Amen, so I'll get into exactly what it is I'm preaching about here in a minute
but I just want to start out and kind of preface the sermon a little bit and
Just kind of start out by saying by way of introduction and just making the point that you know
When we preach and when we come together to church, we cannot overemphasize the importance of doctrine, you know
There's a lot of churches out there that'll preach everything under the Sun except anything that is doctrinal
And a big reason for that is because of the fact that doctrine, you know divides people you start to preach doctrine
You know people have to kind of determine whether what it is that they believe
based on the Bible whether they're gonna accept what the Bible says or whether they're going to
Reject it and if you would keep something there in Acts chapter 2
But go ahead and turn over to 3rd John chapter 1 3rd John chapter 1, you know
The doctrine is something we can't overemphasize enough. It's something that needs to be preached. We need to have doctrinal sermons
We need to learn the Bible
We need to understand what kind of stands we need to take on the Word of God and it's very important
In fact, it's so important that you know, it divides people even even within not just amongst, you know
Just people in general but even in some often sometimes even within a home. We'll see here in a minute
But you're there in 3rd John look at chapter 1 verse 9 where it says whosoever
Transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ
He hath both the Father and the Son if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine the doctrine of Christ
Receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him
God speed is partaker of his evil deeds
So I was saying here look if a guy brings the wrong doctrine about concerning a doctrine of Christ
Another gospel a false gospel if you would turn over Galatians chapter 1 he says look
It's not even enough that you just disagree with that guy. You shouldn't even bid that guy God speed
You know when they're bringing another gospel to your door like the Mormons do like the Jehovah Witnesses do
Yeah, you know if they bring a false gospel that preaches a workspace salvation which they do, you know
It's not enough for just say it say to them. Hey, I'm not interested
Have a nice day Bible says you shouldn't wish from happy to have a nice day
Look, I'm not saying you have to get up in their face and and and you know up one side down the other and let
Them have it but the Bible is really clear do not bid those type of people God speed
Why because they don't have the right doctrine so you can see how important doctrine is
doctrine is something that we need to focus on in a church and
It divides people look here in Galatians chapter 1 verse 6
I marvel that you are so soon removed from the him that called you into this grace of Christ unto another gospel
Which is not another but there be some that trouble you that would pervert the gospel of Christ
But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you
Let him be accursed as we said before so say I now again if any man preach any gospel unto you that you have
Not received let him be accursed. He says don't bid these people Godspeed. In fact, let them be accursed
We go over to Matthew chapter 10. So we understand that, you know, that's that's that doctrine divides, you know within
You know religions, it'll divide us, you know and down dominate
Denominational lines what we believe what we were willing to accept as the truth and what we're going to reject
But it also, you know doctrine can even divide within a house itself. Look there Matthew chapter 10 verse 34
Jesus said think not I'm come to send peace on the earth
I came not to send peace but a sword if I come and I for I am come to set a man at variance
against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man's foes shall be they of
His own household he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me
He that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me saying don't love them
He's not saying don't love them saying you can't love them more than me
We see here that that Christ came to divide even within a home
So and what is it that we're dividing over doctrine?
