This morning we want to look at “The Forever of Fellowship” - that we face eternity together - and how our eternal fellowship can strengthen our fellowship here today.

That’s kind of a sobering thought. Most of us in this room will be together forever. Just let that sink in and think about the people sitting around you. We’ll come back to that thought in a bit.

1 John 2:25 - John writes: This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

Many people read this verse and they emphasize the word eternal - like eternity is God’s promise to us. But the emphasis here is “life.” This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

Every Thursday night - here in the gym - there’s about 20 to 25 guys who get together to play basketball. For 2 plus hours we run on the court - up and down - back and forth.

Something I’ve noticed is that some of these guys can run for hours and not get tired. I’m running back and forth and after an hour or so I’m dying. And that bothered me - until I realized that most of these guys are in their 20’s - some of them are teenagers - and I’m this ancient guy who’s almost 40.

I want to play but my body’s saying to me, “You can’t do this.” We play basketball on Thursdays - and Friday - Friday is a Tylenol Day. I’m stiff and sore.

We live in a physical world and we’re very much aware that our bodies suffer from disease - decay - deformity - dementia - death. But, while our bodies are an integral part of who we are - we inhabit them - we live within them - who we are is not this body of flesh. We’re spiritual beings - eternal beings - that live within our human bodies.

That’s why Jesus can say, “Do not fear those who can kill the body but are unable to kill the soul...” (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4,5)  The soul goes on - even after the body is dead.

Dallas Willard puts it this way, “We are unceasing spiritual beings with an eternal destiny in God’s universe.”

When we die - we go on. Our eyes close to this life and open to eternity.

So, its important for us to understand that the promise of God is not eternity - but “life” in eternity.

The reason this promise of life is so great is because all of us are born spiritually dead - facing eternal death.

As parents the decisions we make - the things we do - the things we say - effect our children - emotionally - physically - spiritually. They effect our grandchildren - our great grandchildren - for generations. Each of us is product of the generations that have gone before us. They have an effect on us.

The Bible tells us that we are descendants of Adam. When Adam sinned - disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit - it was as if each of us sinned right along with him. Adam did it - and each of us suffers the effect of his sin. There’s a curse on mankind. We’re born into sin - sinners - facing eternity separated from God - eternal death.  (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22)

If we die in our sins - we close our eyes in this world - and open them to eternal separation from God - condemned - no hope.

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans: “But, God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  “The wages of sin - what get for being sinners - is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)

John writes - in chapter 5 of 1 John: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life.”  (1 John 5:11b,12a)

God promises eternal life to every one who receives Jesus as their Savior. Isn’t that great?

Let’s be clear on this also. What God promises us is not just quantity of life - but quality. Not just a lot of boring forever. But quality of life beginning today. Fullness of life - lived out in our every situation - right now. And, increasing fullness of life lived out forever. The daily adventure of experiencing God’s solution to every problem. The discovery of God’s program for every opportunity. Growth and fulfillment that goes on forever. Life that just keeps getting better and better.

Now, in verse 26 - John gives us a warning about being misled about this tremendous promise. 1 John 2:26: These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.

How many of you have seen the movie, “Its a Wonderful Life” Jimmy Stewart - Donna Reed? Its a great a movie that Karen and I both enjoy watching.

Do you remember the elderly angel - Clarence Oddbody - who’s trying to earn his wings? According to the story, Clarence was a clock maker who died in the 1600’s and now he’s an angel second class. At one point Clarence tells George Bailey, “Every time you hear a bell ring, it means that some angel’s just got his wings.”

That’s the Hollywood version of eternity. People who die become angels that somehow come back to help others and in the process move up the ladder in heaven. Its sad how many people actually believe that this goes on.

Too many times - at funerals that I’ve done - someone will say to me - about the deceased - “They’re an angel in heaven. They’re watching over us now.” There’s no Biblical basis for this.

“Touched By An Angel” - great program - I enjoy watching it. But the impression that’s given is that there’s a loving God who has his angels running around trying to correct people’s mistakes - and if we get things resolved down here we’re all going to heaven.

