Today we will be concluding our series entitled "You Did That On Purpose." Over the past several weeks we have been examining 5 foundational purposes of the church. As we have seen each of these purposes should be evident in each of our lives as well.
Today we will be examining the purpose of fellowship using Hebrews 10:24-25 as our foundational scripture. Let’s take a look:
Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the day approaching."
How many of you have ever heard someone say, "I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian..." I see lots of heads nodding with that one. Now out of the folks you’ve heard make those kinds of statements...how many of them are truly living a Christian life that glorifies God? That’s right...it doesn’t work. When I was a young man in my early 20’s I made a statement like that. I had been hurt by a leader in a church and that was my response. Not only did I not live a life glorifying to God...I embraced more and more of the world’s influence with each passing day. I’ll warn you I’m getting ready to step on some toes today, starting right now. Some of you are just what this verse is talking about. You have given up meeting together. I call you fair weather Christians...if the weather is fair...then we might see you here.
I put up this picture for a reason. Even the Lone Ranger needed Tonto!!! God never intended for there to be Lone Ranger Christians roaming the range. Life is to intense for one person to go it alone. It will consume you, destroy you and ultimately spit you out. If that was not the case, no one would be facing financial crisis, relationship turmoils, job troubles, illness, etc....
Now let me ask you...what is your idea of fellowship? If your idea of fellowship involves a casserole dish...you’ve missed the mark. Although social activities and food help create an environment for fellowship...they in and of themselves do not constitute fellowship. Let’s really see what fellowship is all about.
I am going to use this foundation for us today. Fellowship is encouragement. Look at the scripture we just read. "..let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds..." Spur one another on...literally...we are to bring out the best in each other. We are going to examine four forms of encouragement that fellowship brings about. First of all fellowship is the encouragement ot press on. It is the encouragment to get involvled. It is the encouragement to remain faithful. And finally it is the encouragement to focus on Jesus.
The encouragement to press on. Would you all agree that life is a grueling course. Not a leisurely stroll, but an agonizing, challenging, difficult fast paced obstacle course, triathalon and marathon all rolled into one. In life each of us deals with moments of intense pain, moments of hopeless despair and moments of overwhelming doubt. God knew that our natural response would be to quit...to give up. That’s why God gave us his cheering section. Think about any grueling road race you’ve ever watched. There are always people lining the route cheering, encouraging, handing out water, passing out band-aids. These people give the strength and the support to go on. Life is not much different, however, God’s cheering section is made up of other participants. So not only can the cheer and encourage, but they are able to impart their own experience and insight. And in those times when you just can’t take another step...they help carry you. I watched Christopher and Gary run in the River Run a couple of years ago.
But there was another group of runners that caught my eye. The group from the U.S. Marine Corp was great to watch. They ran together as a group. No one out front, no one left behind. Even if a member wanted to give up and quit...the strength of the group would push them to go on. When God put you and I together as I church...I think of it much like this group of Marines. We have been placed together to run as a group. We encourage, motivate, care for and at times carry one another. If you are not involved in fellowship, you are not benefiting from the full provision God has made for you to run your race.
Look at Jesus words about our race.
Luke 18:1
"One day Jesus told His disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up."
Isaiah also has marching orders for us in this area as well.
Isaiah 35:3
"With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage htose who have weak knees."
Isaiah 41:6
"They encourage one another with the words, "Be strong!"
Hosea 6:3
"Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him! Then He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."
Fellowship also provides the encouragement to get involved. The first way this happens is by providing help in unlocking your potential. One of the things I really enjoy is target shooting. How would I have ever known I enjoyed it, or had a knack for it, if no one had ever exposed me to it? You see fellowship creates an environment for mentoring, leadership building and opportunities to grow. Let me give you an example. There are several of you now helping in Teamkids on Wednesday evenings. If I had come to you and said...would you be willing to lead Teamkids...I can most assuredly say that 100% of you would have turned me down. Would I be correct in this? I thought so. Now if most of you will think about how you got involved...it went something like this. "We have been overun with kids on Wednesday evenings...would you be able to assist me with....?" Over time I began to hand over more and more responsibility to you, as you became more and more comfortable with functioning in that capacity. Had I not offered the opportunity, or taken the time to mentor and build leadership...you would not have experienced the blessings. Secondly teamwork helps us to get involved. In teamwork, we operate hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder. In police officer days, I was part of a drug raid team in Fort Worth. Notice I said part of a team. I think I was a pretty capable street cop...but because of the challenges and dangers of that type of activity....I needed to have others working with me to be effective. The Christian life is no different. We want to win this community for Christ...but it takes a group effort. Because together we can light this community more completely than I could by myself. Secondarily, there are some challenges we face that we need to be shoulder to shoulder on...for there is strength in numbers.
