WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:12.800 Well, it has been a great first month here, and I'm getting used to and enjoying calling Grace Fellowship Church my church after being at another local congregation for a decade. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:18.320 And as associate pastor, you can really understand my role in two words ministry development. 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:34.799 And the motto that Julian and I have kind of phrased that I think well phrases my responsibilities is that in ministry development, by God's grace, we're seeking to build healthy structures for a sustainable and scalable gospel ministries here at the church. 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:47.600 And in my time in a vocational ministry and just my time as a Christian, I am sure like you have been a part of a lot of different fellowships, a lot of different small groups and discipleship opportunities. 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:51.039 Some of them have been very meaningful and very impactful to my life. 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:56.320 Some of them, as I'm sure you've experienced as well, sometimes can feel like, what am I even doing here? 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:57.520 What is the point of this? 00:00:57.679 --> 00:00:59.840 This kind of doesn't feel worth it. 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:08.799 Today, we want to understand what really makes fellowship effective. 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:15.040 Now, Philemon, he was the host of a church that met in the city of Colossae. 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:17.680 He was likely also one of the pastors of that church. 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:21.599 And this church in the city of Colossae was kind of struggling a little bit. 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:28.799 They had some doctrinal concerns, and Paul wrote them another letter, the letter to the Colossians, that addressed that. 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:39.840 Though this letter was delivered at the same time as the letter to the Colossians, but it addressed another concern with a broken relationship between Philemon and a man named Onesimus. 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:43.599 And in this letter, we're going to be focusing today on verse 4 to 7. 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:47.519 And as Paul normally does, he starts his letters with a prayer. 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:56.480 And Paul's prayer in verse 4 to verse 7 shows us a model for what effective fellowship looks like. 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:13.360 Paul's prayer for Philemon distinguishes four essential features for effective fellowship that can make a real difference in your life today. 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:20.560 This is our aim for our time in God's Word, and we want to ask and answer three questions to better understand effective fellowship. 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:23.840 First, we want to understand what is fellowship. 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:36.400 Then we want to ask what are the essential features that we need to commit ourselves to, and what difference can it really make in our lives when we're committed to it? 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:41.039 So as we go into God's word, let's take a moment and pray. 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:48.719 Our Father in heaven, we thank you for the fellowship that we can have in Christ Jesus. 00:02:49.039 --> 00:03:02.719 We recognize that we are sinful people, self-centered people, who would often look to our own desires to fulfill our own dreams. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:10.560 But you would have us be a people who are others-centered, who are sacrificial like Christ. 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:23.680 So, Lord God, would you help us to understand how we can be a people that are shaped into the image of Christ so that we can truly experience effective fellowship as you design that makes a real difference? 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:25.360 In the name of Jesus. 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:26.319 Amen. 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:28.000 Alright, so let's start here. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:30.080 What is fellowship? 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:36.879 The term fellowship in the New Testament, in its original language, is translated different ways in different contexts. 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:40.080 It can be translated as the word participation. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:44.000 It can be translated as the word partnership. 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:52.879 The most common one that you might be familiar with is Acts 2, verse 42, how they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the prayers, and to the fellowship. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:04:07.280 But the fundamental idea of fellowship is conveyed in verse 4 here, excuse me, verse 6, where Paul prays for the sharing of Philemon's faith. 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:10.240 Sharing is the fundamental idea of what fellowship is. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:14.240 And we can see in the New Testament, fellowship is sharing multiple different things. 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:18.480 We can share our common mission as partners in the gospel. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:25.360 We can share in our common resources, like finances for the common welfare of others. 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:34.800 But I think the most common idea that we're familiar with when we talk about fellowship is sharing in relationships with one another. 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:38.240 This is the context of what Philemon is about. 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:49.439 Fellowship is sharing in relationships with other Christians on the basis of our common faith in Christ. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:54.480 Now, relationships for the sake of relationships don't really make that much of a difference. 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:56.720 They aren't in themselves effective. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:07.839 Fellowship that's truly effective is when our shared relationships with each other allow us to share a deeper relationship with our God. 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:10.879 That's the type of fellowship we're going after. 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:17.360 Shared relationships together for a deeper shared relationship in the life and person of God. 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:21.680 This idea is conveyed best in 1 John chapter 1, verse 3. