Brother John,
This old tape of your sermon on “Fellowship” is so good ! Even though we’ve heard it many times since 1992, it is really having a very good feeling to me today . It reminds me of the feelings I got when reading your Father and Son book.
Here are some of the things you preached on:
‘What can we do for one another to attain to that sweetness, beauty of fellowship ? To get there we have to have mercy. God taught me 3 things this morning: 1) mercy is not mercy unless it leads to fellowship in the light, 2) mercy is not mercy unless it promotes holiness . If it doesn’t promote holiness , it’s phony, shallow, and ungodly, 3) mercy is not mercy unless it follows repentance . Mercy before repentance is nothing but giving consent to sin. Repentance has to come first ! Jesus said, ‘If your brother offend you, rebuke him, if he repents, forgive him.’ Mercy is not overlooking sin; it’s exposing it and getting rid of it so we can have fellowship with God and one another, and go on to perfection.’
‘The benefits of fellowship, which God opened up to my heart today, are so great that Jesus submitted to torture and humiliation just on the chance somebody would take advantage of the opportunity for it. He suffered the cross, we are told, “for the joy that was set before him.” The joy that was set before him was not his salvation; it was the hope of fellowship with us. He wanted to share with us the joy he felt in the presence of his Father!’
‘There is a permanent cure for slander. Now, tell me. Who could go to Jesus’ heart and sow a seed against anybody? He was living to get us to where he is, and when you live to get others to fellowship, nobody can turn you against them. When you experience the sweetness of the depth of the love of God, you are willing to “cover a multitude of sin”, and to suffer anything for others to feel it. Fellowship will cure whatever you don’t like about another person. Pray that we all grow into fellowship, and small things won’t bother you anymore. Everywhere there is a difference between us, a spirit of division can work if fellowship is not our goal. God gave me a cure for the spirit of strife. I saw a picture, as if that spirit of strife came to my house (my heart), knocking. But I sat still and let Jesus answer the door. He keeps strife out! Listen, a right spirit doesn’t just sees faults in others; what it sees is another opportunity to overcome an obstacle to fellowship!’
‘God is excited about the body of Christ growing in the knowledge and experiencing genuine fellowship in the light. Are we excited about that? Or has somebody down or said something you know is not right, and you have engraved it in your stony heart as a testimony against them? Jesus died for us to have fellowship; can we not deal in a godly manner with a little bit or wrong until our brother gets it right? Where is your love?’
‘God has relief for any soul that is sick and tired of sinning and then talking about it. Tell me about your errors, and I’ll tell you about the glory of God.’
‘God’s way of peace is for us just to rest in Him, just to sit back and let him answer the door when any spirit knocks, whether it be good or bad. Our security lies in fellowship in the light, where there is complete faith in Him to direct our paths, to choose our friends, to choose even our family, and to be thankful.’”
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Well, that’s one tape finished, looks like I have a second one that goes with it. I might try to keep it to myself but I can’t promise; it’s just so good!
Sheila