Fellowship

Written By: Kirk Peterson

Lately God has really put on my heart about fellowship.  How can we live in fellowship with God in this earthly body?

God has showed me that everything He has revealed to us and taught us all comes down to this: God wants to live with His people.  Since the beginning of creation until the end of time, that is what it is all about. 

We all have this sense of belonging that is rooted inside of us.  We all want to have friends.  We all want to have family.  I believe that sense of belonging points us all to the eternal truth that our creator, God Almighty, wants nothing more than to live in fellowship with each and every one of us. 

I was speaking with a friend recently about when I have great fellowship in my life.  I described to him what fellowship looks like for me.  A group of my friends or family, laughing and sharing life together--and there is food, somehow there is always food around during great fellowship.

9Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. 10There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. 11And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence! (Exodus 24:9-11 NLT)

So I have begun to seek how I can live in fellowship with God.  In this earthly body how can I have fellowship with the One who dwells inside, who has come and made His home in me.

Getting your heart right

The original sin that caused the fall of man was all about pride.  The desire of self.  God has showed me His heart is one of humility.  When you study and hear about the life of Jesus, one of the greatest things I see in the way He lived is His humble heart. 

When I look back to the moment I was saved, I remember how I kept pushing and pushing against believing in Jesus.  I was rebelling against the word of God.  I knew that I had it all figured out.  I knew how the world worked and I didn’t need God.  Then, all at once I was convicted of my sin.  My pride was broken.  Shattered by the truth, the word of God.  In that moment of weakness, the mighty savior of the world came and knocked at my door.  Like the sun breaking free of the clouds, His promise of salvation came washing over me and filled me with hope.  And finally in that moment I let go…I closed my eyes, bowed down my head and surrendered to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Recently a friend and brother in Christ wrote this prayer.  I think that the words are not only beautiful but speak to the point that I’m trying to make about getting our heart right to fellowship with God:

“I pray that God will work in your heart and your eyes will be opened to the truth of God.

You matter so much to God.  The one who spoke the sun ablaze and walked the waves and conquered the grave came just to save you.

May the deep love of Christ reach your heart and draw you into His Kingdom.”

Genuine prayer

There is something special about one-on-one time. 

I’m reminded of this great “date night” I had with my wife.  We went out to a nice restaurant and ate a good meal together.  Just me and her.  After dinner, we went outside and tried to figure out what to do.  Heidi suggested we take a walkabout.  First, we came to a neighborhood park and started climbing and jumping all around--being kids again together. I had my cell phone with me and started taking slow motion video of our antics…it was hilarious!  We laughed together and had fun.  Then we continued on our journey and came to a church.  The architecture was reminiscent to the great cathedrals of the middle ages.  It had these two giant lanterns in front that we took pictures in front of.  Our conversation hovered around God and spiritual things.  Finally we came to a park, out in the middle of nowhere was this beautiful place.  Swans and ducks were swimming in the pond and we got to see some of God’s beauty.

All throughout God’s word He teaches us about prayer.  Jesus spoke of what genuine prayer looks like:

5“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

7“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! (Matthew 6:5-7 NLT)

So when we pray, may we all pray with authenticity.  Share your heart with God and see how your relationship grows with the Lord of Life.

Bible

Another great way God has showed me how to fellowship with Him is reading His Bible.  When you think about when you read and study the Bible, what is going on?  It is you and God. God’s truth that lives inside the Bible cuts through joint and morrow exposing us before God.  The Bible transforms the way we think, renewing our mind and our soul.  It brings your mind, your body and your soul to the right place before Almighty God. 

2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NLT)

12For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12 NLT)

So when we read His Bible, may his Holy Spirit speak truth to us.  May we fellowship with God in spirit and truth.  May we laugh together, may we cry together, may we grow and learn from Him, and may we live life together as we read His holy Bible.

Fellowship with other believers

I was speaking with one of my friends about how we can fellowship with God.  We had been talking about what God has shown us recently. We shared about our struggles and our victories with Christ.  Then, God’s Holy Spirit convicted me of this truth…when two of God’s family come together and share about God, we are not only in fellowship with each other but God is there with us.  God says that as followers of Jesus we all are part of One Church.  One great fellowship of God’s people that will not only come together in this life, but will be together in the next life--forever!

The Believers Form a Community

42All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. (Acts 2:42 NLT)

So may we come together in peace as one people.  May we come together and speak of the things of God and find unity and brotherly affection for each other.

Family

If you know me then you probably know how important family is to me.  It is a value that my Dad instilled in me growing up and one I carry with me now.  After God, my family is the most important thing to me.  The awesome truth of God is this: as believers in Jesus, we all are part of God’s family.  No family is perfect in this life, but as believers we all have a perfect family of God in the next life to come.  No matter your story of family, God promises us a family to call our own in this life with all believers and a great family in the life to come...

17He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

19So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:17-22 NLT)

So let us walk with confidence in this life with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  As part of God’s great family! 

May the deep love of Christ reach your heart and draw you into His Kingdom.

See “No Man is an Island” by Tenth Avenue North here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlw3jG2pE8w