Sermon Supplement: Kihei Baptist, Morning Worship Service
Lord’s Day, August 13, 2006
HOLINESS IS HAPPINESS, HOW TO HAVE JOY IN JESUS
Glenn Armstrong D.D. Pastor
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HOLINESS IS HAPPINESS - HOW TO HAVE JOY IN JESUS, I John 1:4
Review and Introduction:
This message is the second in a series of Bible studies from the Epistle of First John. The first message was How To Have Fellowship with the Father. The last two will be How To Live Separate From Sin, I John 2:1 and How To Take Seduction Seriously, I John 2:26.
Historically the five books of the New Testament written by the Apostle John were argumentative answers to the heresy of the Gnostics.
The errors of this first generation group of religious mystics included the following: 1) All matter is evil so Jesus, as man, was also evil and not divine and had a special anointing from God at his baptism that left at His crucifixion. 2) Salvation is a mystical escape from the sinful body through special knowledge available to special selected individuals, but not available to the average person. 3) The body, being evil, is to be treated harshly. 4) Since the body is evil and nothing can be done about it, it is normal to live an evil ungodly life. Anything and everything can be accepted and justified as a social norm and forgiven by God, who really does not expect people to keep His laws. Living lives without moral consequences is to be considered normal. 5) The spirit of man is good and only the physical nature of man is evil. Therefore, man is good no matter how evil he may choose to live.
Much of the heresies of the first generation Gnostics is now an acceptable part of current Christianity and often draw the biggest crowds!
HOW TO HAVE A JOYFUL LIFE WITH JESUS, I John 1:4
I. BY CLEAR CONVERSION
A. OUR BELIEF
1. Christ is the "light" from eternity that came into a dark world.
2. Christ is holy and thus totally separate from sin.
3. It is possible to have fellowship with God only through Jesus Christ.
B. OUR BAPTISM
1. Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is payment for sin.
2. Our baptism is a public testimony of our faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary as payment for our sin.
3. As a believer, we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection to a new life.
C. OUR BELONGING
1. To Christ: A clear conversion is an acknowledgement that a believer no longer belongs to sin or himself. He belongs to the Lord.
2. To the church: A clear conversion adds the believer to other believers in a local assembly. The purpose of this body is fellowship, education, encouragement and accountability.
II. BY CONSTANT COMPANIONSHIP, I John 1:3-7
"The Lord Jesus Christ counted on as never absent would be holiness complete"
A. FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER, 1:3
Fellowship with the Father is possible only through the Son.
B. FELLOWSHIP WITH THE SON, 1:3-5
Fellowship with the Son is only possible through a proper message.
C. FELLOWSHIP WITH TRUTH, 1:6
1. Truth is knowable, eternal, fixed, final, and universally constant.
2. Truth is not a series of adjustable precepts, but rather the manifestation of a person – Jesus Christ.
D. FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS, 1:7-8
Fellowship with the Father and the Son through a proper message will include interacting with other believers.
III. BY CONFIDENT CONFESSION AND CONDUCT, I John 1:9 – 2:2
Confession is not telling God what we have done wrong, but also taking the same attitude about our wrong that God has. Confess is "homologeo", "to say the same, assent, acknowledge, give thanks and promise". When we confess our sins we have Christ as our advocate, one who speaks in our defense.
GAA/August 13, 2006
