Lighthouse Baptist Church
and Christian Academy

The first level is, "Choosing to belong," making the choice to belong. That's the most basic level.

That means you find a church family and you choose to get connected to it.

You are members of God's very own family and you belong in God's household with every other Christian.

Ephesians 2:19

You belong.

The Christian life is not just a matter of believing. It is matter of belonging, and you and I must choose to belong.

Fellowship begins with belonging, with making that choice. God wants you to identify to make the choice to be a part of His family.

When you were born, you automatically became a part of the human race. But you have to choose to belong to the family of God, the church. It is a choice. It is a membership choice.

Some people say "Well, I'm a Christian, but I don't want to belong to any church." That just doesn't make sense. The church is where you live out what it means to be a Christian.

Example

1. That's like saying, "I'm a football player, but I don't want to be a part of any team." It doesn't work.
2. That's like saying, "I'm a tuba player, but I don't want to be a part of an orchestra." A tuba player without an orchestra sounds pretty funny.
3. That's like saying, "I'm a bee, but I don't want to be a part of a hive"; a soldier without a platoon. A Christian without a church family is an orphan. God meant us to be a part of a family.

In Christ we who are many form one Body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Romans 12:5

This is the point!
If you want to grow, if you want to see God at work in your life, you have got to join a body.

We need to attach ourselves to a group of believers, where we say, "I want to be a part of what's going on there."

Jesus loves the church. And you and I need to have the same kind of love. Jesus calls the church the "body." We need to have that same kind of respect for it, to recognize what it means.

1. What if I said to you, "You know, I love you, I just can't stand your body"? How would you feel about that? The church is Jesus' body. He loves the church. The church is the bride of Christ.
2. What if I said, "I love you, but I can't stand your wife," how would you like that?

You and I need to have that same kind of love for this body by deciding - I'm choosing to belong.

There is a symbol of this that we belong together - a picture that God gives us. It is called "baptism." Baptism is the picture that we belong together in the body of Christ.

This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized. Each of us is now a part of His resurrection Body.

1 Corinthians 12:13

It's a public way of saying, "I am part of a group of believers and I am excited to belong."

Romans 6:3 says it this way: "That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus."

So baptism is a public way of saying together we're proclaiming - We died to an old way of life; we're living to a new way of life.

The First Level is choosing to belong.

Learning to share.

You see, you were created in God's image. So you were made for relationships.

The Bible says, "It is not good for man to be alone."

In other words, we were made for each other. Life is not a solo act. And you need friends.

All the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other.

Acts 2:44

Notice two things:

1. You can't develop friendships without meeting together; and
2. You can't develop friendships without sharing.

Now, the more frequently you meet together, the closer you're going to get.

Do you ever see some people that have really deep friendships; they have long-term friendships, 20, 30 years, something like that. And you go, "Man, how lucky." You're kind of a little envious.

How lucky they are to have a deep friend like that. It's not luck at all. It's a choice. You choose to develop friendships by making time for them.

Do you know why most people are lonely? They don't make time for friendships.

1. They are too busy achieving;
2. They are too busy working;
3. They are too busy doing other things.
4. They are not willing to put the time into it.

You have to meet together. You have to get together.

And until you start saying this is going to be a priority in my life, you're not going to develop any deep friends. They don't just happen.

So what are we supposed to share?

1. The Bible says we're to share our experiences.

The Bible says people learn from one other "just as iron sharpens iron." Have you ever heard of that phrase "it's wise to learn from experience?"

Well, it is wise to learn from the experiences of other people, because you don't have time to make all the mistakes yourself.

Example

You see, if everything you learn in life you learn personally by trial and error, you're going to go through a lot of problems unnecessarily and about the time you figure it all out, you're dead.

You don't have enough time to learn everything on your own.

Nobody knows everything. The fact is: we're all ignorant, just on different subjects.

1. So you know some things I don't know and
2. I know some things you don't know.
3. The person next to you knows some things neither of us knows.

And the Bible says that you can learn from anybody if you just learn to ask the right questions.

Think of all the wealth of knowledge sitting here right now in this church family in this service, and how much we could learn from each other if we just spend the time to get together.

2. The Bible says we're to share our homes.

open up your homes to each other.

