I See You – Part 3

Review

The “I see you” series about openness, honesty and transparency with God and each other.

All of this happens within the context of fellowship with God and each other.

Fellowship is the Greek word κοινωνία (koinōnia). It means shared experience:

• Shared circumstances (responding to other people’s circumstances as if they were your own)
• Shared responsibility (taking ownership of an outcome even when you are not on the front lines)
• Share resources (Seeing the things in your possession as things that belong to you and not God)

A Picture of Fellowship

Acts 2:42 (ESV): 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 4:32, 34-35 (ESV): 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. . . .34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Key Lesson: To see you is to serve you.

The Fear of Being Forgotten

Acts 6:1–4 (ESV): Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

• In a season of change, some people will feel neglected (even if the change is good).

First Who, Then What

• When you feel neglected, resist the urge to withdraw.
• Don’t withdraw. Engage.
  • Matthew 14:15 (ESV) – ¹⁵ Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
    • As the church grows, needs grow.
    • When needs grow, the natural tendency is to focus on our own needs instead of other people’s needs. 
  • Matthew 14:16–18 (ESV) – ¹⁶ But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”
    • The answer is not a what or a when, but a who.
    • Who questions come before what questions.
  • Matthew 14:17-18 (ESV) – ¹⁷ They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” ¹⁸ And he said, “Bring them here to me.”
  • Matthew 14:20 (ESV) – ²⁰ And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
    • The end result of our generosity is that everyone’s needs are met, including the needs of the people who give.
    • When you are generous, you are left with more than what you started with.
• Keys:
  • When you are feeling forgotten, remember others.
  • When you are feeling neglected, increase your responsiveness to other people’s needs.
  • Philippians 2:3–10 (ESV) – ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

© Joshua D. Smith, Ph.D., 2022