1 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,680 You're visiting with us today. My name is Kyle, serve as lead 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:09,920 Pastor here. And I again, I want to welcome 3 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,360 you to to our worship service. Happy New Year. 4 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,480 I hope that you had a good New Year's, a good Christmas, that 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,760 all those holidays went well for you again. 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:22,960 It's it's good to be. Here we are. 7 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,320 We're going to begin a new series today through the book of 8 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:28,360 First John. So if you have your Bible, you 9 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:29,960 can open to the book of First John. 10 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,680 It's. Nearly at the end of your Bible 11 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:38,080 comes just before Jude in Revelation, and so you'll find 12 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,880 the the final letters. There are these three letters 13 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,160 grouped together from the Apostle John. 14 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:47,440 We're going to be in the book of First John anyway, so as you 15 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,080 turn in there, I'll tell you a little bit about what we're 16 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:50,720 doing. The series is titled The 17 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,480 Fullness of Joy and Devotion to Christ. 18 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,920 The Fullness of Joy and Devotion to Christ. 19 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,920 I'll tell you a little bit about the background, the author kind 20 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:05,000 of what's taking place again, to kind of I'll only do this once. 21 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,720 All right, So I'm not going to do this each week, but I want to 22 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,560 set up the series this way so we know where we're at in the 23 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,240 space-time continuum, right as we get started on this. 24 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:19,800 What's taking place? Again, the author of this is 25 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,880 most likely, and we believe this to be true, the apostle John, 26 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,480 who is also known as the beloved disciple of Jesus. 27 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,760 He wrote five of our 27 New Testament books. 28 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,120 So in your New Testament, you have 27 books. 29 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,440 John is the author of five of those. 30 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,920 He does not identify himself in any of these three letters. 31 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,280 In fact, he doesn't identify himself in his gospel. 32 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,280 Either. But the style and the vocabulary 33 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:55,640 of first John is so similar to his gospel that it's is just 34 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,440 fine for us to assume a common author here. 35 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,360 It is extremely likely you will notice that as we read our 36 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,480 verses today here in just a moment. 37 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:10,280 Secondly, another reason why we have good reason to believe John 38 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:15,760 wrote this is that major themes and emphasis of these writings 39 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,040 overlap between his gospel and what we see in first John. 40 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,600 We see the full humanity and divinity of Jesus. 41 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,960 We see the tight knit relationship between believing, 42 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:31,560 that is, between faith or doctrine and obeying God's 43 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,600 commandments which would come down to our works or ethics. 44 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,200 We see the primacy. Of love as marking. 45 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:44,240 Authentic knowledge of the true God through faith in his Son, so 46 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,600 that there ought to be an overflowing of love that issues 47 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:52,640 from the hearts of Christians as they have been saved by a loving 48 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:55,600 Father through his Son, by the Spirit. 49 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:58,440 Amen. And that mark shows itself in 50 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:00,640 love. In fact, Jesus says in John 51 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,560 chapter 13 that this is 1 great way that the world will know 52 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,800 that you are my disciples by the way that you love one another 53 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:10,480 the way that you love one another. 54 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:15,920 This book is a lot about how we are to rightly love one another. 55 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,280 John likely wrote this from Ephesus. 56 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,560 So there's a map I think if it worked. 57 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:24,960 Yeah. All right. 58 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:26,360 So. A little bit tiny if you're all 59 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,560 the way back there, probably, but he likely wrote this from 60 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:31,920 Ephesus. What you see here, it's kind of 61 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:33,880 a coastal town. It was a port city. 62 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:38,880 It was a major, major hub of Christianity. 63 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,920 Paul spent much time in Ephesus. Timothy spent much time in 64 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,360 Ephesus. We have great reason to believe 65 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,400 that John retreated to Ephesus just before the destruction of 66 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:51,040 Jerusalem in 8070, and that would be likely where he was 67 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:55,920 when he wrote these letters. And so even around it, if you're 68 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,240 familiar with Revelation, you'll see some names. 69 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:04,680 You may recognize the church at Laodicea and Smyrna and. 70 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:06,920 Seems like there was a couple others. 71 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:12,160 Anyway, so yes, yes, yes. So you see some letter, you see 72 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:13,920 some there. These again would have been 73 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,440 churches in John's immediate area of impact. 74 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:22,040 I just thought that was an interesting side note anyway. 75 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:26,640 So that gives you some context as to where he was as he's 76 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:28,680 writing, he's in Ephesus. There's already been a church 77 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:35,200 established there during Paul's missionary journeys, and so here 78 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,160 we have the apostle John writing this letter and. 79 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,880 We need to. Ask this What What might we look 80 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,520 forward to seeing in this letter? 81 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:46,480 What might we look forward to learning? 82 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:50,800 What might we look forward to applying in our lives? 83 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,960 As we read this letter, I want to give you just a few glimpses 84 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:59,640 of some things you can expect to see or to hear, or to apply to 85 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:04,240 your own life, because we need to understand again, as Hebrews 86 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:08,520 412 lays it out that God's Word is living and active, but it's 87 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,400 sharper than any double edged sword that it pierces down to 88 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,480 the very heart, to the marrow of the man that reveals his 89 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,000 thoughts. It's thought reading, so to 90 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,480 speak. It knows you. 91 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,240 And so as you read the word of God, the Word of God is actually 92 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,720 reading your own soul. Amen. 93 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,720 And we need to be aware of that, that as we open up God's Word 94 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,600 roping a living, active thing here. 95 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:39,480 And God uses His Word to speak to his people, He uses His Word 96 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:41,880 to awake dead hearts to new life. 97 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,960 He uses His Word to train his people. 98 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,520 Amen. And so as we read the Word of 99 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,240 God, we can expect to be equipped. 100 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:51,520 Which means every time you open your Bibles, you've made a 101 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,840 commitment in the New Year to be reading the Scriptures. 102 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,960 You should be expecting that every time I open my Bible, 103 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:01,000 whether I see it immediately or know its impact immediately or 104 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,560 not, I know that the Holy Spirit is using the Word of God to 105 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,520 transform my life. Amen. 106 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,560 You should have that conviction that even as you wrestle with 107 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:15,520 words and you think, man, this is hard to understand or this is 108 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:19,520 difficult or this is laborious, as I walk through it, you can 109 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:25,320 trust that the Holy Spirit is making these, what seem like 110 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,320 secretive things, known to you. Amen. 111 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:29,680 And he's working them down in you. 112 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,760 So that's what we seek to do is we open up. 113 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,160 The Word of God. In this letter, John teaches his 114 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,800 readers that God is light. He teaches his readers that God 115 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,280 is love. He teaches his readers that 116 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:44,480 Christians have passed from death into. 117 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,360 Life, that they did not do this of their own accord. 118 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:51,000 Rather, God loved them and sent his Son to pay for their sins on 119 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,480 the cross. He teaches then that God caused 120 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,080 those who were dead and sinned to be born again, giving them 121 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,720 eternal life. He goes on to teach things like 122 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,320 this, that with this life they have received the Holy Spirit, 123 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,720 who gives spiritual understanding unto maturity, 124 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,800 which I was just talking to you about, that as you read the word 125 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,880 of God, the Spirit of God draws you further and further into 126 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,280 Christlikeness. Meaning He matures your soul, He 127 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,320 matures your mind, He matures your heart, He grows you. 128 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:21,880 Up. Literally. 