May 7, 2000
Together Again
Psalm 133
By Ronald
George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church
To dwell above with saints we love,
That will be grace and glory.
To live
below with saints we know;
That's another story!
On
the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California reside the largest trees in
the world. The huge sequoias tower almost 300 feet into the sky. The largest
tree has a circumference at its base of 101 feet. Botanists now know that some
of the biggest sequoias are almost 4,000 years old -- which means that at the
time of Christ, they were already more than 100 feet tall! But even these giants wouldn't be able to stand against the
California winds without a strong root system. Not only do their roots sink into
the soil, they intertwine around the roots of other trees.
The
parallel between well-rooted trees and well-rooted believers is obvious. We are
part of the body of Christ and we all need each other.
Scripture Text:
Psalm 133:1 (KJS) A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how
good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 [It is] like the precious
ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron's beard:
that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3 As the dew of Hermon, [and as
the dew] that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD
commanded the blessing, [even] life for evermore.
Church
Covenant
Since we are trusting Jesus Christ as Savior, and professing
Him as our Lord, having been baptized by immersion in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as members of the Fayetteville Baptist Church, we
commit ourselves to the following understanding of Christian living:
Having been led, as we
believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior,
And
on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the Name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
We
do now, in the presence of God, His angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and
joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
To walk together in Christian love;
To strive for the advancement of this
church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort;
To promote the prosperity and
spirituality of the church;
To sustain the ordinances, discipline,
and doctrines of the church and the worship of God;
To
contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses
of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all
nations;
To maintain family and personal
devotions;
To
educate our children in the Christian faith;
To seek the salvation of our kindred
and acquaintances;
To walk circumspectly in the world;
To be just in our dealings, faithful
in our engagements, and exemplary in our conduct;
To avoid all tattling, backbiting, and
excessive anger;
To abstain from the sale and use of
illegal drugs and intoxicating drinks as a beverage;
To be zealous in our efforts to
advance the kingdom of our Savior;
To watch over one another in brotherly
love;
To remember each other in prayer;
To aid each other in sickness and
distress;
To cultivate Christian sympathy in
feeling with courtesy in speech;
To
be mindful of the rules of our Savior, be slow to take offense and to be
prepared to secure reconciliation without delay.
When
we are removed from this place, we will unite with another church as soon as
possible, where we can continue to carry out the spirit of this covenant and the
principles of God's word.
Fellowship
is a product of Unity. Before we
can have fellowship we must have unity.People are getting together with people
because people are together with the Lord.
1.
How good and how pleasant it is: this
is the icing on the cake. Have you
enjoyed the unity of the family of God? How
good is it?
2.
For Brethren: Have
you decided to become one of the brethren?
The common bond we share is the blood of the Lord.
This blood was given by his love and holds us together.
Have you decided to make your commitment to God as a member of our
church? Togetherness is a decision
to come together with other believers. Will
you decide to join the family today?
3.
To dwell together: Continue
to strive to keep the unity that shows a willingness to work together and live
together for the Lord. To live
together, to serve together, and to work together produces a harmony of unity in
the body of Christ. Have you?
4.
In Unity: Everyone
playing their part and doing their part produces the unity that is good and
pleasant to benefit of all and a blessing to God.
5.
Like oil on the head of Aaron the high priest and running down on the
beard. The oil represents the present
anointing of the Spirit of the Lord on the man of God.
Togetherness is a result of the presence of the Lord in the life of the
church. This is the presence of the Lord in the life of the
believers. As Aaron submitted
himself to the anointing have you submitted yourself?
Then will you join with us at the table where we gather this morning to
celebrate the Lord’s last supper?