Fellowship part 2
When I started my ministry (Word Without Walls) I asked a few people what I should call the thing. I've never been very traditional or "religious" so I wanted to take the temperature of the common man, so to speak. My best friend said to me, and I'll never forget it, "I don't know. Something with fellowship. That's what's it's about, right?" And, I mean, clearly I didn't take his advice. I went with WWW because I felt it was my mission to make the gospel accessible to people. That's why I do Rants, and videos online. Because some people don't like to (or can't) get to a traditional church building. I wanted BEING the church to be more important than GOING TO a church building. And, listen, don't get me wrong, I'm not against that. I think people get out of things what they put into them. I think you can find positives in just about any situation. Ok. So. I said all that to say this: Fellowship IS what it's all about. Because it's all about love. Love is the glue that binds us together. Look at 1 John 1:6-7, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Let me say it another way from later on in the book of 1 John. "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20). The love of God is what equips us and empowers us to love each other. That, in fact, is the New Commandment for the New Man. Love one another as Jesus has loved you. Receive and release the love of God. Let God love the hell out of you and then love Him back by loving the people around you. It's really that simple. That's how we live. That's how we experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love that is the gift of God! He's already given it to us. We have it. It's not something we need to get. It's something we ought to give. Because love IS giving. When you give what you've got, you experience what you've got. I don't really like spending money on myself very often. But I'll get other people whatever they need (or sometimes want). Because nobody ever went broke by being generous. God loves a cheerful giver. And it's not always money. You can give all of your three T's (Time, Talent, Treasure). You can lay your life down for your friends. You can give everything you have AND everything you are. And that's how people will know how you feel about them. That's how people will know that you are a disciple of Christ. Love defines us. If you go around loving people, you'll find yourself full of fellowship. If you let what's inside come out... by knowing and believing that it's in there... you'll be able to experience and enjoy it by helping others experience it and enjoy it! So... I know yesterday I said I wanted to get into the "fellowship of the Spirit." I meant to. Really. I did. All I can say is that I'll shoot for tomorrow. Come back and see!