What if you took a fresh look at how the Bible treats the word 'fellowship?'
I had always thought of fellowship as something involving shepherd's pie and lemonade from a tap. But if you read I John 1 you will discover a different definition. Fellowship is a noun, not a verb. It is a group of people who connect themselves about a common purpose or object. That object might be a book, a ring, a business, a school, a country club, a 1968 cadilac, or Christ. John says that our fellowship with God is a relationship. Our relationship is made stronger when we confess our sins, the things that are hurting our relationship with God, and ask forgiveness, forging a stronger relationship with our Creator. There are two main results of "walking in the light" like this. First, our fellowship will manifest itself in the way we live (like the way old married couples start to look alike). Second, our relationship with God strengthens our fellowship with each other. In other words: our love and relationships with fellow believers can be only as strong as our relationship with God, who is the object of our fellowship. So if we want to strengthen the church the answer won't necissarily be to schedule another pot-luck, but to draw closer to our Savior.
I challenge you to read through I John 1 and truly analyze the greeting and the syllogisms that John constructs.
Posted by timf at February 9, 2005 04:52 PMPastor Brooks is preaching on this very thing, a series I intend to keep up on (even from Boston). Do you attend heritage, or is this purely providential? Eiether way, both your post and his messages (both based on God's Word, of course) are great reminders and come at a time when the Lord has bene impressingmy mind and heart with vital importance and life inherent in the gift of fellowship He has bestowed on the members of His body, the Church. Fabulous.
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