129 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:28,640 So that believers are no longer of the world or of the devil. 130 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:33,920 Those are phrases that he uses but are from God or of God also 131 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:38,600 phrases we see and of the truth. Another phrase we see, God now 132 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:43,880 abides in His people, and so we understand that we are not alone 133 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:48,000 and that we are God's people. His word is so or his his name, 134 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,040 so to speak, is written on our foreheads. 135 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:51,520 We. Belong to him. 136 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:57,440 And his word abides in us as we abide in Him. 137 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,640 Amen. We see that we abide in light, 138 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:03,480 that Christians abide in the lights. 139 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:05,880 God is the light. We abide in the light. 140 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,760 True Christians are those people who know and love God. 141 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,120 This is another thing that he's going to set forth that it's 142 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,760 it's to know right doctrine. It's to understand who Christ 143 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:20,000 is, especially against the heretics that he is up against 144 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,920 at this time who are seeking to deny the deity of Christ. 145 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,920 Just trying to say that Jesus is simply a man and that he's not 146 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,800 connected to the eternal Messiah who was promised. 147 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,960 They're denying His Lordship. They're denying his Messiahship. 148 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,159 They're denying that he's the savior of of all who call. 149 00:08:36,159 --> 00:08:41,480 On his name. And so he goes on to say that 150 00:08:41,799 --> 00:08:45,240 they're wrong. And so Christians abide and lie. 151 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,360 True Christians are those who know God and who also love God, 152 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,600 right? He will say here that we love 153 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:59,440 him because he first loved us. This He goes on to add that you 154 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,720 can see by the fruit that they produce. 155 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,760 Now, fruit shows up in three ways, and if you want to write 156 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,200 these down, you can. They're not on the screen, but 157 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,320 it may be something worth remembering as we go through the 158 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:15,480 series that the fruit that true believers produce, according to 159 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:19,400 the to this letter of John, is that they love God. 160 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,160 There's an evidence. Love for God. 161 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:29,440 I love him. How does that love become 162 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:30,840 evident? Well, he goes on to say that 163 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,520 another fruit you will see is that they obey God. 164 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,840 They obey God. Which goes with what Christ says 165 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,680 in John chapter 15 that if you love. 166 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:41,880 Me You will obey my commandments. 167 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:47,320 There's a love for God that seeks to obey God, and then the 168 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,440 third mark is that they love other believers and love one 169 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:52,320 another. There's a whole lot in here 170 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:57,480 about right belief producing right love, right affections for 171 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,520 God, which produces right affections for his people. 172 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,600 He'll be so strong as to say that if you hate your brother, 173 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,320 the love of God is not in you. In other words, you are not 174 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,560 saved. Strong, right. 175 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,400 We'll get into those things in the coming weeks. 176 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:21,720 In summary, the book of first John teaches us 3 basics of 177 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,080 Christian life, which I've just summed up a second ago, but I'll 178 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,240 sum them up this way. This time true doctrine, 179 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,000 obedient, obedient, living and fervent devotion. 180 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,240 And so therefore. We find the fullness of our joy 181 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,800 and our fervent devotion to Jesus Christ. 182 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:39,720 Hence the subtitle of the series this. 183 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,240 Is. I think worthy of the next 184 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:48,000 probably 20 weeks, we're going to be in this series through the 185 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:52,080 spring and and be looking at this just verse by verse, 186 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:54,720 chapter by chapter, as we walk through this book. 187 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,560 And so I invite you to come along. 188 00:10:56,560 --> 00:10:57,640 For the journey. Amen. 189 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,720 Would you stand your feet now as I read the word of God? 190 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,880 When I'm finished reading, I'll say this is the word of the Lord 191 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,600 and you can respond. Thanks be to God, We're going to 192 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:16,240 read verses one through four, and first John, one that which 193 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:20,680 was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen 194 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:23,760 with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our 195 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:25,920 hands, concerning the word of life. 196 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:31,520 The life was made manifest, and we have seen it and testified to 197 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:36,280 it, and proclaimed to you the eternal life which was with the 198 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:41,200 Father, and was made manifest to us, that which we have seen and 199 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,880 heard. We proclaim also to you, so that 200 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,640 you too may have fellowship with us. 201 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,520 And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His 202 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,000 Son, Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things. 203 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,840 So that our joy may be complete, this is. 204 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,800 The word of the Lord, thanks be to God, Let's pray. 205 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,000 Heavenly Father, we thank you again for your word. 206 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:06,760 We thank you, Lord, that you have not left us without 207 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,720 instruction. But you has also not left us 208 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:14,840 with simply black letters on white pages. 209 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,960 But Lord, we understand that these words are living and act, 210 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,640 and so we ask that by the power of your Spirit today. 211 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,440 Because of the work that you've done for us in Christ Jesus, and 212 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:32,280 that you've raised us also to new life by your Spirit, we ask 213 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:35,720 that your Spirit would. Open our eyes and our minds and 214 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,320 our hearts to see and to understand your word. 215 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:45,000 We know that we are powerless to read such a book and to 216 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,680 understand its meaning without the work of the Spirit in US. 217 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:54,360 And so, Lord, though I have sought to prepare in such a way 218 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,880 that I can make these words plain for your people, I too 219 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:01,080 know that I am powerless without the work of your spirit in their 220 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:04,280 lives. And so I trust does a plant and 221 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:08,680 water that you will give the increase today of what we ask 222 00:13:08,680 --> 00:13:15,880 that you help our hearts be fertile soil, a place where we 223 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:20,880 can see fruit that is 20 and 30 and 60. 224 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:22,160 And 100. Fold. 225 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,480 Lord, we attribute all of this to your kindness toward us, and 226 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,880 that you gave your Son Jesus to die for our sins, to save us, 227 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,400 Lord, from a life of death and hell and sin. 228 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:40,160 And Lord, you have called us out of darkness into marvelous 229 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,800 light, and you have set us on the foundation of Christ Jesus, 230 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,480 who is called the cornerstone of this faith. 231 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,480 And you have built our faith on those foundational blocks, which 232 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:53,600 are the apostles and the prophets through their writings 233 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:58,440 that we have and we too now are being built brick. 234 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,240 By brick into the temple. Of. 235 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,600 Of. Of the Holy Spirit Lord, and we 236 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,920 thank you for this. In Christ name we pray. 237 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:09,760 Amen. Amen. 238 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:14,840 You may be seated. All right. 239 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,720 So if I could have you write down one sentence just to kind 240 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,560 of explain what it is we're going to be looking at, it'll 241 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,440 it'll be this. And then I'm going to seek to 242 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:25,160 explain kind of each part of the sentence. 243 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:28,280 What the sentence is this the manifestation of Christ? 244 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:33,320 Establishes fellowship and joy for believers. 245 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:38,720 The manifestation of Christ establishes fellowship and joy. 246 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,200 For believers now, I could use different words there, but as 247 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:46,600 always, I try to draw those summaries from the words that 248 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:50,200 are used in the text so that we might rightly understand their 249 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,720 usage. Again, the manifestation of 250 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,800 Christ establishes fellowship and joy for believers. 