This morning we’re continuing our series of messages focusing on fellowship in the church - developing ties that bind us together in Christian fellowship - in a world where genuine healing relationships are few and far between. We’ve been looking at the letter of First John and the Apostle John’s teaching about fellowship. This morning I invite you to turn with me to our text 1 John 2:3-11.

In many churches there are underlying currents - battle lines - ongoing divisions - problems and situations that are not spoken about, but everyone knows what’s going on - God’s people treating God’s people poorly. Rather than a place of healing the church is a place where people are hurt. Rather than attracting people to its fellowship - people are repulsed. Its a disaster when God’s people fail to love each other - to serve with each other - to support and encourage each other.

There are times - despite our best intentions and efforts - there are times when we struggle together with these things. That’s why John’s teaching is so important for us this morning. In 1 John 2:3-11, the Apostle John writes about how our obedience to God’s commands deepens our fellowship with God and with each other - helps us to avoid this disaster of God’s people treating God’s people poorly.

First - John’s teaching on THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEDIENCE.

1 John 2:3: By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

John is saying, “Those of you who claim to have fellowship with God, have you committed yourselves to obeying Him?” The evidence that we really do have fellowship with God is our willingness to obey Him.

Understand what John is saying here. Because many people change this order around. They have the idea that somehow by obeying God we can come to have fellowship with Him. But that’s not what John is saying.

Martin Luther - as an Augustinian monk - made a sincere effort to discover and know God by living in obedience to God - beating himself - spending days in fasting - laying for long agonizing hours on the cold floor of his cell. Trying through obedience to have fellowship with God.

People today light candles - sing hymns - recite prayers - attend church services - go through all kinds of rituals and traditions - all trying to have fellowship with God. It was only when Martin Luther understood the words of Paul in Romans, “the righteous man shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17) that he understood that faith comes first.

We can never come to fellowship with God by trying to keep His commandments. Fellowship with God comes first by faith in Jesus Christ.

We receive Jesus by faith - by believing and accepting Him as our Savior. When we do that - He comes into our lives and begins to change us and work in our lives. The evidence of this fellowship with Jesus - that Jesus is in us and working in us - is our desire to obey Him.

Despite whatever problems we may have - whatever areas of weakness - or areas of sin - our desire is to obey God. We live - striving to obey God.

Verse 4 is the opposite perspective of this. Verse 4: The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” - I have fellowship with God - and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “An unchanged life is the sign of an uncleansed heart.” If our heart is not right before God - we cannot act right before God.

A person can stop stealing apart from being a Christian. A liar can stop lying. An alcoholic can stop being an alcoholic. An adulterer can stop his adultery - and so on. They can do this without being a Christian.

What John is saying is that we cannot be a Christian - claim to have fellowship with God - without stopping these behaviors. There has to be a basic change in our lives. Christians obey God.

Verse 5: but whoever keeps His word - obeys God - in him the love of God has truly been perfected.

Here’s the bottom line: If we’ve come to receive Jesus as our Savior - if we really do have fellowship with Him then our fellowship with Him will be evident in how we live our lives. People will see the love of God doing something in us - perfecting us - completing us - working in us.

Which bring us to John’s next point - HOW OBEDIENCE DEEPENS OUR FELLOWSHIP.

Verse 5 - going on: By this - by everything we just looked at - by obedience - By this we know that we are in Him - that we have fellowship with Him - the one who says he abides in Him - the one who has fellowship with God - ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

The evidence of our fellowship with God - that we’re obeying Him - is that we walk - that we live life - that we walk in the same way that Jesus walked.

Hear this: walking like Jesus walked doesn’t meant that we’re somehow suppose to do the things that Jesus did. Most of us aren’t called to cast out demons - heal the sick - bring the dead back to life - or forgive sins. What John is focusing on is the “how” of Jesus’ life. We’re called on to reflect the same kind of fellowship in our lives that Jesus had with the Father.

When the crowds were following Jesus around, one question they were constantly asking was, “How?” How does He do that? Where does His power come from? How did Jesus do the kinds of things that He did?

In John 14, Jesus told His disciples, “Its not Me. Its the Father dwelling in Me. He’s doing it. The works I do - the things I say - its the Father working through Me - speaking through Me.” (John 14:10,11)

How did Jesus walk? What was the secret? He walked in a total - consistent - obedient - unbroken fellowship and dependence on the activity of the Father working in Him and through Him.

That’s the fellowship that John is talking about. That’s how we’re called to live in our relationship with God. A consistent - continued dependence upon the indwelling God - always at work in us - through us - reproducing in us the likeness - the walking like Jesus - reflection of the life of Christ.

