Bible Study on 1 John 1:1-4

‘THE WORD - SEEN AND HEARD FIRSTHAND”

- As Shared by Rev. Don Schink, © 2010
(Calvary Chapel East, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 4/14/2010)

INTRODUCTION:

[READ 1 JOHN 1:1-4.]

Author: John
Key Words: [1] Fellowship; [2] Know; [3] Love

The Apostle John, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, authored the forth Gospel, the Book of John; The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Epistles of John and Revelation. The Apostle John was “Zeb’s boy,” that is, the son of Zebedee. His close intimacy with Jesus is indicated by the expressions “the beloved disciple” and “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”

The date that this was written is uncertain, however, it was probably written from Ephesus near the end of the first century. It was apparently addressed to believers everywhere, as it has no greetings, farewells or other personal references. It calls believers by affectionate titles, as “dear children, [CH 2:1, 18, 28; CH 3:7, 18; CH 4:4; CH 5:21]” and “dear friends. [CH 3:2, 21; CH 4:1, 7, 11]” It shows the expressions of love and affection that John had for fellow-believers.

John has given four [4] reasons for writing this epistle to believers:

[1] To add to their joy, as seen in 1:4, where he stated, “We write this to make our joy complete.”

[2] To keep them from sin, as stated in 2:1, where we read, “I write this so that you will not sin.” John wants his readers to realize that there really is victorious Christian living. I certainly am not perfect. Neither are you. But we are to trust the Spirit to help us to be overcomers. We are not to live as the unsaved do. When we have a choice to make, let’s be careful to do our best to make the right choices.

[3] To warn them about false teachers, as we read in 2:26, “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.” There were many who were trying to do that very thing.

[4] To strengthen their faith in Christ and to assure them of eternal life, as seen in 5:13, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” If you have truly accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and you are allowing Him to be Lord of your life, then John says that “you may know that you have eternal life.”

The 1st Epistle of John opens with a positive statement of personal firsthand knowledge of Christ (verses 1-3). There is also a strong emphasis on spiritual knowledge obtainable by believers. The word “know” or its equivalent is recorded in this writing over thirty (30) times.

By the time that John wrote this epistle it had become clear that Christians had to face up to the challenge of their day. The earlier expectation of the Jerusalem disciples that Jesus would return immediately had to be revised. Many of them had sold all that they owned and pooled the proceeds with fellow-believers to live on… and many of them had grown older and some had died by now. There were people whose only knowledge of the events was what had been told to them. There were very few left, such as the Apostle John, who could say that they had seen Jesus in His earthly presence.

In the meantime new enemies to the faith had appeared. The church now found it necessary to defend the faith both against enemies without and within the body. Rome had branded Christians as followers of a foreign faith. As such, Rome would not tolerate any competition to either her rule or emperor worship. The list of Christian martyrs was rapidly increasing.

Many within the body of believers were being confused and misguided by concepts which dissipated their purity and strength. There were those stressing a way of life that contradicted the gospel and was in fact anti-Christ in its teachings. Thus the Apostle John exposes the heresies of these false teachers in his epistles. He wants believers to be true to the faith that had been given to the saints. So he very lovingly write to encourage, to challenge, and to bless the believers.

Verse #1:

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life."

[ILLUS:] When I was very young, probably about 5 years old, I remember a particular Sunday school lesson as given by a lady named Mrs. Breckenridge. She made the statement as to how there never has been a time when God didn't exist! As a kid, that really made me think. That night, I lay in my bed, staring out the window at the night sky and the stars, contemplating as to how this could be! That night I experienced a bit of the reverence and the fear of God for Whom He is.

Genesis 1:1 starts out, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

In Revelation 1:4, The Apostle John declared, “Grace and peace to you from He Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come…”

Think about it. There never has been a time that God has not existed. He is. He was. He always will be! How can this be? I have no idea. But, His Word is true. We accept it by faith. God doesn't argue His existence, His power, or His authority. He simply says, "I AM." As a young child, I never doubted. I've always believed in Him, although it took me some time later to really begin to yield to where I was able to accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord. I guess that I was a little slow at catching on… But, even so, I’ve never doubted His existence! He’s always been! He is! He always will be!

