Hi Church Family!

I hope you are well and that this past week you've had opportunities to experience the fellowship of Jesus and the fellowship with other believers. Fellowship with one another is vitally important to the life of believers as John said "If we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7) The question I often wonder is, do we as members of God's family live in healthy regular fellowship with each other and God? 

Gotquestions.com wrote the following about fellowship. "In order to understand the importance of Christian fellowship, we must first understand what Christian fellowship is and what it isn’t. The Greek words translated “fellowship” in the New Testament mean essentially a partnership to the mutual benefit of those involved. Christian fellowship, then, is the mutually beneficial relationship between Christians, who can’t have the identical relationship with those outside the faith. 

The mystery and privilege that is Christian fellowship is that it exists because God has enabled it by His grace. Those who believe the gospel are united in the Spirit through Christ to the Father, and that unity is the basis of fellowship. This relationship is described by Jesus in His high-priestly prayer for His followers: “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23). The “complete unity” He refers to is the oneness that Christians experience in true fellowship, oneness with one another, with Christ and with the Father. Just as the Father is in Jesus, so is Jesus in us, and we have unity with one another because of the uniqueness of that relationship (1 John 1:3).

This relationship must be the basis of Christian fellowship. We can have friendships and relationships with unbelievers, but true Christian fellowship can only occur within the body of Christ. We are united to one another by common beliefs, purposes, and goals. Our hearts and minds are “other-worldly” because we follow Jesus Christ, who said that His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). We know that we are strangers in this world, and we long for the time when we will be in our true home, heaven.

The importance of true Christian fellowship is that it reinforces these things in our mind and helps us to focus on Christ and His desires and goals for us. As iron sharpens iron, in true Christian fellowship Christians sharpen one another's faith and stir one another to exercise that faith in love and good works, all to God’s glory." 

I encourage you to be intentional in fellowship with other believers and to schedule times to get together for fellowship. When we do, our fellowship with God will grow as well. Fellowship with believers was foundational in the early Church and I believe fellowship with believers remains foundational for the Church today. "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer." (Acts 2:42-NLT)

Sunday we will move into the second chapter of Colossians in our All In series as we look at the Strength that comes from having all of Jesus in all of us. Those who have placed their personal faith in Jesus are 100% complete in Him, and we lack nothing! The prophet Isaiah wrote about the strength of our life and salvation when he said, "God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The LORD GOD is my strength and my song; He has given me victory." (Isaiah 12:2) 

I hope to see you Sunday as we unpack the first seven verses of Colossians 2 in order to gain a better understanding of all that Jesus brings to our life the moment we place our faith in Him. Jesus is everything and everything is Jesus.

God loves you and so do I!

PK