True Fellowship

Most of your Facebook friends are not your real friends

Forbes Magazine

Tanja Hollander

Project - Are you really my friend?

set out to make a personal visit to 626 friends - visited 43 states, 5 countries, and 150 towns

took pictures with over 600

Average 150 friends

13 expressed sympathy during a crisis and 4 were dependable

Not all friendship and social interaction produce the result and benefit that God wants us to have with true fellowship.

RTL - If we are going to be a ministry of fellowship and learning, you and I need to have a clear understanding of True Fellowship.

So let’s make sure we know what God says about it, so we can truly benefit from our time together as we move forward

Relationship is part of our basic design - Relationship with God and one another

Gen 2:18 God did not create man to be alone

We are relational beings

TR - One thing we found out this past year is relationships aren’t made to be efficient

The click of a button for Facebook and Facetime alone are not equal to face to face interaction

Zoom - while great at first, got old after a while once the zoom fatigue kicked in (2x)

You can have the best theology, but without relationships we suffer

Virtual meetings - Always a Supplement not a replacement (doctor prescribed dietary supplement)

Not meant to be fulfill long term

Break the Bad Habits

Time spent on screens skyrocketed

Social media binges

Not just young people

Didn’t see your kids, grandkids, church family as much

Naturally - we drift into selfishness

John Wesley “the Bible knows nothing of solitary religion”

We need fellowship! - We can all say Amen to that!

But it’s not just any fellowship - The world’s... look good sound good, but not result in how God created it

Dictionary definition

When we hear the word fellowship it can sound good but not truly understand what God is calling us to get out of it

TR - True fellowship happens with the body of Christ

Doesn’t mean just coming to church

Like Facebook you can have thousands of friends but still feel so lonely

You want to know how to honor God by your fellowship with each other???

Show Hebrews 10:24-25 text

Writer of Hebrews telling the Jews (seemed to be neglecting fellowship) the way to hold fast to Christ is to hold fast to his people.

Hebrews 10:24 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

Literal translation of the Greek NT

Consider one another

What does consider mean?

think about carefully, Look, study, focus, fixate your mind... considering one another beforehand

I don’t know many people here

Meet new people

Think quality over quantity

Knowing that person, praying for that person, get beyond the surface

Focus on how you can stir up - causing movement or activity to stir up to love and good works

“TO”

Implies - Not just doing ourselves but teaching/inspiring others to

Demonstrate love and good work to others

Bring them along side

Doesn’t just happen there’s preparation in order to honor God in fellowship

True fellowship preparation gets the focus off of us, and what we are seeking out of fellowship

We know what to think how do we put it into action??

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Not neglecting to meet together

Going to church and plugging in at CLASS

If there’s a way for you to get in fellowship, do it!

Encourage one another

Not just social club

Not just a nice idea

Intentionally encourage

Comfort those in need, warning those that aimless, strengthening those that are weak

Benefit from true fellowship

Encourage and be encouraged. Love and be loved

Why do we need this?… Jesus tells us

Matthew 24:12 - Lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold

(Signs of the end of the age) As the day Christ returns approaches

Paul provides more detail on the last days and tells Timothy it’s going to get difficult as the end draws near

2 Timothy 3:1–5 ESV

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

TR - Why is it different from any regular fellowship - true fellowship is focused on getting us stirred up encourage to press on with eyes focused on Christ as times get more difficult.

Tornado versus earthquake Illustration

Nothing I can really do, but like to have a warning to give me my best chance to weather the storm

Tornado prep is - room without windows and under something sturdy. (Best chance)

The great news about God’s prep for us is that it’s more than best chance… it’s the solution

Not hunkering down, it’s about meeting and encouraging one another until the clear skies come when as a Christian we are with Christ.

Gathering as a local body church body for our weekend service is necessary

Having the right perspective on true fellowship is critical and using this ministry to do it is an excellent opportunity

When you think CLASS Fellowship

Think how can I honor God in my fellowship, and go stir someone up today to excel still more for the body of Christ