Fellowship is more than a pot-luck
I. WHY is John WRITING? (1:1-4)
A. To PROCLAIM what others DENY. (1:1; 2:19,22)
B. Jesus as the WORD of LIFE. (1:1-2)
C. To COMPLETE the circle of FELLOWSHIP. (1:3-4)
D. Fellowship is PARTICIPATION in THE life. (1:3)
This week we being a 4 week series in 1st John. It’s less a letter than a poetic sermon that rotates around two main themes, God is light and God is love. The goal is to live in Fellowship with God by walking in light and living in love. All those things sound great… but not too specific. How do we make this practical?
1. Kid’s question: When have to been afraid to tell the truth?
2. What does it mean to you that we live in fellowship with other believers and with God? How would you explain that to people who don’t have a religious background?
3. What difference does fellowship make in your day to day life?
II. FELLOWSHIP happens in the LIGHT. (1:5-2:15)
A. Light is SCARY but SAFE. (1:5-7)
B. Light requires HONESTY and HUMILITY. (1:8-10)
C. Light both EMPOWERS and EXPOSES behaviour. (2:1-11)
D. The LIGHT will OVERCOME. (2:8)
One of the key ways to keep experiencing fellowship is to stay in the light. That is where God lives, and the place that we find freedom. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to live in the light. It’s a place that forces us to be honest about who we are, and that can be scary.
4. How can you know if you are walking in darkness and avoiding the light? What are some things that might make you do that?
5. What part of being open and transparent about your own failures and faults is most difficult for you?
6. Do you have 1-3 people in your life that you can be open with about your struggles? If not, who might you begin to develop that kind of relationship with?
III. TRUTHS that the light REVEALS. (2:12-14)
A. We are FORGIVEN. (2:12-13; Rom. 8:1-2)
B. We have OVERCOME. (2:13-14; Rev 12:11)
C. We KNOW (participate in RELATIONSHIP with) God. (2:13-14; 2 Pet. 1:3-4)
What frees us to walk in the light is the truth of what God has done (past tense) for us. We have nothing to fear, nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
7. Which of these three truths is easiest to accept and why? Which is the hardest and why?
8. Where do you need to apply Rom. 8:1-2 in your own life? How will you do that?
9. How does participating in a relationship with God look in your life?