Sermon Tone Analysis

Togetherness In Fellowship

 

I.

Introduction

A. Parker not wanting to play soccer yesterday

B. Soccer players and positions

C. Fellowship among all members of the church is what makes us strong

II.

Our Fellowship is created by Christ

A. Fellowship - an association of people who share common beliefs or activities

B. Our church is built and protected by Christ - Matthew 16:18 (NASB95) 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

1.

We should all be a part of it and fellowship in it

2. We should draw strength from his guardianship of it

C.

He calls people he has empowered for its leadership - Ephesians 4:11-12 (NASB95) 11 And He gave some /as /apostles, and some /as /prophets, and some /as /evangelists, and some /as /pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

D. He places its members where He needs them - 1 Corinthians 12:18 (NASB95)18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

E. We should seek to fill our role in the church

III.

Our Fellowship should be characterized by love and devotion to one another

A. Our fellowship is a brotherhood where we help one another

1.

Romans 12:4-21 – Full picture of churches devotion to one another

2. Romans 15:7 (NASB95) 7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

3. Romans 15:14 (NASB95)  And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.

4. 1 Peter 3:8 (NASB95) 8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;

B. Our fellowship is to be highly regarded and heavily guarded:           1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (NASB95) 10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s /people, /that there are quarrels among you.

12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided?

Paul was not crucified for you, was he?

Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.

16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void

1.

We have a tendency to divide by leaders

2. We need to remember that Christ is our leader

3.

We must always gain our unity through seeking Christ and His will

IV.

Our unity represents the unity of God

A. Unity of the trinity

1. Jesus called us to be one like He and the Father - John 17:21 (NASB95) 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, /are /in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

2. Ephesians 4:3 – We should be diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace

B. When we are divided, or even when we do not come together as a family, we show the world a disunited God – We do not glorify Him

V. Our fellowship comprises the body of Christ

A. We all have a function in the body

1. Romans 12:4-5 (NASB95) 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

2. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 – Look up in Bible

3. Without taking your part in the body you will spiritually shrivel and die, just a limb torn from an actual body – There is no spiritual life apart from the body

B. We are united by the body and the blood that was broken and shed for us - 1 Corinthians 10:17 (NASB95) 17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.

VI.

Conclusion

A. You need the church – Illustration of coals on a grill.

Together they keep each other hot, separate, they burn out

B.  The church needs you – Not God, but the church