The Test Of Fellowship

Living the Life Series: The Test of Fellowship

Scripture Reference: 1 John 1:3 - 6

Introduction

Last week’s game between the Washington Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was an awesome game. It appeared in the first half of the game that the Redskins had showed up to play having got out to an early 13 – 7 lead. It appeared as though the Super bowl champs of last year, the Bucs were going to be played like chumps in this present year, by the Skins.

But that was before half time, after half time was a different story with what appeared to be a different Bucs team. We don’t know what was said in the locker room, but it was translated into excellent play on the field.

We don’t know what new plays he introduced in those brief 12 minutes in the visiting teams locker room, but its impact was felt with 28 unanswered points. They beat the Skins in their own backyard.

Today, this Sunday, for you is half time. You have come from the field called the world. The playing may have been rough and the opponent was sure enough tough. You have come in with the sweat of sin all over you and the dehydration of the spirit within you.

Some of you come in here with your head hung low and your heart heavy because it doesn’t look good out there. Others have coming upbeat because where you were playing things are looking pretty good.

Some of you your uniform (the armor of God) has seen some better days. But let’s be honest some of us didn’t play this past week. Just be warned, your number will be called.

I pray that the play called in here from the Scriptures will translate into you being victorious out there. My prayer is that something in here will impact you in such a way that you will go out there (school, work, neighborhood, etc.) and win knowing that although we are the visiting team we still have the advantage.

Greater is He that is in us, then he that is out there. I have been trying to get across to you that God has done so much for us so that we can live and not die. That is the lifestyle; the choices that we make ought to lead us to live the life God intended for us to live.

He wants us to live in contradiction to how the world lives. The world in general is walking the death march. God has given us life in abundance not for self-satisfaction, but for His-satisfaction. Growth is taking place in you when it is a lot less about you and more about Him.

But you are asking, Pastor, how do I know that I am living this life? And I will answer, it all goes back to how’s your fellowship with God and your relationship to sin.

Transition

Last week we learned some exciting things that sonship with God and our fellowship with God has brought us. First, our sonship and fellowship assures us that Christ was the real, legitimate expression of God’s love towards. We then picked up on the fact that this acknowledgement from John to us helps us to have the fullness of joy.

The sonship and fellowship in God makes clear the legitimacy of Christ existence in both body and spirit, the fullness of joy, and the light of God shining upon us as we walk with Him regularly being cleansed by the blood of Jesus from every sin.

We found that you cannot say that before Christ you had no sin and after Christ you have not sinned because John made it clear that that would make us deceivers and liars.

But if we confess, that is stand in agreement with God that what He declares is wrong --- is wrong, then there awaits us forgiveness and cleansing from every wrong.

And in the act of living as God has spelled out in the Scriptures, then when we would sin again, Jesus pleads for us before the Father. Remember, He is the one who took God’s wrath against our sins upon Himself, and brought us into fellowship with God in the first place.

Now after all of this John foresees a question that will be raised by the recipients of this letter. The question: How do we know if we really know God? One translation of the Scriptures puts it this way, “How can we be sure that we belong to Him?”

John is going to give the answer in the twenty-nine verses of chapter two to that question by presenting seven tests. The first test is covered in verses three to six. See if you can pick out the test as I read the verses again (Reread – 1 John 2:3 – 6). Did you see it?