Pray for me, that I can stay focus on Him always.
Pray for me, that I can live a lifestyle of worshiping Him.
Pray for me, that I bring glory to Him in my daily activities.
Pray for me, that I will not fall for temptations.
Pray for me, that I can stay strong always.
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Day 18: Experiencing life together
God wants us to experience life together. The shared experience is fellowship. But today, the biblical meaning has gone. Fellowship is just a casual conversation, socializing, food and fun.
"Where do you fellowship?" becomes "Where do you attend church?"
"Stay after for fellowship" means "Wait for refreshment".
Rick Warren made this comparison, which speaks the truth. However, real fellowship is unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and many more. An important factor in fellowship is size. The smaller the better. When a group becomes more than 10 people, domination and discrimination occurs, and sometimes the members do not notice it. Jesus could have chosen more than the 12 disciples, but He knew that was the ideal size.
Biology tells us that cells form a body. When these cells doing what they suppose to do, the body gets its moving. The body here means the Body of Christ. And the cells means fellowship, or cell groups. For quite long I wonder why do they call "cell groups", now I guess it is the meaning. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Anyway, if you imagine church is a ship, then the lifeboats attached to it are the small groups. But sometimes even if we are in a small group, but we experience unreal community. So, what is the difference between real and fake fellowship?
1. In real fellowship people experience authenticity. It does not mean surface-talking, but genuine, heart-to-heart sharing. It only happens when the members get honest about who they are and what is happening in their lives. They can share their pains, tell their feelings, confess failures, disclose doubts, fear, admit their weaknesses, and ask for prayers.
Sadly a lot of Christians wear masks, keep themselves away. And these attitudes are the death of real fellowship. But of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It is the only way to grow spiritually ad be emotionally healthy, although we might have to face our fear of exposure, rejection and being hurt again.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
James 5:16a
We only grow by taking risks, and the most difficult risk of all is to be honest with ourselves and others.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
2. In real fellowship people experience mutuality. It is the art of giving and receiving. It is about building reciprocal relationships, sharing responsibilities and helping each other.
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
Romans 1:11-12
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Romans 14:19
The Bible commands mutual accountability, mutual encouragement, mutual serving, and mutual honoring.
You are not responsible for everyone in the Body of Christ, but you are responsible to them.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
3. In real fellowship people experience sympathy. It is never a rush help to other people, but putting ourselves in their shoes, share their pain. Sympathy meets two fundamental human needs: to be understood and to have your feeling validated. Through this we build fellowship. Learn to think for other people.
There are various level of fellowship: the simplest level are the fellowship of sharing and fellowship of studying God's Word together. A higher level is fellowship of serving, that is, doing missionary trips together. The deepest level is the fellowship of suffering, where we come into their pain and feel it together with them.
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
It is during crisis, grief and doubt that we need each other the most. We need friends to have faith in God for us and pull us through.
4. In real fellowship people experience mercy.
Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
2. Corinthians 2:7
A thing we must know is that bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowships. You can't have a fellowship without forgiveness.
Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13
There is difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is an immediate action, and we are commanded to forgive those who hurt us, but we are not expected to trust them. They must prove that they have changed as time goes on. And the best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability.
Something new to me; something that I will learn. Forgiveness is an instant action, but trust takes time to reveal.
Vincent
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