Message: “Study of 1 John” from Joe Summers

Living in the Light: A Deep Dive into 1 John Lesson Objective: To delve deeply into the themes of love, obedience, and assurance found in 1 John, and to encourage practical application in the lives of believers. Also to understand John speaking against false prophets. Scripture: 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV): Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."* 1 John 5:13 (NIV): "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 2:18 KJV Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. Introduction 1 John was written by the Apostle John, likely towards the end of the 1st century, to a community facing challenges from false teachings and to strengthen their faith in Christ. John also wrote 2nd and 3rd John and the Gospel of John as well as Revelation While the Gospel of John is one of the four Gospels it is different in how it depicts Christ and is generally accepted as the last of the Gospels written. The book is unusual in that it shares no parables and unlike Matthew, Mark and Luke offer very little of the narratives found in those synoptic books. 1 John was written to a group of believers facing challenges from false teachings and divisions within the church. These false teachings, likely a form of early Gnosticism, denied the humanity of Christ and downplayed the importance of moral conduct. John wrote to combat these heresies and to reassure believers of the true nature of Christ, the importance of love and obedience, and the assurance of salvation. Lesson- Walking in the Light 1. (1 John 1:5-7) This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth 2. John emphasizes the metaphor of light and darkness, emphasizing the contrast between sin and righteousness. He also discusses concept of confession and its role in maintaining fellowship with God and others. 3. . The Nature of God's Love (1 John 4:7-12) Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.- Discuss the nature of God's love as sacrificial, unconditional, and transformative. God's love should motivate us to love one another. Obedience and Love (1 John 5:1-5) 4. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God . What is the relationship between love for God and obedience to His commandments. Obedience is not a burden but a joy for those who are born of God. 5. Assurance of Salvation (1 John 5:13-15) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. Assurance that we can have in salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. There are some common doubts and fears about salvation, emphasizing the reliability of God's promises. 6. Love One Another (1 John 3:11-18) For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. Testing the Spirits (1 John 4:1-6) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood. The importance of discerning true and false spirits. The need for sound doctrine and reliance on the Holy Spirit for discernment. 6. Conclusion and Application

More Messages from Joe Summers | Download Audio

From Series: "Sunday Service"

These are the regularly scheduled Sunday lessons