Three passages help us understand that there is more to being a part of a specific group of Christians than just sitting in the pew once in a while. Paul reminds us that we are joining together, like a marriage. He teaches us to receive one another since Christ has received us. And he makes it clear that keeping company with someone named a brother involves serious responsibilities.

1. “Those
Inside
the
Church”

2. God
Light
Dark
Those who are in sin (darkness) are outside of God’s fellowship.
They are able to return to fellowship with God through the blood
of Jesus and belief and baptism.
Sinner

3. God
Jesus
Light
Dark
Those who are in sin (darkness) are outside of God’s fellowship.
They are able to return to fellowship with God through the blood
of Jesus and belief and baptism.
Sinner

4. God
Jesus
Believe &
Baptized
Light
Dark
Those who are in sin (darkness) are outside of God’s fellowship.
They are able to return to fellowship with God through the blood
of Jesus and belief and baptism.
Sinner

5. God
Jesus
Believe &
Baptized
Saint
Being obedient to the gospel, they are now in fellowship with God.

6. God
Jesus
Believe &
Baptized
“there were
added that day
about 3,000
souls”
(Acts 2.41)
On the Day of Pentecost following Jesus’ death, the Holy Spirit
chose to use the word “added” referring to this salvation.

7. “And the Lord
added to their
number”
(Acts 2.47)
God
Jesus
Believe &
Baptized
Twice!

8. God “dead in Christ”
(1 Thessalonians 4.16)
Jerusalem
Antioch
Corinth
God
Jesus
Believe &
Baptized
Added
Thayer says this Greek word means “to add, i.e. to join to, gather
with any company, the number of one’s followers or companions.”

9. God “dead in Christ”
(1 Thessalonians 4.16)
Jerusalem
Antioch
Corinth
God
Jesus
Believe &
Baptized
AddedClark comments that this word was used by Greek writers to
signify when cities, towns or provinces changed their masters, and
put themselves under another government.

10. God “dead in Christ”
(1 Thessalonians 4.16)
Jerusalem
Antioch
Corinth
God
Jesus
Believe &
Baptized
AddedClark continues saying that these 3,000 left the scribes and
Pharisees and put themselves under the teaching of the apostles.
More correctly, they put themselves under Jesus as Lord.

11. God “dead in Christ”
(1 Thessalonians 4.16)
So this is the picture of the church in a general sense.All those who
are saints are in fellowship with God. It’s like an extended family.

12. God “dead in Christ”
(1 Thessalonians 4.16)
Jerusalem
Antioch
CorinthThe blue circles indicate specific (or local) churches, like an
immediate family.These are those who have joined together to do
the work that God has given us.

13. What does it mean to
be a part of a specific
congregation?

14. Jesus never intended us to be absolutely alone, to make it
individually. Such feelings of isolation are dangerous. Remember
Elijah’s depression when he thought he was alone in serving God?

15. “adoption as sons”
Rather, we are adopted into a family.

16. “brethren”
And spoken of as brethren.

17. God
John (1 John 1.3, 7) speaks of us having fellowship with Christ and
therefore we have fellowship with one another.

18. God
What
does it
mean to
have this
relationship?

19. Paul in Jerusalem

20. Jesus
Saul
Saul is a saint and in fellowship with God.The Saints in Jerusalem are
also in fellowship with God and with one another. (Acts 9.26-28)

21. Jesus
Saul
Join
Saul wants to join this specific group of saints. Join is a very
important word in understanding this relationship.Thayer says that
it means “properly to glue, glue to, glue together, cement, fasten
together ...To join one’s self to, cleave to.”

22. Jesus
Saul
Join
When used of people, join is used in two other examples that are
instructive. 1) Joining to a prostitute vs. being joined to God (1
Corinthians 6.16-17); and 2) The marriage bond (Matthew 19.5;
Ephesians 5.31).

23. Jesus
Saul
Join
“a man shall leave
his father and mother
And hold fast to his
wife, and the two shall
become one flesh”
Ephesians 5.31

24. In Ephesians 5, Paul makes it clear that the marriage bond is very
similar to the bond between Christ and the church, describing it as
a “profound mystery.”

25. Jesus
Saul
Join
Looking back at Saul’s desire to “join” the saints in Jerusalem
teaches us that joining a specific church is not a casual relationship.
It is a meaningful, significant bond between brothers united in faith.

26. join
marriage
In marriage, a man and a woman become one flesh, united
physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally. It is a special relationship
between companions, helpers. It thrives when there is trust and
respect. So it is in the church!

27. A joined relationship is not casual. Would a marriage that is
neglected survive? If the only interaction in a marriage was a few
moments each week, how would that affect the marriage? What if
little or no effort is put into building or maintaining the marriage?

28. What happens when only one partner puts any work into the
relationship?

29. A successful marriage requires time, companionship,
communication, intimacy, forgiveness, prayer.

30. Joining a congregation is very similar.There is much more to it than
meeting in this building each week and sitting in the pews.We need
the help of each member. Like marriage: one flesh (Unity);
companionship; time; communication; intimacy; forgiveness; prayer.

