Make Our Joy Complete 1 John 1:1-4

Adapted from a Steve Shepherd sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/make-our-joy-complete-steve-shepherd-sermon-on-joy-144428.asp

1 John 1:1 NET This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we

have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our

hands have touched (concerning the word of life — 2 and the life was revealed, and

we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father

and was revealed to us).

3 What we have seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have

fellowship with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). 4 Thus we are writing

these things so that our joy may be complete.

The University of Notre Dame has a new tip for a catering employee they mistakenly gave a $29,000 gratuity check: “Give it

back!” A lawsuit filed by the Indiana university claims Sara Gaspar used the

accidental check to pay bills and buy a new car.

Notre Dame claims the check, which was supposed to be for $29.87, not $29,387,

was issued on April 17 and alleges caterer Gaspar never notified university officials

about the blunder.

Gaspar claims when messages she left regarding the check went unreturned, she

assumed the amount wasn’t a mistake. She also said her supervisors told her the check was legitimate and they would pass on her

messages to the human resources department.

"I guess because it was there and I was in a bad situation, I went out and spent it,"

Gaspar told the South Bend Tribune. "I was so excited ... I thought, I could pay some of

these bills."

Her attorney claims that because the funds were listed as "gratuity" and not "wages,"

Gaspar did nothing wrong.(MyFOX Chicago)

Wow! Wouldn’t that be awful to happen to you? You thought you were being blessed beyond measure and turns out it was all a

mistake. At least, Sara Gaspar tried to check it out BEFORE she cashed that big check! Money is the name of the game to

many people in life.

1 Timothy 6:9 NET Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and

a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and

destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed

themselves with many pains.

Comedian Jay Leno once said, “They say John Kerry was the first Democratic

presidential candidate in history to raise $50 million in a three-month period. Actually,

that’s nothing. He once raised $500 million with two words: ’I do.’"

We all know that money and material possessions are the great goal of many

people in life. We often gauge how a person is doing by the size of their bank account,

the size of their house and the accumulation of their possessions.

What will make our joy complete, full, abounding? A new car? A big bank

account? A new house? A bigger house? A baby? A better job? A raise in salary? A great doctor’s report? A great vacation? John gives us the lowdown on what will

make our joy complete. What is it? Basically, it’s that which is from the

beginning. IT’S JESUS! With Jesus, we have all we need!

Let’s note what John is saying about Jesus who can make our joy complete.

1- He was from the beginning

2- He was heard, seen & touched

3- He was sent for a purpose

HE WAS FROM THE BEGINNING

1 John 1:1a NET This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning,… Little Johnny’s new baby brother was

screaming up a storm. He asked his mom, “Where’d we get him?”

His mother replied, “He came from heaven, Johnny.”

Johnny says, “WOW! I can see why they threw him out!”

When Mr. Smith went to get his wife & new baby son William from the hospital, the

doctor told them, "You have a cute baby."

Mr. Smith said, "I bet you say that to all new parents."

"No," he replied, "just to those whose babies really are good-looking." "So what

do you say to the others?" "He looks just like you,“ The doctor said,

Brothers and sisters, we all had a beginning but there is one who never had a beginning.

WHO’S THAT?

1 John 1:1a NET This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning,…

It’s hard to understand not having a beginning but it’s true!

Genesis 1:1 NET In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:26 NET Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, after our

likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all

the creatures that move on the earth."

27 God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created

them, male and female he created them.

John 1:1 NET In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. 2 The Word was with

God in the beginning.

The "beginning" referred to in this text, of course, was the beginning of time as we know it. However, the text is not talking about the beginning of God or of Jesus

because THEY HAD NO BEGINNING!

Revelation 1:8 NET "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God — the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come —

the All-Powerful!

Revelation 22:13 NET I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning

and the end!)

What is this Alpha and Omega business? They are the first and last letters of the

Classical Greek alphabet. Both God and Christ have reigned from the beginning of

time as we know it, but neither of them had any beginning!

We believe in and serve a God who is forever! He is eternal.

He is no feeble or powerless God! He has no beginning and no end.

He always has existed and always will! He is the great one!

He is the only One who was and is and forever shall be!

HE WAS HEARD, SEEN & TOUCHED

1 John 1:1 NET This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we

have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our

hands have touched (concerning the word of life — 2 and the life was revealed, and

we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father

and was revealed to us).

