Deeper Life Bible Church, Aberdeen Sunday Message LOVE, UNITY AND FELLOWSHIP IN A TRUE CHURCH Ephesians 4:1-6,11-16

7 Conditions for Love, Fellowship & Unity in a True Church. The members must be; 1.Converted unto Christ 2.Captured by Christ 3.Cleaving unto Christ 4.Crucified in Christ 5.Crushed by Christ 6.Conquered by Christ 7.Conformed to Christ

3 Points 1. TRANSFORMING LOVE IN A LIVING CHURCH 2.TREASURED UNITY IN A LIVELY CHURCH 3.TRUE FELLOWSHIP IN THE LORD’S CHURCH

1. 1.TRANSFORMING LOVE IN A LIVING CHURCH John 13:34; 15:12,13; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 4:16-19; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Different kinds of love; 1.Love between God & His Children 2.Love between Christ & His Disciples 3.Love between husband and wife 4.Love between parents and children 5.Love among members of the church 6.Love between friends 7.Love for neigbours 8.Love for strangers 9.Love for our enemies 10.Love between the government & its citizens

2. 2.TREASURED UNITY IN A LIVELY CHURCH John 17:20,21; Judges 20:1; 1 Chronicles 12:38; 2 Chronicles 30:12-14; Nehemiah 8:1; Acts 2:46; 8:6; 15: Areas of our Unity; 1.Warfare against Corruption 2.The Will of Coronation 3.Worship in Conformity with God’s Word 4.Word of His Commandment 5.Welfare of the Congregation 6.Witnessing for sinners’ Conversion 7.Weighty, Controversial matters

3. 3.TRUE FELLOWSHIP IN THE LORD’S CHURCH Acts 2:40-47; Romans 12:10; 13:8; Colossians 3:16; Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 4:2; Hebrews 3:13; 1 Corinthians 12:25 Our A – Z responsibilities in True Fellowship; A – Admonish One Another B – Believe in One Another C – Care for One Another D – Develop One Another E – Exhort One Another F – Forgive One Another G – Grieve not One Another H – Honour One Another I – Identify with One Another

J – Judge not One Another K – Kind to One Another L – Love One Another M – Mentors One Another N – Nurture One Another O – Obey One Another P – Pray for One Another Q – Quarrel not with One Another R – Rejoice with One Another S – Serve One Another T – Tarry for One Another U – Unite with One Another V – Visit One Another W – Watch over One Another Y – Yield to One Another Z – Zealous towards One Another

Conclusion Joy is love exalted; peace is love in repose; long-suffering is love enduring; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love in school; and temperance is love in training. Dwight L. Moody Love is the beauty and the strength of all societies and the great pleasure of our lives on earth. John Bunyan For love is of God. He is the fountain, author, parent, and commander of love; it is the sum of his law and gospel: - Matthew Henry The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge. Our love to God is measured by our everyday fellowship with others and the love it displays. Andrew Murray To love someone is to identify with them. Aristotle

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. - Francis of Assisi But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:15,16) When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy. Corrie Ten Boom Aloneness can lead to loneliness. God's preventative for loneliness is intimacy - meaningful, open, sharing relationships with one another. In Christ we have the capacity for the fulfilling sense of belonging which comes from intimate fellowship with God and with other believers. Neil T. Anderson Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in. He attaches far more importance to godly intercourse than we do. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation. Charles Spurgeon

Heartprints Poem by Unknown Whatever our hands touch - We leave fingerprints! On walls, on furniture On doorknobs, dishes, books. There's no escape. As we touch we leave our identity. Wherever I go today Help me leave heartprints! Heartprints of compassion Of understanding and love. Heartprints of kindness And genuine concern. May my heart touch a lonely neighbor Or a runaway daughter Or an anxious mother Or perhaps an aged grandfather. Send me out today To leave heartprints. And if someone should say, "I felt your touch," May they also sense the love that is deep within my heart.