REAL CHRISTIANITY
1 John 1:1-2
TRUE FOR YOU?
Real Christianity #1 (1 John)
Christianity in
The Christianity practiced by most
professing Christians is not real.
Sometimes it’s an act.
Sometimes it’s the result of a wrong view
of what Christianity is.
Sometimes it’s hypocritical, professing one
thing and doing a different thing.
Sometimes it’s the result of people wanting
to do better but not knowing how.
Churches are in trouble because Christians
are not real.
The Epistle of 1 John shows us what real
Christianity is like and how to achieve it.
1 John 1:1-2 - 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, of the Word of life; [2] (For the life
was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew
unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto
us;)
In the first two verses of this epistle
there are three things here that are true of the Apostle John.
The Question is, Are they true for you?
JOHN ENTERED. HAVE YOU
ENTERED?
That which was from the
beginning, could take us all the way back to eternity
past where Jesus existed before the foundation of the world. However, I believe that John is taking us
back to the beginning of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth.
It was the beginning of the
Word of life.
We think of Jesus as “the Word”.
John 1:1-2 - In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the
beginning with God.
In this passage, however, “word” probably
refers to the message. It is the message
of life.
According to verse 2, eternal life was with
God the Father and manifested or revealed to us.
Jesus Christ is the life.
Jesus Christ is eternal life.
There was a time when John and the other
apostles entered into the Message of Life or the Gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. John 1:26-27, 29-30, 35-37,
The two disciples of John the Baptist who
started to follow Jesus were Andrew and in all likelihood the Apostle John.
On that day they entered into the Gospel of
Jesus.
Andrew proclaimed to his brother, Peter, in
John 1:41 We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
John at the beginning entered into the Word
of Life.
He found His Messiah, and his Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
John entered life because he placed his
faith in the One who is eternal life.
The “Lamb of God”, Jesus, died for John’s
sins and for yours and mine! He did not stay dead but rose from the dead,
showing himself to be the One who is eternal life. 1
Corinthians 15:3-4
John entered. Have you?
Has there been a specific time in your life
when you placed your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who
died for you to give you eternal life and forgiveness of sins?
Have you believed or trusted, or placed
your total weight on Jesus as your Savior? John 3:36
When did you place your faith in Christ?
Can you name the time, and I don’t mean the
day and hour, but rather the experience in which you made your commitment to
Christ?
If you are not sure that you have placed
your faith in Christ it is best to be sure and enter in by faith in the “Word
of Life”.
JOHN EXPERIENCED. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED?
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, of the Word of life;
John heard the Word of life.
When Jesus delivered the Sermon on the
Mount, John heard.
When Jesus told the various parables such
as the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son, John heard.
When Jesus corrected the faulty ideas of
the apostles, John heard.
When Jesus confronted the Pharisees with
their hypocrisy, John heard.
When Jesus taught the disciples, John heard.
We are not privileged to hear Jesus audibly
today.
But Jesus sent his followers to preach.
Matthew 28:18-20
Notice that the preaching that Jesus calls
us, His followers, to do is not only for salvation but for growth, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you:
Notice too, that Jesus has given gifted men
to help his church to grow into maturity.
Ephesians 4:11-15
God has given gifted men for us to hear so
we’ll grow up!
John heard. But do you hear? I don’t mean is the preacher loud
enough. I mean, are you hearing what
God’s man has to say when He is preaching the Word of God? Are you trying to grasp it, to understand it? Or are you off in your own little world?
That which was from the
beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
What did John see with His eyes?
·
He saw a man let down on a stretcher
through a roof. He saw Jesus heal and
forgive than man.
·
He saw Jesus make the blind see and the
lame walk.
·
He saw a 12 year old girl, a widow’s son,
and Lazarus all risen from the dead.
·
He saw Jesus feed 5,000 with five loaves
and two fishes.
·
He saw Jesus calm the sea, and in another
instance walk on the water.
·
He saw Jesus’ transfiguration.
·
He saw the crucifixion.
·
He saw the resurrection.
·
He saw the ascension of Jesus into Heaven.
And the word “see” hear means to “see with
understanding”.
John saw these things and understood them.
You can see the same miracles and more.
Yes, you can see the same miracles as you
open your Bibles and read!
We don’t see enough of the Lord Jesus and
grasp the Lord Jesus because we don’t take the time to crack open this Book and
see the Lord Jesus!
And as you see the Book, strive to
understand what you are reading! I suggest you begin with what I would call
“the Bible Reader’s prayer”, Psalm 119:18 - Open thou mine eyes, that I may
behold wondrous things out of thy law.
That which was from the
beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon,
To look upon here means ‘to behold, view
attentively to contemplate’. Kenneth
S. Wuest, In These Last Days, (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Wm. B. Eerdman’s Publishing
Company, 1954) p. 92
John and the other apostles took the time
to appreciate what they saw. They were
attentive. They were actually in awe of what they saw.
Is this true of you when you read
Scripture? Are you attentive? Do you contemplate what you are seeing?
Do you stand in awe of the Word of God?
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, of the Word of life;
Jesus was real to John.
John had literally received Jesus’ touch.
John had leaned on Jesus’ bosom at the last
supper.
It was likely that he had placed his hands
in the nail prints of Jesus.
Jesus was real to John. Is He real to you?
I know that you haven’t placed your hands
in His nail pierced hands or literally leaned on his bosom.
But is He real to you because you think on
Him, because you talk to Him, because you allow Him to rule your life?
The more we practice the presence of Christ
in our lives, the more real He will become to us.
Philippians
JOHN EXPRESSED. HAVE YOU
EXPRESSED?
(For the life was manifested,
and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto
you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
John expressed his experience to others.
The life, the Lord Jesus had been revealed
or manifested.
John had literally seen Jesus.
John had literally touched Jesus.
John had literally been changed by Jesus.
John and the other disciples were witnesses
of what they had seen.
They were also witnesses of eternal life.
Eternal life is wrapped up in an eternal
person, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He was with the Father, as God the Son.
And then he was revealed to John and the
other Apostles. John 1:14
John expressed to others what he had
experienced himself.
Have you experienced Jesus?
If so, you have an obligation to share with
others what you have seen in Jesus.
JOHN ENTERED. HAVE YOU
ENTERED?
JOHN EXPERIENCED. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED?
JOHN EXPRESSED. HAVE YOU
EXPRESSED?
RETURN TO HEBREWS – PHILEMON INDEX