Have you gone anywhere to see celebrities? When I lived in southern

California I saw a couple “stars.” I've had famous people on flights when I was a pilot. Most people are somewhat celebrity crazy. We love to see celebrities in the flesh and

get as close as possible. If that doesn’t happen then TV appearances will do for

most of us.Isaiah of old had a celebrity sighting like no other! Care to guess? Do you remember?

Isaiah 6:1 NET In the year of King Uzziah'sdeath, I saw the sovereign master seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his

robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs stood over him; each one had six wings. With two

wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly. 3 They called out to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord

who commands armies!

His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!" 4 The sound of their voices shook the door

frames, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 I said, "Too bad for me! I am

destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen

the king, the LORD who commands armies."

What a sighting! To see our holy God in all His glory or at least, in part of His glory!

Actually, Isaiah had a vision of the Lord and the description sounds awesome.

And how did Isaiah respond to this sighting, this vision of our holy God? He was greatly humbled. So much so that he confessed his

sin of uncleanness....his unclean mouth.

When he confessed his unclean mouth that meant he was confessing his unclean heart, because out of the mouth, the heart speaks.

Matthew 12:34 NET Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from

what fills the heart.

And what happens when most people have an earthly celebrity sighting? They may gush and take pictures. Isaiah of old,

however, was humbled before God and wanted to be cleansed from his sin. Can

you imagine coming into God’s presence?

1 This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard,

what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life — 2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify

and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to

us).

What was John talking about?

NONE OTHER THAN JESUS!

If you were God how would you reveal yourself to mankind?

Good question and God knew best how to do that.

First, He revealed Himself through His creation.

Romans 1:19 NET because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since

the creation of the world his invisible attributes — his eternal power and divine

nature — have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been

made. So people are without excuse.

God also revealed Himself through His Word revealed through Moses & the

Prophets. And ultimately, God revealed Himself through Jesus.

John 14:9 NET Jesus replied, "Have I been with you for so long, and you have not

known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you

say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the

Father is in me?

The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing

in me performs his miraculous deeds.Philippians 2:6 NET who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality

with God as something to be grasped,Colossians 1:15 NET He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,

Colossians 1:19 NET For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the SonColossians 2:9 NET For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form,

A Jewish rabbi wrote: "You Christians possess one advantage over us. When we

use the word ’God,’ our listeners have a somewhat vague concept in their minds of righteousness and power combined in a

Being who fills the universe.

When you employ that word, your hearers think at once of the figure of Jesus of

Nazareth."

Yes, in Jesus we come to know what God the Father is. Like Father, like son. God

reveals Himself through Jesus.

HE WAS SENT FOR A PURPOSE3 What we have seen and heard we

announce to you too, so that you may have fellowship with us (and indeed our

fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). 4 Thus we are writing

these things so that our joy may be complete.

A lady got a job so her husband agreed to share the housework. He was stunned by the amount of effort involved in keeping a

house clean with small boys to pick up after, and insisted that he and his wife shop for a new vacuum cleaner. The salesman gave them a demonstration of the latest model.

"It comes equipped with all the newest features," he assured them. The husband

was not convinced. "Don’t you have a riding one?" he asked.

What’s your purpose in life? To clean house? Go to work? Well, yes, everybody

has to find a means to provide for themselves and/or their family.

Beyond work, what’s your purpose in life? Have you figured it out yet? Hopefully, you

have. God has a purpose for every person’s life but not everyone is interested in

discovering God’s will or purpose for their lives. However, I believe that when we do,

life is always better.

William Lyons Phelps stated, "If happiness truly consisted in physical ease and freedom from care then the happiest

individual would not be either a man or a woman; it would be, I think, an American

cow." Aren’t you glad you’re far superior to a

cow? And our happiness is founded in more than just the good stuff of this life. There is a certain amount of happiness available to

us in this life, but the ultimate happiness will come after this life.

A small boy, the child of missionaries, had been in school in the States for a year. At Christmas time, the principal was visiting

the boy in his room, trying to cheer him up. “Son,” he asked, “what would you like to

have most for Christmas?”

The boy looked for a long time at the framed picture of his father on his desk and remembered that he was in a far-off land. Then the boy said quietly, “I would like for

my father to step out of that picture frame!”

Christ, through His incarnation, “stepped out” into this world.

