20. A Place to Grow

LONNIE: Welcome to Exploring the Word. Are you ready to dig a bit deeper into the riches of the Bible today?

JEANNIE: We’re happy you’ve joined us.

LONNIE: Today we’ll get into the subject of how we bond as believers. Jeannie, what’s the question that sent us in this direction?

JEANNIE: This is actually something that we hear a lot about, not just from our students going through Discover, but from people who’ve been going to church a while, or at least trying different churches for a while. It’s this: “How do I experience real fellowship? When I’ve visited churches it seems like I just sit there and nothing moves me; I don’t feel connected. I start wondering if church is really important.”

LONNIE: I’ve heard things like that too. People who wonder if church can do anything for them, if it’s worth the effort.

JEANNIE: And so I think it’s important for everyone to understand what the Bible has to say about fellowship—why does it matter? And also to understand how they can really experience it---how to get it if it’s missing.

LONNIE: OK, let’s see if we can dig up some good answers. We’ll be looking at the text we gave you as a homework assignment: Ephesians 5:1-21. Remember our question? What three things are we advised to “walk in?” Did you find them? We’ll be exploring those shortly. And for another perspective on this important topic, check out our Discover Bible Guide number twenty: “The Secret of Growth Through Fellowship.”

Do you know what everyone wants today? It’s the same thing everyone has wanted since time began. Family. A place to belong. A place of nurture and acceptance. Families are breaking apart in all kinds of painful ways these days. People are even saying that a whole generation, Generation X, has grown up with precious few stable relationships in their lives.

Let me tell you about a place where relationships take on a whole new meaning. I’ve been there. I’ve seen it happen. Let me tell you about a place in Lusaka, Zambia. I was asked to visit this place while conducting satellite evangelism in Africa. It was just a broken-down garage, a shed really, and hundreds of refugees were packed in there. You had to duck down to get in. They were poor, broken people from Rwanda. They were people who’d lost loved ones. They possessed next to nothing.
But I saw heaven come down to earth in that dark room. I’ll never forget it. Because these were Hutus and Tutsis crammed into that space. These were people from Rwanda who had afflicted genocide on each other. These were people standing shoulder to shoulder with the family members of those who’d killed their family members.

So much terrible bloodshed had scarred that land. But when I walked in, all I heard was singing, bright songs of praise. And all I saw were eyes lifted up in worship. When it was my turn to say a few words, I could hardly speak. The joy of those people’s fellowship overwhelmed me. It had proven stronger than all the murder and horror that hung in the air over Lusaka. Something had turned this group of enemies into one, joyous celebration.

I’ve seen it happen in the worst of times, the worst of places. There is a family of God’s children on earth. There is a household of faith.

Every believer has the privilege of sharing in a special, spiritual bond with others.

And here are three things you can experience as a result of that bond. Here are three “fruits of fellowship,” if you please. This was our homework assignment in Ephesians chapter five. Did you find those three admonitions, what we are urged to “walk in.” Well here they are.

First look at verses one and two. What does it say? As God’s “dear children” we are to “walk in love.”

Now the second one. Look at verse eight. What are we to walk in there? Walk in light. “Walk as children of light.”

And the third admonition we find in verse 15. Walk, what? Not as fools but as wise. Walk in wisdom.

So here we have a picture of people who can walk in love, walk in light, walk in wisdom. That, my friends, is simply a great way to live. Who wouldn’t want to get up in the morning, drive to work and through the day be immersed in love, light and wisdom? Not a bad deal.

Well, today we’re going to talk about how that wonderful experience becomes a reality. You’re going to see how love and light and wisdom grow out of this important spiritual bond the Bible talks about. You’re going to find out how you can experience genuine fellowship.

How do we truly experience God’s family? How do we get nurtured in church? Well, the first thing we need to do, in order to walk in love, walk in light, walk in wisdom is to walk in.

We’ve got to step through a door.

This is what I mean. Too many people just sample church from the outside. They visit now and then. They visit here and there. They put a toe in the water. And they remain, essentially, thermometers. They take the temperature of various places—how warm was the greeting, how enthusiastic the praise? They critique the music and the styles of clothing.

Now, visiting different churches isn’t a bad thing. It’s a good thing. It’s important to find a church that’s right for you and your family. But when you find a good place, you’ve got to walk in. You’ve got to stay.

Jesus once gave an admonition about prayer that I think applies so well to our search for fellowship. It’s in Luke 11:9. Jesus said:

“And I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

You may have been discouraged by a church here and there. You may have been turned off by a service or two. But please keep seeking; keep asking; keep knocking. The right door is going to open. You'll find the door that opens into a wonderful, loving family.

But usually we need to walk in---out of our comfort zone.

You’re not going to find a church where everyone is exactly like you. You’re not going to find a place that exactly mirrors your style of dress or music or decor. Part of the value of church is this: bonding with people who are different than you. Church can help you stretch—out of your comfort zone. Grace is about transcending distinctions, as Paul said, between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female. It’s not about avoiding them.

What happens when we walk in, out of our comfort zone? Here’s what Paul wrote to a group of people from all kinds of different backgrounds, from contrasting cultures, who formed a church in the city of Thessalonica. 2 Thessalonians 1:3:

“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.”

Love abounds. That’s what happens when people stretch a little, reach out a little. You won’t find this kind of fellowship on the recliner. It doesn’t come through your remote. You’ve got to walk in out of your comfort zone—in order to walk in love.
Now, let’s move on to the second thing we need to do to experience genuine fellowship.

It’s found right here in our passage in Ephesians five. Let’s look at verses 18-21.

“. . .be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving
thanks always for all things...submitting to one another in the fear of God.”

Once you walk in, you need to do something else. You need to open up. You need to open up as a participant.

