The Problem With Fellowship Series

Series: 1 John

Week: Three

Passage: 1 John 1:5-7

Title: The Problem with the Fellowship Focus: Fundamentals

INTRODUCTION: John Wooden won numerous college basketball national championships in a row at UCLA. He was asked the question, “What does it take to make a winning team?” His answer consisted of three things...

1. Getplayersinrightcondition(rightwithGod/Salvation)

2. Teach them the fundamentals (Discipleship)

3. Teachthemtoplaytogetherasateam(fellowship)

Let’s take it a step further, if John the Apostle was asked, “What does it take to have a successful church?” John would have responded through the power of the Holy Spirit three things. Let’s explore those three things today.

SCRIPTURE:

POINT #1: Get in the Right Light (1 John 1:5)

• Explanation: (verse 5): The message of John in 1 John has already been

discussed but still needs recapped and reexamined (mostly from 1 John 1:3).

o QUICK RECAP: In that passage John states how we have heard the message through the Gospel and the results of what we have heard must continue in the fellowship.

 The Message: We must continually go back to the message (what was proclaimed to us through the apostles), that being a declaration that Jesus is God (the Gospel). This is the message received and delivered over and over again. If we fail to do this we drift from the message by the pressures that exist in the world.

• REMEMBER: However great the pressures are in the world, the message of Jesus will still always be there.

o There is report from John in verse 5 declaring that God is light and in Him there absolutely no darkness.

 This means when we are in the light we can see (2 things)... 1. God’sGlory:

a. OT:

i. God (Yahweh) was shown in the cloud, which led the people

through the wilderness (Ex. 16:7, 10).

ii. Moses saw God’s glory (Ex. 24:15–18).

iii. The glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–35).

b. NT:

i. Glory of God was seen by the shepherds at the birth of Christ (Lk. 2:9, 14).

ii. God’s glory was seen by the disciples during his incarnate life (Jn. 1:14), especially at his transfiguration (Mt. 17:1–8; Mk. 9:2–8; Lk. 9:28–36).

iii. God’s glory is to describe the revelation of the character and the presence of God in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the outshining of the divine glory (Heb. 1:3).

1. “Wehavebeheldhisglory,gloryasoftheonlySon from the Father.” John 1:14

2. God’sHoliness:(NOTE:Holinessisalwaysderivedanddependentupon proximity or relationship to the holy God and is associated with other biblical words like power, glory, transcendence, uniqueness, exclusiveness, pureness, dangerousness.)

a. OT:

i. God was the Holy One in the midst of his people (Ho. 11:9)

ii. God’s holiness makes him approachable (Is. 57:15).

iii. God holiness is expressed in his saving activity (Is. 40–55).

1. TheholyGodcreatedapeoplebymakinghis covenant with them (Ex. 19:5, 6; 20:1ff.) and the lives of God’s people were now to reflect his own holiness:

a. “YoushallbeholyforIamholy”(Lv.19:2).

b. NT:

i. Jesus will be called holy from his birth (Lk. 1:35),

ii. Jesus would be full of the Holy Spirit (Lk. 3:22; 4:1)

iii. Jesus, designated Son of God in power by the Spirit of

holiness through the resurrection from the dead (Rom. 1:4), incarnates (or makes alive) holiness for us (l Cor. 1:30).

1. InJohntheHolySpirit(guidinglight)playsaspecial role in strengthening and guiding the community in times of trouble.

a. “TheHolySpiritwillteachyouallthings.”John 14:26

• Illustration: Among the ancient Greeks the runner that won the race was not the man who crossed the line in the shortest time, but the man who crossed it in the least time with his torch still burning.

• Application: So often we are busy with life's activities that we are in danger of allowing the torch (Christ’s light) to become extinguished. Pray we are more focused on finishing well instead of finishing first. Darkness is the absence of light, thus the absence of God’s glory and God’s holiness. Light and darkness are incompatible.

• Questions:

o What race are you trying to win? Is it with the light or is it ran in darkness?

POINT #2: Devote Yourself to the Fundamentals (1 John 1:6)

• Explanation: John explains how when we walk in the light, Christ’s blood

purifies us from every sin. If we say one thing (we live in the light - doctrine) and yet remain walking in darkness (lifestyle), we lie. If we have claimed the light then what does that look like (lifestyle/doctrine are in balance)? This calls us to look at the daily disciplines...

o Worship: I believe Christianity is Life so worship (with God)  In fellowship with God the Father

• Worship = Associative meaning of allegiance to that deity.

o “The people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.” Exodus 4:31