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Sermon Notes 07-10-11am
1 John 5:13; 1:1-4
Intro: Do you know for certain your sins are forgiven, eternal life?
- I have asked people on death bed… “Oh, yes.” (Assurance)
- Others… hesitate… “well I have always “hoped so…”
Assumption = We cannot “Know” for certain such matters of Ultimate Truth (God, Life, Death)
I have my opinions, ideas of my culture, but in age of Pluralism…aware of so many worldview
- At best, Simple-Minded; at worst, Arrogant to be so Certain as to Claim to KNOW!
ILL – A famous Attorney, media favorite, tried a high profile Case, claimed to be an Agnostic (Cannot Know)
I am an agnostic; I do not pretend to KNOW what many Ignorant men are sure of.”
— Clarence Darrow, Scopes trial … died 1938
t/s – Can we Know? Can we live with Certainty concerning the Ultimate Realities of Life? (God, Life, Death)
1 John 5:13 (John’s Thesis Statement)
What you hold in your hand, Tapestry of Truth, designed by John
- Fisherman from Galilee… family of some wealth… hired men and home in Jerusalem.
- Beloved… He stayed in Jerusalem to care for Mary
- Settled as Leader in Ephesus…Last of Apostles
- Old John, 60 years after, wrote Gospel & Letter
But these things have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31
1 John 5:13
Hear…..Believe….Live….KNOW!
“Eternal Life” = Not just quantity of life, but quality;
Not only future, but present;
More than Forever, Better
John 10:10
“Know” = More than gradually growing in assurance; possessing
Now a present certainty…To know absolutely!
What we will find in 1 John…. Deal with Self-Deception & Doubt.
That we Might Know that We have Eternal Life
Objective = THE Faith = Confidence in the Truth about Jesus that We have Received.
- We can KNOW that the Message/Gospel is TRUE.
Subjective = My Faith = Confidence in the Sincerity/Validity of MY Personal Faith in Jesus.
- John’s Seven Criteria/Tests for Knowing…
“By this we know that we have come to know Him…”
- I can KNOW that my faith is Real. (saving faith)
Truth: Both Doubt and Deception are Common.
- Commit to Deal with them this Summer!
ILL – John’s Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, pictures
Doubt as a Strong Castle ruled over by a Giant, Despair!
— Doubts dominate, prevent progress, bring rule of despair
Deal with your Doubts (deception) this summer…. “I Know!!”
t/s – How can we Know anything?
1 John 1: 1-4 (John’s introduction)
- Most will be fleshed out later…few comments
- Settle on One word, repeated, speaks to How we Know
- Humility and Certainty are not mutually Exclusive
Read 1 John 1: 1-4
Vs. 1 – Notice the connection to the Gospel of John
Vs. 3a – John sounds defensive…. He Is Defending
John and His Gospel under attack!
Vs. 3b – Christian Faith is a Corporate Faith (Fellowship!)
Vs. 4 – Compare John 15:11 – These things I have spoken to you
So that My joy may be in you; and your Joy be made full!
T/s – Make me eager with anticipation for our Exploration….
Manifested = repeated in vs. 2 … “Appeared” (NIV)
- To make Visible, what was Invisible…To make Known, what was unknowable.
- Passive….Divine Passive… The Work of God!
“The Life, Eternal Life, was manifested…we proclaimed”
“Life” = Jesus and His Truth
We KNOW, because God made Him Known.
We SEE, because God made Him Visible.
“Mystery” = something we could never know, that was Made Known!
We Know because God is a God of Revelation… He makes visible!
Because man is finite and God is infinite, if man is to know God it must come about by God’s revelation of Himself to Man.
John 1: 1, 14, 18
How Can We Know? The Life was Manifested to us!
“Oh, we are so limited — culturally, intellectually — we can never really KNOW!”
- Sounds on the surface like Humility.
- In Reality, it is Heresy.
God cares enough to make Himself Known to us! In the person of Jesus, through the Proclamation of the Apostles.
You Who Believe in the Name of the Son of God may KNOW that you have Eternal Life!6
