The Map Maker s Guide Map 15 The One Another Fellowship Spiritual Exercise We have learned that, to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, we must explore those mysteries and put them to use for His kingdom. God has hidden mysteries in the Scriptures. God has hidden truth in the stories and prophecies of the Old Testament. Jesus spoke in parables to hide the mysteries of the kingdom. The Holy Bible is the most obvious place to search out the mysteries of God. We are wise to also recognize that the mysteries of God can be found all around us. God s creation reveals the nature and character of its Creator; from the substance of the cosmos to the birth of a child. Who but God can understand the complex workings of our brains? God has hidden great mysteries in His creation. Furthermore, all of God s creation operates in mysterious relationships: Mankind s responsibility to the earth and its responsibility to us; generational relationships (e.g., passing down curses and blessings); and the incredible relationship of a husband and wife helping to reveal Jesus Christ s relationship with the church. These and many more mysteries are going on all around us. How we consider them can greatly affect our knowledge of God. For the faithful steward, all of creation is a mystery to be explored including our relationship with one another. As we pray, consider the One that creates: He hides and encourages our searching, that we might know and love Him more. Prayer Father God, You are the greatest of all mysteries. Your ways and thoughts are so far above our own that we are tempted to shrink back discouraged that we will never understand Your mysteries. Help us, Heavenly Father. Thank You for making us curious people. Thank You for encouraging us to keep on searching. Thank You, that in our searching, we are promised to find You. Strengthen us in the adventure. Use us as faithful stewards and instruments of righteousness to deliver Your liberating truth. In Jesus name. Amen. Introduction God never intends for us to do things in isolation. Sacrificing for His Plan is to be experienced in community. It is another of God s ways that are directly opposed to the ways of man. In every worldly system (e.g., sports, business, government), the individual is recognized above the team. The man that is the captain of his own ship is praised and emulated. The star gets the big bucks. This is not the way of God! From the Old Testament (where God pleaded with the people not to desire a king) to the New Testament (where the Body of Christ becomes the Bride), the people of God are those that live in community, for the sake of building the community of Jesus Christ. How are we to be made into the fellowship of His habitation? Where do we start? We start by searching it out: Beholding the Lord as we seek the revelation and transformation that the Holy Spirit will provide. We will begin with the meaning of fellowship. 115
Definition Fellowship (koinōnia): Fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation; intimacy; a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship. BlueLetterBible.org Outline of Biblical Usage It is important to recognize that fellowship is a noun that assumes action. It describes a group of people that are doing something. That something is living together in the way of God for fellowship. Not sitting or standing around together, though this is a part. Not talking, playing or working together, though this is more a part. The whole of koinōnia is found in living together. ALL living; and ALL together. It is no coincidence that more than eighty-five percent of the you/your pronoun usages in Scripture are plural. Independence is one of the greatest deceptions and sins of our day. Searching Out the Matter (All Scripture references, but those noted, are NKJV; Thomas Nelson, Inc.; footnotes excluded) The Mystery of Fellowship I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. John 17:20-23 Jesus Christ s desire is that we would be made perfect in one. He has been praying for more than 2000 years that we would be perfectly unified. He gave us the glory that the Father gave Him for this very purpose!! The Father intends to answer His Son s prayer. Every purpose that God has given us includes this underlying objective. Therefore, every purpose of God involves more than one person, and will by its nature draw more people to it. Notice that Jesus asked His Father to make us one (versus helping us do it). It is a work that only the Father can accomplish. Our response must be agreement with Jesus prayer, and surrender to the Father s work. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Ephesians 3:8-12 It is almost too amazing to believe that the manifold wisdom of God and the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord is the fellowship of the mystery. The church is the mystery fellowship ; for by this fellowship His wisdom and purpose will be made known to principalities and powers beyond this place and time. Let that sink in for a moment. How amazing that we share in the mystery of God s manifold wisdom to this age!! What a privilege!! We are to proclaim and live in the fellowship of His mystery. Recognize, if you can, how important our fellowship is to God. It is a precious thing to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I dare say we do not treat her so well. It would do us good to mourn with Jesus Christ over the dismemberment of the Body of Christ His Bride to be. 116
117 Map 15 The One Another Fellowship Make no mistake about it: She will be spotless and without wrinkle. The question we must ask ourselves is this: Are we participating with God in His unifying work, or are we allowing ourselves to be pulled apart by our enemies Satan, our flesh and the world? If you are pierced to the heart as I am, you will be asking the question, Lord, what must we do? If I may be so bold to suggest, I believe He would say: God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1Corinthians 1:9 Trust your Father in Heaven to complete the work He has begun. Join Him, as the early followers did, by continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:42). Become part of the one another fellowship. The One Another Fellowship Now that we have the Holy Spirit s conviction and the Lord s perspective, we can move on to a deeper understanding of the fellowship He desires. We will do so by searching out the one another verses. As we review these, let the truth convict and encourage you in the potential of fellowship. