The Purpose of The Church- Fellowship Adapted from a Jeffery Anselmi sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?SermonID=60357

2. “Our purpose is to evangelize the lost,
to edify the saints,
and to equip God’s people for service.”
Last week we saw the first Purpose of the church
is Worship.
We must honor, glorify, and magnify God before
we can do anything else.

3. Remember the four basic questions we have to
answer as a church.
1. Why does the Church exist?
2. What are we to be as a church?
(Who and what are we?)
3. What are we to do as a church? (What
does God want done in the world?)
4. How are we to do it?

4. The way that we answer these questions will give
a context from which to function from as a church.
If we do not answer these questions, we will just
stumble around with no true purpose to what we
do.
What is one thing that people look for in a church?
What do you think draws people to a church?

5. The second purpose of the church we are going to
study is Fellowship.
In His book “The Body” Chuck Colson states the
following:
Surveys show that the number one thing people
look for in a church is fellowship. But what most
modern westerners seek is a far cry from what the
Bible describes and what the early church
practiced. No term in the Christian lexicon is more
abused than fellowship.

6. ESV

8. When you hear the word Fellowship, what do you
think about?
What is the first thing that comes to mind?
To some people fellowship means a warm
affirming “hot tub” religion that soothes our frayed
nerves and provides relief from the battering of
everyday life.

9. Sometimes we turn the social aspect of fellowship
into an end in itself.
We reduce fellowship to a good meal, or to the
time that we go places together anywhere from
shopping to going to retreats.

10. For some people fellowship means no more than
coming together for church events.
We meet in our “fellowship” hall.
The word in the New Testament literally means “a
communion”, a participation of people together in
God’s grace.
It means to have something in common. Common
participation in something either by giving what
you have to the other person or receiving what
they have.

11. It describes a community in which individuals
willingly pledge to share in common, to be in
submission to each other, to support one another
and bear one another’s burdens, to build up each
up in our relationship with Jesus.
ESV

12. SINGLE PURPOSE
ESV

13. PUT OTHERS FIRST
ESV
ESV

14. SHARING
ESV

15. Fellowship is a oneness of purpose and cause, a
setting aside of personal agendas.
It is a focused purpose.
If we have fellowship, it is based on the fact that
we live for and serve Jesus.

16. COMMON BELIEF
ESV

17. COMMON CAUSE
ESV
Notice that if we do not accept what the Bible
says about Jesus, we cannot have fellowship.
Notice that if we are not walking in the light, we
cannot have fellowship.
This is why Paul gives us a warning about not
being yoked together with unbelievers.

18. ESV
(BE LEE ILL)
(Belial is a reference to Satan NETnotes),

19. ESV

21. A person who claims Christ yet lives an immoral
life is not in fellowship with other Christians.
ESV
When you see that fellowship is a oneness of
purpose, mind, and life, do you feel that we have
fellowship at the Lindley Christian Church?
If you do not feel that we do what are you going to
do to fix it?

22. The reason that we have fellowship is to help
each one of us to grow in Christ.
We are to encourage each other to live for Jesus.

23. MSG

24. We are called to belong, not just believe, we are
not meant to live on an island.
What is the purpose of a healthy family?
To build up, to encourage, to equip.
If we are doing our job as parents, we are raising
our children in such a way that they have the tools
to make it in life.

25. ESV
ESV

26. We have fellowship so that we can grow together
in Christ.
We have fellowship with one another so we can
be there for one another.
We cannot help each other if we do not know
each other.

27. We cannot have true fellowship if we do not spend
time together.
We cannot help each other if we are afraid to
open up to one another.
Think of a relationship when you were willing to let
someone really get to know you, wouldn’t you say
you have been helped by this.

28. A basic human need.
People to live with.
Just think how hard it would be if you thought you
were the only one.
I have felt that way before.
It makes it tough.
We need that sense of community to help us
along the way.

29. Not only do we need people to live with, but the
church provides us a family for living.
Most of us need the encouragement of a family.
We receive an emotional benefit. Support.

30. ESV

31. We need the support of others.
What happens when God grants the gift of
genuine Christian fellowship?
Deep, joyful sharing replaces the polite prattle
typically exchanged by Christians on Sunday
morning.
Sisters and brothers begin to discuss the things
that really matter to them.
They disclose their inner fears, their areas of
peculiar temptation, their deepest joys. (Ronald J.
Sider)

32. Koinonia (fellowship) was Paul’s favorite word to
describe a believer’s relationship with the risen
Lord and the benefits of salvation which come
through Him.
On the basis of faith believers have fellowship
with the Son.
ESV

33. We share fellowship in the gospel.
ESV
ESV
This was the Philippians' joint-participation with
Paul in a common interest and activity, that of
preaching the gospel. (Wuest)

34. Believers also share together a fellowship with the
Holy Spirit which the apostle understood as a
most important bond for unity in the life of the
church.
ESV

35. ESV

36. I ask you again, do we have fellowship at the
Lindley Christian Church?
Our fellowship has to be based on our relationship
with Jesus.

37. Fellowship is an important purpose of the church.
It is one of the things that people will be attracted
to.
If the world doesn’t see a church that is one in
heart and one in purpose, they will not take us
very serious.

38. I want to challenge you as we look at the purpose
of the church to not just hear the messages, but to
purpose to think about how you can make these
purposes your purposes.