Tuesday, May 19, 2020

John, Jesus and Joy

There is no audio recording for this message, but a video recording of the entire service in which this message was delivered can be viewed on YouTube here.

This is a sermon that was given on May 17, 2020. It is the first sermon in a series of messages through the New Testament book of First John. This message provides limited background on the letter authored by John, then discusses characteristics of Jesus provided by John. Joy that results from fellowship with Jesus and the Father is one of the purposes of the letter.

Written Excerpts:


1 John 1:4 (NKJV) And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
Introduction:
A few years ago we did a series of Bible studies on the book of First John in our Wednesday night prayer services. As with some of the other books of the Bible we studied, I remember thinking that it would be a good idea to do a series of Sunday sermons through First John.
So today I am starting this series through the book of First John. I do not know yet how many sermons there will be. I will do my best not to get bogged down in minute detail, but to give you the “meat” of the letter with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Imagine that you were an eyewitness to a very exciting and monumental event many years ago. After time passed, you discover that current analysis of the historical event you witnessed relies heavily on philosophical beliefs and opinions, which have resulted in a greatly distorted description of that event. What people currently believe about it does not even resemble the reality you know because of your personal experience.
If you can imagine that kind of scenario, you might be very close to imagining how the Apostle John must have felt as he penned the words of this letter we are about to examine. False teachers had been completely distorting the truth about the Christ that He had intimately known and served as a disciple.
The title I chose for this message is John, Jesus and Joy. I chose to use that for the title because it seemed a little bit “catchy” so it might be easier to remember, but also because I want to focus on those three “J’s” for the message.
We’ll first talk about the author, John, the disciple/apostle of Jesus. Then we will talk about Jesus, who is the subject of His letter, and then we will discuss the matter of joy, which is stated in verse 4 as one of the reasons that John wrote the letter.
I.              John Is the Author of the Letter
This letter, like the Gospel of John, does not have typical opening greetings and closing greetings like the letters of Paul, James and Peter. Because of that, it doesn’t specifically say that John is the author. However, there are good reasons to believe that the author is the same person who wrote the Gospel of John as well as the Revelation.
In fact, it is believed that the Apostle John wrote five NT books: the Gospel, the 3 Epistles and the Revelation.
Who is John? Let me read some of the highlights.
(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) – John was one of the two sons of Zebedee, … he became one of the disciples of Jesus, … at His call he forsook all and followed Jesus, and was thereafter continuously with Jesus to the end…. While his name appears rarely in a position by itself, he is still one of the most prominent of the disciples. With Peter and James he is present at the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51ff). These three were also present at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2). They were nearest to the Lord at the agony of Gethsemane.… Once John stands alone, and asks what we may consider a characteristic question: "Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us" (Mark 9:38). From these notices we see that John was in the front rank of the disciples, and we see also that he was so far conscious of the position he held, and of the intimate connection he had with the Master. We note further that John was a young man of fiery zeal, and of a tendency toward intolerance and exclusiveness…..
(Continuing) While we recall the illustrative facts found in the Synoptics… we do not forget that on each of these occasions he was corrected and rebuked by the Master, and he was not the kind of man who could not profit by the rebuke of Jesus. So that vehemence of disposition was held in check, and, while still in existence, was under control, and allowed to have vent only on occasions when it was permissible, and even necessary. So in his writings, and in the reflections in the Gospel, we note the vehemence displayed, but now directed only against those who refused to believe in, and to acknowledge, Jesus….

