Koinonia III: Walking in the Light of Life

Sunday 09/24/17

Series: Doers of the Word

Message – Koinonia III: Walking in the Light of Life

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Koinonia: Walking in the Light of Life

We are still talking about Koinonia this week, because we have much to learn about the purposes of God in Salvation.

Does anyone remember the definition for koinonia? Shared resources, shared experience, shared life.

Who can give me two or three of the examples we use to illustrate Koinonia?

All things in common – early church
One member suffers all suffer with them….
Saul why do you persecute Me?

If you remember I told you that I felt led to teach on this because our focus this year has on being a doer of what we know… and that is precisely one of the major focuses of Johns letter which is all about a relationship of shared resources, shared experience and a shared life in the context of the family /kingdom of God.

Without doing PRODUCED BY ONGOING RELATIONAL TRUST IN GOD, our Christian faith means nothing.

The New Testament says this many times and in many ways…

“14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,” what does the writer of Hebrews go on to say? That God was angry with that generation because of their disobedience… And that this people could therefore not enter into God’s rest because of their unbelief.

James is clear and to the point on this… knowing that what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart he says if a person cannot even control what comes out of their mouth, their religion is useless. Which is to say their devotion to God is practically non-existent. And yet Christians will fill their hearts and minds with with ungodly and man focused entertainment for many hours everyday…. find themselves repeating the same phrases of their favorite shows and then scratch their heads in wonder at their own lack of personal godliness. If we only knew the treasure rehab in God and the corner near that has been made available to us we would do with God what we have been doing with our TV… ( and of course I’m using the TV is just one of many examples).

A confession of Christ as Master & Lord only represents dead religion if it is not evidenced by a life lived in union with Him.

And what do we mean by Union?

Does that word simply mean walking alongside with? Having mental agreement about certain religious facts?

No! The word Union implies agreement and harmony which affects our walk… our lifestyle. It us a life lived in concert with another.

Continuing with the analogy of music any action we make is either evidence of our Union with Him through Harmony OR our departure from Koinonia (Aka) Union through Discord meaning a lack of agreement with Him.

This type of living is something Jesus was highly interested in drawing us away from… as is easily witnessed by virtually any encounter he had with the Pharisees.

Koinonia was ALWAYS God’s plan for mankind! This is NOT your idea, it is NOT your plan – it is His dream to be realized in us once and for all FOREVER! Eternal union with God!

This is why the Lukewarm are repulsive to Him!

Union – intimacy – forever knowing and being known is why righteousness has always been such a big deal!

If God had just wanted interaction with you there would have been no need for redemption. You notice, God can have conversations with the unrighteous…but conversation is NOT what God wanted He wanted ONENESS – UNION – ETERNAL INTIMACY.

In scripture we see God having conversation with Cain, Esau, Pharaoh…evil spirits and even satan himself.

But to you God says,

“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

‘If I do not remember you, let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.’

“For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: “This is My resting place FOREVER; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.”

This is why righteousness was always an issue, because without it there can be no union – no intimacy – and absolutely no shared life!

“This is Life eternal, that they might truly know You in intimate union the Only true God and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.”

So as we press deeper into this subject- know that we are being very deliberate in taking steps ever closer and closer to His very heart – His chief desire and longing!

Did you know that God LONGS for you?

The Spirit is Jealous for you! He craves you and dotes upon you as His precious ones.

But He cannot Fellowship ( have a shared experience with) darkness!

“6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

We spent some time with this last time and we’re going to go a little further with it today because the deception of this world that is influencing the way the Church thinks is so pervasive so overwhelming so unyielding and comes at us from absolutely every angle that is impossible to be a person who is untouched by its influence.
I gave you an example of this several weeks ago from the show, Once Upon a Time, the developers of the show had an agenda which they kept hidden from their audience while they used the development of the characters and the storyline to make the characters endearing to their audience in order to get people hooked on the series. Now there’s nothing particularly new about that… but on they had established a solidly faithful listener base they swung two characters into a homosexuality relationship. They knew that many people who are against homosexuality would find themselves in a situation where they would have to choose between their conscience and their desire to be entertained. … don’t think this is accidental! The longer you allow yourself to be exposed to immorality the more acceptable it becomes.
Let’s look at two passages… Remembering that if we claim to enjoy koinonia with Him and yet walk in darkness, we have been deceived!

1 Cor. 5:9-11,

“(9) I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. (10) Yet not entirely with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. (11) But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.”

- - Not entirely – Important words! They mean, do not avoid the world or your light would not be shinning before men. You may work around then, talk to them, even eat with them if you both so desire, AT LEAST until it becomes clear that they are hostile to the Gospel. But do not on ANY account become their friends.
  - Wuest’s translation does justice to this verse,

“I wrote to you in my letter not to be mingling in a close and habitual intimacy with those who indulge in unlawful sexual intercourse. I did not altogether forbid you having dealings with the fornicators who are members of this world system or with those who are covetous and rapacious, or with idolaters, since then you would be obliged to go out of the world of mankind.”

- - - 1Cor. 10:23-29, “(23) All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. (24) Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. (25) Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; (26) for “THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL ITS FULLNESS.” (27) If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. (28) But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL ITS FULLNESS.” (29) “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?”
    - You are not stupid and you have the Holy Spirit of God living within you so judge these matters for yourselves when they happen.
    - EXAMPLE:
      - I have been invited to eat with unbelievers who were honestly curious about my faith and I went, with a free conscience.
      - Other times I was invited to eat with those who were simply looking to have some fun at my expense. They knew that their lifestyle would make me uncomfortable and rather than masking it with a view to not offending me, they flaunted it on purpose. This is deliberate! Why would you purposefully place yourself in a situation where both you and God are mocked?

We will pick up here next week…Blessings!

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will be mentioned.

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Blessings!

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!