Cross Creek Community Church, Pastor Dave Martin January 17, 2010

“Fellowship”

‘Crossing Into Victory’ Series Part 3 of 5 ~ Eph 3:12-21

 

• Good morning… Welcome to Cross Creek… please turn to Proverbs 2:7-8… (page 450 in seat Bible)
• If you only have 30 days to live… What changes would you make in your life?
• No one wants to be defeated… playing softball, super bowl, fighting the great enemies during WWII, Korea, Vietcong, Terrorism, facing insurmountable obstacles today…  we want to live victorious
• Yet so often victory seems to elude many Christians today… living defeated lives, lack of joy, confusion, dismay, unproductive lives… Feeling like the enemy has a “stronghold” built into our lives…

 Proverbs 2:7-8 ⁷ He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, ⁸ for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

 

• We read verses like these and wonder… this may be true for some but not for me… defeated thinking
• I believe it’s extremely important to get our thinking going in the right direction for VICTORY…

·         If you could change something in your life to cross into spiritual victory, would you? Fellowship…

 

I.       DREAM (Connect, Grow)

• I believe the first step is to DREAM of what could be… catch a vision of what God could do thru you
• 10 years ago God got a hold of my heart and gave me a vision/dream of what ONLY He could do…
• Very difficult but I was obedient to His leading and planted a new church called Cross Creek…
• Very meager beginnings… we stayed faithful & obedient to His Word and God brought the victories
• Catch the vision of what could be with the Lord… DREAM BIG for your life… Living with NO Regrets…

 

Ephesians 3:20-21 ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

• Why can’t God build and grow a great church?  Why can’t God save souls and mend broken lives?
• He can and He’s doing just that throughout Cross Creek and you are a part of it… a BIG DREAM…
• DREAM how God can do greater and greater things through you and Cross Creek…

 

• God is a Big God who is able to do amazing things in your life IF you will allow Him to be LORD…
• We must put on our spiritual eyes of faith… begin to DREAM in a new spiritual dimension… in FAITH
• Living with NO REGRETS… Living in Victory… NOT according to your ability and power (we have none)
• BUT begin living in God’s POWER working in you… You must begin to DREAM of what ONLY God can do!

 

 

 

II.     Dream, CONNECT, Grow – How do we connect?

• First we Dream God has a perfect plan for your life… if you believe that the next step is to CONNECT
• Connection is like plugging an appliance into an electrical outlet… DEAD until it’s CONNECTED to power
• Many Christians today are living Dead, Defeated lives… it’s time you get CONNECTED or RECONNECTED

 

1.   First, we MUST CONNECT With Jesus

·         Often when we speak of Jesus, God, Bible, Holy Spirit, or church… we get nervous, uneasy…

·         That’s because we have a SIN problem… we broke God’s rules and we stand guilty before Him

·         Jesus, God’s perfect sinless Son came into the world to sacrificially die for your sin…

Ephesians 3:12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

·         Through Jesus we get CONNECTED with God (POWER) producing FREEDOM & CONFIDENCE

·         BUT, you personally must turn and trust Him alone to save you… Connect & be born again!

 

·         As a Christian we can become “tired” trying to live out my Christian life… HOT/COLD - YoYo

·         Seemingly one constant struggle after another… WHY?  Perhaps you’re NOT ABIDING in Christ

·         Your will is being done NOT His… living a barren, fruitless Christian life – defeated, weak, sad…

 

John 15:4-5 ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

·         We’re POWERLESS alone, we must remain/abide “meno”– tarry, endure, stay Connected

·         As we RECONNECT with Jesus we WILL begin to live victoriously in our Christian lives…

 

 

2.   First we Connect with Christ, Secondly we MUST CONNECT With Church

Hebrews 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. NLT

·         Jesus said, I will build MY CHURCH and the gates of HELL WILL NOT OVERCOME it.

