1 Did you notice last week that we moved the focus of our livesaway from
ourselves and to God?
This week we continue to desert self.Fellowship is
what you were created for. In our post-modern culture self rules. Isolation,
loneliness broken relationships, broken marriages, are the products of the
worship of self. Our gospel turns self out of the castle and enthrones Jesus.
And he said
2“As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will
know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34 1082
3 The example is Jesus
Philippians 2:1-11 Philippians 2
verse 1 - 11 (NIV)1179
4 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,
if any comfort from his love,
if any fellowship with the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion,
2then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love,
being one in spirit and purpose.
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4Each of you should look not only to your own
interests,
but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should
be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with
God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a
servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and
gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
We often use this in our communion to reflect of the
work of Jesus but it is written to encourage us in our Fellowship. Jesus is the
model and example of our lives. He is the one who practiced the presence of
God, he worshipped his Father and he had pure selfless fellowship with his
followers. And he wants you to join him. Follow the example! Follow Jesus!
5 The command is to love one another. Fellowship is the practice of loving
one another.
6 Love for one another is the proof that we walk with God.
7 1John 2:9 1226
Anyone who claims to be
in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10Whoever
loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him
stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and
walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the
darkness has blinded him.
And again
1John 4:19 1228
We love because he
first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates
his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he
has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given
us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Worship reveals itself in Fellowship.
9 MY 2nd PURPOSE
IN LIFE IS FELLOWSHIP.
10 “The person who loves God must also love other
believers.”
1 John 4:21 (GW)
11 FELLOWSHIP is loving
God’s Family.
12 “I’m writing… so you’ll know how to live in the
family of God.
That family is the church...” 1 Tim. 3:14-15 (NCV)
13 Fellowship is sharing This comes from the fact that the greek word koune
has that sort of background meaning. To full the purpose that God may you for
you have to live in a community. God does call people into isolation, but that
is very rare. Even the monastic tradition emphasised community of monks or nuns
and they in turn tended to express their worship in action in the society in
which they lived.
13a Fellowship is holistic 1 John 3:16-18 1227
14 1Jn 3:16
This is how we know
what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down
our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and
sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in
him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with
actions and in truth.
We are not just a spiritual society. We are
concerned with every aspect of every member’s life. Spiritual, mental,
emotional and physical. That does not mean we live in some weird intense
community and there is even warnings in the Bible about overdoing the
intensity. Proverbs 25:17 says Seldom set foot in your neighbour’s house –
too much of you, and he will hate you. But it does mean we care for each
other. It is not unspiritual to share family and work. It is unspiritual, to
share a third person’s life – that is gossip and wrong. But it is healthy that
we pray in house groups for all our needs. The danger is that we spend to
little time praying for each other’s spiritual needs.
15 Fellowship is accepting
God's choices as to family
We are called to be members of God’s family. We , in
fact, choose to be part of that family. However, you can’t choose God without
choosing the rest of the family. Including the ones sitting around you now! God
actually delights in putting strange combinations of peple together so that his
transcendent power to transform a society can be seen. It is seen most
graphically in churches in Israel when Israeli and Palestinian worship
together. Or in Northern Ireland when Protestant and Catholic stand together.
Or in Uganda when Hutu and Tutsi share together. In South Ruislip when
residents of 50 years standing welcome newcomers from the diverse nations which
will make up our community in the coming years. Asians, East Europeans,
Caribbean and African. If we cannot demonstrate that in Christ there is no East
or West or North or South (so we even welcome the Scots!) If we cannot
demonstrate that the Kingdom of God has no cultural and economic boundaries,
then the world will fail to see Jesus and our lamp will have been extinguished
and ‘Icabod’ – the glory has departed written against our fellowship.
16 Fellowship is commitment
Commitment is a dirty word in our modern society. We are consumers, who like to be able to pick and choose. Slip out to another church when something interests there or we don’t like what we get here. But Jesus calls us a family and you don’t get the opportunity of changing family except in sad circumstances when your own family has broken down for whatever reason. And the same is true for the church. We do have a membership and we look to those to show loyalty and commitment to this church to make it a place where others will feel loved, welcomed and safe. A lot that happens here is the evidence of deeply committed people who choose to support church when there are other priorities that could justify them not doing so.
