The Sweetest Fellowship This Side of Heaven | Part 1

What the true definition of the word Fellowship listen to Adrian Rogers fellowship is not coffee and doughnuts.

Worship is not a some people to be safe to fellows in the same ship.

What is fellowship.

This is a very technical work that you may have fellowship with us. It is the Greek word point in the not get that word in your heart and your mind that these be in your vocabulary enemies. The whole things in, welcome to love will find featuring profound truth. Simply stated by Adrian Roger, the book of first John speaks of our fellowship is Christian which comes through the life we have in Jesus Christ in order to experience and enjoy fellowship with God right here right now. The apostle John identifies three things.

We must know beyond any doubt. If you have your Bible turn out first John chapter 1 is Adrian Rogers, tells us more about the sweetest fellowship this side of heaven refining first John back in the Bible, almost to the book of Revelation. First John five. The first chapter and first John is not a very long book. Only five chapters and we going to enjoy it time of our study, the sweetest fellowship this side of heaven.

Because the fee first. John is fellowship. You know, John wrote five books of the Bible. He wrote the gospel of John and the purpose of the Gospel of John was to convince sinners, that is to lead us to faith in Christ and then he wrote the book of Revelation and the purpose of the book of Revelation was to comfort saints done to help us understand the days in which we are living in and give us a hope for the second coming of the Lord Jesus. But then he wrote these epistles these wonderful epistles and they are written to confirm saints and so we thank God for this epistle. It has for same word, no. Okay NOW and the word Fellowship and the word life.

Look, if you will now as we read and we can share together. The first four verses the apostle John says that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, in which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled the word of life_the phrase the word of life for the life was manifested_the word life and we have seen it, and bear witness and show it to you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested unto us, that which we have seen and heard declare we have you that he also may have fellowship with us on the school board fellowship and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ.

These things right. We unto you, that your joy may be full_the word joy about what is this fellowship. This wonderful fellowship well is a fellowship that comes through the life that we have the Lord Jesus Christ and not everybody here as life is if I don't have life.

How can I be listening, because you can be existing and not have life. Jesus spoke of an unsaved woman of the Bible says this she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she lives The Walking Dead in bed while they live. That's the reason Jesus said in John chapter 10 verse 10. I've come that you might have life and have it abundantly that he was talking to people whose hearts were already meeting blood flowing through the veins. Jesus said you don't have life you have existence and moisture has existence, but it certainly doesn't have life as we consider life today.

The life that is full and free in the Lord Jesus Christ. I was in Moscow shortly after communism imploded and was invited to go into the mayor's office. I was a great honor and a great responsibility that took some Christian literature with me and set around the big table in the mayor's office in Moscow, Russia.

I wonder what I would say to those people because they were turning from communism, hopefully to capitalism and I told those leaders. There I said gentlemen, I want you to know something. While I believe that capitalism is far superior to communism. I want to understand this, that they're both only two forms of materialism only two forms of materialism and if that's all you had. If that's all you had just a better form of materialism you still miss it and I was able to explain to them that man is a spirit waiting spiritual life, not just existence. We need life through the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what I want to say to you today Fran. It's not just simply existence is life and what the apostle John, here is speaking about is the word of life.

If you take the word live and spell it backward expels an evil and there are so many people who are just living and life rather than glorious is really because they do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior. Lord met in order to experience his life. The apostle John tells us three things in these few verses that we looked at and first of all, he tells us that there is a fact that is established writing down a fact established.

Look, if you will hear in verse one. Look at that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, in which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled the word of life. Mount Hood never always wants to muddy things. The devil always wants to distort and deny things and force the greatest truth is the truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and so the devil says the Lord Jesus Christ was here on earth, and even before he came has been trying to confuse people as to who the Lord Jesus is, was and always will be now and this day in John's day there was a cult of all sculpted which we don't have it today.

At least by that the name it had back then they were called the Gnostics, you would spell edgy and OST ICS. The Gnostics, and it comes from the Greek word and also which means to know.

And these were people who felt that they had superior knowledge, may we just give them a name, the know it all's they were the know it all's and they were too sophisticated.

They were to intellectual to believe that God could've come to earth in human flesh because they really believe everything material was evil that anything that was physical and material was evil. That's what the Gnostics believed and so they believe that Jesus Christ could not have had the true Messiah could not of had a material physical body. They believe that the Jesus that was here on earth was sort of a ghost sort of a fan but not real.

Now what John is doing right now he's just who do not know Gnosticism right in the head. He's going to show that Jesus Christ really physically probably walked here on this earth, and he says I am an eyewitness of that, let me say that there were false cults in John's day there false cults in our day and almost every false call is wrong primarily about Jesus Christ.

Did you know that you check in about Jesus frantically have been wrong about Jesus. It is matter what their write about.

