Weekend-spiration - Am I Up to the Challenge?

This week, I embarked on an online Bible Study with ladies from all across the country. It's sponsored through a sight called Good Morning Girls and my group is a Facebook group of Homeschool moms. Over the next 12 weeks, we will take a walk through 1 John. Have you seen
how short 1 John is? We're talking baby steps, here!

But that's okay because it's giving me an opportunity to dig into what I'm learning and take some focused applications away from it.

This week's text was 1 John 1:1-4 where John establishes his reasons for writing.

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked at, and our hands have touched, this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

This week we separated each verse out, taking just one per day, affording me the opportunity to really dig into the meanings of words and enjoy John's passion.

He shows that in detail in his first two sentences. It's overwhelming that John actually touched God Incarnate, laughed and ate with Him. He listened to Christ's words, saw His miracles, and walked through His ministry years with him. He also witnessed Jesus in His resurrected life, what an amazing thing that must have been. John's passion is to share it with anyone who will listen - from the Greek word Apaggello which means to make known openly, so it was as though he was shouting from the rooftops. 

And the reason he so passionately wants to proclaim the message of Jesus to us is to be able to fellowship with us. Okay, I stumbled a bit here. It occurred to me the John was saying that he could only fellowship with believers. I think that's what folks think of Christians sometimes. "Tick-tock the game is locked." But that's not quite what he's saying. It has to do with the definition of fellowship.

When I think of fellowship, I think of parties, get-togethers, and friends. Not all of my friends are believers, but we still fellowship. That's not John's definition, though. He used the word Koinonia which is a version of the word Koinonos the word that was used between Paul and Barnabas, partners or sharers. This paints a different light on John's statement. He's not talking about friends or acquaintances; he's talking about those who can share in the experiences of his life in Christ. 

As I applied it to my own life, I equated it to how folks can't relate to the path I walk with the Lord unless they are walking the same path. Without the Spirit connection, there is no true Koinonia.

John hopes that by sharing Christ's message, his joy will be complete because he'll have that spiritual fellowship with new believers. That his joy would be complete - filled to overflowing, brimming over - pops John's heart, passion, and sincerity right off the page.

This, then, is the challenge: that I would have a passion for the people around me, so much so that I can't keep from sharing Christ's message with them, by my words and my actions. I'm a work-in-progress, so I know I have quite a lot of work to do. 

What do these four verses challenge you to do?

Oh and don't forget to follow my blog for a chance to win Jody Hedlund's newest book, The Doctor's Lady! Drawing on Tuesday!