June 24, 2007 – 1 John 1:5-7

Kenneth Maresco

Walking in the Light: Fellowship

with One Another
I. Knowing God is the beginning of fellowship (Verse 5)

Light and darkness is symbolic language. Light symbolizes:

1. _____________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________

II. Fellowship with God affects the way we live (Verse 6)

A. Christians who are in fellowship with God must behave in

ways that are consistent with God’s character.

1. False
claim:______________________________________

2. Fellowship:_____________________________________
__

B. If we desire fellowship with God we must practice the truth

by walking in the light.

III. Fellowship with God shapes and defines our

fellowship with other believers (Verse 7)
A. When we walk in the light we will not
___________________.

B. Walking in the light is not sinless fellowship, but it is

____________________________.

C. Walking in the light must be gospel centered.

“This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort –

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Walking in the Light: Fellowship with One Another - John 1:5-7
Kenneth Maresco
 the sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates – in
knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love
and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in
knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every
point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no
discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so
often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to
bless me.”1

IV. Fellowship: Walking in the light with others

A. Walking in the light: Some practicals

1. ___________________________: Don’t wait for others to come

with observations (confess your sins).

If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

a. Confess specific temptations and sins.

b. What were your thoughts, specific words, tone of
voice, volume? How long before you gained self-control?
c. Did you cry briefly, or were you crying for a period
of time?
d. Did you look at that unclean thing for two or twenty
minutes? How long was it before you committed to call
someone?

2. Welcome the light by _________________________________.

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the

proud, but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6

• What does humility look like?

a. Be _________________________!
b. Ask questions that help you to understand their
concerns.
c. Am I hearing you accurately?
d. Why does this concern you?
e. Take the time to repeat what you hear them saying.
f. Share where others have brought similar
observations
g. Ask for the Spirit’s help.
h. Take notes.
1
J.I. Packer, Knowing God, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1993, page 42.

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Walking in the Light: Fellowship with One Another - John 1:5-7
Kenneth Maresco
 i. Read and pray over your friends’
questions/thoughts.

3. Walk in the light by ___________________ (take sin seriously).

a. Bring your plan to others for input.

b. What does Scripture say?
c. Have you identified heart issues?
d. Commit to confess failures/temptations (don’t wait
for meetings).
e. Have you identified temptations to be avoided?
f. How will you seek to respond the next time you are
tempted? What does biblical obedience in heart and action
look like?
g. How are you praying?
h. Repentance can often take time. What are you
doing to pursue conviction? Are you stewarding the grace
of fellowship?

4. What if you disagree?

a. __________________ into the conversation.

b. Humbly share your perspective when you disagree,
after you have heard and seriously considered others’
perspectives.
c. Ask others to consider if their attitude or approach is
in keeping with God’s Spirit.
d. Affirm your trust in God and commit to issues to
prayer.

5. Initiate a _________________________.

• Ask your spouse, family, roommates, and

caregroup members.
• See questions at the end of this outline.

6. Walking in the light: helping others practice the truth.

a. Bring questions/observations to those you love.

b. God is light. God is truth. Are your
concerns/questions _______________? Is your heart
_________________?
c. Do different or additional facts change your
perspective?
d. Don’t demand an immediate response.
e. Correct in a “_______________________.”
Galatians 6:1

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Walking in the Light: Fellowship with One Another - John 1:5-7
Kenneth Maresco
 f. Don’t wait to bring concerns or questions.
g. Don’t overwhelm with lengthy lists of sins.
h. Be patient by remembering Matthew 7.
i. Help people to move toward conviction/repentance.
j. “Do you have any concerns regarding my attitude or
approach as I have shared these things with you?”
k. Always remind them of the gospel.

7. Walking in the Light: Transformational Grace.

But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have

fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son
cleanses us from all sins. 1 John 1:7

a. Are you more aware of God’s grace or the

community’s deficiencies? How is the blood of Jesus
functioning for you in fellowship?
b. We need the Holy Spirit’s help. It is only our
fellowship with God that enables us to change.
c. Fellowship is a means of grace, not the source of
change.
d. Culture of grace:
i. Communicate confidence in the grace of God
in one another’s lives.
ii. Commit to genuinely love one another by
helping one another grow.
iii. Does your group look to one another for
help?
iv. Sanctification is a process, “I don’t need new,
I need true, and I need it from you.”
e. Culture of ___________.

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Walking in the Light: Fellowship with One Another - John 1:5-7
Kenneth Maresco
 Addendum

Questions for pursuing fellowship:

For personal evaluation, ask your spouse, family, roommates and
your care group members:

Do you think I humbly pursue your input? Would you characterize

me as one who pursues others for their input/questions/
observations?

Am I easy to bring observations to? Do you feel I have taken your

concerns seriously? If you knew I would not respond in sin, would
you like to share any questions or concerns with me?

Am I consistently confessing sin that you would be unaware of?

What steps can I take to cultivate change in this area?

Questions that promote an awareness of the gospel’s power:

• How has the gospel helped you cultivate conviction for

your sin? How should an awareness of the gospel affect your
thoughts and attitude toward your sin?

• How does an awareness of the gospel help you to

maintain hope in this trial?

• How does the gospel provide grace and motivation to

forgive others who have sinned against you, so that you don’t
cultivate a heart of bitterness?

Questions that promote an awareness of God’s ongoing activity:

• What area of growth in your friend/small group

member/parent/fellow believer/spouse’s character are you most
encouraged about (in the last 3-6 months)?

• What specific evidences of God’s grace have you

observed in your friends/roommates/children/spouse in the last
week?

• What would you be most encouraged about in your walk

with God?

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Walking in the Light: Fellowship with One Another - John 1:5-7
Kenneth Maresco
 • How have you seen the Lord at work through you, your
friends, or your spouse in ways that are not explainable by
human effort in the past several weeks?

• What things are you most thankful for in your church, your
small group leader, your small group, your children, or your
spouse?

• What specific things have you been giving thanks for as

you have walked with God this past week?

Questions that promote confession of sin and the involvement of

others:

Are there any sins that you are practicing that your care group
would be categorically unaware of? Or patterns of sin in your life
that you have given up confessing out of discouragement?

What area of sin in your life would you be concerned about right
now? Why are you concerned?

• Are there any issues or situations that are a repeated

source of conflict between you and your spouse that you would
like to share with the group? Can you describe your most recent
disagreement?

• Do you have any questions or concerns about your

children that you would like to ask the group counsel on?

• Is there any reason you might feel uncomfortable about

sharing your difficulties or challenges with the people in this
group?

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Walking in the Light: Fellowship with One Another - John 1:5-7
Kenneth Maresco