say." This is someone making the claim they are in fellowship with God, yet they are living a sinful life. What is John's answer to such a claim? "We lie and do not the truth." "We lie;" that is we utter a false truth and are only deceiving ourselves. "We do not the truth;" that is we are being disobedient to God's purpose and plan for our lives as a believer. The message is very plain. Since "God is light" we are to walk in the light. Yet, if we are walking in darkness, we are only fooling ourselves if we think that we are in fellowship with God. Sin breaks our fellowship with God. We are sadly mistaken if we think otherwise. Secondly, John speaks of: B) The Walk That Sustains Our Fellowship John says in verse seven, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." Walking in darkness severs our fellowship, but walking in the light sustains our fellowship. If we are to experience and enjoy the presence of the Lord Jesus in our life and enjoy close and conscious fellowship with the Father, we must live clean and consecrated lives. Yet, there is always the problem of sin in our life. We all fail the Lord and sin on a daily basis. Yet, God has made provision for when we sin and a means whereby we can maintain unbroken fellowship with Him. What is that provision? "The blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanseth us from all sin." When we sin, as we shall later see, we confess our sin and our sins are cleansed by His blood! Through the blood that never loses its power, we are kept clean before God and kept in fellowship with Him! Thank God for the blood that keeps us clean before God! Hallelujah, we can enjoy His presence and have daily fellowship with the Lord. If you have enjoyed fellowship with the Father then I know you will have to say, WHAT A FELLOWSHIP! |