Outlandish Love

In the previous posts we looked at Biblical fellowship – koinonia in Greek. We learned that koinonia goes so much deeper than what we may traditionally think of as fellowship. It includes communion with one another at an intimate level. When we experience koinonia with others, we share common interests and goals. We also can freely share our joys and sorrows with one another. Koinonia involves being together and doing together.

This kind of fellowship can transform a small group from one more meeting in a busy schedule to an essential life-giving time of friendship with a few faithful fellow Christ-followers!

Did you know that God also wants to have this kind of relationship with you and me?

(1Co 1:7-9) Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

(1Jn 1:3) We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

The Greek word translated as “fellowship” in both of the above passages is koinonia – the same word we have been discussing how to apply within our small group. That is the same intimacy we can have with God!

God has called us into koinonia with Jesus!

So what does that mean? God wants intimacy with you! Have you ever had an intimate time with God? A time when you felt His presence in a supernatural way? – a time when you heard Him? --a time when you were brought to tears in response to His love for you? – a time when you experienced the refreshing blessing of God after repenting from sin in your life? God wants to be that close to you ALL THE TIME! We were created for relationship with Him. Jesus died to restore to you the possibility of intimacy with Him.

Last week I challenged my Wednesday small group to think of some outlandish, extremely intimate thing they could do with God to show Him their love. We had an amazing discussion! Some of the outlandish things that were shared were definitely personal and intimate! (One absolute rule of small groups must be that it is a safe place. What is shared in the group stays in the group).

One friend was challenged by the word “outlandish” and wanted to know where I had found that word. I was thinking I had read it in a book on intimacy with God – but now I think the word used in that book was actually “extravagant.” However, our discussion in the small group and that friend's response to my challenge to do something outlandish makes me confident that God gave me that word. God wants us to be outlandish in showing our love to Him! Think about how outlandish His love is for us.

• He created us with His own hands!
• He created this beautiful planet and shares it with us that we might know Him!
  Sunsets, rainbows, kittens, clouds, waterfalls, forests, beautiful birds, and ferocious beasts.
• He created the entire universe for us to marvel at Him!
  He knows each of the stars by name, but knows not just our names, but everything about us.
• He came to earth as a baby, born in a stable.
• He died on a cross to redeem us from the Fall and bring us back to Him.
• He conquered death so we would not have to be captive to fear

I was vocally persecuting those who followed Jesus. I wanted nothing to do with Christians or their God. In His outlandish love, Jesus reached out to this sinner – this enemy of God – in a way I could understand and spoke to me a message of love that I had never heard!

Please share some outlandish ways that God has shown His love to you.

We would all benefit from your sharing.