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  ARE YOU SURE YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS
  by Fred Tomlinson
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Summary: This sermon delves into the deep meaning of the word
'fellowship' in Christian circles, emphasizing the true fellowship found
in God as a triune Godhead. It explores the concept of fellowship with
the Father and the Son, highlighting the importance of abiding in God's
light and surrendering the self-life to fully experience this divine
union. The speaker encourages listeners to embrace the grace of God,
allowing the Holy Spirit to transform their lives and lead them into the
profound fellowship available through Christ.

Topics: "Divine Fellowship", "Transformation through Grace"
Scripture References: Genesis 1:1, John 14:9, John 10:30, Ephesians 2:4, John 17:21, Galatians 2:20, 1 John 1:3

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon delves into the deep meaning of the word 'fellowship' in
Christian circles, emphasizing the true fellowship found in God as a
triune Godhead. It explores the concept of fellowship with the Father
and the Son, highlighting the importance of abiding in God's light and
surrendering the self-life to fully experience this divine union. The
speaker encourages listeners to embrace the grace of God, allowing the
Holy Spirit to transform their lives and lead them into the profound
fellowship available through Christ.

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CONTENT
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Today I'd like to take a different course with what I want to share with
you. I was thinking earlier this morning that we have to confess that in
Christian circles there are so many buzzwords and I almost want to say
oops at that point because I've just used one, Christian circles. But
there are many which are used, I mean we hear words like Father God for
example which comes up quite frequently or being on fire for God or the
hedge of protection and when people are praying, how many times do we
hear the word just repeated over and over and over again multiple times.

And then on the other hand there are words which are clearly biblical
words but perhaps to some degree some of them have been reduced to
buzzwords to use this more modern expression. By their being used over
and over again perhaps overused sometimes they've been reduced to being
a kind of buzzword and one of those words and it's the one I want to
focus on in this session is the word fellowship. I can remember I think
the first time I consciously heard that word although I was brought up
in a Christian home from my infancy but I remember having been to a
youth camp and we were, it was the end of the camp, a week's camp and I
think probably I was about 12 or 13 years of age and as we were in
several coaches, single-decker buses, I don't know, it depends where you
live, you might call them by different names but anyway there were a
couple of hundred of us and we were in different vehicles and as we were
approaching the Liverpool area again the bus would stop at different
times and let some folk off which was nearer to their own homes and I
can still remember the tent officer, my tent officer, his name was Terry
Leach I remember clearly and he'd become a bit of a hero to me during
that week.

I had not known him before then but as other tent officers were saying
goodbye to one another they were using this expression thank you for
your fellowship and that phrase just for some reason just stuck in my
mind but we use the word commonly I mean today I suppose we hear people
say well let's get together and have a bit of fellowship or we have a
fellowship night for our church group and that usually means that it's a
social time and probably have some food involved as well and but as the
result of using a word such as fellowship and there are others I can
think of over and over again there's a tendency for those words to lose
or perhaps totally lose their biblical meaning and significance and in
so far as that happens the loss is enormous and it's my own opinion that
today there's a great need within the churches not for more dynamic
personalities and not for more sort of clever preaching technicians but
for ministry that allows the Holy Spirit to refresh and quicken the
divine intent that is somehow encapsulated within words within the
context of God's holy word of course in particular and you know having
said all of that one of the many discoveries that I have made over the
years is that so many modern Christians excuse the expression are almost
entirely comfortable with the distorted and more superficial and pain-
free version of truth which of course ceases to be truth when that
happens and inevitably when truth ceases to be truth it degenerates into
a lie and of course that version of truth quote-unquote will never
minister life to the hearers so in this session together let's consider
the true meaning and significance behind this new testament word
fellowship I know the word fellowship at times is used in the world at
large for one reason or another in one way or another but we're thinking
in in terms of the bible we're thinking in terms of the way we find the
word in scripture and what what God the Holy Spirit intends us to
understand by the word when we think about it and it's it's the the
greek word koinonia which is sometimes translated in our bibles
communion and the fact that this word is translated fellowship and
communion helps us to grasp a little bit more of an idea of what
fellowship means communion or a common union now before sort of getting
