Growing in God 4

Christian Foundations
4. Disciplines of Faith

Lesson Overview
1. Fellowship
2. Witnessing
3. Giving
4. Serving

Fellowship
Are these examples of biblical fellowship?
1) A cell group goes hiking together for three days. During
that time they talk about nature, work, and church.
2) A group of friends sit together in church on Sunday. After
church they go out for coffee and share a fun evening
together.
3) A men’s prayer group gets together to watch the soccer
world cup final. They share a braai afterwards.

THE MEANING OF FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship

The Meaning of Fellowship
The Greek word koinōnia
has two meanings:
1) Partnership: sharing
a task
2) Fellowship:
sharing your life

has two meanings:
a task
2) Fellowship:
sharing your life
1 Thessalonians 2:8
We loved you so much
that we were delighted to
share with you not only
the gospel of God but our
lives as well, because you
had become so dear to us.

has two meanings:
a task
2) Fellowship:
sharing your life
Definition
Fellowship is sharing your
life with other Christians
in intimate and
invigorating friendship in
which you meet each
others’ social, emotional
and spiritual needs.

THE MOTIVE FOR FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship

The Motive for Fellowship
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may
spur one another on toward
love and good deeds. Let us not
give up meeting together, as
some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one
another—and all the more as
you see the Day approaching.
Motivations
• Spur on
• Love
• Good works
• Encouragement

THE MEANS OF FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship

The Means of Fellowship
The chief command,
love one another, is
fleshed out in a host of
specific one another
scriptures.
• The chief command
is to love one
another.
• The supporting
commands tell us
how to do it.

The Means of Fellowship
• Bear with one another
• Do not lie to one another
• Pray for one another
• Build up one another
• Be merciful to one
another
• Be kind to one another
• Forgive one another
• Instruct one another
• Serve one another
• Accept one another
• Honour one another
• Be devoted to one
another
• Do not judge one another
• Live in harmony with one
another

THE MECHANISM OF FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship

The Mechanism of Fellowship
The local church
is God’s chosen
instrument in
which we are to
build these kinds
of relationships.

THE NEED FOR WITNESSING
Witnessing

The Need for Witnessing
The church is the
only organisation in
the world that exists
primarily for the
benefit of those
who are not yet
members.
Winning the world is
the primary mission
of God. Therefore,
bearing witness is
ultimately the
church’s greatest
responsibility.

The Need for Witnessing
Matthew 28:19-20a
Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations,
baptizing them … and
teaching them to obey
everything I have
commanded you.
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit
comes on you; and you
will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.

THE FEAR OF WITNESSING
Witnessing

The Fear of Witnessing
Remorse for sins
Ability to answer
Expect to fail
Fear of rejection
R
A
E
F

THE STYLES OF WITNESSING
Witnessing

The Styles of Witnessing
1. Radical: confronting unsaved people boldly and
directly with the gospel, calling for response
2. Rational: using rational arguments to challenge
the unsaved to believe in Jesus Christ
3. Relational: developing a friendship with
unsaved people so that you can draw them to
Christ

THE METHODS OF WITNESSING
Witnessing

1. Lifestyle: ‘Show me that you are redeemed and I will
believe in your redeemer’ (Nietzsche, atheist).
2. Experience: ‘Our task is to live our personal
communion with Christ with such an intensity as to make it
contagious’ (Paul Tournier).
3. Gospel: And how can they believe in him if they have
never heard about him? And how can they hear about him
unless someone tells them? (Rom. 10:14-15, NLT)

L E G
The three methods are like
the three legs of a stool. All
three are necessary but not
sufficient. If one leg is
broken, the whole stool is
broken.

Reasons for Giving
Questions
1. Why should we give?
Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two
masters. Either he will
hate the one and love the
other, or he will be
devoted to the one and
despise the other. You
cannot serve both God
and Money.

Reasons for Giving
Questions
He calls us to give more
for the good of our souls
than for the needs of the
church. We need to give
because we have
idolatrous hearts, and
generous living protects
us against the idol called
‘the love of money’.

Reasons for Giving
Questions
Two key reasons
a) We give because we
love God.
b) We give because we
love others.

Reasons for Giving
Questions
2. How much should
we give?

Guidelines for Giving
1. We should give systematically
2. We should give regularly
3. We should give proportionately
4. We should give generously
5. We should give sacrificially
6. We should give cheerfully
7. We should give trustingly

Reasons for Giving
Questions
2. How much should
we give?
3. To whom should we
give?

Recipients of Giving
1. Give to your
local church

1. Give to your
local church
2. Give to advance
the gospel

1. Give to your
local church
2. Give to advance
the gospel
3. Give to brothers
in need

Serving
Quotable
Many Christians want
to do great things for
God—save the world,
raise the dead, die for
Christ.
Questions
1) Is spiritual ambition a
good thing?
2) Do you have any spiritual
ambitions?
3) If so, how to you plan to
realise them?

Serving
1. The desire to do great
things for God is
righteous.
1 Timothy 3:1
Here is a trustworthy
saying: If anyone sets his
heart on being an
overseer, he desires a
noble task.

Yet many of the same Christians,
who desire to do great things for
God, never do anything significant
for him.
Why not?

Serving
things for God is
righteous.
2. The willingness to be
nothing in God is
necessary.
Philippians 2:5-7
Your attitude should be the same
as that of Christ Jesus: Who,
being in very nature God, did not
consider equality with God
something to be grasped, but
made himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness.

Serving
1) The desire to do great
things for God is
righteous.
2) The willingness to be
nothing in God is
necessary.
Quotable
Most people wish to
serve God—but in an
advisory capacity only.

Serving
things for God is
righteous.
nothing in God is
necessary.
Adolph Monod
‘Between the great things
that we cannot do and the
small things that we will
not do, lies the danger
that we shall do nothing’
(Adolph Monod).

Serving
things for God is
righteous.
nothing in God is
necessary.
3. The path to great
exploits starts with
menial service.
Scriptures
• Mark 10:35-45
• Luke 16:10
• John 13:1-17
• Matthew 25:21
• 1Timothy 3:6

Serving
things for God is
righteous.
nothing in God is
necessary.
3. The path to great
exploits starts with
menial service.
Principle
Just as there is no physical
power without exercise,
so too there is no spiritual
strength without service.

Serving
During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past
a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier. Their leader
was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them.
Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, ‘Sir, I am a
corporal!’ The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to
help the exhausted soldiers. The job done, he turned to the
corporal and said, ‘Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this
and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and
I will come and help you again.’ The man’s name … George
Washington.

Summary
If we are to grow in God, we must have these
foundational practices in place:
1. We fellowship regularly
2. We witness faithfully
3. We give generously
4. We serve sacrificially

Growing in God 4

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Growing in God 4