This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Power of Fellowship.” Last week we looked at the prayer Jesus prayed for us in John 17. Let’s go back to it today as we continue to talk about fellowship.
I will wrap up this series soon.
(From John 17:20-26)
Jesus said: “I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me…”
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. When I think of the glory of God, I think of His manifested presence. Allow me to explain. God is everywhere at the same time. This is His universal presence. But while is eternally present, He does not manifest His presence everywhere. There are moments in time where God reveals Himself in a spot. When He does, everyone present is able to feel and experience the glory of God. God is full of glory. You cannot separate Him from His glory. Wherever He is, in full manifestation, His glory is on display and the power of His glory will be evident. What is interesting to me is that in Jesus’ prayer (John 17), He made a connection between our fellowship with God and each other to God’s glory. Jesus said, “I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one.” Jesus received God’s glory as a human and He put this glory on display as He performed miracles, signs and wonders. Jesus said that He gave us the glory He received from the Father. He gave us this glory so we could fellowship. He gave us this glory so we could be ONE. When we are in God, and God is in us, and we are ONE with each other, God’s glory is on display. When people see us operating as ONE they get a glimpse of what heaven is like. They get to experience the glory of God, not because of a miracle, not because of a healing, but simply because believers came together as ONE. This is the power of fellowship.
2. You don’t have to be uniform to be unified. We are going to have differences as humans. But when we can look past our differences and still come together as ONE, we put the glory of God on display in the earth. God is able to be seen, heard and felt in genuine fellowship.
3. In Exodus 33 Moses said to God, “Show me Your glory!” God obliged Him and manifested His presence all around Moses. In many of our churches we sing worship songs that call for the glory of God to manifest. We sing, “God, show us Your glory!” But I am sure God is looking down on us saying, “I have given you my glory. I gave you my glory so you could all come together as ONE. When you connect with one another in true fellowship, not only is my glory present, but it is on display for all the world to see. And in that moment, the people of the world get to know that Jesus was my Son, that I sent Him for them, and that I love them!” Jesus said that when we put God’s glory on display, “Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me…” This is how important fellowship is.
a) When we have genuine fellowship, one with another, unified by God, God’s glory is on display in the earth.
b) God gave us His supernatural and unifying power. He did this so we could come together as ONE. When we do, we show the world what He is like and we give them a glimpse of what heaven is going to be like.
c) If you don’t like being ONE with others, then you are going to have a hard time in heaven. There is no division in heaven.
d) When we put God’s glory on display with our unity, people will know that God is real, that Jesus was his Son, and that they are loved by God with an unwavering love! I hope this gives you a greater revelation of fellowship and why connecting with one another is so important.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I want You to show me You glory. I love You and I want Your power to be on display in my life daily. One of the ways I get to tap into Your glory is through fellowship. I connect with others and we connect with You. Together we are ONE, just as You and Jesus are ONE. When we do this, Your glory is on display in this world. And in that moment, when Blacks and Whites, Hispanics and Asians come together as ONE, when rich and poor, young and old, male and female, all come together as ONE, when Catholics and Baptists, Pentecostals and Methodists, all come together as ONE, then the world will know that Jesus is real. They will know that He was Your Son. They will know that You love them with an unconditional love. So I enter this day ready to do my part. I open my heart to true fellowship and I put Your glory on display in the earth! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