into this any further let me let me clear up a few things the word
fellowship again I won't repeat this again but within the context of
understanding its teaching and meaning in the bible this word fellowship
is not a synonym for friendship you know none of the disciples while
walking with Jesus around Galilee experienced fellowship in the sense
that we're going to think about it fellowship is not some high ideal
that we as professing christians are to work toward or try to cultivate
in some way or other put into practice this word fellowship is not
dependent upon two or more professing christians agreeing on certain
theological concepts and perhaps their personalities for some reason
being comfortable the one with the other I remember when Jesus was
speaking to the crowd when he was on the mount from that passage we've
almost affectionately referred to as the his sermon on the mount but you
remember this in one particular context I'm not discussing the context
in this session but Jesus said it was not so from the beginning and that
statement is very very important because so many of the great questions
that we have concerning the teaching of the bible as it unfolds are
sorted out for us or greatly helped by going back to the beginning and
see how God because we believe he inspired the scriptures introduced
this idea there's actually a principle of bible interpretation which is
referred to as the law of first mention and some of us have followed
that idea through on occasions over the years and in doing so we found
how that the first mention of particular issues particular doctrines of
the new testament for example are really there as it were in seed form
but almost always at that time that we first find them there's a feature
or perhaps several features that are included there which are so helpful
they're pointers they sort of illustrate something that's going to be
unwrapped and made clear and taught in the new testament so going back
to the beginning we go back all the way to the beginning we can't go
back any further than this so far as the bible is concerned but in
genesis chapter one and verse one you remember the opening words of the
bible are in the beginning God and we don't find the word fellowship
there granted but what I do know is that the word God used on that
occasion in the original hebrew text is in plural it's speaking about a
God who is somehow plural in the beginning God and the idea is further
developed but it's pointing this idea that I'm introducing is pointing
toward like a transcendent mystery a mystery that's just beyond anything
that we can get our heads around the fact that somehow God is one and
yet there's this plural feature that emerges as we read on we could look
in genesis chapter one verse 26 for another hint along this same direct
along the same line but the the bottom line that we want to extract from
this today is the fact that God himself is a fellowship the the seed is
there we know as we read on through scripture we read about God the
Father we read about God the Son we read about God the Holy Spirit
there's a word sometimes it might be referred to by some as a buzzword
but it's a word that's not in scripture but we it's somewhat helpful to
us it's the word Godhead within the context of the Godhead there are
three persons who eternally exist in in a holy communion a holy common
union a holy fellowship together you know over the years the the church
fathers have struggled to sort of grasp this mystery and in order to
teach it in order to teach things they formulated their writings in such
a way as to try to explain things which in many cases are just very hard
to explain such was the case in respect to the Godhead for example in
the Westminster Confession of Faith 1646 I think it reads like this in
the unity of the Godhead there are three persons of one substance power
and eternity God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost the
Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding the Son is eternally
begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost is eternally proceeding from the
Father and the Son so you can understand what I'm trying to get at this
is this is a mystery it is indeed a transcendent mystery it's an
unfathomable mystery and so far beyond our ability to understand but
nevertheless it's the clear teaching of scripture in John's gospel
chapter 14 and verse 9 I find Jesus talking to Philip Philip said to
Jesus Lord show us the Father and it's sufficient for us in verse 9
Jesus said unto him have I been so long time with you and yet thou hast
not known me Philip he that has seen me has seen the Father and how
sayest thou then show us the Father believest thou not that I am in the
Father and the Father in me and the words that I speak unto you I speak
not of myself but the Father that dwelleth in me he doeth the works that
important text continues to unfold then John 14 the fact is there's just
a mystery in John chapter 10 and verse 30 we have that succinct and yet
heavy challenging mystical statement I and my Father are one there's a
sense in which I think for those of us who've been Christians for a
while and we truly believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God
we're aware of these concepts or this concept in particular not one of
us professes to be able to unfold it and people have suggested different
examples to illustrate or to help illustrate this mystery but none of
them are adequate the fact is it's beyond us and we but we unashamedly
believe it and embrace it to be be true and as we struggle to get our
minds around these things we begin to understand at least and believe