I Peter 4:9

It doesn't say if they are really nice ones, open them up. It just says open them up. They don't have to be really nice. It just says open up your home.

Why does God say that? Why are we to share our homes?

Because you cannot fellowship in a crowd

You can only fellowship in a small group or one on one.

We're not going to do any fellowshipping here today. It's impossible to fellowship with this many people.

1. We can worship together.
2. We can celebrate together.
3. We can learn together. But no fellowship will take place in this service.

You're going to walk out of here not knowing anybody better than you do right now.

Fellowship only takes place in the small group. And that's why the Bible says open up your homes to each other. That's where you really get to know people.

Did you know in the first 300 years of Christianity, there were no church buildings? All church meetings were held in homes. All of them!

There were no buildings. And that, by the way, was the fastest period of growth for the church.

One of the reasons we keep saying, "Go get in a small group" is because that's a Biblical principle. Christians are supposed to meet in homes.

Now, some of you thought that was what was going to happen when you went to a small group the first time. The Bible says we need to learn to share.

And where do we learn to share? Not in a big group like this, but in a small group. That's why you are really not going to feel a part of the Lighthouse family until you get in a group.

3 We're to share our problems.

We're not meant to face our problems alone.

Share each other's troubles and problems.

Galatians 6:2

You know when you share a joy, it is doubled; and when you share a problem, it is cut in half?

Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.

Romans 12:15

Sometimes in a small group you die of laughter and sometimes you're all shedding a tear. Why? Depends on what is going on in your group during the week.

You don't have to fix everybody's problem. God hasn't told you to do that. It just says share them. This means lend a listening ear. You don't have to fix it. In fact, a lot of times, trying to fix a problem doesn't help.

It's just sitting there and going,

1. "Boy I feel for you,"
2. "Been there,"
3. "I understand,"
4. "That's tough." You know, and it is just sharing sympathy and experience.

NOTE: you're never going to go to this second level of fellowship until you get into a small group.

Let us not give up the habit of meeting together. Instead, let us encourage one another.

Hebrews 10:25

The primary purpose of a group is to encourage each other. And it says, "Don't give up the habit.

I hope you'll never give up this habit some of you are starting for the first time this 40 days, because you're always going to need encouragement.

Now, some of you you tried a group and to be honest with you, you didn't feel like you really fit. So what do you do? Just try another one! Okay? Don't give up.

Partnership is doing my part.
Partnership is realizing that I've got a contribution to make; that the family of God needs you.

Listen, God did not bring you to Lighthouse to sit and soak in some spiritual spa. That's not why you're here.

He brought you here to serve.
He wants to make a difference through your life.

In every family there are family responsibilities

You divide up the chores, being part of that family, as you do your part, you do your part, and you do your part.

This is a Christian family, God's family. And every one of us has a part.

The Bible is filled with the fact that you and I are to work with one another in getting this job done.

There are 58 times in the New Testament the Bible says we do it with one another.

1. We serve one another.
2. We love one another.
3. We pray with one another.
4. We have to put up with one another when we're doing all of this. That's how it works together.

This is love in action. Not just in words. You see, it is great to share your heart, that's level two. But it is even greater to do your part. That is what level three is all about.

We are partners working together for God.

1 Corinthians 3:9

We're partners working together for God. Paul once wrote to some people and said "we're partners spreading the good news of Christ everywhere."

In Greek, the word "fellowship" is often translated "partnership."

But in order to be a part, you've got to find your niche, you have got to find out, "Where do I fit, how I do I fit?"

The Bible tells us we all have a niche.

Ephesians 4:16 says "The whole body is fitted together perfectly." This is God's job; he does this. "...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."

"each part" That's you, that's me.

We are a part of God's body. And it is working together that we get things done.

You have a part to play. You have a part to play in the Body of Christ. And when we cooperate, we get more done together than we could ever get done by ourselves.

There is an attitude, a heart attitude that is key to me, to you, to all of us, that we're doing it for Jesus Christ.

Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are the members of my family, you did it to Me.

Matthew 25:40

The deepest level of fellowship in the family of God is what I call "Kinship." Now, kinship is an old term. We don't use it much anymore. In fact, when I say "kinship" or "kinfolk," some of you think of the "Beverly Hillbillies".

But that's not what we're talking about.

