The Fellowship of Believers
Recently, I finished reading an unusual book for me. It was called "Bono". Bono of course, is the lead singer for the band U2. In this biography he was aked why he never considered a solo career. His answer was simply "The Argument". Essentially, he confided that he needed the challange of working with others. That by himself he could not be at his best. By himself, he would not be able to create. I thought it was a great illustration of the Christian life.At some time, we all deal with loneliness. What is it within mankind that causes him to feel alone to feel the need to be surrounded by others? All through the Scriptures you see examples of this emotion.
David, in the Psalms painted the picture of feeling abandoned this way
“I watch, and am as a sparrow alone on the house top.”
Psalms 102:7
Following a time of great victory it was the great prophet Elijah who cried out to God,
“And he said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah the God of Hosts. For the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I alone, am left.”
1Ki 19:10
Even Our Savior cried out on the cross,
And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?
Matthew 27:46
When the Bible tells us in I Corinthians10:13 that we share common temptations, it's true. But why the loneliness?
Did you ever wonder why Jesus sent His disciples out two by two? Or why, even though He knew they would fall asleep, that he took the “inner circle” of disciples to pray with Him? Not just in Gethsemane but on the mountain where He was transfigured as well.
Paul felt it when Demas left Him 2 Timothy 4 . He told Timothy to come quickly.
As with any question, the Scriptures give us clear reasons.
1John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
We are meant to be in “Fellowship”. We are family because of what Jesus accomplished at Calvary and the empty tomb. The reality of humanity is that we need company. We are better together than we would be apart. This is why local churches are so important. As Doug and I met and talked this morning, we both mentioned the verses
Hebrews 10:24-25
“and let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Christians are interdependent. Remember that as much as you feel like you need someone, there is always someone in the family who needs you as well.
Resting in Him,
Trent
Ephesians 4:16
from whom the whole body, fitted together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of each part, producing the growth of the body to the edifying of itself in love.
PS
As I was finishing this post, I received a phone call from a brother who was able to encourage a fellow believer tonight. Isn't God good?
Posted On Nov 8, 2005 at 0:00 AM
On Nov 9, 2005 Doug wrote: It's strange how, even after not having seen each other or really even talked for several months, we still are thinking along the same lines.
Sunday at the nursing home I started my message by saying, "In my message this morning I have a keyword. And that keyword is...together."
And then I proceeded to talk about the passage in Ephesians 2:19-22 that talks about us being "built together".
On Nov 9, 2005 Trent wrote: I think I can explain it.........................
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on the other hand, maybe I can't
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