For those of you who teach children, don't ever think that you're not being effective. I’m sure that Mrs. Breckenridge probably thought that more than once. In that same class, I remember that there was also a photo of me holding a screwdriver to the back of a kid’s head…. So I can understand why she might have thought that way.

Kids take in more than we think. For you never know what the Holy Spirit may use to impact the heart and life of a child. It doesn't always show right away. But, we are promised that the Word will not return void. Here’s the deal… bottom line: We are responsible to share the Word. Then we are to trust the Lord for the results. We trust the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit for the results.


Verse #2:

"The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us."



First-hand witnesses are important. Their testimony is worth a lot. The sharing of one's personal experiences are important as we share what we have come to know and to experience.

[ILLUS:] I had an experience that I will never forget. I had just arrived to plant and to pastor a new church planting in Oregon when Mt St. Helens erupted in all of its power, majesty and awesome splendor. It was both beautiful and most tragic at the same time. In fact, I woke up on my first morning in Oregon to look out the window and see what looked like fine snow coming down. Then it became heavier and heavier. It kept coming down for the longest time. We shoveled and hosed ash for weeks after that.

It was a powerful testimony of nature and the power of God’s creation at work. As time went on, we were able to see pictures taken by helicopters on the news. It was so powerful of a blast that it literally blew miles and miles of tall pines down as if they were matchsticks.

There was one old boy who wasn’t so fortunate. His name was Harry Truman. He had grown up on that mountain. He had been interviewed before the first eruption of Mt. St. Helens. When the evacuation order was given for people to leave the mountain, he refused. He said that he knew the mountain well. He’d be safe. So he refused to budge. Folks, poor old Harry Truman had to have been catapulted out in to eternity in a fraction of a fraction of a second. They never found so much as a trace of him afterward.

Then it blew twice more. The third time that it blew, we got to see it from a different vantage point. It was a clear day with a beautiful blue sky. We were 70 air miles from it. Only this last time, the wind blew the ash in a more easterly direction so we got to see it rise up in the air against that blue sky. It billowed and billowed up in the air. It was a truly awesome sight to see (unless you happened to be poor old Harry)!

Here’s the point: When we have an awesome experience, we never forget it. In fact, we share it with others! You get it? We share that in life that has impressed us the most! That is what the aged Apostle John is saying here! That is what he is getting at when he said, "The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us."

Jesus Christ had appeared, personally, to each of the Apostles! They had seen Him! They had walked with Jesus! They had talked with Jesus! They had touched Him! He had touched them! He taught them, both by Word and by example! They were changed for all eternity! They would never forget it! They would never be the same again!

Ladies and gentlemen, once that you and I have truly allowed the Savior to walk with us and we with Him, we, too, will never be the same! Once we’ve experienced His saving and sanctifying love and grace in our hearts and lives, we, too, will share what we have come to experience firsthand, as John talks about here in this Scripture!


Think about the Apostle Paul for example. Experience fitted the Apostle Paul to be comfortable in sharing his testimony as to what had happened to him on the Road to Damascus... as to how the Lord confronted and converted him, calling him to a powerful and effective witness. Experience and the power of the Holy Spirit at work in his own heart and life had enabled Paul to speak with authority. As such he had the privilege of a very powerful and effective ministry, through many trying circumstances.

Then there’s Peter. In 2 Peter 1:16, we read where Peter stated, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty." Peter, in spite of his many failures and flip-flops matured in Christ and went on to be an effective eyewitness as to what he, too, has seen and heard.

As an eye-witness, Peter was able to boldly declare, as we read in 2 Peter 1:3-4, "(3) His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness. (4) Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

By the time that John wrote this epistle, quite a bit of time had gone on since Jesus walked with him and the other disciples. It was extremely important that John share with them what he had personally known and experienced due to his intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.


Verse #3:

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.”

