fellowship

“If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!”

These are very intriguing, and even somewhat stirring words of D.L. Moody … originally a shoe salesman/trader and Sunday School teacher who grew his Chicago-based North Market Hall Sunday School to a membership of 1500 in 1863. While Moody became primarily known throughout America and the United Kingdom as an evangelist, publisher (Moody publishers), and the founder of what is now the Moody Church (originally Chicago Avenue Church) as well as Moody Bible Institute (Chicago Bible Institute), his clearly stated desire to reach children with Christ’s gospel and educate them in the scriptures is often overlooked.

Every year, West Oaks Fellowship facilitates and underwrites a youth and young adult led outreach to all the children of Willacy County, Texas, which is one of the poorest counties in our state, aka MISSION TRIP.

The primary objective of each year’s youth mission trip ministry is relatively simple … introduce others to Jesus Christ (His Love, Grace, Forgiveness, and Salvation) through our Extreme ABC VBS ministry (which is not relatively simple).

Nonetheless, the first step in obeying Christ’s imperative command of Matthew 28:19-20 (“make disciples”) is introducing Jesus Christ and the message of His gospel to those who haven’t heard it, and/or those who haven’t fully believed!

Needless to say, I Timothy 2:3-4 provides motivation for our mission and offers continued encouragement for all those who participate in this sacrificial endeavor:

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

In addition, there are several other meaningful and spiritually significant purposes and goals of our annual mission trips to south Texas as well.

Provide opportunities for youth and young adults from various ministries (not only from WOF) to participate in a meaningful, life-changing, genuine ministry experience.

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.
I Timothy 4:12

Assist in the establishment of a New Testament church ministry in this relatively unreached community where no evangelical outreach ministry or church currently exists.

Provide a unique opportunity for youth and young adults to serve and minister along-side youth / young adults from other churches/ministries.

Charles Spurgeon, British Baptist Pastor/Author stated:

Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in, since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation.

See the purposes of the Lord, Jesus Christ, accomplished as both youth, young adults, and adult believers work side–by–side … together in unity.

Missionary, author, and holocaust survivor, Corrie ten Boon put it this way, “Be united with other Christians. A wall with loose bricks is not good. The bricks must be cemented together.”

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing — life forever.
Psalm 113:1-3

Pastor, Author, Seminary President, Dr. John Walvoord proposed:

The only way it is possible to have one mind is to have the mind of God derived from the unity of the Spirit of God, a unity which comes only when believers find the will of God and give themselves unselfishly and unstintingly to its fulfillment.

Now, Mission Trip 2017 is upon us! We need the Lord’s protection, guidance, wisdom, and strength, as well as your participation, unrelenting intercessory prayer, and financial contributions (you can even help us raise additional funds by selling some raffle tickets to those outside the church too) in order to accomplish all these objectives. (We’ve enclosed some Mission Trip 2017 info along with an offering envelope as well).

In John 17:21-23, Jesus said:

The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

Please ask the Lord how you should be part of this ministry — His & Yours, PF

WHO NEEDS IT ANYWAY?

Many believers have adopted such an attitude for various reasons, and offer numerous excuses of why they don’t or won’t fellowship with other believers. Perhaps a biblical definition would help curve that attitude into something of authentic value. As with many things, a broader or better understanding often results in a new perspective.

God has provided and revealed His direct thoughts through the Bible, but as time passes, some of His concepts have grown obscure in our culture and become ambiguous. We somehow manage to morph His intentions into our own comfortable practices, often discounting the true intent and purpose of His Word/Truth. The biblical concept of fellowship among Christians/Believers is one that has been especially confused within the framework of Christ’s Church!

Today, churches have fellowship halls, fellowship dinners, home fellowships and various fellowship groups, etc, etc. However, very few have actual fellowship … and yet for a Body of Christ (church) that seeks to be guided and directed in principle and practice by the New Testament, fellowship is absolutely essential. The well-being and spiritual development of the entire body/church, as well as that of every individual participant, is directly impacted by the type and quality of fellowship one experiences in their church.

So, what is fellowship as purposed/intended by the Lord? As one looks back into church history and digs into the original languages of the Bible, there are several significant facts that illuminate God’s projected meaning/intent for fellowship among His faithful.

The first fact concerns the meaning of the Greek root word “koinos.” This term is a prefix in ancient Greek from which our English word, “fellowship” or “koinonia” is derived. If you were to add this prefix to various words like “living,” “owning a purse,” “a dispute,” or “mother,” you would get words meaning “living in community together,” “owning a purse in common,” “a public dispute,” and “having a mother in common.” The root of the word “fellowship” means “to hold something in common.”

The Greek word “koinonia” would be commonly used to describe corporations, labor guilds, partners in a law firm, and the most intimate of marriage relationships. Therefore, from the usage of the word, we can conclude that fellowship is a word denoting a relationship that is dependent on more than one individual . . . an interdependent relationship.

I Corinthians 1:9 states:

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Note this – the word “fellowship” is never used in the biblical text concerning a relationship between humanity and deity until after God’s Holy Spirit indwells believers, making it an exclusive post-Pentecost experience/connection/affiliation! Initially, fellowship focused in on spiritual unity, a personal relationship as emphasized in Philemon 6, II Corinthians 13:14 and Philippians 2:1.

Nobody had to come to the disciples and other new believers on the day of Pentecost and say, “Now you need to go practice fellowship.” God’s Holy Spirit had come upon all these people and uniquely formed a bond of unity! Their inclination (not natural, but supernatural through God’s Spirit), thanks to their new nature in Christ Jesus, was to exercise it outwardly. Acts 2:41-47 speaks clearly:

So then, those who had received his (Peter’s teaching) word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

This is fellowship, not as a concept or idea, but as an action in the midst of His church! If one was to remove themselves from these activities, they would no longer be experiencing fellowship with other believers. Fellowship was unquestionably a hallmark of Christ’s early church, yet today it’s been sadly reduced to annual potluck dinners despite the admonition of Scripture. I John 1:6-7 presents genuine fellowship as the obvious by-product of an authentic personal relationship with Jesus Christ:

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Let’s rediscover the truth and value of Fellowship –PF

Tag: fellowship

MISSION TRIP 2017

FELLOWSHIP