31. Jesus
Saul
When Saul joined the saints in Jerusalem, they needed to know he
was a disciple; once joined he was “among them”!

32. The Church in Rome
Romans 14.1-3

33. “welcome”
ESV: uses the word ‘welcome’.

34. “receive”
Other translations use “receive.” That is “to take or receive into
one’s home, with the collateral idea of kindness; ... grant access to
one’s heart.” (Thayer).Welcome with open arms!

35. “receive”
Paul tells these brothers to receiver the weak brother.

36. “the one who
is weak in
faith, welcome
him”
Specifically, they are to receive the one who is weak in the faith, but
not to quarrel over opinions.

37. “the one who
is weak in
faith, welcome
him”
Why receive the “weak.” Those who are “strong” are often self-
righteous and judgmental about the “weak.” Instead of helping them
to overcome ignorance, we tend to berate.We fail to welcome.

38. Sometimes disciples (baptized believers) come among us but don’t
have same understanding as us. How do we treat them? Do we
attempt to brow beat them into agreeing with us?

39. Remember how Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18.24-26) helped Apollos?
They took him aside and taught him the way more accurately.

40. “Therefore,
welcome one
another as
Christ has
welcomed
you, for the
glory of God.”
—Romans 15.7
We need to receive one another
because God has received us.The
implication of this passage is that as
members of a congregation, we
need to be looking for
opportunities to help each other
when we are in need.

41. The Church in Corinth
1 Corinthians 5. Especially 9-13.

42. Jesus
Note expressions of congregation: among you (1, 2, 13); lump (6);
inside (13).

43. Jesus
Associate (keep company):“to mix up together” (Strong).

44. Jesus
2 Thessalonians 3.14 also uses “keep company”

45. Jesus Sexually
Immoral
Greedy
Swindler
Idolater
Sexually
Immoral
Paul clarifies that “associating” with the sexually immoral outside of
Christ was unavoidable.

46. Jesus
“brother”
But someone one named a brother who is guilty of sexual
immorality, et. al. they must not associate with.

47. Jesus
“brother”
“Named a brother” indicates that they recognized him as one who
was received into association with the church.

48. Jesus
“brother”“Named a brother” is not questioning whether he is a brother, but
points to one who is recognized as a brother. Note that this is
clearly an issue for a local congregation (“put away from yourselves”
v. 13).

49. Jesus Sexually
Immoral
Greedy
Swindler
Idolater
Sexually
ImmoralGod judges those who are outside.Those inside the congregation
must judge.Those who are evil must be purged from among the
congregation.

50. Jesus
Sexually
Immoral
Implications from this passage. 1.We need to have a clear
understanding of who is a part of us (“among you” and “inside”).

51. 2.“not even to eat with such a one.” Doubtful that this is referring
to the Lord’s Supper. Rather seems to point to social interaction.
Eating with one in sin may be understood as approval. Consider Acts
2.46.

52. 3. Judging one another is an important aspect of being a part of a
church.This may be one of the most difficult but the most
important aspects of being brethren.We need to truly care about
how we are doing spiritually.

53. Galatians 6.1: Spiritually mind restore brother overtaken in trespass.

54. 2 Thessalonians 3.6, 14-15

55. Jude 1.22-23: save others by snatching them out of the fire

56. Until we are willing to properly judge each other (out of love with
the intent of restoration) we are not really caring for each other. Be
careful that judgement is based on guilt, not suspicion, rumor, etc.

57. Point of lesson: being a part of a local church is not a casual
relationship.We must stop treating it casually.

58. Are YOU a member
of this church?

59. Are YOU a member
of this church?
really
⋀

60. Have you JOINED us?

61. Do we truly RECEIVE
one another?

62. Do we
keep company
with one another?

63. Are YOU a member
of this church?
How do you know?
How do we know?

64. Will today be the
day you decide to
go to heaven?

65. Lesson slideshows (with notes)
and audio can be found at:
www.churchofchristmiranda.com

66. Photo Credits: (All photos from istockphoto.com are copyright protected. Please do not use without permission.)
Congregation: http://www.flickr.com/photos/therenniefamily/1351900925/sizes/o/
in/photostream/
Man in desert: iStock_000007684767
Group of Children: iStock_000012629850
Wedding Couple: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aasgier/2921983054/sizes/l/in/
photostream/
Couple on Couch: iStock_000007871522
Father and Child: iStock_000008374197
Boys hugging: iStock_000006957778
Megaphone: iStock_000000650824
Family meal: iStock_000002368942
Gavel: 117048243_7cc6bb0b87_b
Father and Child: iStock_000003759763
Red Card: iStock_000012460686
Firefighter: iStock_000011790554

67. Fellowship with Man
The Church
#09
“Those Inside the Church”
Compiled and Presented by:
Dave Stewart
21 November, 2010
Las Cruces, NM
www.churchofchristmiranda.com
Synopsis: Three passages help us understand that there is more to being a
part of a specific group of Christians than just sitting in the pew once in a
while. Paul reminds us that we are joining together, like a marriage. He
teaches us to receive one another since Christ has received us. And he
makes it clear that keeping company with someone named a brother
involves serious responsibilities.
“Let all that you do be done with love.”
“Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright
© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”