Trinity Baptist Church

 

I'm sure you heard about the Texas millionaire who died and requested that he be buried in his gold

Cadillac. They dug a huge hole so they could put him and his Cadillac in the hole. They put him there with his ten-gallon hat in the driver's seat, they lowered him down into that hole, and as he was going down two of the workers looked at it and said, "That's really living, isn't it!"

 

A lot of people think that's the way it is. They think you are really living if you have a combination of things. The Bible gives another perspective. The

Bible tells us that there is something else that really gives life significance. There is something else that gives meaning and purpose to our existence. 

 

There is more to life than just living for a number of years, having a combination of material things and then going out into eternity. It is possible to have a life which is genuine, a life which is true.

 

It is possible for a person to be very alive physically and yet according to the Bible not really have life.  

 

I heard about a man who decided he was a dead man. He was still alive but had come to the opinion that he was dead. His family couldn't convince him otherwise.   So, they took him to the medical doctor to see if the doctor could persuade the guy that he wasn't really dead. 

 

The doctor tried all kinds of things and the man said, “No, I'm a dead man, not really alive."  

 

Then the doctor said to him, "Do dead men bleed?"  

 

He said, "Of course not. Dead men don't bleed."

 

So, the doctor just reached and got a pin, stuck the man in the arm, and blood popped out. The man looked at him and said, "What do you know. Dead men do bleed."

 

The fact of the matter is it is possible to be alive physically and yet the Bible says it is possible for you to be dead spiritually. There is physical life, but there is also spiritual life. 

 

The Bible tells us in I John what really living is all about. In I John 5:12 it says, "He that hath the Son hath life. But he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

 

Are you alive? Are you really living? Do you really know what life is all about? Those who have never come to know Christ as personal Savior have no idea what life is really all about. Only when come to Christ and receive Him as your personal Savior, then you will really begin to live.

 

Interestingly enough that is exactly what John is talking about in these opening verses of his little letter. He is talking about some things worth knowing and one thing in particular - do you know that you really live? 

 

Let's look at these opening verses in these ways. 

 

You are really living if you have been -

 

 

That's what John is talking about in the first two verses of the chapter. He begins in an interesting way. Verse 1 - "That which was from the beginning."

 

It is obvious, as you read down through these two verses, that he is referring to the Word of Life in verse 1 and eternal life in verse 2. 

 

In fact three times the word, life, occurs in those two verses. He is talking about a life that is different. A life that is a converted life; a life that revolves around knowing Christ who is divine life and knowing the eternal life that Jesus Christ gives. 

 

"That which was..." He is talking about the divine life of Christ and the eternal life He gives to us. That is the things concerning Christ. 

 

"That which was."   "From the beginning." 

 

He's talking about the preexistence of the Lord Jesus. We have just completed the Christmas season and during that season of the year we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. Yet, the Bible teaches us that Christ existed before he was born. 

 

There was a time when you were not. You were born and now you are. But there was never a time Christ began to exist. He says, "That which was from the beginning." Talking about the preexistence of Jesus Christ.

 

When you look at this verse it reminds you of how the book of Genesis starts. Genesis begins by saying,

 

"In the beginning God created." 

 

It also reminds you of how the book of John starts.

 

"In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God."

 

John is the one who uses the term, word, to refer to the Lord Jesus. 

 

In John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the word." In the book of the Revelation which he also wrote - in chapter 19 he talks about the word of God - talking about Christ. He refers again to "that which was from the beginning, the word of life."

 

Jesus Christ is the substance of God. Jesus Christ is the total revelation of God. Jesus is the word. 

 

Now, by words we communicate to one another. 

 

Jesus is all of the nouns of God. All of the verbs of God. All of the adjectives of God. All of the adverbs of God. Jesus Christ is God, spelling Himself out in a language that we can understand.

 

So, he begins by saying, "that which was from the beginning."  

 

Then notice in verse 2 the phrase, “that which was with the Father”.

 

 

He is declaring that Jesus Christ is co-existent, co-eternal with God the Father. Jesus Christ is God incarnate in human flesh. He was with the Father. He was face to face with the Father. He was in co-existence with the Father. The Living Bible paraphrases it this way: "Christ was there before the world was." 

 

Christ was present at the time of the beginning. The Word, was, means to exist of and by one's self. There was never a time when Jesus began to be. He always was.

 

Now, John moves from the pre-existence of Christ to the historical incarnation of Christ. That time when Jesus Christ stepped into time and became a person. 

 

Back in verse 1, he says "that which we have heard, which we have seen, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of Life." 

 

The life was manifested (verse 2), in fact, “manifested to us”. 

 

He is talking about the coming of Jesus Christ into this world. He is talking about that incarnation when God became a man.

 

In John 1:14 he put it this way. "The word was made flesh and dwelt among us." When Jesus Christ came into this world some 2,000 years ago He came to a little land called Israel. He gathered around Himself a little band of men that were known as disciples. There were 12 of them. They traveled with the Lord Jesus Christ. They witnessed the miracles that Jesus performed. They heard the word He had to say. 

