This week we’ve been looking at 1 John 1.  We looked at the World of the Text these past few days and today we are going to in the first section of this text and see what this passage can mean to me and to you in this current moment.

As I was reading this today, I saw two major words or concepts that we need to understand and live into. First, in verse three we see this notion of fellowship.  John wants the people to live into this truth of Jesus because in doing that, their fellowship will be complete.  We at this time in our lives are in need of community.  But the truest form of community, the community that we need the most is the community that is found in Jesus Christ.  John says that they declare what they have seen and heard so that people can have that fellowship.  Jesus came for that.  Jesus came to unite us, to bring us together, to help us, love, live in peace, live in community.  I think that we’d all agree, right now, that we need that, don’t we?

We need fellowship and community.  We need that grace and community that comes through Jesus. We need that fellowship that comes through Jesus. When He is lifted up, He draws all to Himself.  John preaches so that we can know that. When we follow Him, when we obey and live that out, then we have fellowship with God and with each other.  It all comes through Jesus. John wants us to know that. It’s all through Jesus.

Second, John tells us that fellowship will make his joy complete.  You know how you truly live?  You serve someone else.  You do for another.  You give.  You care.  You live for another. That’s how our joy is complete, by doing for another person.  When these persons follow Jesus and know that fellowship, when John sees that happen, then his joy is complete.

When you love, care for, help another person grow, then your joy becomes complete.  It is not enough that we simply believe it.  When we help another believe and follow, then we are truly living out our faith.  Then our joy is complete.

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