Verse 7 - here’s the result - verse 7: Beloved I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shinning.

On one hand we’ve heard all this before. We know this. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 - its there in God’s word. Jesus summed it up when He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30,31)

On the other hand - John writes - there’s a new opportunity for this that we need to be reminded of. John in his Gospel records the words of Jesus - in the Upper Room on the night of the Last Supper. Jesus says to His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)

Loving God and others is not a new commandment. Loving, as Jesus loved His disciples, is new.

Peter - was proud - boastful - unreliable - failing the test of faithfulness. James and John were known as the “Sons of Thunder” - the original WWF tag team - spoiled - selfish. Thomas was stubborn - immovable. Philip was introspective to a fault. And the list goes on. To love these men was not easy. But Jesus did it. Even to Judas - who, during the very act of betrayal - Jesus called him, “friend.” (Matthew 26:50)

How did Jesus do it? Paul writes in Romans 5, “The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”(Romans 5:5) Jesus did it because it was God doing it in Him and through Him. Obedience - consent to the indwelling work of God. That’s the only way that we can really love each other.

Finally, verses 9 to 11: The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother - the one who is hostile to his brother - which can be up front or behind the back - gossip - malicious rumors - or just plain indifference and coldness - The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now - he has no fellowship with God. On the other hand - the one who loves his brother abides in the Light - has fellowship with God - and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. He doesn’t know where he’s going - where his hate is leading him - what the effects of his hostility has on others and the fellowship of the church.

Here’s the bottom line: John says, “I’m writing this to you, so that you will live like Jesus lived through your obedient conduct - so that you will have fellowship with God and with each other.”

Let me put this in a more practical way.

How many of you have seen the movie Ben Hur? If you haven’t seen it I strongly suggest you rent it and watch it. Its one of the best movies ever produced. In fact, in 1959 it won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The movie takes place during the time of Christ and follows the life of Judah Ben Hur - who’s played by Charlton Heston. At one point Ben Hur is falsely imprisoned for the murder of a Roman official and is assigned as a slave on a Roman war ship. Its a death sentence.

Imagine this ship - there’s a long room - with 45 rows of men chained to oars - chained to the ship. If the ship goes down - they drown. 270 men forced to row at the command of the captain. At the front of the room is a man seated behind a large drum. And he beats this cadence - boom - boom - boom. The men row to the cadence. Moving up and down the center aisle - are guards who take pleasure in whipping anyone who doesn’t row with the cadence.

Next to the drummer is seated the commander of the fleet - Quintus Arius. At a whim - he give the command: “Battle Speed.” The cadence quickens - boom - boom - boom - boom. The rowers strain at the oars. Minutes go by.

Then the command: “Attack Speed.” The cadence is faster. Men begin to collapse - whips are flayed on naked backs - the men row on struggling to keep up.

Then the command: “Ramming Speed.” The cadence is impossible. Men collapse - others are chained in their place. Whips crack. Its brutal - inhuman. The cadence continues - forced obedience.

Finally - mercifully - the command, “Rest Oars.” Then these words from the commander, Quintus Arius to the condemned slaves. Cruel words. True words. “You are all condemned men. We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well and live.”

To many - when we talk about obedience to God - this is the image that comes to mind. Obedience is a burden - an obligation - what must be done for the God who is judgmental towards sinful man. Wrath will be poured out. Obedience is expected. Service is demanded. It is the only way to know God.

But John writes that obedience - the choice of consent - daily surrender to the indwelling work of God in our lives - leads us to deepening love and fellowship with God and each other. Its a totally different picture.

Imagine a very different ship. The rowers row - not to stay alive - but because they are alive. They were all condemned men - slaves - waiting to die. But, the master of this ship bought each one of them. He paid for their freedom by giving the life of his own son.

They love this captain because he’s set them free. The motivation to obey is not the whips on their backs. Its the love in their hearts.

As they row - the captain rows with them - alongside - teaching them to row together. As they obey his instructions - they learn to row in a precise synchronized poetic motion. Its absolutely beautiful to watch. In fact there are others - who see this and want to come a row with them.

And another thing. There’s no grumbling about who’s oar got in the way of whose. No gossip below decks about who’s rowing better or harder. No arguments about where the ship should be going. The focus is on pleasing the captain - helping each other to follow him.

The point is obvious. When we obey God - He teaches us how to have real fellowship with Him and with each other. There’s a joy - a purpose - a mutual support - unity and union - a sense of direction and accomplishment - love.

The question is - who’s drum beat are we rowing to? His or ours?