Victorious Christian Fellowship

I am gonna begin this teaching by listing off a few names and I want you to tell me what they all have in common! Chris Webber, Dikembe Mutumbo, Reggie Miller, Dominique Wilkins, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone. Every name on this list is a NBA all time great, except they do not have a championship ring. That’s because basketball is a team sport. You can have individual superstars and a bad team with no Championships. On the other hand, you can have a great team with no superstars and be victorious. The title of today’s teaching is Victorious Christian Fellowship

In this chapter, John is combating the bad theology that says a person can love God and not love God’s children. John’s opponents desired an individualistic christianity in which they can be free to serve themselves. The Body of Christ is a team sport!

Every Christian can experience victorious christian fellowship in the body of Christ

There are three ways Christians can experience victorious Christian fellowship in the body of Christ.

Fall in Love with God (1 Jn 5:1-3) “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”

The evidence that a person is a child of God is his or her love for the children of God. You cannot love the father and hate his children.

Following the commands of God becomes second nature to those who love the Father, which is to love one another in this context.

(1 Jn 3:23) “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”

Throughout history churches and denominations have been the breeding ground for hatred, racism, and discrimination. But Unplugged Service is changing things. Look around and see what God is doing. There is no hate here. We have many cultures worshipping the name of Jesus together. Do you love your fellow brother and sister in Christ? Do you seek to serve the people you worship with no matter their cultural background? Do you come to unplugged service as a consumer, or do you give yourself away in service to be plugged in?

Have Faith in God (1 Jn 5:4-5) “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

What does overcoming the world look like in this context? We overcome the world and worldliness with our love for each other. Our faith compels us to walk in RADICAL WORLD CHANGING LOVE.

When people do not measure up on their job the world says fire them. When people make mistakes the world says give up on them. The radical love of Jesus doesn’t write people off. When other’s miss the mark, we are there for them. When others need healing we lead them to the rock.

(Mk 2:1-5) “When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.””

This is why it is important to be connected with a fellowship of people who want to see you be great. When you are connected to people who love God and you find yourself to be sick, they will do what it takes to bring you to the healer. I wonder how many of you in the room almost gave up on the community? I want to encourage you to stay connected to the body so that you have a support system of people who love you!

“Chaplain Sumpter, why do I have to get plugged into a church? I can worship God anywhere. I can watch online too!”

Christ did not intend for you to walk the Christian life alone

Put Jesus at the Center (1 Jn 5:13-16) “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.”

Faith in Jesus gives us total confidence that we have eternal life.

When one is connected to believers who are confident in their salvation, they are able walk in the power of life.

(Gal 6:1) “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

Video Illustration (Jalen Hands)

The church is God’s prescribed community to point people back to the cross.

Sometimes you run with more baggage than you deserve.

I like to run five miles a day, but lately it has been hard to get back to myself physically. I have been so mean to myself. Instead of focusing on how gifted i am or how much of a beast i am on the track, i have spent many days beating myself up and carrying baggage into my run. When this happens I have achy runs. When i get like this, i have to remind myself of who i am and my abilities. This goes for having a family of Christ followers. They remind us of who we are and compel us to take our baggage to Jesus. They remind us of eternal life.

Victorious Christian fellowship cannot happen with a team full of superstars and individuals. Christ honors team players. If there is a player on the team that is not having the best day, the other champion players rally around that player and help them overcome the struggles of the game. They make the weak link stronger. Superstars have to keep an image. Superstars don’t always get the ring. A victorious Christian fellowship does not spectate and rely on the superstar to get the job done because they understand that unity brings victory. My friends you cannot do the christian life alone.