Why Many Feel Spiritually Hungry

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Wait. There is a world of articles, books, and information out there when it comes to Christianity, but we are mostly stuck with rhetoric and double talk when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, our new identity as believers, and the security and finality of the work of Christ. Are you getting everything you need spiritually from your church? Or do you find yourself feeling hungry for more? Join Lenny as he unpacks what Scripture really taught about our Lord Jesus Christ in context and why this matters to you. Wake up, wake up, wake up to grace.

What Biblical Fellowship Really Means

Putting 1 John 1:9 In Context

From Religious Practice To Indwelling Life

Walking By The Spirit Day To Day

Suffering As A Gift Of Grace

Trials In Ordinary Life Today

Falling From Grace Without Losing Christ

Building Trust Through Prayer And Community

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Before his crucifixion, when Pontius Pilate questioned Jesus, he proclaimed, For this purpose I was born, and for this purpose I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. Pilate said to him, What is truth? Today I ask, what is fellowship with God? The truth may challenge our expectations. On the surface it would seem easy to answer. It's our relationship with God the Father, end of message, right? Although churches teach much about fellowship with God, they teach very little about what biblical fellowship actually means. What we hear on Sunday is not what the apostles revealed in Scripture. This isn't going to be another sermon on asking God for forgiveness every time you sin or repenting for bad behavior. Our fellowship with God has nothing to do with how many times we repent and ask for forgiveness. In fact, no one can read a single passage in context and find support for this as the foundation of biblical Christian fellowship. Some commonly misunderstood passages include 1 John 1 9 and Psalm 51, which are often used as proof that ongoing confession is needed to remain in fellowship with God. When read in context, 1 John 1 9 addresses the reality of sin and the assurance of cleansing at the point of salvation. It does not teach a continual cycle of broken and restored fellowship. Similarly, Psalm 51 is David's old covenant plea, made before the Spirit was given permanently to believers. It's important to examine both the context and audience of these scriptures to distinguish biblical teaching from later church traditions. The first century Christians whom Jesus sent out did not see fellowship the way we do today. For them, it was a way of living, not a religious practice. In their generation, religious practice was fading and would soon vanish. The law continued for a time, though Christ had dealt with sin. Christian Jews still participated in Jewish customs, but their lives changed. They now had the indwelling spirit of the Lord Jesus. Religion was no longer the way to get right with Yahweh. God now counseled his people from within and made them right with himself as soon as they received his life giving spirit. Seeking reconciliation was now in the past. Those who trusted in the Lord Jesus and his finished work would never again worry about forgiveness. The Holy Spirit perfected fellowship. In today's doctrines, which focus on behavior, we've fallen into a system of being out of fellowship with God, or of earning heavenly rewards and crowns to be worn someday in the distant future. Being out of fellowship with God was not even on the table for Christians, according to the teaching of Jesus and his apostles, and heavenly crowns were not to the apostles what they are to us today. To the first century Christians and apostles, Jesus Christ was their lifeline. Salvation for them was now, and eternal life was a gift that would last forever. If fellowship isn't earned by behavior, and believers are made right with God, what is the Christian life about? Some may ask, does this mean we can do anything we want? If pleasing the Lord is your desire, you're free in Christ to choose as you please. But Paul warns not to use this freedom for the flesh. Instead he teaches to walk by the Spirit and avoid gratifying fleshly desires. Walking by the Spirit in daily life means responding with patience, forgiveness, kindness, generosity, humility, and trust in daily choices, such as showing patience in traffic, encouraging a discouraged friend, pausing to pray before tough decisions, building others up or letting go of worry. These ordinary moments invite reliance on the Holy Spirit rather than our own strength or efforts to prove ourselves. For the Scripture authors, Christianity was not a religion, but the core of their identity, salvation, peace, glory, and deliverance, beyond rules or rituals. They depended on the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit for guidance. Paul proclaimed in Second Corinthians twelve, for the sake of Christ, then I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, for when I am weak then I am strong. Have you ever considered the extent of what Paul is saying in this passage? He says a similar thing to the Philippian Church. In Philippians four eleven we read not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Christ was Paul's strength. That is why he could say when I am weak, then I am strong. The staggering part is that Paul told his audience he was spiritually strong despite great suffering. When Paul was at his worst, Christ was at his best within him. Paul even saw spiritual benefit and suffering. The author of Hebrews writes of this benefit when speaking about Jesus. In Hebrews two hundred ten we read, for it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, and bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. The text tells us that suffering made Jesus perfect, that is, fully mature, even one who had lived in sinless perfection, meaning life without sin. In his letter to the Romans, Paul describes what happens through suffering to those who love the Lord. Paul declares all things work for good because God uses suffering to conform us to Christ's image. This can be hard to grasp, just as it was for early believers who faced unexpected trials, as Peter acknowledged. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief, or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. This is the same Peter who rebuked Jesus for proclaiming that he would suffer and die under the chief priests and Pharisees, cut off the ear of a soldier, and denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. But upon receiving the Holy Spirit something changed in Peter. He changed his mind about suffering, and his behavior followed. In Acts five forty, we read, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them, and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day in the temple and from house to house they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. Peter had embraced what Christ told his disciples in John fifteen twenty. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. He now perceived a benefit in his suffering. Just as suffering perfected Christ, the blood of Jesus washed Peter, and suffering was making him perfect too. The apostle boldly proclaimed, Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. The apostles urged glorifying God in suffering, a message throughout the New Testament. Rather than promising health and wealth, Paul describes suffering and affliction as gifts of grace. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. We see that a severe affliction struck the Macedonian church. They were in poverty, Paul writes, yet they were overcome with joy and gave to others who suffered beyond their own means. This type of giving doesn't exist in church establishments in my area. Out here we're taught that we rob God if we don't give our ten percent, and that we'll be filled with financial blessings if we tithe. These are not the teachings of the apostles of Jesus. The worst part about the Health and Wealth Gospel is that it causes the adherent to be surprised when a fiery trial comes their way, as those to whom Peter wrote experienced. This doctrine sets the Christian up to fall away during tribulation. Would poverty be seen as a gift of grace to Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyer? Have these preachers uncovered a truth that our apostles overlooked? Is Kenneth Copeland experiencing the true victory of Jesus Christ? In speaking about the vine and branches relationship we embrace today in our Christian fellowship, Jesus made an interesting statement. After he had taught them the truth about how they would receive his blessings, not through their own efforts, he concludes his teaching by saying, I've said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. John sixteen. And there's no doubt Paul understood this teaching, when he boldly said in Second Corinthians one nine, indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. At this point you might be thinking, where are you going with this? Are we to hope for severe tribulation and affliction in our lives in order to experience the fellowship that the first century Christians shared with God? What is fellowship with God for us if we don't experience such hardship? Can we be so blessed as they were in times of peace in the Christian church? I want to propose that Christian suffering can manifest in many ways and for many reasons. Persecution was the primary test for first century believers, and this is true for far more people in the world than we realize today. But despite our backsliding freedom in America, we have yet to experience these things. Yet suffering is not limited to persecution. For many of us, suffering comes in more ordinary but equally challenging forms loneliness, doubt, anxiety, loss of loved ones, broken relationships, feeling misunderstood, struggling with a sense of purpose, or wrestling with financial hardship or illness. These daily struggles can test our faith just as sharply as the overt trials faced by early Christians, and they offer us the same opportunity to draw near to God in fellowship as we rely on his strength through our darkest moments. No matter the form suffering takes, God's presence never leaves us. Whether our trials are dramatic or quietly ongoing, the Lord is with us, comforting us and inviting us into deeper fellowship. In every kind of pain and loss he is as close as ever, working through it all for our good. The reality is that the born again Christian has been changed by the indwelling spirit of God. When we drift away from our purpose as the new creation and depend on anything other than the Lord in our lives, we grieve the spirit within us. In his letter to the Romans, Paul is so bold to say that anything that does not come from faith is sin. And Peter exhorts to humble ourselves, casting our anxiety on Christ. What then can we conclude? If we don't walk guided by the Lord, we don't walk as the Lord created us to walk. It's not his will for us to walk independently. Do you think that any person on earth apart from Jesus has achieved such perfection in daily life? Do you think that even the apostles might have needed help here? Let's not forget what Paul said to the Corinthians. Indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. Paul, being human, felt overcome by his circumstances, as though he had received a death sentence. But truth and hope renewed his mind, and he decided that if the Lord could raise the dead, he could strengthen him to rise above his circumstances. The Father was teaching Paul through suffering, yet Paul did not make God the author of his suffering, but rather the deliverer from it. If even Paul had to suffer to learn and grow in the strength of the Lord, will not all Christians have such experiences no matter how well they behave? Is fellowship with God not most needed in suffering? Today teachers tell us that we can be in and out of fellowship based on our behavior, that we'll suffer if we do not behave because God has turned away from us. Yet in Scripture, Paul teaches that godly sorrow leads to repentance that brings salvation. Paul does not speak of eternal life here, he speaks of salvation from the perils of sin, which has only ever led to death from the beginning. The Corinthians had suffered grief for their sin, and the Lord produced in them a change of mind that built them up in his spirit. So then the Lord even uses our suffering from sin to teach us, should we seek his counsel. In the Corinthian Church, Paul called their grief a form of punishment in a way that seems quite sarcastic, because unlike the law, which would have sentenced them to death, they had to feel bad for a little while and be led by the Lord into a renewed mind. Self inflicted punishment would have come upon them had they continued in their pride with a sexual immoral brother. Can sin cause us to fall away from grace? Are worldly distractions as powerful as persecution and causing us to lose hope and faith? By all means, and how much difference is there between a well behaved person drifting from grace and a poorly behaved person drifting from faith? When as Paul stated, everything that does not come from faith is sin. It's not behavior that dictates faith. It's the source of our behavior. So what is fellowship with God? It's our salvation in this life, the Spirit guiding us from within. Living out our belief rather than a set of rules. Falling away from grace can happen to any Christian at any time. Paul told the Galatians they had fallen away from grace for putting themselves under the rules and regulations of the law. By turning away from saving grace in their lives, they had made Christ of no value. Paul speaks harshly, saying they'd been severed from Christ. Do we then conclude that severed here