SS - Biblical Fellowship, Class 4b: Gospel-Driven Fellowship, cont'd

Wrrong ways of overcoming natural differences

• Demographic-driven churches

• Demographic-prioritizing ministry

• Celebration of doctrinal diversity

Biblical Examples of Gospel-Driven Fellowship

• Acts 6:1-7 - complaint between believers of different backgrounds that needed to be resolved

• Romans 14:1-15:13 - disunity between people of different backgrounds and convictions that needed to be addressed 

• Titus 2:1-8 - the vital importance of every age and gender in the church 

• 1 Timothy 5:3-10 - the need to care for people who are in a different place in life

Biblical Principles for Gospel-Driven Fellowship

• Commitment to the common cause of the gospel - Phil. 1:27-30

• Recognition of Christ as the highest allegiance (Luke 14:26)

• Recognition of church as spiritual family (Luke 8:21)

• Conviction that all who are in Christ have no distinction of access to him (Gal. 3:28)

• Recognition of our need of one another (1 Thess. 5:14; 1 Cor. 12:21)