STEP
NINE
FELLOWSHIP
1. Fellowship is unity among the members
of a group. It has to do with companionship, friendly association, a mutual sharing of an experience, activity or interest.
Fellowship in a Christian context is one family living together under one leader, Christ. They all follow Him while they love
one another, help one another, and learn from one another.
2. The basis of fellowship
2.1 All people either have or need fellowship
based on:
A.
The desire to belong to something
B.
Common interests
C.
The need to feel important
D.
The desire for fun
2.2 Christian fellowship adds supernatural
dimensions to relationships.
A. Is based on communion with the Father and Son
1 John 1:3
B. Means walking in the light--1 John 1:7
C. Is permanent because Jesus is always the same--Heb 13:8
D. We are members of one another Rom 12:5
3. The example of the early church
3.1 Four things which they continually practiced--Acts 2:42
A. Learning from the apostles
B. Fellowship
C. Breaking of bread
D. Prayer
3.2 "Of
the same mind...in full accord" Phil 2:1,2. In your own words, explain what this means to you.
3.3 The Christians loved one another--1 Thes 4:9,10; 2 Thes 1:3
4. Why fellowship is so important for Christians.
4.1 In the church it provides:
A. Loving acceptance of one another--Phil 2:1-3
B. Loving and supporting relationships--Gal 5:6; 6:2
C. Mutual help--Eccl
4:9,10,12; Gal 6:10
D. Growing into maturity--Eph 4:13-16
E. Effectiveness in prayer--Matt 18:19,20
F. Exhortation and teaching--Col 3:16
G. Strengthening family relationships--Eph 5:21-6:4
4.2 In the world (i.e. among non-Christians) Christian fellowship
A. Shows that we are Jesus' disciples--John 13:34,35
B. Demonstrates our unity so that others will
believe that God sent Jesus--John 17:21,23
C. Makes missionary and evangelistic work possible--Rom 10:14,15
5. The Body of Christ--Rom 12:1-8
5.1 Responsibilities of each member towards
him/herself--Rom 12:1-3
A. Present ourselves as living sacrifices--Rom 12:1
B. Be transformed--Rom 12:2
C. Don't think more highly of self than we ought--Rom 12:3
5.2 Responsibilities of the
members of the body toward each other
A. Love one another--Jn 13:34-35
B. Restore one another...carry each other's burdens--Gal 6:1-2
C. Bear with and forgive one another--Col 3:13
D. Build up one another--1 Thes 5:11
E. Encourage to believe...protect from sin's deceitfulness--Heb 3:12-14
F. Spur one another on toward love and good
deeds...encourage to hope--Heb 10:24-25
G. Confess sin to one another...pray for one another--James 5:16
5.3 Characteristics of the Body itself--Rom 12:4-8
A. Many members--Rom 12:4
B. Being many members, it is one body--Rom
12:5; 1 Cor 12:20
C. Not all members have the same function--1 Cor
12:7-11
D. All are members of each other--Rom 12:5
E. If one member suffers, all suffer--1 Cor
12:26
6. Christians have a special relationship
with God. They are:
6.1.
Children of God--Jn1:12 and God's friends--Jn15:15
6.2. Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ--Rom 8:17
6.3. Members of God's household--Eph 2:19
6.4. A family of believers--Gal 6:10
6.5. Jesus' brothers and sisters--Heb 2:11-14
HOMEWORK: Memorize 1 John 1:7
Read 1 Cor 12.
From verses 11-31, what are the outstanding characteristics of the body
of Christ?
STEP
TEN
THE OBEDIENT BELIEVER
1.
The goal of life
1.1 Be made in the image of Christ--Rom 8:29;
I John 3:2
1.2 Perfect (mature) in Christ--Col 1:28
1.3 Fruit that remains--John 15:16
2. What is Christian obedience?
2.1 Keeping the commandments of Christ--John
14:15
2.2 Doing what He tells us--John 15:14
2.3 Doing the will of the Father--Matt 7:21
2.4 Following Biblical examples:
A. Christ--Phil 2:5-8
B. The apostles--I Cor 11:1-Paul
C. The heroes of the faith--Heb 12:1
2.5 Loving God and your neighbor
A. The new commandment--love as He loves us--Jn 13:34,35
B. The two great commandments--Luke 10:27
1. Love the Lord your God with.all your heart, soul, strength and mind.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
2.6 Denying yourself--Luke 9:23
2.7 Following the two mandates:
A. The evangelistic mandate--Mt 28:19-20
B. The cultural mandate (to take care of God's creation)--Gen 1:26, 28-30
3. Some things God promises those who obey Him.
3.1
Blessings--Deut 28:1-14; Josh 1:8
3.2
Persecution and suffering--2 Tim 3:12; 1 Peter 4:12-16
3.3
Being a friend of God--John 15:14
3.4 Being loved by God--John 14:21
4.
Observations about obedience
4.1 Obedience is better than religious rituals--I
Sam 15:22; Isaiah 1:11-17
4.2 There are obstacles in life which hinder one from obeying
Christ (review the list on page 5).
4.3 Jesus requires complete, immediate, and total obedience,
doing what he tells me.
A.
"Why do you call me Lord..." Luke 6:46
B. "No one can serve two masters..." Luke 16:13
4.4 Obedience is from heart--Pr
4:23; Ps 119:10,11. So it is a matter of the will. In this moment, you can decide to obey Christ voluntarily. His
promise is that he will give you the POWER to carry through--Phil 4:13.
4.5 God helps
the believer to be obedient. Phil 1:6; 2:13-the will and the power to obey; Matt 11:28-30.
4.6 Obedience can lead to persecution and suffering--II Tim 3:12;
I
Peter 4:12-16; Abraham obeyed and suffered--Heb 11:8-10
5. We must be
obedient all through life.
5.1 He that thinks
he is safe; watch out that he doesn't fall--I Cor 10:12.
5.2 The importance
of faithfulness--"When you make a promise to God, do not be slow in keeping it." Eccl 5:4,5
5.3 Small things
are very important--Matt 25:21; James 3:3-5; Song of Songs 2:15 (Note: It was
the little foxes that could sneak in undetected and chew the bark off the grape vines and thus kill the plants. And so it
is with us, little sins can sneak up and destroy us.)
5.4
We must look at things from the perspective of eternity.
A. Time is going quickly, night is coming--John 9:4
B. Christ will return soon--I
Thess 3:12,13. "Be irreproachable in the coming of Christ."
HOMEWORK: Memorize John 14:21
