Deepening Fellowship: The Power of Authentic Relationships
Notes
Transcript
We often see Paul as a very intellectual person and he was, probably one of the most educated men in his time, but Paul was more than just a very smart man. Paul understood the need for connection on the emotional level.
Up to this point Paul has presented his historical and theological arguments for justification by faith alone. He has reminded them of the gospel he has preached, the gospel which they heard and recieved the Holy Spirit. But Paul is bewildered about why the Galatians would turn their backs on that teaching since it was that very gospel that brought them into a relationship with God.
Follow along as I read our passage from Galatians.’
12 I beg of you, brothers and sisters, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;
13 but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time;
14 and you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition, nor express contempt, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.
15 Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
16 So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 They eagerly seek you, not in a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them.
18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable way, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—
20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone of voice, for I am at a loss about you!
Paul moves his argument about justification by faith along into something more personal; their friendship, their shared fellowship.
1. Foundation of Fellowship
1. Foundation of Fellowship
The real foundation of Christian fellowship is God.
Without God there are some whom we would choose not to be around; some whom would also choose not to be around us.
When we talk about fellowship, being in fellowship, sharing fellowship, we are talking something deeper than friendship. Most often in churches, fellowship means we are getting together for a meal as a church.
Fellowship is a commonness, it is a sharing in something that we have in common. It is also being in agreement. And for Christians, it also means there is a spiritual fellowship. And fellowship is an intimacy.
When we say we are in fellowship with God, it means we have a close, intimate and loving connection with Him. It also means we have a close and intimate connection with our church family.
Paul starts off by referring to his brothers in the Galatia. He reminds them that he became like them so they should become like him. That takes a close connection, a spiritual and emotional connection to become like each other.
The only way this can happen is for all of them to have a foundation of fellowship in God. Paul shows just how close their connection was by using a common saying “you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.”
2. Faithfulness in Fellowship
2. Faithfulness in Fellowship
There must be a faithfulness in our fellowship also.
Part of that faithfulness is the need for discernment, to understand and be able to remain faithful to the gospel.
Discernment is mandatory to have and use. Many can teach things that sound nice but when you really look into them you will discover nothing but error or heresy.
How do you tell the difference in the truth and the lie? You must know the truth and for this, God gives us the ability of discernment, the ability to think and reason. But it will only work if we spend time learning the truth.
How do we learn the truth? We read the truth which is found in God’s word. We learn the truth as we spend time with God in prayer and study. We learn the truth as we listen to the Holy Spirit. We stay in the truth as we practice spiritual disciplines.
If I want to run in a foot race and have a chance to win it, the only way I can do that is to practice running. I can spend a lot of time in the gym working out, lifting heavy weights and get in shape for that, but that will never allow me to win a foot race. If I want to win that race I must run. If I want to know the truth I must spend time with the Person who is truth; and I must stay away from those who teach heresy.
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
Paul’s relationship with the Galatians was built on trust; it was built on Paul telling the truth. And so Paul now asks the question, “Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”
In today’s society of being offended by everything, it can be challenging to tell someone the truth. None of us really want to hurt another person’s feelings or make them feel bad. But remember, it is only the truth that can set someone free. Yes, the Gospel will offend those who are under the Law, those who are perishing, those who are not in a relationship with God. The truth will offend, it will hurt, it will cause you to feel bad. But the truth is the only way to salvation.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.
What does this have to do with friendship and fellowship?
It is this: no one can have a true friendship until they are in fellowship with God. Until you are in fellowship, your number one friend, the only person you are really loyal to is yourself. You will always put yourself first.
Some will want to argue the point of this. But when we were sinners, in bondage to sin, our number one concern was for ourselves. Now someone who is not in a relationship with God will do good things, will help others but their desire is always for themselves.
It is only when we are in fellowship with God that we will put others, that we can put others first in our lives. Paul spends time on this very thing in Ephesians when he writes that we, that is those who are in fellowship with God, that we will submit to one another, that wives will submit to their husbands and that husbands will love their wives like Christ sacrificially loved the church and that children will obey their parents.
The faithfulness we show in our earthly relationships will always be an outpouring of the faithfulness we live in our fellowship with God.
My relationship with Susan, with my family is best when I am working at my fellowship with God. And my relationship with Susan is worse when I am not working on my fellowship with God.
3. Fruitfulness of Fellowship
3. Fruitfulness of Fellowship
Having a foundation for fellowship with God and others, being faithful in our fellowship will always produce fruit.
Paul’s hope for the Galatians was to see Christ formed in them.
What he means is that they become so close to Christ, His character, His attributes are seen in them. This is what we mean when we talk about becoming Christ-like.
It is not that we become or get close to becoming Christ but that Christ is formed in us, that people look at us and see us but also see Christ and his attributes reflected in and through us.
We are familiar with what Paul refers to as the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. The Spirit, living in us, helps us grow, or as we say in church language, helps to sanctify us, and as we continue to work out our salvation, we exhibit more of the fruit of the Spirit. This is another way of saying we become more Christ-like; or as Paul says in our passage today, Christ is formed in us.
How does this happen? It happens through grace, through the grace of God in our lives. We have a foundation established through faith alone in Christ alone and in that relationship have fellowship with God.
We remain faithful in our participation of the fellowship which means that we spend time with God. We spend time praying, reading, studying and listening to God’s word. We spend time in fellowship with other believers which includes time in worship with the family of God. We are participants in the family of God.
As we remain faithful in this fellowship, through God’s continued grace, there is fruit produced in in and through us. Christ is formed in us and people see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. And we become a testimony to God, a faithful witness for God.
Have you ever gone someplace, or gone to meet with some other people and when you leave you ask yourself why? Why did I just waste so much time doing that?
Maybe you have had that or a similar feeling going to church. Why do we get feelings like this? Quite often it is because we are out of fellowship. We can be out of fellowship with God, we can be out of fellowship with a member of God’s family.
Do you have a firm foundation with God?
Are you being faithful in your fellowship?
It will be shown through the fruit produced.
Do you need to get into a relationship or just are not sure? Now, today, is the time to make sure.
Let’s pray.