Following the Fellowship Flow

What is fellowship? Is it the way you feel when you look into the eyes of your tear-stained-faced friend? Is it the pure happiness you experience when you are laughing until your stomach hurts with a bunch of close friends, and you thank God for those people in your life? Could it even be the feeling you get in your heart when you feel Christ doing something bigger-even possibly bigger then yourself? Like when you and a bunch of people you don't know instantly connect because you're all at a Christian event-and it doesn't matter how well you know the people you're playing games with? Could it be the opportunity that arises when you join a team of strangers to accomplish a bigger goal?

Trick question- it's all of those things. And so much more. Fellowship is Community with Christ, and with other believers-and it can be shown in all kinds of ways.

When I was looking in my Bible about what Fellowship means to Christ, there's two passages that really got me.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 says this, ""Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:

“I’ll live in them, move into them; I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,” says God. “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I’ll be a Father to you; you’ll be sons and daughters to me.” The Word of the Master, God.""

(MSG)

This is so so important and key to understanding why Christ calls us into Fellowship with other believers. When I read where it says, 'Is light best friends with dark?', I thought of how discouraging it could be for 'light' to constantly be around the 'dark' and the impact darkness could have on light. Christ has given us community, and gifted us with the Church so that we can constantly have that encouragement. As Christians, we are in this fight on earth against the darkness and sin, together. We should praise God for the gift of Fellowship.

Likewise, 1 John 1:6-7 reads, "If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth — we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin."

Accountability is a big part of Fellowship with others and with Christ. Along with the joys and jubilation of rejoicing in praises with other Christians we also need to experience fall and consequence. So that when other Brothers and Sisters fall, or are about to fall we can keep them accountable, and help them through that hard time, vice versa.

Saying that I am floored with the outcome of the Fellowship I experienced at THE WAY Youth Worship Rally last night, is an understatement.

I told you guys in my latest blog that I was honored with the opportunity to be a part of a praise band for a local youth worship rally, which happened to take place last night.

What started last year with a freshman at a local high school who had a God given vision that the students in Pickens County would come together and worship our Lord and Savior, turned into a gathering with easily over 120 people with 3 praisebands, 2 guest speakers, a bunch of volunteers and hearts ready to receive the Word of Christ. Even though we did not know each other personally we all connected over our Christ and were best friends, even if it was just for 4 hours and about 10 games.

I wanted to share this to encourage my fellow Christ-enthused friends, to tell you a.) when Christ gives you a vision, and a calling/passion, follow it, follow it and follow it hard, pursuing that passion for the sake of the Gospel. You never know what God can turn it in to. And b.) Take Fellowship to heart, walk in it daily, and share both your praises and hardships with fellow believers. You might even make a couple friends along the way.

Until the whole world hears!!!