Sermon Tone Analysis

Living Together

Living together, we are starting into a new series on the subject of living together.

In the church you often read “fellowship together.”

And today and for the next few weeks we will look at life as we live and fellowship together.

(Living together-1 picture)

In our society today when you hear the phrase “living together” it is mostly equated to a couple who are living together outside of wedlock.

It is a nice way of not addressing sinful behavior isn’t it?

According to the US Census Bureau 10 years ago, and I’m sure the numbers have increased since there were 12 million people who were living together, cohabitation and there were over 6 million of those who were raising families outside of being married.

As we start this series entitled “Living Together” we are going to be looking at the joys and yes even sometimes the sorrows of our living together as Christ family, as the church.

What we do in our life together as the church.

Living together in the church (Act2:42)

Devoted: (adj) very loving or loyal; to be given over to, to display, study or discussion of a subject

Bible Definition: to give up or appropriate to or concentrate on a particular pursuit, occupation, purpose, cause, etc.: to devote one's time to reading. to appropriate by or as if by a vow; set apart or dedicate by a solemn or formal act; consecrate: She devoted her life to God

Living together as the church (Act4:32-35)

One heart, one soul, all things were common property, so as no one was in need.

(living together-2 picture)

We then also will be looking at:

Living together as the exampled church

Where this couple looks like they are enjoying life, eternal life is at risk, is it not?

I think we can all agree we are a “word” church; we are simply Christians studying God’s word together.

We give much emphasis to the apostles doctrine, and to the breaking of bread (Lord’s Supper) as well as to prayer, but how much emphasis does the church in general put into fellowship (living together as the exampled church)?

I am not saying we lack, or do not lack in this area of fellowship, in living together, but how we fellowship can directly impact others that may come through the doors by invitation or by intervention by God.

I think we can all learn to grow more in may areas of our Christian walk.

Like the plan of salvation has certain things to believe, certain things to do, we can see in the Act2:42 passage there are certain things they were devoted to, that got emphasis.

Are we practicing these things like the exampled manner of the early church?

This morning as we start this series, using the light of the scripture to lead the way, I hope we can come to have a greater appreciation and understanding on the importance of fellowship and the application of it as the Bible speaks of it.

We will focus on

The potential problem

Reason for the potential problem

Freedom from the potential problem.

Potential problem

As the early church grew there were problems that started to arise.

There was disunity over fellowship, who was in, who was to be out and the like.

As the church grows today there is a potential problem of disunity by different thoughts and the like.

May we not lose our identity of being simply Christians.

(Trained observer picture)

What if a trained observer walked in to see us, to make an analysis of us as a church, what would they see?

A body of believers who welcomes all people?

We know this is contrary to many for even in Jesus day they wanted things a certain way and were only willing to accept people that saw and did things they way they did.

A warm and inviting congregation that makes them feel at home and comfortable

This too can be contrary to many for an assortment of reasons

We do have potential for problem in living together to make it about “us” and not about “all men” which is God’s will as it says in (2Pt3:9)

How would this trained observer see our interaction, our fellowship outside of the assembly?

Would we be a people who walk our faith talk Monday-Saturday just as much as on Sunday?

Would we be loyal followers of Jesus who are consistent in our following?

How about outreach to others in the community and our community involvement?

I will say that we do amazingly well in these areas, of course there is room to grow.

The potential problem is when we continue to grow numerically that we can loose the unity that is inviting to all people, the warmth for all so that they feel welcome and invited.

We don’t want to lose what is helping us to grow in the first place in our life together do we? - I know it’s a rhetorical question.

How about how well do we really know each other outside of the assembly?

Do we know each others families, cares, concerns?

Do we as a body of believers spend time together outside of the assembly?

The first century church did.

Are we are congregation that loves to fellowship together (Act2:46)?

I know how busy our lives can be and are.

I am aware I’m comparing ourselves to the 1st century church who too had a busy life, but look what they had:

One mind

They broke bread together (shared meals together)

Were in each others homes

Not only were they doing it, they were doing it with sincerity of heart.

Are you contemplating these things, are you a little uncomfortable when you do?

Ouch, I’m stepping on my own toes here for I have to allow God to work on and in me in some of these areas.

Thus far I have primarily focused on the trained observer, the outsider the potential believer and not taken into account the believer too much as of yet.

May I press on?

Reasons for potential problem

There are some reasons for the potential problems of fellowship, in living together, as the church.

Author, James Thompson in his book “A fresh look at Christian Fellowship” referenced a church survey that was done and here are some of the results.

A great majority of the church members knew only a small percentage of the people on a personal level.

Those who gathered were mostly an anonymous group of believers in churches over 100 members

Members were not truly willing to carry the burdens for one another, they thought that was the job of minister or elders.

Isn’t that what they are paid to do?

Members expressed little interest in involvement in other members lives outside of the assembly or a church event.

Worship is for their own spiritual gain, own spiritual growth and not to add to and to help others to grow.

Overall in the survey that was done it showed that the churches consisted of members who were “self-centered” and therefore there was very little fellowship of any sort taking place.

Again, let me emphasis that I am not suggesting that we have the same problem here, but we do have the potential for that problem here.

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Potential problem is allowing self-centeredness, selfishness to slip into our assembly of being simply Christians studying God’s word “together.”

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(Identify the problem picture here)

We need to look at the identity of the potential problem.

Most of us have lived, and survived the:

Me decade (70’s) where self-love, self anything was in.

Drugs and alcohol were growing as a way of escape.

It was the time where people were turning to philosophies rather than to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This was also the time of “I’m OK and You’re OK,” with a focus on self-awareness and transcendent meditation and yoga.

Rebelling against authority was on the rise and people were looking out only for number 1, themselves.

Then came the 80’s the “greed decade.”

Yep, God almighty was replaced by the almighty dollar.

Man was looking for ways to move up by their efforts instead of looking up to See God and His ways of eternal prosperity vs the temporal that the dollar could bring.

This is the “keeping up with the Jones’s” generation.

In our society today we are very mobile.

Children grow up, move away, and for the most part, do not return.

Families are mobile and move from place to place and new people move in but they are not locals and oftentimes are not accepted (i.e.

how well do we know our neighbors).

Technology age, we have even gone from the bag phones to cell phones, from MySpace to Facebook, Twitter, Snap chat all great ways we can stay in contact with one another, keep contacting even the masses, but it looses the personal touch, we lose a persons feelings, emotions, and, we lose relationship and replace that with acquaintance and that may even be stretching it.

Technology today has made it where you can go to church without going to church even.

You can go to a live stream or YouTube.

You can do studies, you can even give your offering all from the comfort of your easy chair.

Understanding: We have a potential problem regarding lack of understanding of the scripture and what it says about “fellowship together.”

Without fellowship we are missing out on the blessings, richness, fullness of our life in Christ now.

Society seems to nourish and feed self-centeredness, selfishness in a large part we lose our community and fellowship with one another and that impacts our life together as believers.

God’s Word and God’s design for our life together, our living together has a different approach and solution to the potential problem.