So many people think that life is like baseball. If we run the bases in the right direction - and don’t mess up too bad in the game - somehow when we get to home base the umpire - God - will call us “safe!”

Its all relative and if God exists - or there is some higher plane of existence - then none of us have really done anything so bad that we won’t get there. For those that think about God and what comes next - that’s the prevailing idea in our society.

And there are people who claim to be Christians - leaders of religious movements and cults - that promote these deceptions.

What we experience - what we learn from the culture and society we live in - is diametrically opposed to what God tells us about eternity. John is warning us - don’t be deceived.

Verse 27: As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you - that is that when we come to trust in Jesus as our Savior - God the Holy Spirit chooses to come into us and remain in us - so, John writes - you have no need for anyone to teach you - we don’t need to seek out some other source of teaching about what comes next. Why? Because - His anointing - the Holy Spirit - what we already have - teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie - its not a deception - its backed by the certainty of God’s word - His promise to us of life - and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him - stick to the truth.

Everything we need to know about eternal life - God has recorded for us right here in His Bible. And as we seek out God’s truth the Holy Spirit guides us and instructs us and helps us to understand God’s word.

Verse 28: Now, little children, abide in Him - remain in your relationship with Jesus - keep trusting in what you know and so live - that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming - that we not be ashamed at the way we lived our lives - but look forward to His coming.

One of the more interesting booklets I own is called “Survival Under Atomic Attack” It was produced in 1950 by the State of California to prepare Californians for the coming nuclear war.

Listen to a couple things the State of California - in 1950 - recommended that we do to prepare for what was coming. Quote: “If you know you have time when an alert sounds, be sure to shut the doors and windows and pull down the shades. This will help to keep out fire sparks.” They also recommend - in order to prevent fire - quote: “Don’t let trash pile up around your house and always keep it in covered containers.”

Imagine, “Honey, be sure to take out the trash. There could be a nuclear war.”

Anybody whose ever seen pictures of nuclear explosions - vaporizing and blowing apart everything for miles around - realizes that these people didn’t have a clue about what was coming.

How many remember Y2K? The predictions of a technological meltdown - the end of civilization as we know it. Be prepared for what’s coming they said. Just 7 months ago it was all over the news. Today - not a word. The biggest non-event in history.

In our arrogance we think we know what’s coming. But, we don’t know. We don’t know what will happen next week - tomorrow - this afternoon. The only things we know with certainty that will happen is what God has told us in His word. One certainty is that Jesus is coming back and we need to be prepared for His coming.

Which brings us back to “The Forever of Fellowship.” Practically speaking what does all this mean for us today.

Thinking about our fellowship together - two things: First - that we need to ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER IN FELLOWSHIP.

Most of us in this room will be together forever. If we’re trusting in Jesus as our Savior, that’s God’s promise to us - life eternal. Take a look at the person next to you. Be brave. Take a good look. If they know Jesus, you’re going to spend forever with that person.

Turn to the person next to you and say them, “We’re going to spend eternity together.”

The Bible teaches us that what we’re doing here is developing the character to live in God’s world and to live with Him forever. (Ephesians 2:4-10; Revelation 22:5)  And, God has given us each other to do that.

We are to encourage and support and uplift and pray and admonish and serve and love and help each other to prepare - to remain in Jesus - to abide in Him - so that when He does come back - or we are called to heaven before His return - we will be ready.

We need each other and God has given us each other. We are to encourage each other in fellowship.

Second we need to ENLARGE OUR FELLOWSHIP.

When Jesus comes back to get us - we want to take as many people with us as we can.

There are a tremendous number of people all around us who have no clue as to what’s coming. Maybe they’ve bought the Hollywood - today’s culture - version of life after death. Maybe they’ve gotten some bad teaching. Maybe they’ve been going to church all their lives - listening to messages like this one - singing the songs - praying the prayers - but they’ve never come to put their lives in Jesus’ hands and receive Him as their Savior. We are called to share with them our hope of life eternal.

Time is short. The message of God’s promised life must be shared. We don’t have time to waste. We need to realize and be bound together with this purpose - share Jesus - share life. Our fellowship needs to be focused by the forever that God has for us.