251 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,200 Let's look at first this idea of the manifestation of Christ. 252 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,520 What? What is it that John is laying 253 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:07,400 out for his hearers, for his readers, and for us by proxy? 254 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,960 Right, those of us who have come to believe because of this same 255 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:15,320 gospel which he talks about here on the manifestation of Christ. 256 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:19,000 We see this as as he explains it in verses one and two. 257 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,440 And I'll just read these again that which was from the 258 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:24,880 beginning. This is an interesting way to 259 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:27,640 start the letter, right? Most of your epistles are going 260 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:33,120 to start to the Church of Philippi or to the church at 261 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:38,400 Ephesus or you know, grace be to you and you know and and then 262 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,040 there's a signature. There from typically Paul or 263 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,640 Peter. But here the Apostle John just 264 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,640 goes right on in says that which was from the beginning which we 265 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,720 have heard. Now the we here is talking about 266 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:53,240 the. Apostles. 267 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:58,520 That's that which we have heard and we have seen with our eyes, 268 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:01,240 which we looked upon and have touched with our hands 269 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:05,840 concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest, and 270 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:08,920 we have seen it and testified to it, and proclaimed to you the 271 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,840 eternal. Life which was with the Father 272 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:17,000 and was made manifest to us. You see the word manifest here. 273 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:27,680 The two verses are really thick the really dense with the 274 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:32,120 doctrine of Christ, which we just call Christology, right? 275 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:37,160 It's just the doctrine of who Christ is from beginning to end. 276 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,920 Who is he? Which is that? 277 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,840 That doctrine is the foundation of the gospel. 278 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,680 We have to get Christ right. We have to get Jesus Christ 279 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,600 right and our understanding of feeling correct if we hope to 280 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:55,360 ever truly be saved. We must understand who he is. 281 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:57,720 Amen. We. 282 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:00,880 It's a it's part of it To know that we need a savior. 283 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,720 But next, you need to identify the savior. 284 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:05,960 Amen. You need to say with confidence 285 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:10,000 that this is him. I are not him, right? 286 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:11,240 I are. I are not. 287 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,680 But He is Him. Amen. 288 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:22,200 It's OK to chuckle. Jesus Christ, here is the Word 289 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:26,880 of Life. Now, in some study of this that 290 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,480 that Word of life, if you have it in the ESV, it's not 291 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,360 capitalizer. Some translators who believe 292 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:36,920 that this is not a direct title for Christ. 293 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:41,200 However, I've chosen in my interpretation of this, which 294 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,040 comes in line with the interpretation of many others. 295 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:46,520 I'm not making something up here, but I've chosen to see 296 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:50,280 this as a statement of who Christ is. 297 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:53,560 I also understand that in John's writings, as we see in the 298 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:56,760 Gospel of John, there are often a couple of meanings to his 299 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:59,520 phrases, and this could be another instance where he is 300 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:03,680 stating something about. Who Christ is while also stating 301 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,520 who Christ is, Does that make sense that He is the word of 302 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:11,440 life and that the word of life comes to us through Him? 303 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,320 And then that would be a statement about who he is. 304 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:16,880 And so Jesus. Christ, the word of life. 305 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:22,160 Which was from the beginning. This is from the pre dawn of 306 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,560 time, right? When we say from the beginning, 307 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:28,080 he's not talking about from the beginning of his birthright, his 308 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:32,160 conception, his his holy conception by the Spirit of God 309 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,560 with Mary. That's that's not it. 310 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,080 What he has here in mind is the pre dawn of time, as we see in 311 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:43,560 John 11, which he writes in the beginning was the Word and the 312 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:46,440 Word was with God, and the Word was God. 313 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,240 This is a very similar. Statement here in first John. 314 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,560 One so John is pointing his readers to the pre existence of 315 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,640 Christ. He is the eternally begotten Son 316 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:00,240 of the Father. Therefore He was before His 317 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:05,040 physical manifestation, right? He existed before He was 318 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,240 manifested physically in our presence. 319 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,680 Now why does that matter? Well, it matters because. 320 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,120 He's getting to what the heretics of the day and our day 321 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:18,720 as well to be sure. What the heretics are 322 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:21,480 proclaiming. There's there's no, there's you 323 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:23,320 know, Solomon writes and Ecclesiastes. 324 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:26,720 There's nothing new under the sun there. 325 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:28,840 There's no evil new under the sun. 326 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,720 It might show up in different ways, but it always seeks to 327 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:34,880 deny the deity of Christ. It always seeks to deny the 328 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:38,520 Lordship of Christ that that heresy has been around since the 329 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,040 garden. Did God actually say? 330 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,320 Well, God doesn't. Mean that he just doesn't want 331 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,560 you to be happy? He doesn't want you to be like 332 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:46,400 him. What is that doing? 333 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,080 It's denying the deity of Christ. 334 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:52,280 It's promoting the deity of man, which there is none, to be sure, 335 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,480 but it's trying to get you there, which is what pride does. 336 00:19:56,120 --> 00:19:58,760 And so the same thing happens. Here in the heretics that are 337 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:03,360 around them, Christ is not Lord. Christ is not the Messiah. 338 00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:05,960 You need to continue to follow us, right? 339 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:10,080 It's a promotion of self. And so any good preacher who's 340 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:14,800 worth his salt or worth his weight, right will say to you, 341 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:19,440 you do not follow me, you follow Christ Jesus. 342 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:22,960 Amen. And any preacher who seeks to 343 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,400 have someone follow him, or to promote him in some way, or to 344 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:34,160 become his follower to give to his campaign right, is not a 345 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,840 gospel preacher or preaching a false gospel. 346 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:40,720 And they'll be damned. Alongside of it, if they don't 347 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,160 repent. And we need to. 348 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:47,000 See it as that we can't, we can't just waffle on such 349 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,920 things. Christ is Lord Jesus. 350 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:54,720 Christ is the God man. He's the God man. 351 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,400 And that's why this matters, because eternal life is defined 352 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,160 as knowing God and in John 17 three, as Jesus is praying. 353 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,400 There to the Father he says this, he says. 354 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:09,120 And this is eternal life that they know you. 355 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:12,400 Now he's praying for his followers, that they know you, 356 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,560 the only true God and Jesus Christ. 357 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,040 Now he's praying about himself, whom you have sent. 358 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,600 So what's eternal life? It's that you have fellowship 359 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:25,240 with the Father and with his. Son, Which is the purpose of why 360 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:27,880 John writes. That's exactly what he's saying, 361 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,120 right? He was made manifest and he was 362 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:32,040 proclaimed so that. You may have. 363 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:36,480 Fellowship with one, with us. And so with one another, yes. 364 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:40,920 But as we have fellowship with the Father and his Son, Jesus 365 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:45,400 Christ, and he goes on there to name the Son as another jab in 366 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:49,320 the eye of his of the heretics of the day, the false teachers, 367 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,240 He's not afraid to jab the eyes of false teachers. 368 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,400 And so we should not be afraid to jab the eyes of. 369 00:21:55,400 --> 00:22:00,840 Them either. Then He who is eternal life does 370 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,280 not enjoy some sort of immortal solitude. 371 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:04,880 This is what we need to understand about Christ. 372 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,600 He's not up there enjoying some immortal solitude where he just 373 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:13,600 exists forever and some happy little space detached from the 374 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:15,520 Father, detached from his people. 