[The Apostle John wrote five books of the New Testament. He wrote,]

• [John to convince sinners]
• [Revelation to comfort saints]
• [The epistles (1-3 John) Confirm Saints]

[This epistle has for its theme the words “know,” “fellowship,” and “life.”] 

[What is this fellowship?  It is the fellowship with the life that comes from our Lord Jesus Christ.  If you are living without Jesus you are living without life, you are living a dead life.  You don’t have life you have existence.  God wants you to have life through Christ.  Man is a spirit and he needs spiritual life, the life that can only be found through Jesus Christ.] 

[Live vs Evil - What the apostle John is speaking of here is the “Word of Life.”  If you take the word live and spell it backwards it spells evil.  Too many people are just living life backwards, and their lives are evil.] 

[In our Christian life, our abounding eternal life there is a communion to Cherish.  It is called fellowship, and it is a strengthening, growing, and maturing part of our spiritual well being and nature.] 

[In order to live this life in Christ the apostle John tells us we need three things.  What is this life?  ] 

This Life Is: 

A.     A Fact That Is Established (vs 1-2; 2 John 1.9-11) [– That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; - The devil always wants to muddy things, so the devil, since the beginning has tried to distort who Jesus was.] 

[The Gnostics felt that they had superior knowledge, we might call them the know it all’s. They were too intellectual to think that God could have come to earth in human flesh, because anything that was material was evil. So they believed that the true Messiah could not have had a material physical body.  They believed that the Jesus that was here on earth was a ghost or phantom.  The apostle John knocks Gnosticism on its head through what he writes.]

[False Cults – Almost all false cults are wrong about Jesus.  If there is one place where you can check them out it is in what they believe about Jesus.  There were false cults in John’s day and there are false cults in our day.  The Bible says,] 

[2 John 1:9-11 ⁹ Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: ¹¹ For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. ]

[In this passage we are told the we have fellowship with one another.  I will speak more about this idea of fellowship, but suffice it to say for now that our fellowship with one another is based on some common ground that we each have.  Our fellowship hinges upon the common ground we each have concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Apostle John begins by affirming in definite terms what we as Christians must hold to be true about our Lord.  If we believe or allow for any other beliefs about the Lord Jesus Christ, then we have no common ground and we are not Christians.  You can call yourself a Christian as much as you like, but if you are wrong in these basic elements concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, then you are not a part of the Body of Christ and we have no common ground at all.]

[Notice what John says about our Lord Jesus Christ,]

1.      Jesus is an Eternal Fact (John 1.1; Rev 19.13; Heb 1.2; Gen 1.26; Col 1.16-17) [- That which was from the beginning,. . . - Jesus is the Christ of eternity.  John had already written,] 

[John 1:1 ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ]

[Before anything began to begin Jesus was there.  Who is the Word of God.] 

[Revelation 19:13 ¹³ And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. ]

[What is a Word?  A word is the expression of an invisible thought or idea.  Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God.  Jesus articulates God.  ] 

a.       [He is God’s First Word, He was there in the beginning.] 

b.      [He is God’s Full Word, He is the alpha and the omega (Rev 1.8,11), which indicates the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, hence Jesus is saying I’m God’s alphabet, every thought expressed in writing concerning God comes from Christ.  Anything that God is going to say He will say through Christ and by Christ.] 

c.       [He is God’s Final Word,  ] 

[Hebrews 1:2 ² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, . . . ]

[When you have said Jesus you have said it all.  You cant say anymore, and you don’t need to say anymore.  All of the revelation of God is rapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ.] 

[Before anything was made there was Jesus, he was with the Father, and the Holy Spirit when they spoke one with another and said,] 

[Genesis 1:26 ²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: . . .]

[The Bible records of Jesus,] 

[Colossians 1:16-17 ¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.]

[The Apostle John, though inspiration, reminds us that Jesus “was from the beginning.”  Hence, Jesus is an eternal fact.  Jesus is God with us.  God manifested in the flesh.] 

2.      Jesus is a Physical Fact (vs 1) [- . . . which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life – John says Jesus wasn’t a ghost or phantom.  How did they know?  They had,] 

a.       [Audible evidence - They heard Jesus.] 

b.      [Visible evidence – They saw Jesus. Looked upon, theaomai theh-ah'-om-ahee (gk), from which we get our word theater.  John intently watched Christ.] 

c.       [Physical evidence – They handled Jesus. They touched Him.  It is as much a heresy to deny the humanity of Jesus as it is to deny the deity of Jesus.  Jesus was a physical man.] 

(1)   [Jesus is my redeemer because He is a man.] 

(2)   [Jesus is my example because He is a man.] 

(3)   [Jesus is my comforter because He is a man.] 

[The Eyewitnesses – The power of the Biblical account is highly substantiated in the fact that eyewitnesses wrote in the presence of other eyewitnesses.  John notes this as he write, not “which I have seen and handled,” but “Which we have seen and handled.”  Notice his words carefully, “. . . which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled] 

[John is writing as an eyewitness in the presence of other eyewitnesses.  Hence, without any doubt Jesus was a physical fact.] 

3.      Jesus is a Spiritual Fact (vs 2; 1 John 5.9) [– (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) ­– Jesus is not here on earth now in a physical sense, but the Holy Spirit reveals Him. ]  

a.       [As John had heard Jesus, faith now becomes the ear of the soul.] 

b.      [As John has seen Jesus, faith now becomes the eye of the soul.] 

c.       [As John handled Jesus, faith now becomes the hand of the soul.] 

