1-1 John 1-2:2

This morning, we started the letters of John. The hope and idea is to prepare our hearts for the Gospel book of John. 

As we spend the next 5 weeks or so in the letters of John, we hope to unpack to some degree or another some solid foundational doctrines. Three doctrines that stood out for me were, 1-The sufficiency of Scripture, 2-Penal Substitutionary Atonement, and 3-Assurance of Salvation. The book is not limited to just these 3 though because it speaks to much more than just these.

From the Beginning

John 1:1-4, The first idea we see here is based on "from the beginning". John starts his letters just like he does his gospel. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning", for those who abide in scripture this is a natural appeal to Gen. 1:1"In the beginning".

So as we survey the Bible, the very first 5 verses speaks about the first day of creation where God said "let there be light" and we have light and darkness. Then in the NT, John in his gospel starts with tying in two important moments of time, the creation of our world and the incarnation which is the start of redeeming our world. After the Church has begun its journey in the great commission, we see John writing a letter to shepherd the flock of God he has been entrusted too and again here we see him starting with reminding the sheep of who to look to, the one who all creation finds its being (Acts 17:24-31). We will look at this a little more in next section when we look at "light and darkness". 

Manifest

For me a key word here in this text was also "Manifest". In John 14, you can unpack 3 questions the disciples make. 

1-Thomas, "Lord we do not know where your are going, how can we know the way? (vs 5). 

2-Philip, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us"(vs 8). 

3-Judas not Iscariot, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world (vs 22)? 

3 key things here is knowing, seeing and understanding "The Way". 

The definition of manifest as an adjective is "clear or obvious to the eye or mind" and as a verb it is "display or show something by demonstration." 

In context this was the last conversation the disciples would have with Jesus before the Cross, so you can see the hunger to get their last instructions.

What Jesus promised them in the John 14 text and following they are confirming here. They are acknowledging that this idea of that, they were equipped to know the way, to know the Father, and to see how they should conduct themselves even though they didn't have God in the flesh anymore was true and they are furthermore communicating to their audience the same message of truth is for them, that they were able to come to know. This promise is in vs. 3&4 surrounded around the key word "fellowship and joy". 

Light and Darkness

John 1:5-7, Here with pick back up on the idea of "light and darkness". As a group it was pointed out that God created light on the first day and that was before He created the sun on the fourth day. Also in  Revelation 21:23 & 22:5, we see "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and it's lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk" and "They will need no light of lamp or sun for the Lord God will be their light. We spoke about how dark it can get. If you neighborhood loses power at night and you walk outside it is scary dark. It has a thick feel to it. God has been good to us to give us the reflections of light from the Sun and the moon. They are not sources of light but reflections of it. We spoke of 

John 1:8-10, 

John 2:1-2, 

Audio-Dennis, Jeff, Mike, Paul, and Keith. (Shane helping with another study)

• Intro to 1 John with comments from Paul and Jeff and opening prayer. 

Part 1

• 6:20, 1 John 1-4, reading of the text
• Manifest, John 14, How will you make yourself know to us but not to the world?
• Absolute truths and infallibility of scripture, If the word of God a firm foundation or not?
• Outside of reading scripture, your eyes ears and heart will just not be open to digest truth.
• Without scripture is like knowing your blind and refusing to put on your glasses.
• 11:15 Jeff, "In the beginning" Gen. 1 and John 1.
• 12:30, response on Jesus incarnation and the importance of the information of what they did have.
• 15:00, Paul, Ch. 4:2, testing the spirits, follows up on false teaching that He was not God in the flesh. "Do not believe every spirit, test the spirits to see if they are of God, for many false prophets have already gone into the world, by this you know the spirit of God.
• 19:00, Keith being invited into a group to study
• 20:25, The physical, what we have seen, heard and touch. With many infallible proofs. 
• 21:50, We didn't write everything, but we wrote enough for you to know. We will not know it all, but we can know enough. We can give good answers, but will not be able to answer all. At some point they will have to go to Jesus personally.
• Put it in you knower. As time goes on God will make is makes sense or come alive.
• Without God's word understanding Him is a fools errand.
• 25:10, Mike on his friend Benny. Deut. 29:29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us forever, so that we may do all the words of this law.

Part 2

• 27:33, 1 John 1:5-7, Walking in the Light
• 29:30, Paul, Deep darkness is not desirable, but the reduction of light allows us to appreciate the lesser lights, but we are still enjoying the light.
• 31:15, Fellowship, unity, in order to have good fellowship with man we have to first have it with God. Sin creates division. Our unity with men is limited by our fellowship with God. Lured by the sin nature to do something in darkness because you wouldn't do it in the light. We do not pursue our actions in darkness.
• 34:20, Jeff, attributes of God, God is light. Walking in darkness
• 36:25, Paul, 7 days of creation, light before sun, where did that light come from? Rev. not sun?
• 37:10, Mike day 4 before sun was created
• 37:40, Jeff, the sun makes think grow and Jesus is going to do that for us in eternity
• 38:10, Paul, pitch darkness, terrifying feeling. Do we want it to be all the time. At night it is a different light
• 39:00 Keith, see moon because of reflection of the light. 
• 39:26, We are to be image bearers
• 39:40, Telescope, trying to explain about the sun and who it revolves around
• 40:30, Mike, the moonshiners bible study

Part 3

• 41:00, 1 John 1:8-10,
•  Unpack sin in about 3 ways. 
• If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
• If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• Sometimes we don't share the Gospel in a good news way.
• If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and his word is not in us.
• 43:30, Mike, The word "sin" can be used as a noun and a verb.
• If you remember in English class, a noun is a person, place or thing. Where a verb is something you do. State of Sin, Jesus rescues us from that and rescues us from that and redefines us. Other times you sin but that is not what defines you. If you get this wrong you can see "losing salvation".
• Jesus took away the sin of the world as a noun not as a verb. 
• 46:35, Infallibility of scripture, PSA, and losing salvation.
• 47:20, Paul, confessing Weirsby
• 47:45, Jeff, How important is it to confess your sins? If you don't confess it, you are saying you have no need for it.
• 48:50, Mike, It restores the relationship. Bench seat. She moves over. We don't move. Relationship is settled at the cross, but lack of confession kills fellowship and intimacy. 
• 50:20, Keith, 
• 51:05, the refusal to confess, does that link to the idea of you walking in darkness, prepare you for deception. 
• 52:00, Paul, Ps. 51, I am in agreement with the Lord on how He sees his sin
• 53:40, Mike, restore the joy of my salvation. Be restorative.

Part 4

• 54:10, 1 John 2:1-2
• 1 John 1:7, The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
• 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• 1 John 2:1-2, But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins.
• Clear about the hope of Christ, a tool to realize it.
• The gospel is still light that penetrates to darkness of our day.
• Gen. 3 Adam sinned and blaming others. When we fall, repent and trust in God
• 57:45, Jeff, Advocate. We need and advocate between us and our Father. Satan the accuser
• 58:40, Mike, Hebrews 4, Jesus a high priest that understands us.
• 59:15, Jeff raising kids, does it get easier. Praying for you.
• 1:00:35, Keith, follow my command if you love me.

Prayer 

• 1:01:40
• You don't call us to be perfect, but you call us to come into the light.
• You know our heart and you can guide us through our struggles.