375 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,040 That is not the existence of Christ. 376 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:21,760 Whether he is always from the beginning of time, meaning from 377 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:26,200 the beginning, He is always in conscious, continuous and the 378 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,680 intimate communion as Son with the Father. 379 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:34,880 It's never been unbroken except once on the cross. 380 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,000 My, my God, my God, why have? You forsaken me. 381 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,680 And the moment that He wears our sin, there's a separation of 382 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,280 sorts between the Father and the Son, but it's so that he can 383 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:50,760 wear our sin for us. It was immediately restored by 384 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:55,560 the Spirit of God immediately, and that which is eternal put on 385 00:22:55,800 --> 00:23:00,280 flesh and dwelt among us. This is what he's saying. 386 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:01,560 He's saying that which is eternal. 387 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:04,880 We have heard and seen and looked upon and touched. 388 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:09,560 The word of life was made manifest and we have seen it. 389 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,760 Now we're coming out of the Christmas season. 390 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:17,360 So I trust. That your doctrine of the birth, 391 00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:21,080 the Incarnation, is good right now, right. 392 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:26,680 You've heard a lot about Christ being born, about the advent of 393 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,880 the Messiah, and so we're familiar with the truth right 394 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,680 now, Especially the infinite became an infant. 395 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,040 The Son of God became the son of a Carpenter and his wife, the 396 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:41,560 Creator, became like one of his creations as he put on flesh. 397 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,800 John 114 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. 398 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,720 And we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from 399 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:52,960 the Father, full of grace and truth. 400 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:59,600 See, John testifies as a witness of Christ Jesus. 401 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:03,480 He testifies as an apostle, one who was with Christ. 402 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,920 And he's saying, We, along with the other apostles, we have seen 403 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:10,320 and we have heard and we have touched Jesus Christ. 404 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:15,360 These three together, right? Seeing, hearing, touching, they 405 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:19,680 comprise the conclusive proof of material reality that the Word 406 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,840 did put on flesh, that the Word did dwell among us. 407 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,360 And we testify to this because we have seen him, and we have 408 00:24:26,360 --> 00:24:29,200 heard him, and we have touched him, right? 409 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:33,320 You think about the moment of Thomas who doubted the 410 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:37,680 resurrection of Christ. Christ appeared to the 10 right 411 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,480 who were remaining because Judas OFT himself. 412 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:43,920 But he appears to the 10 who are remaining. 413 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:46,840 And there's an 11th who's not present Thomas. 414 00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:50,920 And and when they report to him that Jesus has come, we've seen 415 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:55,680 him, we've touched him. And he says, unless I touch his 416 00:24:55,680 --> 00:25:00,840 wounds I will not believe. And what happens? 417 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:04,920 Christ appears, Christ appears there with him. 418 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,640 And what does he do? Rather than rebuking? 419 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:11,600 He says. See my wounds. 420 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,920 Touch them. As further evidence they ate 421 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,920 with Christ. They ate with. 422 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:25,560 Christ, the resurrected Christ. You've been so John is saying, 423 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:30,080 look, all of these people around us are saying in one hand that 424 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,480 Christ is not the Messiah and he's not the Messiah because he 425 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,760 died. He didn't establish a Kingdom. 426 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,800 They're they're trying to decry his messiahship. 427 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:40,880 But on the other hand, John is saying. 428 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:42,840 But look, he rose. Again. 429 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:48,840 And we saw him, and we heard him, and we touched these. 3 430 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:52,160 Bear witness that he has indeed risen. 431 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,800 We testified at this Had Jesus Christ not put on flesh? 432 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:00,480 Had he not risen again and shown his flesh? 433 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,280 Then this truth would not be so. We would have. 434 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:08,200 Very many reasons to doubt the Messiahship of Christ, for 435 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:11,480 people can only know about God. But he is pleased to reveal 436 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:15,280 about himself to them, and praise God he has. 437 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:17,160 Chosen to reveal himself. Amen. 438 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:21,080 That we might know him. If you'll remember too. 439 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,120 You think you might be sitting there thinking, well, if I could 440 00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:25,040 touch. I would believe. 441 00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:28,120 If I could see, I would believe well. 442 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:34,440 That's just simply not true. It might help you. 443 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,280 You might think it would help you, but Christ. 444 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,560 Told Thomas when Thomas says, now that I have touched you, I 445 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:43,840 believe, now that I've seen you, I believe. 446 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:49,320 And Jesus told him. He says, Blessed are those who 447 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:55,560 will not see and yet believe you And I have not laid eyes on 448 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:59,920 Christ physically, have we? If you say yes, we're going to 449 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:04,560 find you some help, OK, We're going to ask you. 450 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,840 What medications you've been taking, all right. 451 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:15,440 We haven't seen Christ, And though you have not seen him, 452 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,960 you love him. And though you do not yow see 453 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,000 him, you believe in him. Why? 454 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,840 Because of the spirit of God bears witness that he's alive. 455 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,480 Amen. And so we believe, we trust. 456 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:33,920 We live our lives for him. And John stresses all of this. 457 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:37,320 Because of the heretics, again, who are seeking to disrupt the 458 00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:40,760 early Christian community, they're trying to deny the 459 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:42,480 physical manifestation of Christ. 460 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:46,560 And we cannot separate Jesus from Christ. 461 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:52,400 Christ is not his last name, but Jesus and Christ go together 462 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:54,000 better than peanut butter and Jelly. 463 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:56,880 Amen. Jesus and Christ cannot be 464 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,600 separated. They are the same person. 465 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:05,280 They are both God and man. And and we need to stress the 466 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:10,120 importance of this doctrine today, that the God man did walk 467 00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:13,280 the earth, that he did die for the sins of humanity. 468 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:17,720 That he did rise again, And that he lives now in the presence of 469 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:22,600 God, where he rules and reigns over all of the events of the 470 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:28,520 world, And that everything will one day bow to His Lordship. 471 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:32,640 Everyone will testify that he is Lord. 472 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,840 Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Christ 473 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,440 is Lord, Paul writes in Philippians 2, verse 11. 474 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:47,880 But this is important today because there are scientists and 475 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:49,520 radicals and Mystics. Who seek to? 476 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,840 Destroy the doctrine of the Son of God, who put on flesh to save 477 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,800 his people from their sins. They want to deny the existence 478 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,960 of Jesus Christ, but it's the message. 479 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,720 That we proclaim. And we proclaim it boldly. 480 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:07,880 We proclaim it lovingly. We proclaim it with passion, 481 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:12,560 because this is the message of eternal life, Is that the word 482 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:14,840 of life put on flesh. He dwelt among us. 483 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:16,440 He lived a perfectly sinless life. 484 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,600 He died on the cross for sinners and he rose again on the third 485 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:24,480 third day defeating death and hell and humans who were all 486 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:28,640 together. Unlike the God man, nothing like 487 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:33,480 him other than we have flesh. We are only sinners by our 488 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:35,080 birth. We are only sinners by our 489 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,760 nature. We are children of wrath like 490 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:40,320 the rest of mankind, Ephesians 2 tells us. 491 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:44,560 Yet God chooses to save to the other most all of them who will 492 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,400 repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ and his 493 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,280 atonement for their sins becomes their atonement. 494 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:54,600 Such belief then results in new life, and they become new 495 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:57,760 creations in Christ Jesus. According to Second Corinthians 496 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:01,440 517, which is by the saving grace of God, according to 497 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:06,600 Ephesians 2, verse six and eight, Amen, they're saved. 