"Wagon Train"
September 11, 2005

The Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 133
The New Testament Lesson: I John 1: 1 - 7

To teach people the foundation of fellowship and inspire them to commit to it

I.  The Concept of the church is to get everyone to the kingdom together.
   A. The caravan is part of the image of the church.
        1. As a youth pastor, I was in charge of a number of trips
            a. We often went places with the youth.
            b. We had to take several cars because of the size.
            c. Often, we had people driving who didn’t know the way.
        2. The solution was to drive in caravan.
            a. Keeping all the drivers together with a guide in the lead.
            b. I pride myself on being a conscientious guide!
            c. I learned how to do it the by making a mistake.
        3. One advisor had been to the camp several times.  He knew the way.
            a. Being young and inexperienced, I was happy to let him lead.
            b. He turned out to be a led-foot!
            c. He hit the highway doing 70 and then stepped on it!
            d. The caravan stretched out and then disintegrated!
            e. Everyone finally arrived, but not after some frantic phone calls.
        4. If you want to keep people together, you have to be very considerate of other people’s tendencies in driving.
            a. You have to keep everyone in your sight.
            b. You have to be willing to go slower than you really want to go.
   B. There is an important reason for caravans and wagon trains: safety!
        1. When people came out west, they traveled together.
        2. That improved their chances of survival greatly.
            a. carried more spare parts for wagons
            b. better food supplies.
            c. more firepower in case of attack.
   C. The church is called to travel in this same way

The Concept of the church is to get everyone to the kingdom together.

        1. For Some reason, God created us to live in community.
            a. That certainly wasn’t the only possibility.
            b. God could have designed us as solitary creatures, self sufficient.
        2. In God’s wisdom, however, we were made to depend on each other.
            a. we need the support of others to grow.
            b. We need relationships to mature.
            c. We not only need to be helped, but to help others as well.
        3. We can not be the creatures God designed on our own.

There is a very important truth about fellowship--

 II. The basis of our fellowship is purpose, not feelings!
   A. The people in every church have differences with each other.
        1. There are always people that you don’t like on a personal basis.
        2. There are people who disagree over issues of belief.
        3. God knows we have our differences.
            a. The larger a church, the greater the differences.
            b. In Utah, that is exacerbated because there are fewer Christians.
            c. The variety of beliefs and practices grows because we are thinner
            d. some churches break apart over these differences.
        4. There’s the fellow who was rescued after being marooned years.
            a. kind of a Robinson Carusoe, had built a comfortable spot.
            b. Rescuers asked him about his three buildings.
            c. That one’s where I live.  And that one’s where I go to church.
            d. “What about 3^rd?”  That’s where I used to go to church!
   B. We are called to hang together despite differences to achieve purpose
        1. I John addresses the love Christ asked us to nourish over all else.
            a. Talks about the depth of that love.
            b. describes it’s Spiritual origin.
            c. Let us love, not in word or speech, but in Truth and Action!
        2. To open his letter he talks about koinonia, translated fellowship.
            a. It is important to understand this concept.
            b. It is not talking about standing around and drinking coffee.
            c. This refers to an intimate sharing that engenders mutual concern.
            d. It means people being welded together.
            e. We grow so close that we feel what each person feels.
        3. The basis of this is anything but feeling, however!
            a. The church would not last very long if we depended on feelings.
            b. There are times when we really like our fellow church members.
            c. But there are plenty of times when anger rises to the surface.
            d. If we had the feeling of love as our glue, we’d disintegrate!
        4. We are bound together because of our joint connection to God!
            a. That’s what John tells us.
            b. We start with intimate fellowship (koinonia) with God.
            c. That koinonia then creates links to others who share it.
   C. We maintain connections so that we can achieve God’s purpose.
        1. We nurture the relationships we have in church.
        2. We challenge those relationships to grow deeper.
        3. To do this, we must risk rejection
            a. many are afraid to let people really know them.
            b. They are afraid they won’t be liked.
            c. We each know that we have less than likeable qualities.
            d. When people see us, will they still accept us?
        4. Some years ago, I was involved in a small group.
            a. One of the couples spent the first 5 weeks not saying a single word.
            b. I have never thought them to be shy, but they shared nothing.
            c. At week six, worried about there effect, I directed a question.
            d. The woman burst out in tears.  She wanted to speak but fear sealed her mouth!
            e. When the group ended, they said it was the most meaningful ever.

 III.  There are at least two major categories of purpose in fellowship.
   A. For us as individual Christians to grow into the likeness of Christ.
        1. I have spoken many times from this pulpit about transformation.
        2. Conversion to Christ is only the beginning of a process
        3. Once we’re Christians, God wants us to become like Jesus
            a. God wants us to become like Jesus in Character.
            b. And God wants us to become like Jesus in Action.
        4. Koinonia Fellowship advances both of those kinds of changes.
        5. Through people’s feedback, we see where we’re like Jesus and how we still have to grow.
        6. Those close relationships give us a place to Practice Jesus’ actions
    B. For the membership of the church to grow as more are included.
        1. People don’t join a church for it’s preaching, music or coffee cakes!
            a. They might start attending a church for those reasons.
            b. But they do not become part of the community (even if they join)
        2. People become members of the family because of relationships.
            a. They feel enfolded in the family.
            b. Have friends that they look forward to seeing on a weekly basis.
            c. They leave feeling support by a network of relationship.
        3. People become part of a church when they believe they’re part of a gathering!

      Friends, we can not be the people God intends us to be on our own.  The church was created to be people who consider each other family.  Those deep, koinonia friendships are what promote growth.  Deep fellowship is part of the direction we are heading.  We will be seeking to develop many different venues for people to grow closer together.  I hope you will keep you eyes open for opportunity to engage each other in meaningful ways.  My brothers and sisters, let us love one another, because love is from God!

And as you go from this place, may you walk in the way of Christ Jesus and May God always find you faithful!