that there is a triune God who exists in a ultimate holy union or
communion of uninterrupted and purest love John the apostle says God is
love the conclusion I want to draw from these statements which we try to
sort of get a hold of in our minds is basically this our God is not
merely a fellowship he is the fellowship because whatever we may try to
understand about fellowship whether it's the world using the word as
they may use it or us as professing Christians using it as we use it
when all's been said and done we look away as though we're looking at a
sort of a Mount Everest as it were we're looking away to that distant
peak but this peak is higher by far than Mount Everest it's this peak of
spiritual fact and truth that God is the ultimate fellowship whatever
else we understand about fellowship it's going to come within this
context ultimately God is a fellowship yes he is the fellowship as we
turn our attention you know back down to where we live back down to
humans and human experience and I'm still thinking back into the book of
Genesis I think of Adam and Eve and Adam Eve for some unspecified period
of time they they abode together in a closeness with God more than any
person any individual following them um the fact is they they were
abiding in an unrepeatable degree of innocence and harmony with God God
we're told in the scripture came down in the cool of the day and
communed with them in their in their innocence at that point in time now
we know uh that in due course Adam and Eve surrendered themselves to the
prince of darkness and as the result of that action they they forfeited
paradise and they themselves became creatures of the dark kingdom the
kingdom of darkness and they according to the principle laid down by God
in the beginning they reproduced after their kind and here we are today
I love those two words that come in Ephesians chapter 2 we've noted them
you've noted them as well I'm certain but God but God I want to say in
spite of what I've just been describing but God in a in a staggering act
of and revelation of his grace he changed things there Paul right into
the Colossians said that that God has delivered us he's delivered us
from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his
dear son amen I'm my Bible's still open at John's gospel I'm looking
over into chapter 17 and the opening words I think you all are familiar
with the context of John 17 it's this passage which recalls Jesus'
prayer to his father immediately before the cross the very first words
of the chapter open this way these words spake Jesus and lifted up his
eyes to heaven and said father the hour has come glorify thy son that
thy son also may glorify thee father the hour has come of course in
making that statement and this was of course the context as well the
cross was now in sharp focus or to put it another way the the shadow of
the cross lay dark across that scene and we know the awful things which
would take place on the cross very very shortly but in in some way that
that I'm not going to even try to describe I've heard people try to
describe it but I think at the end of our best attempts we're left with
foolishness and ignorance but in some way somehow somehow this is not an
emphatic statement when I say somehow it's in quotations it's in italics
I've highlighted it somehow that I can't explain that fellowship that
Jesus enjoyed with his father was somehow forfeited in some way and I'm
not going to try and explain it as I've said that would be I would
demonstrate my ignorance which I admit to in this respect but Jesus said
on the cross my God my God why has to thou forsaken me something
happened somehow that in some way at that point whether however we're
going to try describe it something happened to the closeness that Jesus
commonly enjoyed with his father all right but his his bloodshed on the
cross made possible the and continues to remain the key to men and women
such as you and me experiencing in our lives the the indescribable
benefit that is ours under the new covenant that that bloodshed
inaugurated and made possible you know just reading on a little further
in this 17th chapter of John there's a there's a phrase I'm just taking
the phrase at the moment from the 21st verse and I read this as Jesus is
speaking to his father that they also may be one in us how amazing
brethren what what what an incredible thing is this we've talked about
God who is the ultimate fellowship we've got this scene before us that
I've just been referring to as Jesus approaches Calvary and then we in
our minds we we see again the that which was enacted on the central
cross of Calvary the blood that we shed we we have the benefit of the
writings inspired by God ours through the epistle through the apostles
rather in their epistles explaining to us the value and the efficacy and
the product of this bloodshed and what it means for men and women in
their relationship to God our brother sang about it earlier in one of
the songs but Jesus is saying as thou father art in me and I in you and
then he goes on to say that they may be one in us what I really want to
emphasize and really this is the core of my message is that the grace of
God has created a way whereby men and women who were trapped as
prisoners in the kingdom of darkness can be delivered from that kingdom
and translated into the kingdom of God's dear son in other words brought
into the benefit of the new covenant brought into the staggering wonder
of being in Christ and in Christ in a common union in a bond in a
relationship in fellowship with him brought into the fellowship amen I
think this this this truth here just reaches its its real peak here at