498 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:08,680 By God's. Grace. 499 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:12,320 Because he's rich in mercy and with great love, He has put 500 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:19,800 Christ, his own Son, forward for you so that you could have new 501 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:24,080 life, so that you could enjoy the community of the Saints 502 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:30,400 under or with as the foundation your communion with Christ. 503 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:38,320 Your communion with His Father for Psalm 1/3 says that which we 504 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,920 have seen and. Heard we proclaim also to you, 505 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:44,280 so that you too may have fellowship with us. 506 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,400 And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his 507 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:53,320 Son, Jesus Christ. The manifestation of Christ 508 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,720 establishes fellowship. And joy for believers. 509 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,480 Now let's look at the fellowship of believers. 510 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:09,680 The fellowship of believers, so that you too may have fellowship 511 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:15,080 with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father. 512 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:26,920 And with his Son, Jesus Christ. The proclamation of these gospel 513 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,000 truths. Was not an end in itself. 514 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:38,080 We don't want to miss this because this is life. 515 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:44,080 Now, if if belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ was the end of 516 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:52,920 it, if that was the end of it, then you might as well kick 517 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,600 dust. You might as well. 518 00:31:56,600 --> 00:32:02,640 Kill over after belief, but that's. 519 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:07,600 Not the end of it. John now goes on to define the 520 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:13,520 immediate end and the ultimate end of belief in the Gospel. 521 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:20,400 The immediate end is fellowship, the immediate end is fellowship, 522 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:22,560 and the ultimate end is. Joy. 523 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:25,400 So let's look at. Fellowship, the purpose of the 524 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,560 proclamation of the Gospels here stated not in terms of 525 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,920 salvation, which is part of it, yes, but of fellowship, because 526 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:36,560 if salvation is properly understood, it is nothing less 527 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,040 than fellowship. Amen. 528 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:44,200 Now this word for fellowship is the word Koinonia, which is just 529 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,840 really fun to say, but it's important because it's a 530 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:52,680 distinctly Christian word. The pagans did not invent this 531 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:57,440 idea of Koinonia. Koinonia exists. 532 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,680 Fellowship. This way exists because you as a 533 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:06,320 Christian have fellowship with the father and with his son. 534 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,880 You have Koinonia with the father and with the son, meaning 535 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,520 you've been brought near to them and you share in what they 536 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:14,840 share. And so. 537 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:16,920 Too. Then that is your foundation. 538 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:21,160 You share Koinonia or fellowship with other believers. 539 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,480 Is it not a bit weird to you? Strange to you? 540 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:31,320 To sit in a room with such diversity, with so many 541 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:34,280 different stories and so many different histories and so many 542 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:38,640 different raisings and occupations and pursuits and 543 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:42,640 loves and desires, right? I mean, it's it's strange that 544 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:48,680 we would come together under anything other than something 545 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:52,200 supernatural has taken place in our hearts and minds. 546 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:57,680 We have been saved. We have been saved by Christ 547 00:33:57,680 --> 00:33:59,880 Jesus. We've been given new life, and 548 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:01,440 so therefore, we have new desires. 549 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:04,000 We have new pursuits. And the fellowship of the 550 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:09,600 Brethren or the fellowship of the Saints matters deeply to us. 551 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:14,920 Amen. All hell will not keep me from 552 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:17,199 worshiping with you all on Sunday mornings. 553 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,600 Amen. It's a great joy. 554 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:29,719 It's a great joy. The immediate is fellowship. 555 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:33,520 It's proper if salvation is to be properly understood. 556 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:34,880 It's nothing less than fellowship. 557 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:39,719 The meaning of salvation and its widest embrace includes the 558 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:44,280 reconciliation to God in Christ. That is, that fellowship with 559 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,440 the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ, that John mentions 560 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:49,840 here. But it also includes a holiness 561 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:53,159 of life. You're growing from 1° of glory 562 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:57,400 to another in holiness, so to speak, in Christlikeness. 563 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:05,240 You're being matured and it's incorporation in the Church that 564 00:35:05,240 --> 00:35:08,440 you may have fellowship with. Us, he writes. 565 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:13,640 So this fellowship is the meaning of eternal life. 566 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:17,040 Again, John 17 Three And this is eternal life that they know you. 567 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:19,440 I read this earlier, The only true God and Jesus Christ. 568 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:21,600 Whom you have sent, What is eternal life? 569 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:24,800 That they know you and they know me. 570 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:27,960 And together they, knowing us, know one another. 571 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,160 Amen. There's fellowship, not just 572 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,280 with one another. Our highest fellowship is our 573 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:38,800 fellowship with Christ, which operates as the thing that we're 574 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,760 looking unto every time we gather, whether that's in a Home 575 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,720 group or biblical manhood or womanhood or Sunday school or 576 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:48,840 worship on Sunday mornings, or we gather to to play in the park 577 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:50,760 together. Our. 578 00:35:50,760 --> 00:36:00,280 Highest, Our highest pursuit, is our fellowship with Christ, and 579 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,960 it's also the foundation of our fellowship with one another. 580 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:06,200 Meaning it's what we. Stand on as we fellowship with 581 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:08,080 each other, we stand on it, and we. 582 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:11,960 Look to it at the same time. And so we pursue it. 583 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,000 With one another. Just as the Son, who is eternal 584 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:18,640 life, was eternally with the Father, so he purposes that we 585 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:21,720 should have fellowship with them and one another. 586 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,120 And so again I say to you, fellowship is a distinctly 587 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:27,960 Christian idea, and it communicates the common 588 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:30,280 participation in the grace of God. 589 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:33,040 It communicates the salvation of Christ. 590 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:36,880 It communicates the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is our 591 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:43,400 spiritual birthright. As believers, this fellowship is 592 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:46,520 our common possession of the Triune God. 593 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:50,800 We have a common possession of God the Father, the Son, the 594 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,520 Spirit, and that makes US1 with each other. 595 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:59,560 Amen. This is why you can read the 596 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:06,040 latter half of Romans 12 and you can read verses like weep with 597 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:09,240 one another, rejoice with one another. 598 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:13,640 Understand that you are the body of Christ and the gifts are 599 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:16,600 diverse, and one gift cannot say to the other, have no need of 600 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:18,960 you. Right. 601 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:23,600 We're bonded together in Christ. He is our head. 602 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:25,960 We are his body. We are his people. 603 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:32,640 John 1721 Jesus Continuing his prayer. 604 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:39,200 He says that they may all be one and this part of the. 605 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:46,200 The prayer He's praying for all believers to come, which would 606 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:49,120 include you and I today, and all who will come after us and all 607 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:51,880 who have come before us, between US and Christ. 608 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:56,720 He says that they may all be one, just as you Father, or in 609 00:37:56,720 --> 00:38:01,360 me and I in you, that they also may be in US, so that the world 610 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:04,080 may believe that you have sent me. 611 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:08,720 Amen. It's the testimony of the 612 00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:12,960 Saints, the fact that there are Saints who trust in the Lord 613 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:16,880 through trial and hardship and through suffering and pain. 614 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:20,120 And unto death unto losing their heads. 615 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:24,320 Right, We stand on the shoulders of people who have lost head and 616 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:29,160 limb and life for Christ. And we know the gospel today 617 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:32,640 because brave men and women have paid the ultimate price that we 618 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:34,920 might know it. Now we must understand there is 619 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:37,680 a place reserved for martyrs in heaven. 