Fellowship
Notes
Transcript
Series recap: Teaching and humility. We must learn this new life Jesus is calling us to. The only way to do that is admitting that we are wrong and can change.
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
Open: Fellowship is often confused with community.
Community= people living in the same area or having a particular characteristic in common.
Fellowship= shared participation within a community
Have you ever been to a concert? Each instrument has a distinct sound that it emits. If every instrument is playing in a different key or rhythm, everything is off.
What happens when they are all together? You get beautiful music. That is the difference between community and fellowship. Community is all the instruments play music. Fellowship is when they are all using their abilities for the same, common goal. Both are very important, and very different. When all the instruments are in “fellowship” you get something called “harmony.” It starts with community and grows into fellowship.
The first time we see true fellowship is before creation. John 1:1-3
In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
Then you look at Gen 1:1-3
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
We see that among Father, Son, and Holy Spirit there was fellowship, harmony, before creation. So what does fellowship look like for us.
Fellowship starts with Jesus because Jesus is why we have fellowship. Eph 4:4-6
For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.
This is written to us as believers. If God is truly living through us, then it make sense we would have fellowship with Him that would spill out into fellowship with each other.
Fellowship with God can seem overwhelming and difficult. Just like everything God asks us to do, He shows us how it looks.
Let’s go back to Genesis for a minute. Gen1:26-27
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
So God created man and women. This came out of fellowship within Himself. He then continues that fellowship with Adam, and eventually Eve. They walked in the garden together. God knew Adam and Eve intimately. Later in Gen we read about one of their descendants , Enoch Gen 5:21-24
When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.
Fellowship has always been part of the plan, so what does it look like today for us? It looks a lot more like family than community. And it all starts with Jesus.
Jesus said in Mark 12:29
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
We must start with loving God with everything. Every thing we do, say, think, and have should be used to love God. Then Jesus said loving your neighbor as yourself is equally important. Your neighbor is your fellow man btw. This is how Jesus describes fellowship with God and people.
Like I said earlier, fellowship is deeper that friendship or community. Those are aspects of fellowship, they just don’t completely capture the essence of it.
Here are 7 things to do to grow healthy fellowship
Love one another
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus dies for those He loved. That would be easy. But what about laying down your preferences and feelings? That is a lot harder to do.
2. Cultivate humility that seeks to honor others.
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
a. A little healthy competition never hurt. What if we tried to out honor each other?
3. Bear one another's burdens
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
a. One of the worst feelings in the world is that you are alone in your struggle. As the family of God our job is to shoulder each others burdens. But we are not to carry them.
4. Share material blessings
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.
a. Generosity is a huge part of the Good News of Jesus. He gives to us out of His abundance, so we should give to those around u. Stewardship
5. Gently correcting while helping find a solution
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
a. Jesus never said, “How dare you do that wrong thing? You should be ashamed of yourself.” Instead, He often showed a better way. (Frustration with being told you are wrong but not shown whats right.)
6. Assist and support in times of suffering
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
a. Suffering will happen. It’s inevitable. the Good News is that you don’t have to go through it alone. When you are hurting reach out to other believers you know and trust.
7. Pray for one another
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
a. Pray for each other. Don’t just say you will, actually do it. Effective prayer is consistent prayer.
“You cannot draw close to God if you are at a distance from your brothers.” Anonymous Monk
Fellowship is one of the things that sets up apart from any other group or community. Fellowship is sharing everything with each other and taking care of one another. It’s looking out for those you barley know. It is selfless, self sacrificing, and humble.
This is why we started out talking about music. True fellowship with the LORD and each other requires us to be ourselves. God brings us together to fill in the gaps for each other. I believe that God leaves gaps intentionally so we can experience true fellowship, both giving and receiving. We need one another. We do not have to go alone.