Building Together In Love.

Let us now study the fourth metaphor. We

don’t need a mule in solving family dispute. It is like being born into the family. There are only three ways to get into a family:

a. You are born into it.

b. You marry into it.

c. You’re adopted into it.

a & c Describes what we

call “ Born Again.”

Under Roman law in the New Testament times, you could disown a child that you birthed. But if you adopted a child, you were forbidden to ever disown them. I have two children. They didn’t always do what I wanted for them to do. At times, they did the exact opposite. However, no matter what they did, they would still be my children.

Folks, once you are born you cannot be unborn. Once you are born again, you cannot be unborn again. You can grieve our Heavenly Father, just like I probably did to my parents when I was growing up. The fellowship was broken at times. But nothing I did could ever cause them to disown me. Once you become a child in the family of God, you are in.

Rom. 12:5 So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Building Together in Love.

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Suggests:

l. Connection.

ll. Communion.

“Communion” – communion is the Old English word for fellowship.

2Co 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Koinonia can be translated

1. partnership – partnership with one another – even teamwork.

2. fellowship – fellowship with one another, excluding no other believer in Jesus Christ.

3. participation – mutual participation in each other’s lives.

4. sharing – sharing with one another.

Koinonia is the practical expression of self-giving love.

With real koinonia, you give in order to meet and support somebody else in their need.

Building Together in Love.

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Suggests:

l. Connection.

ll. Communion.

lll. Coordination.

FIND A PLACE IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD. ROM.12:5-8

NOTE: ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY 15 % OF CHRISTIANS ARE OVERWORKED WHILE 85% HAS NO WORK.

INSIGHT: ALL OF US HAVE ABILITIES.

CHALLENGE: DISCOVER THEM/ AND USE THEM FOR THE LORD. ROM.12:3-8

Illustration:

A young priest preached a sermon on the subject of Christian stewardship. Starting with the parable of the talents, he urged his people to place at God's disposal the gifts and abilities with which God endowed them. After the service, a man came up to him and said, "Father, I am not a particularly gifted man. I really don't feel capable of teaching in the Sunday school or canvassing for money or doing any of the other things that you talked about this morning. But I do have one talent that might be of use to the church."

"And what is that?" asked the priest.