And as we work and struggle and fight to conform to HIS mind,
then we’ll all naturally fall in step with one another because
we’re all following the same leader. The key isn’t the two of
us arguing about whose mind-set is right. The key is all of us
conforming to the mind of Christ. Then we will be of the same
mind; then we’ll be of the same love; then we’ll be in harmony
in spirit and mind and will walk lock step with one another as
we move forward together in His grace.
*Fellowship with God’s people provides a lifeline of strength
and accountability for a steadfast life in this crazy, mixed-up
world.*
Let’s talk about Strength. How many of you are always
strong enough to live a steadfast Christian life? Ecclesiastes 4
gives a simple description of this concept of being strong
together:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good
reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will li up his fellow…
Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one
keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one
who is alone, two will withstand him — a threefold cord is not
quickly broken.”
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV)
We are better together. We strengthen each other. During
times when I am weak, I can draw from your strength and
hopefully sometimes in your weakness, you can draw strength
from me. And guess what – sometimes we’re weak at the same
time, and that’s okay...because at least we are weak together
and we will fight our way through our weakness together.
Together is always better.
Accountability goes hand-in-hand with strength. (Galatians
6:1-2 ESV)
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression,
you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness…
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
If
we want to fulfill the law of Christ, Paul tells us that we should
“bear one another’s burdens.” Well…what’s our tendency?
“Share my burdens? No way. I keep that stuff to myself” —
right? But that’s not Biblical is it? That’s not living together and
it certainly isn’t fellowship.
And so I’m going to ask you: Who are you accountable to?
Who knows you well enough to perceive when something isn't
right; whom do you trust enough to be completely transparent;
whom do you call when you are in trouble or facing temptation;
whom can you count on to ask you those hard questions —
knowing that they will not judge you but also not let you off the
hook? We need those people in our lives. Desperately need
them because…
*Fellowship with God’s people provides a lifeline of strength
and accountability for a steadfast life in this crazy, mixed-up
world.*
How do we do this thing called Fellowship? Paul gives us a
hint:
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humil-
ity count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of
you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests
of others.”
(Philippians 2:3-4 ESV) It’s a pretty simple formula,
isn’t it? But it’s hard to live because…let’s face it, we are selfish
people. Right? We are self-centered, self-absorbed, self-serving
people. That’s our sinful nature. But Christ is transforming us!
And as He transforms us, and as we conform to His mind, I
learn to look out for you and to let you look out for me. That’s
the way the body of Christ works.
You see, Fellowship is more than pot luck and ice cream and
watching our kids grow up together. Those are fun parts of
Fellowship, but they are only a tiny piece of what Fellowship
really is. Fellowship is loving each other through thick and thin;
Fellowship is grinding through the dog days of life together —
rebellious teenagers, or bankruptcy, or divorce, or all those
other things that we don’t want to happen in life but they
happen anyway; that’s Fellowship! Fellowship is putting our
heads together to solve a problem or dream about the future;
Fellowship is being willing to endure tense situations as we
wrestle through disagreements together; Fellowship is being
willing to give either a hand up or a swift kick in the backside —
and knowing which one is needed; Fellowship is serving heart-
to-heart, side-by-side and hand-in-hand.
Fellowship is another one of those lifelines that God drops
down to us in this crazy world that’s making less and less sense
every day. Don't think of it so much as a rope but more like
having a dozen other climbers all around you; and some of
them are pulling you from above, and some of them are showing
you the next handhold, and some of them are below you making
sure you don’t fall. And we are all pulling each other through
this thing we call life.
The Bible encourages us to grab this lifeline too and hang
on for all we are worth.
“And let us consider how to stir up one
another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together,
as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the
more as you see the Day drawing near.”
(Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV)
*Fellowship with God’s people provides a lifeline of strength
and accountability for a steadfast life in this crazy, mixed-up
world.*
28
September 2015 SR
8-Minute Message: Steadfast in Fellowship
Continued from page 11
SR
1840-2015
“Making Connections… 175 Years and Counting”
The Connecting Church – Milton WI Seventh Day Baptist
Celebrating 175 Years
November 14th, 2015
Join us for Worship, Meal of Sharing, Milton House Tours,
Choral Performances and Milton College tours.
Conference by the Numbers
Total Registration........................................690
Registered Delegates ..................................273
Churches Officially Represented ..................51
Ministers and Pastors present ......................68
Associated Conferences ................................76
PreCon Retreats ............................................55
