Introduction:
I. The Message 5
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
A. The Message We Have Heard
1. We spoke last week of all the wonderful things John and the rest of the Apostles heard and saw during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.
a. We are not going to repeat that list or create another though we certainly could
b. Rather, I am going to remind you of a couple of things
i. John wrote this letter toward the end of his life.
ii. He had not only experience the ministry of Jesus
a. But was part of the ministry of Peter during the days of the early church.
b. He was there when Paul and Barnabas protested against Gentiles being forced to adhere to Jewish identity laws also known as the first church council Acts 15
2. Listen to the message John heard from Jesus as he sent out the 70 - 2 x 2
And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
—Luke 10:9
3. John would have heard Jesus whittle the Law of Moses down from 613 laws to 2.
a. God gave Moses
i. The Ten Commandments
ii. Moral laws
iii. Social laws
iv. Food laws
v. Purity laws
vi. Feasts
vii. Sacrifices and offerings
viii. Instructions for the priesthood and the high priest including tithes.
ix. Instructions regarding the Tabernacle, and which were later applied to the Temple in Jerusalem
x. Forward looking instructions for time when Israel would demand a king.
b. God in the Flesh Jesus gave two laws
37 Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
—Matthew 22:37-40
c. With all this, I don’t think we have heard the main message of Jesus
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
—Luke 19:10
B. The Message We Declare
1. The message we declare is his message and not our message.
2. The delivery might be different but the message should be the same.
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
—Jude 1:3
C. God Is Light And Not Dark
1. God is light
a. Light, in the Scriptures, is the emblem of purity, truth, knowledge, prosperity, and happiness — as darkness is of the opposite.
b. John here says that God is light (See Dr Barnes)
i. Not the light, or a light, but light itself
ii. He is himself all light
iii. He is the source and fountain of light in all worlds
iv. He is perfectly pure, without any admixture of sin.
v. He has all knowledge, with no admixture of ignorance on any subject.
vi. He is infinitely happy, with nothing to make him miserable.
vii. He is infinitely true, never stating or countenancing error
viii. He is blessed in all his ways, never knowing the darkness of disappointment and adversity.
2. And in him is no darkness at all.
a. This is the manner of John, guarding it so that no mistake could possibly be made as to what he meant.
b. The expression here is designed to assert that God cannot have even as much as the smallest spot of darkness.
c. The language is probably designed to guard the mind from charging God with being the Author of the sin and misery which exist on the earth.
d. This doctrine that God is a pure light
i. John lays down the foundation of all that he had to teach
ii. of all that he had learned from him who was made flesh.
D. Application To The Church
Illustration
II. The Fellowship Of Darkness 6
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
A. The Warning Against The Fellowship Of Darkness 6a
1. It would make sense that if God is light and invites people into fellowship with him, there would be someone who is darkness and would invite people into fellowship with him.
2. Notice..
a. In John’s lifetime there are already those who
i. Who say they have fellowship with God, but walk in the darkness.
ii. Notice how John says this, “If we say…we lie”
b. John is urging the people of the church not to join the Fellowship of Darkness.
3. When what we say and what we do contradict each other, which one is the truth?
a. What we say?
b. What we do?
4. John says, “If we walk in darkness we do not practice the truth.”
B. Practical Tips On Staying Out Of The Fellowship Of Darkness
1. ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH
a. Someone famous says, “If you tell the truth, you don’t need a good memory.”
b. Telling the truth is a HALLMARK of Christianity.
2. The “What ifs…”
a. What if I tell the truth and I get in trouble? Tell the truth!
b. What if I tell the truth and someone else gets in trouble? Tell the truth!
c. What if I tell the truth and I lose my job? Tell the truth!
d. What if I tell the truth and I can’t get a job? Tell the truth!
e. The HALLMARK of Christianity is the TRUTH.
C. Application To The Church
Illustration
III. The Fellowship Of Light 7
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 Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
A. Walk In The LIGHT
1. Notice that verse seven starts with a conjunction and is followed by a tiny word with a world of potential both good and bad.
2. The next three clauses in this sentence/verse are dependent on that little word “if”
a. If we walk in the Light.
b. John has already said that God is light.
c. He repeats it here.
i. It is obvious that John is speaking about God being the LIGHT again.
ii. The last clause speaks about God’s son, Jesus Christ.
3. There is a question as to whether we will walk in the light.
a. How do we know if we are walking in the light?
b. John tells us!
B. We Have Fellowship With One Another
1. The one place where there should be no dissention is the church of Jesus Christ.
2. If we walk in the Light we will have fellowship with one another.
3. The church at Corinth is an example of a church that did not walk in the Light.
4. Paul wrote of them:
for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
—1Corinthians 3:3
C. Jesus Christ Cleanses Us From All Sin
1. Of everything we have spoken of tonight, this is the most important.
2. If you final destination is heaven, then this is the only way to get there.
3. We want to be sure that ALL our sins are forgiven.
4. And if we are believers, we can be sure of that fact.
D. Application To The Church
Illustration
IV. Conclusion
