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Unless otherwise indicated all scripture is quoted from the New Living Translation of the Bible.
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Sven met his old friend Ollie walking down the road – (I’m allowed to tell can tell this story because I’m half Swedish.) And Sven said "Ollie, whatcha’ up to?"
"I been fishin" said Ollie, holding up his basket.
"Oh," said Sven, "How bout you give me a fish if I can guess how many fish you got in dat there basket."
Ollie smiled – "I’d give you both of them."
Sven thought for a moment and then said -- "I guess five."
If only we’d left all of our denseness in the old country.
Sometimes things are so obvious that we overlook them. This is the apostle John’s concern here in 1 John 2. We’ll be looking at a few verses in chapter 4, too. "Don’t overlook the obvious," says John.
You remember that he is laying out tests or indicators by which we can know if we’re in true fellowship with God. Earlier on he stresses that love and obedience are two key indicators of our fellowship with God.
And here in our passage this morning he lays out a third test – a test that is so obvious that many people miss it.
We get so caught up in living life – helping the kids pass their spelling tests and appeasing incompetent bosses – even in keeping the church moving ahead. We get so caught up in it all – the franticness of it – especially at this time of the year – that we overlook the obvious.
Look at 1 John 2:21-24 -- “So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and falsehood. [22] And who is the great liar? The one who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Such people are antichrists, for they have denied the Father and the Son. [23] Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father either. But anyone who confesses the Son has the Father also.
[24] "So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will continue to live in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.”
Then skip over a few pages to chapter 4 verse 2 -- "This is the way to find out if they have the Spirit of God: If a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ became a human being, that person has the Spirit of God.”
In a nutshell John is saying, if you don’t have Jesus right you don’t have fellowship with God.
There are all kinds of people running around purporting to have great religious truth and spiritual insights. There are solution gurus by the thousands. Wonderful!
But if they don’t have Jesus right they aren’t from God. They’re under the influence of the antichrist, says John. They are forerunners of the great evil opponent who will have it out with God at the end of the age.
They may sound religious. They may act religious. They may accomplish a lot – but they aren’t from God because they don’t acknowledge his Son Jesus Christ.
Real fellowship with God involves on a real acknowledgment of Jesus. (Key Point)
Jesus is what it’s all about.
"No kidding," says the cynic. "That’s a no-brainer. Everyone knows that Christianity is about Jesus Christ. Just look at the word Christianity. It’s all embedded right in there -- Christ - ianity. Tell me something new!"
But, you know what, it is often the obvious that gets overlooked. There’s a lot of stuff out there that tries to pass itself off as Christianity but fails to acknowledge Jesus in the right way. And there are a lot of people who claim to be Christians but who fail to personally acknowledge Jesus.
They like church -- the music, the programs, and the fellowship it offers but they become uncomfortable if you start talking about Jesus as though he were a real person who makes a real difference – as though he were a person with whom you could have an actual and real relationship.
The Jesus story is great as long as you don’t get too personal with it.
And increasingly there are people who don’t even know the story. This is the first really post-Christian era in America.
In the past people knew the story, the details, and at least talked like they owned it. But now, increasingly people don’t even know the gospel story.
One of the ironies of our time is that crosses have become extremely popular as jewelry.
A young woman was recently shopping to buy one in one. She started looking over the display and the clerk asked "can I help you?"
"Yes," she said, "I’d like to buy a cross."
"Well, which kind?" he responded.
"We’ve got the kind with the little man on it and the kind without."
The little man!!!
He didn’t even know who the little man was or why they made crosses with him on it. And you know what – you can’t blame him because nobody has ever taken the time to explain the good news of how God became a man on that first Christmas, allowed himself to be crucified on a cross – a murder which somehow paid the penalty for all of our sin and rebellion against God.
The cross wiped our slate clean – at least for all who would accept a clean slate being offered on their account. (You see, God doesn’t force himself on anyone.)
Furthermore, that little dead man on the cross was put in a tomb -- but three days later he came alive and broke loose -- the first person to permanently defeat death -- breaking it’s ultimate grip on humanity.
It’s a pretty amazing story. But most people have never had it explained to them. And so they think that the little man on the cross is a cute decoration -- one more consumer choice for people who want to adorn themselves with the ancient symbol of execution. Go figure!
