THE WORD FROM THE BEGINNING

January 28, 2007 pm
Mike Blume

  Scripture Text:

 

Gen 1:1-4    In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  (2)  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  (3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  (4)  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

John 1:1-5    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  (4)  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  (5)  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

1Jo 1:1-7    That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;  (2)  (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)  (3)  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.  (4)  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.  (5)  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  (6)  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  (7)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.



  Message:



The great Beginning of the Bible notes that God gave a First Word: Let there be light.
  • Jesus is also said to be in the beginning as the WORD.
  • God SPOKE creation.
  • Jesus Christ is that creative WORD made flesh.
  • That which created the worlds was made flesh.
  • And since God's first WORDS created light, Jesus is the LIGHT.

The epistle of 1 John is somewhat vague and confusing in the first chapter if one does not understand what "walking in the light" is, as is explained by John afterwards in the epistle.
  • The first chapter simply makes these statements without explaining them.
  • John is using very spiritual language in the first chapter.
  • The second chapter begins to explain his terms from chapter 1.

1 John speaks of the beginning as did Genesis and John's gospel.
  • John already said in his gospel of John that Jesus is the light, the word from the beginning.
  • And in his first epistle he refers to that and says he declared what was from the beginning.

1 John 1:3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

John entered into this fellowship with Jesus.
  • And he spoke to others so they could also enter into that fellowship.
  • The WORD from the beginning was both HEARD (which is clearly understood when speaking of the Word) and then "seen".
  • This is because the WORD was made flesh!
  • John 1:14 says the word was made flesh and John BEHELD His glory.
  • He saw it.

And LIGHT has everything to do with this fellowship in 1 John.
  • It was the first word spoken by God -- "Let there be light."
  • Jesus is that WORD and is the LIGHT that was put into the earth.

God is concerned with our relationship with this LIGHT.
  • We're supposed to be involved with that light.


So in verse 5 he begins speaking about how God is located in the midst of LIGHT.
  • There is no darkness in Him at all.
  • And mankind was meant to fellowship with this God who is in light.
  • Once John says God is in light, he then says that anyone who claims they fellowship with God and yet walks in darkness is lying.
  • For he says in verse 7 that only those who walk in the light as God is there can say they really have fellowship with God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Now, we have not been told just what walking in the light means yet.
  • John just said God is IN IT, and if we are going to claim fellowship with God we have to be walking in the light and not just SAYING we have fellowship.

Being in the light has to do with having your sins cleansed ALL THE TIME.

Notice that verse 7 uses the word "CLEANSETH."
  • "ETH" is a suffix used here which means what word it is attached to describes what is CONTINUALLY OCCURRING.
  • This is very enlightening!
  • When we are truly in the light, we experience a continual cleansing from sin!
  • That is actually how we can remain in the light in fellowship with God.
  • It is how we keep free from walking in darkness.
  • When you get in His light IT CHANGES YOU CONSTANTLY.
  • It affects you all the time.
  • So long as that light shines on you, IT AFFECTS A CHANGE IN YOU.

2Co 3:18    But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Paul said the same thing.
  • His glory shining on us changes us into His image,
  • John said this light shining on us causes the blood of Jesus to cleanse us continually.

But we must do something in order to get ourselves into this light where God dwells, and to get this blood of Jesus to continually cleanse our hearts.
  • Everyone who is in this light is being continually affected to see their sins always washed.
  • They are not making themselves be such good people.
  • God is washing them all the time by the blood.

So what is this "walking in light" that we must be doing before we can say we fellowship with God?
  • So far John only said you cannot be walking in darkness and say you fellowship the God who only walks in the light.
  • But he never told us what "walking in light" or "in darkness" means.

1Jo 2:1    My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Now we know.
  • John here explained that what he was speaking about up to this point regarding the need to walk in light and not in darkness is simply, "That ye sin not."
  • So, we realize that Sinning is "walking in darkness."
  • He said the reason he told us to not "walk in darkness" is because he is trying to tell us to not "walk in sinful activity."

