Adapted from Rick Warren’s 40 Days of Purpose
Intro:
We’re continuing in our series on 40 Days of Purpose. Recently, Adelina Dominguez died in San Diego. Now, what made her death noteworthy is that according to the Guinness Book of Records, she was the oldest living American. At 114 years of age, she outlived all of her children and some of her grandchildren. When she was asked the secret of her longevity, Associated Press reports she gave all the credit to God and to His plan and purpose for her life, quote, "I knew God had a purpose for my life."
Notice this verse at the top of your outline, Hebrews 2:10, would you read it with me. "God is the one who made all things, and all things are for His glory. He wanted to have many children share His glory." God wanted a family. That’s why we’re here. He wanted children. And the Bible says He planned everything in the entire universe so we could be born, so we could share in His glory, so we could be part of His family.
Look at the next verse. “His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ." The entire Bible, this entire book, is the story of God building a family. That’s what it is all about. It’s why we have History, because God is building a family for Himself that is going to last not just here on earth, but forever and ever and ever in eternity. It is an eternal family. You were made to last forever.
The second purpose of your life is found in this next verse…..
“Love your spiritual family!” 1 Pet. 2:17b (Msg)
That’s the second purpose of your life. You see, God says I want you to learn to love the people in your family. Why? Well, there are several reasons. Your physical family is going to eventually fall apart. In fact, many of them fall apart here on earth. But your spiritual family is going to go on forever. It will last forever and ever and ever. And so you’re going to spend more time with your spiritual family than you do with your physical family. God wants you to learn to love them.
Now, why does He want us to learn to love them? Well, two or three reasons. First, it makes us more like God, because God is love. Second, he wants His children to learn to get along together. Are any of you parents? You know, you usually want your kids to get along with each other. And number three, it’s practice for eternity. One of the things you’re going to do in heaven, in eternity, is you’re going to love God. And the other thing you’re going to do is you’re going to love the other believers that are there. It is going to be a place of love. So God says, “I want you to practice now learning to love other believers.” So would you write this down,
MY 2nd PURPOSE IN LIFE IS FELLOWSHIP.
“The person who loves God must also love other believers.”
1 John 4:21 (GW)
Illustration:
Conversation…… different levels
FELLOWSHIP is loving God’s Family.
“I’m writing… so you’ll know how to live in the family of God.
That family is the church...” 1 Tim. 3:14-15 (NCV)
The church is the family of God, not a building…..
FOUR LEVELS OF FELLOWSHIP
LEVEL 1: MEMBERSHIP: CHOOSING TO BELONG
“...You are members of God’s very own family... and you belong
in God’s household with every other Christian.” Eph. 2:19 (LB)
You know, you hear some people say, “Well, I’m a Christian, but I don’t want to belong to any church.” That just doesn’t make sense. The church is where you live out what it means to be a Christian. That’s like saying, “I’m a football player, but I don’t want to be a part of any team.” It doesn’t work. That’s like saying, “I’m a tuba player, but I don’t want to be a part of an orchestra.” A tuba player without an orchestra sounds pretty funny. That’s like saying, “I’m a bee, but I don’t want to be a part of a hive”; a soldier without a platoon. A Christian without a church family is an orphan. God meant us to be a part of a family.
“In Christ we who are many form one Body, and each member
belongs to all the others.” Rom. 12:5 (NIV)
“This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were
baptized. Each of us is now a part of His resurrection Body.”
1 Cor. 12:13 (Msg)
“That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we
are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when
we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of
Jesus.” Rom. 6:3 (Msg)
LEVEL 2: FRIENDSHIP: LEARNING TO SHARE
“All the believers met together constantly and shared
everything with each other.” Acts 2:44 (LB)
• OUR EXPERIENCES
“People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron.”
Prov. 27:17 (TEV)
• OUR HOMES
“Open your homes to each other.” 1 Peter 4:9 (NCV)
Fellowship only takes place in the small group. And that’s why the Bible says open up your homes to each other. That’s where you really get to know people. Did you know in the first 300 years of Christianity, there were no church buildings? All church meetings were held in homes. All of them. There were no buildings. And that, by the way, was the fastest period of growth for the church.
One of the reasons we keep saying, “Go get in a small group” is because that’s a Biblical principle. Christians are supposed to meet in homes. I read an article the other day. It says they discovered one of the reasons why the sense of community is not very strong in suburban areas. They say, you know, people live next to their neighbors for years and never even know them. They said one of the major culprits is automatic garage doors.
Because when you come home, you open up the garage door; you pull in; you close it and walk in your house without ever seeing your neighbor. Before there were garages (and that was before World War II) people actually had to park outside and walk across a big lawn. Nobody has a big front lawn anymore. And so you can see people and you spend a lot of time seeing them, but you don’t see them any more. You can drive in and leave, go to and from your house and never see your neighbors. So that’s why the Bible says, “Open up your homes.” Do it intentionally.
• OUR PROBLEMS
“Share each other’s troubles and problems.” Gal. 6:2 (NLT)
“Let us not give up the habit of meeting together. Instead,
let us encourage one another...” Heb. 10:25 (TEV)
LEVEL 3: PARTNERSHIP: DOING MY PART
“We are partners working together for God.” 1 Cor. 3:9a (TEV)
“The whole Body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does
its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the
whole Body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
Eph. 4:16 (NLT)
“Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are
members of my family, you did it to Me.” Matt. 25:40 (NRSV)
LEVEL 4: KINSHIP: LOVING BELIEVERS LIKE FAMILY
“...they were like family to each other.” Acts 2:42a (CEV)
“Be devoted to each other like a loving family.” Rom. 12:10 (GW)
“We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for
us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian
brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16 (NLT)
“Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that
you are My disciples.” John 13:35 (LB)
“You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Gal. 3:26 (NLT)