But for those who know and who believe, Jesus, is so obvious, that it’s easy to overlook him. He’s not new this year. He’s not novel. He’s not entertaining. He’s just Jesus who has always been there and always will be. He was there at creation and he’ll be there when history is wrapped up.
And this is why John is reminding us that real fellowship with God involves a real acknowledgment of Jesus.
Now, you remember the context from which John writes in the book of 1 John. There were some religious people around who had started out as followers of Christ – or at least they appeared as such.
2:19 says “These people left our churches because they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left us, it proved that they do not belong with us.”
Likewise, 4.1 -- “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.”
That is, don’t believe every being or person who purports to be speaking the truth. So many people are sucked in just by the fact that a person sounds convincing and spiritual. They carry themselves in an authoritative manner and talk about spiritual matters. They have a growing following. And people somehow take that to mean that they must be from God. But they aren’t!
Folks, don’t over look the obvious.
This is why John writes -- “...do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.”
The apostle is writing as a precaution against the false-prophets -- the Jim Jones, David Koreshs, and the Joseph Smiths who had left the fold of legitimacy to preach their own version of the gospel.
But how do we know who’s telling the truth and whose a con-man? Sometimes it’s not easy to see – especially if we’re as dense as Sven and Ollie.
Well, responds John, don’t over look the obvious. And most people who get sucked into false teaching are overlooking the obvious.
You can tell whether something is true or not. You can tell, whether a prophet or teacher or preacher is in true fellowship with God by what he or she does with Jesus.
4:2 – “This is the way to find out if they have the Spirit of God: If a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ became a human being, that person has the Spirit of God.”
Remember, this was the first century heresy – to deny that Jesus was truly human. Instead he was some kind of spiritual phantom that appeared human but he wasn’t really a man. Today, the dominate heresy is to deny his divinity and to say he was just a man – the pendulum swings back and forth.
Whatever the teaching, though, go back to what’s being said about Jesus to help get your bearings and a reality check.
Chapter 4, Verse 3 – “If a prophet does not acknowledge Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist. You have heard that he is going to come into the world, and he is already here.”
Real fellowship with God involves a real acknowledgment of Jesus.
Well, what exactly does this mean? What does it mean to really acknowledge Jesus?
Let me suggest this morning that there are two ways that Jesus is acknowledged (in addition to what we discussed earlier when we identified that obedience and love). Perhaps I should say that we acknowledge Jesus on two additional levels. Neither is greater than the other – they are two sides of the same coin.
First of all there is DOCTRINAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
The word doctrine simply means teaching. It is the content of what we believe. The facts on which we base our faith.
Now, I know that apart from a few people it is not popular to make a big deal out of doctrine these days.
I remember having a conversation with a visitor to our worship service who told me that he was looking for a church which didn’t have any doctrine – which of course, doesn’t make any sense.
A church without doctrine is a social organization – a fraternity!
If you’re here this morning looking for a church without doctrine -- well, I hope you enjoy the refreshments following the service.
Folks, we have doctrine in our church. We believe in the apostolic view of Jesus -- truth in which we believe – which we will not compromise. And if someone comes along and teaches that Jesus wasn’t really born of the virgin Mary and that he only appeared to be raised from the dead – a divine hallucination -- we don’t believe that such a person is from God or is in fellowship with God because he has gotten the most important point of God’s revelation wrong! He’s missed the basics. He’s missed the obvious. And even if he’s sincere he’s not real about Jesus.
This is why it is so important that if you claim Jesus as your Savior and Lord that you understand as much about him as you possibly can.
Do you remember when you first became interested in a boy or girl? Do you remember the fact finding mission you launched?
You asked everyone who knew her what she was like. Did she do sports? Is she really as nice as she seems? What year is she? Is she smart? Does she have a boyfriend somewhere?
You don’t want to ask her out to a Red Hot Chili Pepper’s concert if she thinks that Mozart is wild and cutting edge -- which he was in his day!
If you’re going to be with someone you want to have as clear of a picture of that person as you possibly can. You want as many facts as you can get your hands on.
Fortunately for us God has revealed an extremely clear picture of Jesus in the Bible. Actually, in the Old Testament it’s kind’a fuzzy. You see a unique figure out there -- A Savior of some sort. But as we get closer and move into the gospels that figure comes into focus.
