Fellowship

Intro

Well everyone.

Welcome to the last official college ministry event of the summer. After tonight, we are going to be taking some time off. Now, that doesn’t mean we won’t see each other…in fact next week we have a time to hangout at the Erickson’s with a bonfire and yard games. But, in terms of meeting here in the building, having time in the word, and time in worship…we are taking three weeks off.

Which means, our next official event, and the kickoff for the fall semester is on September 1st.

Thursday Gathering Slide

And I’ll tell you, we’ve begun diving into what the fall semester is going to look like…and I’m pretty stoked. Starting in September, we will be diving back into the gospel of Luke. Every fall we hit a NT book, and in the spring we do an OT book. And this fall, we are continuing where we left off in Gospel of Luke, learning everything we can about Jesus, and learning who it is that we follow, and how to follow him better.

We’ve also got more times of worship planned. Some big community events.

And…the thing I’m most excited for…this year we are going to be starting a new thing in the ministry, and that is our fall and our spring retreats. Meaning, a time where we will get away for the weekend, retreat from the normal rhythms of life and busy-ness, and spend some intense time focusing on God and his word. There’s more details on that coming soon, but for now I just want to get the dates set for you, I want you to go ahead and put them in your phone if you’re planning on being here this coming semester…they are _____________________.

Alright, so that’s just a few of the things coming up this semester. Now, let’s get into what we are talking about tonight.

Tonight’s message lines up in a lot of great ways for where our ministry is at, and where many of you are in your lives right now.

Tonight we finish talking about the spiritual disciplines (even though we came nowhere near talking about all the things that we could and should discuss), but as it is, we are finishing our time focusing on spiritual disciplines.

I recapped for you last week, that we’ve had some major buckets that these spiritual disciplines fall into.

The first three weeks we talked about the large bucket of the disciplines that allow us to HEAR GOD’S VOICE.

Then we spent a few weeks talking about the disciplines that allow us to HAVE GOD’S EAR.

And tonight…tonight I want to talk about a spiritual discipline that deserves it’s entirely own category. It’s a discipline that encourages the other disciplines, causes them to have full effect…and it’s a discipline that puts us directly in the stream of God’s grace and provision in sustaining us in doing this disicplines.

What I mean is…the discipline we are talking about tonight, equips and encourages, and empowers you to do all the other disciplines on a deeper and more meaninful level…and in fact, the other disciplines are impcomplete without this one…so have I stressed the importance of this discipline yet??? Good. Now what is it?

Tonight we are talking about the discipline of Fellowship. That is BELONGING TO GOD’S BODY.

So, let’s get into it. Tonight we are going to be in a couple different passages, but I want you seeing them for yourselves. So go ahead and turn to 1 Peter chapter 2. As you’re turning there, let me go ahead and just tell you the first point of tonight.

Fellowship: It’s part of your Christian identity.

Here in 1 Peter, the apostle peter begins by talking of Christ, our life with him, what it looks like to be saved, to have Jesus as a living hope…and the way that having Jesus as our living hope impacts our lives.

In chapter 1, he’s laying the foundation of what it means to have the gospel…and here in chapter 2, he starts with the word “therefore”…meaning…because we have this gospel, we need to do these things. Look at the start of chapter 2.

1 Peter 2:1–3 ESV

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

So peter is saying “if you have tasted that the Lord is good, aka, if you really know Jesus, then you need to put away the old and the sinful, and you need to desire the pure milk of the word.” and in verse 4, we see what he means by pure spiritual milk, Jesus. He’s saying put away all these things, and seek for Jesus. We see that by the beginning of verse 4, look at it there.

1 Peter 2:4 ESV

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,

That “him” is Jesus. And we know that because in other parts of scripture, Jesus is called the cornerstone. The one rejected by people. Like in Acts, Peter is actually talking there to the Pharisees and says

Acts 4:10–12 ESV

10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

So…are you following so far?

Peter is saying that the gospel has some things that it demands of your life…the major one being, put away all sin…and seek Jesus. And then continuing in verse 5 here…Peter begins talking about what is going on in us as we seek Jesus. Look back at verse 4 and 5.

1 Peter 2:4–5 ESV

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

So do you see it?

The process of seeking Christ, which is what all of you claim to do as “Christians”…the process of putting away sin and seeking Christ, results in “you yourselves, as living stones, being built as a spiritual house, and a holy priesthood”.

So, seeking Christ, and being built up as a spiritual house, and a priesthood…are together.

Notice that the text doesn’t say, spiritual bricks…but instead…living stones (meaning living bricks), built into a spiritual house.

And notice that it doesn’t say holy priests, like each one of you is a holy priest, but rather that as you seek Christ…you are a spiritual priesthood.

What does all this mean?

It means that your walk with Christ, your seeking him, your putting away sin, is done in the context of being built into a house alongside other living stones…alongside other believers.

It means…like I said at the beginning…that fellowship is a part of your Christian identity.

It means…that you can’t claim to be putting away sin and following after Christ, if you are not actively being built into a priesthood alongside other believers.

Let me say that again.

You can’t be built into a priesthood, you can’t be built into a spiritual house…if you are not being built along side other believers, other living stones.

In short. Holiness is a team sport.

Seeking Christ is not done alone.

One brick can’t build a house.

One Priest isn’t a Priesthood.

So when you go back to school, or off to college for the first time, or even if you’re around here and you’re sticking around here…as a Christian…you seek fellowship. That is, you seek the company of other believers.

Because…fellowship is part of your Christian identity.

So, if fellowship is a part of your Christian identity, we probably need to get a better understanding of fellowship.

So let’s talk about some of the things fellowship isn’t.

What fellowship isn’t: Pizza, games, sports, cafe nights with giveaways, playing volleyball or spikeball....all of these may be the sparks of fellowship. Or, they may be done within fellowship…but they are not in of themselves, fellowship.

