How do people come to know the love of God?
Psalm 139 How precious are you thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can ’ t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!
Psalm 103:10-11 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him.
What does biblical fellowship have to do with reaching the world?
Acts 2: 41-42 41 So those who accepted the message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles ’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.
What is fellowship?
Fellowship: Koinonia Partnership or Joint Participation
Key Thought If you want to be involved in God ’ s plan to change the world, we must be devoted to fellowship.
1. The model for community is the Trinity.
John 17 I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. 21 May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.
1 Corinthians 1:10 10 Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.
1 Corinthians 6:7 7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged?
1. The model for community is the Trinity. 2. Something happens when Christians demonstrate love and unity.
What Happens?
John 17 21 May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.
John 13 34 “ A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. ”
What Happens? Expressed love and unity become the substance of our message
John 17 22 I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one. 23 I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.
What Happens? Expressed love and unity become the substance of our message Expressed love and unity validates Jesus is the Son of God and the Father loves the world as He loves Jesus.
Application
Application 1. Christianity is a team sport.
Is community going to be a cruise ship or rescue boat?
Application 1. Christianity is a team sport. 2. God wants to use my relationships as a bright light in a dark world.
C.S. Lewis “ It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a
nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no
ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - These are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. ”
Application 3. Identify the hurdle to having world changing relationships .
Mark 8 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “ Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Application 3. Identify the hurdle to having world changing relationships 4. Be patient and focus on building long term relationships
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