The eternal Jesus who calls us to walk in the light

April 12, 2026

Today I am starting a new sermon series on the books of 1, 2 & 3 John. Over the coming weeks, I will be looking at one chapter a week for my sermon and I will be pulling out the main points.

I will also be doing a companion Bible study that flows on from the sermon. This is just a simple study with about 8-10 questions that will help us to further engage with the Scriptures and reinforce the sermon main points.

As you can see on the screen, the title of this first message is, “The eternal Jesus who calls us to walk in the light”.

Introduction to 1 John

Before I read our text for today I want to give us some background to the Book of 1 John.

First John was written by John, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples who also wrote the Gospel of John. There are similarities in the style of writing, the words used, and themes in both this epistle and the Gospel of John, so there is no real arguments about who was the author.

There is also external evidence that John is the author. Polycarp, a close associate of John, makes reference to this epistle in a letter to the Philippians at the beginning of the second century.

John was referred to as “the disciple Jesus loved” (John 21:20), and along with Peter and James, he had a special relationship with Jesus. Most scholars agree that this letter was written between A.D. 85 and 90 from Ephesus, before John’s exile to the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9).

While 1 John is not addressed to anyone in particular, we know that Jerusalem had been destroyed in A.D. 70, and Christians were scattered throughout the empire. So by the time John wrote this letter, Christianity had been around for more than a generation. It had faced and survived severe persecution.

The main problem confronting the church at this time was declining commitment: Many believers were conforming to the world’s standards, failing to stand up for Christ and compromising their faith. False teachers were plentiful, and they were accelerating the church’s downward slide away from the Christian faith.

John wrote this letter to put believers back on track, to show the difference between light and darkness (truth and error), and to encourage the church to grow in genuine love for God and for one another.

He also wrote to assure true believers that they possessed eternal life and to help them know that their faith was genuine—so they could enjoy all the benefits of being God’s children.

So now we have a bit of background, let’s have a look at our first reading…

Bible Reading – 1 John 1:1-10

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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
5 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.
6 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.
7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.
9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts.

Main points

Today I want to being out three main points in my sermon.

John wanted us to know Jesus is eternal

John begins this letter in a very similar way to how he begins the Gospel of John.

In 1 John 1 he says in verse 1-2, “We proclaim to you the One who existed from the beginning, … 2 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.”

At the start of the Gospel of John he says, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him (John 1:1-3).

John is very strong in his description of Jesus being eternal and there before the creation of this world. This is to counter many of the false teachings that were spreading around the church. Some tried to deny the deity of Christ and say He was just another created being, but John tells us emphatically this is not the case.

This doctrine is known as the doctrine of eternal Sonship among Bible scholars. The doctrine of eternal Sonship simply affirms that the second Person of the triune Godhead has eternally existed as the Son. In other words, there was never a time when He was not the Son of God, and there has always been a Father/Son relationship within the Godhead. This doctrine recognizes that the idea of Sonship is not merely a title or role that Christ assumed at some specific point in history, but that it is the essential identity of the second Person of the Godhead. According to this doctrine, Christ is and always has been the Son of God and always has been eternal.

Today many false religions and scholars try to deny the deity of Christ, they try to say He did not really die on the cross or He was raised in spirit only. Some even try to prove that Jesus never existed. John and the other writers of the New Testament affirm that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, who was there from the beginning.
This is what John is trying to get across to his readers. 

John talked about what he had seen and heard

One thing I really noticed at the start of 1 John is the phrase “seen and heard”. John uses it several times in the start of chapter one. He is saying we have seen and heard Jesus ourselves and touched Him in the flesh.

He wants us to know he is an eye witness and he knows who Jesus is. He knows He is the Christ, the Messiah, and the Son of God. He knows He is eternal and there from the beginning.
John also wanted his readers to know these things so they would have fellowship together and that their joy may be complete. We see this in verses 3 & 4:

“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”.

John wanted his readers to understand he was actually there as a witness to all Jesus said and Jesus did. Unlike the book of Luke which was written as an orderly account through research and careful study, John was there first hand. Because he was so close with Jesus he was a reliable witness to pass on who Jesus was, the things Jesus did and what Jesus wants us to do.

For us today, a simple testimony of what I have seen and heard in the Bible, in church, in my life or the lives of others can help people come to Christ. A testimony can bring the Bible to life. I have found that people love hearing stories of how God has done great things for you.

When I share about my testimony I touch on three main areas. These three things really help me to structure my story and how Jesus’ story impacted and changed my life.

My life before Christ – I share things like how I felt, my illness, what sort of things I was in to, my upbringing and the sense of emptiness I had inside. These things set the scene.