Jesus said in John 10:10 NET The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and

may have it abundantly.

3 What we have seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have

fellowship with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). 4 Thus we are writing

these things so that our joy may be complete.

Let’s look at “our joy” as opposed to older translations “your joy.”

A number of MSS, some of them important, read ὑμῶν (humōn, "your") rather than ἡμῶν (hēmōn, "our"), which is found in

somewhat better witnesses. Although the majority of Byzantine minuscules are split

between the two readings, the TextusReceptus (TR) reads ὑμῶν. It is possible

that ὑμῶν represents a scribal assimilation to John 16:24.

As far as the immediate context is concerned, either reading could possibly be original, since the recipients have already

been mentioned in 1John 1:2 (ὑμῖν, humin) and 1John 1:3 (ὑμῖν), while it might seem

more natural for the author to be concerned about the fulfillment of his own joy than his

readers' (cf. 2John1:4; 2John1:12; 2John1:3; John 3). Overall, the first person pronoun is preferred on both external and

internal grounds. (NET notes)

I bring this up because I think this can be understood and used in two ways. Both

ways are good. Was John saying he was writing this to make the readers, “your joy complete?” It would aid in doing that. Or

was he writing to make his, “our joy complete?” It had to “complete” his “joy” being able to help others find that narrow

path leading to the narrow gate.

“your (the readers) joy may be complete”

Is there any greater joy than knowing that your sins are forgiven? Is there any greater joy than knowing that when you leave this world you will be going into the best of the

best? Is there any greater joy than knowing even now He has taken care of you and will

in the future?

Christ’s mission was to "seek and save the lost." His mission was to give us the

abundant life, here and now and there and then! His mission was to make our joy

complete or full!

Most people live for self. Our ideas, goals, and plans revolve around us and not others.

For example, a man’s son called him and said that he and his wife were going to do a service project with their church: a Habitat

for Humanity project. It was to be on a Saturday morning. The son said, "Of course, I’m selfish. I’d rather go deer

hunting." But he didn’t. He would have other opportunities to go deer hunting.

But aren’t we all pretty much this way? We prefer to do what we want, not what we can

do for others? BUT JESUS CAME NOT BE SERVED, BUT

TO SERVE AND GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY.

(Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45)This should tell us something about

ourselves as well.

3 What we have seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have

fellowship with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). 4 Thus we are writing

these things so that our joy may be complete.

Christ came to make our joy complete or full. Now it’s our turn.

How so? How can we do this?As recipients, we’ve seen how the joy we get is perfected. Let’s put ourselves in the

message carriers position & see how “our (the one passing on the Good News)

joy may be complete”

J = Jesus first

O = Others second

Y = Yourself last

JESUS FIRST!

Mark 12:30 NET Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your

strength.’(Deu. 6:4-5; Joshua 22:5)

John 14:15 NET "If you love me, you will obey my commandments.

Matthew 28:18 NET Then Jesus came up and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to obey everything I have

commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

OTHERS SECOND!Mark 12:31 NET The second is: 'Love your

neighbor as yourself.'(Lev. 19:18) There is no other

commandment greater than these."Mark 16:15 NET He said to them, "Go into

all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who

does not believe will be condemned.

YOURSELF LAST!Matthew 20:25 NET But Jesus called them and said, "You know that the rulers of the

Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 26 It

must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave —

28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life

as a ransom for many.“

Mark 9:35 NET After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone

wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."

Philippians 2:1 NET Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort

provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, 2 complete

my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. 3 Instead of being

motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat

one another as more important than yourself.

4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. 5 You should

have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard

equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on

the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.

8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death — even death

on a cross!

Did you notice Paul said in verse 2“complete my joy.” So this frame of mind is not foreign. Helping others find & stay on

the narrow path increases, completes your joy!

And it doesn’t stop there!

The Joy continues in Heaven!Luke 15:7 NET I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to

repent.Paul instructs Timothy;

And entrust what you heard me say in the presence of many others as witnesses to faithful people who will be competent to

teach others as well. 2 Timothy 2:2 NET

Jesus

Apostles

Christians across time

Christians alive today -You & Me

Future Christians

Do you see how this all works? Jesus taught His Apostles. They taught

others who became believers who taught others & over & over again until the Gospel made it to you & me. Now it’s our turn! It’s up to us to keep the

Gospel reaching forward to future generations.