Sermon Notes
Pastor Jeff Stanfill

"The Power of Fellowship"
July 17, 2006 - AM Service

THE POWER OF FELLOWSHIP
TEXT: ECC. 4:9-12
INTRO:
Last week we took Ecc. 4:9-12 and turned it inside out to see the dangers of isolation or living our lives without any significant connections to others. These dangers are especially real for believers who are not significantly connected to other believers.

But this text when turned right side out reveals to us the power of fellowship. But what is fellowship? Is it a euphemism for a social gathering? Is it a Christian version of a wild party? Is it something that only involves food?

Fellowship is the sharing together of the life of God in such a way as to sense a belong to one another. God has joined us together. That joining is shown by water baptism and the Lord's Supper. Those are two means of displaying that we fellowship in the life of God together.

But we often need the sense of belonging. Ray Stedman a few decades ago spoke of this for his times. I find that he still speaks to our times. "Here is where the problem lies with many churches today. There is unity, there is a oneness of spirit, but there is no experience of it in the soul. It is quite possible to come to church and sit together in the pews, united in a physical presence with other Christians, to sing the same hymns and listen to the same message, and relate to God individually, but to have no sense of body life, no sense of belonging to one another. It is possible to come week after week, year after year, and never know the people with whom you worship. When that happens there is no unity in the soul. This is what our younger generation today, in desperation, is trying to tell us. "There is no soul in your services," they say to the church at large, "there is no sense of oneness. You don't belong to each other. You may belong to God, but you don't belong to each other." That is what is lacking today, and what the early church so wonderfully possessed."

Before we come later to experiencing this fellowship, we are going to further build the case for it; to further entice us to join in it.

The power of fellowship is four-fold. We will discover from this revelation of the Word of God that this power is:
I. SYNERGISTIC. (4:9)
1. Synergy refers to what happens when two or more people join together with the results being far more than what any one of the individual people could accomplish along. This happens around us every day. I'll show you what this means in a common way. Go into the Honeybees class and watch for a few weeks. The children in there are individually cute, active, and energetic. But when you put them together, you get a synergy that creates a room of chaos if no teacher is present. They do more together than if you had them one-on-one alone. ILLU: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were one of the greatest comedic teams in history. But when they decided to go with solo careers, neither achieved lasting stardom to the level they did together.

2. Synergy is not a modern pop culture idea. It is a human reality that is even revealed in the Bible. When Israel fought her enemies together, they had increased results. Lev 26:7-8. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. While Exxon-Mobil, Dow, Microsoft, etc. know this, for believers there is an added degree other associations cannot experience. Josh 23:9-11. "The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10 One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11 So be very careful to love the LORD your God.

3. If you have a problem as a believer and you bring other believers into your situation with their prayer, wisdom, and spiritual giftings then you will be victorious by the power of God experienced in the synergy of fellowship.

II. SUPPORTIVE (4:10-11).
1. The Bible commands believers to carry each others burdens (Gal 6:2). ILLU: Our house plumbing problem addressed with the support of our neighbors. Their light-hearted comments and teasing made the work not only lighter but more enjoyable. I didn't mind it taking longer than expected because I knew when the job was done they would leave. And I was enjoying their company. They could not do much of the work physically but they were supportive.

2. Have you not appreciated the support of a brother in Christ who helped you with a car repair? A sister in the Lord who helped clean the house? A fellow church member who painted a room, packed boxes for storage, any thing that needed to be done? How much more appreciative have you been when a card arrived in the mail during a trial of your faith? Or a phone call that came when you were most discouraged? Or during prayer time at the Men's fellowship a brother put is hand on your shoulder and you heard him pray for you? Relay teams run quicker than individual runners. A relay team covers 1500 meters more quickly than any one runner can accomplish it. You and I will walk more the way God intends with the support from fellowship with other believers.

III. SECURING (4:12a).
1. Dangers lurk at every turn in life - as well as the straight a ways! For the believer there are the dangers of deception and false doctrines; there is the often onslaught of an enemy of demonic spirits just as real as any terrorist; there are the dangers of discouragement and despair; there is the danger of our own sinful nature that will betray us at any opportunity.

2. Not only are we given weapons that are supernatural and effectively powerful for overcoming these, we are given the fellowship of comrades-in-arms to protect us with their watchfulness, warnings, accountability, prayers, and friendship. It has been observed that David was more secure having Jonathan as a friend; Moses was more secure with Aaron by his side; Paul was made bold with Barnabas and Silas (all we know of Silas was that he traveled and ministered with Paul. But we may never have heard of Paul if it were not for Silas). Jesus sent His disciples with another disciple. The sad truth is that Lone Rangers never get to Heaven. The dangers along the trail overcome them for no one is there to help in the defense.

IV. STRENGTHENING (4:12b).
1. Three young men were abducted from their homes and carried out of the country. Countless others were taken and never heard from again. It was simply the time and location in which these young men lived. These three, if not for having one another, may never have had their story told. There talents and exceptional character were quickly recognized by their captors. Forced to learn the ways of their enemy, these three determined not to lose the way of their God.

2. It was their loyalty to their God that brought them into danger - life threatening danger. The leader - the king - of their captors demanded not just their service but their souls in worship of himself. Dan 3:16-18. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

3. From where does strength like this come? Is it summoned from within? Is it gained through hardship? Perhaps. But it certainly is gained through fellowship. These three stood true because they stood together. The strength you and I need to endure tests, to persevere through trails, outlast suffering is administered to us through the fellowship with other believers.

CONCL:
There is power in fellowship. Not the fellowship of others but the fellowship of other believers. In fact, fellowship among believers is understood to be a means of God's grace in our lives.

Yet there is no fellowship like the fellowship between a believer and his or her Savior.

Synergism: When we are in fellowship with Jesus and no walls are between us and God, our life is more than the length of days. Our life is richer, deeper, fuller than without Him.

Supportive: When your walk with God becomes more like a plodding than a trotting, the Holy Spirit comes up along side us and whispers to us as the paraclete. He reminds us of the Lord and Savior that awaits us in eternity. People once talked about the woeing of the Holy Spirit. It was reference to the Spirit's work of enticing us in our love for God. Are you weak? Fellowship with Jesus through the Spirit and be made strong!

Security: The only time I am concerned about where I stand with God is when my fellowship with Jesus is distant, neglected, or resisted. ILLU: A wandering sheep grazing on grass off the path.

Strengthening: ILLU: Grandmother getting B-12 shots to perk her up. What is the cure for your weakness? Fellowship with Jesus! God has given us one another but no one replaces Jesus.

Is something or someone replacing Jesus in your life?

Are you distant from Him today?

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!