Now, here is one of those eye-witnesses. Here is one of those who had seen Jesus Christ in the flesh and he says, "That which we have seen." 

 

He is saying here that his physical sense of seeing was involved when Jesus came. He is saying that we could actually see Jesus Christ. 

 

The tense of the verb is a perfect tense which means - I can still see Him. It's as if John says, "I saw him perform those miracles, I can still see what He did that day."

 

"That which we have heard." The sense of hearing. He is saying, "I can still hear Him." John had heard Jesus as he taught that magnificent sermon on the mount. John is saying the words are still ringing in my ears. Jesus Christ had preached and used his voice and John, with his ears, could actually hear it. John, with his eyes, could actually see.

 

Then he says also the sense of touch. He says,

"That which we have touched, our hands have handled."  

 

It's the same word Jesus used after His resurrection.

Jesus died, literally. He was buried, literally. The

Bible says he literally rose again from the dead. He appeared to the disciples in the upper room and Jesus said, "Touch me and see." 

 

The word means, with investigation. John is trying to say to us that Jesus Christ became a real man. Jesus Christ actually existed. Jesus Christ became so real, so much a person, that if CNN had been there they could have filmed what took place. They could have filmed the birth of Christ. 

They could have filmed the miracles of Christ. They could have filmed the teaching of Christ. They could have filmed the cross of Christ. They could have filmed the burial of Jesus Christ. They could have filmed the resurrection of Christ. They could have filmed the ascension of Jesus back to heaven. 

 

John says he really existed. John says, "I saw Him myself, with my own physical senses. Jesus Christ is real." 

 

That's why God can give us real life. His Son, the Lord Jesus, came and manifested that real life. Real life is wrapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

When Jesus became a man that says something to me and you. It says that God understands. The Lord knows what you are going through. You have a burden, a heartache, Jesus understands. He's been here. He is actually real.

 

Verse 2 - "The life is manifested, we have seen it and we bear witness and show it unto you." 

 

John is saying that he has had a personal experience with this Jesus and now I am publicly declaring this Jesus unto you. If you have found out something very wonderful, isn't there a responsibility on your part to share that something wonderful with someone else.

 

A doctor is pledged by his oath to do anything necessary to reveal any discovery he has about something that can assist people in physical recovery. If a doctor found a cure for cancer, there is incumbent upon him a responsibility to share that cure with the world. 

We've found out what living really is. When we come to Christ we are converted. We are taken from death to life. We have a brand new life in the Lord

Jesus Christ.   Those of us who know Christ, those of us who have received by faith the word of life - Jesus

Himself - and through Him eternal life - have a responsibility to tell other people how they can know that same life.

 

Life is wrapped up in Jesus. You don't begin to live until you live in Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 10:28, "I give unto them eternal life." Christ wants to give you life. He wants you to really begin to live.

 

If you have been converted, then you really know what life is all about.

 

He continues with a second statement. These verses also indicate to us that you are really living when you have a -

 

 

In verses 1 and 2 he tells us what God did, sending His Son, and what God does in saving us and giving us eternal life. 

 

Now, in verse 3 he tells us why He does that. He tells us so that you and I will know what it is to be connected. 

 

Are you connected? Are you tied in? Do you really belong to something and someone far beyond yourself? 

 

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us." 

Look at that word, fellowship. He uses it twice. Fellowship with us - our fellowship is with the Father. The word, fellowship, literally means to have in common. It means you have something in common with another person.

 

Golfing, sewing, swimming

 

You enjoy one another. That's the word that's used here - to have something in common.

 

It's also used to refer to the deepest relationships of human existence. Relationships with friends. Relationships with family. 

 

More and more we are coming to understand that what life is really all about is relationships - a sense of connecting with other people - a sense of tying in

with other people.

 

So many people feel disconnected. They feel like they aren't connected to anyone or anything. There are some people who feel so much isolation. They don't feel like they are a part of anything. O, the loneliness a lot of people feel. You can be in the midst of thousands of people and feel very, very lonely.

 

Be honest. How many of you have ever locked your keys in your car? How many of you have ever eaten ice cream right out of the carton? How many of you have ever felt lonely? I think we are unanimous. There's something about a loneliness people feel and you can be right in the midst of a crowd.

 

That's the difference Jesus makes. Jesus can connect you. 

When you come to Christ and receive eternal life God connects you to a family. Fellowship with a family -- belong to a family. That's one of the most beautiful pictures in the whole Bible to me about a church. A church is a family. We are a fellowship - we belong to one another.

 

Sociologists tell us that one of the reasons teenagers get involved in teenage gangs is that they want a sense of belonging. They want to belong to something. When you come to Christ, then every other born again person is your brother and sister in Jesus Christ. We are in a wonderful family. It's great to belong.

 

Have you ever thought about what a miraculous family a church is? We are people who come from different backgrounds, we have different cultures. We have different educational levels, etc. Yet, when we come to Christ we have Jesus in common. We have the Word of God in common. When we come to Christ we have our future home in common. It's wonderful to belong to the family of God. I like that chorus:

 

I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God.

