John The Eye Witness

JOHN THE EYEWITNESS

TEXT: 1 John 1:1 – 10

Introduction:

I. John tells his readers why he writes this letter.

A. John wants his audience to know that his reasons are because he witnessed the life of his subject.

Illustration: Do You Know Him?

In The Gift of Janice, Max Wylie, novelist and playwright, declared he knew only a dozen people who consciously thought of Jesus and who tried to bring the simple truths of His teaching into all the affairs of their lives. The Christian churches, he said, have become so preoccupied with God, they have mislaid Jesus, the God-man.

1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching.

1. He writes about “that which was from the beginning.”

a. Beginning – Ar Khay means a commencement. (Strongs)

a1. God said at some point “let us set the clock in motion.”

a2. At some point God is going to step out and say, “stop the clock, times up.”

2. John though is not writing about time.

a. John is writing about the one that created time. Time is finite, it has a beginning and an end.

b. John is speaking about God, and God is infinite, without beginning or end.

c. There was absolutely nothing before God created time except the one who created it.

d. John tells us in the Gospel that bears his name that “in the beginning…that is before there was time there was “The Word.” JN. 1:1

e. And that “The Word” was with God, and that “The Word was God!”

f. Now here we have a perfect example of two persons of the triune God because Jesus is The Word and He was with God.

g. John says “and The Word was God.” This is John’s testimony.

B. The author wants his readers how he knows “that which was from the beginning.”

1. John was an eye-witness. He says we seen him and heard Him.

2. We looked at Him with our very own eyes. We watched all the things that he did and heard the things He said.

3. We handled Him. In John’s case at least he rested on His breast. JN. 13:25

4. John says this that was from the beginning is the “Word of Life.”

C. This Word of Life which was from the beginning was shown to us.

1. John wants his readers to believe, he says…we seen it!

a. We are witnesses to the world.

b. You and I are to be witnesses to a lost and dying world too Brothers and Sisters.

c. Souls are dying and being cast off into hell because we are not telling it on the mountain top…or in the valley for that matter.

d. The life shown to John was “Eternal Life,” the same eternal life that was shown to me so many years ago and if you are saved here this morning to you too.

2. John tells us that He was at the beginning with the Father God and…

a. That He has “eternal life.” He wants a lost world to have that life, John wants us to know that it is his wish to tell us, it is my wish to tell you and it ought to be your wish to tell your family, your friends and the world…that believing in Jesus brings eternal life with the LORD Jesus Christ.

b. John’s desire is to tell us that Jesus is the Word and that he was shown to him, seen by him and all the others.

D. That which we were eye-witnesses to, we want to tell you about.

So that…

1. You too might have fellowship with us.

a. Fellowship koy – nohn -ee – ah partnership, communion.

b. Because our fellowship is with “God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ!”

Note: And we’re writing these things to you that you too might have complete joy.

II. John says our lives must bear out a living testimony of our relationship to Jesus.

A. The writer says his letter relays the message that…

1. We heard of him and we’re telling you what we heard.

2. That is that God is light and He has no darkness at all. JN. 8:12

3. No darkness at all…no sin at all.

Note: Darkness is likened to sin…Jesus had no sin. Eph. 5:11, LK. 22:53

B. If we call ourselves Christians, if we say we have fellowship with him then we should act like it.

1. We ought to walk in the light. Matt. 5:14

2. If our lives show the darkness of sin…

a. If we live like “the world.”

b. Then we are liars

c. And we don’t do the truth. JN. 3:21, JN. 14:17, JN. 8:44

C. If we walk with God, we walk in light.

1. We will have fellowship together.