Fellowship with the Father

Two Ways to Practice God’s Presence

Aaron Lee | November 26, 2023 | FCBCW Children’s Worship | Various Passages

Introduction

We’ve been learning about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Auntie Alice taught us about what it means to have a quiet time with God. This is a personal time that you can spend reading God’s Word and praying. But is this the only time that we can connect with God? The Bible says we can have fellowship with God:

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:3)

The basic definition of the word fellowship is to have partnership, to share something in common, to commune. It means to participate together. It’s to have a close relationship with God. The thing about God is that he is not limited by a human body. God is omni-present — a word that means God is present with you everywhere you go. As Christians, to have a relationship with God means that we want to practice and enjoy God’s presence in our lives.

Let’s look at some other verses that will show us two ways to practice and enjoy God’s presence: 

1. To Abide 

24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 2:24)

The first way to practice and enjoy God’s presence is to abide in him. Abide means to stay, remain, to dwell together. Our verse specifically links abiding in God with abiding with what you heard about God, and this is referring to God’s Word and the Gospel. When God’s Word and the Good News about Jesus abides in you, then you too will abide in God.

Application

It’s good to read God’s Word during your quiet times. But you can also read God’s Word, internalizing it in your heart, take it with you as you go about your day. Auntie Katy encourages us to memorize John 3:16 because once you memorize it, you always have it with you to remember that God loves you. You can practice and enjoy God’s presence by abiding in him and always keeping his Word in your heart. We also sing Proverbs 3:5-6 and 1 John 1:5-10, and you have your AWANA verses.

2. To Unite

21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:21)

The second way to practice and enjoy God’s presence is to be united with him. That’s what it means to be in God – it means to be united, together, at unity with God. This is different than abiding with God. While abiding means to stay, unite means to make sure you’re on the same page. It means to remember that you’re on the same team. One way that we make sure we stay united with God is to communicate with him. We do this by prayer.

Application

It’s good to pray to God during your quiet times. But you can also pray when you’re out and about in the world. Your prayers don’t have to be long. You also don’t have to close your eyes and close your hands. You actually don’t have to be sitting still when you pray. We do that here at church to show respect and so we don’t get distracted. But when you’re out and about, it’s okay to pray with your eyes open. You can even pray at the same time you’re doing something else! You can be talking to a friend and praying to God, you can be taking a test and praying to God, you can be enjoying your vacation and praying to God. God wants us to stay united with him. If you ever don’t know how to pray, we sing the Lord’s prayer here, and you can start saying those words back to God.

Gospel

I want us to step back and look at the big picture. Fellowship with God is only possible because of Jesus. We all have sinned, we have actually broken our fellowship with God. But Jesus is the Son of God who lived the perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and came back to life again. If you believe this, then you will be saved:

“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:6–7).

When we have fellowship with God, we also have fellowship with each other. This is what it means to be in God’s family.

Big Idea

Jesus’ disciples enjoy fellowship with God by abiding in him and staying united with him.

Conclusion

Our verse says that this message was written to us – the fact that we can have fellowship with God – this message was written so that our joy can be complete. To abide and to be united with God – this is what brings us true joy in life. Having all the good things in the world cannot compare to having fellowship with God. And having all the bad things in the world happen to you cannot compare to having fellowship with God. I pray that God would open your eyes and make this real in your life.