this point in time it's this this that I'm now touching on is the wonder
of all wonders it's the miracle of all miracles that that God has made a
way for those who were dead in trespasses and in sins that we can be
birthed by the miracle of redemptive grace and by the power of the Holy
Spirit into that union our fellowship think of that think of it you know
putting it putting it perhaps a different way at the cross Jesus he
provided for justification but now today the Holy Spirit is executing
that miracle that regenerating work in the lives of men and women have
you experienced this girl you know making the the inclusion into that
fellowship the fellowship a reality he's made it available may the Holy
Spirit open the eyes of our understanding because it needs to become
realized in our inner man in a man in our person and it needs to become
experienced in our lives glory to God and I mentioned earlier the fact
that during the time of the disciples walking with Jesus they never
experienced this they experienced with Jesus an astonishing amazing
indescribable friendship but they never entered into this blessing which
was not then available for men and women as it is available for you and
for me today Jesus would say to Philip have I been so long with you
Philip and yet you have not known me they didn't really know him there
was something that was not yet revealed and not yet available and but
this this I believe with all my heart this again is it's the needed
message in the churches but who's listening who's listening today one of
the thrilling things and I mustn't digress here too long but one of the
thrilling things about what we're doing right now in sending this word
out as by this method of technology and many of the people who are
listening they're not they're not just routine religious church goers
but we're discovering that so many of them are people with hungry hearts
as I'm speaking right now I know even in the local situation where I am
there might be eight or ten different countries represented the nations
represented and and as it goes out further onto the internet I don't
know how many places it's going but it's finding people I trust like you
my dear brother or my dear sister who are not just routinely a church
goer because you go because well your best friends are there and your
parents used to go there or you just really appreciate the pastor or the
teaching or whatever it may be but I trust that today I'm talking to
people who are hungry for God as the heart panteth for the water brooks
so panteth my soul after thee oh God he goes on to say the living God
amen I believe that it's the Holy Spirit of God that's stirring up that
kind of response in people's hearts and if he's stirring it up I can
guarantee you insofar as you yield to it he will meet you and bring you
ever more fully into the greatness of this salvation that he's made
available for us you know I'm turning over my bible if you're following
me in that way then please you can do it as well this is in first
epistle of John first epistle of John let me just read a few verses here
I'm reading from verse three as John writes he says that he's talked
about the life perhaps I back up slightly and in fact I can't do better
than this I'm reading from the top of the chapter that which was from
the beginning that which was from the beginning which we have heard
which we have seen with our eyes we've looked upon and our hands have
handled of the word of life for he said the life the life was manifested
and we've seen it and we bear witness and show unto you that eternal
life which was with the father and was manifested unto us that which we
have seen and heard we declare unto you that you also may have
fellowship with us and truly truly our fellowship is with the father and
with his son Jesus Christ and these things right we unto you that your
joy may be full this then is the message which we have heard of him and
declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all if
we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do
not the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have
fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son
cleanses us from all sin amen what a wonderful thing what a wonderful
thing this is this this um this pure transcendent unmatched fellowship
exists exclusively in God and now John in expounding this great truth to
his privileged hearers among whom are we he said he he introduces
another idea fellowship with us fellowship with us and what what what
John is explaining is that first and foremost primarily fundamentally
supremely our fellowship as individuals is with the father and with his
son Jesus Christ because he is the fellowship and as we are privileged
by his grace to be brought into this place of union with him in Christ
there I enjoy the fellowship I am privileged to enjoy the fellowship and
as God brings you my brother or you my sister into this place in him we
are together in him and in him in the ultimate fellowship we find
fellowship one with another because we're in this together what a
wonderful thing what a wonderful thing now what John adds to this is
this fact he said now keep and I'm paraphrasing of course now keep this
in mind he said God is light and in him there is no darkness at all and
if I further paraphrase what he's saying is now if you're claiming that
you're having fellowship with him or you're in this fellowship and
there's darkness in your heart and in your life he said you're deceived
you and your claim is a lie it's not true he says but if we walk in the
light as he is comma in the light we have fellowship one with another in
