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1 JOHN 1:1-3

"FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD"


Intro: When we put this together with John and we begin to realize what a momentous  event 
       took place that night when Mary brought forth her first born Son and  wrapped Him. John
       here tells us the purpose of His coming to bring us into  fellowship.

I. THIS WORD TRANSLATED FELLOWSHIP IS A COMPLEX WORD IN GREEK THAT DEFIES TRANSLATION.
        A. Friendship, common, communion, partaker.
                1. A friend is one you can be completely open with.
                        a. You don't have to guard your words, you feel completely safe with 
                           them.
                        b. You can pour out your soul to them, the chaff with the wheat and 
                           know they will keep the wheat and blow away the chaff.
                        c. With just an acquaintance, you must be on guard with what you say
                           for fear of misunderstanding.
                        d. With a friend I can say anything or nothing.
                        e. God wants you for a friend.
                2. With a friend as I am searching for words to express my situation or 
                   feelings they catch on to what I am trying to say and repeat it clearly 
                   back to me so that I now have a better understanding.
                3. Friends are like two streams that meet and after having flowed together for
                   a time, become so intermixed as to become a part of each other.
        B. Partner.
                1. Mutual interest.
                        a. I am interested with God and He is interested in me.
                                1. That I should be interested in Him is no big deal but that
                                   He is in me.
                                2. He is just as interested in you on Monday as He is on 
                                   Sunday. Are you interested in Him only on Sunday mornings?
                2. Mutual devotion or sharing.
                        a. God's resources are all at my disposal. wonder if all of mine are
                           available to Him.
                                1. His wisdom, His power, His knowledge.
                                2. How often I mess up this partnership by not seeking my
                                   partner's advise.
                3. Mutual activity, God accommodating Himself to my weakness.
                        How gentle He is with us.
                        a. Picture of gentleness not some little stream splashing over the
                           rocks.
                        b. Some huge pro tackle walking through the park with a toddler 
                           holding onto his finger.
                        c. You often think of yourself as waiting on God. He waits on us.
                        d. Marvelous that Enoch walked with God, more marvelous that God 
                           walked with Enoch.

II. SIN MADE THIS FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD IMPOSSIBLE, CAN TWO WALK TOGETHER UNLESS THEY BE AGREED?
        A. If I say I have fellowship with God and walk in darkness, I lie and do not the 
           truth.
                1. God is light, in Him is no darkness at all.
                2. I can't be one with the light and still be dark.
        B. In order to restore fellowship between God and man, the sin must be dealt with.
                1. Jesus took our sins upon Himself, God laid on Him the iniquities of us all.
                2. He died in our place so that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son cleanses
                   us from all sin.