Just as you know you fellowship with Him if you walk in the light, John explained that by saying it means that we fellowship or KNOW Him WHEN WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.

You truly KNOW someone when you "fellowship" with them.

Watch this:

Just like John said...

1Jo 1:6    If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

He then said this...

1Jo 2:4    He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

He uses the same term LIE in both cases.
  • 1 John 2:4 actually interprets 1 John 1:6 for us.

And then we also learn what this next verse means:

1Jo 1:7    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

John interpreted that as follows:

1Jo 2:5    But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1Jo 2:6    He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

"Keeping His Word" is "walking in the light."
  • "Knowing" Him is "fellowshipping" with Him, and walking as He walked.
  • He walks in Light.
  • So we need to walk as He does, if we claim we are "In Him".

1Jo 2:7    Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

The word that was from the beginning of Jesus' ministry on earth is actually the spiritual counterpart of the very first word God spoke in Genesis IN THE BEGINNING!

LET THERE BE LIGHT.
  • It means LET THERE BE LOVE.
  • LET THERE BE GOODNESS.
  • Let there be people LIVING GODLY.

Although it is the OLD commandment and not new, on the other hand it is NEW in one sense:

1Jo 2:8    Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

We were in darkness and now live by a DIFFERENT principle -- light - love.
  • It is new to us if we have lived in darkness beforehand.
  • But in the sense of whether or not God spoke this word recently, it is not recent, but VERY OLD.

1Jo 2:9    He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

1Jo 2:10-11    He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.  (11)  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Now he gets specific.
  • Hate and grudges and so forth are things you do when you walk in the darkness.
  • So you cannot say that you fellowship God when you hate and hold grudges.
  • God LOVES.
  • That is what it means to walk in light.
  • God hates NO ONE.
  • There no hatred to people at all in Him.

So we need to take Genesis 1 and apply it spiritually to our lives and realize that God is saying LET THERE BE LIGHT!
  • He is saying LET THERE BE NO HATRED.
  • LET THERE BE LOVE FOR EACH OTHER.

When you love yourself, you are a person who is ruined, and will not care about others.
You become impatient with people when you do not love people.

1Co 13:1-7    Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  (2)  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  (3)  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.  (4)  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,  (5)  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;  (6)  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;  (7)  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Love is longsuffering.
  • That is patient.
  • It is not TOUCHY.
  • Not easily provoked.

When we STUMBLE, we fail and mess up.
  • God never created us to fail and mess up.
  • Adam had fellowship with God in the Garden.
  • He walked with God.
  • He was in the light as God was in the light.
  • He was in the Garden as God was in the Garden.

John said darkness causes us to stumble.
  • But to be what God created us to be...
  • To not stumble and fail and falter...
  • We have to LOVE people.
  • And something occurs where we allow God to always cleanse us from sin continually.
  • In fact, that is the only way we can remain in the light!
  • God has to be able to continually cleanse us from sin or we'll start hating again, and will give in to our weaknesses of our flesh and start sinning.

What is it that we have to do in order to allow Jesus' blood to continually wash us and keep us fit?
  • We know it will happen if we could only get into the light.
  • But the reference to LIGHT makes a connection with what Paul said elsewhere.
  • And there we have a clue as to HOW TO GET INTO THE LIGHT to have this blood cleanse us and CHANGE our behaviour.

2Co 3:14-18    But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.  (15)  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.  (16)  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.  (17)  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  (18)  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

OUR HEARTS MUST BE OPENED TO JESUS TO BELIEVE AND LOVE HIM.
  • Turn your heart to the Lord.
  • Believe with everything in you.
  • Love Him with all your heart.
  • And this causers his glory to shine on you, as your heart is liberated from a veiling that blocks his light from shining into you.
  • And you are then changed.
  • But, STAY IN THAT LIGHT SO YOU STAY CHANGED.

Paul gives this idea of remaining in light so the blood can keep you cleansed.

Gal 5:16    This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

As long as you stay walking in the Spirit, you will not fulfill lusts of the flesh.
  • As long as your heart remains open in love and faith to Jesus, His light will shine and keep you and change you more and more into His image.