Making melody in your heart. Giving thanks. Church is the place where we openly share what's in our hearts. Our feelings about God find expression. When we do that with others, it's a wonderfully bonding experience. Just sitting there as a passive spectator isn’t.

Here's Paul again telling us what fellowship is all about. Hebrews 10:24,25:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Encourage one other. Build each other up. Spur one another toward love and good works. That's what turns church into a family.

What happens when we do that?

Let’s go back to that congregation in the city of Thessalonica. They were a group of believers who kept expressing their faith in some very tough times. This is what Paul said to them. 1 Thessalonians 5:5:

“You are all sons of light and sons of the day.”

Yes, bonding as believers, participating as believers, enables us to walk in light.

Why? Because you learn so much more together than apart. You get out of your rut. You broaden your opinions. You don’t gain much light just going in circles in your own head. We all need the input of others.

And guess what? You learn the most when you participate the most. I’ve seen it happen over and over. It’s when someone has to teach others, help others, counsel others, that they really begin to learn the truth themselves.

Do you want to walk in light? Open up, as a participant.

People experience real fellowship when they do that.

Now to our final how-to on experiencing fellowship.

I’d like you to take a look at 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Paul was writing to the church at Corinth. Grace had invaded their pagan world. The gospel was turning things upside down. But these people were still struggling between the new and the old. Paul had to write church members about dealing with some serious problems, like incest and lawsuits between church members. But then he wrote this. 2 Corinthians 7:3:

“I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.”

You are in our hearts to die together and to live together. What a beautiful expression of grace! Paul didn’t stand apart and comment on the messes in that church. He didn’t preach down to them. He stood among them. Their pain was his pain. Their struggles were his struggles.

Do you know what we need to do, after we walk in, after we open up? We need to settle down. We need to settle down—into a commitment.

Paul was committed. And he saw churches grow and mature all around the Mediterranean. He saw Christianity take root and change societies everywhere.

We need to commit ourselves to a particular church body. Our rootless society doesn't do commitment very well. It’s all about self-fulfillment. But if you’re committed to nothing bigger than yourself, you never grow beyond yourself.

Are there people in your heart today, people deep in your heart? Do you have that sense of sticking together through thick and thin? Do you have the experience of going through life and death together?

That’s what real fellowship becomes. That’s what it means to be a family.

And look at what happens as a result.

Turn to Ephesians again, this time Ephesians chapter three, verse ten. Paul writes about God’s plan:

“. . . that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church. . . “

Wisdom made known through the church. The church, friends, is where you can walk in wisdom.

If you stick with it. If you grow with it. If you sink your roots into its foundation—you will walk in wisdom. Or, as Paul says, “you walk circumspectly, not as fools.”

This is referring to maturity. We mature as believers, we mature as human beings, when we are in a committed relationship. If you’re just dabbling, you won’t mature. If you’re just there for the good times, you won’t mature. You’ve got to settle down into a commitment, in order to walk in wisdom.

Friends, this is a good life! Walking in love, walking in light, walking in wisdom---that’s a good life. And you can experience it by doing three simple things when it comes to church.

Walk in—out of your comfort zone. Find a good place and get connected.

Open up—as a participant. Make sure you are expressing your faith in some way.

Settle down—into a commitment. Make a stand with a group of fellow believers. Make a statement: “This is where I belong. These are the people I will support and encourage---in good times and bad.”

There is such great reward in making that commitment.

JEANNIE: Lonnie, you and I have been so enriched and blessed by the bonds we’ve made in church---whether it’s with our local Seventh-day Adventist congregation here in Camarillo, or with believers all around the world.

LONNIE: I think we can say that has been one of the most meaningful experiences of our lives.

JEANNIE: Absolutely.

So I’d love it if we can simply invite our viewers to take the steps you talked about. We’ve covered the subject. We’ve laid out what the Bible has to say. It’s time to walk in, open up and settle down.

LONNIE: Jeannie and I want to make that invitation because belonging to a church family is just something that has worked for us. Once it’s part of your life you can’t really imagine living without it. So of course we would be thrilled for you to have that same experience.

I know some of you have had some disappointing experiences in church. There are people sitting in the pews who just don’t understand grace. But please don’t let that stop you from seeking the real thing. I know that nurturing fellowship is out there waiting for you. I’ve experienced it in so many different places. So please ask, seek and knock til the right door opens.

JEANNIE: Lonnie and I would just hate for you to go through any more of your life without this blessing, without this support. There really is love. There really is light. There really is wisdom—when you find genuine fellowship.

LONNIE: So let’s pray right now, OK? Let’s ask God to take us to that place where we can sink our roots, where we can make a genuine commitment.

Dear Father, I want to thank You for all that my church has meant to me, for how it has enriched my own life. And now there are people watching Lord who need and want that kind of experience. Please Father lead them to it.

JEANNIE: Please guide them to the right place. Remove the obstacles that we put up and that other people put up. Help us to walk in, open up and settle down Lord.

LONNIE: Enable us to make an investment in the body of Christ. Thank You for answering this prayer in Jesus’ name, amen.

JEANNIE: On our next program we’ll be exploring more about this idea of the church as a “pillar” of the truth. Just how does that work today when everything is about diversity and multi-cultural ideas?

LONNIE: Your homework is to read something in the Old Testament, the book of Joshua, chapter 9 and chapter 10, verses 1-15. This is the story of how Israel’s leader Joshua fell for an elaborate scam—and what he did about it.

JEANNIE: So please read Joshua chapter 9 and chapter 10:1-15, and ask yourself this: what makes the difference between missing the truth and receiving the truth? Try to find some clues in this chapter; we’ll be talking about it next week.

LONNIE: Until then, God bless you. Never stop exploring the Word, and remember, God really does love you.