Fellowship - His Body’s Heart There is a very powerful force that enables successful performance. There may have been extensive personal development with much time and effort given to practice and exercise. But, until there is a connection to a fellowship where other parts are in that same flow of synergy, an amazing potential may never be tapped. Reliance on other essential team members opens up a resource of strength and direction that heightens and accentuates each individual participant’s part for a collective production of greatness. This flow is what welcomes everyone who is drawn to new life in Christ. Forgiveness and mercy awaken a heart once bound in sin’s constraints to walk in freedom. But, there is a purpose in that walk that is only fully discovered when integrated into the Body of the One who beckoned us to come. His call isn’t to an isolated existence with no greater purpose. The same Blood that enabled our salvation is a continuing flow of life to the Church He is building for His glory. In connecting to His body, this powerful force is activated to flow through every member with kingdom purpose. God is glorified and each participating member becomes a living stone in a spiritual structure where His Glory will dwell in powerful demonstration. Notes When anointing on the Head runs over the whole body - released blessing through unity in fellowship Psalms 133:1-3 (TPT) 1 A song to bring you higher, by King David. How truly wonderful and delightful to see brothers and sisters living together in sweet unity! 2 It’s as precious as the sacred scented oil flowing from the head of the high priest Aaron, dripping down upon his beard and running all the way down to the hem of his priestly robes. 3 This heavenly harmony can be compared to the dew dripping down from the skies upon Mount Hermon, refreshing the mountain slopes of Israel. For from this realm of sweet harmony God will release his eternal blessing, the promise of life forever! Fellowship: Approach Partake Become Jesus’ puprpose - complete unity in fellowship John 17:20-23 (NLT) 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. In fellowship of the body, the Lord built the early church Acts 2:42-47 (NLT) 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. To be in Christ is to be in His body where the Blood’s flow cleanses 1 John 1:5-7 (NLT) 5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. For there to be life, there must be continuous connection to the same Source. Cutting off from the body is cutting off from the Source. Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT) 1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. It’s in fellowship/unity with the body that fellowship with the Head is effective 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (NLT) 12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Fellowship enables growth Ephesians 4:13-16 (NLT) 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. In each gathering is an incredible opportunity for God’s fulfilled purpose in unity. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT) 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. God’s plan - a mature, unified body glorifying and representing Him to the world. Ephesians 5:25-30 (TPT) 25 And to the husbands, you are to demonstrate love for your wives with the same tender devotion that Christ demonstrated to us, his bride. For he died for us, sacrificing himself 26 to make us holy and pure, cleansing us through the showering of the pure water of the Word of God. 27 All that he does in us is designed to make us a mature church for his pleasure, until we become a source of praise to him—glorious and radiant, beautiful and holy, without fault or flaw. 28 Husbands have the obligation of loving and caring for their wives the same way they love and care for their own bodies, for to love your wife is to love your own self. 29 No one abuses his own body, but pampers it—serving and satisfying its needs. That’s exactly what Christ does for his church! 30 He serves and satisfies us as members of his body. Overview: -There is a flow of force in fellowship that unites individual potentials with a significant purpose. -The fellowship of God’s children in unity is like the anointing of God flowing from the Head and covering the whole body. -As the Head of the church, this unity was Jesus' prayer for His disciples and all who would be joined to Him through them. -It was fellowship that enabled and empowered the early church to grow in the power of the Spirit. -Living in the light that fellowship activates the blood of Jesus to join individual hearts and lives in kingdom purpose. -Since life in Christ has the same body and Spirit, connecting to the same source in fellowship is critical for the flow of God’s glory and power. -Joining to Christ as the Head requires joining to His body for fulfilled potential. -Threats to unity with the body also threaten unity with the Head. -Our growth as a body that represents Him is contingent upon the healthy flow of the Blood through united members. -Every opportunity for connecting is an opportunity for unity and participating in Jesus’ prayer for glory in unity. -There is a glorious and spotless church that will be Christ to the world as it grows from hearts that are joined in fellowship by the Blood. Prayer: Father, I am honored and humbled by Your passion to join with me in fellowship and the great price that was paid to enable me in this. I desire to draw ever closer to Your heart and its growing transformation of my ability to share You with the world. As I am united with You by the blood, join me as well with the other precious members that are in this same flow of liquid love. Help us to grow together in fulfilling Your passion as a glorious, spotless church, showing the world who You really are. Empower us together to release Your glory to a dying world. Declarations: I have been given direct access to the very glory of Almighty God by the power of Jesus’ Blood. As I draw close to His heart, I am enabled to participate in resurrection power and unite with Him in identity and purpose. The same blood that brings me life joins me to Christ’s body. In fellowship there, together we receive and supply in the growth of His likeness in holiness and revealed power. As I fellowship and care for Christ’s body, I am caring for my own and its fulfilled purpose for God’s glory. With every opportunity to join in fellowship, I am releasing the flow of the unifying Blood so the world may know Him as His glory is shown.