So we can't overemphasize the importance of doctrine and you know
It's a that's a hard saying in Matthew chapter 10
A lot of people don't like that that Jesus came to bring a sword and he would divide even sometimes
Because of the Word of God a home itself and you look there and look at verse 38
It's no coincidence that he follows it up with verse 38 and he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is
Not worthy of me, you know being divided in a you know
separated from family those that you love and care about and have had made memories with you get saved maybe in later in life and
All of a sudden you're taking stands or you're starting to have you know develop standards in your life
You're having you're taking making sound convictions based on the Word of God
You know that might cost you some family that might you know
I'm not saying you can never talk to him, but I might things might not be the same
There might be a sword there now
You know what that's your cross to bear
That's a cross that you have to bear and that's why Jesus follows it up with verse 38
He that cover taketh not his cross and followeth not me
Is that worthy of me that division often in our life is a cross that we must bear so
You know doctrine is something that's very important
And if you look back there in Acts chapter 2 go back to Acts chapter 2 and keep something there
We're gonna look at it a few times tonight, but you know doctrine is important
You know not because the because we see the the grave consequences
Here the serious stands that must be taken for the sake of doctrine as we just looked at
But also because it's part of a formula that made the early church great doctrine is what helped make
The early church what it was that soul winning power house that we read about in Acts chapter 2
When they were they were just spreading the gospel throughout every into every corner of the world
Look there in Acts chapter 2 verse 41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized in the same day
They were added unto them about three thousand souls in verse 42 and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine
that's important and
Fellowship and a breaking of bread and in prayer. So what's the
What's the formula there? It's doctrine and fellowship. Look we can't overemphasize doctrine
and in fact, even sometimes I think our churches we get so focused on doctrine that we forget a little bit about the fellowship and
Doctor doctrine is important because it divides us
You know because the doctrine divides us as we saw there, you know out of the words of Christ himself that we even even off
Sometimes it might even be required in home itself
Because doctrine is so important because it divides us and makes that second part of that formula all the more important the fellowship
That's the doctrine and the fellowship. Those are the two things that made the early church great
It wasn't just all doctrine
Was also the fellowship that they had one another and when you think about it when doctrine begins to divide you and you have to
Start letting go me the old friends old relationships have to fall away because you're following you got saved
You're following Christ now and the you know, the old the old people your old life. They want to pull you back
They want to pull you away from that living Godly in Christ Jesus. They don't want you to do that
You know, it makes those that are going to be there with you all the more precious
It makes the fellowship that you do have all the more important that part of the formula becomes more important
When you start to let that doctrine divide you have to have the fellowship. You got to add that second part
You know doctrine might cost us a precious relationship or maybe more than one that we hold dear
You know people say I can't believe you believe that now you believe that I can't believe that
That's what you think God is or that's who Jesus is to you
Well, that's what the Bible says and I have to be true to the Bible
Thus saith the Lord and that divides people and when that happens in our life
You know that second part of the formula the fellowship should become even more precious to us
And that's really what I want to preach to you about tonight is find time for fellowship
Find time for fellowship. That is the title of the sermon. So fellowship as we saw there in Acts 2 is a
Is a is also a part of the formula and that should not be overlooked
You know, of course, we understand that doctor is important
But we also should remember the fellowship that we are to have in Christ with one another
It says there in verse 42 and they continued steadfastly the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers
You know them sticking together them coming together and having that one thing in common Christ and coming together in the local church
That's what made them great. I mean they all had the right doctrine
They had that fellowship in doctrine
but they had fellowship one with one with another two and they were able to do great things for God and
That's what made them great was that sticking together and you know
the same is true in our own lives
if we're gonna accomplish great things for Christ if we're going to be the soul winners and the Christians that we're supposed to be for
God and live godly like we're supposed to we're gonna need the fellowship of the local church
We're gonna need develop relationships and friendships with one another who have also, you know
other individuals who also have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them and
It's important go ahead and go back to Acts chapter 4, you know
You don't want to get this attitude in life or excuse me Ecclesiastes chapter 4 Ecclesiastes chapter 4
You don't want to get this attitude in life that you're gonna be this lone ranger for Christ. It's not gonna work
That you're you're just gonna be this lone wolf that you're just gonna serve God all on your own
You don't need the church. You don't need friends. You don't need the fellowship, you know, you know all the doctrine
You know what's right, you know what's wrong, you know, that's not gonna that's not gonna work you need
Fellowship in your life. You need to make time. You need to find time for fellowship
You're there in Ecclesiastes chapter 4, let's look at verse 9
Well while you're turning there
I'll remind you and you know Genesis 2 and the Lord God Lord God said it is not good that man should be alone
You know, God doesn't want us to be alone Rangers. God doesn't want us to be these, you know, just
Lone wolves, you know all by ourselves kind of Christians. He wants us to have have others
Of course, we know that's referring to the fact that he needs to have a wife
But we could apply that as well that God doesn't want us to be alone
He says there in Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verse 9. He says two are better than one
Because they have a good reward for their labor
For if they fall the one will lift up his fault his fellow
But woe to him that is lone when he fall free hath not another to help him up
Again if two lie together then they have heat
But how can they one be warm alone?
