Fellowship Explored

I heard the word “fellowship” quite a lot in church. In my home church or every church I served, fellowship seemed to mean “Christians getting together with food.” Bill loves a good church potluck and so do I! Maybe you remember church fellowship like we do. Adults would talk about “stuff” while they ate and the kids would run around and try to find something fun to do. These are great experiences and memories. There’s certainly nothing wrong with Christians getting together to eat, chat, play and share a meal together. But this is far from the “fellowship” that occupies Philippians as its major theme. Paul’s vision for fellowship is more like J. R. R. Tolkien’s vision in his book The Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo Baggins and his diverse cohort shared an all-consuming mission. They shared extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, harrowing experiences which led to a deep and meaningful bond. That’s what fellowship means—the sharing or bond of identity, purpose, mission, and experiences.

We’ve explored our personal discipleship for the past eight weeks and I hope you experienced fellowship along with other disciples on the journey. We read and re-read the book of Philippians in small groups and watched some impactful videos filled with stories about how disciples of Jesus Christ choose to live out their call to follow him from all over the world. The dream was to challenge one another and to focus on our discipleship—which means becoming Christ-like—more like Jesus.

So, how are you doing? Are you more like Jesus today than you were eight weeks ago?

The word disciple means follower or learner. It means there is discipline involved. A disciple of Jesus Christ isn’t some super Christian. In fact, Jesus assumes just the opposite. All of us who respond to his call to follow him are his disciples. What type of disciple are you? How would Jesus answer that question? The Apostle Paul challenged the disciples in Philippi to do as he did and live a life of joy no matter what circumstance they found themselves living in or facing. Jesus himself set the standard for how we are to live and Paul simply encourages disciples to live as Jesus lived—in a constant sense of shalom and joy.

The Bible is meant to be read and experienced together in community. Fellowship is something we can experience as we face extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, harrowing experiences as Christians together. There is certainly joy but there is also conflict. The Philippians knew about conflict and Paul urged them to solve it. Paul reminded them then and he reminds us now to work out not only our conflict but also our salvation with fear and trembling! Paul's letter to the Philippians is deeply meaningful to many disciples even in our day. When I ask people where their favorite scriptures are located—many will share their most beloved scriptures are located within the letter to the Philippian church.

1. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completionuntil the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)

2. Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel. (Philippians 1:27)

3. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

4. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:7-8)

5. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press ontoward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

6. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

7. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)

Tell me why the Bible is important.

“The Bible’s purpose it not much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey.' Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.”– Tim Keller

The Bible is a holy revelation about relationships which includes the story of how God chose to work within the messiness of our broken family. Fellowship helps us develop Christian relationships. Imagine Christian fellowship within your own family. Remember the words of Paul. Apply them to your lives. As I finish my time as pastor of Wheatland Salem Church, I think about the beginning. I think about all the extraordinary, one-of-a-kind harrowing experiences we’ve shared which I hope will eventually be revealed to some of you as a deep and meaningful bond. I was willing to follow Jesus—jump into something I didn’t know would transform me in the ways that it has—and I am incredibly grateful for the fellowship I’ve experienced. I am not leaving yet! We still have some time before that day comes. So, I know there is still time for a few more experiences…and stories…and fellowship.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completionuntil the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6) * personal favorite

Pastor Jen