My conversion – I then share how I came to Jesus. I talk about how I was feeling in the year before coming to Jesus, the people who helped me and the story of Jesus coming to die on the cross for me.

How my life has changed – In this final section I share how knowing Jesus personally has changed my whole life and outlook. I talk about the love, acceptance, hope, joy and purpose I now feel inside.

You can also share things some of the things that God has done for you. I actually have several short testimonies that I share with people depending on the situation. If it is someone who is suffering with a long term illness, I might share my story of living with Rheumatoid Arthritis and how God has worked in my life through it. If they are lonely or depressed I share the difference Christ has made in my life and how that I never feel alone any more. If they can’t see anything good in the future or have lost hope, I share how Christ has given me hope, direction and a purpose for living.

Like the Apostle John, we can tell other what we have seen and heard and testify to God’s goodness. We can share what God has done so they will have fellowship with Jesus and us.
 

John calls us to live in the light

In the next section 1 John 1:5-10 is titled “Living in the light”.

Verse 6 says, “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.”

At the time of writing false teachers who practiced an early form of Gnosticism had infiltrated the church and John was partly writing to address that.

The various false teachers taught that the physical body was evil and they took one of two approaches.

a. Live in strict discipline to deny the body and hence defeat evil, or

b. Give in to it and live a life of lust. They reasoned that since the body was evil you can give in to it. This approach was popular to many.

The problem was that we can’t live in the light if we are walking in darkness at the same time. If we do we are not walking with God and practicing the truth. John goes on to share a truth that helps us to live in the light – confession. Verse 9 tells us that if we confess our sin God is faithful and will forgive and purify us.

As a Christian man, I long to live right before God and walk in the truth. But there are times when I fail in word, thought or deed. Rather than beat myself up, I simple go to God, confess and ask forgiveness.

Sometimes I feel a huge flood of relief in my soul knowing I am forgiven. Other times I don’t really feel anything but I know from His Word that I am forgiven and purified. When I do this I know I am free and I can walk in the light with God. I know my sin is covered by Jesus’ blood and I am in fellowship with Him.

Story

A number of years ago I read a story about a young boy. It is called, “Saints that shine”.

A couple took their young son with them on a trip to Europe where they visited many of the large churches and cathedrals on the tourist trek. When they returned home the little boy’s Sunday school teacher asked him, “Did you learn what a saint is?”

He remembered the many stained glass windows which depicted the Christian saints so beautifully, and he said, “A saint is a person who the light shines through.”

A saint is someone the light shines through. This is what God wants from us. He wants us to walk in the light as He is in the light and He wants us to let our light shine. As it says in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
 
Closing summary

So today as I close the first message in the series. I want to remind us of the three things the Apostle John wanted us to know from this first chapter of his letter.

  1. That Jesus is the eternal Son of God who was there from the beginning.
  2. That John simply shared with others what he has seen and heard. He did this so they would have fellowship with God and one another.
  3. That John calls us to live in the light because God is light and He wants us to shine our lights to others.

Great Words of the Gospel – Regeneration

April 5, 2026

This week I want to continue in our series on Great Words of the Gospel. It is my last message in the series. So far, we have looked at the words salvation, redemption, reconciliation, propitiation, and imputation. Today I want to look at the term Regeneration. Regeneration talks about our new life and in particular the very first moments of our new life in Christ.

In this message, I want to look at our reading from John 3, and I want to ask and answer the following questions – who was Nicodemus? What is regeneration? Why it is necessary? How does it take place? And what does Regeneration give us?

Bible Reading

John 3:1-7 – Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.  2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”  3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”  4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”  5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

Who was Nicodemus?

From this passage, we see that Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling Council. The Council was made up of Pharisees and Sadducees. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. To be a Pharisee a person had to be very righteous. You had to fast two days per week, give 10% of your money to the church, pray two hours per day, live by the 10 commandments and memorise the Law of Moses word for word which is the first 5 books of the Bible as we know it today. Can anyone here say that they can do that?

If anyone would be able to make his way to heaven surely it would be Nicodemus. He was a very righteous man who always tried to do the right thing. But for some reason he knew he had done everything to be seen as righteous, but felt there had to be more. That is why he came to speak to Jesus, because something was missing. We are not sure why he came at night time, but it was probably so he would not be seen by the other Council members. Jesus told him he was right, there was something else he needed to do – be born again.

What is Regeneration?

Regeneration is an act of God whereby He renews the spiritual condition of a sinner. It is a spiritual change brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit so that the person possesses new life that is eternal and in relationship with God.

Regeneration is a change in our moral and spiritual nature and a change in our relationship with God. Where sanctification is the work of God in us to make us more like Jesus over the course of our lives. Regeneration is the beginning of that change. It means to be born again. In fact, the term Regeneration can be used interchangeably with born again, born from above or new birth. It is all about the work God does in our lives the moment we accept Christ.

