Real Fellowship Results in a Real Life!

This past week has been a real enjoyable time for me and the members of the Community Bible Church of Lincoln and the Lincoln Baptist Church, and especially for the 32 wonderful people from South Side Baptist Church in Damascus, Arkansas. We have cut a log truck full of firewood for folks, repaired roofs, done some painting and plumbing work for the church building, and several other projects. It has been wonderful time of relational ministry to the Body of Christ and the community. We had three great worship times at Hooper Park, and a lot of fun playing softball.

I was very blessed to meet some new people and grow closer to many whom I have been honored to be called their Pastor! I feel like we who spent this time together experienced a bit of what Jesus talked about in John chapter 15. In that section of Holy Scripture, Jesus covers many topics, but the main theme is how His Body, the Church, must be in right relationship with Him and each other in order to experience a genuine and fulfilling Christian community. In verses 1-7 He shares timeless wisdom in that a person is clean through His Word, and that to abide in Christ is to be immersed in His Word; which really is to be immersed in Him. Verse 8 informs us that God is glorified, or honored, when His people’s lives result in real expressions of service, love and compassion. Then we are told to keep the Lord’s commandments and one of the greatest is to love one another.

The bar is set quite high in verse 13, laying down your life for a friend is the greatest sacrifice one can make. Of course, I think most of us know that Jesus himself did that for us. The One who knew no sin became sin for us, that we night receive his Righteous, perfect standing and thus merit eternal life through receiving Him as Lord and Savior! I love how in verse 11 we are told that Jesus wants to share His joy with us, and he wants our joy to be full. Who in today’s world does not need a bit of heavenly joy to carry them through the days we live in? That really is the abundant life that I think most of us are looking for: To have real joy in whom we are, what we are, and to be in right relationship with our Creator.

When we have that abundant life, and understand that the limit of love we have before is that we would serve others to the point of death, and they would do that for us, wow! I think the point is not to actually die physically, although that is part of it, but it is to live out ones life placing more value on others and their needs that your own. In and of ourselves we cannot really do that. We are sinful and selfish, and there is no denying that! Just look at our world, and tell me you think things are rolling along in a good way most of the time.

So to have dozens of people, from three different churches get together and work and worship in harmony, to work and play together, and to pray together that is an experience we all need to have! I hope that as you go through the rest of the summer you will take some time to read the gospel of John and come to know the One John writes about. That you will find the timeless and eternal joy the Apostle talks about in this section of Scripture!

Until next time!

(Dave & Lisa Carroll are area missionaries with Infaith. You can contact Dave at 406.459.8935 or [email protected].)