For a CD of over 100 of sermons by Darrell Stetler II (most complete with handouts), please e-mail darrellstetler2@sbcglobal.net.
NOTE: The outline for this sermon, as well as many of the Scripture choices, are adapted from Rick Warren’s book "The Purpose Driven Life".
“How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when God’s people live together in harmony!” (Psalm 133:1)
Years ago, a popular song said,
“Come on people, now
Smile on your brother,
Everybody get together,
Try to love one another right now.”
The hippie movement made the “love one another” concept mainstream. But it was taught for thousands of years by the followers of Jesus Christ. Here’s what loving one another looks like in the Church:
***SHARE EXAMPLES OF LOVING ONE ANOTHER>
Today I’m sharing with you out of my heart. Because here’s what God’s been telling me in the past few days. He’s been telling me that we’re falling into “church as usual.” Here’s what I mean:
We come to church. We sit and sing and listen. We shake hands. We leave. We do it again next week.
Several of you have become Christians. But we’re not just here to start life with Christ.
The Christian life was meant to be shared. The Bible calls shared life “Fellowship.” Why do we need each other?
1. A church family identifies you as a genuine believer.
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35, NLT).
I can’t claim to be following Christ if I’m not committed to any specific group of disciples.
When we come together in love as a church family from different backgrounds, race and social status, it is a witness to the world. No one believer can be the Body of Christ on his own. We need others in order to fully express the shape God has given us. It is when we are together, not when we’re separated, that we are his Body.
“So now you are no longer strangers. . . You are members of God’s family.” (Ephesians 2:19, NLT) This is what God had in mind for you all along. Once you are no longer a stranger to Him, he planned to integrate you into LIFE TOGETHER with His church, His family. . .
2. A church family moves you out of self-centered isolation.
The local church is the classroom for learning how to get along in God’s family. It is a lab for practicing unselfish, sympathetic love. As a participating member you learn to care about others and share the experiences of others: “If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor” (1 Corinthians 12:26, NCV). Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the New Testament truth of being connected and dependent on each other.
Biblical fellowship is being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. God expects us to give our lives for each other. Many Christians who know John 3:16 are unaware of 1 John 3:16 (NIV): “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” This is the kind of sacrificial love God expects you to show other believers -- a willingness to love them in the same way Jesus loves you.
3. A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle.
No one will ever grow to maturity just by attending worship services and being a passive spectator. Only participation in the full life of a local church builds spiritual muscle. The Bible says, “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” (Ephesians 4:16, NLT).
Over fifty times in the New Testament the phrases “one another” or “each other” are used. We are commanded to love each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other’s burdens, forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted to each other and many other mutual tasks. This is biblical membership! These are the “family responsibilities” that God expects every believer to fulfill through a local fellowship. The question for you and I if we want to evaluate ourselves is, “Who are you doing these with?”
Your relationship with God is PERSONAL, but God never intended for it to be PRIVATE!
4. A church family gives you a way to make a difference.
God has a unique role for every believer to play in his family. This is called your “ministry,” and God has gifted you for this assignment: “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church” (1 Corinthians 12:7, NLT).
The local fellowship is the place God designed for his children to discover, develop and use their gifts.
When Jesus walked the earth, God worked through the physical body of Christ; today he uses his spiritual body. The church is God’s instrument on earth. We are not just to model God’s love by loving each other; we are to carry it together to the rest of the world. This is an incredible privilege we have been given together. As members of Christ’s body, we are his hands, his feet, his eyes and his heart. He works through us in the world. We each have a contribution to make. Paul tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)
5. A church family will help keep you from backsliding.
None of us are immune to temptation. Given the right situation, you and I are capable of any sin. God knows this, so he has assigned us as individuals the responsibility of keeping each other on track. The Bible says, “Encourage one another daily ... so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13, NIV).
“Mind your own business” is not a Christian phrase. We are called and commanded to be involved in each other’s lives. If you know someone who is wavering spiritually right now, it is your responsibility to go after them and bring them back into the fellowship. James tells us, “My dear brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back again, you can be sure that the one who brings that person back will save that sinner from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.” (James 5:19-20)
A related benefit of a local church is that it also provides the spiritual protection of godly leaders. God gives shepherd leaders the responsibility to guard, protect, defend and care for the spiritual welfare of his flock. We are told, “Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God” (Hebrews 13:17, NLT).
Satan loves detached believers -- unplugged from the life of the Body, isolated from God’s family and unaccountable to spiritual leaders -- because he knows they are defenseless and powerless against his tactics. He knows he can tempt them, and eventually, they’ll give in and backslide spiritually. If he works at it a little while, he can get them to reject their salvation, reject Jesus, reject faith. . . all because they’re not connected to a support system.
The Christian life is more than just commitment to Christ; it includes a commitment to other Christians. The Christians in Macedonia understood this. Paul said, “First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God’s will, they gave themselves to us as well” (2 Corinthians 8:5, TEV).
Once you become a child of God, joining the membership of a local church is the natural next step. You become a Christian by committing yourself to Christ, but you become a church member by committing yourself to a specific group of believers. The first decision brings salvation; the second brings fellowship.
This is Church as usual: We come, we sit, we shake hands and we leave.
This is NOT church as usual: We truly know each other. We are committed to each other. We show our love in practical ways to each other.
________________________
HANDOUT
________________________
Why Do We Need Each Other?
“How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when God’s people live together in harmony!” (Psalm 133:1)
The Christian life was meant to be _____________. The Bible calls shared life “Fellowship.” Why do we need each other?
1. A church family identifies you as a _____________________.
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my
disciples” (John 13:35, NLT).
“So now you are no longer strangers. . . You are members of God’s
family.” (Ephesians 2:19, NLT)
2. A church family moves you out of ______________________.
“If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if
one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor” (1
Corinthians 12:26, NCV).
“Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16, NIV)
3. A church family helps you develop _____________________.
“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” (Ephesians 4:16, NLT).
No one grows to maturity simply by _______________ _____________.
Over _______ times in the New Testament the phrases “one another” or “each other” are used. We are commanded to:
> love each other > pray for each other > encourage each other
> admonish each other > greet each other > serve each other,
> be devoted to each other > accept each other > honor each other
> bear each other’s burdens > forgive each other > teach each other
> submit to each other
This is biblical membership! These are the “___________ _________________” that God expects every believer to fulfill. The question for you and I is, “Who are you doing these with?”
Your relationship with God is ________________, but God never intended for it to be ________________!
4. A church family gives you a way to ___________________.
“A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church” (1 Corinthians 12:7, NLT).
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)
5. A church family will help keep you from _______________.
“Encourage one another daily ... so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13, NIV).
“______________________________” is not a Christian phrase.
“My dear brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back again, you can be sure that the one who brings that person back will save that sinner from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.” (James 5:19-20)
“Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God” (Hebrews 13:17, NLT).
“First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God’s will, they gave themselves to us as well.” (2 Corinthians 8:5, TEV).