People try to be good Christians and do not try to love God.
  • They want to stop sinning and doing the miserable things they do, but they make no effort to "believe" and "love" God.
  • You have to TURN YOUR HEART to Him.
  • HE DOES THE WORK.
  • Turning your heart to Him means to LOVE Him and BELIEVE Him.
  • Those who carefully follow the preaching are making an effort to BELIEVE, because they know FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD.
  • Get rid of your spiritual A.D.D. and listen to the preaching and the teaching.
  • Let the word produce FAITH IN YOU.

Isa 60:1-3    Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.  (2)  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.  (3)  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

In order for the Lord to shine on you and get his glory to be seen upon YOU by all the world, you have got to turn your heart to Him.
  • Otherwise there is a veil on your heart that keeps your heart in the darkness.
  • That means your life will continue to be mean and bad.
  • All you can do, and are supposed to do, is not to try and make yourself have a bright heart underneath a veil.
  • You have to turn your heart.
  • Change directions.
  • Make something your desire.
  • And the veil is removed for HIM to shine and TO CLEANSE YOU.
  • PUT YOUR HEART WHERE YOU WANT YOUR TREASURE TO BE.

Mat 6:21    For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The reason people's hearts are not turned to Jesus, is because they TREASURE something other than Jesus.
  • They love something else more than Him.
  • Make Jesus your treasure, and your heart will be towards Him!
  • That means you love Him so much that the preaching about Him is what you want!
  • So many like to sing about him but never to LEARN about Him and get faith.
  • They like to FEEL HIM but not LEARN about Him to increase faith.

The world likes to sing about things.
  • They even sing hymns about Jesus and make millions of dollars.
  • But TO LOVE HIM, HIMSELF, and love anything about Him, especially HIS WORD, is something the world does not do.

Don't just seek to "feel" Him.
  • Turn away your hearts just from feeling him to HIM, HIMSELF!

The commandment to us is to SHINE!
  • HAVE LIGHT!
  • LET THERE BE LIGHT!
  • How do I do that?
  • TURN MY HEART TO HIM.

Some people never really praise Him in a song.
  • They just sing words.
  • No wonder they sing with no joy and expression.

And we have got to go beyond need, and weeping (if all we do is weep), and get into PRAISE and JOY!

Adam was in God's image so long as he was in the Garden!
  • That Garden represents LIGHT.
  • We will be in HIS IMAGE when we walk in the light.
  • When YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE by always loving Jesus and believing in Him to work in you, YOU WILL ALLOW HIM TO SHINE ON YOU AND CHANGE YO ALL THE WHILE.

Do you know why Moses only shone for a while?
  • Because he only VISITED the glory.
  • But JESUS WALKED IN IT ALL THE TIME.
  • And we need to walk in it as HE IS IN THE LIGHT.

He is not going to step out of light into darkness in order to see you once in a while.
  • You need to get in this light and stay there.
  • And you get this light shining on you by TURNING YOUR HEART TO HIM.

Always keep your heart to Him!

Don't just do it Sundays during the preaching and a bit at the altar service.
  • Do it at home.
  • Make up your mind that staying from Church IS NOT AN OPTION.
  • Just make up your mind that from here on out you are simply going to never stay away unless of sickness or work, and you are just going to be faithful the rest of your life.

Just make up your mind that YOU CANNOT do something else.
  • There is no taking time off.
  • You are serving God the rest of your days. PERIOD.

Mat 6:21-24    For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  (22)  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.  (23)  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!  (24)  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Since we need to turn our hearts to Jesus in order for the Light to Shine on us, and change us, then we need to make Jesus someone to whom we will turn.
  • If we make Jesus our treasure, then we WILL turn our hearts to Him.
  • That is what it means "There will your heart be also."

Splitting up our desires to two different sources... Jesus and the world at the same time, stops us from walking in the light.
  • Let our eye be single!
  • Have Jesus ONLY as your Lord.
  • AND YOUR BODY WILL BE FULL OF LIGHT!
  • And that means the blood of Jesus continually washes you and KEEPS YOU right.