Segregated Fellowship, is it Really Fellowship?

Most believers, including preachers articulate that the actual "denominated church building" has nothing to do with God's eternal purpose for the community of humanity but, their life living nullifies their articulation because they live as if a "church building" has everything to do with God's plan with getting people in the community of humanity to join the community of the redeemed.  

How by their living do they elevate the "church building" to such a status? 

A building called "church" is man-established, man-organized, man-led and man-programed. What takes place in the "church building" was created by people for people and God's Plan and Purpose is seldom, if ever taken into account. When spiritual, emotional, or even superstitious significance is attached to how things are done, a building, a day, rituals or tradition, then we will be deceived through "traditions of men", and will not walk in Christ Himself.

Good meaning people say they go to these event-driven meeting for fellowship with other believers but, in reality little if any fellowship takes place. The little that do becomes such a distraction from Christ that it hinders our spiritual relationship with Him. People say they hunger and thirst for "like-minded believers", which is a cop-out to assemble with people of "like minded" denominated beliefs yet, segregate from other people of "like minded" faith that differs from their "like minded" faith.

People go to and fro looking for God and "fellowship". They participate in meetings, conferences, seminars, and Sunday-programmed-event-driven meetings in segregated denominated buildings. This coming together may make people of "like minded faith" feel good and and get involved in denominated things but, it has little if anything to do with being equipped to live a Christ-centered life in living life in the community of humanity as the community of the redeemed.

If fellowship with others of "like minded" faith is the focus then God is bypassed fellowship is pursued on something other than Christ. The Bible clearly teaches that "what we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ…if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…" (I John 1:3,7a).

Fellowship is ordained by God as a means through which the Life of Jesus may be shared: "From Whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, making increase of the body towards the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:16). In other words, we are joined together to experience the Life of the Lord together in living life and life is not lived in a 2 hour meeting in a denominated building on a Sunday. 

This is what makes us of one mind and one accord. Like-mindedness is not coming into a denominated building because we believe the same doctrine to be further indoctrinated by a seminary indoctrinated man-appointed leader to tickle the ears of the pew-warmers. Like-mindedness only occurs when we agree to "let this mind be in [us] that was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). Life is not in a meeting, or in a gathering, or in a way of doing things...Life is Christ, and Christ is Life.

Therefore, true fellowship is grounded in Jesus and His purpose. Fellowship with people that is grounded in Jesus is not denominationally bound, is not forced, or orchestrated; is not man-agendized, or man-organized.  True fellowship that is grounded in Jesus is effortless, spontaneous, and full of life because it is Jesus fellowshipping with us and through us as we fellowship with other people. Fellowship naturally occurs because we have all seen and heard the same thing from the Lord...we are walking in the same spiritual journey towards Christ as all in all. We are in one accord not because we all look alike, think alike, act alike or believe alike, but because we all, in spite of our differences, have God's purpose for the community of humanity in mind.

If we look to one another for fellowship apart from what we have seen and heard of the Lord then we are limiting ourselves to relationships with people with whom we get along with as long as they believe what we do, if they believe differently then segregation in segregated denominated buildings is the carnal norm . If we see fellowship as the reason for our existence as believers then, ironically, we will never be satisfied. We cannot know one another according to the flesh and find contentment. We cannot properly discern the Body by fellowshipping with religion, it can't until we establish communion with Jesus the Head. Life is given and received as we stand with one another in relationship to Christ, not making Him out to be schizophrenic with a thousand heads that gives direction to the myriad of segregated denominated "churches" .

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