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:39.279 This passage says, That which we have seen and heard, we proclaim to you also, so that you may have fellowship with us, shared relationships, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:42.000 Relationships together to share deeper in relationship with God. 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:49.040 And here's the result we see in 1 John 1:3, when it's effective, we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:56.000 We're all longing for joy, and friend, you were made for fellowship. 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:11.360 You were made to enjoy the fulfillment of life in God and life with God, knowing God and being known by God and others also made in the image of God. 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:31.920 But we all are prone to patterns that provoke conflict and dysfunction in relationships rather than fulfilling enjoyable relationships. 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:44.240 One of the challenges that I thought might be a concern in starting to work more into the city after working in the suburbs was the commute, and by God's grace, that's been pretty reasonable of transition. 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:52.240 But every day I drive south on Markham Road and I see this billboard beside a like a storage unit where you can rent out storage space. 00:06:52.319 --> 00:07:07.759 And there's an ad for the storage unit, and there's an angry uh man, and I assume his disgruntled wife, and the ad says, public storage, way cheaper than a divorce lawyer. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:15.120 And at one point that's funny, but at the other point that's quite sad. 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:16.639 I'm no marketing expert. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:21.279 Maybe you took marketing university, but I know in marketing you're looking for a target audience. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:25.279 So this ad is appealing to homeowners and people who live in homes. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:33.920 And in marketing, in order to sell your product, you want to be able to have a touch point that's relatable, that can reach as many people as possible. 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:45.199 The relatable thing that this storage unit thinks that the most people can relate to is conflict and dysfunction in the home. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:48.480 A lot of people have been touched by this. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:06.639 Enjoying fulfilling relationships where we are known and loved by others does not come naturally. 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:14.079 And the problems we feel in our homes with one another started with the God who made us. 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:21.519 Humanity chose rather to enjoy fellowship with God according to his design. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:27.600 We all chose to find fulfillment in our own way, following our own design. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:30.160 This is sin. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:38.240 And our God is a pure God and a holy God and created us for himself. 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:47.919 But the filth and rebellion of our sin by turning from God has alienated us from him. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:57.120 All of the dysfunction and conflict we feel in our broken world is because that first relationship with God is broken. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:12.320 And it came at the cross. 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:25.120 See, Jesus himself, the Son of God, had always enjoyed perfect fellowship and perfect relationships in harmony and eternal joy and love with his Father. 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:35.919 Yet on the cross, we hear Jesus calling out the words, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:45.279 On the cross, the spotless Son of God was stained with the filth of our own sin. 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:54.320 He was forsaken in our sins so that we could be forgiven from our sin. 00:09:54.879 --> 00:10:02.480 He stood in our place once for all, so that by faith in Jesus we are cleansed of our sin. 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:10.799 By faith in Jesus, we are welcomed back into relationship with God to be known, to know and to be known, to love and to be loved. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:29.039 By faith in Jesus, the Lord no longer looks at us as that um uh wayward, uh delinquent child, but as a beloved son with a seat at the table, a loved daughter who always has a place. 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:40.879 And if you have believed in Christ, the Father looks at you with the same compassionate and tender eyes that he looks at his own beloved son, Jesus Christ. 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:47.919 As his child, you're also, you're not an only child. 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:53.120 You're adopted into a spiritual family, and we have spiritual siblings. 00:10:53.360 --> 00:11:01.840 And God designed fellowship with him to be experienced in fellowship with others. 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:09.279 Fellowship is sharing meaningful, life-giving relationships with others on the basis of our shared faith in Christ. 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:12.399 So my question for you is are you? 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:20.799 Are you enjoying fellowship with your brothers and sisters, or are you living functionally like you're an only child? 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:31.039 Fellowship is truly effective when our shared relationships with each other allow us to share in deeper relationship with God. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:36.480 This is the blessing that we have earned and won through our Savior, Jesus Christ. 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:47.200 It is the preeminent privilege of privileges that we can know and be known, God and each other, and not be ashamed of what might be seen, because we know that Christ has fully cleansed us. 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:58.720 So I can be open with others and expose even the wretchedness of my own heart, because I know that in Christ there's no sin left to be exposed that Jesus hasn't already covered. 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:06.480 So I can be open and known and not fearful or ashamed with people who will know me because God knows us in Christ. 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:08.240 This is what we can have. 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:16.080 So, what are our commitments to make it effective, to actually experiencing this? 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:19.759 Because often fellowship can just feel dull and dry. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:23.679 Relationships for the sake of relationships are not enough. 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:26.399 What are the essential features? 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:30.720 The things that we need to commit to, the duties we have for each other. 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:39.440 Well, there are four features that we see distinguished from Paul in his prayer to Philemon. 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:43.600 Let's reread it again, verse four to verse seven. 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:56.639 The Apostle Paul says, I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. 00:12:56.799 --> 00:12:57.840 Let's pause there. 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:09.120 In this first part of his thankful prayer, Paul esteems the character of Philemon, and this shows us the first essential feature of effective fellowship. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:16.000 We influence each other with faith and love. 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:20.240 That makes fellowship effective. 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:23.440 Now, look at these words again with me. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:24.720 Verse 5. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:32.159 Because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:36.159 Now, the logical arrangement of these words doesn't seem to make sense. 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:45.279 I get the idea of love and faith towards the Lord Jesus, but how do I have faith towards all of the saints? 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:48.960 It doesn't seem to really match up here. 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:54.480 Alright, now, Paul, when he's writing this, is trying to show emphasis. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:14:01.840 Now, in our day, if we're going to emphasize something in a letter, you might use all caps, you might underline or bold or italicize. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:06.000 We have these features to be able to show emphasis in our writing. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:10.799 In ancient literature, they had different features, different ways of being able to show emphasis. 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:22.240 One of those ways was being able to stack words on top of each other, where outer words were paired and inner words were paired, and the innermost words were kind of the focus and the emphasis. 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:39.360 So you see in this pattern here that Paul is esteeming Philemon for his love, the outer word, for all of the saints, the other bookmarked outer words, and then the inner words are connected, the faith in the Lord Jesus. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:41.039 Are you following me here? 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:45.360 So he's esteeming his love for the saints, his faith in Christ Jesus. 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:58.960 What Paul is saying is that his love for all the saints is motivated because of his faith towards and in the Lord Jesus. 00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:05.919 See, we are commanded to love each other as Christ has loved us. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:07.200 And this is important. 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:16.879 The firmer our faith in the love that Christ has shown to us, the deeper and purer our love will be to one another. 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:22.480 I really appreciate author Paul Tripp's definition for love. 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:27.840 Listen carefully to this and compare it to your own relationships. 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:50.080 Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation, or that that person being loved is deserving. 00:15:51.840 --> 00:16:01.519 Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation, or that the person being loved is deserving. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:03.840 Do you love like that? 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:18.000 That you're willing to give your time, a listening ear, shared emotions, serving with your physical energy, you're willing to give it at cost to you for the good of the other, even if they don't show anything back. 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:20.480 And even if they don't deserve it. 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:28.320 I know there are ways I fall way short of that type of love. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:37.039 But the firmer our faith in this love that Christ has shown us, the deeper and purer our love will be to one another. 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:45.759 Now it's been fun to get to know some of you over the past couple weeks, and uh I've been able to have just nice conversations to get to know a little bit more about you. 00:16:45.919 --> 00:17:00.720 We had a small group in our home and we just learned weird and fun things about one another, and we've talked about things like interior design and football and parenting, and I gotta say, just over the past like three and a half weeks, it's been really easy to love you. 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:02.720 You have been very easily lovable. 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:05.039 Thank you for such a good experience. 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:19.359 But I know what church has been like over the past 18 months, and I know it has not been easy to willingly self-sacrifice for the good of others. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.599 It's really hard to love one another as Christ has loved us. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:28.079 Our love for one another recently has been quite tested. 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:36.640 And when Paul was writing this letter to Philemon, while he was esteeming his love, Philemon's love was about to be tested. 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:45.920 Because the man who handed him this letter from Paul was the same guy who not too long ago abandoned him and robbed him. 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:48.559 That was the last time he saw Onesimus. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:50.480 Now Onesimus is coming back. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:58.640 He sees him walking up, he's got a letter in his hand, and he's just thinking about all the ways that he wronged him, and he gets a letter, and some is saying, forgive this man. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:08.720 Oh, and if he actually financially stole from you, it'll be repaid, but receive him back as a brother. 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:12.880 The quality of our love is tested through trials. