FELLOWSHIP (2) 1. There is much misunderstanding about this term today, in the church and in the religious world.

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1 FELLOWSHIP (2) INTRODUCTION: 1. There is much misunderstanding about this term today, in the church and in the religious world. 2. The Bible does not teach just any kind of fellowship the term is limited to what the Bible teaches about it. 3. The word FELLOWSHIP means: Communion; sharing in common; joint participation. 4. Let us study the term as it is used in the New Testament. I. THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHES THAT CHRISTIANS HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, CHRIST, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. 1. John says that we have fellowship with God and Christ. I John 1: 3 A. This fellowship is through the gospel. 2. Paul tells us that as Christians we have been called by God into the fellowship of Christ. I Cor. 1:9 A. Was called into this fellowship by the gospel. II Thess. 2:14 3. Paul, in Phil. 2:1, says that we have fellowship with the Spirit. 4. So, those in the body of Christ, the saved relationship, have fellowship with all three persons of the Godhead. A. Christians should value this fellowship so highly that they would seek after it diligently and forfeit it for nothing that this world has to offer. II. LET US NOTICE HOW FELLOWSHIP IS USED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

2 1. The word fellowship in the New Testament is ALWAYS used to refer to the Spiritual activities of Christians; the word in the New Testament pattern NEVER has reference to purely social or recreational activities. 2. We read of fellowship: A. With God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I John 1:3, 6 7; Phil. 2:1 B. Fellowship in preaching the gospel by supporting a preacher. Phil. 1:5; 4:15; Gal. 6:6 C. The fellowship of the ministering to poor saints. II Cor. 8:4; Rom. 12:13; Rom. 15: D. Fellowship in the Lord s Supper with the body and blood of Christ. I Cor. 10: 16 E. Fellowship in Worship. Acts 2: 42; I Cor. 10: F. Fellowship in financing the work of the Lord. Acts 2:42; I Cor. 16: 1 2; I Tim. 6:18 G. Fellowship in the suffering of Christ. Phil. 3:10 H. In the body of Christ, members are to care one for another. I Cor. 12: When fellowship is used in the New Testament concerning a Christian and his activities, it always refers to the spiritual. 4. Fellowship in the New Testament does not have reference to purely social or recreational activities. III. Fellowship always implies MUTUALITY it is two-sided. 1. Fellowship with GOD. I John 1:3 A. God gives us His Word, and WE obey it. I John 1:7 B. We render God service, and He blesses us. Matt. 6:33

3 C. We pray and God answers our prayers. I John 5: D. We confess our sins and God forgives. I John 1:9 2. Fellowship with CHRIST. I John 1:3; I Cor. 1:9 A. He speaks and we obey. Heb. 1:2: Matt. 28: 18 B. Lord s Supper. I Cor. 10 :16; Matt. 26: 29 C. Share suffering of Christ. Phil. 3: 10; Matt. 5: Fellowship with the HOLY SPIRIT. Phil. 2:1; II Cor. 13:14 A. We have fellowship with the Holy Spirit when we preach the word the Spirit revealed. Eph. 3: Fellowship with MEN. A. We cannot fellowship a man that won t fellowship us. IV. Fellowship involves EQUALITY of moral responsibility. A. In the fellowship of a local church, members are morally obligated to every phase of the work and worship of the local church. V. Fellowship always has an OBJECT. A. Fellowship is WITH something or somebody. a. With God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I John 1:3 b. With preachers of the gospel. Phil. 1:5 c. With Christians. d. With poor saints. e. With the body and blood of Christ.

4 f. With the suffering of Christ. B. Christians in the New Testament are told not to have fellowship with: a. The unfruitful works of darkness. Eph. 5:11 b. With demons. I Cor. 10: 20 c. With sin. VI. LET US NOW CONSIDER HOW THIS FELLOWSHIP MAY BE ENJOYED, AND WHAT ITS DEMANDS ARE OF US. 1. John tells us that this fellowship can be enjoyed only through the gospel. I John 1:3 2. In God s grace, He has provided the means of man s reconciliation. Tit. 2: 11 12; Eph. 2: A. Sin had alienated man from God. Isa 59: 1 2; Rom. 3: Only in this saved state (in the body of Christ) can men enjoy fellowship with God. 4. When men reject the gospel and walk in their own wisdom, there is no fellowship with God. I John 1: 6 7 A. When we claim to have fellowship with God, while we walk in darkness spiritually, we are liars. 5. What does it mean to walk in darkness? A. Darkness represents ungodliness and sin. Eph. 5:11; Rom. 13:12 6. When men practice sin walk in sin they cannot have fellowship with God. A. When a man and woman live in adultery, they forfeit, by their illicit relationship with one another, all fellowship with God. Eph. 5: 1 11

5 VII. WE CANNOT WALK AFTER THE COMMANDMENTS AND DOCTRINES OF MEN AND HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD. 1. Matt. 15: 7 9 They make void the commandments of God. 2. They are NO PART of the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. II Cor. 4: One cannot have fellowship in false worship and acceptably worship God. I Cor. 10: 16 21; II Cor. 6: Brethren in error are to be marked, avoided and rejected. Rom. 16: 17; Tit. 3: II John 9 11 VIII. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE IDEA OF FELLOWSHIP INCLUDE? 1. Communion and companionship with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I John 1: 3, 6 7; I Cor. 1:9; Phil. 2:1 2. Having partnership in preaching the gospel by helping to support the preacher. Phil. 4:15; 1:5; Gal. 6: 6 3. Distributing to the necessity of the saints. II Cor. 8:4; 9:13; Rom. 12:13; 15: 26 27; Heb. 13:16 4. Communion in worship with the body and blood of the Lord in the observance of the Lord s Supper. I Cor. 10:16 5. Partnership in the worship and work that God has ordained for the Christian to accomplish in the church. Acts 2:42; II Cor. 8:23 6. Partnership in financing the work of the Lord. I Cor. 16: 1 4; Acts 2: Sharing in suffering. Phil. 3:10; II Cor. 1: The care, relationship and harmony that exists among the members of the church one with another. I Cor. 12: 18 27

6 9. This is the sum total of even the idea of fellowship among the members of the body of Christ. IX. SOME OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT FELLOWSHIP. 1. People may be in fellowship with one another, and not in fellowship with the Lord or His people. I Cor. 10:20; II Cor. 6: One may have fellowship with the church, and not with the Lord. I Cor. 5: One may be in fellowship with God, yet not in fellowship with some particular church. III John 9, 10