And if one prevail against him two shall withstand him and a threefold cord is not quickly broken
This scripture is telling us that hey, it's good to have it's good. It's good to have more than one
You know one might be okay, but hey two is better
You know, it's showing us that fellowship benefits us
We should find time for fellowship because of the fact that it benefits us, you know, we glean from that
We've already seen it, you know in in in in Acts chapter 2 what fellowship doctrine and fellowship led to you know
Great works being accomplished
God adding thousands to the church the gospel going out powerfully and at that time and
Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes chapter 4
Shows us that fellowship is what keeps us going
I mean if you look there in verse 10 notice it says for if they fall they both have fallen
You know the two have fallen it's not just the one guy fell
It says if they fall if they fall the one will lift up his fellow
They both fell but one lifted up the other
You know, sometimes it's hard to get up
But if one person will and then get the other guy back on his feet and they can keep going
You know what that shows me is that we're all facing the same obstacles, you know
There's nothing that's coming into your life as a Christian that we aren't experiencing as well. Maybe not at the same time
Maybe we haven't yet
But you know, you're gonna go things in your Christian life that other Christians are gonna be able to relate to
You know, you're gonna fall in this area. You're gonna struggle with this obstacle
Well, you know this brother sister over here is has gone through it or is going through it or will go through it
And that's why you need to make time for fellowshiping so that one can lift up the other. Hey, I've been where you're at
I've gone through what you've gone through. I know what's that like. Let me give you some a council
Let me give you some help. Let me encourage you. Let me pray for you
They're both facing the same obstacles
And maybe next time it'll be the other way around, you know, maybe you're going through a hard time this time
But now that you've gone through that when somebody else goes through that difficult time, you can say hey, I've gone through that, too
That's why finding time for fellowship is important
Because here's the thing. We're all gonna fall. No one's gonna be perfect. You know, we're all gonna make mistakes
We're all gonna go through struggles
But when you fall alone
You know, it may lead to you quitting
I'm gonna be a lone ranger for Christ and then you mess up
You know, you fall short you make a mistake. I don't need a local church. You go through some obstacles some difficulty some trial
You have no fellowship. You have no encouragement. You have no help
I just made lead you throwing in the towel and say well, you know enough to this
I'm going back to the world that happens to people all the time
So Ecclesiastes 4 it shows us that
Fellowship is what keeps us going and it shows us that you know
Really here even in the physical sense. It might spare our lives
I mean, it's kind of hopefully we never find ourselves in this situation where you know
It says in verse 11 if two lie together, then they have heat
You know, hopefully we're never in some I don't think we're ever gonna be have a problem down here in Tucson with this, right?
You know, you never know
Maybe next year at the camping trip some storm blows in all the tents go away and we're up there in some bliss
I'm just kidding. But yeah, but we could apply that spiritually, right?
You know if we stick together
We can we can you know, encourage one another we can give each other that spiritual heat that fervor
To continue on for Christ, you know when the world the love of the world is growing colder and colder
You know, we need the warmth of Christ's love within the local church to keep us on fire for him
Go ahead and turn over to Ecclesiastes. Well just stay there in Ecclesiastes chapter 4
It says, you know, it shows us that you know fellowship is important because it benefits us
You know, it benefits us. It helps us keep us going it may you know, keep our hearts warm keep us from growing cold
And you know
It shows us really that we're gonna have an easier time and adversity when we're going through those struggles when we're going through those trials
We're gonna have an easier time and adversity look at verse
12 and he says and if one prevail against him two shall withstand him, you know, and we're living in a time today
Where there's a lot of people that want to stand against us. There's a lot that want to try and prevail over us today
For believing what we believe about the Bible. That's it. What's what's our great crime?
Well, we believe what the Bible says, I mean pick the topic, you know
and then the world is you know, the whole world lieth and wickedness the Bible says and
And they and they they don't like the Bible in this world today. They never really have I think honestly
You know, they're not all excited that there's an independent fundamental Baptist Church like this in Tucson
I mean if they were where are they? You know, why aren't why aren't why aren't we running out of shopping Mart yet?