620 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:42,320 Amen. And they're worthy of our salute 621 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,320 and our praise and and our thankfulness. 622 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:50,480 But you and I should be no less ready to give life and limb. 623 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:51,920 For. Christ. 624 00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:58,160 Should our number be called? But what creates? 625 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:02,200 That in you is just a general like manliness or womanliness. 626 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:04,280 It just says, all right, I'm going to buck up and if I have 627 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:10,200 to do this, I'll do it. Well, no, no. 628 00:39:11,240 --> 00:39:14,040 That may exist in the military to some extent, but that does 629 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:18,480 not what exists in Christianity. What exists in Christianity is 630 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:20,600 the witness of the spirit in you. 631 00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:27,080 Who says I cannot deny Christ? Though it may cost me my life, 632 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:32,320 I'm bonded together with Christ in heaven. 633 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:36,160 And though you may take my life, you cannot harm my soul. 634 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:39,240 Amen. And you and I are knit together 635 00:39:39,240 --> 00:39:46,840 with that same fervor, that same desire to make Christ known. 636 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:53,680 It knits us together because we have been known by Christ, and 637 00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:57,800 so we're willing. We should be we should be 638 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:05,080 willing to give up wrong pursuits, wrong desires, things 639 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:10,360 that take us from Christ. Amen. 640 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:13,960 Things that detract our attention, things we think are 641 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:21,480 more worthy of our pursuit. We should be careful not to 642 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:25,920 forsake the fellowship. That we have with Jesus and that 643 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:33,080 we have with the Saints. He's called us to this, and He's 644 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:36,960 prayed for it that it may be so. And so you have a twofold what 645 00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:39,400 I'm identifying here is a twofold fellowship for 646 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:41,440 believers. There's your fellowship with the 647 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:44,400 Father and his Son, and there's your fellowship with the Saints. 648 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,160 And our fellowship with one another arises and depends on 649 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:52,120 our fellowship with the Father and His Son through the Spirit 650 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:56,040 or by the Spirit. You understand that in Ephesians 651 00:40:56,040 --> 00:41:01,320 one we are told that in Christ you have become Co heirs with 652 00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:09,000 Christ by the grace of God and the mercy and the love that the 653 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:12,640 new birth has brought to you, so that you may have fellowship 654 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:16,800 with the Father through the Son by the Spirit. 655 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:20,800 This is the work of God in your life, and so our fellowship with 656 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:24,240 one another depends on our being in them. 657 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:27,000 In other words, our our fellowship with one another is 658 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:30,280 impossible without the fellowship of the Father and the 659 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,960 Son. Our human fellowship arises from 660 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:36,280 the divine fellowship of the Trinity. 661 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:39,120 The Father loves the Son by the Spirit, and the Son loves the 662 00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:42,040 Father by the Spirit. And so do we love the Father and 663 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:45,080 the Son by the Spirit. So This is why Christ says it is 664 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:48,520 good that I go from you because I'm going to send a helper fit 665 00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:50,080 for you or a helper not fit for you. 666 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:52,240 Sorry. That's Genesis, a helper for you 667 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:57,840 who is going to bear witness about me and the Father. 668 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:02,360 He's going to teach you things. He's going to give you 669 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:07,400 instruction along the way. He'll help you recall the words 670 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:11,920 of Christ in those moments where you need the most, right. 671 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:16,840 He's the one who bears witness that we are his, that we belong 672 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:21,240 to God because of Christ. And it's that fellowship that 673 00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:24,160 the Father and the Son have together that we now have with 674 00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:28,560 the Father and the Son because of his great love for us, 675 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:33,320 because he is set as. Seal as the Spirit is called in 676 00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:37,960 Ephesians one upon us that it's a guarantee of our inheritance 677 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:43,480 with Christ. The Father loves the Son, the 678 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:47,160 Son loves the Father, and so do we love the Father and the Son 679 00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:50,760 by the Spirit who gives us eternal life. 680 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:53,760 And so our shared love for the Father and the Son by the Spirit 681 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:56,200 unites us together as Christ's body. 682 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:59,920 Because he is our head. And so there's no such thing as 683 00:42:59,920 --> 00:43:02,640 a Christianity that does not involve the fellowship of the 684 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:07,800 Saints. I'm so grateful that you have 685 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:12,160 chosen on the 1st Sunday in a new year to be at church, 686 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:17,120 because it's not just simply that you are at church. 687 00:43:17,720 --> 00:43:19,720 You were among a fellowship of Saints. 688 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:24,320 And if you're an outsider, if you're an unbeliever and you 689 00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:27,520 kind of smirk and laugh at these kinds of things, and you're, you 690 00:43:27,520 --> 00:43:29,440 think this is just mysticism, that I have. 691 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:33,400 Another thing for you to know, you're wrong and you need to 692 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:38,280 repent, and you need to believe in Christ and enjoy shared 693 00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:42,240 fellowship with the Father and with the Son and with his. 694 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:44,680 People we will. Gladly welcome you into this 695 00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:47,320 place. Gladly. 696 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:51,720 And we'll help you follow him just as we're trying to help one 697 00:43:51,720 --> 00:43:54,880 another in the same pursuit. Amen. 698 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:57,440 Church. Please give an Amen to that. 699 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:02,960 The Father loves the Son. Amen. 700 00:44:02,960 --> 00:44:07,280 And the Son loves the Father. And so we have fellowship with 701 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:08,800 the Father, Son. We have fellowship with one 702 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:11,840 another. There's this phrase around these 703 00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:16,000 parts. That you can get just as much of 704 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:20,440 God on a deer stand or at the lake, or insert phrase here as 705 00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:24,840 you can and in church. But I want you to know, again, 706 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:27,440 that this is a lie. You cannot forsake the assembly 707 00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:30,520 and the fellowship of the Saints and mature in Christ likeness. 708 00:44:32,240 --> 00:44:34,920 You want to understand the ramifications of forsaking the 709 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:35,960 assembly. Just. 710 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:40,840 Look back at COVID. Look back at all the churches 711 00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:43,800 who shut down and all the Christians who decided we don't 712 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:46,680 need church or we'll watch church in our pajamas online, 713 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:50,640 something we tried as well for a few weeks and we quickly. 714 00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:55,400 Realized we have misunderstood the doctrine of the church. 715 00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:58,880 We've misunderstood what Christ is doing when his people gather. 716 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:02,720 And so we repented and said we're coming together regardless 717 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:06,160 of what illnesses may exist. Or not exist. 718 00:45:08,320 --> 00:45:12,080 Amen. But if you look back at the 719 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:14,120 damage that was done during that time. 720 00:45:14,120 --> 00:45:18,520 We we hear lost people. Who have never once stepped foot 721 00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:24,760 back in this place. Since then, we've had people 722 00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:28,240 return who left during that time, and praise God they did. 723 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:33,560 But I see it across the churches in America. 724 00:45:33,560 --> 00:45:36,000 I talked to friends who were pastors and who attend other 725 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:39,280 churches. The same thing has happened and 726 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:41,360 many of them stayed shut down for months. 727 00:45:43,560 --> 00:45:47,560 Well, what's what's the deal? Here the deal is we don't 728 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:50,200 understand what takes place when we come together to worship. 729 00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:54,520 Not well enough. Not so much so that we think, 730 00:45:54,520 --> 00:45:56,080 well, I can just forsake this time. 731 00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:59,160 I don't have to be. Here I can take it or leave it. 732 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:01,600 It can be part of my week or it cannot be part of my week. 733 00:46:02,120 --> 00:46:07,840 That's not true, Christian You must give yourself to worship 734 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:10,440 alongside your brothers and sisters. 735 00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:13,880 You cannot find as much of God, quote UN quote, on the dear 736 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:17,840 Sander at the lake or in your home as you will when you come 737 00:46:17,880 --> 00:46:19,760 here. You cannot forsake the assembly 738 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:22,960 and the fellowship of the Saints and mature in Christ's likeness. 739 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:26,640 For it is our shared pursuit of Christ that we spur one another 740 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:30,240 to love and good works, and that is to belief and obedience. 741 00:46:30,240 --> 00:46:33,600 Hebrews 10/24/20. 5. And let us consider how to stir 742 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:37,240 one another up to love and good works, not neglecting to meet 743 00:46:37,240 --> 00:46:40,320 together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one 744 00:46:40,320 --> 00:46:42,920 another. And all the more, as you see the 745 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:48,880 day, the day of Christ return, drawing near, we must not. 746 00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:54,120 Forsake this, the doctrine of the heretics was seeking to 747 00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:56,600 disrupt the fellowship of the Church. 