·         Church offers us much for our spiritual growth, yet often neglected… Bible studies, outreach…

·         Jesus died for His church… a hospital for sinners, a place to love and be loved…

·         Cross Creek is the church of the “broken toys” where Jesus mends us back to health…

·         Sign up on our website for CLASS 101 “Discovering Church Membership”…  CONNECT

 

 

3.   Thirdly we MUST CONNECT With One Another

There are 50 “One Another” “allelon” Commands in the New Testament… ONLY accomplished through connection through Christ +local church - “reciprocal” means mutually shared… united…

·         Jesus desires all believers to be functioning effectively as members of His body, the church

·         I believe the primary supporting command is LOVE… Love God & Others. (Mt 22:37-40)

 

John 13:34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another…

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another…

Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you…

Romans 15:14 “…competent to instruct one another.”

Galatians 5:13 “… serve one another in love.”

1 Thess 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…

Hebrews 10:24 “…may spur one another on toward love and good works”

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

 

·         I need you… you need me… we need each other… Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!

Mutual ministry to one another!

 

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

·         The early church is our model for today… Mutual ministry to one another…

·         Believers were devoted to Apostles teaching and to THE FELLOWSHIP of the church/body

·         DREAM, CONNECT with Christ, the Church and One Another…  in Fellowship… (Title)

·         Fellowship – two fellows aboard a ship… together going to the same destination… HEAVEN!

·         FELLOWSHIP within the local church context is ESSENTIAL to CROSSING into VICTORY…

 

Key Thought is to Connect in Fellowship…

o   Relationship – Common Faith  - we all share in Christ - “Koinonia” is always used in a spiritual sense

§  Relationship of sharing horizontal plain because of our common vertical relationship with Christ

§  Relationship describes what we are… community of believers bound together, new life/blessing

1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

 

o   Partnership – Common Purpose – In Christ we are automatically co-partners in reaching the world

§  Partnership describes how we are to relate to each other in that relationship… Goals…

§  Working together in a common objective for God’s glory as we strive to seek & save the lost

Luke 5:7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

Philippians 1:27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel

 

o   Companionship – Common Communications – Communion that exists together through relationship

§  Sharing, exchanging of concepts, feelings, ideas, information, needs, burdens with one another

§  Communicating on a spiritual level… Vertically with the Lord & Horizontal with other believers

§  “The” Fellowship – def article ‘ho’ is something we do, ACTIVE participation in THE fellowship

§  Entails assembling together, communicating, sharing truth, prayer, encouragement, listening 

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

 

o   Stewardship – Common Management of Time, Talents, Treasures – manages property of another

§  ALL that we have in reality belongs to God… requires a steward be found faithful (1Co 4:1-2)

§  Fellowship is being wise to manage our lives well… privileges, responsibilities, T, T, T…

§  No man is an island, we cannot function effectively by ourselves… we need each other

§  Every believer is important and essential to the proper function of the church / reaching world

Ephesians 5:15-17 ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 1 Timothy 6:18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

 

III.    We DREAM, We CONNECT, We GROW

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.

Acts 2:46-47 ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

 

How do we fulfill what God desires for us?

How can we defeat our common enemies and cross into Victory? 

How do we have the kind of fellowship that encourages, edifies, and serves one another? 

 

Connect in a Small Group and GROW!

·         Small groups is where we can experience Fellowship “Koinonia” in its fullness… with one another!

·         Small groups where we share common faith, purpose, communications, management of T,T,T…

·         As we grow larger we MUST grow smaller to connect spiritually on a deeper level…

 

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

·         This is ministry to one another, small group leader facilitating the group…

·         God’s perfect plan for spiritual growth… connecting with Christ, Church, One Another in small groups

 

Romans 12:4-5 ⁴ Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. NLT

·         Get that truth, we’re many individual in the church BUT we all belong to one another!

• I asked earlier, If you only have 30 days to live… What changes would you make in your life?

 

New Life Groups beginning week of Feb 1^st… Sign up TODAY in the Lobby or on our Website!