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

Occoquan Bible Church | Sermons

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.