Fellowship

(1 John 1) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; -2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) -3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. -4. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. -5. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. -6. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: -7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. -8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. -9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Our subject today is Fellowship. We invite you to study with us: What is fellowship? Do you have fellowship? With whom do you have fellowship? With whom do you not have fellowship? Of what importance is fellowship to you?

Fellowship: The Greek word in our text meant social partnership, communicate, communion; the condition or relation of being a fellow; one belonging to the same class, an equal, peer, a partner; communion as between members of the same church, friendliness, an association of persons having similar tastes, interests, etc.

I. Do you have fellowship with God? Consider our text: -3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (Unless we have fellowship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, then we have no real fellowship with others that are Christian. We may know Christians and we may talk to them, but fellowship goes far deeper than causal acquaintance or surface relationships. Fellowship is a much deeper communion of our hearts and souls) -4. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (John is trying to help us Christians to have a full joy. Not just a little joy, but that our joy may be full. For that to happen, we must establish fellowship with God and with God's children.) -5. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. -6. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (The truth is that fellowship with God requires that we walk in the light. Jesus taught us that light refers to understanding and righteousness while darkness refers to sin and unrighteousness (John 1:1-9) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. -2. The same was in the beginning with God. -3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. -4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. -5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. -6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. -7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. -8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. -9. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 3:20-21) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. -21. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.) -7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, (So we see that by walking in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.)

(Psa 94) O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself. -2. Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. -3. LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? -4. How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? -5. They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage. -6. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. -7. Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. -8. Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? -9. He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? -10. He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? -11. The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. -12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; -13. That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. -14. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. -15. But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it. -16. Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? -17. Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. -18. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. -19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. -20. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, (Now this is a question that you need to answer. Do you think that God has fellowship with sin?) which frameth mischief by a law? -21. They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. -22. But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge. -23. And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off. The word fellowship in this Psalm is from a Hebrew word meaning be compact, coupled together, heap up, join together, league. We know that God is not coupled together with sin. He never has bee, is not today and never will be. Therefore is stands to reason that as long as you live in sin, you have no fellowship with God.

(1 Cor 1:9) God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Your opportunity to have fellowship with God is through Jesus, your Lord. Jesus is calling you to repent of your sin, turn from it, forsake it, and have fellowship with Him. He prayed for you (John 17:17-26) Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. -18. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. -19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. -20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; -21. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. -22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: -23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. -24. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. -25. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. -26. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. Thank God for this beautiful fellowship that we can have with our Lord day by day as we pass through this world so steeped in sin and wickedness. In the midst of all we can enjoy the presence of the Lord to walk with us as our friend. He walks with every one that will walk in paths of righteousness.

II. Do you have fellowship with other Christians?

(Gal 2:1-9) Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. -2. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. -3. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: -4. And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: -5. To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. -6. But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: -7. But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; -8. (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) -9. And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. In this scripture, Paul is explaining to us how the early church operated. When he met with other leaders in the church and they recognized that Paul and his companions were Christians, they had fellowship. And so it ought to be today. There ought to be fellowship with all Christians for we are all of the same family of God and to be divided is one of the most grievous sins that the devil has convinced people to commit. If you are a child of God, then I will fellowship you and you are duty bound to fellowship me.

(Phil 1:1-5) Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: -2. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. -3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, -4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, -5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

(Acts 2:41-42) Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. -42. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

And so se see the fellowship of God's people that brings us together into the one body of believers that God desires us to be.

III. Do you fellowship evil?

(1 Cor 10:19-22) What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? -20. But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. -21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. -22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? The Greek word used here for fellowship means a sharer, an associate, companion, partaker, partner. It should be clear to you from this scripture that Christians do not share in evil for in so doing they would sever their fellowship with God.

(2 Cor 6:14-17) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? -15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? -16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. -17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, The word translated fellowship here comes from a Greek word meaning participation. It is clear that you cannot participate with the worship of idols and have fellowship with God. The word Belial means lawless. Hence, you cannot be without the law of God to restrain the way that you live and still have fellowship with God.

(Eph 5:1-11) Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; -2. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. -3. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; -4. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. -5. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. -6. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. -7. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. -8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: -9. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) -10. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. -11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. The word fellowship here means to share in company with, co-participate with, communicate with, be partaker of. It is clear from the scripture that the righteous have fellowship with God and with each other. This is so very important to us as human beings for we need the fellowship of others. It is a human need to be accepted by others.

I have know people that take these scriptures that we have studied this morning and use them to separate from other Christians. I have observed some causing division under the guise of separating from sin when in reality they are committing sin by causing the division. When you take these passages of scriptures and use them to divide Christians, you are wresting the scripture and doing great damage to your own soul in the process. God never intended for Christians to be all divided up and avoiding each other. In fact the opposite is the truth. God has alway intended for His people to have fellowship with each other insomuch that he says that it is the very mark of identification of his people. (John 13:34-35) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. -35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Jesus is telling us that if we love one another, the whole world will know that we are His disciples. Then, if we do not love one another, what would cause us to think that we are His disciples?

Too many Christians today are all divided up over trivial issues that cause much grief, strife, and pain to thousands of souls. The only reason to separate from others is sin. Any division for any other reason is unjustified in the sight of God. I have observed many divisions through the years and nearly all of them have been caused by spirits of envy, jealously, preeminence, etc. Of course in order to justify their division they invent reasons, the most common being a difference in doctrinal teaching. No where in the Bible can you find justification to divide over doctrines that do not remove righteousness form the believer. All such division is sin and must be repented of.

All Christians should be taught to love one another, pray for one another, and edify one another. We are all a part of God's great family and should enjoy the fellowship of all the righteous.

And so do you have fellowship with God? Are you walking in His light? Are you enjoying the fellowship of all other Christians? Are you one that is trying to have fellowship with God and the devil at the same time? Have you been caught up in the many divisions that Satan has perpetrated upon the Christian realm? Is fellowship as important to you as it is to your Lord?

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