Sunday Service Sermon 8.24

God’s Family Matters

A Study of First John

KEY VERSE –  “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (3:1).

KEY FACTS

Who? John.

What did he write? Gospel of John, 1,2,and 3 John, Revelation.

When and where? 90-95 A.D.

Why? A family letter from the Father to His children concerning the subject of fellowship.

KEY FEATURES

• Christ, the life and light of believers
• Relationships between Christ and His people; warnings against worldly systems and the spirit of antichrist
• The confirmation of our salvation
• How to distinguish between false spirits and the Holy Spirit
• Tests to determine our salvation
• It highlights three characteristics of God:

• He is light (1:5)
• He is righteous (2:29)
• He is love (4:8, 16)

• The word love is found 37 times, more often in this epistle than in any other Old or New Testament book, with the single exception of the Psalms.

SO, LET’S DIVE IN…

The ______________ of God’s Family: SYNERGY – 1 John 1:1-4

The term synergy is a Greek word meaning “working together”, whether as an accomplice, an assistant, or an associate.

Synergy is the result of two or more agents working together to achieve something either one couldn’t have achieved on its own.  Synergy is the ability of a group to outperform even its best individual member.

Synergy in the Bible:

Romans 8:28  And we know that for those who love God all things ___________________ for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

2 Corinthians 6:1   ___________________ with God, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Mark 16:20  And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord ________________________ and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

James 2:22  You see that faith was _____________ along with his __________, and faith was completed by his _________;

The Father’s family model – The truth of Jesus Christ connects us to each other and to God and produces true joy.

1. God’s Family gets its ________ from Jesus Christ – vs. 1-3a
   1. We must get the Jesus question right
   2. Jesus is _____________ – “That which was from the beginning,”
   3. Jesus became ______________ – “the life was made manifest”

1. We have ___________ Him
2. We have __________ Him

• We have _______________ Him

1. We have so ________________ Him as to give our lives to Him and proclaim Him to everyone.

END PART 1