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:20.559 Over the past 18 months, has your love gone through the fire and been shown as pure? 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:29.599 The firmer our faith in the love that Christ has shown to us, the deeper and pure our love will be from one another. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:38.400 Love that springs out from our faith in the gospel, it has a different kind of motive and attitude when we disagree with each other. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.920 And disagreements happen. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:41.359 Hurt happens. 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:49.440 See, the kind of faith that springs from the gospel is able to look at themselves and admit, I know I'm a sinner. 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:54.400 And I know as a sinner, there's things I just don't know. 00:18:55.440 --> 00:19:00.000 And there are blind spots that I can't even see that I have, but I know they're there. 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:14.079 This kind of love is less focused on being right, because it's more focused on being found in the righteousness of Christ by faith. 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:23.680 And when we have disagreeable conversations, Christians are always like, well, you know, scripture says like love doesn't rejoice and evil. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:25.680 Love rejoices in the truth. 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:27.839 Yes, it does. 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:34.799 But love is also patient, kind, and not rude. 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:44.640 How would this kind of mindset change the tones of our important disagreements in the church? 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:53.839 No matter how right we are, we are always wrong if we do not have love. 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:57.200 This is our duty. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:02.720 The scripture says, owe nothing to anyone except to love one another. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:08.160 You have a debt to pay to every other Christian in this church with love. 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:14.400 But when we know how much Christ has loved us, we can learn to show it. 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:17.519 That's hard. 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:22.319 Because I can only determine what I do with my own heart, my own life. 00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:25.119 And it's up to God to really change the hearts of others. 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:30.559 But this then shows us the second essential feature of effective fellowship. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:39.440 We influence each other with faith and love, and we strive in prayer. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:58.240 This past summer I really enjoyed watching the Olympics. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:03.680 I have a three and a half-year-old and a two-year-old son, and my daughter really enjoyed watching swimming the most. 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:07.359 I tried to watch the highlights for the opening ceremony. 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:13.519 Uh didn't really seem worth it, just skipped all the closing ceremony. 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:16.480 Because really, that's not what the Olympics are about. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:20.480 The Olympics are about the games, the events. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:27.279 Now, this can be the way that we often think about prayer in fellowship. 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:34.720 It's the ceremonial thing we do when we start fellowship and end fellowship, but it's not an event of fellowship. 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:49.279 Like the playing of the national anthem at the beginning of a school day or at a hockey game, prayer can be treated just as the thing we open our time and enclose it our time, but functionally do we actually treat it like it's essential. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:53.359 Prayer is an indispensable part of the work of fellowship. 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:59.680 Now, Paul mentioned another member of the Church of Colossae in verse 23 at the end, a man named Epaphras. 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:04.559 Epaphras is an example of what striving in prayer looks like. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:09.039 Epaphras was likely the founding pastor of the church in Colossae. 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:14.000 And the Apostle Paul said this about him in Colossians 4, verse 12. 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:29.680 He said, Epaphros, who was one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:37.759 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and Hieropolis. 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:43.920 Always struggling. 00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:46.160 Hard work. 00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:57.920 It is a vigorous activity within our fellowship. 00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:05.039 Does this characterize your prayers for others in the church and with others in the church? 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:10.319 Fellowship isn't complicated, but that doesn't mean it's easy. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:19.119 And prayer, when done rightly, is agonizing, like Christ in the garden, like David in his secret place. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:24.640 We influence with faith and love. 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:26.559 We strive in prayer. 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:28.880 It's not complicated, but it isn't easy. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:38.160 And this next third feature can be easily ascended to and agreed to, but are we actually practicing it? 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:40.000 We influence with faith and love. 00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:45.920 We strive in prayer and we are oriented around Scripture. 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:47.039 Look at verse 6. 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:59.839 It says, And I pray that the sharing, remember that's the word fellowship, that the fellowship of your faith may become effective. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:06.480 The fellowship of the Colossian church happened in the realm of faith. 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:14.000 And Romans chapter 10 says that faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of God. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:23.599 If we're going to share relationships in the realm of our faith, it must then be oriented around the word of God. 