Welcome back to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John.
We just finished studying 1 John 1:3.
Let’s do a quick review of the lessons.
Lesson 11 - 1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us... (Fellowshipping with Other Believers)
We learned that we are called to proclaim Jesus to the world in order to bring people into fellowship. We learned that fellowship requires devotion, involves praying with one accord, studying the Bible, breaking bread, meeting together habitually, encouraging one another, loving one another deeply and showing hospitality to one another without complaining.
Lesson 12 - 1 John 1:3..And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. (Fellowshipping with God)
We learned that God wants to have fellowship with you. You can have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to rescue you and is calling you into fellowship, so you can be perfectly united together with God. God wants to make His home with you. The key to maintaining fellowship with God is by loving Him, obeying Him, and abiding in Him.
In this lesson we’re going to learn about experiencing complete joy.
Let’s read our verse together.
1 John 1:4 We write these things so that our joy may be complete.
The disciples are an example of sharing Jesus.
They used writing to help people experience the joy that comes from fellowship with other believers and with God.
You can use writing as well to lead people to God. Write down what you are learning about Jesus and how He is transforming your life and share it with others.
We are in the digital age. You can send emails, make posts on social media, write eBooks, and write blog posts about Jesus. You can potentially reach thousands or even millions of people with what you write online.
Use these digital publishing tools to lead people to Jesus, so that their joy may be complete. Make it a goal of your life to bring joy into people’s lives by sharing God’s word with them.
The word "joy" means cheerfulness, calm delight, gladness, and the awareness of God's grace and favor. (Strong's Concordance | HELPS Word-Studies)
The word "complete" means to make full, to complete, to fill to individual capacity. (Strong's Concordance | HELPS Word-Studies)
Since Joy comes from an awareness of God's grace in your life, you can help others find joy by bringing an awareness of God's grace to them.
It is only by God’s grace that we can be saved from our sins and have fellowship with God and with other believers.
Sharing God’s grace, by telling others about Jesus, will help you develop a deeper relationship with them and will lead to meaningful fellowship, a strong sense of community, and a deep abiding relationship with God. These will cause you to be filled with joy.
Let's take a look at some Bible verse that speak about Joy.
In Psalm 16:11 we read that true and eternal joy is only found in the presence of the eternal God. You can get into the presence of God by filling your life with God's word and by drawing near to Him. Read God’s word out loud, listen to Him, and pray to Him about what you’re reading. Ask Him to help you understand what He is trying to teach you and ask Him to give you the strength to obey what He is asking you to do. He is right there with you.
Psalm 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
In Psalm 21:6 we also read that there is joy that comes as a result of being in God’s presence. When you trust God and draw near to Him, you will experience His grace, blessings, and gladness.
Psalm 21:6 For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. (ESV)
In Isaiah 61:10 we read that when you understand that salvation and righteousness comes from God, you will rejoice greatly. Rejoice means to express a deep sense of joy, happiness, delight, and thankfulness in the LORD.
Isaiah 61:10 I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
In Galatians 5:22 we read that joy is not something that is conjured up by human effort, but rather it comes from the Spirit. Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit. Joy comes from the ongoing work of God's grace in your life.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
We read in Philippians 4:4 that we are commanded to rejoice in the Lord always. Since this verse says always, that means we are to express joy, even when our circumstances are difficult or we are experiencing hardship. This is only possible through fellowship with God and a profound understanding God's goodness and grace, even when things are challenging.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
We read in Acts 13:52 that the disciples were filled with joy. They were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit because they saw many people come to Christ as a result of preaching the word of God in Antioch. God wants to use you to lead people to Him and to fill you with joy and the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:52 and the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
In conclusion, we learned that we are to follow the example of the disciples and use writing to share God's grace with others so they can experience complete joy. We also learned that there is joy in the presence of God, that you will rejoice when you understand God's grace in your life, that joy comes from having the Spirit of God in your life, that we are to rejoice in God at all times, and that you will experience joy when you lead people to Christ by sharing the word of God with others.
If you have been blessed by Hope Bible School, please share it with others.
If you have any prayer requests, please share them in the comments.
Thank you and God bless you,
Jeff M Newman
VERSE BY VERSE BIBLE STUDY LESSONS (See all)
Lesson 12 - 1 John 1:3..And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. (Fellowshipping with God)
Lesson 11 - 1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us... (Fellowshipping with Other Believers)
Lesson 10 - 1 John 1:2...that was with the Father and was revealed to us. (The Relationship Between Jesus and The Father)
Lesson 9 - 1 John 1:2 ...and we proclaim to you the eternal life... (Proclaim The Eternal Life)
Lesson 8 - 1 John 1:2...we have seen it and testified to it... (Share Your Testimony)
Lesson 7 - 1 John 1:2 And this is the life that was revealed... (Eternal Life Revealed)
Lesson 6 - 1 John 1:1...this is the Word of life. (The Message of Eternal Life)
Lesson 5 - 1 John 1:1...and touched with our own hands...(Touching Jesus by Faith)
Lesson 4 - 1 John 1:1...which we have gazed upon... (Gaze Upon Jesus)
Lesson 3 - 1 John 1:1...which we have seen with our own eyes... (Eyes of Faith)
Lesson 2 - 1 John 1:1…which we have heard… (Hear and Obey God)
Lesson 1 - 1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning (Jesus is Eternal)
(Image by John Fowler on Unsplash. Hoodoo Formations in Bisti Wilderness, in Northern New Mexico. Berean Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.)
Lesson 13 - 1 John 1:4 We write these things so that our joy may be complete.