How Fellowship Works: Cain, The Cross, and Command to Love One Another (1 John 3:11-18)

Occoquan Bible Church

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How Fellowship Works: Cain, The Cross, and Command to Love One Another (1 John 3:11-18)

January 14, 2024 • David Schrock • 1 John 3:11–18

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Dear OBC Family,

As we come to Sunday, there are at least three things to know about as you prepare for worship.

First, we will again be taking time to offer a prayer of confession as a congregation. These times of corporate confession are meant to provoke us to see sin where we would not see it unassisted. It is not meant to accuse any individual of a given sin; it rather helps us all to recognize the unity of spiritual poverty, even as we turn from confession to pardon and thanksgiving for the forgiveness that Christ secured for us.

To help you prepare for that prayer time, we are sharing the prayer ahead of time. You can find a link here.

Second, Sunday School begins afresh in 2024. And for the month of January we will be revisiting the importance of personal, spiritual disciplines. Ben Purves will take time to teach about Scripture reading (1/14), prayer (1/21), and fellowship (1/28). In February, we will also begin a study on a book called The Peacemaker. If you want to begin reading that early, you can find that book on the bookshelf.

Third, we will take another step in our sermon miniseries: Restoring the Right Hand of Fellowship. If you didn’t hear last week’s message, you can find it here. This week we will return to 1 John 3–4, where we will think about the command to love one another. To prepare for Sunday, take time to read those two chapters, and pray that God would produce in us a love for him and a love for one another. Truly, God alone can give us his love, and wonderfully that is why Christ died on Calvary.

So, on Sunday, we have a full line-up to fill our hearts with thanksgiving for his grace. Let us trust that God is working mightily in our midst to purify our hearts, our fellowship, and our hope.

I look forward to seeing on the Lord’s Day, as the Lord orders our steps to be there.

For His Glory and your joy,

Pastor David

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Discussion & Response Questions (1 John 3:11-4:12 )

1. What is the message that John refers to in 1 John 3:11? How does this relate to the 1 John 1:5–3:10?

2. What does he say about the command: Love One Another?

3. Who are we to be like? Who are we not to be like?

4. What is the connection between love and the cross? Love and forgiveness? Love and the truth?

5. How do we discern the Spirit of Truth from the Spirit of Error?

6. How can you grow in love? How can our church grow in love? What you do to help our church grow in love?

7. In what is our confidence for seeing fellowship restored to the body of Christ?

8. Take time to pray for the church.

More from Restoring the Right Hand of Fellowship

Situational Awareness: Restoring Fellowship with Truth and Love (3 John)

January 28, 2024 • David Schrock • 3 John

Dear OBC Family, In 3 John, we move from the universal church of 1 John, to the local church of 2 John, to an individual Christian by the name of Gaius. Interestingly, if we titled 3 John the way we title 1–2 Timothy and Titus, this letter would actually be called Gaius, not 3 John. And though I don’t think we need to rename this letter, recognizing this name change helps us see how personal this letter is. In fact, across its 15 verses, there are four individuals named (the Elder, Gaius, Diotrephes, and Demetrius), plus a group of traveling missionaries who serve as faithful reporters that promp John’s letter. Long story short, this letter is filled with personal relationships. And as we think about fellowship, it is necessary to get into the specific details of such relationships. For in truth, not all relationships are equally good, healthy, or true. Just the same, with fellowship focused on the Lord and his church, there are questions that Christians must ask about the relationships they form. How do we decide who to spend time with? What is a healthy relationship? What is harmful? And how can you tell the difference? Those questions and more will be addressed this Sunday, as we take one more walk through our sermon miniseries “Restoring the Right Hand of Fellowship.” To prepare for Sunday, please read over 3 John and pray for our time together. I will look forward to seeing you, as the Lord allows. For His Glory and your joy, Pastor David ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discussion & Response Questions (3 John ) What are main themes/ideas of 3 John? What might we learn about Gaius and his ministry? (vv. 1-8) What does vv. 5-8 teach us about partnership in the gospel? What does this look like at OBC? How might we participate in this? What is Diotrephes doing? What does the Scripture teach us about authority, receiving members, and removing members? What is the right relationship to John’s authority? What do we know about Demetrius? Why does John write about him? Consider John’s relationship to Gaius. What is John seeking from Gaius? What are application points for Gaius? Consider the reports and commendations (vv. 3, 6, 12). Why is this important? Why does John rejoice in this letter? Does your heart rejoice in these things? How might our affections be oriented to rejoice in this way? How ought we to respond to this short letter?