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:39.920 And in elementary school science, or at least in like the little cartoon video that I watched with my kids about planets, I know that the moon rotates around the earth, right? 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:46.160 Because the earth has a larger mass and weight than the moon. 00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:50.640 It holds it into its orbit and keeps it in orbit. 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:58.480 And the earth rotates around the sun because the sun has a gravitational pull because of its larger and superior mass and weight to the earth. 00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:05.200 And because of that weight and mass, the sun keeps the earth around in orbit. 00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:12.160 What does your fellowship, what do your relationships with other Christians orbit around? 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:14.720 What takes up your most time? 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:19.200 What takes up the most of your conversations and dialogue? 00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:21.119 And WhatsApp chats. 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:29.200 What do you give most weight and most significance to in your relationships together? 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:32.319 Whatever that is, that is what your fellowship will orbit around. 00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:38.400 But if it's not orbiting around the scripture, effective fellowship will fall out of orbit. 00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:47.200 Now there are some things that we do in relationships that are beneficial, they're good, but they're just not essential. 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:51.599 Coffee dates, where you're just socializing, are good. 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:54.960 Playing activities together are good. 00:25:55.279 --> 00:26:03.279 Watching sports together is good unless you cheer for teams from Montreal. 00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:07.039 Then it's not even, I don't know. 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:10.319 We need to have other conversations here. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:17.839 Things like these are beneficial, they're good, but they're not essential. 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:24.240 Scripture-oriented fellowship is so essential that if we don't have it, our fellowship falls out of orbit. 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:31.440 When it's given the highest weight and the greatest significance, that's when we'll get the blessing that only God's word can give. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:44.880 The blessing of God's word, like it says in Jeremiah 15, verse 16, it says, Your words were found, and I ate them, and they became to me the joy and delight of my heart. 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:47.200 This is what God's word does. 00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:52.960 It nourishes us, it satisfies us like nothing else can for our soul. 00:26:53.359 --> 00:26:55.839 Or the benefit of Psalm chapter 1, verse 3. 00:26:55.920 --> 00:27:02.640 It says, He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season, its leaf does not wither. 00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:05.680 In all that he does, it prospers. 00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:12.000 You want stability, you want fruitfulness, you want resilience, you want success. 00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:20.000 Meditate on God's word day and night, and let it set the agenda for your fellowship. 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:27.200 Yet notice there's one word that I intentionally skipped over in verse six, but I'll turn back to it now. 00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:31.119 Fellowship doesn't just happen in the realm of the faith. 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:38.079 It says, I pray that fellows the sharing of your faith may become effective. 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:41.759 And this distinguishes the final essential feature of fellowship. 00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:44.799 We imitate one another. 00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:59.839 The Colossian fellowship would be made effective by God as they learned to share in Philemon's faith what he believed in God's word and how he lived it in his life. 00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:05.839 This type of imitation is really illustrated well in Hebrews chapter 13, verse 7. 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:11.119 It says, Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:18.000 Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:21.839 Now, a word to younger Christians here. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:39.519 If your fellowship is primarily focused around people your own age, you might consistently wonder why it seems like there are aspects of your Christian living that you have all the puzzle pieces, but you don't know how to fit together. 00:28:41.359 --> 00:28:49.920 As long as we are only looking at and fellowshipping with people our own age, we may not see the bigger picture of what life actually can look like. 00:28:50.160 --> 00:29:06.480 But when you have deliberate and intentional relationships with people who are older than you, they are not perfect, but you can see how with time and years of experience ahead of you that they have been able to fit the puzzle together in ways that you just haven't been able to experience yet. 00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:14.799 And you can see not only the things they understand from God's Word, but also the way they live it in their life. 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:17.599 Now, a word to mature Christians. 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:25.759 A lot of mature Christians can get mature uh excuse me, cold feet when they think about like mentoring or discipling younger people. 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:30.880 Because in some like false sense of humility, they're just like, I don't have it all together. 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:31.599 Well, guess what? 00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:32.640 You never will. 00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:52.559 But if you have habits of spiritual discipline that are bearing fruit consistently in your life, and if you have the wisdom to order your life so that you're able to allow others like your wife and your kids to flourish as well, you don't have it all together, but your life is worth imitating. 