Notes
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created,[a] and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:1-5
Do we truly understand why we’re here and what God is calling us to as His Church? God desires for us, His Church, to be a place where anyone can show up to hear God’s truth, where everyone can see the Good News of Jesus being lived out, and where darkness is pushed back.
There is only one universal truth that applies to everybody, and it’s a truth that changes lives, that forgives sins, that restores relationships, that mends broken hearts and broken bodies. That truth is that Jesus came to earth, died on a cross, resurrected three days later, and is the only way for our sins to be forgiven and for us to restore our relationship with God.
If we hold to God’s truth, we’ll find unity. If we learn about God’s truth, we gain wisdom and discernment. If we live out God’s truth, the world sees His light in us. And if we put all of that together, we become an unshakable movement that even the gates of hell cannot prevail against.
“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Matthew 11:27
If we are looking anywhere other than Scripture to tell us who God is or what He is like, we will be led astray. We’ll fall for the world’s lies. Around 90 AD, John was dealing with false teachings from two groups within the Church. The first group were Jewish Christians who had a hard time saying Jesus was the divine son of God. The second group were Greek Christians who didn’t believe that Jesus was human and divine at the same time.
We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.
1 John 1:1-6
When the Good News is proclaimed in faith, it invites others to be a part of it. The fellowship we have is with the Father and His Son, Jesus, and it changes lives. It frees people from their sin and draws them closer to God. But our faith needs to be grounded in the truth of Scripture, not a twisted version of the truth.
Is our existence - the way we live our lives - governed by God or the world? Are we looking for reasons to justify or excuse our sin? Are we finding reasons to push God and His people away?
We are called to continue to stand up for the truth and speak against the lies of the world and those who try to lead people astray. Read your Bible - get your beliefs about God from His source. Study and meditate on it. It will guide, strengthen, and protect you as an individual and us as the Church. We’ve been called to live out God’s truth in the darkness of the world, so let’s do it with boldness.
Group Questions
- Why is it important to get our understanding of God from the Bible?
- What are some common misunderstandings, misconceptions, or lies we hear about God?
- What is the role of the Church in proclaiming God’s truth?
- How can we hold each other accountable within the Church, to make sure we are not buying into lies about God?
Prayer
We thank you for the truths in your Word. May we as a united Church boldly live out the power of Jesus and stand firm in your unchanging truth. Help us to be your light in our community.