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1John 1:7 Fellowship with one another is evidence of our walk with Christ; and important enough to include with the promise of our being cleansed from all sin. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another. Mark 9:50 Have peace with one another is not an option; it is a command of our King. Note His use of the word with. Our peace is to be found with one another, not in avoiding one another. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12 Another command: To love one another as He loved us. Lest we forget, that love was sacrificial, even unto death on a cross. It is a condition of our being His disciples. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Romans 12:4-5 Not only are we members of Christ s body, we are members of one another. There is to be a closeness that exceeds the powers of observation something beyond the natural. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another Romans 12:10 Giving preference means letting the other choose, not choosing for them. This type of love requires humility and trust in our Father. One another fellowship encourages our spiritual maturity. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Romans 15:5-7 One another fellowship empowers the renewal of our minds (i.e., transformation) through the appropriation of the mind of Christ. We become unified in thought and worship. Christ received us
with sacrificial love. As the Father sent Him, so He sends us. It is for God s glory that we receive one another (i.e., to grant another access to one s heart). Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 1Corinthians 6:7-8 Our ill-treatment of one another in the public square brings shame to Jesus Christ, and the rest of His Body. Our acceptance of being wronged protects Him and His Body. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 1Corinthians 12:23-26 Our suffering and honor with one another is not an option, it is a reality of life in God s kingdom. The only way to avoid this reality is to disconnect from the Body. That is what we are doing when we live with indifference to our brothers and sisters in Christ. For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:13, 26 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! James 5:9 One of the saddest things to see are fellowships in close geographic proximity living apart from one another. Rather than serve each other, they glory in themselves. Satan uses this to set in motion a cycle of vain glory pursuit, envy, and one-upmanship. We are called to a much higher witness of God s love for one another; as we see in the following verses. I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:1-3,25,32 Once again, we see that we are not just members of Christ, but members of one another. What we do to each other, we do to ourselves. Furthermore, our worth as followers of Jesus Christ is measured by our bearing with one another in love. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 The issue is not how we assemble from small groups to large denominations but the heart we have for each other as we assemble. Is our desire for ourselves and our group, or for something greater? To fight the temptations of sectarianism, we must be intentional about our assembling together in love for the whole Body of Christ. Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 1Peter 3:8-9 Our love for one another is no less than our calling, and the source of our inheritance in Christ. This alone should be enough motivation; but God, knowing how difficult such fellowship would be for us, promised even more. 118
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 1John 4:12 God has established the conditions and the promises of His kingdom. His abiding in us, and the perfection of His love in us, are conditional on our love for one another. Dear God, have mercy on us! Transform us into the people (plural) that will follow your plan, and follow it your way. We know there is no other. We lay down our lives, that we would find the life of love - whatever the cost. In Jesus name. Amen. Conclusion I confess that this is the most challenging facet of my walk with the Lord. My heart is so far from the revelation of these verses. The church in America is so divided. How far have we drifted from God s plab? How did we get here? More importantly, how do we find God s perfect will in our love for one another? Application Leaders in the Workplace are in a unique position to experience God s blessing through the one another fellowship. By bringing together employees, customers, and others within their spheres of influence, Leaders in the Workplace will be used by God to break down the walls that separate us. The church in the Workplace will once again experience the power of love in community, and the world will see God in our love for one another. Answer God s call and receive your kingdom inheritance in Christ. Reckoning All Christians are members of one another. No part of the Body can survive in isolation. Assignment 1. Review your notes and the Scripture passages from this week s module. Share the ones that are most meaningful with someone in your spheres of influence. 2. Ask God to search your heart (Psalm 139:23-24) for the anxiety, prejudice and motivation that is weakening the Body of Christ. Confess your sin and receive His forgiveness and deliverance (1John 1:9). 3. Exercise at least one act of one another service for someone within your spheres of influence that is outside your denomination. Commit to making this a regular occurrence. Devotion From Chuck Colson : How Now Shall We Live? (pp. 303-304) The new millennium is a time for Christians to celebrate, to raise our confidence, to blow trumpets, and to fly the flag high. This is the time to make a compelling case that Christianity offers the most rational and realistic hope for both personal redemption and social renewal. But if we are to have an impact on our culture, the beginning point must be to take our stand united in Christ, making a conscious effort among all true believers to come together across racial, ethnic, and confessional lines. In His high-priestly prayer, Jesus prayed fervently that we would be one with one another, as He is one with the Father. Why? So that the world will know that He is the Christ (see John 17:20-23). The unavoidable implication of Jesus words is that Christian unity is the key to evangelism and cultural renewal. Much of the church s weakness can be traced to its inability or unwillingness to obey the command to strive for unity in Christ. 119