You know an old shopping Mart
Why isn't this church 300 times bigger than it is right now because they're not excited about it
you know, maybe one day enough people will find out us about us and get seen and want to come and we'll grow but
You know the truth of the matter is is that a lot of people are not excited about the things of God in fact
They oppose the things of God today
They hear it. They're like the the Jews there in the in Paul's day
They want to run upon him and Nash upon him with their teeth
I mean think about Stephen right in in act six where he he stands up and preaches for me exact seven
And what do they do? Oh, you're right. Let's all get right with God. No, they run upon him. They stone him
I mean they killed Christ
You know, they're not exactly
Excited in the world today about the things of God
You know what that tells me is that we need to find fellowship in the local church
If we're gonna make it if we're gonna endure if we're going to live a
Victorious Christian life if we're gonna have joy along the way, you know
This church is should be dear and precious to you. If that's what you're what you value in life
You know the relationships that you make in this church
Should be important that and you know
Because there's so much you could benefit from it because you're not gonna find that out
No one out in the world is going to encourage you in Christ
You know the lost guy at work isn't gonna you know?
You find out that you don't drink or whatever because you're a Christian say, oh that's great
You know, you should keep doing that
You know what a lot of times what they try and do they try to they oh you're a Christian you have that
You don't drink, you know
then
Then then they just get emboldened. They're like, well, I'm gonna try and see if I can get you to slip. Oh
You don't do that. Well, I you know, I do let me see if I can get you to do it
It becomes like sport to them. It comes game to them, you know
They're not all gonna just be all excited and start waving the banner like you go for Christ
Ra ra just applaud you on is that what's gonna happen in an unsafe world? No
We don't expect that we don't hold that against them
We just understand that's the way it is
But the point is is that that should make this what we have here
All the more important all the more dear to us all the more precious to us
Because here we can walk in and someone will encourage you in Christ
Do you know to keep going for him to keep reading your Bible to keep going soul-winning to
To keep being a witness to keep living a righteous life to keep the sin out of your life
Because you know, there's a group of people that are gonna encourage you to continue to do that
That's why it's important to find time for fellowship
Fellowship is what's going to make you a better Christian, you know, there's strength in numbers
It says there are threefold cord is not quickly broken
You know, if you were to take like some dental floss you could probably just snap that well most of us good
Probably everyone here
You could just snap that dental floss. Well, what if you like wound up several strands of dental floss?
Yeah, you probably still could but it'd be a little bit harder, right? It's got like trying to fold that that newspaper
You can't fold the newspaper more in like seven times or something like that
Or you know, you just think about a great big bridge like a like a cable suspension bridge
You know these huge massive structures just weighing, you know thousands and thousands of tons that are just have cars driving and semi tractors
just
You know transporting people over it all this weight that it's bearing
It's all being held up by strands of cable and it's not just one individual strand
It's all these what makes them strong is the fact that it's multitude of strands
Woven together and when they're all together they can support that way, you know, it's the same way spiritually in Christian life
We need to come together and so that way we can bear a bigger burden
You know filling in the map, you know going knocking all the doors in the city of Tucson. That's a big job
That's a big burden to bear
One man's not gonna do that. Two men aren't gonna do that even in a lifetime
I don't think it to one or two guys could be that's gonna take a group of people
We're gonna come together and encourage one another to stay faithful in that area and continue to go out and preach the gospel
So fellowship is important. You should make time for it
Because it's gonna make you a better Christian
Bible says in Proverbs and if you would turn over to Hebrews chapter 10, it says in Proverbs 27 verse 17
Iron sharpeneth iron. So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend iron sharpeneth iron
So a man sharpeneth countenance of his friend
You know, it says it sharpens his countenance, you know, that's the way you look the look on your face sometimes
You know anyone that's been married for any length of time can tell when their spouse is not a kid. They just one look
Oh
She's in a mood. Yeah. Oh, he's mad, you know just cuz the countenance, right?
