What A Fellowship

LUKE 5:17-26

WHAT A FELLOWSHIP

DRIVING . . . SINGING THE WORDS TO A SONG BEING PLAYED OVER THE RADIO AIRWAVES. HALFWAY . . . SINGING THE WORDS TO THE SONG, I WAS NOT COGNIZANT OF THE WORDS I WAS SINGING (2X).

THE THOUGHT OCCURRED: HOW MANY THINGS ARE WE GUILTY OF SAYING, SINGING, OR DOING WITHOUT BEING COGNIZANT OF WHAT WE ARE SAYING, SINGING, OR DOING?

AFTER PREACHING . . .

TALKING TO YOU . . .

CHURCH TODAY . . . ROUTINE/HABIT.

WELL LEST THE SPIRIT OF LETHARGICNESS CREEPS INTO OUR CHURCH AND INTO OUR WORSHIP EXPERIENCE, IT IS MY ASSIGNMENT. . . DISECT . . .

I AM A PART OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED.

I – SUGGEST THAT ONE HAS MADE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO GATHER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD. A CONSCIOUSNESS THAT SAYS I NEED TO BE IN THE MIDST OF THE LORD, BECAUSE I NEED THE LORD, AND I WANT TO BE HERE, BECAUSE I NEED TO BE HERE.

DAVID – PSALM 122:1 “I WAS GLAD . . .”

“I AM A PART OF THE FELLOWSHIP” – NOT APART – SEPARATELY, DIVIDED INTO PIECES, BUT A PART – WHICH MEANS TOGETHERNESS/TEAMWORK/UNITY. IT MEANS HAVING AN UNDERSTANDING THAT TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK. BEING A PART ENTAILS HAVING A MINDSET “THAT WHILE SERVICE WON’T BE STOPPED BECAUSE OF ME, I DON’T WANT IT TO START WITH ME NOT THERE.” BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND, I’VE BEEN CALLED FOR A PURPOSE AND THAT I HAVE A PURPOSE.

PAUL – CORINTH (I COR. 12:14) “NOW THE BODY IS NOT MADE UP OF ONE PART, BUT MANY.”

HEAD, FEET, HANDS, EARS, EYES, NOSE, ARMS, LEGS. PAUL SAID IN VERSES 21-25, EACH PART NEEDS WHAT ANOTHER PART BRINGS. SOMEONE IS DEPENDING ON YOUR SMILE . . .

PAUL WENT ON TO SAY, THE DIFFERENT PARTS HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO WORK TOGETHER BY KNOWING THEIR INDICIDUAL PURPOSE . . .”

PAUL WHEN TALKING ABOUT BEING A PART OF SOMETHING STATES IN VERSE 26, “IF ONE PART SUFFERS, EVERY PART SUFFERS WITH IT. IF ONE PART IS HONORED, EVERY PART REJOICES WITH IT.”

TOE EXAMPLE . . .

LIKEWISE, BEING A PART MEANS . . . GOING THROUGH – DON’T BOAST – COULD BE YOU. LIKEWISE – BLESSED – DON’T HATE - COULD BE YOU.

NEIGHBOR – I HOPE YOU DO MAKE IT, BECAUSE YOU COULD BE ME (2X). IN FACT, I’M GOING TO HELP YOU MAKE IT. BECAUSE WHEN YOU MAKE IT, YOU BECOME A TESTIMONY TO ME, THAT I TOO CAN MAKE IT.

THAT’S WHAT THESE MEN IN OUR TEXT UNDERSTOOD.

V.17 (READ) . . .

IT’S ONE THING TO BE SOMEWHERE AND YOU’RE NOT COGNIZANT OF WHY YOU’RE THERE, BUT IT’S ANOTHER THING, TO BE AT THE RIGHT PLACE WITH THE WRONG MOTIVE.

PHARISEES – WHERE A SELF-RIGHTEOUS, HYPOCRITICAL JEWISH SECT MOTED FOR THERE STERN OBSERVANCE OF RITES/TRADITIONS . . .

LUKE 14 – JESUS HEALED A MAN OF THE SABBATH . . .

PHARISEES/SCRIBES (SCHOLARS) WHERE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, BUT WITH THE WRONG MOTIVES. BUT, BECAUSE LUKE IS A PHYSICIAN . . .

-PHY-SI-O-LOGICAL

-PSY-CHO-LOGICAL . . . NEGATIVITY . . .

HE QUICKLY ADDS THAT WHILE THE PHARISEES/SCRIBES WERE PRESENT WITH WRONG MOTIVES, THERE WAS NO NEED TO WORRY – POWER OF THE LORD WAS PRESENT ALSO. THE HOLY SPIRIT/PARAKLETE WAS PRESENT. I DON’T CARE WHO MAY COME TO CHURCH FOR THE WRONG REASON, AS LONG AS THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IS HERE, SOMETHING GOOD IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THESE BROTHERS KNEW THAT AND MADE UP THEIR MINDS THAT THEY WOULD LET NOTHING/NO ONE KEEP THEM FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SAINTS WHO GATHERED TO WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT/TRUTH.

V. 18 – THESE BROTHERS CARRIED THEIR PARALYZED FRIEND ON A MAT AND TRIED TO TAKE HIM TO JESUS VIA THE DOOR.

V.19 – BECAUSE OF THE CROWD, THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, BUT NOT DETERRED.

IS THERE ANYBODY HERE THIS MORNING THAT MADE UP YOUR MIND LAST NIGHT, THAT I DON’T CARE WHAT I HAVE TO DO TO GET TO CHURCH TOMORROW, I’M GOING TO BE THERE.

CALL

EARLY – GET UP

BUS TRANSFERS . . . I’M NOT GOING TO MISS THE MOVE OF GOD.

LOOK, WHAT THESE BROTHERS DID:

FOUGHT THEIR WAY UP THE EXTERNAL STAIRS – ROOF. CARRYING THEIR FRIEND AND HIS MAT, WHILE BOLDLY DECLARING “HE IS NOT HEAVY . . .”

TORE UP THE TILE ON THE ROOF, BROKE UP THE BRANCHES, WITHTHIS ONE THOUGHT IN THEIR MIND. THE SAME JESUS THAT CAN MEND OUR FRIEND, CAN PUT THIS HOUSE BACK IN ORDER . . .

LOWERED THEIR FRIEND, DOWN THROUGH THE ROOF AND SITAUTED HIM ON HIS MAT, BOLDLY AND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF JESUS. LET US BOLDLY APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE AND THE MERCY SEAT OF GOD.