Fellowship
1 John 1:5-10
Emmanuel Christian Church 8.18.24
INTRODUCTION: We’ve all been there- listening to someone talk
about their relationship with the Lord, only moments later to witness
how their actions fail to live up to their profession of faith. Sometimes
that happens while were looking in the mirror!
So just how are we to match our words with our actions? John
gives us some practical counsel on the matter…
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and
declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we
claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and
do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus,
his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and
his word has no place in our lives.
PROPOSITION: Now, you might be wondering why we’re not back
in the book of Ezekiel again this morning. Two reasons, first of all,
Ezekiel is a tough book with a tough message, and it would be easy
for us to get burned out on that message before we’re done walking
through the book. So, I decided we should take another deep breath
before heading into Ezekiel chapter 20. The second reason for
turning our attention to the Letter of 1 John this morning is that this
Sunday in August is the date of our annual church picnic. So I
thought we should consider the purpose behind this annual event as
we find it in God’s Word. So, here we are: 1 John 1:5-10!
Two words are at the center of the meaning of this text:
“fellowship” and “walk”. So, how do those two words relate to our
annual church picnic? It’s this simple: our church picnic (along with
every other event when we gather) is about FELLOWSHIP, and our
fellowship with one another (and with God) is dependent on the path
we choose to WALK.
There are only two paths from which we may choose: the path
of darkness which leads to DISfellowship, and the path of
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP which is…
The path of LIGHT (vs. 5)
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and
declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
- In the previous verses John emphasized the point that he was an
eyewitness to both the Person and the teachings of Christ.
- John tells us what Christ told him- “God is light”.
- It is this basic principle that provides the basis for John’s teaching
in his letter (actually it’s a big theme in all of his writings).
APPLICATION: In order to love God, you’ll have to love light. Shady
characters, those who like to live in the shadows- are going to have
a tough time walking with God.
Christian Fellowship is the path of TRUTH (vs. 6)
1 John 1:6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
- We need to be honest with ourselves…
- If you claim to walk God’s path of light, but your actual
footsteps are on another path- the only one your fooling is
yourself!
- This is why Christianity needs to be a group effort. No one can
be completely objective about himself. We need trusted
brethren to check our steps from time to time.
- The great danger in the path of darkness is that it seems so
reasonable!
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to
death.” Proverbs 14:12
APPLICATION: May I ask you a personal question? Do you have
someone in your life who knows you well enough and loves you
enough to be honest with you about the path you’re on? If not, let
me suggest to you that you carefully cultivate a relationship with
someone who themselves is committed to the path of light and give
them permission to check up on you.
Christian Fellowship is the path of GRACE & RESTORATION
(vs.7)
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies
us from all sin.
- Our fellowship with God and our fellow man was broken when sin
entered through Adam and Eve’s rebellion.
- Adam and his wife began hiding from God.
- Cain slew his brother Able.
- Our fellowship with God and our fellow man has been
GRACIOUSLY RESTORED through the redeeming work of Christ.
- Listen as the Apostle Paul talks about the power of Christian
fellowship to heal a division as deep as that between the Jews and
the Gentiles of his day:
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and
called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the
circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men) —
remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded
from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the
promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in
Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near
through the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has
destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his
flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose
was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making
peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God
through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came
and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those
who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father
by one Spirit. Ephesians 2:11-18
APPLICATION: If we have turned from the path of sin and been
cleansed by the blood of Christ- there is nothing that can come
between us as Christian brethren, or between us and God our
Father. The operative word in what I’ve just said is “IF”. We need to
make the conscious choice to leave the dark path of sin and walk
the path of Light.
Christian Fellowship is the path of HUMILITY (vs. 8-10)
1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and
his word has no place in our lives.
John gives us TWO very practical pointers for walking the path of
fellowship in humility:
Pointer #1
- Don’t even bother talking about your own righteousness! And
John warns us about two dangers if you do!
- You’d just be lying! (vs.8)
- You’d be so full of yourself that you’d have no room for God
or His Word! (vs. 10)
- Listen as the Apostle Paul puts words to his walk on the path
of humility:
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of
Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the
surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose
sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain
Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own
that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ —
the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” Philippians
3:7-9
Pointer #2:
- Always be ready to confess your faults. (vs.9)
- Confession brings forgiveness. From God- absolutely. From
others- hopefully. From yourself- transformationally!
- Confession brings purification. We were created by God to
be pure and clean- to be anything less is to be at war with our
very design.
CONCLUSION: The path of peace with God and man is the path of
light which is Christian fellowship. Every worship service we hold,
every act of service we undertake together, every meal we share is
nothing less than a golden opportunity to practice the truth,
gracious restoration and humility that bind us together fellowship
as one family in Christ.