Sermon Tone Analysis

Living Together

In our society today when you hear the phrase “living together” what comes to your mind?

As we start this new series entitled “Living Together” we are going to look at the joys and sometimes the sorrows of our time as a church here on earth and what do we emphasis and do.

We can know from the scripture some of things the early church did.

(Act2:42)

We are a Word church, no doubt about that, we are about Lord’s Supper and prayer too, but how much emphasis do we put on our fellowship?

I’m not saying that we lack, or don’t lack in the area of fellowship in our living together today, but how we fellowship can directly impact others that may come through the doors.

I think we all can learn in grow in many areas in our Christian walk.

Like the plan of salvation, has certain things, we see in Act2:42 the certain things that got emphasis in the early church.

Are we practicing all these things in the manner the early church did?

Tonight we are going to look at “Fellowship Together” in light of the scriptures.

I hope we can have a greater understanding on the importance of fellowship and the application of it as the Bible speaks of it.

We will look at

The potential problem

Reason for potential problem

Freedom from the potential problem

I. Potential Problem

What If?

What if a trained observer walked in to see us, to make an analysis of us as a church, what would they see?

A body of believers that welcomes all people (contrary to many)

Hopefully would see a warm congregation (contrary to many)

We have to be protective of that so selfishness does not creep in and it becomes about “us” and not “all men”.

This trained observer how would they see our interaction, fellowship outside of the assembly?

How about loyalty and consistency of the believers?

How about outreach to others in the community and community involvement?

All of these areas we do well in for the most part but always leaves room for improvement.

The potential problem is as we grow that we loose that “A small country church with a big heart” appeal that we have.

How about how well do we really know each other outside of the assembly?

Do we know each others families, cares, concerns?

Do we as a body of believers spend time together outside of the assembly?

(Act2:46)

I know how busy our lives can be and are, we are looking at the 1st century early church who too had a busy life but they were of one mind, breaking bread together from house to house.

They were doing it together with gladness and sincerity of heart.

Ouch, steps on my own toes here.

I have primarily focused on potential believers and new believers and not taken much time to fellowship with our believers here as much as I can, or should.

II.

Reasons for potential problem

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Church Survey

There was a church survey that was referenced in a book by James Thompson entitled “A Fresh look at Christian Fellowship” and here is some of what it said.

A great majority of the members knew only a small percentage of the people on personal level

Those who gathered were mostly an anonymous group of believers in churches over 100

They were not truly willing to carry the burdens for one another and thought that was the minister, elders job

Expressed little interested in involvement in other members lives outside of the assembly.

They come to worship for their own spiritual gain, growth and not to add to and help others to grow.

We cannot let self-centeredness, selfishness to slip in to our “small country church with a big heart.”

In an overall sense the survey that was done showed that the churches consisted of members who were “self-centered” and therefore there was very little fellowship of any sort taking place.

Again, let me emphasis that I am not suggesting that we have the same problem here, but we have the potential for that problem here.

Some of the reasons for the potential problem

We lived through the “Me decade” in the 70’s where self-love, self anything was in, crime on the rise, drugs and alcohol were growing as a way of escape.

It was the time where people were turning to philosophies rather than to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A time of “I’m Ok, Your OK” a focus on self awareness and transcendent meditation and yoga.

A decade of rebelling against authority and looking out only for number 1, yourself

This was followed by the “Greed decade” - oh I was a member of that decade that chased the almighty dollar where we always looked for ways to move up and out from where we were and staying up with the “Jones’s” was a common practice.

Both of these produced many who were self-centered and selfish and that carried over into the assembly even today.

Today it is apparent that we live in mobile society, children grow up they move away, new families are moving in, but they are not locals and not too welcoming to them.

(experienced that here)

Technology - there are some great benefits to it and some potential drawbacks - we have increased ability to stay in contact and to be in contact with many but with technology you can lose the personality, the emotions behind it.

We also can stretch ourselves out were no time is really taken to get to know people (Facebook).

Lack of understanding - when we have a lack of understanding of the scripture and what the scripture has to say about fellowship together we will not truly appreciate our fellowship and our living together .

Society seems to nourish and feed self-centeredness, selfishness in a large part we loose community and fellowship with one another and that impacts our life together as believers.

God’s Word and God’s design for our life together, our living together has a different approach and solution to the potential problem

III.

Freedom from Potential Problem

I know I have gone on for sometime now without a lot of scripture.

As I mentioned this is an introduction to a series so the rest of the message tonight will be full of scripture.

The Church- be a fellowship free from self-centeredness

When we hold to the truth of the Word we will be

Hospitable

We do this by keeping fervent love for one another, for when we do it looks over and covers out sins our shortcomings.

When we have fervent love and are hospitable then we will care for one another

(A good place to look) 1Cor12:12-26)

We are one body with many members (v.12); one Spirit (v.13)

We all have different parts to make up the body (v.14-17)

God placed each of us into the body as He desired (v.18)

We all need each other (v.19-25)

So we are to have fervent love, be hospitable and know we are all connected in one body and then another attribute to protect us is to

Pray for one another (Jam5:16)

Restore one another (Jam5:19-20)

Jam5:

When we do these things we are looking and caring for the body, the health of the body as a whole.

And yes that does mean at times we must

Admonish one another (Col3:16)

To admonish is the warn, to reprimand sternly, to advise or to urge earnestly.

And you sure can’t leave out love.

(Gal5:13)

We are to love one another in the freedom what we have as a body, a fellowship, as a family living together.

These spiritual truths with earthly applications are displayed and exemplified in the early church

In Jerusalem (Act2:42-46)

Act2:44-45

Then there is the example in the church in Antioch (Act11:27-30)

Act

Even in their own poverty they proportioned to send a contribution for relief.

The proof in the churches of Macedonia (2Cor8:1-5)

Even in affliction God’s grace was shared, they gave beyond their ability of their own accord, but it started with them giving themselves to the Lord to do His will first.

Paul spoke also of the churches in Achaia (Rom15:26)

When we know and follow the teaching of Christ and the doctrine of the Apostles then we have true fellowship with one another in our living together today.

These things come from an understanding of kingdom, being a part of the kingdom and the results, consequences of being in the kingdom.

The kingdom consists of those who love the Lord and their brethren - this is expanded on in Mk12:28-34 which I encourage you to read on your own.

This fellowship with God (our vertical relationship) (2Cor5:20)

Mk