Shrek onions
So
we are going to look at
FOUR
LEVELS OF FELLOWSHIP
19 “...You are members of God's very own family... and
you belong in God's household
with every other Christian.” Eph. 2:19
(LB)
belongs to all the others.” Rom.
12:5 (NIV)
This is not just signed up
membership of a local church but also the commitment not to walk away from your
brother or sister when they embarrass or annoy you.
It is demonstrated by the physical act of baptism.
21 “This is what we proclaimed in word and action when
we were baptized. Each of us is now a part of His resurrection Body.”
1 Cor. 12:13 (Msg)
22 “That's
what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water,
it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is
like the resurrection of Jesus.”
Rom. 6:3 (Msg)
Remember
you are not only joined to a local church, but more importantly you are joined
to the head, even Christ, part of a world wide community, part of a community
which includes Those early disciples and the prophets and patriarchs. All of us
are one big living family a lot of which are resident in heaven, and a few
resident in South Ruislip.
23 LEVEL 2: FRIENDSHIP: LEARNING
TO SHARE
24 “All
the believers met together constantly and shared everything with
each other.”
Acts 2:44 (LB)
·
25 OUR EXPERIENCES
26 “People learn from one
another, just as iron sharpens iron.”
Prov. 27:17 (TEV)
·
27 OUR HOMES
28 “Open your homes to each other.” 1
Peter 4:9 (NCV)
House group hosts demonstrate this but we can all do
our bit, including sometimes accepting invitations to visit.
In Romans 12, we are also urged to practise
hospitality.
·
29 OUR PROBLEMS
30 “Share each other's troubles
and problems.” Gal.
6:2 (NLT)
A key element here is that we share with one another
and also share with God. Often, someone not quite so involved as you are can
offer good advice and experience when you are too close to see a way through.
31 “Let us not give up the habit of meeting
together. Instead, let us encourage
one another...” Heb. 10:25
(TEV)
I
can’t believe this was a 1st Century statement. But it is true that
throughout history, giving up on church is one of the steps to giving up on
God. You are needed on Sunday mornings, not to fill empty chairs but to
encourage one another. You are needed on Sunday evenings so the body can
worship Jesus together. You are needed at PowerHouse because this church is
struggling in its prayer life because we are not making the effort to call on
God to bless us. You are needed in House group because your being there adds to
everyone else. Your contribution, however small, enriches all.
32LEVEL 3: PARTNERSHIP: DOING
MY PART
33 “We are partners working together for God.” 1
Cor. 3:9a (TEV)
34 “The whole Body is fitted together perfectly. As
each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow,
so that the whole Body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
Eph. 4:16 (NLT)
The
church is the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it. God intends
everyone of us to have a role or service in that body. If you don’t do your
bit, we all suffer. The body may adapt to cope without it.
35 “Just as you did it to one
of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to Me.” Matt. 25:40 (NRSV)
Our
worship of God expresses itself in your service to other members of the family.
37 “...they were like family to each other.” Acts 2:42a (CEV)
38 “Be devoted to each other like a loving
family.” Rom. 12:10
(GW)
What we are talking about here goes beyond belonging
and sharing and doing my part. It takes us into the realm of Christ-likeness
that will cost you. The old saying Blood is thicker than water applies here.
Friends you can lose, family you bear the cost of. This is to do with
sacrifice. And Jesus calls us to follow him in that way:
39 “We know what real love is
because Christ gave up His life for us. And so we also ought to give
up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16 (NLT)
I don’t want you to be trying to calculate where you
are on these levels. I want you to understand that God loves you and Jesus gave
himself for you. His Holy Spirit is in you creating and developing the love of
God in you. And that love will envelope your relationships with other
Christians. They are the brothers and sisters of the new family you are part
of. This family is what God chose you to be part of. We need you and you need
us. Together we need the Holy Spirit to transform human relations into
Christ-like relations.