Video Series on 1 John by Mark Plaza
Video Transcript
Hello, this is Mark. It’s great to have you join us as we begin to look at some Scripture together. We’re going to begin in 1 John and today will be a little bit of an introduction to it and we’ll carry that on for couple of days just to enjoy the book of John. To understand the first epistle of John actually what we have to do is, we have to see, and today I am calling it – the proposition. What is the proposition? What is the author trying to say? Any time that we read in the Scriptures we need to see that, see what the focus is – the overall goal of the letter. So I am going to look at that. I am going to read couple of verses to you and we’ll just take a real brief look at it. So we get our focus correct, the goal correct.
It says this:
1 John 1:1-4 ESV
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
He says, ‘so that our joy will be complete’. And that makes us have to ask ourselves a question. What does that mean? ‘Cause that’s his, as we look through 1 John, he states it just like we do anytime we write a letter. Generally speaking, we’ll place what we’re writing the letter about right in the beginning. We say the name of the person we are writing to or the organization. And we say what we want to talk about. Well here he’s saying it.
He says, ‘I write this’ and he uses the pronoun our joy may be complete. Your joy and my joy are linked together and therefore if we want this completion of this joy we need to come together. But that’s what it’s about without getting into big details today.
It’s – what is this joy? That is what we’re supposed to have. So let’s define it real briefly. This joy is a peace that’s demonstrated by deep peace within us. That is demonstrated in the way in which we live our life no matter what goes on around us. So let us together study this epistle and grab out of it what does he say about this joy. That is the goal.
Now, I conclude with this, just a thought, for us to keep in mind. We begin to play a game. Whatever game it is. It doesn’t matter. To play that game, to win it, we need to know what the end game is. What is the final goal? And that’s what we’re doing right here. It’s really important for us as we study the epistle of 1 John. We have to keep this in mind, this goal. No matter what we look at, within it, everything comes back to this. He is writing this that our joy might be complete. So let’s keep that in mind. This joy, whatever it is, this peace, that is demonstrated in our actions whether it’s during good days or bad days is what he’s writing about. So therefore, as we study, let’s ask God that He would help us to make this joy that John’s talking about in this letter, that He would make it fill us with this joy that is demonstrated in the way in which we live our life. Whether I am rich or whether I am poor . Whether I am struggling today or whether everything is going smooth today. Do I have this joy in my life? That’s what we’re going to look at. How to get that, how to keep it, and how to stay strong.
Heavenly Father,
Help us, we pray. That this joy that John writes about that it would fill us so we would live for you no matter what goes on today.
We pray, in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
God bless and have a great rest of your day.
Mark Plaza has over twenty years of experience in pastoral, educational, and missional positions including directing ministries, teaching, and equipping. He has implemented strategies for discipling, coaching and growth as well as overseeing budgets, and managing staff both paid and volunteer. Mark’s education includes a doctorate degree in Ministry Leadership. He is married to Fay with 4 children and 5 grandchildren. His hobbies and Interests are Music, Reading, and Traveling. He currently co-owns with his wife and family a granola company – Olde Man Granola (www.oldemangranola.com)