Sermons

Fellowship with God

August 30, 2019 Preacher: Kwesi Sena Series: Guest Speakers

Topic: The Gospel Scripture: 1 John 1:1–10

Sermon Text: 1 John 1:1-10

Sermon Title: Fellowship with God

Speaker: Kwesi Sena

  1. Introduction
  • On December 18, 2014, just a week before Christmas, the Washington Post published an article titled “Did historical Jesus really exist? The evidence just doesn't add up.”
  • If it is true that Jesus never walked the earth, what would be the implication for all Christians past and present who have lived and died in his name?
  • Let me ask you a slightly different question. “If you got to know today that Jesus never existed, would you still be a Christian?”
  • Have you ever had a doubt about whether Christianity is true?

         The Two Points of the Sermon

This morning as we turn to the book of 1 John, we receive insight from a more credible source than the Washington Post. As we read this passage, there are two things I want to draw your attention to this morning. The basis of the Christian faith and the message of the Christian faith.

  1. The Basis of the Christian Faith
  • As you turn to 1 John 1, you must understand that Raphael Lataster is not the first person to call into question the historical existence of Jesus
  • Even back in the first century, there were disputes about the identity of the man Jesus, which led to division in the churches as we read in 1 John 2:9.
  • Those who left the church had fallen into the Gnostic false teaching that denied the coming of Christ in the flesh.
  • John wrote this letter to those who had remained in the church recognizing the danger of this group and how their teachings threatened the very life and faith of the community.
  • From verse 1 – 3, John tells the churches the basis of the Christian Faith. He goes to great length to provide the evidences to prove that not only was Jesus a historical figure, but he was also the Christ who came in the flesh.
  • Theologians call this the incarnation. The Incarnation is an act of grace whereby Christ took on the nature of man, came into our world lived like one of us except that he never sinned, so that he will be a perfect sacrifice for sin. When he took on the nature of Man, he did not lose his divine nature; he was both God and man at the same time
  • Jesus was from the beginning (John 1:1) and he is eternal (John 17:5).
  • Though his readers had not physically heard or seen Jesus with their eyes or touched him with their hands. John wanted them to have the same experience he and the other apostles had with Jesus.
  • The reason why the Son of God was made manifest, to restore our fellowship with God and with one another is so that our joy may be complete.
  • That is the basis of our Christian Faith. The eternal Son of God took on flesh and dwelt among men that through his life, death and resurrection he may reconcile us to God so that, our joy may be complete

 2. The Message of the Christian Faith

  • In verse 5, John tells us that this incarnate Son of God came with a message. And the message is that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.
  • Prior to Jesus, God had revealed himself to man in ways that man could handle, but with the coming of Jesus we have a full revelation of who God is (Hebrews 1:1-3)
  • What does it mean to say God is light? Light signifies splendor and glory, holiness and purity, truthful and openness. That is who God is; he is pure and holy which means that he cannot tolerate sin or any kind of impurity.
  • The false teachers believed that salvation depends on ones ‘spiritual’ nature therefore you could not be tainted by what you did with your body.
  • It is this false teaching that John addresses from verses 6-10. He does this by refuting 3 false claims about sin.
  1. You cannot have fellowship with God if you walk in darkness (vs 6)
  •  What does it mean to walk in darkness?
  • Paul shows us what walking in darkness looks like in Ephesians 5:3-4 , 8
  • When we get saved, we are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, therefore claiming to have fellowship with the light while we still walk in darkness means we are not practicing the truth.
  • There is another aspect of walking in darkness that is passive (Ephesians 5:11).
  • Walking in darkness is not only when we ourselves engage in sinful act, it also means condoning sin.
  1. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (vs 8)
    • This belief was based on the Gnostic false teaching that what I do with my body does not have an impact on my soul. This teaching seeks to create a dichotomy between the body and the soul.
    • These Christians believe that once you become a Christian there is no more sin. Any talk of sin is seen as living a defeated Christian life.
    • What they don’t realize is that having victory over sin is more than just confessing with your mouth, rather it means acknowledging your sin and repenting of it.
    • Instead of claiming that we have no sin, John shows us how to find true cleansing from our sin in verse 9.
  2. We make God a liar if we say we have not sinned (verse 10)
    • The claim that we have not sinned, make a mockery of the gospel.
    • David says in Psalm 51, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me”
  • Conclusion
  • You decide for yourself who you believe, a 21st century professor or an eye witness who heard Jesus, saw him with his eyes and touched him with his hands.
  • This Jesus came with a message, that “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all” We all have to response to this message one way or the other

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