other words what we're finding here is is that true fellowship exists
exclusively and only in him we experience this fellowship as we abide in
him but if we permit darkness to enter and exist or be present in our
lives that that there's a dreadful price that we pay in terms of the
benefit of that of that fellowship amen you know this really really
requires another session altogether but let me at least just say this
when two or more are experiencing fellowship with the father they
spontaneously experience a depth of union that is immeasurably beyond
mere human friendship it's it's beyond you know chemistry it's beyond
personality it's beyond theological agreement but rather they discover a
spiritual fragrance we recognize a spiritual fragrance in one another
insofar as one or another are abiding in him but darkness destroys that
fellowship and i think i think um you know perhaps perhaps to just look
at it from a slightly different point of view you know the the real
darkness you know what it is it's the big capital I it's the it's the
self the self life the self life where it is permitted to be expressed
can only express itself in darkness it might have all the right
theological words and be able to respond in very appropriate ways in in
christian contexts but the fact remains that where I is being promoted
there's darkness those who enjoy this intimate union with him where this
fragrance is so permeating their lives they are those who who no more
live listen to paul he says it's no more I that live us but it's christ
who lives in me and he continues on Galatians 2 20 famous wonderful
verse certainly amen amen the the priority of our lives must be him our
focus must be him how easily self creeps in even to the most noble
seemingly spiritual acts we may engage in but it's for self promotion
it's to be recognized it's to be appreciated but the fellowship that
we're talking about which exists in God alone is is enjoyed uh ever more
fully by those who have allowed the power of the cross to bring
brokenness into their lives the cross doesn't destroy it doesn't smash
us but but our will is broken our will is yielded our will is
surrendered we can say with pause no longer I that lives this is an this
is a statement that that points directly to the grace of God and the
power of God bringing the redemptive work of Christ shed blood and
impacting my life and enabling me to realize it in my experience amen
the joy of those who've learned to live in this place to abide in this
mutual state together this is the true church it's no longer no longer I
glory to God let me be just personal as I close here is this sacred
fellowship something that is your daily enjoyment let the let this be
the focus of our coming together whether we're coming together in a in
person or whether we're coming together as we are today we can enjoy
fellowship I was thinking earlier this morning that really this this
fellowship that we're looking at and thinking about in a sense bottom
line it doesn't require that we're together in person it's wonderful to
be together where we can embrace and share and love one another but the
only way I know God in person is through you my brother and sister who
are abiding in that fellowship where the fragrance of Christ is about
your life and I see Jesus in that particular way but here we are we're
separated perhaps by thousands of miles and insofar as we're in him and
we're in this fellowship and we're abiding in it and we're enjoying it
as John says if I want your joy to be full if you want fullness of joy
come here enter in this is for you isn't it wonderful that nothing about
your past life can disqualify you from this so nothing that you've done
or nothing that you've failed to do that you should have done or
whatever if God is speaking to you my dear friend today if God is
speaking to you rest assured he's speaking to you because it's your day
of visitation he's visiting you in order to accomplish this in your life
and bring you for some of you it's to bring you back to him for others
it's to draw you who have never yet entered into this union this holy
union with God will you surrender to him today I'm going to just pray
and close but let me say before I do that if all of this is meaningful
to you let's let's develop the link of fellowship together I invite you
if you're on YouTube click one I don't even know what it's called
subscribe just to say I'm with you we're together in this some of you
leave comments leave your comment talk express what's happening glory to
God father we look to you in the name of Jesus that you Lord will cause
your Holy Spirit who alone can truly speak to the hearts of men and
women speak father to those who have been listening and who are still
listening right now speak your word that word that's so powerful that it
penetrates the deepest parts of our being speak Lord let it be that
there are those who are listening with wide open hearts to you Lord and
Lord we pray that you will minister your gracious spirit and enable them
Lord to enter into this teach them lead them show them Lord whatever it
is empower them perform your work of redeeming grace in listening open
hearts today father and start something new let it be not just even the
turning of a page or a turning of a chapter but to start it freshly
altogether no translated delivered from darkness translated into the of
your dear son we pray in Jesus name amen

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/IFbqluQuXtg.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/fred-tomlinson/are-you-sure-you-know-what-it-is/
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