Fellowship of the Ring

Fellowship

Intro

Our missions statement “help them to identify with other believers” why is that in there?  Why would that be so important that we made it foundational to who we are as a ministry?

Fellowship or living in Community is one of the legs of the three-legged stool.  How could it be so important?

We are going to try and answer some questions like:  Does it really matter if I attend all the time?

The Bible doesn’t say you have to go to church to be a Christian does it?

New Creation…what about the old stuff?

2 Corinthians 5:17(NLT) "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!"

When God saves us we become a new creature.  If you have truly been born again, it is like looking at the world as though you were blind before, but now everything is so clear and bright. 

But you are also in some ways like a new born baby…helpless, ignorant of how to grow and mature, etc. 

What about the trappings of the old life?  Remember the story of Lazarus?  Dead…Jesus called him out of his death…was reborn, but helpless?

John 11:43-44(NLT) "Then Jesus shouted, “ Lazarus, come out! ” And Lazarus came out, bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “ Unwrap him and let him go! ”"

He came out…but he was stuck.  Needed the help of others.

In the same way new Christians need our help, because they are leaving an old way of life behind…sometimes even losing all their old friends because they don’t have the same things in common anymore.

New community, new way of living.

But not just for new Christians…believers can get lazy or distracted and start slacking.  Why is it so important that we just simply come and relate with each other?

1 Corinthians 12:12-13(MSG) "You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive."

That oneness not only gives us purpose and identity, but it also gives us strength!

Strength!

Hebrews 10:25(MSG) "not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."

Why “as the Day approaches”  why throw that in there...cuz we will need all our strength.  No Lone Ranger Christians…no Rambos or Rockys…all of us as One Body.  Jesus said “I will build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it”  Nothing can stop us if we are united in His Presence!

John 17:11-12() "For I’m no longer going to be visible in the world; They’ll continue in the world While I return to you. Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life That you conferred as a gift through me, So they can be one heart and mind As we are one heart and mind.”

Who you hang with DOES matter!

You can’t expect to soar like an eagle when you are constantly hanging around a bunch of turkeys.  Now certainly we have a ministry and outreach to “turkeys” who can’t fly yet, but it is not to be our place of residence or identity.

Show me your friends and I will show you your future!

Those who are going rafting this weekend are going to get a big fat dose of fellowship, and will come back stronger in the Lord than when they left.

1 Peter 2:4-5() "Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God."

Altar/Summary

One of our main objectives in Forerunner is to create Christian fellowship…a new identity or community that people can attach themselves to once Jesus has set them free. 

In the movie you see a group of people that are commissioned with a cause.  There is a spiritual enemy that is constantly attacking, but ultimately it is the sin in the hearts of others

“true friends”

True friends don’t just tell you what you want to hear.

True friends will chase you down and fight for you when you are self-destructing.