According to Henry Blackaby the word Koinonia means the fullest partnership and fellowship with God and other believers. The author of Hebrews gives us an example of Koinonia in chapter 10:24-25.
24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let 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.
To spur one another means to push in a direction. In this case it means to push towards love and good deeds. It is a church understanding that they are in partnership with God and each other and that partnership reaches its fullest point when the church comes together under God’s direction.
Remember there is the person that God desires us to be and the person that we are. We should constantly be striving to become the person that God desires us to be and our churches should strive for the same has well. For that to happen Koinonia cannot be an option. It has to be found consistently in our lives as well as in our churches.
When we allow sin in our lives and in our churches it breaks our fellowship with God and each other. In other words it disrupts our Koinonia. We must remember that God is faithful to forgive us for our sins and restore us to righteousness but we have to come before Him in confession of our faults.
Here are four essentials for making Koinonia a part of your every day life.
1. We must love God with our total beings. Matthew 22:37-38
At some point this becomes a struggle for all Christians. We truly desire to love, serve and follow God but we hold something back. Loving God with everything we are is just that, loving him with everything. That includes our thoughts, dreams, desires and every aspect of our lives without holding anything back.
2. We must submit to God’s sovereign rule. 1 John 2:15-16
Do you really make Him Lord of your life? That means you seek His will for you rather than your own. It means that you seek to please Him rather than yourself. It means you acknowledge God as an authority in your life.
3. We must experience God in a real and personal way. John 15:5
Do you remember that feeling you experienced the first time you recognized God in your life? When you surrendered to His will and invited Him into your life as your savior? I often wonder what happens to that feeling for many Christians. God doesn’t cease to exist we fail to continue to know Him in a personal way. Remember God is not going to force Himself upon us. We are drawn to Him and must remain in Him.
4. We must trust God completely. Isaiah 31:1
Do you think God for what He is going to do in your life tomorrow? I guess the question is, do you trust God to do something amazing in your life tomorrow? Complete trust means knowing that God is there in good and bad times and knowing that He has a plan for your life. Do you see that? Can you believe in that? Do you trust in that? Then live it!
Monday, November 28, 2005
Monday, November 21, 2005
Kingdom People
On April 23, 1985 Coca Cola made one of the biggest marketing blunders in history by stopping production on their original formula and putting a product called “New Coke” on the shelves.
This move was brought on by the rapidly shrinking market share that the soft drink had. In the late 70’s Pepsi began their Pepsi Challenge Campaign and for the first time outsold Coke in supermarkets.
Coke’s market share dropped from 60 percent just after World War II to under 24 percent in 1983. So Coke execs made a huge change for their company by changing the formula to sweeten the beverage in order to compete with Pepsi.
The project failed miserably as Coke consumers rejected the new product, signed petitions and even filed a class action lawsuit demanding that Coke sell the original formula if they were not going to produce it anymore. On July 10, less than three months later, the original formula went back on the shelves as Coca Cola Classic.
The problem was not necessarily the product inside the can, which tasted a lot like Pepsi, but the name on the outside of the can. For 100 years people associated that name with a particular taste and they were not willing to accept anything else. To them, what was on the inside of the can didn’t match what was on the outside of the can.
For over 2000 years Christian people have been trying to live a Christ like life. It’s is so important that what we say as Christians matches what we do. In other words what is on the inside must match what is on the outside. We should live today as if we were living in the Kingdom of God because we are. If you are a believer in Christ and have entered into a relationship you are a “Kingdom Person.” Real quickly let’s look at Kingdom People.
What do Kingdom People do?
They are on mission with God. Notice that we are not on mission with God or on mission for God. We are on mission with God. He will send us but he will also go ahead of us. What is the mission?
John 3:16
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Our mission is to tell the world about Jesus. We should always be ready to proclaim Christ. Acts 8:26-39 tells the story of Peter being willing to follow the Lord’s direction and go where he was told. He was also willing to proclaim Christ when the opportunity came.
How do Kingdom People live?
Obviously there are different principles for living in God’s Kingdom and living in the world. The teachings of Jesus are filled with principles for living in His kingdom. A great example of this is Matthew 18:23-35. If we would actually live what we read in the Bible we would be living like Kingdom People.
How do Kingdom People relate?
The word Koinonia means the fullest partnership and fellowship with God and other believers. That is how we are to relate to others. Understand that we are in partnership with other believers on this mission with God and we should fellowship with all people with God’s grace and mercy leading us. We should approach our relationships to other people with the same attitude that God has, Koinonia.
1 John 2:9-11
9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
This move was brought on by the rapidly shrinking market share that the soft drink had. In the late 70’s Pepsi began their Pepsi Challenge Campaign and for the first time outsold Coke in supermarkets.
Coke’s market share dropped from 60 percent just after World War II to under 24 percent in 1983. So Coke execs made a huge change for their company by changing the formula to sweeten the beverage in order to compete with Pepsi.
