1 John 1:1-4

Good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. Nathan came in here and didn't realize I finished Judges. So, we are in 1 John, all the way in the New Testament, right towards the end. So, way after the Gospels, after 1 and 2 Corinthians, after the different pastorals, after the Timothys, after Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1 John. Oh, in 1st John, I thought. Yeah, not in the Gospel of John, but in the 1st Epistle of John. 1st John, chapter 1, and we'll just do the 1st chapter. And we'll also be going to the New Testament. Yep, you're way towards the back of the New Testament here.
So, he's got a lot of pages to turn. So, while we're waiting for Bubba. Find a needle in a haystack. Remember, our theme this year is we're going to go through the J's. So, we've already done the Gospel of John a few years ago, so now we're at 1 John, and we'll look at the first four verses. So, I'm going to have some coffee while the kids turn these pages. We'll pray, and we'll get into God's Word.
I think this is harder than finding a needle in a haystack. Oh, yes Maybe if you can this is I'm not gonna say it that way that would be mean but this is actually why I like memorizing The order of the books of the Bible because it helps me be able to find them quickly So first John, let's have some I've already had some coffee. Do you want some coffee? No, I didn't think so We'll pray we'll get into God's Word God, we thank you so much for this morning.
We thank you for the opportunity you've given us to read your word. We pray that you would please teach us, help us to read it, to understand it, and to live it. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, 1 John 1, the first four verses. You want to read that, Bubba? Read it slowly and clearly.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled concerning the war of life. The life has manifested, we have seen it, and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and which manifests to us, that which we have seen and heard, we declare. to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. These things we write to you, that your joy may be full. All right, so, we got our three questions. A, what is this? About. B, what's the? Best of us is some of us. And C, what are we? Called to do. All right.
So what do you think this opening part of 1 John is about? I think it's this is just I think it's just maybe this is just me, but it sounds John's talking about the Holy Spirit. Oh, you think he's talking about the Holy Spirit? You think that he's been able to feel and touch and handle the Holy Spirit? I think, maybe not the Holy Spirit, I don't know.
Something, something. Okay, so, He who was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen, which we have felt, handled, which we have beheld. It's Jesus. Yeah, yeah, yeah, right concerning the words of life, right? So this is Jesus who they Why do you think John starts his epistle that way? It means it's something to do with the epistle Yeah, right so he's gonna be a big part defending that that Jesus really was a real person.
He wasn't a phantom. He wasn't a spirit. The Greek word phantom, what we get our word for phantom from, is for ghost. Point is Jesus was real, right? With his actual he ears he heard him was with his eyes. He saw him He felt him right. This is Yeah, but this is the Apostle that during the Last Supper Right laid his head on him Right, they were they were hanging out together Like he he knew Jesus was real. Yeah, and he had had the words of life And so, as he's writing in these four verses, what's his point in this letter?
I think it's going off what you have in him. He very much, this first part, just, he's just real. Okay, well, that's true. That's gonna be a part of what he's saying because it all depends on on that, right? But look at verses three and four Now which we have heard which we have seen Now he's delivering to to them to you all in order that they should what? With us. Yeah, right.
He wants to have fellowship. He wants to have communion with them a common faith a common hope a common life with them and And not just with them, but with who? With Jesus Christ. Yeah, but with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. He's got a purpose in writing this letter. He wants them to be in fellowship. He wants them to be in community.
He's writing this letter so the people who receive it may have fellowship. with God, the Father, with the Son, and with one another. And notice he has a purpose statement in verse four. And these things we write for what purpose? That your joy may be full. Yeah.
To have communion with one another, fellowship with one another, Fellowship with the father and with the son is to bring what? For joy Full eternal soul enriching joy That's why John's writing he's gonna he's gonna say some hard things to them But why is he writing these these things to them So that that joy maybe So there's all sorts of things that will try to rob them of their joy or give them counterfeit joys. But he's writing to them so that they might have real joy, true joy, soul-enriching, eternal joy. So what do you think you would underline as the best verse to summarize this introduction to the letter?
I'm going to go with 1 in verse 1 and verse 4. Like that the whole thing, just one. Oh, 1 and 4. Okay. Yeah, I was going to say, I have verse 4 underlined. I might later on go back and re-underline verses 3 and 4. But, okay. So, let's talk about C calling.
What do we call it to do? Do we have a lot of calling in this passage? No, I don't think so. I don't think there's anything that calls us to live our lives or calls us to evaluate, calls us to take some type of something in Christ. Maybe fellowship besides that. Okay, so we need to have fellowship or communion with who? With one another in Christ. one another in Christ. Yeah, can you? I mean, this is one of those difficult things that some people will say, you know, well, I could just be me myself in the Bible. I can go do church myself underneath a tree outside. You're not two or three people, you know? Yeah, right. No, God made you for fellowship. God made you for communion. And so part of our joy is with each other. But where else is our communion or fellowship most found?
With Jews. Yeah. Yeah, right. Our fellowship, our joy is found most with God. And I think that's a huge thing here. There'll be all sorts of things that will try to give us cheap joys, counterfeit joys, easy joys. Think about in my life, right, I can try to think I'll find joy in food. Oh man, I get to have ice cream. You know I love ice cream.
But is that an eternal joy? No, no, it might be a pleasure for a time But you know the computer program a Rubik's Cube Peace I mean some people think if I just have peace if people would just be quiet and get along Finally, I'll be able to I'll be able to be happy. I'll have joy Yeah, right well maybe not What if I told you you could have joy despite your circumstances? There's a type of person who learned that peace and a joy that is beyond the moment and the circumstance. Because their peace and their joy is in Christ. That's a joy that nobody can take away. That's what John wants people to have. That's what God wants people to have. That's what we can have in Christ.
Yep. You ready to pray? Mm-hmm. Do you want to or you don't need to? You can pray. Okay. God, we pray that we would have joy. Lord, we pray that your spirit would work so effectively and effectually through your word that you would not just have these as a purpose, but that you would accomplish that purpose in our lives. Lord, we pray that we would have fellowship with one another. We pray that we would have fellowship with you, our God. and that we would enjoy the fellowship you've given us with our Savior, Jesus Christ, who would give us joy, an eternal joy that can never be taken away. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Well, may God bless you. May you enjoy the Lord today and forever. And we'll see you next time. Bye. Bye.