OneLoveSample

Fellowship

As the two brothers responded to follow Jesus, scripture says they ‘immediately left their nets and followed Him’. From other passages we learn that they didn’t follow Jesus alone. They were added to this new group of strangers, called disciples. People from different ethnic and social backgrounds, some even enemies. And yet they were drawn into a new fellowship with Jesus at the centre.

We were not made to walk alone. We were born to live in relationships just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit walk in perfect unity and relationship. Fellowship is the natural result of people who are called together by God. Fellowship is beyond just sharing a meal and exchanging stories. It is the willingness to know and be known. When John calls the church to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light the promise shines through that the blood of Jesus will cleanse us of all sin and we will have fellowship with one another.

The third relationship a disciple needs is true fellowship. Now for some this may be a scary thought since we live in a broken, imperfect world where the church is also imperfect. And yet Scripture is clear that the church as the bride of Christ is vitality important for our own growth and foundation as a disciple of Jesus.

Maybe you are part of a wonderful spiritual family (church) and you are saying yes and amen to all of this, or perhaps you are sceptical and past hurt, offence and abuse are keeping you away from committing to a local church. I pray that God will bring healing and restoration as He did for me so that you can experience the joy of true fellowship where we are challenged, encouraged and formed to be the body of Christ.

Prayer response:

1. Pray for your local pastor/dominee/reverend/leader and his/her family. Encourage them with a message or a phone call thanking them for their labour in God’s kingdom.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any un-dealt pain or hurt from church experiences and choose to forgive any offence just as Jesus forgave us. Also, ask Him to add you to a church and become actively involved. Ask his forgiveness where you have spoken death over His bride, the church.
3. Pray for churches all across our city to follow hard after God and fulfil their calling from Him.

*Pray for the salvation of those on your prayer list.