We see a messiah who raises the dead, calms storms, pulls the rug out from under the religious experts, who is crucified for the sins of the world, and then raised from the dead.
The rest of the New Testament is an unpacking of these doctrinal facts by the apostles and their associates -- the people who personally knew Jesus are interpreting what his story means for us.
This is doctrine and we ought not to shy away from it but we ought to be engrossed by it because it is about the most important person the world.
There is a second dimension of confessing or acknowledging Jesus Christ that I want to highlight here. These passages are packed and we could spend months dissecting them, talking about the Antichrist, the last hour, the idea of anointing, the idea of truth vs. error, the notion of confidence in faith -- and there is plenty more. But in terms of where we’re at and in light of the time frame we’re working with, I’ve chosen only two to highlight. The first being doctrinal acknowledgment -- the second, is HEART ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
1 John 2:24 -- “So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. [that is the original message--the message of the apostles] If you do, you will continue to live in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.”
Verse 28 -- “And now, dear children, continue to live in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.”
Knowing someone is not merely a matter of having right information about someone.
I know a lot about George Bush -- I used to live in Texas -- so I know more about him than you wouldprobably care to know. But I don’t have a relationship with him so I don’t really know him. I don’t really acknowledge him with my life.
On the other hand, I know a lot about Cheryl. She likes dark chocolate, decaf coffee. Her hair is a lot darker than when I met her in Jr. High School – (Mine is grayer!) These are the facts, the doctrine, if you will.
But more than this I have a relationship with her. She has my heart and I acknowledge her significance in my life by calling her my wife. I want to do things for her. I want to be with her. I want to talk with her. This is heart acknowledgment -- the same kind of acknowledgment that is implied by John when he says in 2:28 we must "live in fellowship with Christ."
A dynamic living confession.
Do you have a heart-lived relationship with Jesus Christ?
Sure you recite the creed and even believe it to be true – but do you have a relationship with Jesus? Yes, you can rattle off the books of the Bible in order and you can tell me the story of the gospel -- but do you have a relationship with Jesus?
Perhaps I’m stuck on the obvious -- but that’s the point, isn’t it? We often mess up with the obvious -- the basics.
How did Vince Lombardi start each of his lectures? "Gentlemen, this is a football." And John is saying -- "Church, this is what it means to acknowledge Jesus."
You’ve got to know about him and you got to know him.
Remember, 1 John is a letter written to seasoned believers -- people who had heard all of this stuff before. In verse 21 of chapter 2 he says -- "I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you know it...." (NRSV)
Verse 24 -- "Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you..." (NRSV)
"I’m reminding you of the obvious," says John.
If you acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord then you’re in fellowship with God – no matter what the religious scammers say. You’ve got it all. It’s the real and genuine thing.
Maybe, though, you’re not a seasoned follower of Jesus. Now is the time to turn and acknowledge him in your heart and in your mind – in your life – and all your actions. This, I would contend with the apostles, is the obvious thing to do – regardless of who you are – where you’ve been – what you’ve done.
If you’re serious about knowing God you need to know that real fellowship with him involves a real acknowledgement of Jesus. And what better time to take such a step than during the holiday season which celebrates the birth of our Savior?
A real Jesus = a real Christmas.
Let’s pause for prayer.
Gracious and loving God – We thank you for the gift of your son Jesus into the world – the gift that has become the basis of our relationship and ongoing fellowship with you. In the midst of the chaos of December we want to stop – even if just for this moment to acknowledge what you’ve done – and to commit ourselves to you. Some perhaps are doing so for the first time this morning. Help them to follow through so that they can walk consistently and faithfully with you. Amen.
This morning we are going to be affirming our faith using the words of the Nicene Creed. This is the most widely accepted and used synopsis of the Christian Faith. It was formulated in the 4th and 5th centuries in response to several false teachings that were going around at that time – especially one group called the Arians – who are in many ways the spiritual ancestors of groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
They didn’t believe that Jesus was truly God in the fullest sense. So as we read together these very old words – note especially the passion and emphasis on Jesus. For example he wasn’t just human but "truly" human.
The creed is trying to make a strong statement – a statement which is especially appropriate for us to acknowledge during this Advent season.
Let’s affirm our faith:
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. Who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN.
