Title: To Share True Fellowship
Content Sharing 1: When did you find it difficult to communicate with people?
1. The meaning of fellowship
(1) Fellowship is a characteristic of the Christian life and is a term that determines the life of the saints. Fellowship is divided into fellowship with God and fellowship with man. Fellowship with God is the content of worship and includes hymns, prayers, the Word, and service.
(2) The content of fellowship with people is love. The life saved by God's love must flow in the fellowship between God and man.
2. Conditions of fellowship with God (verses 1-4)
1) First, we must experience the Lord (verse 1).
(2) How can we experience the Lord? First, you have to listen first. Second, you must see it. Third, we must pay attention and touch the hand of the Lord. In the life of faith, experience in community is important. This is because we can experience the Word of God through spiritual fellowship with others.
2) Second, we must preach eternal life (verse 2).
(1) The Apostle John testifies and preaches because he saw eternal life in verse 2 (verse 2).
(2) However, this work of eternal life has a wonderful providence. It is the word 'with the Father' as the decisive source of life. The physical body, the natural life of us humans, ends in death, but eternal life is given to those who believe in the atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross.
⑶ What is the reason to testify and spread the word of life you have experienced?
First, in order to have fellowship (verse 3). Therefore, I encourage you to share with others the fellowship you have with God and Jesus. This is how saints communicate with each other.
Second, the purpose of fellowship is that we may be filled with joy (v. 4). Being acquainted with the Lord is full of joy. It is because we can experience eternal life through continuous contact with God.
3. The way of fellowship (verses 5-7)
(1) We must dwell in the light (verses 5-6).
God is light and there is no darkness at all (v. 5). Darkness is the evil deeds and deeds of man. Darkness is the fallen nature of man. But Jesus, who is the light, removes darkness and confusion. He changes the empty and chaotic state of creation into order. The light of Jesus is the light that saves the whole world from darkness.
Therefore, the saints must be in the light to have fellowship with God. Nevertheless, to claim to be in communion with God in darkness is to lie (v. 6).
(2) We must walk in the light (verse 7).
The light of God means the revelation of God. The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to reveal God. However, since that 'light' is God, it is God who makes that relationship possible. There are two outcomes of God making fellowship possible with us.
First, there is a relationship between Christians.
Second, your sinful nature will be cleansed.
The barrier between God and us is the barrier of sin (Isaiah 59:1-2). So, in order for there to be no sin of darkness among us, we must receive the light of God. When our hearts are filled with the light of God, there is true joy, freedom, and life.
Therefore, the condition of fellowship with God is that, first, we must experience the Lord (verses 1-4). We must abide in the light of the Lord (verses 5-7).