Fellowship

The King's Apprentice  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Fellowship

Prayer
Lord, thank-you that we can gather today to hear your word. May it be your words we hear, guided by the Holy Spirit. May we each humble ourselves to learn what it is in this moment you want to teach us. May todays message spur us on to be bold to declare Your good news to the people you put on our hearts. Amen
Continuing our series on The King’s Apprentice: Our Moments with the Master
Life is full of Moments (kioros) and we need to take time to reflect on what God might want to get our attention with.
The Spirit Guides us in this process and convicts not condems
We then recognise the healthy or unhealthy attributes of our life, beliefs and behaviours.
A key part of this process is to do it in community in fellowship
Difference in doing my studies alone (Monolog) than with others (Dialog)
Plenty of verses to remind us the importants of Fellowship
Old Testament
Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 NIV
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
We will be looking at Ecclesiates after this series
In The New Testament
Jesus shares this importance with His disciples and promises to be with us in our fellowship
Matthew 18:20 NIV
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
A critical part of the early church
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
No dening the need to be in fellowship.
But with todays message I wanted to go somewhere you might not expect

The Test

As I have mentioned a couple of times I am spending the year going deeper in the Torah (first 5 books) with the Bible Project
Tim Mackie is a writer and creative director for BibleProject. He has a PhD in Hebrew, Ancient languages and Biblical Studies.
chpt 19-24
You may know it as the 10 commandments
There is a literary pattern here
Invitation to come up the mountian chpt 19
Exodus 19:4–6 NIV
‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
Invitation of covenant
But an invitation to obedience
Exodus 19:12–13 NIV
Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”
Exodus 19:16 NIV
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
Covenant and power - this is the sence of the 10 commandments
Laws to be holy chpt 20:1-17
Rejection to the invitation chpt 20:18-21
Exodus 20:18–21 NIV
When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
more laws (42) to care for community Chpt 20:22-23:19 - to keep from sinning
Invitation to covernant and being with Isreal chpt 23:20-24:18
chpt 24 covenant is sealed and the elders see God
Exodus 24:9–11 NIV
Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
A Test of Trust
The people were afraid OF the Lord rather than having fear for the Lord.
The invitation here with the 10 commandments is overwelming, yet God is inviting them into a coverant to sin no more. Their sin/fear gets in the way of being with God.
The people stayed there distance.
Exodus 20:19 NIV
and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
This test is repeated again and again in Scripture, we fear it, we let our sin our wrong asumption that we are unworth and will die if we go with God there.
But what Happens they see God.
The transfiguration in the gospels relate to this very moment, Jesus is the wisdom of the law, He is the presence of God and he went through with the test.
He went to the cross. He walked into the storm.
In this kind of storm is peace with God
Will you stay your distance or will you draw near.
God is inviting us all on this journey. To be His Apprentice.
Isreal was so thankful for Moses to stand in the gap. But moses also could not live up to the law.
We are so thankful for Jesus who being the son of God fulfils this covanent and He also invites us into his presence
Now lets think again of the verses I openned with
To enter this space we need each other to encourage, to sharpen, to confess to.
This is the step from thinking about it to putting repentance into action.
When we tell someone our reality, our tests, our kioros moments we open our heart to God. to trusting him by telling others and opening up ourselves to their input.
We are going to have some time to be apprentices and put this into action
So be bold and share, those listening follow the steps
Reflect on what the person is telling you - repeat what you are hearing
Ask the holy spirit to guide your words and ask questions around how they are recognising the healthy and unhealthy beliefs or behaviour.
Get into groups of 2 to 3 and share what you are willing of a reflection you are having about what God is saying to you and go around the model.
for those doing the 40 day spiritual discipline guide this might be the people to ask to pray for you and your street.
Speak to other Christians and your leadership about praying for your neighbours. Consider setting up a prayer triplet.
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