Painful yet Joyous Fellowship

I was once again today reminded of these following fellowship questions from Rick's blog. (see list of questions below) I had seen them a while back but promptly filed them away into some hidden recess of my mind. And there they stayed until Jess sent them back today. So, as I was reading through the questions again, the first thing that came to mind is "argh, this is painful. allowing others into my life with such depth and specificity hurts." and then I re-read the first question... "what is God doing...". Imagine this - I missed the point again. It's not about me. It's about Him - His work - His name being made great - His power at work in my life. That's the source and motivation for my fellowship with others.

I think what God is getting at right now in my heart is that I'm supposed to be continually "falling off the log." I mentioned to Sarah last week that I feel like the Christian life is one where I'm in one ditch and when I'm out of that ditch I find myself falling in the other ditch. Its like the goal is a skinny waxed log and I find myself spinning on the log but falling more often than spinning. And the spinning is exhausting. But I think that's the point. In and of myself, it is not merely exhausting but impossible. That's why I need others. That's why I need Jesus. That's where the sanctification through the Spirit comes into play.

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:1-5)

So, I'm working on memorizing 1st Peter as our church is working through a study of the book. I just memorized these verses this week. Here's what I've seen this week ...

Peter (just that one word alone is so full of meaning - think back to Mark, think of him saying "even though all the others leave you, I won't deny you" and then remember his explicit denial of his friend. Peter spent the first years with Jesus continually falling off the log. But don't stop there... remember that this loser disciple is now the one speaking God's words to encourage these battered disciples (including me). There is so much already of God's mercy that can be found in the first 6 words. This unworthy wretch is a disciple of Jesus Christ! Talk about being transformed from darkness into light. How can he write "may grace and peace be multiplied to you"? Because of who He serves. Because of the almighty Trinity who condescended to become like us. Because of the amazing foreknowledge of the Father (not merely judge - Father!) who decided before eternity (that blows my mind) that He would save us and magnify His majesty... because of the sanctification of the Spirit. Note that it doesn't say "because of the sanctification that Emily earned/ deserved/ desired/ etc. No! My sanctification is not a result of my works anymore than my salvation is a result of me choosing God.

What hope that truth has given to my soul this week. I have spent a week continuously falling off that log yet even now its not up to me, its not dependent on my ability to "fix it." That is a humbling truth. My hope is found only in the obedience of the Son to His Father as displayed on the cross. My hope is because He actively chose to shed His holy blood - He chose to obey not because of my worth but out of a willing heart of obedience to the Father! I pray that God would grant me a heart of obedience like that - a heart that looks to only one Person as my hope! All blessing (in my life, in the world, etc) is supposed to go to God. Why?? Because of the cross - the great mercy he lavished on us - because I didn't earn it - because of His ultimate generosity. This generosity didn't merely take my infinite sins away, it lavished an infinite inheritance on me as well. I can't even comprehend that. Never will my hope fade away, never will the refined silver and gold of my heart tarnish and fade, it is kept not by my power but by God's power (this same power that radically transformed Peter, the same power that sanctifies my soul and the same power that allowed Jesus to suffer ultimate rejection. That's the power that is holding fast to my inheritance. And unlike my motivations and desires often are, this power and inheritance is undefiled. It is wholly pure. It is an inheritance that allows me to be in the presence of God. Wow! That's so much more than "fire insurance."

And its because of all that, because of His great mercy alone, that I can even approach these people that I now call my dearest friends in this place that I now call the dearest place on earth. That's the background leading me to come to this topic of fellowship. My ultimate goal for fellowship is to make His name great - not merely to serve my friends or refine my heart though those are by-products of the first.

Fellowship Questions
1. What specifically is God doing in your life?
2. What has He taught you this week?
3. How are you applying what you are learning? Detailed and specificity.
4. How have you failed in some area of spiritual and practical responsibility?
5. How have you succeeded in modeling Jesus Christ to others? Your spouse? Children? Others?6. What are your plans regarding our commission to go out and make disciples?
7. How can I help you in this area...apart from the obvious: praying?
8. What are your inner struggles?