00:29:54.640 --> 00:29:58.880 We need you, and others can benefit from you. 00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:17.920 Your life may be have buried treasure that you think is just routine and normal, but you have so much gold treasure of Christian living that the gold, there's there's so much of it that it doesn't seem that valuable to you when other Christians haven't even single an ounce of this gold Christian maturity in their life. 00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:25.920 And all you need to do is give them access, hand them a shovel and say, mine out whatever you can find. 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:33.359 This is fellowship, sharing in relationships together to share in deeper relationships with God. 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:45.680 We influence with faith and love, we strive together in prayer, we imitate one another, we are oriented around the scriptures, and when we do this, it can make a real difference in our lives. 00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:56.640 So I want to take our time to conclusion by sharing the two ways that fellowship can make a real difference in our life. 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:59.440 And they're both found in verse 6 and verse 7. 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:09.680 Paul says, I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:14.160 This is the first difference that effective fellowship can make. 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:18.160 It can transform our character for maturity. 00:31:18.720 --> 00:31:21.680 Full knowledge is true maturity. 00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:30.720 It's not just knowledge that's in our head, but it's knowledge that transforms our hearts and our lives so that our character reflects the lifestyle of Jesus Christ. 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:35.839 It's not just knowing about self-control, it's being self-controlled. 00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:42.640 It's not just knowing about gentleness, it's living with a gentle and meek spirit. 00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:51.759 What gets us to maturity is, as it says, every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:59.440 This is a reference that Paul is using to describe the good that has been given to us, which Christ has accomplished in the gospel. 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:23.039 When we are committed to the essential features of fellowship, these features, these commitments in our time together will reinforce the good of who God is, who we are in him, and how by faith, in grace, by faith, through God's grace, Christ will make who we've become in him to how we are living for him. 00:32:24.880 --> 00:32:29.839 What change in your character are you praying for? 00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:40.319 See, in Christ, you've been made holy through the good things of the gospel, and through the encouragement and reinforcement of fellowship, you can become holy as he is holy. 00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:49.119 In Christ, you've been shown great love, and through the encouragement of fellowship, you can begin to show true love as he has loved you. 00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:53.680 Fellowship can transform our character for greater maturity. 00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:56.640 And here's the second one in verse 7. 00:32:56.960 --> 00:33:07.440 The Apostle Paul says, For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. 00:33:09.119 --> 00:33:09.759 Refreshment. 00:33:11.200 --> 00:33:13.200 Who needs some of that nowadays? 00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:20.319 Now, when the Bible talks about the heart, it can talk about two different aspects of the inner life. 00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:25.039 Sometimes the heart means the motives and intent, why we do what we do. 00:33:25.519 --> 00:33:32.880 In other circumstances, it can talk about the feelings and affections that we have about why we do what we do. 00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:37.759 And in this instance here, the Apostle Paul is talking about our feelings and affections. 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:43.200 Why would we need our feelings and affections and our emotions refreshed? 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:49.920 There are a lot of things in life that make us weary. 00:33:50.720 --> 00:33:56.640 Even as Jesus said, come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 00:33:58.160 --> 00:34:09.440 I think about uh caring for the welfare of other people, young moms taking care of young kids, or um older people taking care of aging parents. 00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:11.840 This is a good thing. 00:34:13.440 --> 00:34:14.800 But it can be wearying. 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:31.519 I think about Christian employers who are uh often stripped down in front of their peers, even over Zoom calls, and they would want nothing more to strike back, but knowing that they represent Christ, they just stay silent. 00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:33.199 That's wearying. 00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:35.039 It's exhausting. 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:49.599 I think about high school students who know they're called to a holy life and want to fit in, but they know they can't compromise their faith, so they spend so many nights at home alone, and the loneliness is wearying. 00:34:51.360 --> 00:34:54.960 This is where fellowship steps in. 00:34:56.079 --> 00:35:04.000 The hearts of the saints, our weariness is revitalized in fellowship. 00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:10.880 It doesn't make the challenges we're going through any easier, but it's like having a home field advantage. 00:35:11.119 --> 00:35:16.239 What advantage is there for the Leafs or the Blue Jays or the Raptors to play at home? 00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:22.000 The game's the same, the opponent's the same, the advantage is the people in the fans cheering behind you. 00:35:22.239 --> 00:35:26.320 They're still tired, they're still exhausting, they still have a hard opponent. 00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:37.280 But when the home fans are cheering, their spirits are lifted, their hearts are revitalized to give that extra boost to get the win, and that's what fellowship can do. 00:35:37.440 --> 00:35:48.639 So when you're tired and you think you might be more relaxing to skip out on fellowship, you're choosing a decision that's going to make you more weary and exhausted rather than getting re-energized by the home team fans. 00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:51.519 This is what fellowship can do. 00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:09.039 Influencing with faith and love, striving in prayer, being oriented around scriptures, imitating each other's lives. 00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:20.800 And when we do, by the grace of God, we can see a Grace Fellowship Church our character transformed and our hearts revitalized for the glory of God. 00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:23.360 Would you stand with me as we pray to God?