Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!

SIX CERTAINTIES REGARDING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

INTRODUCTION:

In dealing with the certainty of Christ, John gives us six great certainties about the Gospel Message or “the Word of Life”.

Thus far we have looked at three of these great certainties of the Gospel message, and that is:

1.         THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS STABLE.

             A.        The Gospel Message Has Never Changed. (Vs 1)

            B.        The Gospel Message Doesn’t Need Changing.

                        1.         The Gospel Message Meets Man’s Greatest Need!

                        2.         The Gospel Message Is The Only Thing That Can Meet Man’s Need!

            C.        The Gospel Message Will Never Change! 

2.         THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS SENSIBLE.

            It makes sense to believe the Gospel, because the Gospel is credible!

            John experienced the Gospel with his senses. John said:

            A.       “We Have Heard.”

            B.        “We Have Seen With Our Eyes.”

            C.        “We Have Looked Upon.”

            D.        “Our Hands Have Handled.”

3.         THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS SPIRITUALLY ENLIGHTENING.

            A.        Before A Person Comes To Christ, They Are Dead In Their Trespasses And Sins!

            B.        Faith In The Gospel Of The Lord Jesus Christ Brings, Those Who Believe, The Same Life That Christ Has–Eternal Life. 

We want to deal with the fourth and fifth certainties of the Gospel message today and they are is this – THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS TO BE SHARED!

                     THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS THE SOURCE OF OUR FELLOWSHIP!

We deal with these together because they belong together! Look at verses 1-3 again.

I.         JOHN SAID THREE THINGS IN VERSE 2 THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS UPON.

            A.        “For the life was manifested. . .”

“Manifested” means “to render apparent” or “to reveal.” In other words, it was obvious to those who were closest to Jesus that He was who He said He was!

John 1:14–“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

1 Timothy 3:16–“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

1 John 3:5–“And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

1 John 3:8–“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

            B.        “. . .we have seen it. . .”

This is the third time in two verses that John mentions some form of having seen Jesus.

                        The first time had to do with having seen Jesus with his eyes.

The last two times the word that he uses means “to gaze upon; to stare at; and it implies to have discerned clearly. It is a Hebraism that means to experience.

John wants us to know that there is not any shadow of a doubt as to what he saw in Jesus!

            C.        “. . .and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life. . .”

The words “bear witness” in verse 2 are from the Greek word that is the root word for our English word “martyr”. It means “to give a personal testimony or to testify.”

                        The word “shew” means “to announce.”

                        How did they bear witness or testify and show or announce that eternal life?

                        1.         They Bore Witness With Their Lips.

                                    They preached what they had heard and what they had seen!

                        2.         They Bore Witness With Their Lives.

                                    Look at the dramatic change that took place in the lives of the disciples!                                     After the resurrection, they lived what they preached!

II.       JOHN SAID THREE THINGS IN VERSE 3 THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS UPON.

            A.        “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you. . .”

For the fourth time John mentions having seen and for the second time he mentions having heard.

Again, the word that he uses here is the same word that he has used the last two times and means “to gaze upon; to stare at; and it implies to have discerned clearly or to experience.”

The word “declare” in verse 3 means “to announce.” What did they announce?

It says that they announced that which they had seen regarding the Lord Jesus Christ and that which they had heard from the Lord Jesus Christ.

i.e. “We have shared the Gospel with you by personal testimony and by sharing with you what we have seen and heard regarding the Gospel of Christ.”

                        That is how we witness!

            B.        “. . .that ye may have fellowship with us. . .”

                        This is why John and the other apostles shared the Gospel with others!

                        The word “fellowship” means “partnership” or “participation.”

                        How does one “partner” or “participate” in the Gospel?

                        1.         They Must Hear The Gospel.

This means that we who are in possession of the Gospel must share the Gospel with others!

                                    Others CANNOT participate in the Gospel if they don’t know about!

Mark 16:15–“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Romans 10:14–“. . .how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

                        2.         They Must Believe The Gospel.

                                    One CANNOT participate in something they don’t agree with!

Mark 16:16–“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

Romans 10:14–““How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?”

                        3.         They Must Share The Gospel.

You CANNOT be a full partner unless you are obeying the Great Commission!

Matthew 28:19-20–“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

I’m not saying that we can’t be saved, but what I am saying is that we are not a full partner until we are actively propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

                                    Are you actively propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ? 

            C.        “. . . and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”                                  

                        Now remember we said that “fellowship” means “partnership” or “participation”

                        1.         Our fellowship, or partnership or participation is with the Father.

                                    What was the Father’s purpose in sending His Son Jesus Christ?

John 3:16-17–“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

                                    2 Corinthians 5:18-21

                        2.         Our fellowship, or partnership or participation is with Jesus Christ.

Why did Jesus leave His throne in Heaven, humble Himself, and come to this world as a babe who was laid in a lowly manger and then endure persecution, suffering and affliction to finally be nailed to an old rugged cross to die, be buried, and then rise again from the grave?

Isaiah 53:5-6–“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Matthew 1:21–“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Luke 19:10–“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

1 Timothy 1:13–“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

Conclusion 

Christ manifested Himself to the disciples, and they became responsible to propagate that which they had seen and heard regarding Him and then teach those who believed to do the same thing.

The Gospel message is stable and unchanging, it is sensible and perceivable, and it is to be

shared with others and it is the source of our fellowship. The purpose of proclaiming the gospel is to create a fellowship and maintain that fellowship.

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!