9.3 The Fellowship of Believers
We enter now into the inner sanctum, into the Most Devoted place, into the very Heart of knowing the Father. It is our fellowship together by which we know one another inside of Christ Jesus. It is by knowing one another that we see and know the Father as love among us. Jesus placed a part of Himself into each one who receives Him. Then He said, “Learn of Me.” Thus to learn of Him, we must also learn of Him inside of and through one another.
John said “That you also might have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is companionship with and among the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Our fellowship as humans is found inside of the intimacy of divine fellowship.
Expressions of Grace. Our fellowship together is not “of the flesh.” Rather, it is found inside of Grace, that is, inside of sharing life with God. This Grace reaches out to include inside itself every part of normal conversing together, in purity of expression. In Romans 12, Paul speaks of the expressions of Grace given to each member of the body to give to the other members. The expressions of Grace are the expressions of God Himself which He has shared with each individual. Thus our fellowship together must be seen first as God sharing with us and we with Him, or we could say, God’s own fellowship returning to Himself through our fellowship.
Knowing the Father through knowing one another is a learning process, and thus is similar to the levels of skill in the cognitive domain of education.
A Taxonomy. The simplest form of fellowship is found in ongoing conversation. We are simply “getting to know” one another. But conversation while sharing a meal together takes simple conversation to its next level. The fellowship of working, or even playing together, is applied fellowship. Here we learn, not just facts about one another, but each other’s ways inside of Christ.
The next level of fellowship has two parts, worshipping together and spiritual warfare, that is, knowing God together and carrying one another in our hearts inside His presence. Finally, the deepest levels of fellowship are first making life decisions together, that is, community governance, and then loving creation together, that is, “creating” brand new.
Knowing First; Understanding Second. The first level of knowing one another is knowing things about one another through ongoing conversations together. I learn what are your interests and delights, what makes you happy and what makes you sad. I am very eager to learn your interests, for your interests are the expressions of Jesus. Getting to know you also includes family sharing times in the community when you share with all of us of your life experiences, or inviting you over for an evening of visiting and laughing together.
But it is when we share meals together, conversing around the “breaking of bread,” that we truly begin to understand each other. Breaking bread together is the first part of Covenant, of partaking of Christ together. There is a goodness and blessing upon sharing meals together that is not known any other way.
Working Together. Working together is the practical application of knowing one another. Although we use the word, work, “playing” together carries the same qualities of applied knowing. Each of us has specific ways of thinking about the task at hand and specific ways of tackling a job, even different ways of moving. Working with you on a construction site, then sitting in a classroom together, then cooking Sunday dinner together, is how I apply knowing Jesus and His ways to our ways together. Applied fellowship is the greatest opportunity for bearing with you in patience, for carrying your great weight of value. Here is where I display the giving of place to you.
The next level, to analyze, means to take something apart, to see how the parts work together, and then to reassemble it.
Worshipping Together. It is in worshipping God together that our knowing of one another becomes the entrance into the deeper levels of fellowship. It is as I see your face inside the worship and as I hear your voice in the singing of praises that I know truly just how much you love Jesus. I hear you speak Christ into me; I receive life from your expressions of Grace. I am greatly encouraged by your faith in Jesus. We go out rejoicing in deep Joy together.
Yet even more, it is the offering of ourselves to God for one another’s sake, together, that shows us each one’s true meaning inside of God. This can be called “spiritual warfare,” it is every part of prevailing with God in setting forth my soul for you, for your sake. I cast down your accuser; I bless you with all the abundance of God coming through me.
Governing and Loving Creation Together. Out from knowing one another inside the fellowship found in worship, we enter into Kingdom knowing. The first part of Kingdom knowing is making major life decisions together. This is the level of fellowship where my greatest respect for you is in its highest place. I listen carefully to every careful word you speak. I bring my own witness alongside of yours.
Finally, the greatest and most God-like level of knowing one another is inside the Fellowship found in the creativeness of our Love for others expressed together. You and I create community together. We are so in tune with one another’s person that your next step is also mine and mine is also yours. We love others, together. And in loving others together, we find the depths of sharing Hheart with God, together.
You Are My Friend. This is the greatest Love, to set forth one’s soul for one’s friends. You are My friends… (John 15:13-14 – paraphrased).
God has given me a taste of what True friendship is. I know what it means to risk my physical life, inside the despair of losing everything, for the safety and well-being of my friends. And I have received in return the deepest meanings of friendship that I have known.
Our relationship together does not come from “we must” or from our commitment to our local church, or because it’s God’s way to love one another. I VALUE you for one reason only, because you are my friend. You are as Jesus to me; you are my treasure, my glory and my joy. Inside of God. you complete me.
The Cup of Communion. Fellowship is an Anglo-Saxon word, Communion is its counterpart in Latin and Koinonia in Greek. Although they are the same word, we can distinguish between them just a bit. In John 17, the prayer that birthed the Kingdom, Jesus asked the Father that we might be complete together inside of one, inside of Jesus, inside of the Father. This completion is Fellowship, Koinonia, and Communion, the cup of Communion which we bless.
That Cup of Communion that Jesus partakes of with us now, brand new, is our sharing of Grace together, that is, life laid down and love poured out for one another inside of eating and worshipping together. It is drinking of One Spirit together, the intermingling of our spirits inside the Spirit of Grace.
The Koinonia of Community. Koinonia, the Greek word that the apostles used, typically translated as fellowship, but sometimes as communion or sharing together, could be used in English to refer to the structure of our life together, the ways and workings of Community. There is a structure to the human body, to the sustaining of life and to its movement through the moments of the day. This is an organic structure, a living relationship, a movement that allows for and comes from the sharing from every part.
The Body of Christ as local Christ Community operates in a similar way, allowing for every part of sharing one another together to find free and full expression. It is the form wherein Friendship dwells in safety and in goodness.
The Treasure of Fellowship. Yet the treasure at the heart of sharing life with God and with one another, age-unfolding LIFE, is the sweet joy of our fellowship together. As John said, our fellowship together takes place inside of and as part of the greater Fellowship between Father and Son, our sharing together in divine Fellowship.
Our Fellowship together is Salvation revealed; it is the end goal of the Gospel, the deepest Desire of God. Because – our fellowship together is Father at Home, Father inside His House, seated in our hearts together as His own personal chair, Father just being Himself with us in our every next moment together. “Love” can be somewhat intangible, but fellowship is not. Our Fellowship together is God-Love made visible.
The Blessing. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore (Psalm 133).
The precious oil and the dew of Hermon are metaphors of the visible effects of Grace, the outward patterns of expression that are Christ Jesus made visible through us, His Body. Inside our Fellowship together, God has commanded the Blessing, out from our Fellowship together proceeds Resurrection Life and creation set free in glorious liberty.