https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+John+1%3A1-4&version=NIV (I John 1:1-4) I have an important personal question for you today. How would you describe your faith life? Would you describe it as strong? Deep? Intimate? Filled with joy? Throughout my own ministry I have come across people who wistfully say things like, I wish I had a deeper walk with God. Or a deeper well to draw from that never runs dry. I wish I had a sense of God really being with me, empowering me, leading me, guiding me. I wish I had a deeper joy and enthusiasm and confidence. That’s exactly what the apostle John wants to assist us in realizing, as we read his letter and act upon it. John had the privilege of walking with Jesus down those dusty roads of Galilee for three years. He observed and learned from Jesus, which impacted his life in amazing ways. John, along with his brother James, had been a rather rough-and-tumble character. They were called the Sons of Thunder – referring to their boisterousness, looking out for themselves. Climbing the ladder of success and power was at the top of their agenda. They became angry to the point of wanting to destroy people who would not receive their friend Jesus. Now those attitudes are gone. This letter doesn’t sound anything like those guys. John has changed into a confident, loving servant of Christ. We find him anxious to pass along some very important truths that can change our lives. We are going to examine this letter for the next few weeks. John’s purpose in this letter is to convey to his readers the joy he has found through years of living with Jesus. John is so anxious to make his point with us that he skips the formality you would normally find in a New Testament letter. This letter’s opening has no dear so-and-so, grace and peace to you, or introduction of himself as a servant of Christ. John cuts right to the chase as he begins with a proclamation: We testify and proclaim to you! Who is this we? John means himself along with the other apostles of Jesus and first-generation Christian witnesses of Jesus. When someone issues a proclamation, he is saying, Hey, this is an important announcement! Listen up! Take it in and act upon it! So what’s the proclamation? It’s all about Jesus! Look at this proclamation’s opening words; he says “that which was from the beginning.” This takes us back to the Gospel of John. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth.” John is describing the pre-existence of Christ. Jesus was there in the beginning. He’s the Son of God. He writes, He was made manifest (or revealed) to us. John then launches into his personal testimony about life with Jesus. John says I have walked with Him, I have heard Him say in person say “If you see me you have seen the Father.” I have gazed upon Him and marveled at Him as I saw Him feed five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes, or calm a storm upon the sea or raise His friend Lazarus back to life. With my own eyes I saw Jesus resurrected after His death upon a cross, and I have touched Him. I’ve leaned on Him during the Last Supper in the Upper Room. I remember His hand upon my shoulder as He encouraged me. He’s not made up; He’s not an illusion; He’s not an apparition of some sort. He is for real! John is using court language used in ancient days, as if he were swearing out a deposition. This is not just a bunch of charming tales about Jesus, John says. Rather he stresses that he is an eyewitness, and he is testifying to the truth of Jesus. Christ really existed, and He really did all that you’ve heard about Him! The experience I had with Him has impacted and changed my life. The words John is using for this deposition is in the present tense which indicates a past action that continues to have results in his life. I...