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Homiletical Proposition/Application:
Introduction:
Image: Church potlucks risk and reward
When I say the phrase "Church potlucks great risk and great reward." Most people probably think I am referring to the latest green been casserole recipe. What if I told you that I was actually talking not about green been casserole but spiritual risk and reward?
Setting the Stage:
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Body
Fellowship involves deference and inclusion (17-22).
The Gospel transcends traditional boundaries and so should our fellowship (17-19).
Fellowship should not be an opportunity for gluttony and over indulgence (20-22).
The irony of typical church fellowship is that often someone feels excluded.
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MTR: Look for an opportunity to make your fellowship inclusive and demonstrate deference.
Fellowship should proclaim Christ (23-26).
The Corinthians church seems to have had a tradition whereby the concluded a fellowship meal with the Lord's Supper.
When fellowship proclaims Christ it properly focusses on that which brings us truly together.
Image: The best question on my pastor interview questionnaire, "describe a relationship that doesn't make sense to others."
MTR: Consider your participation in fellowship, does it proclaim Christ?
Fellowship should be taken seriously (27-32).
Partaking of the Lord's Supper in a flippant manner risks great judgement.
But don't let the specific case keep us from the general principle, God should be taken seriously.
The reality is that sometimes bad things happen in order to catch our attention.
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MTR: Ask yourself, am I treating the sacred flippantly?
The true purpose of fellowship should be God's glory not human consumption (33-34).
Make a point of including everyone when you are engaged in fellowship.
Take care of individual needs ahead of time so you can focus on God's glory.
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MTR: Let's practice fellowship that brings glory to God both in our observance of the Lord's supper and tonight at VBS kickoff.