Now John states his purpose Now we see why it is so important to John that he gets across to them what he and the other disciples and seen and heard; that is, that they, too, may have fellowship with them, as well as with the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, there is fellowship with them. Paul knew that if they were to survive the enemies’ attacks that they would all need to stick together. Folks, in the body of Christ, we really do need each other. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, “For where two or more are gathered together in My name, there am I with them.” That’s a pretty good reason! … I want to be where Jesus is! Don’t you?

In Hebrews 10:25, we read, “Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” There are a lot of negatives all around us. We need to be closest to those of like faith. True Biblical scholars worldwide believe unquestionably that we are in the final days leading to the return of Jesus Christ.

Are you ready? Is your fellowship truly with God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ and fellow-believers? If Jesus comes to take His own out of the world in the rapture, tonight, do you have the assurance that you will be among those who are to be taken up? If we are not careful, we can be so busy doing legitimate things, yet still neglect the most important ones, such as coming together to grow in the Word and to encourage one another in the faith. Spending time with the Lord, His people and our families should be of vital importance to each of us. Jesus is coming soon. We need to be ready.

Verse #4:

“We write this to make our joy complete.”

Do you remember when I said earlier that John has given four [4] reasons for writing this epistle to believers? As you’ll recall, the first one was: [1] To add to their joy, as seen here in Verse #4, where he stated, “We write this to make our joy complete.”


Pastor Chuck Smith comments as to how important that it is that we make the distinction between joy and happiness. Joy is a quality of the spirit, whereas happiness is a quality of the emotion. So happiness is a variable because it is related to outward experiences.

An important reason for John having written this epistle is to express an awareness that God wants our lives to be filled with joy. In Romans 14:17, the Bible says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

- In Nehemiah 8:10, Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to the Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”… “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” It’s OK to enjoy and appreciate good things. But eating and drinking, new homes and nice cars and clothing are not what bring joy. They may make us happy… however they can disappear instantly.

[ILLUS:] A few years ago I bought a brand new F150 Ford pickup. I thought that it was really great. It was what we needed to for hauling our water tank, gravel stones and fire wood. We live in the Manzano Mountains and these things are a part of our normal lifestyle. Before I got to make my 2nd payment, a lady ran a stop sign right in front of me. I had little time to react. Both vehicles were totaled. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. However, I was really disappointed that my brand new truck was gone… just like that! We were able to replace it, however, at the time I was not the happiest person.

In Psalm 16:11, the Psalmist writes, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” In Psalm 30:5, we read, “For His anger lasts only a moment,, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” In John 16:24 we read where Jesus said, “Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

CLOSING THOUGHTS:

We serve an awesome God! So is His Son, Jesus, Who gave His very best so that you and I can be saved. In fact, He loves us so much that He initiates what is needed for our salvation. In Romans 3:23, the Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” I have. So have you. In Romans 3:10, we read, “As it is written, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.”” He has been referred to as “The Hound of Heaven,” due to such great love that He has for us… that He keeps tugging at our hearts day after day in so many ways, to draw us near to Himself… for our salvation.

Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In Romans 6:23, the Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If we got just what we deserved, we’d be in a lot of trouble, folks. But eternal life is a gift… a love gift. We cannot earn it. Nor do we deserve it. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we read, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – (9) not of works, so that no one can boast.”

I learned a long time ago that just because we are in a church doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone attending has truly accepted Christ. [ILLUS:] I remember back in the mid-1970’s attending a church service where the Sunday school superintendent of that church had come forward at an altar call at the end of the service. He was crying his eyes out as he sought counsel and prayed. After ward, he testified that he had been their Sunday school superintendent for twenty-two (22) years and had just received Christ …that night, in that service.

We serve a truly awesome God. There never was a time that He didn’t exist. He is. He always will be! Yet as big and awesome as the Creator of all heaven and earth is, He loves you and I. He cares for our eternal welfare. He has provided for our eternal salvation.

If there is any doubt in anyone’s mind I encourage you to settle things quickly. Don’t put it off another moment. This could actually be your final opportunity to get right with God.

As our praise team comes to share the closing song this evening, our prayer team will also be here, as well. Please come as you feel the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart about any need that you feel you need prayer support on. May God bless each of you.


For questions or comments, email me at PastorDonNM@gmail.com .

You are Visitor #

“Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers” unless otherwise stated.