Partnerships
Philadelphia Baptist Church
8/12/2007 Sun. a.m.
Partnerships
1 John 1:1–8
verse 3: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
Introduction: When you hear the word “partner,” what comes to mind? Many of us think of a work setting, whether partners in ownership of a business, or partners of a law firm. We also might immediately think of our spouse. These are great examples, but incredibly, our commitment to Christ makes us partners with God Himself, and with fellow Christians to reach the world with the gospel. The Greek word κοινωνία used in 1 John for fellowship conveys this idea of partnership. Scripture teaches us three important aspects of this fellowship:
1. Partnership within the Trinity (Gen. 1:26; 2 Cor. 13:14). The first fellowship or partnership we find in Scripture is that between the Godhead. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were present at creation.
| A mother, in one of those delicious moments that make mothers what they are, drew her two-year-old daughter to her and said, “Oh, I love you!” The little girl, very much occupied with the whim of the moment, drew away and said, “Yes, I know.” Love was taken for granted. As early in life as the second year the Word was being illustrated: “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” (Prov. 20:11). Tragedy occurs when someone hears the voice of God saying, as He does from Calvary, and as He does from a thousand circumstances of life, “My child, I love you,” and is answered with “Yes, I know”—an indifference that shows that His love is not really returned. Most of life’s sadness flows from such an attitude. The windows of heaven are opened when we can learn to feel deeply: “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). |
2. Partnership with Fellow Christians (1 John 1:7). Once a relationship is established between man and God, there begins a relationship between fellow Christians. We are made clean by the blood of the Christ. That is the only way we establish fellowship with the Godhead and with fellow believers. Our partnership with each other is carried out mainly in the local church. We are one body that needs to serve the Lord in our world.
| Band of BrothersIn his book about the American Revolution, Washington’s Crossing, David Hackett Fischer describes the incredible hardships suffered by Washington’s forces during the winter of 1776. One of the soldiers was sixteen-year-old John Greenwood who played the fife. “What I suffered on the march cannot be described,” he wrote. “They who were with us know best about these things, others cannot believe the tenth part, so I shall say nothing further.” What kept the men going? They drew their strength from each other. Greenwood wrote: “The noise of the soldiers coming over and clearing away the ice, the rattling of the cannon wheels on the frozen ground, and the cheerfulness of my fellow-comrades encouraged me beyond expression, and, big coward as I acknowledge myself to be, I felt great pleasure, more than I now do in writing about it.” |
As a body we have certain functions that we are to partner in with one another:
A. Partnership as Students of the Word (Acts 2:42).
B. Prayer (Acts 2:42).
C. Communion of the Lord’s Table (1 Cor. 10:16).
D. Care for the Poor (Rom. 15:26–27; Gal. 2:9–10).
E. Trust in God (1 Cor. 1:9; Philemon 6).
F. Encouragement (2 Cor. 8:4).
G. Fellowship in the Gospel (2 Cor. 4:19; Phil. 1:5; 4:15).
H. Fellowship in Taking the Gospel to the World (Gal. 2:9).
I. Suffering for Christ (Phil. 3:10; 4:14).
J. Supporting Full-Time Servants (Phil. 4:15).
K. Walking in the Light (1 John 1:6–7).
3. Forbidden Partnership with the Unsaved (2 Cor. 6:14).
This final partnership is one that we are not to have. It is a partnership with unsaved individuals. This idea extends to our business practices and to the concept of whom we choose as friends. However, Scripture is most concerned with an unequal partnership in marriage between a believer and non-believer. It causes problems in every aspect of the family unit. We need to not be anxious to find a marriage partner to the point that we will marry anyone who comes along.
God has a plan and that includes having the right person for all believers to marry. It is never an unsaved person. However, if a person married their spouse after conversion, and he or she is yet to become a believer, Scripture is very specific that you should stay married. The church should lovingly support you, and Scripture gives some vital principles specifically for you to live by in this situation (1 Pet. 3:1–6; 1 Cor. 7:12–16).
Conclusion: We have looked at three types of partnerships. We realize that we will never completely understand the relationship between the Godhead but we do know that it exists. We know that we are not to have a partnership with the unsaved world. We can have a relationship but not a partnership. However, we are to have a partnership with fellow believers in the world. That partnership is expressed mainly in the local church.
John 13:31–35
Jesus, just before the end of His earthly ministry, gave the disciples a commandment to be taken very seriously. Let’s look at the commandment to love together:
1. This Is the Command of Christ.
A. A Command Calls for Obedience. Obedience is the outworking of true wisdom (Deut. 10:13; Matt. 7:24–27), it’s the evidence of real faith in God (1 John 2:4), and it’s the demonstration of authentic love for God (2 John 1:6).
B. This Is a New Commandment. Love had, of course, been taught before (Lev. 19:18), but Jesus is reasserting it with new force, clarity, and significance.
2. The Command Is to Love One Another. How can the world know we truly follow Christ unless we have this type of love:
A. Love Involves Commitment (1 Cor. 13:1–8).
B. Love Is Displayed by Conduct (1 Pet. 2:17).
C. Love Is Always Caring (1 Pet. 1:22).
CONCLUSION: He who, out of His great compassion for you, loved you, and gave Himself to pay for your sins can pour His love out in your life and through your life!