Total Others Series - Fellowship! & Romania Missions Report

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New Life COTR Sunday February 11, 2007
TOTAL OTHERS - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
INTRODUCTION: It’s great to be home! As you know we have chosen a theme to focus on for the first three months of the year. Each month is a different theme.
Last month we discovered what it means to be TOTAL GOD!
This month we’re going on a journey to discover what it means to be TOTAL OTHERS!
Why is the word TOTAL significant to us?
Ephesians 6:7- “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord not men.”
Deuteronomy 1:35,36- “Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”
With these verses in mind we can see the value of being TOTAL GOD! Now we will discover the value of being TOTAL OTHERS!
Four different places in the scripture we see this big idea of TOTAL OTHERS!
Genesis 12:2- “I will make you a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”
Abraham-The Father of our faith- TOTAL OTHERS
Luke 4:18,19- “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Jesus-The substance of our faith-TOTAL OTHERS
Acts 1:8- “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Disciples-They proclaimed the faith-TOTAL OTHERS
Acts 2:42- “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Early Church-They believed in the faith-TOTAL OTHERS
TRANSITION: Where do you find the idea of TOTAL OTHERS in the early church?
They were DEVOTED to FELLOWSHIP!
TOTAL OTHERS IS TOTAL FELLOWSHIP!
1John 4:21- “And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
“The person who loves God must also love other believers.”
Fellowship is loving God’s Family!
TOTAL OTHERS IS TOTAL FELLOWSHIP!
Loving God’s family is loving the church!
1Timothy 3:14,15- “Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
TOTAL OTHERS IS TOTAL FELLOWSHIP!
WHAT IS TOTAL FELLOWSHIP?
I. CHOOSING TO BELONG
Ephesians 2:19(LB)- “You are members of God’s very own family…and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.”
I choose to belong to something that’s greater than just me.
TOTAL OTHERS IS TOTAL FELLOWSHIP! I choose to belong!
Romans 12:5- (NIV)- “so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
Total Fellowship is choosing to belong.
TRANSITION: Total Fellowship is
II. LEARNING TO SHARE
Acts 2:44(LB)- “All the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other.”
Total Fellowship is choosing to belong and learning to share.
WHAT DO WE SHARE?
a. Our Experiences
Proverbs 27:17(NIV)- “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
b. Our homes
1Peter 4:9- “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
c. Our problems
Galatians 6:2(NLT)- “Share each others troubles and problems.”
TOTAL OTHERS IS TOTAL FELLOWSHIP. Total Fellowship is 1. Choosing to Belong 2. Learning to Share
Hebrews 10:25- “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together. Instead let us encourage one another.”
TRANSITION: Total Fellowship is
III. DOING MY PART
1Corinthians 3:9- “We are partners working together for God.”
Total Fellowship is Choosing to belong, Learning to Share and doing my Part!
Ephesians 4:16(NLT)- “The whole Body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow so that the whole Body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
When you do your part, you’re doing it for Jesus!
Matthew 25:40- “The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
TRANSITION: Total Others is Total Fellowship. Total Fellowship is 1. Choosing to Belong 2. Learning to Share 3. Doing My Part and
IV. LOVING BELIEVERS LIKE FAMILY
1Peter 4:8(NIV)- “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
1Peter 1:22- “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
Total Others is Total Fellowship. Total Fellowship is Loving Believers Like Family!
CONCLUSION: Remember Acts 2:42? They were “devoted to fellowship.”
Romans 12:10- “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Total Fellowship is 1. Choosing to Belong, 2. Learning to Share, 3. Doing my Part, 4. Loving Believers Like Family.
TOTAL OTHERS IS TOTAL FELLOWSHIP
1John 3:16- “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”
John 13:34,35- “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”