Transformed to Have Fellowship
Here is the link to the message we preached this past Sunday, February 14, 2016 at Bible Baptist Church in Hampton, GA. The subject of the message was the Prodigal Son from Luke 15, who shows us what it is like to misunderstand our heavenly Father. Interestingly enough, the human father in parable (representing our heavenly Father) is full of love for his son and quick to fully forgive.
Due to wrong thinking on the younger son’s part, he was never able to have any type of meaningful fellowship with his father until after he had left, squandered his inheritance and literally became destitute while trying to live as a person in the world, even though he had been born into family that far removed him from such a life.
Upon his return to his father, the Prodigal Son finally began to see the truth about his father. He was more than simply a “fair” man, though he was that. The Prodigal Son’s father was a man filled with love, who was very quick to forgive his son’s treachery.
The upshot of this parable hits us on several levels but for us, the need to pursue and maintain fellowship with God is a theme that runs throughout the entire Bible. We see it in this parable, we see it in Paul’s writings, Peter’s writings, and very clearly in the apostle John’s writings, especially the epistle of 1 John.
We cannot have too much fellowship with God, but just because we have salvation does not necessarily mean we have fellowship with God. That is something we need to work toward. Just as with any relationship, work is required to enter into and maintain fellowship.
Just because a person has a certificate of marriage and they were actually married on their wedding day does not guarantee that the two newlyweds will enjoy fellowship. They have the right to it and the potential for it, but it is something they must pursue and work at or they will likely experience little to no fellowship.
The wedding day only legally changes the status of two people who go from being unmarried to married with all the rights and privileges connected to it. But the wedding itself occurs on one particular day for a short time. Once that is over, the actual marriage begins and it is there that people will either excel at or fail at fellowship.
Christians who have salvation do not necessarily have fellowship. They have the potential for it and the right to it, but there is no guarantee that each and every Christian will enjoy fellowship with God. When we become saved, our legal status is changed by God from unrighteous to righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). This status can never change back to that of being unrighteous again as a legal standing before God. Certainly, if Christians are not careful, they can (and too often do) live carnal, immature lives before God because they fail to realize that they are supposed to actually pursue fellowship with God. It is not automatic.
The message preached this past Sunday goes into more detail, but these are the highlights. I hope and pray that you benefit from what I share.
Just click on the link below and an audio player will open up in a separate window.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=217161053451
Entry filed under: christianity, Dr. Fred, eternity, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation. Tags: fellowship, luke 15, prodigal son.
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