748 00:46:57,440 --> 00:47:00,400 However, John rightly establishes that the true gospel 749 00:47:00,400 --> 00:47:05,200 message produces true fellowship manifestation. 750 00:47:05,200 --> 00:47:08,400 Of Christ establishes fellowship and joy for believers. 751 00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:11,000 Let's look at joy for the joy of believers now. 752 00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:15,000 First, John 14. And we are writing these things 753 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:20,960 so that our joy may be complete. Our joy. 754 00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:25,400 Here, this phrase means both our joy and your joy. 755 00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:27,440 Why? Because he's just laid out. 756 00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:33,280 We have fellowship together, and so that is our common pursuit is 757 00:47:33,280 --> 00:47:37,840 the same pursuit this is about. Our joy being complete. 758 00:47:39,360 --> 00:47:41,720 And together, as we do this, our joy will be complete. 759 00:47:41,720 --> 00:47:44,160 John is including all the apostles and all the Saints 760 00:47:44,160 --> 00:47:47,000 here, all those who are around the world serving the Lord 761 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:47,840 today. Right. 762 00:47:47,840 --> 00:47:52,120 We're all. Included in this, this message 763 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:56,360 that we deliver in this letter is for the completion of joy and 764 00:47:56,360 --> 00:48:01,280 every one of us. John is saying now that is to 765 00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:06,680 say that which we have read already is for our joy, as we've 766 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:11,120 read about the manifestation of Christ Jesus that he put on 767 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:13,960 flesh and he dwelt among us, and we've seen him and we've heard 768 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:16,200 him and we've touched his resurrected body. 769 00:48:16,200 --> 00:48:18,880 We know that he rose again and that the gospel is true. 770 00:48:18,880 --> 00:48:21,880 And so we proclaim it to you that you might have fellowship 771 00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:25,000 with us and that our fellowship would be with the Father and 772 00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:30,480 with His Son, Jesus Christ. All of that is for your joy. 773 00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:41,520 Christ wants to fill you. With Joy brothers and sisters. 774 00:48:44,760 --> 00:48:47,840 For too long we've had this view of God that he's just joy 775 00:48:48,120 --> 00:48:53,200 zapping, that he's joy taking, that he's not interested in the 776 00:48:53,200 --> 00:48:57,120 happiness of his people at all. He just wants them to drum on 777 00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:01,600 and on in obedience and that there's no fruit of that. 778 00:49:01,640 --> 00:49:03,560 There's no joy. There's no life in that. 779 00:49:03,760 --> 00:49:05,680 But nothing is further from the truth. 780 00:49:05,680 --> 00:49:09,320 Again, you've been fed a lie by the deceiver, the father of 781 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:11,760 lies, who's been from the beginning a father of lies. 782 00:49:11,760 --> 00:49:13,600 That's all that he can do, is lie to you. 783 00:49:13,800 --> 00:49:16,920 And he has told you that there is no joy in serving Christ. 784 00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:19,880 But the word of God says no, there is great joy. 785 00:49:19,880 --> 00:49:24,200 In fact, there is completion of joy As you look to Christ. 786 00:49:26,240 --> 00:49:30,400 You can have joy, joy unhindered. 787 00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:34,960 Christians should be walking around with joy. 788 00:49:34,960 --> 00:49:37,520 It doesn't mean you have to walk around with a fake smile all the 789 00:49:37,520 --> 00:49:40,080 time, but you should at least be joyous. 790 00:49:41,800 --> 00:49:45,320 It should be something that marks you that you're growing in 791 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:48,280 joy. You're not growing in anger or 792 00:49:48,480 --> 00:49:51,520 bitterness. You're not growing in 793 00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:53,360 grumpiness. As you age, right? 794 00:49:53,360 --> 00:49:55,880 You're becoming more and more joy filled because you're 795 00:49:55,880 --> 00:49:58,080 becoming more and more Christ filled. 796 00:50:03,960 --> 00:50:06,240 And so he's saying that all that I've written for you is for your 797 00:50:06,240 --> 00:50:08,800 joy, but it's also an introduction into the rest of 798 00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:13,280 the letter. And we are writing these things 799 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:18,160 so that our joy may be complete. It's going to bring us joy as 800 00:50:18,160 --> 00:50:21,280 you hear these things and believe these things and obey 801 00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:23,480 these things and begin to love one another. 802 00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:25,200 Well, that's going to fill us with joy. 803 00:50:25,200 --> 00:50:28,680 It's going to fill us with joy as we proclaim the gospel to you 804 00:50:28,720 --> 00:50:31,920 and new people, come to Christ, and you begin to disciple them 805 00:50:31,920 --> 00:50:34,400 and bring them into the fellowship of the Father and the 806 00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:37,080 Son with his people. That's going to give us joy, but 807 00:50:37,080 --> 00:50:39,160 it's also going to give you great joy. 808 00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:41,720 As you believe these things, and as you obey these things, and as 809 00:50:41,720 --> 00:50:45,080 you submit yourself to Christ Jesus and His Lordship of your 810 00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:48,480 life, you're going to be full of joy. 811 00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:52,280 Brothers and sisters, this is what he wants you to know. 812 00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:55,320 You're going to be full of joy. Your joy may be complete. 813 00:50:57,000 --> 00:51:00,440 I am intentionally saying this over and over, because I need 814 00:51:00,440 --> 00:51:02,720 you to get this in here, not just here. 815 00:51:05,360 --> 00:51:10,200 I too want to be filled with joy as I watch you and your joy 816 00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:14,080 becoming more and more complete with each passing year. 817 00:51:16,840 --> 00:51:21,040 And So what he's getting at is. Yet what I'll say to you and the 818 00:51:21,040 --> 00:51:24,760 rest of this letter is meant that our joy may be complete as 819 00:51:24,760 --> 00:51:28,000 well. So, brothers and sisters, I need 820 00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:31,600 you to remember this phrase in John first John chapter one, 821 00:51:31,600 --> 00:51:35,720 verse 4. Mark it if you're into marking 822 00:51:35,720 --> 00:51:38,440 your Bible. The rest of this letter is meant 823 00:51:38,440 --> 00:51:44,160 to help you be complete in joy. And John 1511, Jesus says this. 824 00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:46,880 He says these things I have spoken to you, that my joy may 825 00:51:46,880 --> 00:51:49,600 be in you, and that your joy may be full. 826 00:51:49,720 --> 00:51:51,240 You know what he had just told them? 827 00:51:53,160 --> 00:51:55,240 That I am the vine and you are the branches. 828 00:51:55,720 --> 00:51:58,720 And if you'll abide in me as I abide in the Father, if you'll 829 00:51:58,720 --> 00:52:04,080 abide in my love as I abide in the Father's love, these things 830 00:52:04,080 --> 00:52:07,240 I've spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy 831 00:52:07,240 --> 00:52:11,600 may be full. This means that everything about 832 00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:15,320 your life is about trying to usher your desires to the left. 833 00:52:17,040 --> 00:52:19,480 It's trying to get you this direction. 834 00:52:19,480 --> 00:52:22,400 This is Satan's motives for you. This is what he wants for you is 835 00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:27,360 to just mess up your desires so that you'll have wrong pursuits 836 00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:31,040 and you'll have wrong ideas of what joy must be. 837 00:52:31,960 --> 00:52:33,880 I must forsake my marriage so that I can be happy. 838 00:52:33,880 --> 00:52:36,840 I must forsake the doctrines of Christ so that I'll be happy. 839 00:52:36,840 --> 00:52:39,480 I must forsake the doctrine of obedience so that I can be 840 00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:42,080 happy. I must go on and on into my 841 00:52:42,080 --> 00:52:46,720 sinfulness and pursue my own heart, which is the sole message 842 00:52:46,720 --> 00:52:49,200 of modern psychology as you should pursue whatever your 843 00:52:49,200 --> 00:52:52,440 heart desires. Tell me that's not a lie. 844 00:52:53,120 --> 00:52:56,160 If modern psychology works so well, then why are the the 845 00:52:56,160 --> 00:52:58,640 suicide rates of young men skyrocketing? 846 00:53:00,600 --> 00:53:04,040 Because you've been fed a lie. I'm tired of people being lied 847 00:53:04,040 --> 00:53:09,240 to. You cannot pursue whatever your 848 00:53:09,240 --> 00:53:12,920 heart wants and find joy. There's no joy in it. 849 00:53:13,560 --> 00:53:16,320 Brothers and sisters, forsake it. 850 00:53:18,000 --> 00:53:20,040 Forsake it. And don't listen to me, but look 851 00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:21,560 at the words that are in front of you. 852 00:53:21,560 --> 00:53:23,680 This is the word of God speaking to you. 853 00:53:23,680 --> 00:53:25,040 And he's saying to you right now. 854 00:53:25,200 --> 00:53:27,640 I've written these things to you so that your joy may be 855 00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:29,360 complete. I'm not making this up. 856 00:53:29,560 --> 00:53:36,000 This is for your joy. And we look at this and think 857 00:53:36,000 --> 00:53:37,000 about it. Think about it. 858 00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:39,240 We look at these kinds of words and we. 859 00:53:39,240 --> 00:53:41,280 Scoff. And we mock. 860 00:53:41,280 --> 00:53:42,440 And how do we scoff when we mock? 861 00:53:42,440 --> 00:53:44,800 Because we go do directly the opposite. 862 00:53:47,680 --> 00:53:55,080 We March to the left. Christ is saying to you today 863 00:53:55,080 --> 00:53:56,760 there is a still more better way. 864 00:53:59,400 --> 00:54:03,080 And I have spoken these things to you that my joy may be in 865 00:54:03,320 --> 00:54:08,120 you. Think about it, Hebrews 12/1. 866 00:54:08,600 --> 00:54:17,320 Christ endured the cross for the sorrow that was set before him. 867 00:54:20,480 --> 00:54:25,480 Joy. Christ endured the. 868 00:54:25,480 --> 00:54:29,360 Cross for the joy that was set before him. 869 00:54:29,360 --> 00:54:33,160 What was the joy? It was the fellowship that he 870 00:54:33,160 --> 00:54:37,120 would have with his people. And that they would have with 871 00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:40,280 one another. And he knew that as he pursued 872 00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:45,480 his death for them, as he paid the penalty for their sins, and 873 00:54:45,480 --> 00:54:48,480 that as he defeated death and hell and the grave, and as he 874 00:54:48,480 --> 00:54:53,440 rose again, that now finally people could be set free, they 875 00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:56,200 could be raised to new life by the Spirit of God, and they 876 00:54:56,200 --> 00:54:59,880 could pursue joy just as he pursued joy. 877 00:55:00,920 --> 00:55:03,080 But joy would be found in obeying him. 878 00:55:03,920 --> 00:55:07,480 It would be found in believing that he is the Son of God, and 879 00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:12,440 that nothing and no one can save you from your sins except Christ 880 00:55:12,440 --> 00:55:14,760 Jesus. And be sure brother and sister 881 00:55:14,880 --> 00:55:22,520 or friend you need to be saved from your sins, but nothing. 882 00:55:22,520 --> 00:55:28,440 Would save you except Christ. And if you'll believe in him, 883 00:55:30,000 --> 00:55:32,720 But belief, again, is not mere mental ascent, because even the 884 00:55:32,720 --> 00:55:35,200 demons believe in shudder, James Wright in Chapter One. 885 00:55:36,880 --> 00:55:38,160 Even the demons believe in shudder. 886 00:55:38,160 --> 00:55:39,920 That's more than we can say for most Christians. 887 00:55:39,920 --> 00:55:41,640 There ain't a lot of shuddering going on, is there? 888 00:55:42,600 --> 00:55:44,920 It's just I believe. I believe Jesus is real. 889 00:55:44,920 --> 00:55:47,400 I believe he died from a sins. Oh yeah? 890 00:55:47,400 --> 00:55:50,240 Then why do you so unashamedly walk around sinning? 891 00:55:51,720 --> 00:55:53,480 You don't even shudder at his name. 892 00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:57,400 You don't shudder that you defile the name of Christ that 893 00:55:57,400 --> 00:55:58,920 you make a mockery of. Christianity. 