 

Fellowship with the family. But it gets even better than that! 

 

He says, "and our fellowship is with the father and with his son, Jesus Christ." 

 

You are connected not only to a family, you are also connected to a father. You have a father. There are some folks here who have never known what it is to have a father. 

You have a biological father but he's been gone a lone time. Some of you have been brought up in a single-parent home and you hardly ever see your father. Some of you may hardly know your father. 

 

Isn't it a sad thing that some people don't even know their biological fathers? They don't have a sense of a father figure in their lives. 

 

I have good news. When you come know Christ as our Savior you really begin to live. You have a family, but o, you have a Father. He's never too busy for you. He's always ready for you to talk to him. He loves you. He wants to have fellowship with you. You can be close to your heavenly Father. That is really living.

 

How do you get into that kind of family? How do you get that kind of Father? I am in the Tolbert family. I had to be born to get into that family. 

 

You aren't in the Tolbert family because you weren't born into it. I have four children who are in the Tolbert family by means of a birth. I got into my physical family by birth. 

 

That's the same way you get into you spiritual family. You get into it by means of the new birth. That's why Jesus said, "You must be born again." John said, we have heard him with our physical ears, we have seen him with our physical eyes, we have touched him with our physical hands. You can see Jesus, too, with the eyes of faith. You can hear Jesus with the ears of faith. You can reach out and touch Jesus with the hands of faith. By faith you can reach out and take Christ into your life. 

 

When you do, you now have fellowship with the family and fellowship with the father. That is really living.

 

You are really living when you have a converted life. You have eternal life. You are really living when you have a connected life, connected with a family, connected with the father. You are really living when you have a -

 

 

Verse 4, "And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full." 

 

I like that verse. There are pleasures in this world, but there is no joy apart from Jesus Christ. I would be a liar if I should say to you that there were no pleasures in sin. 

 

The Bible says there are pleasures in sin. The Bible talks about the pleasures of sin "for a season." These are pleasures that don't last. They are pleasures that don't fulfill you. They are pleasures that don't satisfy you. 

 

See the contrast? Pleasure for a season vs. "that your joy may be full." 

 

Have you ever thought about all of the joy Christ brings into your life? Have you ever studied what the Bible says about the joys of Jesus in a life? 

 

Think about the joy of salvation. Isa. 12:3 says,

"Therefore with joy shall we draw water from the ells

of salvation." David prayed, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation." It's joyful to be saved.

Then, there's the joy of the Scriptures. Jeremiah said in 15:16 of his prophecy, "Thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoicing of my heart." 

 

When you read God's Word and feed on the truths of God's word it's like chocolate fudge and banana split all rolled up into one. How sweet it is to study God's Word. There's joy found as you study the Scriptures.

 

There's joy in serving Jesus. "Serve the Lord with gladness." 

 

If you really want to have a good time, get busy serving the Lord Jesus. 

 

There's the joy of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22 says, "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy and peace." 

 

There is the joy of the Lord which is your strength in Nehemiah 8:10. 

 

There is the joy of leading people to Christ. Psalm 126:6, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing

precious seed, shall doubtless come again with

rejoicing bring his sheaves with him."  

 

Jesus talks about full joy. That means to be completed. Interesting thing that Jesus talked about this Himself. 

 

Turn to John 15. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." 

 

Jesus was getting ready to die on the cross. This is the night before he is to die on the cross.

He is facing cruel death on a cross but He says in John 15:11, "These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full." 

 

In the 16th chapter he talks about it the second time. Verse 24, "Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full." 

 

Look at the 17th chapter. For the third time He says in verse 13, "Now come I to thee and these things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." 

 

Full Joy. 

 

Jesus promises to give you full joy. Not 1/4 joy, not

1/2 joy, but plumb full joy. You try everything this old world has to offer and it will be an incomplete joy. You try everything this world promises will bring fulfillment and meaning and purpose in your life and it will be partial, incomplete -- it will not last. But I promise you on the authority of God's Word - give your life to Christ and He will give you complete joy. 

 

So, you are really living when you have the answer to meaninglessness - that's a converted life. 

 

You are really living when you have the answer to loneliness - that's a connected life. 

 

You are really living when you have the answer to emptiness - that is a completed life. Do you have that life?

 

I like George Foreman. What kind of guy is it who would name all five of his sons George? You gotta like an old boy like that. 

 

Remarkable - in his 40's, he won the World Heavyweight Champion.

 

His conversion experience is remarkable. He tells it in his book, BY GEORGE, is the title. One of the fights he lost, after the fight was over he went back to his dressing room, buried his face in his hands and saw the blood on the hands and the Lord spoke to him and said, "I shed my blood on the cross for you that you might be saved." 

 

Through that experience George came to understand that Jesus died on a cross for him. He received Christ into his life and he said, "Jesus Christ is come alive in me." They thought he was crazy, he said it out loud. "Jesus Christ is come alive in me." 

 

This Jesus we preach is alive. He lives forever more and He wants to come alive in you. When the Living Lord Jesus comes into you, you have eternal life and you'll live forever and forever and forever.