[1 John 5:9 ⁹ If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. ]

[The witness of the apostles is great, but the spiritual witness of God through the Holy Spirit is greater still.] 

[Illustration – There was a college professor who was an atheist.  He asked his class, “have any of you heard God?”  Nobody answered.  “Have any of you seen God?” Nobody answered.  “Have any of you handled God?” Nobody answered. The Professor then said, “Then we can conclude there is no God.”] 

[A student then raised his hand and asked, “May I ask the class some questions?”  The professor allowed.  The student asked, “Have any of you heard the professor’s brain?” Nobody answered. “Have any of you seen the professors brain?” Nobody answered.  “Have any of you handled the professors brain?” Nobody answered.  “Then following the professors argument we can assume the professor has no brain.”] 

B.     A Fellowship to be Experienced (vs 2-3; 2 Pet 1.4;  Philip 1.5; 2.1) [– (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) ³ That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. – John says, “I saw it, and now I want to share it.”  Anyone who knows this life in Christ wants to share it.  That’s why we are called witnesses, and not lawyers. A Lawyer argues a case, a witness tells what he’s heard, seen, and handled.  The only person who can’t witness is the person who hasn’t seen, heard, or handled anything.]

1.      [What is fellowship?  Fellowship is not coffee and donuts.  Fellowship is not two men in the same boat. Fellowship is koinwnia koinonia (gk) it means to hold things in common.  ] 

2.      [Who do we have fellowship with?  According to verse three We have fellowship with each other.  In this fellowship you and I have common ground. Now human beings have a lot of common ground, and hence we are pretty good at fellowshipping with one another.] 

[We may attend the same schools or college.  We may have served in the same branches of the military.  We may be citizens of the same country.  But the fellowship the Apostle John is speaking of is one of a different nature all together.  It is a fellowship that is unique to born again believers.  Worldly religious systems and churches may come together for common purposes and common goals, but they are not a part of the fellowship John is talking about unless they are bound by the spiritual common ground John is alluding to.] 

[Our common ground in the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ is discovered through our fellowship is with the father and with the son.] 

3.      [What do we have in common with the Father? Nothing. He is holy, we are not. He is almighty, we are but worms.  Consider,] 

[1 John 1:5-6 ⁵ 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. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: ] 

4.      [How can I have Fellowship with Almighty God?  God sent Jesus to take something that is common between us, human flesh, Jesus took on the nature of man that we might take on the nature of God.] 

[2 Peter 1:4 ⁴ Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers [fellowship] of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ]

[Jesus became like I am that I might become like He is.  Jesus took the nature of man that we might take the nature of God.  So that through Jesus Christ we now have something in common with God and have fellowship with God.] 

[Fellowship with each other - Not only do we have fellowship with God, but when you take on the same fellowship that I have taken on then we both have become partakers of God’s nature and we then have fellowship with each other.  We are born of the same spiritual womb.] 

[Philippians 1:5 ⁵ For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;]

[Philippians 2:1 ¹ If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, ]

[Our Fellowship is that we both have Jesus Christ and the Jesus in me loves the Jesus in you.] 

C.     A Fullness To Be Enjoyed ( vs 4) [– “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” – The Apostle John said this is why I wrote this book, that you might have joy.] 

1.      The Place of Joy (Psalm 16.11) 

[Illustration – A woman was looking for her car keys.  She look all over her house and couldn’t find them. They were in her purse.  Why couldn’t she find them?  Because the woman was looking in the wrong place for her keys. That’s how it is with joy.  Christians often cannot find joy because they are looking for it in the wrong places.] 

[The only place you will find joy is in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Joy is the byproduct of fellowship with God and fellowship with the God’s family.] 

[Psalms 16:11 ¹¹ Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. ]

2.      The Presence of Joy [- Sin promises us joy, but it never delivers it.  We have more amusements, restaurants, TV channels, video game and entertainment yet more loneliness than ever before.] 

[You can be a lost person and be happy for awhile.  We are not talking about happiness.  Happiness depends on what happens.  Joy depends upon the Lord.  If you live for happiness then you are a prisoner of circumstances, because if the circumstances change then your happiness is gone.] 

[But joy endures because Jesus never changes.  Happiness only meets your surface needs but joy meets your deepest needs.  Joy is character not circumstances.  Happiness is as a thermometer that merely registers conditions, Joy is as a thermostat that controls the environment.] 

[Happiness evaporates in a crisis; joy often intensifies in a crisis.  Happiness is good, but it is at its fullest when it is mingled with joy.] 

[We need to know the joy of the Lord realized in our fellowship with God and His family.] 

[Illustration:  Jesus is broadcasting on WORD today (Jesus is the Word).  But many of you have your spiritual radio off.  When you have your radio turned off would you say that there is not music just because your radio is turned off?  Of course not.  Jesus is here today and He is broadcasting joy today.  Is your radio turned on?  If it is then you can and will receive the joy of our Lord.  Turn your radio on.] 

[Our Fellowship, if it is the Biblical fellowship described by the Apostle John, the Common ground established by our relationship with God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and based upon God the Son our Lord Jesus Christ is an undying evidence of our new life in Christ.]   

[On the other hand, if our fellowship is based on natural common ground.  Our educational background, social standing, family needs or social needs then ours is not the supernatural fellowship identified within this opening to the book of 1 John.] 

[In Church are you driven by your personal physical common ground, or are you driven by the undeniable spiritual common ground established by our Lord Jesus Christ?] 

CrossRoads Baptist Church, Feb 03, 2008, Evening