Let’s consider a couple of scriptures dealing with those issues:
1 Peter 5:3
"Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your good example."
1 Timothy 1:2-3, 13
"Timothy, you are like a dear child to me. I pray that God our Father and our Lord Christ Jesus will be kind and merciful to you and will bless you with peace! Night and day I mention you in my prayers. I am always grateful for you, as I pray to the God my ancestors and I have served with a clear conscience...Now follow the example of the correct teaching I gave you, and let the faith and love of Christ Jesus be your model."
Nehemiah 2:18
"Then I told them how kind God had been and what the king had said. Immediately, they replied, "Let’s start building now!" So they they got everything ready."
Nehemiah 4:6
"The people worked hard, and we built the walls of Jerusalem halfway up again."
Acts 14:1
"In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went together to the synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Gentiles believed."
Fellowship also provides the encouragement to remain faithful. This encouragement gives us reminders of our calling. Sometimes we just need to remember, what it is we are supposed to be doing. That’s why God gave us bosses, isn’t it? Seriously..we all lose sight of our purpose from time to time and fellowship gives us reminders of that purpose. Fellowship provides a source of accountability for our actions. You see my actions can bring just as much glory or discredit to your reputation as your actions can. What I do reflects on you..because we are both part of the body of Christ. At a race there are people assigned to help the runners stay on course and point you back in the right direction if you get off course. God has placed us into one another’s lives for the same purpose. Fellowship allows us to face adversity together. Would you rather face cancer all alone and by yourself...or would you prefer to face it surrounded by people who love you and care for you. Which do you think improves your odds. Last year we faced adversity together in the aftermath of the tornado. Made getting life put back together a little easier didn’t it? Fellowship also casts vision. When we share what God is laying on our hearts...we find that collectively He gives us the same vision. This vision ultimately transforms into action for God’s glory. Let’s look at a few scriptures dealing with the encouragement to remain faithful.
Isaiah 48:1
"Listen to me, O family of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and born into the family of Judah. Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and call on the God of Israel. You don’t follow through on any of your promises,"
1 Corinthians 1:2
"We are writing to the church of God in Corinth, you who have been called by God to be His own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as He did all Christians everywhere - whoever calls upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and theirs."
Proverbs 27:17
"As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other."
Daniel 3:16-17
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your majesty."
Nehemiah 2:18
"Then I told htem how kind God had been and what the king had said. Immediately they replied, "Let’s start building now!" So they got everything ready."
Fellowship ultimately leads us to focus on Jesus. First of all we listen to each other. So many of us fail to listen...we just anxiously await our turn to speak. Yet so many times the encouragment we each need is just for someone to take time to listen to us. By listening we are then able to direct one another’s focus back upon Jesus. Secondly our listening gives us the opportunity to pray for one another. What greater way to focus on Jesus than to enter His presence in prayer. I find that God strengthens me so much through the prayers of others. It is the prayers of others that sustain me in my darkest hours. Speaking God’s word to each other is another way to encourage. I find scripture brings me great encouragement...and without a doubt always redirects my focus. The scripture is full of exhortation, promise, encouragement, and even rebuke. God gave you the Bible as His love letter to you...it is personal, intimate and filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. The last point in this area of encouragement is the testimony of God’s glory revealed in your own life. I find I receive great encouragement from the God’s working in the life of those around me. We derive strength and motivation from those who have gone before us. When we see how God has brought them through, we can know that God will see us through just as certain.
See what God’s word has for you along these lines:
Acts 8:24
"Pray to the Lord for me," Simon exclaimed, "that these terrible things won’t happen to me!"
Romans 1:9
"God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by telling others the Good News about His Son."
John 6:45
"As it is written in the scriptures, ’They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me."
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"Everything in the scriptures is God’s word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds."
1 Timothy 1:12-14
"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord. He has given me the strength for my work because He knew that He could trust me. I used to say terrible and insulting things about Him, and I was cruel. But He had mercy on me because I didn’t know what I was doing, and I had not yet put my faith in Him. Christ Jesus our Lord was very kind to me. He has greatly blessed my life with faith and love just like His own."
So now the question becomes "What’s your excuse?" Why do you choose not to become an active part of this body? Some of you start the excuses the moment you and I begin a conversation...I don’t even have to mention church and your already giving me your excuse as to why you weren’t here or won’t be here. I take you back to our opening scripture. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another." You see your involvement in fellowship says alot about who is Lord of your life. Those who love Jesus want to abide in Jesus....those who don’t....won’t. Could you use some encouragement today?