What fellowship is: Life commitment to one another, causing life commitment to Christ.

Let me say that again

Fellowship is life commitment to one another, causing life commitment to Christ.

When I say life commitment, I mean that it’s a commitment to one another that is whole life…and life or death. Fellowship is like the band of brothers found in an army platoon heading off to war…fellowship is like the literal fellowship of the ring in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings…

Fellowship is fighting the battles of sin together, of pain and promise, of hope and desperation. It’s not hanging out, although people in fellowship do hang out…but rather, it’s actual life on life with each other in a deep and meaningful way. And I say all this, and want to take the time to explain all this…because You. Need. It.

Fellowship: You need it.

Not only should this point be obvious because of the verse that I just read…that you need it because it’s essential to the life of a Christian in seeking Christ. But to drive home the point further…let’s look at another text about fellowship. Turn with me to Hebrews.

Hebrews 3:12–14 ESV

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Notice here in this text that the author of Hebrews sets up a problem in verse 12. The problem they set up is that believers in Christ have the potential to fall into an unbelieving heart. And they show at the end of verse 13 there, that this unbelieving heart can be caused the a hardening of your heart through sin. Do you see that?

“that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

So, the author of Hebrews sets up this potential problem…but also gives what the solution should be. Look back at the beginning of verse 13.

“But, exhort (which means encourage), exhort one another every day”…and then in verse 14 there… “for we have come to share in Christ”

So the solution?

Encourage one another…not every so often, not once a week at college ministry or on Sunday mornings…but exhort one another EVERY DAY. FOR, we share in Christ.

Encourage one another every day, because of what we share. The CSB says we have “become participants in Christ”.

So do you see why you NEED fellowship?

You NEED it, because scripture reveals to us that people can fall away and give into sin in a way that hardens their heart and causes them to have an unbelieving heart. BUT…the end of verse 14 shows us…that if you are a true Christian, and you hold fast to your confidence in Christ…then you will not fall away, because you will be in FELLOWSHIP.

Do you see it?

True Christians have True fellowship. No ands, ifs, or buts about it. If you are a true Christian, then you are a participant in Christ. If you are a true participant in Christ, then you do not fall away because you are in fellowship in a way that causing you to fight and unbelieving heart and not give into sin.

If I may be so bold to say, and I believe it is completely justified by this passage, the other one in Hebrews we are going to look at, and the passage in 1 Peter we already looked at…If I may be so bold to say...

It is doubtful that a Christian intentionally and consistently withdrawn from fellowship is a Christian. Because, they are not a participant in Christ, they are not allowing themselves to be built into a spiritual house as a living stone, and…they are neglecting to meet with the body…they are neglecting to participate in Christ as that scripture says.

Now, I’m not saying that if you are unintentionally withdrawn from fellowship, or for a short time you have withdrawn due to a circumstance change such as moving that you aren’t a Christian.

But I am saying that if you actively desire to avoid Christian fellowship, and to be known by the church, and you downplay the need for fellowship…then wake up.

Guys, they say that when students go off to college, they begin to fall away from the church. This may be true…but I think it’s more accurate to say that when people go off to college, the great filtering happens.

Those that are not truly christians, are filtered out. Because their lack of love for Christ begins to reveal itself outside of their parent’s household and the church they grew up in.

And the reason this is important for us tonight is because we as a ministry are about to face the transition of some of you going off to college, and this possibility is very real for you.

So…Fellowship. It’s a part of your Christian identity. You need it.

So what should you do about it?

Seek it.

Fellowship: Seek it.

Let’s look at the current passage one last time.

Hebrews 3:12–14 ESV

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Guys, the obvious application here is that if you don’t have those around you to exhort you every day…then you need to seek them out. You need to look for them. You need to be intentional about having those people in your life.

That means joining a local church instead of just getting sermons off podcasts. It means being in a small group or C group or life group or whatever they are called where you end up.

Here they are called small groups, and C groups for the college ministry.

So like I said, the application here is obvious. If you are convicted that what is being preached here tonight is true…and that fellowship is essential to the life of a christian…and that it is a spiritual discipline…then seek it.

In fact, that’s part of the thing that makes it a spiritual DISCIPLINE. It takes work. And effort. But not just to seek it. It also takes effort to be it. That’s our last point tonight.

Fellowship: Be it.

Relationships are a two way street. It requires both parties be involved. You know what we call a relationship in which only one person is providing the means and relationship?

Parasitic. Meaning, one person is the provider…the other is a parasite.

Don’t be the parasite. Don’t be the one leaching, while someone else (or the church) is doing nothing but just giving to you. You need to be fellowship.

Look back at that passage…it starts with the words “take care”. That’s an action, and an intention. The author is saying be intentional. As in..seek to do this. Seek to take care of yourself by being with one another. Seek to be.

Seek to be involved.

Seek to be the one encouraging.

Seek to be one who is present and involved.

Seek to be the one who is helping steer others away from the deceitfulness of sin.

Seek it. and Seek. To. Be. It.

Those are our main points tonight.

Fellowship: It’s a part of your Christian identity.

Fellowship: You need it.

Fellowship: Seek it.

Fellowship: Be it.

And I want to end tonight by going over the practicals of how fellowship…and seeing it as a spiritual discipline can not only help you personaly in sin fighting, but can actually help you in the other disciplines.

Because when we say fellowship…we don’t JUST mean personal relationship. We also mean the meeting of believers. Like it says later on in Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

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

That meeting together, as a body, is so important to fellowship as well. And here’s why. Here’s some of the ways that being disciplined in this, can lead to the honing of other spiritual disciplines.

Worship.

Prayer.

Word.

Grace.

Truth.

Meditation.

Service.