Kinship literally means:

1. Your closest relationships.
2. Your closest family.

That kinship - you might write this down - the deepest level, is loving believers like family; treating and loving believers like they're family.

They were like family to each other.

Acts 2:42

God says "Well, we're not just like a family; we are a family."

Be devoted to each other like a loving family.

Romans 12:10

The word for fellowship in the Bible is the Greek word "koinonia." And the basic root literally means being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ; that is the deepest level of fellowship.

That is family relationship.
That is kinship.
That is saying I'm at the level of being willing to sacrifice for you.

We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And we ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.

1 John 3:16

This is the deepest level of fellowship; sacrificing for each other.

It's the kind of love Jesus Christ had for you. He died for you.

How do you get to this deepest level?

1. You do it by standing with other believers when they are going through a crisis.
2. When everybody else walks out, you walk in; you're there for them in the tough times.

Friends, this is what life is all about,
loving God and
learning to love each other.

If you miss this, you have missed the purpose of your life and I pity you. Because life is not about accomplishments. It is about relationships.

Loving God, that's called "Worship," and loving each other, that's called "Fellowship."

John 13, Jesus said, "Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

It wasn't too long after Jesus said this that the Roman Empire was throwing Christians to the lions in coliseums. They weren't very hospitable to Christians for several hundred years. They were putting them up on stakes and burning them and they were crucifying them and throwing them to lions and all other kinds of things. And in that period of time, one of the most famous secular historians, not a Christian, wrote this about Christians: "Behold, how they love each other."

You see, what we want Lighthouse Church to be known for is:

1. not our size,
2. not our sermons,
3. not our singing,
4. not our strategy,
5. not our buildings,
6. but our love.

We want people to say, "That's the place where they love each other," because that's what Christianity is all about, loving God and loving each other.

How do you know if you're in God's family? How do you know personally?

Anyone who does not love other Christians does not belong to God.

1 John 3:10

Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have never seen.

1 John 4:20

But if we love our Christian brothers, it proves that we have passed from death to eternal life.

1 John 3:14

That's the proof.

The greatest privilege you will ever be offered in life is a privilege of being a part of God's family. You see, God's family is a laboratory for learning to love.

Some of you grew up in homes that didn't have a lot of love. And, honestly, you don't know how to love.

In fact, I have come to the conclusion after pastoring for all these years; most people don't have the slightest idea how to love. The only love they know how to do is sexual love, romantic love. They don't know any other kind of love.

So we have to be taught, and the church (the family of God) is where you learn to love real people, not ideal people. Nobody in your small group is ideal and neither are you. We learn to love real people, and that's what God put us on earth to do.

Relevant questions: RECAP

Which of these levels of fellowship are you at?

1. Have you even made it to the first one, choosing to belong?

• Are you still floating around from church to church to church and attend here and attend there?
• You've never gotten committed.
• You've never gotten into membership.
• You need to choose a church.
• You need to be baptized and say, "I'm not ashamed." That's the most basic level. If you haven't done that, that's your next step.

2. You need to learn to share. And where do you do that? In a small group. You don't learn to share in a place like this. Then you need to not just share your heart.

3. You need to do your part. Find your niche. Find your place to give back, to make a contribution.

• If you're in the family of God,
• you have some family responsibilities.
• God expects you to do your part in the family.
• You don't just slide along while everybody else does theirs.

4. Then you move to this deepest level. Are there any other believers that know you are devoted to them? That you're going to be there for them in their crisis?

Even more basic question is, are you a part of the family of God? You say, "Well, isn't everybody a part of the family of God?" No. Everybody is created by God, but not everybody is a child of God. You have to choose to be a part of God's family. God gave us one condition, the last verse on your outline. "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus."

Let's bow our heads.

You know, Father, next to salvation, the greatest gift you have ever given us is the opportunity to be a part of your family. Thank you that we don't have to go through life disconnected and isolated. Thank you for creating the Lighthouse family for all of us.

Now, you pray. Say, "Dear God, I want to be a part of your family and I want to learn to love my spiritual family just like you do. Forgive me for taking it casually. I want to grow in the levels of fellowship, so today I'm choosing to belong. I'm not going to float around anymore. I want to learn to share and make time to develop real friendships. I want to do my part in the family of God. I want to learn to love other believers like brothers and sisters. Teach me the meaning of real love. In your name I pray, Amen