I was in the house and with some friends and two young boys who call themselves elders knocked on the door. They wanted to talk about Joseph Smith whether Joseph Smith was a prophet and I civilize before talk about Joe, let's talk about Jesus because I said if you're wrong about Jesus and admit what you think about Joe in that right and you see they did not believe that Jesus is God in human flesh.

They do not believe in Jesus is coequal and coeternal with Almighty God.

Every false cults is all on the person of Jesus. Almost every false scope anyway and so here John is dealing with an Bible says if any come your house and bring out the doctrine of Christ, all receiving many house, neither bid him God speed limited universe.

Second John chapter 1 in verse nine that was ever transgressive and abided not in the doctrine just as plain as it can be a person is wrong about Jesus. He doesn't know God, because Jesus said I'm the way the truth and the life and no one comes under the father but by me. So John starts out to establish who Jesus is and remember and I were talking about that this life is a a ACTH established and he saying here that Jesus is an eternal Jesus is an eternal fact. Look, if you will, that which was from the be getting. He is the Christ of the eternities and John it already written in his gospel.

In John 11 in the beginning was the word in the beginning was the word before anything began again.

Jesus was there and that is God's name for Jesus. The word in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God.

Jesus is called the word of God.

In Revelation chapter 19 verse 13 speaks of Jesus coming in glory necessity was clothed with the best are dipped in blood, and his name is called the word of God is interesting is what is a word, a word is the expression of an invisible thought an ID. Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God.

Jesus articulates God, he is God's first word. He was there in the beginning. In the beginning was the word he is God's full word he says over the book of Revelation. That is the Alpha and the Omega, the word of God, the Alpha and the Omega, you know what that means, first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, Alpha and Omega if he were speaking to us today say he's a busy. I have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of books in my library. All of them. A made up which is 26 letters every thought, every thought in my library says 26 letters and what Jesus is saying on God's alphabet anything the gods going to say he's going to say through me and by me. Jesus is God's first word is God's full word and he sees God's final word book of Hebrews as God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son bathroom when you said Jesus, you said it all. You can't say anymore. You don't need to say more, all of the revelation of God is wrapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ and he is a fact he is an eternal sees the word that existed before anything else was created.

He is expression of the invisible spiritual God. But not only is Jesus Christ eternal fact but write this down. Jesus is a physical back is very important you understand this man knows what John is saying that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which was seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and our hands have handled the word of life. Now John says he was in the family. He wasn't a ghost.

He said we had the audible evidence we heard him had they had tape players back in that day you could take the voice of the Lord Jesus and then not only was the audible evidence there was physical evidence. John says we call him that which we looked upon and John uses the word feel my sword we get our theater from a maze to look carefully, John said what I was with the three years I watched him I saw him, and not only was there the audible evidence. Not only was there the visible evidence there was the physical evidence. He said we can handle him stand. He was as much a man as if he were not got it all. I limited this. It's as much a heresy to deny the humanity of Jesus as it is the deity Jesus, we have to understand that he was God very God.

He wasn't half God and half man it was all gone, and no man. He was all man I know God. He was the God man never another life Jesus Christ. But remember the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you deny the human Jesus you're denying Christianity. John is blessed. We saw him when we touched him, but word of life. He is an eternal fact but he is a physical thing by God for his humanity.

You say apart from his humanity.

I can be saved.

He became a man I look for an apartment.

Shedding blood is no remission of sin from his humanity. I have no example I can follow as an example the God in the glory because I'm a human. He's not human, but I can walk as Jesus wall I would take something from when Jesus Christ was upon this earth. He did not rankle me. Every miracle he did, he did not, as God would do a miracle. He did the miracle as man feel the Holy Spirit would all of the life that he lived.

He lived as a man, and he depended upon the same power that Adrian can depend upon, day by day, and moment by moment.

So he is my Redeemer because he's a man he's my example because he's a man I would say he's my comforter and frame because he's a man, I don't have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling my infirmities was tempted in all points like as I am assigned to understand what is John talking about was talk about this life he's talking about and establish what I want to something else. Not only is he an eternal fact not only is he a physical back was a something else about him.

He is a spiritual fact. Know what you mean by that will see what John is saying that which was from the beginning, the eternal fact which we've heard, which we seen with our eyes, which we looked upon the hand or hands of handle of the word of life, a physical fact, the life was manifested. We've seen it, and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life out a way to have these other people have the same know that's right.

John says I am going to tell you what I've seen so that you can believe I ever seen Jesus I never heard Jesus I never touched Jesus, not with my hand but I believe in him because Jesus Christ is also a spiritual fact, he is not here now in a physical body with the Holy Spirit of God reveals him. And as John heard him now becomes the ear of the soul, as John has seen him faith.

