GOD MANIFESTED HIS WORD TO BE PROCLAIMED, SHARED, & ENJOYED
1 John 1:1-4
I am humbled and honored to be here this morning presenting God’s Word to you this morning. The text we will be looking at this morning is from John’s first letter. First John is my favorite book in the Bible; it is the one book that I go to when I am struggling in my walk with God. I am very excited to be able to share with you some of the things written by The Apostle of Love, this simple yet complex letter has helped me greatly in my life and I just hope and pray that as I present it to you that The Holy Spirit will fill you with the same joy and peace it gives me.
Many of us have read and some of us have probably studied all of or portions of First John, but allow me to introduce this little book to you again.
First John is widely recommended to new Christians as one of their first books of the Bible to read. I recommend it often myself.
The reason I recommend it to new believers is because this book contains the basics of the Christians life, and that is why I have so aptly named this expositional series “Back to the Basics.” I also recommend it to dear friends of mine that are struggling because I believe that every one of us, regardless of our spiritual maturity, need to take a refresher course in the basics. The central theme of the letter is how our faith is manifested in love. The word love is mentioned 55 times in this little k. Why does John focus so much on Love, he knew the importance of love in a Christian’s life? He was there when Jesus replied to the question what is the greatest commandment. (Matt 22:37-40; Jesus replied: “`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.")
The reason John writes this book is clearly stated in chapter 1 verse 4, “to make our joy complete.”
Let us look into how John is going to help us in his First letter. As I stated before the text we will be looking at this morning is 1 John 1:1-4.
READ TEXT
The title of my message this morning is GOD MANIFESTED HIS WORD TO BE PROCLAIMED, SHARED, & ENJOYED. This is a 3 point sermon, the first point “The Proclaiming”, is found in Vv 1 and 2. What is the message that The Apostle John is proclaiming? The Gospel! “That which was from the beginning”, all John is stating here is that he is proclaiming the same message as has always been. This is not a new or innovative concept, from the beginning of what? The beginning is God, in the gospel of John 1:1 this same apostle wrote “In the beginning was the Word,” this same message just like God has never changed.
The gospel is not man made and definitely not controlled. This same Good News was in place from the beginning.
With all the watered down, law-burdened, flesh driven, so called “gospel” messages out there now and in John’s time of writing this letter, it is very important for us to understand what “The Gospel” is. More often than not we Christians make the mistake of assuming that “the Gospel” message is for the lost, but I must object to that thought. The message that saved us is the same one that sustains that salvation.
John uses three verbs to back up his eyewitness of what he proclaims. He heard it, looked at it, and he touched it.
We all know what kind of power and eyewitness holds in court. As a matter of fact many cases are decided not by physical evidence but by a reputable eyewitness. As much evidence as the prosecution had on O.J. Simpson, that did not help the prosecution in the criminal trial, but if they would have had one good, trustworthy witness to back up the evidence I believe that he would have been found guilty, and he Juice would be spending the rest of his life in a different type of recreation yard, today.
John could have left it at heard and seen, but he didn’t. Why? People have heard the Word of God for centuries, beginning with Adam. But they didn’t heed the word. People have seen God’s manifestation but they didn’t accept it. One of John’s fellow disciples saw what Jesus was like, he saw his miracles, and he saw God in the flesh and did not take hold of it. Of course you all know who I am talking about Judas Iscariot. The reason that John goes on to the third verb, “touched it,” is very simple he wanted us to not only know what it has done for him, but he wants us to know what it can do for you and I. The Word of Life touched him and he took hold of it. It was his life. It dictated everything he did. He wasn’t perfect at it, but he didn’t let his imperfection get in the way of the perfect message of “The Gospel.” Why did he proclaim this message, even though his life was in jeopardy every time he did? There are four reasons why John proclaimed the gospel first he was commanded to do so by the author of the message. Acts 1:8b and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
The second reason he proclaimed this message is that, a message like the good news of God was too powerful to keep to himself. When something good happens to us, we want to go out and tell everyone.
There are a lot of good things that have happened to me in my life, but I can remember when my sons were born and boy did I go out and tell everyone. I was tired and worn out, but you better believe that I still had the strength to call all my friends and family that day. I hope and pray that I will continue to have that same strength to share the gospel. He knew that a message as good and glorious as the gospel demands proclamation.
The third reason for this proclamation is found in my second point to my message, “the sharing” found in v. 3.
John and the other apostles shared God’s Word so that we would benefit from it. This fellowship of faith that we are blessed to be in is not one that we are deserving of. It is only because God chose to have fellowship with us, that we can have fellowship like this with one another. John wanted to share it, so that we could share it. The command that Christ gave to His disciples in Acts was not just for them though, it was for all who would follow and share in the fellowship. It is only because of our faithful forefathers who continued to proclaim the gospel that you and I are here today; John did not share his own message he shared the message that was given to him by God the Father, and by His Son, Jesus Christ. John’s message is the same today, as it was from the beginning. Christ, and the Grace he showed by humbling himself and coming to earth to give us the perfect example of how to live our lives. The Cross, the great sacrifice He made by taking the burden of our sin upon himself. The Resurrection, and the fact that by Him overcoming death has given us hope that we too have overcome eternal condemnation.
The fourth reason that John proclaims the Gospel is in v 4, the third and final point of my message, “to be enjoyed.”
John could have used the word your or my here but he didn’t, he used the word our. Why because it is the message of the gospel that gives us joy. And the fellowship that we obtain with fellow believers and ultimately with God makes our joy complete. This complete Joy that John talks of may not be achieved until the time when we are face to face with God, but that doesn’t mean that we do nothing here on earth, to make that joy more real to ourselves and to others.
Allow me to close this morning with these 3 questions.
But you are probably asking the question why should Christians be happy people? Allow me to use these illustrations to help answer that question, It is good for our God;
it gives him honor among men when we are glad. It is good for us; it
makes us strong: ‘The joy of the Lord is your strength’ (Nehemiah
8:10).
It is good for the ungodly; when they see Christians glad, they long
to
be believers themselves. It is good for our fellow Christians; it
comforts them and tends to cheer them.”
Charles Spurgeon
“There is more joy in Jesus in 24 hours than there is in the world in
365days. I have tried them both.”
R. A. Torrey
1. Would you like complete joy?
If your answer to this is question is no. I will end my questioning there. But if your answer is yes.
2. Have you accepted The gospel as your own? If your answer to this is no, I would like to ask you to seek out someone who can share with you how to make the gospel real in your own life. If your answer to this question is yes.
3. What are you doing with The Gospel? If your answer is nothing, well all I have to say to you is get a move on the time is now to share the greatest news you have ever heard. If your answer to this question is everything I can Tony. I say to you God Bless you and May God continue to strengthen you in your endeavor.
