Deeper Life Bible Church, Aberdeen Sunday Message FELLOWSHIP AND UNITY AMONG THE BRETHREN I Corinthians 12:12-27

3 Points 1. UNITY AND INTERRELATIONSHIP OF MEMBERS OF THE BODY 2.HUMILITY AND INTERDEPENDENCE OF ALL MEMBERS AND BELIEVERS 3.USEFULNESS AND IMPORTANCE OF EACH MEMBER OF THE BODY

1. 1.UNITY AND INTERRELATIONSHIP OF MEMBERS OF THE BODY I Corinthians 12:12,15-17; 10:17; Romans 12:4,5; Galatians 3:26-28; Proverbs 20:12; Revelation 4:11; Romans 9:20; Judges 1:2,3; 2 Samuel 10:11. Seven enablers of true Unity; 1.Repentance & Faith in Jesus Christ – Acts 20:21 2.Reconciliation & Restitution towards God & man – Job 20:18 3.Righteousness & Holy living – 1 Thess.2:10 4.Relationships of Christlike love – 1 Cor.13:4-7 5.Rudiments of God’s word – Acts 17:11 6.Right attitude towards one another – Phil.2:3 7.Revival & Prayer – Acts 4:30-34

2. 2.HUMILITY AND INTERDEPENDENCE OF ALL MEMBERS AND BELIEVERS I Corinthians 12:18-21,25,26; Romans 12:3,10; Philippians 2:3-7; I Corinthians 15:9,10; 3:6-8; Numbers 10:31,32; Job 29:15; Acts 22:10 Our F-E-L-L-O-W-S-H-I-P entails; F – Forgive one another – 2 Cor.2:7 E – Exhort one another – Heb.3:13 L – Love one another – John 13:34,35 L – Lean on one another – 1 Cor.12:21 O – Obey one another – Col.3:20-22 W – Watch over one another – 1 Cor.16:13 S – Serve one another – Gal.5:13 H – Honour one another – 1 Pet.2:17 I – Identify with one another – 1 Cor.12:15 P – Pray for one another – James 5:16

3. 3.USEFULNESS AND IMPORTANCE OF EACH MEMBER OF THE BODY I Corinthians 12:22-24; Ecclesiastes 9:13-16; Matthew 12:20; I Samuel 30:11-19; Proverbs 11:12; Isaiah 49:7,8; Romans 12:15,16; 2 Corinthians 10:12. What are the benefits of true fellowship? U – Unction of God’s power – Psalms 133 S – Supply of all needs – Phil.4:19 E – Exploits in God’s Kingdom – Dan.11:32 F – Fruitfulness and growth – John 15:16 U – Unlimited possibilities – Mark 11:22 L – Liberty and total freedom – John 8:32,36

Conclusion Humility is the secret of fellowship, and pride the secret of division. (R.C. Chapman) The diversity of the Church is a God-ordained means of bringing the fellowship to oneness, but unless each diverse member recognises and accepts his part in the whole body, diversity will divide rather than unite, destroy rather than build up, bring discord rather than harmony, and result in self-serving rather than self-giving. J. MacArthur There is no such thing as solitary Christianity. – John Wesley We have been born for mutual help, like the feet, like the hands, like the rows of upper and lower teeth. To act in opposition to one another is therefore contrary to nature. – Marcus Aurelius God has created us, re-created us, placed each of us in His Body exactly where He wants us to be, and equipped us to be exactly what He wants us to do. Those who live in the Lord never see each other the last time. German Proverb

The Church As a Team The story is told of a horse-pull in Canada. One horse pulled 9,000 pounds, another 8,000. Together you would expect them to pull 18,000 pounds. Not so! When teamed together, they pulled 30,000 pounds. The principle is called synergism. By definition, the simultaneous action of separate agents working together has a greater total effect than the sum of their individual efforts. More can be done in a team effort than can be accomplished solo. In order for the principle of synergism to work like it should, there has to be teamwork. Everything we do takes teamwork and trust. Every person in the local church is valuable and needed. The church is a team, and together we can build for the Lord. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. (1 Corinthians.12:12,18)