means a loss of eternal life? How long again is eternal life, and how do we obtain it? John three sixteen for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believed in him should not perish but have eternal life. Eternal life is given for believing once. You trust Jesus, and you receive it. So then we must be severed from fellowship, right? Wrong again. Second Corinthians thirteen, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. We don't lose fellowship with the Holy Spirit. That would require God taking it from you, as he did with Adam and Eve in the garden. That's not how redemption in Christ works. In John fourteen, verse sixteen, Jesus says, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper, to be with you forever. How long will we be in fellowship with Christ? Forever. So then what is fellowship with God all about? It's about salvation, but it's important to clarify what that means. In Scripture, salvation can refer both to the eternal gift of life with God, what we commonly call eternal salvation, and to the ongoing daily deliverance the Lord provides as we walk with Him. Eternal salvation is the once for all assurance of life with God that we receive by faith in Christ, never to be lost. But there's also a present aspect of salvation, where God delivers us and helps us in our struggles, shortcomings, and everyday hardships as we trust and depend on Him. So when I say salvation here, understand that I do not mean only eternity in heaven. I also mean the kind of salvation we experience now, from the destruction, confusion, and pain we cause ourselves when we turn away from our Lord's guidance. This includes not trusting the Lord with our circumstances. In fact, it's all about trust. If we could trust perfectly, we'd never have to worry about falling away. But how can we grow in our trust in the Lord, especially when it's tested by challenges? We can start by spending time in prayer, not only asking for help but also listening and opening our hearts to his direction. Engaging with Scripture, meditating on God's promises, and reflecting on the stories of faithful believers helps strengthen our confidence in His character and faithfulness. Joining with other Christians in genuine communities, sharing our burdens and receiving encouragement allows us to witness the Lord's work in others' lives and reminds us that we are not alone on our journey. Practice gratitude daily. Recalling ways the Lord has been faithful in the past, and offer your worries to him every morning. As trust is built, our faith becomes more resilient and our fellowship with God grows deeper. When it comes to life challenges, the truth is we were given the counselor because we need his help. We need to be reminded, as Paul was in prison, that our Lord is our deliverer, who delivered us and will deliver again. Is there any circumstance that we can say is above his means? Who are we to bear the weight of our own burdens? What strength do we have on our own to endure when Jesus taught that apart from him we can do nothing? Lord Jesus did not leave his followers in doubt about what fellowship with God was, and he taught his vine and branches analogies so they wouldn't fall away, as he said, because Christians can fall away from his grace in this life. Although remaining an eternal child of God, fallen away Christian has made the gift of fellowship of no value, as Paul wrote to the Galatians. It would seem that Jesus describes this exact thing in his parable recorded by Matthew. In Matthew thirteen twenty, Jesus says, As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. Jesus teaches that persecution and tribulation may be a problem for believers. Based on the experience of Paul and Peter, we must conclude that hardship can make us or break us. Grace living is not all about good times. If we don't understand our Lord's work in suffering, we might find ourselves surprised by it, as the church to which Peter wrote was. Under today's doctrines of fellowship, we might believe we did something to cause God to do this to us and turn away from our comforter in challenging times. Suffering's not the only issue that Lord Jesus warns about. In chapter thirteen, verse twenty two, Matthew records Jesus saying, As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it proves unfruitful. The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches cause us to fall away in the good times of life. Suffering may be necessary to protect us and sustain our joy in the Lord. If you spent much of your time looking at barbed wire and blood, how much more might you appreciate a walk in nature than those who see that scenery every day? How can we understand the glory of light if we've never been in the dark? Our Lord wants us to understand his word well and value the fellowship we've been given by grace. Matthew thirteen twenty three. Jesus says, As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty. We want to be the good soil. Good soil is rich soil. To be spiritually rich is to be rich in truth, and this comes from a solid understanding of the gospel, according to Jesus. We're called to endure in our Christian lives, finding grace and peace even in suffering. Although we probably won't be begging for more suffering, we can see the fruit that it bears in our lives and give thanks in all things. With the strength of Christ within us, we can proclaim victory in our suffering and speak the same truth our Lord did in John 16 33. I have overcome this world. Let us not forget in our suffering that Christ suffers with us and that we Suffer for him. No fiery trial can burn the eternal child of God. We're not dead branches. And our Father refines us through these times so that we can come out strong. Trust the Father with all your troubles and bear much fruit. No matter how bad things get, we can always know that this too shall pass. May your fellowship with God be your strength. And as we walk through difficulties, let us not try to bear our burdens alone. The Lord has given us each other to lean on in times of struggle. Reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Encourage those who are hurting and allow others to support you as well. Our fellowship with God is strengthened when we encourage, comfort, and pray for one another along the journey. Together as a community we reflect the love of Christ and help one another persevere. In the fifth chapter of Romans verse one, Paul writes Therefore, since we've been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope, the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. That's what I got for today, guys. I look forward to talking to you next week. Grace and peace. The content of this message can be found on my blog post at waking up to grace dot com. My writings include linked references and visual aids, which will give even more valuable insight, and it's always free of charge. 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