Sermon Tone Analysis

! Fellowship in the Kingdom Life                                                                                                    I John 1:1-4

*/Dan Brooks, Pastor                                                                                                     Morning Service, 2~/7~/05/*

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*Monday>*Carefully read I John 1 while looking for the word “fellowship.”

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*Introduction*:

                Praying for the Kingdom to Come.  (1)  God’s rule is the Believer’s first priority.

(2)  God’s will is the Believer’s first passion.

This priority and passion translates into all of life.

The rule and will of God should be the heart of our prayers.

We are to be people who pray for the Kingdom to come.

Worshiping in the Kingdom Life.

(1) The mercies of God are foundational to the Believer’s life.

(2) The mercies of God move us to worship with all of our life.

When God rules in our hearts and when we are living in the conscious awareness of God’s mercies toward us, something else begins to happen.

Acts 1:3 tells us that Jesus spent 40 days “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

The last thing we read in the book of Acts is that Paul, though under house arrest, is “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31, ESV).

If the Gospels introduce the Kingdom Message, then Acts unfolds the realities of the Kingdom work.

Look at Acts 2 with me and note that the Kingdom message begins to have a radical effect upon the citizens of Jerusalem.

Acts 2:42 states that one of the immediate effects of the Kingdom message at Pentecost is that it created a new culture, a gathering of people characterized by four things: /And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers/.

What is this thing called “fellowship”?

Is it comprised of the activities we typically refer to as fellowship?

Does it always include food or games or social interaction?

Is that fellowship?

And why do we actually have a part of our facility named “Fellowship Hall”?

The Scriptures will show us this morning that fellowship is something far richer and more spiritually significant than social interaction.

Jerry Bridges wisely and poignantly writes “the idea of fellowship as a term for Christian social activity utterly empties the word of its New Testament meaning.”[1]

Among all the things that the early church could have devoted itself to and along with doctrine, breaking of bread, and prayers, fellowship became paramount.

We need to know why.

To understand the foundation of fellowship, we need to turn to 1 John, p. 899 in your pew Bible.

*Tuesday*>Thoughtfully consider I John 1:1-3 and the other references in today’s portion of the notes.

*I.

**Fellowship originates in A Shared Relationship with Christ.*

A.      *Christ is the subject of our message (1:1-3a).*

1.       /that . . .

which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life; . . .

that which we have seen and heard/

a.

This is something that John states he and others have experienced with the senses of the body, sight, sound, and touch.

b.

What have John and others experienced?

c.        *John 21:24-25* (NKJV) /24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Amen./

d.

The life and ministry of Christ.

e.

The Word (Jesus Christ, the Son of God) is real!

2.       /declare we unto you/:

a.       ἀπαγγέλλω:  we tell you openly and frankly

b.       *1 John 5:13* (NKJV) /These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God./

*c.        **ἵνα**: for the purpose of . . .

*

1)       Think about this!

2)       John says, “You want to know why I have lived the way I have?

You want to know why I’m writing this letter?”

3.       Κοινωνία:  

a.

*Luke 5:10* /And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were *partners* with Simon.

/(A derivative form that speaks of those who have a share in the same business, shareholders in the same enterprise.)

b.       *Phil 1:5* /For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;/

c.        *2 Cor 6:14* /Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?

and what communion hath light with darkness?/

d.       *2 Cor 8:4* /Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of /[or participating or sharing in]/ the ministering to the saints./

e.        *Def*.:  a close relationship which develops as a result of something shared in common.

f.

This close relationship is what we call fellowship.

*g.       *“/koinōnía/ is a favorite term in 1 John for the living bond that unites Christians.”[2]* *

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*Questions*: What is the primary subject of your communication with other believers?

Are you purposefully communicating Christ to people you consider “partners” in the Christian life?

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*Wednesday*>What is the basis for the close relationship of which John is writing?

Give attention to I John 1:3 and the other references in today’s portion of the notes.

B.

*Christ is the substance of our fellowship (1:3b).*

1.       /Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ./

a.

This is not uncommon to the NT.

b.       *1 Cor 1:9* (NKJV) /9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the *fellowship* of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord./

c.        *2 Peter 1:3-4* (ESV) /3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become *partakers* of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire./

2.       *Point: *This is significant.

John seeks a relationship with these people exclusively through Christ.

a.       *2 Cor 5:16* “from now on we regard no one according to the flesh.”

b.       *Gal 3:28* (KJV) /There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus./

c.        *Acts 2* -- 17 people groups and maybe more, brought into intimate relationship because of Christ!

*d.       *The early Church prized their share in Christ more than they prized being Parthian, Mede, Elamite, Mesopotamian, Judean and Cappadocian, Pontian, Asian, Phrygian, Pamphylian, Egyptian, Libyan, Cyrenian, Roman, Jewish, Cretan and Arabian (*Acts 2:9-11).*

e.

A kingdom share in Christ eclipses every other distinction.

3.       *Point*:  Real fellowship cannot be found apart from Christ.

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*Questions: *What is the basis for your interactions with others?

Your primary subjects of conversation are indications of what you truly see as common points or shared experiences with others.

Outside of weekly times at church, what about your regular activities with others?

Are you trying to experience fellowship with people but apart from Christ?

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*Thursday*>Reread I John 1:1-4.

*II.

**Fellowship culminates in Full Joy.*

A.      *Real joy is dependent upon real fellowship**.*

1.       /that /or

a.

I write this in order that . . .

b.       2:1 . . .

that you sin not

c.        5:13 . . .

that you may know that you have eternal life.

2.       /our joy may be complete/