Four Loves: The Path to True Fellowship (2 John)

January 21, 2024 • David Schrock • 2 John

Dear OBC Family, Join us on Sunday as we move from 1 John to 2 John. In pursuit of learning what true fellowship looks like, we are going to consider the short epistle of 2 John. Only 13 verses long, this letter is filled with instructions for standing in the truth and loving one another in obedience to God’s truth. As Scripture teaches, the only fellowship that lasts is one committed to the truth. And in this letter, we learn a little about what that truth is and how to pursue love when truth is compromised. Indeed, elect ladies (local churches), their sisters (other churches), and their children (individual members)—you’ll find these terms in 2 John—as well as church elders all play a part in protecting the church from error and pursuing love in truth. And in 2 John we will find help in all of these things. So take time to read 2 John. While you are at it, read 3 John too. We will look at that next week, Lord wiling. Pray for our gathering together and that God would continue to sanctify Occoquan Bible Church as we look to him and worship Christ our Lord. God is good and I look forward, as God wills, to joining you on Sunday to worship our good God. For His Glory and your joy, Pastor David --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discussion & Response Questions (2 John 1:1 – 13) 1. What is the big idea of 2 John? What are the key words or ideas? 2. Who is John writing to? And how does the corporate (elect lady) and individual (and her children) addressees inform our understanding of the church? 3. What role does truth play in the command to love one another? How does a church member or an elder demonstrate their love? 4. What is the problem he is addressing? How does he begin to resolve that problem? 5. What is the false teaching that is happening here? Is this the only kind of false teaching that churches should address? 6. Read Romans 16:17–20; Titus 3:10–11; 1 Timothy 6:1–10. What does this passage say about false teaching? What role does the church have in responding to falsehood? Falsehood that is not the full denial of Christ, his humanity, or his deity? 7. What house is John talking about in verse 10? What applications does this have for the church? 8. Why does John want to see his audience in person? What does that teach us today? 9. Paul speaks of another local church (your elect sister). How should local churches relate to one another? Do local churches have any part to play in serving or protecting other local churches?

Four Truths of Fellowship (1 John 1:1-2:6)

January 7, 2024 • David Schrock • 1 John 1:1—2:6

Dear OBC Family, As we know all too well, sin always separates. And thus, when fellowship breaks, there is, lurking somewhere, sin unconfessed. In those times, it is tempting to fix the problem(s) with our own wisdom and to work overtime to recreate the fellowship that was had before. Yet, in times when fellowship is lost, we must remember that God alone can “fix” it. And accordingly we should seek him first and all his righteousness. To put it seasonally, before the Lord gives his church spring rains, he often makes us feel the bitterness of winter’s cold. This coldness may have known sources, or its chilling drafts may strike us without ever revealing the source of their cold. Yet, whatever the source of winter, we should remember that God is working, and that spring is coming. As Hosea 6:1–3 tells us, we must remember that the Lord is the one who breaks us, so that he can bind us. And from this fact, we are invited to return to know the Lord. This is the promise: God will sanctify his people, and he will bring them to confess their sins. And until sin is confessed, joy will be withheld. Yet, when we seek his light and see our darkness, it will prompt true confession, repentance, forgiveness, and grace. And this grace will bring a new season of fellowship, all provided by the Lord. In the meantime, as we wait for spring, we can learn from Scripture what fellowship truly is. And for the next four Sundays, that is what we are going to do. Most January’s we take time to consider the spiritual disciplines of Scripture reading, prayer, church membership, and the like. We have also taken time in January to stand for truth in public (as in opposing the horrors of abortion). Yet, this year, we will take those messages to our Sunday School hour. In service, we will consider 1–3 John and 1 Corinthians 5–6. From those passages, we will see what God has to say to us about himself, his people, his church, and our fellowship with him and one another. Fellowship that begins with having our sins forgiven by Christ. On Sunday, that is what we will see in 1 John 1–2. To prepare, take time to read those two chapters and pray that God grants us light to walk in his light. With a new year, we can pray that God gives us new mercies. To that end, and as the Lord allows, I will look forward to seeing you on Sunday. For His Glory and your joy in Christ, Pastor David --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discussion & Response Questions (1 John 1 & 2 ) 1. How have you understood fellowship in the past? What are your expectations for church fellowship? 2. Why should we begin thinking about fellowship with one another by focusing on our fellowship with God? 3. How did our fellowship with God begin? What does it depend on? 4. How does our fellowship with one another depend upon our fellowship with God? 5. What causes fellowship to break? What can you do to repair that fellowship? (Hint: nothing apart from God) 6. What does John say about sin (1:5–10)? What does confessing sin look like? 7. Why is John writing his letter (2:1)? What should we do if we sin? 8. What does John say about Jesus (2:2)? 9. What encouragement do you find in knowing that Christ is an advocate? 10. What commands do you need to obey right now in order to pursue fellowship? 11. Take time to pray 1 John 1:5–2:6.