Sermon Tone Analysis

Mawage.

Mawage is wot bwings us togeda today.

Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva…So tweasure your wuv… The Princess Bride

Unfortunately, that is what many think of relationships and marriage today, as jokes, something to poke fun at, and comical, not a serious look at the close love relationship between man and wife.

God has extended an invitation for a love relationship with Him IF we will respond.

Not only does He bring us into a special relationship, but He places us within a body of believers and we, corporately, make up the body of Christ.

So,how much does He truly love us?

God Loves Us That Much

Our relationship with God was looked upon so highly that, even when we intentionally sinned and separated ourselves from God, He provided His Son to be born in flesh and provided for our salvation through His death, burial, and resurrection.

Jesus - is the head of the Church

Holy Spirit - guides the work and will of the Father

Book pg.

226 - “When Christ functions as the Head of His church, God will use that body to carry out His will in every part of the earth”.

So, what is required for God’s will to be carried out by the church?

As we discussed last week, the church is a living organism made up of many parts and with Christ as the Head.

Christ set the example by yielding to the Father while He was on earth.

He gave us directions to follow in:

IF we obey those directions, then God’s will can be carried out throughout the world.

We Have A Worldwide Impact

We have a worldly impact when we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Look at the account of Philip and the Ethiopian.

Who guided Philip to that location?

Who caused the Ethiopian to have questions?

Who guided Philip to ask if he had questions?

Who caused conviction to come to the Ethiopian?

HOW was the Great Commission carried out in light of the Ethiopian?

HOW many events like this have we missed in our life by not being sensitive to the urging of the Holy Spirit?

pg.

228 “When we adjust our lives to God and become Kingdom-oriented, He will involve you in His work anywhere He chooses”.

Are we afraid of God’s response if we are obedient?

Koinonia

Translated “Christian fellowship”.

There is this type of relationship/fellowship found in the church today BECAUSE of the koinonia extended by Christ.

We have experienced it, and want others to also.

But, there is another aspect involved - surrender.

We must surrender to the Lord, as we must also surrender to each other.

There is a Fellowship Among Believers

We have a relationship as believers between God and Jesus.

It is the most complete expression of a love relationship that can exist.

Our relationship with our fellow church members are an expression of our relationship with God.

According to scripture, how can we claim we love Jesus IF we do not extend that same love to our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Koinonia In The Kingdom

Have you ever just hit it off with someone you’ve never seen before, and it’s almost like we have a bond?

Believers are connected across the world with the common bond of Jesus.

We get it, we have a bond, and it manifests itself among other believers.

Should there be any competition among churches?

The example used in the book talked about smaller churches bonding together for the greater good.

One church calling a student minister, and he became a resource for the other churches.

Churches bonded together for a summer program, office equipment, vehicles, other resources were shared.

Financial assistance was extended.

The churches LOVED each other.

Why?

Because of their love of Christ.

So, how has that changed today?

Why do we see other churches as competition?

Eternity is a long time, so we might as well learn to get along down here on earth.

Can koinonia love exist among churches?

Among different denominations?

Different associations?

etc?

We all serve the same God.

As long as we are bible believing, Trinity affirming, believers…then yes!

However, IF there is an issue among churches, it may indicate a deeper problem with the relationship we (individually and as the church) have with God.

Loving on a New Level

So, where do we rank our love on a scale of 1 to 10? Individually?

Corporately?

Now, the next question may be a little tougher… what would OTHERS rank our love scale at?

How OTHERS view our level of love for others and our community can definitely impact our witness.

We should both love one another, love our other churches, and love our neighbors.

We are called to love on a different level.

We are called to love like Christ.

We are called to love so much we want everyone to know about Jesus.

Are we so caught up in everything we think isn’t going right, that we can’t see where things are going right?

Is it impacting our ability to love on a greater scale?

Is that impacting our ability to even work together among other churches to carry out the Great Commission?

Cooperative Relationship Among Churches

The New Testament churches were interdependent - they relied on one another, they helped each other, they encouraged each other, and it enhanced their experience with God.

Examples throughout the New Testament show the interdependence on the apostles and each other.

It’s how religion was practiced, it’s how the Great Commission was spread, and EVERYBODY saw it… Think about that for a moment.

We are not called to be Lone Ranger Christians, and we are also not called to be Lone Ranger Churches.

Does anyone have any idea how this church contributes to the Great Commission outside of personal witnessing?

Teens

Bread Ministry

Food Pantry

Annie Armstrong - gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering support missionary salaries and training, church planting, and evangelism efforts in North America.

Tony and Jean Floyd - Paraguay missionaries.

Lottie Moon - gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering supports international missionary salaries, spreading the Gospel Message across the world.

Samaritans Purse - millions of children are reached in some of the most remote areas of the world with an Operation Christmas Child shoe box gift and the message of the Gospel.

The list can go on and on, but it also shows how we can take local contributions and multiply it throughout the state or the nation and support missions far outside our communities walls.

Experiencing More of God

We can not do everything ourselves, but we can be a part of the ministry as we partner with others.

Essentials of Koinonia, Part 1

Koinonia with God is the basic element of salvation and eternal life.

It is freely given, and freely received (both ways).

If you love God, you will obey Him.

If you love God, you will love others.

But, can we lose that deep feeling of love?

Revelation 2:1–7 (ESV)

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.