Now becomes the eye of the soul, as John had found him faith.

Now becomes the hands of the soul we can know him through the spirit. Let me give you verse John says over here. First John chapter 5 beginning verse nine we receive the witness of men. The witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he had testified of his son to see God says the Holy Spirit now to testify to the words of the apostles and we have the words of the apostles there was a college, a professor who was an atheist and 11 ridiculous duties and silly asking students have any of you ever heard God about Nancy.

Have any of you ever seen God. Nobody answered. Have any of you ever touched God.

Nobody answered he said so there is no God. McKay said that all of them cowed and so forth until one student lifted his hand and said that Prof. may I may I ask a question to the class he said all right. He said, have any of you heard the professor's brain.

Nobody answered. Have any of you touch the professor's brain. Nobody answered any of you seen the professor's brain. Nobody answered he said then we can conclude the professor has no brain according this lot. No, you see, John said that which we see in that which we heard clearly and the Bible says if we receive a witness, a man the witness of God is greater.

And today I am not dependent upon oratory or illustration, or logic to convince you by God the Holy Spirit of God is here to say what he saying is true, that is the witness of God. Jesus is an eternal fact, Jesus is a physical back Jesus is a spiritual fact and the Holy Spirit of God testifies unto the Lord Jesus Christ. So what is this life. The first point is a fact establish second point is a fellowship experienced not only a fact, but a fellowship Malik if you will, in verse two. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness and showing you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested unto us and that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us now. John wants to share John's that I saw and I want to share anybody who sees and hears it knows it wants to shared a man that's reason why we call witnesses not lawyers lawyer argues a case, a witness tells what he seen and heard the only person who can witnesses present had seen or heard anything back. He says I do this that you might have fellowship. What is fellowship.

Fellowship is not coffee and doughnuts fellowship is not as some people to be safe to fellows in the same ship. What is fellowship. This is a very technical word that you may have fellowship with us is the Greek word coined in the not get that word in your heart and your mind that need to be in your vocabulary is the Greek word coined in the enemies to hold things in common that he is this Jesus because of this, establish there is a fellowship that is experience that we can have fellowship one with another. It literally means have something in common. Now notice who we have fellowship with notice he says in verse three are fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ. Well, that brings up a real question. What do I have in common with the father. Nothing. Nothing. He's holding I'm upholding.

He is Almighty, I am a worm and can Adrian have fellowship with God. We get the apostle John says our fellowship is with the father.

I have nothing in common with the father. Notice that in verses five and six. This is the message which we heard of him and declare to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. We say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the fruit where the dark. He's in the light is a great chasm between us and Almighty God. So how can I have fellowship with Almighty God. Here's how this God who knows is a chasm between Adrienne and himself and between you and himself sent the Lord Jesus Christ to take something that is common between us human flesh. Jesus becomes a man and now he never discards his deity, but now he takes humanity and now we began to have politeness we come together.

He takes on the nature of man, that I might take all the nature of God and he says and second Peter chapter 1 verse four your love this.

We are now. I have become partakers of the divine nature and the word partakers that is translated there is exactly the same word that is translated fellowship over him. First John we have the fellowship of the divine nature.

You see, Jesus humanity, and therefore he became like I am that I might become like he is.

He took very nature of man, that we might take the nature of God and so I have fellowship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

I mean a worm like I am can walk and talk and fellowship with him and can say I come to the garden alone when the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear folio Meyer, the son of God discloses any walks with many talks with me and he tells me I'm is all that's the fellowship by climbing the that we have with him because of the incarnation and I cerise know John is saying he's a man he's a man we sign with texting where he took the nature of man, that we might take the nature of God and we have become partakers of the divine made sure not only then do we have fellowship with God. But it follows as night follows day, then we must have fellowship with one another because when I am born of God and you are born of God, the same nature that's in Adrian is in you and the Jesus and Liesel of the Jesus and you we have the same nature. We are born from the same room from the womb of grace and that so important. That's reason why the Bible calls and Philippians 15 the quantity of the gospel of the Fellowship of the gospel. That's the reason is in Philippians 2 verse one is called a coin in the fellowship of the Spirit coming up tomorrow will your part two of this important message. I hope you can join us then. In the meantime maybe you have a prayer request that you would like to share with us and love word finding it's one of our great honors to come alongside you, and pray with you and for you if you can go to our website homepage@lwf.org/radio and scroll down to find our prayer wall. There you will find the option to either submit a prayer request will pray for others. This resource is one of our favorite ways to keep the ministry in the community praying continually for one another's needs. Let us hear from you today again go to LWF.org/radio and scroll down to where prayer wall. Now if you like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety. Call us at 1877 love God and mention the title the sweetest fellowship this side of heaven.

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