And you know when here's the thing it says when you know iron sharpened thigh
It's the same substance iron sharpening iron
You know when we get together as Christians our attitude a lot of time changes a lot of times we get together here
And and you know that we maybe something happened that day. We're upset about something during the week
Something's been bothering us, but then we get around fellow believers and reminded again
You know of the truth of Christ of what we have
And all that other stuff just kind of melts away and it lifts our spirits, you know, it sharpens our countenance
You look there you're in Hebrews 10 so
You know again, I'm trying to keep it short tonight just because of the chili and everything like that
we we want to get back to it and and
After all, it's called let's make time for fellow or find time for fellowship. So let's find some tonight, right?
We're in order to add a little bit. Let's have a little bit more before we go
Right and the point I really want to make is you know, it's fellowships important doctrine
Yes, you know these these things go hand in hand. You should have both
but fellowship is important too and
You could see how important it is and how precious it is because you're not going to find the fellowship
That you need out in the world, where are you gonna find it here in the local church and
That's why you know
The local church is important because that's what's going to provide you with the fellowship that you need
That you need not that it just it's optional
Like yeah, it'd be nice. I could take it or leave it. No, you need it friend. That's what's gonna sharpen you
That's what's gonna, you know lift you up when you fall when you fall
That's what's going to continue to it to be able to bear the burdens that you have to bear in the Christian life
Is when you have that fellowship that you need and that's found here in the local church
You know the and I'll say, you know this
The services alone are enough to encourage people
You know, I'd be perfectly honest my wife and I we got several kids
We don't spend a lot of time outside of the church with people, you know, my wife has some friends, you know
I talked to some friends be hey, I'm not saying we're shut-ins or recluses or anything. That's just the nature of life
You know, but we get a lot of fellowship just within the three four services that we attend a week
To keep us going. I mean we've developed friendships there
We have you know friendships here and people and it's encouraging and you know the church that's what church does for you
And I say it's fine time for fellowship. Am I saying hey, you need to get together with so-and-so and play Scrabble
No, but it'd be fun right, you know, if you into Scrabble, I don't know. Maybe you're monopoly guy
Whatever, you know or do whatever, you know have some fellowship. That's great
I'm all for it. But you know, you get a lot of that right here
That's what the local church provides for you is fellowship that you need
And the services alone can be enough to encourage you and get keep you going
You know, we should desire to hold fast to that look there in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 23
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, you know, God wants us to hold fast
To not let go to not fall away and get washed back out into the world
I mean, we know we're gonna go to heaven cuz salvation is by grace through faith
Well, what kind of life do you want to live on the way there?
You know, I want to live an exciting Christian life that accomplishes something for Christ
I want to get to the end of my life and go to heaven and hear well done now good and faithful servant
That's why I need the fellowship here. That's why we need one another to encourage one another
We need to hold fast to it
You know your fellow Christians is going to help you with that with that holding fast with that without that would keep you from wavering
Hey, brother. I see you're struggling here. You know, I've noticed you know
You know, I just want to shore you up
And it goes on it says in verse 24. Let us consider one another
Let's consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works
The church is where that takes place verse 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together
What is the assembling of ourselves together that's church that's where all these things take place
That's where you know, you're gonna learn to hold fast. That's what's gonna help you not waver
That's what's gonna where you're gonna consider one another that's where you're gonna be provoked
To love and a good works or maybe do the provoking is right here in the local church
So, you know find time for fellowship. Don't
Don't forsake the assembling of ourselves together. It's important. We need it if living, you know, the Christian life is what's important to you
Living the life that God would have you to live if that's what matters then you need the fellowship. That's here
Don't forsake the fellowship because here's what happens if you forsake the fellowship, you will fade away. That's what happens
You know, this is I'm a young man
I've been around that long, but I've been in church like this for 20 years and I've seen him come
I'm seeing him go and I'm not trying to make you say. Oh look at me. I'm still here
I'm just saying that's what happens and it doesn't happen overnight people slowly start to fade away
You know, they start to slowly back out and then next thing, you know, where's so-and-so you see him you seen her
You know where they're at. I haven't heard from him and that's how it happens
So I don't want to see that to happen to any of us
I want us to I want this body to continue to grow and
and not just so that we can sit around and stare at one another face and
Slap each other and back and tell how to tell one another how great we are
but so that because the more people that here the more we accomplish for Christ and
The more we can be an encouragement to one another don't forsake the fellowship. Don't fade away. Let's go ahead and pray