FACE TO FACE #2: FELLOWSHIP IN JESUS
INTRO TO TOPIC: We are living in a social networking generation.
We can’t allow online social networking to take the place of real world friendships
• New depression today – no new friends to want to be friends with on Facebook.
OPENING TEXT:
“So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11).
• God created us to have deep and healthy relationships where we speak face to face.
THE BIG IDEA: God has given us the antidote for loneliness and broken relationships: Fellowship with one another in Jesus Christ.
KEY TEXT:
“Then one of them asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:35-40).
JOKE:
My daughter’s third-grade teacher had assigned the children to write a story titled "My Biggest Surprise." Not until the end of the school year did we see Marina’s work. It read: "I got up this morning and I ran into Mommy and Daddy’s bed and hopped in. But it wasn’t Mommy at all. It was Mrs. Del Campo!"
What her essay neglected to say was that we had called Mrs. Del Campo late at night to stay with our children while I took my wife to the hospital to have our third child.
• Relationships can be surprising – but rewarding if you put in the work!
BIBLE STORY – IN THE BEGINNING:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1).
“Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion.” (Gen. 1:26a).
• In the beginning, God made Adam and Eve in His image and placed them in the Garden.
“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Gen. 2:15-18).
• They had only one command: “Don’t eat the fruit!”
• In the Garden, they had a perfect, intimate relationship with God and one another.
“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (Gen. 2:25).
• Everything was very good: No sin, no guilt, no shame, and no brokenness!
• ILLUSTRATION: They had an open, intimate relationship with God and one another.
BIBLE STORY – THE FALL:
“1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ’You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ’You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Gen. 3:1-10).
• What caused the fall of man? When they disobeyed God – they sinned – it destroyed their relationship with God. This ultimately affected their relationship with one another.
• When we sin – rebel against God – it leads to guilt, which damages our relationship with God, which leads to shame and affects the way we think about ourselves.
• This caused them to hide from God and cover themselves from seeing each other.
“And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." And the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."” (Gen. 3:11-13).
• Sin – rebellion – leads to guilt, then shame, fear, hiding, cover-up, and ultimately playing the “Blame Game.”
THE SOLUTION:
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7).
• What is fellowship? A bunch of fellows in the same ship. Sharing our lives in Jesus.
10 OF THE ONE ANOTHER’S OF THE NEW TESTAMENT:
1. Love ONE ANOTHER John 13:34
2. Honor ONE ANOTHER Rom. 12:10b
3. Accept ONE ANOTHER Rom. 15:7
4. Share the Troubles & Problems of ONE ANOTHER Gal. 6:2
5. Be kind and tenderhearted to ONE ANOTHER Eph. 4:32a
6. Forgive ONE ANOTHER Eph. 4:32b
7. Comfort… with God’s Word ONE ANOTHER 1 Thess 4:18
8. Encourage… daily ONE ANOTHER Heb. 3:13
9. Confess your sins to… (accountability) ONE ANOTHER James 5:16a
10. Pray for ONE ANOTHER James 5:16b
CLOSING TEXT:
“Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up…Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
• God said, “It is not good that man should be alone.”
• He created us to get involved in one another’s lives as His family.
CHALLENGE:
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25).
• We can’t love, honor, accept, help, forgive, comfort, encourage and pray for one another if we don’t meet together with one another!
• Let’s make a commitment to walk in fellowship with one another!
BENEDICTION: “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thess. 3:16).
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