(Continuing) But love itself has its side of [intensity], and the intensity of love toward a person or a cause may be measured by the intensity of aversion and of hatred toward their contradictories. There are many reflections in the Gospel and in the Epistles which display this energy of hatred toward the work of the devil, and toward those dispositions which are under the influence of the father of lies. We simply notice these, for they prove that the fervent youth who was devoted to his Master carried with him to the end the same disposition which was characteristic of him from the beginning.
In light of all these facts we have reviewed about John, it is rather easy to imagine how zealous he would be to correct errors that had risen in some of the churches by this time.
John was writing this letter at a time when a belief or teaching known as Gnosticism was gaining popularity. Most scholars believe that the heresy did not fully develop until years after John wrote this letter, but undoubtedly the false teaching had been growing for many years and certainly would have begun to take root much earlier.
I don’t want to get too detailed here, but here are a few of the main points of Gnosticism:
·         Physical matter is evil; mind and spirit is sacred
·         Special mystical knowledge is the highest quality
·         Freedom from moral boundaries
Therefore, Jesus couldn’t really be “the anointed One” (the Christ), because he had a material/physical body. Or, he only appeared to have a body, but was actually a phantom. (Reasoner)
John and the other disciples knew Jesus was human because they lived with him, and they also knew he was the Son of God because of what they had witnessed. But these false teachers had a view that the human Jesus wasn’t really God, but only became the Christ when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism. Then some of them held that the Christ identity left Him again right before He died. In addition to these beliefs about Jesus, they also felt that their knowledge was superior to traditional knowledge. Thus, the reason for the word Gnosticism – from Gk. word for knowledge.
F.F. Bruce said, “On the practical level these new teachers claimed to have reached such an advanced stage in spiritual experience that they were ‘beyond good and evil’.”
I have referred to this teaching before and cautioned us about falling for any person or group claiming to have special knowledge that you can only get by listening to them. So this is the Apostle John, a zealous, fervent disciple of Christ, writing to a group of Christian believers to help them overcome false teaching that was apparently becoming very popular.
II.             Jesus Is the Subject of the Letter
A. Jesus was a human in flesh with a physical body.
v. 1 Look at all of the words John uses to describe the physical interaction with Jesus.
That which was from the beginning… concerning the word of life. Not “in the beginning” as in John 1:1, but “from the beginning.”
“The Word of the life.” Jesus is the source of life. Cf. Jn 14:6.
Heard; seen; looked upon (beheld, think transfiguration; “we beheld His glory”); and handled. – the words of an eyewitness. “looked upon” = “beheld” cf. Jn. 1:14
I spent some time just meditating and trying to grasp what all must be involved in the phrase, “We beheld His glory.” Have we really gazed upon the glory of Christ?
B. Jesus was eternal with the Father which makes Him also divine.
v. 2b “eternal life which was with the Father.”
Cf. Jn. 1:1 again – “the Word was with God…”
C. Jesus was not hidden from view nor from revelation.
v. 3a “… we declare to you.”
He was manifested and the disciples declared Him. He was revealed to them in bodily form, and the disciples have recorded and propagated what was manifested – everything about His person and His message. He proves the fact that God is a self-disclosing God who dearly wants us to know Him. He does not hide Himself away from us and force us grope in darkness seeking to know Him or the truth about Him.
v. 3b “… have fellowship with us… fellowship with the Father.”
That is why reading and studying the Word is so important. That is why prayer and public/corporate worship is so important. We learn about Jesus objectively by studying the Word. We learn more about Him subjectively by experiencing His presence in prayer and in the public times of worship with His people. It truly is a fellowship – joining together, a communion – with God Himself and with God’s true followers. The manifesting, declaring, revealing has the goal of deeper and better communion with Him.
F.F. Bruce – “There is nothing vague or merely sentimental about this fellowship; it involves obedience to the commandments of Christ and faithfulness to His teaching communicated through His apostles.”
Joseph Benson – “the great end of Christianity is fellowship with God and with Christ through the eternal Spirit. This fellowship implies a mutual acquaintance, friendship, and affection and a holy intimacy.” (Quoted by Vic Reasoner)
Think of anyone with whom you enjoy wonderful fellowship. That intimate communion between you and another person is only possible because of the depth of knowledge and experience you have with that person. The same is true with Christ.
III.           Joy Is One of the Purposes of the Letter
I was thinking about John’s purpose statement here in verse 4. “These things we write to you that your joy may be full.” I don’t think there is anything that can steal one’s joy any quicker than doubt, confusion, and uncertainty about what to believe or what is truth.

The recipients of this letter had most certainly heard the false teachings that were going around. They must have become quite overwhelmed and undoubtedly discouraged. It seems that this would inevitably lead to a lack of joy. However, by knowing the truth, believing the truth and obeying the truth there is joy.
(Reasoner) True joy is not found in self-indulgent pleasure. In the NT it is never connected with hedonism. It is the result of participation in the kingdom of God…. Fullness of joy is the consequence of separation from sin. If God is the source of joy, the more of God we have and the more like God we become, the more joy we will experience.
John wanted his readers to experience the fullness of joy that comes through the fellowship with God and with fellow members of the body of Christ.
Conclusion:
Sometimes when we want to express pure ecstasy or deepest joy, we compare it to “heaven.”
The music was heavenly. The food was heavenly.
Being there or seeing them again was just like heaven.
Heaven is the ultimate sense of joy. Jesus is in heaven. Wherever Jesus is – it’s heaven.
Closing Song: Where Jesus Is, ‘Tis Heaven There    

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