894 00:55:58,920 --> 00:56:00,920 That you make a mockery of the death of. 895 00:56:01,200 --> 00:56:09,840 Jesus. See, we're all in need of 896 00:56:09,840 --> 00:56:13,720 salvation, and even sometimes when we think we've arrived at 897 00:56:13,720 --> 00:56:16,040 it in our mind, we're still far away. 898 00:56:18,920 --> 00:56:22,920 So the message that happens to be in First John, is this 899 00:56:22,920 --> 00:56:28,640 message of checking your heart and your soul before the Lord to 900 00:56:28,640 --> 00:56:31,440 see that you were truly in Christ. 901 00:56:33,160 --> 00:56:35,960 You're going to have to measure fruit as we go through this. 902 00:56:38,520 --> 00:56:41,480 You're going to have to say whether or not you're a fruit. 903 00:56:41,480 --> 00:56:46,240 Producing Christian Do my actions line up with my mouth? 904 00:56:46,240 --> 00:56:49,320 Do my actions line up with the things I say? 905 00:56:49,320 --> 00:56:52,120 I believe. About the Lord you're going to 906 00:56:52,120 --> 00:56:55,080 have to come face to face with. That, but I invite you to do it 907 00:56:55,080 --> 00:57:00,000 because it's a good thing and what lies in. 908 00:57:00,000 --> 00:57:03,160 Front of you, if you will, is complete joy. 909 00:57:05,400 --> 00:57:07,040 It's not to say there's not hardship. 910 00:57:08,480 --> 00:57:10,960 There's hardship when we face our sins, is there not? 911 00:57:13,480 --> 00:57:17,840 But there's joy, complete joy, as we obey Christ. 912 00:57:21,560 --> 00:57:24,440 The secret of the fullness of joy, John Calvin said it is the 913 00:57:24,440 --> 00:57:29,120 complete and perfect Felicity which which we obtain from the 914 00:57:29,120 --> 00:57:32,200 gospel. In other words, it is the 915 00:57:32,200 --> 00:57:35,320 fellowship with the Father and the Son and one another which 916 00:57:35,320 --> 00:57:38,240 the proclamation and belief of the gospel creates. 917 00:57:39,480 --> 00:57:41,920 The immediate purpose of the gospel is the establishment of 918 00:57:41,920 --> 00:57:46,680 the fellowship with the Father and with the Son and with one 919 00:57:46,680 --> 00:57:48,760 another. But the ultimate purpose of the 920 00:57:48,760 --> 00:57:53,880 gospel is the completion of joy. This is the divine order as set 921 00:57:53,880 --> 00:57:57,000 forth in John's letter here. It's that the gospel begets 922 00:57:57,000 --> 00:58:02,200 fellowship, begets joy. The One leads to the others. 923 00:58:02,200 --> 00:58:05,360 You believe the gospel. You join the fellowship of the 924 00:58:05,360 --> 00:58:08,360 Father and the Son, along with other believers, and then you 925 00:58:08,360 --> 00:58:14,040 join in Joy. Joy is being made complete now, 926 00:58:14,040 --> 00:58:18,400 while joy is going. Well, joy is happening. 927 00:58:18,400 --> 00:58:22,120 It's going to be an ongoing fruit of belief in the gospel. 928 00:58:22,720 --> 00:58:24,920 It's going to be an ongoing fruit of the fellowship that you 929 00:58:24,920 --> 00:58:27,680 have with the Father and with his Son and with other 930 00:58:27,680 --> 00:58:30,480 believers. And so we will not know the 931 00:58:30,480 --> 00:58:34,000 completion of this joy until we arrive in heaven. 932 00:58:34,440 --> 00:58:38,040 I want you to know that I'm not promising, nor is John 933 00:58:38,040 --> 00:58:40,760 promising, that you'll know the completion of joy here. 934 00:58:41,320 --> 00:58:44,800 But he's saying the completion of joy awaits you in heaven. 935 00:58:45,920 --> 00:58:49,080 This world of sin means that it is impossible to have perfect 936 00:58:49,280 --> 00:58:52,920 fellowship with the Father and the Son and one another. 937 00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:57,280 We will sin. We will fail to believe. 938 00:58:57,520 --> 00:59:00,720 We will stumble along the way. We will hurt one another, for 939 00:59:00,720 --> 00:59:05,720 that is the curse of sinfulness, and we need to be aware of that. 940 00:59:05,720 --> 00:59:09,040 Part of having a family here is, is that we act like a family, 941 00:59:09,040 --> 00:59:12,480 which means there's going to be hurts, there's going to be pain, 942 00:59:12,640 --> 00:59:15,640 there's going to be strife, But we overcome it because of our 943 00:59:15,640 --> 00:59:18,360 common pursuit of Christ Jesus. Amen. 944 00:59:19,000 --> 00:59:23,960 And so we forgive, and we lend forgiveness willingly because we 945 00:59:23,960 --> 00:59:26,880 understand that we have been forgiven by the Father through 946 00:59:26,880 --> 00:59:30,720 Jesus, and we're tenderhearted toward one another because God 947 00:59:30,720 --> 00:59:33,040 has been tenderhearted toward us. 948 00:59:33,640 --> 00:59:35,480 You see what I'm saying? And so the family is knit 949 00:59:35,480 --> 00:59:38,920 together in the love of Christ and therefore shares in the love 950 00:59:39,080 --> 00:59:46,880 of Christ. And yet we know what lies beyond 951 00:59:46,880 --> 00:59:50,680 the Golden Stream, so to speak. Heaven and the glory of the 952 00:59:50,680 --> 00:59:54,480 Father, with his Son and a host of Saints, lies just over. 953 00:59:54,720 --> 00:59:56,160 There. Brothers and sisters. 954 01:00:05,600 --> 01:00:07,920 I've really been unable to talk about heaven since when he 955 01:00:07,920 --> 01:00:14,240 passed without crying, so I always try. 956 01:00:17,400 --> 01:00:20,040 But it lies just on the other side of some decades. 957 01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:28,240 It lies on the other side of some heartache and some 958 01:00:28,240 --> 01:00:33,640 suffering. And so that we're not all doom 959 01:00:33,640 --> 01:00:36,080 and gloom here, it lies on the other side of some glimpses of 960 01:00:36,080 --> 01:00:42,640 joy, some victories, some gracious gifts from the Lord 961 01:00:44,840 --> 01:00:48,920 just beyond the dash that falls after your birth date. 962 01:00:49,760 --> 01:00:55,360 You will find your end date one day, and yet it won't be the end 963 01:00:55,360 --> 01:00:59,000 at all. Rather, it's the beginning of 964 01:00:59,000 --> 01:01:00,880 complete joy in the presence of God. 965 01:01:02,400 --> 01:01:05,760 And every moment for the Christian between here and there 966 01:01:06,560 --> 01:01:08,400 is for the building of complete. Joy. 967 01:01:09,400 --> 01:01:12,800 And every moment in that God is working according to His 968 01:01:12,800 --> 01:01:16,480 goodwill and His pleasure. For your complete joy we are 969 01:01:16,480 --> 01:01:19,560 promised in Philippians 1/6 that he who begins the work is 970 01:01:19,560 --> 01:01:27,040 faithful to bring it to completion in Psalm 1611, 971 01:01:27,560 --> 01:01:29,320 Psalmist writes there. I've read this before. 972 01:01:29,720 --> 01:01:31,320 Probably 100 times at this point. 973 01:01:32,080 --> 01:01:34,320 You make known to me the path of life, but listen to this. 974 01:01:34,320 --> 01:01:36,760 In your presence there is fullness of joy. 975 01:01:39,720 --> 01:01:44,040 You see, you're in good company holding out the future presence 976 01:01:44,040 --> 01:01:48,480 of Christ and the Father, knowing that joy lies there 977 01:01:48,480 --> 01:01:50,960 holding that. Out as your hope, you're in good 978 01:01:50,960 --> 01:01:54,320 company, for even, David here writes. 979 01:01:55,200 --> 01:01:56,760 You make known to me the path of life. 980 01:01:56,760 --> 01:01:58,640 In your presence there's fullness of joy, and at your 981 01:01:58,640 --> 01:02:03,760 right hand or pleasures forevermore. 2nd Corinthians 416 982 01:02:03,760 --> 01:02:05,760 through 18. I encourage you a couple of 983 01:02:05,760 --> 01:02:10,200 weeks ago to read this book. Paul writes there so we do not 984 01:02:10,200 --> 01:02:13,880 lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting 985 01:02:13,880 --> 01:02:19,000 away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 986 01:02:19,640 --> 01:02:23,200 One way to say this is that. It's going on and on from 1° of 987 01:02:23,200 --> 01:02:27,920 joy to the next. For this light momentary 988 01:02:27,920 --> 01:02:31,840 affliction He continues his preparing for us an eternal wave 989 01:02:31,840 --> 01:02:38,080 of glory beyond all comparison, that as we look to not to the 990 01:02:38,080 --> 01:02:40,640 things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. 991 01:02:40,880 --> 01:02:44,680 For the things that are seen or transient mean they change, like 992 01:02:44,680 --> 01:02:48,480 the wind. But the things that are unseen 993 01:02:48,480 --> 01:02:53,160 are eternal. And it is to this ultimate end, 994 01:02:53,200 --> 01:02:56,200 brothers and sisters, that He who was from the beginning 995 01:02:56,600 --> 01:03:01,640 appeared in time, And that what the apostles heard, and what 996 01:03:01,640 --> 01:03:05,240 they saw and what they touched they have proclaimed to us. 997 01:03:06,200 --> 01:03:09,520 So that the substance of this gospel was the historical 998 01:03:09,520 --> 01:03:14,680 manifestation of that which is eternal, and its purpose was and 999 01:03:14,680 --> 01:03:17,560 is a fellowship with one another, which is based on the 1000 01:03:17,560 --> 01:03:20,680 fellowship that we have with the Father and the Son, which 1001 01:03:20,680 --> 01:03:28,200 outflows in fullness of joy. Christianity, brothers and 1002 01:03:28,200 --> 01:03:38,160 sisters, is not vague. It's not an abstract set of 1003 01:03:38,160 --> 01:03:46,440 ideas or an ethical system. It is, above all, the good news 1004 01:03:46,440 --> 01:03:51,200 of what God has done in our space and time. 1005 01:03:54,480 --> 01:03:58,120 It's a tangible experience of sending his Son to rescue us 1006 01:03:58,120 --> 01:04:01,680 from the destruction that our own sins are bringing upon us 1007 01:04:02,360 --> 01:04:07,560 apart from. And this is what John wants to 1008 01:04:07,560 --> 01:04:13,320 make known to his readers. And this, the manifestation of 1009 01:04:13,320 --> 01:04:18,280 Christ, establishes fellowship and joy for believers. 1010 01:04:19,160 --> 01:04:22,600 Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you 1011 01:04:23,600 --> 01:04:27,880 again for your word. Lord, I am here now to petition 1012 01:04:28,960 --> 01:04:32,800 you that by your spirit you would move hearts and minds 1013 01:04:33,480 --> 01:04:38,520 toward your Son Christ, by the power of your spirits, that you 1014 01:04:38,520 --> 01:04:43,480 would draw us into belief that we would surrender ourselves to 1015 01:04:43,480 --> 01:04:46,920 the Lordship of Jesus, that we would live for him, that we 1016 01:04:46,920 --> 01:04:54,400 would understand that our submission to Christ is meant 1017 01:04:54,400 --> 01:05:05,540 for complete joy. Lord, I pray, I ask that you 1018 01:05:05,540 --> 01:05:09,900 would deliver us from deception. You would deliver us from the 1019 01:05:09,900 --> 01:05:15,980 evil One who seeks to destroy faith, who seeks to destroy your 1020 01:05:15,980 --> 01:05:21,020 people. Even now, we understand that 1021 01:05:21,020 --> 01:05:23,800 there are those who were caught in his snare. 1022 01:05:25,280 --> 01:05:27,000 That they are. Following the desires and the 1023 01:05:27,000 --> 01:05:34,200 pursuits of their own hearts, they have no intentions of 1024 01:05:34,200 --> 01:05:39,520 slowing, Lord. We understand also that there is 1025 01:05:39,520 --> 01:05:44,240 no force more greats more powerful than the Holy Spirit, 1026 01:05:44,240 --> 01:05:47,240 which works to give life to those who are dead. 1027 01:05:48,320 --> 01:05:52,760 And we ask for the life for those, for those who are 1028 01:05:52,760 --> 01:05:55,600 deceived, for those who are wandering around in their own 1029 01:05:55,800 --> 01:06:03,520 Lordship, Would you uncover their eyes, help them to see 1030 01:06:03,520 --> 01:06:09,840 clearly, help them to see Christ and their need for a Lord, their 1031 01:06:09,840 --> 01:06:14,720 need for a Savior? May they be drawn unto Him for 1032 01:06:14,720 --> 01:06:21,200 the salvation of their souls. And father, for my brothers and 1033 01:06:21,200 --> 01:06:24,440 sisters in here, I ask that you would deliver us as well from 1034 01:06:24,440 --> 01:06:28,120 deception. Or we are guilty. 1035 01:06:29,160 --> 01:06:33,640 Of assumptions we are guilty of taking for granted that which is 1036 01:06:33,720 --> 01:06:39,040 eternal. And we need you to rouse us from 1037 01:06:39,040 --> 01:06:43,280 our slumber, to awaken our hearts and minds, to see once 1038 01:06:43,280 --> 01:06:51,200 again our first love. Lord, we beg it of you. 1039 01:06:52,600 --> 01:06:55,720 For again we understand that we are powerless to this end on our 1040 01:06:55,720 --> 01:06:59,640 own. We too need your Holy Spirit at 1041 01:06:59,640 --> 01:07:11,700 work in US, like for you to take a moment to pray, to repent, if 1042 01:07:11,700 --> 01:07:15,760 repentance is what the Lord is leading you to belief. 1043 01:07:15,760 --> 01:07:18,600 If there's something from this you need to believe that you 1044 01:07:18,600 --> 01:07:28,680 have not to trust. If you have not trusted, Christ, 1045 01:08:08,890 --> 01:08:12,490 Heavenly Father, once again we thank you for your words. 1046 01:08:13,650 --> 01:08:17,370 We thank you that it is truly a double edged sword piercing the 1047 01:08:17,370 --> 01:08:24,250 depths of us and that by it becomes like a mirror for us. 1048 01:08:24,250 --> 01:08:30,240 And that we're able to see, we're able to see clearly those 1049 01:08:30,240 --> 01:08:34,880 things in US which do not bring you glory, those things in which 1050 01:08:34,880 --> 01:08:38,279 we are glory seekers of our own instead. 1051 01:08:40,880 --> 01:08:43,560 And so I pray that you would grant repentance and faith 1052 01:08:43,560 --> 01:08:47,160 today. You would help us to follow you, 1053 01:08:50,680 --> 01:08:58,720 trust you, Lord Christ. Amen.