Why is Regeneration necessary?

So why is Regeneration necessary? It is needed because in our natural state we cannot make our connection with God. There are three main reasons.

a. We were dead in our sins.

Ephesians 2:1-5 – As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.  4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.

b. To enter the Kingdom of God

John 3:3-6 – Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”  4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”  5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

c. To understand the things of God

1 Corinthians 2:14 – The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Regeneration was necessary because we were dead in our sins and separated from God in our sins. Because God is holy this needed to be dealt with. So, our sin needed to be washed away and we needed to be internally renovated, to receive God’s Spirit. We needed regeneration to enter God’s Kingdom. As we saw Nicodemus was a righteous man, but Jesus told him he needed to be born again, born from above. And finally, we needed to be regenerated to understand the things of God.

How does the Regeneration take place?

Regeneration is a work of God that happens as a result of our faith in Christ, by the work of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.

a. By believing in Jesus Christ

1 John 5:1 – Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

Believing in Jesus is the starting point for this new beginning. When we confess our faith to God and say that we believe in Jesus and all He has done for us our new life begins.

b. By the work of Christ on the cross

Colossians 2:13-14 – When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

The work of Christ on the cross makes it possible to be regenerated or born again because it deals with the issue of sin. Sin is swept away.

c. By work of the Holy Spirit

Titus 3:5 – He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that does the work of regeneration. The Holy Spirit washes us and gives us the new birth. As Jesus said, “We can’t enter the Kingdom of God unless we are born again. Born of water and born of Spirit”. The first time we are born into this world we are born to live as a part of this world. The second time we are born is when we are born again from above, born by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are born to live in the world of the Kingdom – the Kingdom of God. It is a new start with a fresh new beginning. This time we live in God’s Kingdom, with Jesus as our King.

What does Regeneration result in?

Regeneration or being born again results in new standing with God and entrance in God’s Kingdom.

a. Entrance into God’s Kingdom

John 3:3 – Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

b. Becoming a new creation

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

c. Children of God

John 1:12 – Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

d. Victory over sin

Romans 6:4-7 – We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin– 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

When we are born again we become members of God’s eternal Kingdom. Forever and ever and then even more! We become children of God, we are a new creation as the old life is gone, and we are no longer slaves to sin because Jesus paid the price to redeem us.  We are free from the slave market of sin as we saw a few weeks ago.

From Jesus Speaks Devotion

I want to finish with this devotion I read recently from the Jesus Speaks 14-day devotional. It speaks about what we have in Christ.

The Life I Gave You Won’t End With Your Death

When I revealed that God was My Father and that He sent Me to provide His gift of eternal life, some believed and rejoiced. Others remained in their unbelief. Most of the religious leaders fumed in anger to the point of wanting Me dead. I announced the greatest news humanity will ever hear, and most people rejected it. But not you. Child, you have been birthed by the Holy Spirit, and I have given you eternal life. When you die, I will raise you from the dead. Rejoice in this wonderful truth. Live in the reality that your life on earth is only the beginning of your life.

Realize that although the ruler of this world and his followers may take away everything in your life that is temporary, they have no power whatsoever to take away that which is most important. They cannot remove anything from you that is eternal. They can’t remove you from My presence, My love, or the eternal life that I have already given you. No matter what circumstances you face today, let this truth cause you to rejoice without ceasing.

Closing Summary of Regeneration

Regeneration is a work of God that is undertaken by the Holy Spirit. We are washed clean from our sin, made alive in Christ, become children of God, and we receive eternal life. Regeneration is when we are born again. It is when we begin this life afresh as a part of God’s eternal Kingdom with Jesus as our King. It is the start of a new exciting journey where we walk each and every day with Jesus and become more like Christ every day.

Which Olympic sports?

April 4, 2026

What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?

Wow this is a very hard question. To make it easier for me can I just say all of them! Being a sports fan I love most sports. I especially love the Olympics – both the Sumer and Winter Olympics.

In the Summer Olympics I love Athletics and the Cycling. In the Winter Olympics I love the Ice Hockey and the Short Track Speed Skating.

In saying this though, these are the sports I did as a child and some as an adult. As a child I did Little Athletics and as a teen I played Ice Hockey and did Speed Skating.

As an adult I took up cycling. For most of my adult life I have done some sort of cycling. Some times it was on my road bike, sometimes on my mountain bike, and sometimes on my indoor trainer.

If you really pushed to make a choice for just one sport at each Olympics. It would be athletics at the Summer Olympics and Ice Hockey at the Winter Olympics.