The project failed miserably as Coke consumers rejected the new product, signed petitions and even filed a class action lawsuit demanding that Coke sell the original formula if they were not going to produce it anymore. On July 10, less than three months later, the original formula went back on the shelves as Coca Cola Classic.
The problem was not necessarily the product inside the can, which tasted a lot like Pepsi, but the name on the outside of the can. For 100 years people associated that name with a particular taste and they were not willing to accept anything else. To them, what was on the inside of the can didn’t match what was on the outside of the can.
For over 2000 years Christian people have been trying to live a Christ like life. It’s is so important that what we say as Christians matches what we do. In other words what is on the inside must match what is on the outside. We should live today as if we were living in the Kingdom of God because we are. If you are a believer in Christ and have entered into a relationship you are a “Kingdom Person.” Real quickly let’s look at Kingdom People.
What do Kingdom People do?
They are on mission with God. Notice that we are not on mission with God or on mission for God. We are on mission with God. He will send us but he will also go ahead of us. What is the mission?
John 3:16
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Our mission is to tell the world about Jesus. We should always be ready to proclaim Christ. Acts 8:26-39 tells the story of Peter being willing to follow the Lord’s direction and go where he was told. He was also willing to proclaim Christ when the opportunity came.
How do Kingdom People live?
Obviously there are different principles for living in God’s Kingdom and living in the world. The teachings of Jesus are filled with principles for living in His kingdom. A great example of this is Matthew 18:23-35. If we would actually live what we read in the Bible we would be living like Kingdom People.
How do Kingdom People relate?
The word Koinonia means the fullest partnership and fellowship with God and other believers. That is how we are to relate to others. Understand that we are in partnership with other believers on this mission with God and we should fellowship with all people with God’s grace and mercy leading us. We should approach our relationships to other people with the same attitude that God has, Koinonia.
1 John 2:9-11
9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Monday, November 14, 2005
The Church
The church has long been an institution that contributes to the developing of the moral foundation that our nation was built on. It has been a major life changing and character developing factor to people all over the world and it continues to grow and spread today.
When looking at what God’s will is for the church it’s important to understand that the church is the body of believers who come together to worship and minister under the guidance of Jesus Christ. An amazing thing happens every Sunday morning as individuals are transformed into one body. Paul talks about this in Romans 12:5.
5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
As this group of individuals becomes a body of believers the also become responsible to each other. They are responsible for both the physical and spiritual growth of the body. They are responsible discipling each other and meeting each other physical and spiritual needs.
Most importantly the body is responsible for allowing God to be present and active among them. Henry Blackaby wrote that when a church allows God’s presence and activity to be expressed, a watching world will be drawn to Him.
A church allows God’s presence to be active when it becomes unified through understanding what Christ, the Head of the church, is telling them. Paul talks about this as well in 1 Corinthians 1:10.
10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
So how does a group of individuals become unified in one spirit so that God can use them to do amazing things? If you think about it, it just doesn’t make any sense. When you get more than one person together you have differences. The only way the church can accomplish unity is by the people of the church taking on the mind of Christ and having a desire to serve Him above all else. Again we find the words of Paul to apply to this.
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
The people who make up the church should practice daily sacrifice. That means putting aside our wants and desires daily for what God wants from us daily. When we learn to do this we find that not only is it easy to become unified with other believers but God is using us and making us effective. That’s when a church becomes vibrant and growing because the people who make up the body make themselves useable to God.
What is your mindset when it comes to your church? Do you go in search of unity? Have you made yourself usable by God? You would be amazed at how much of a difference your daily sacrifice can make in the body of believers.
When looking at what God’s will is for the church it’s important to understand that the church is the body of believers who come together to worship and minister under the guidance of Jesus Christ. An amazing thing happens every Sunday morning as individuals are transformed into one body. Paul talks about this in Romans 12:5.
5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
As this group of individuals becomes a body of believers the also become responsible to each other. They are responsible for both the physical and spiritual growth of the body. They are responsible discipling each other and meeting each other physical and spiritual needs.
Most importantly the body is responsible for allowing God to be present and active among them. Henry Blackaby wrote that when a church allows God’s presence and activity to be expressed, a watching world will be drawn to Him.
A church allows God’s presence to be active when it becomes unified through understanding what Christ, the Head of the church, is telling them. Paul talks about this as well in 1 Corinthians 1:10.
10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
So how does a group of individuals become unified in one spirit so that God can use them to do amazing things? If you think about it, it just doesn’t make any sense. When you get more than one person together you have differences. The only way the church can accomplish unity is by the people of the church taking on the mind of Christ and having a desire to serve Him above all else. Again we find the words of Paul to apply to this.
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
The people who make up the church should practice daily sacrifice. That means putting aside our wants and desires daily for what God wants from us daily. When we learn to do this we find that not only is it easy to become unified with other believers but God is using us and making us effective. That’s when a church becomes vibrant and growing because the people who make up the body make themselves useable to God.
What is your mindset when it comes to your church? Do you go in search of unity? Have you made yourself usable by God? You would be amazed at how much of a difference your daily sacrifice can make in the body of believers.
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