Foundations Of Fellowship – Part 1

Introduction

Baby O’Lenick’s first day of life. And she gets to hear this wonderful singing, and unfortunately now she gets to listen to me. I’m sure she’ll remember it. Congratulations to the Olinick family on this new delivery. We will have a name this week. We’ll see, Sean says. Babies need a name. Okay. You did it seven other times. Let’s hope they get to that soon so it’s we can have a name for this precious little girl. I appreciate what Woody said about your fellowship with me and the gospel. And you do help me and enable me at times to go preach in other communities. In fact, I’m going to be in the Mobile, Alabama community next Lord’s Day for the first time. And I’ve been with that, I’ve worshiped that congregation more than once in Sarah Land, which is on the north side of Mobile.

And it’ll be give me an opportunity as well to see my son-in-law’s parents who live in Daphne. So we’re looking forward to that trip beginning on Friday. I’ll actually be addressing the young people on Saturday in two sessions, which I’ve never done that before, to begin the meeting, and looking forward to that as well. But thank you for your support of me. And it enables me to do preaching here and in other places. And I’m glad to be back in the pulpit this morning. It’s been two weeks since I preached because Barry was here. And because I’m only going to be here one week for the rest of this month until May, I wanted to address a subject that the elders have asked me to address for our understanding, hopefully.

I’m going to have to do that in two lessons. And so you’ll have to come back tonight for part two. This is just the introductory material having to do with, in some way, what he said about your fellowship with me. I want to talk to you for a moment about foundations and how important they are in the building of a house. Obviously, the foundation is very critical. And in spiritual things, the foundation from which we start is so very important. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Psalm 127 and verse 1. As diligent workmen, we are to look into the word of God so that we may handle it accurately or rightly divided. The King James Version says in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 15.

There are so many today who are careless in their approach to the Word of God, and thus they draw improper conclusions about what the Bible teaches. And so we need to make sure that in regard to everything that God has said that we have a proper foundation. And so, in regard to this matter of fellowship, it is important that we have the proper foundations for understanding our sharing in Christ. And our sharing with God in his things. And those were some of the things that Barry was talking about Sunday through Wednesday in his lessons of how blessed we are to be able to share in the things of God with him and with others. And so I talked to you about this word fellowship. Now, there are associated words or synonyms to this most common Greek word in the New Testament.

1. Fellowship Is Something Shared Between Parties

Perhaps you’ve heard of it. It is the word koinonia that’s used 19 times in the New Testament that is translated actually in several different ways. The word fellowship is the most common, but also the idea of contribution, because the nature of the contribution that was being collected by the saints was for the benefit of needy saints elsewhere, or for other Christians. And so this word koinonia was used even in regard to giving.

Sometimes it is participation, others it is sharing. There are other associated words that have with it the idea of things in common, a common love, as good selection, Jared. A common love, common partakers, and the word partner even. Now once you look at 2 Corinthians chapter 6, this word fellowship is very important. It is a rich word, 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 14. Now, all of these words that are synonyms in this text are not the word koinonia, but again, Matoche is one of them. There’s synonyms of koinonia. And he uses them throughout these verses. When he says, do not be bound together with unbelievers. Don’t be yoked or in fellowship with unbelievers. He says, for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness.

Or what harmony has Christ with belile, or we have the spiritual realm versus Jesus’ opposition in the spiritual realm. What partnership do those things have? What harmony? Or what has a believer in common, and I believe that’s the word coinea in this text. Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever, or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we, those who are in Christ, we are the temple of God. And that speaks to fellowship, does it not? We are the temple of God, just as God said, I will dwell in them and walk among them. There’s the concept of fellowship for us. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, there are implications about whom we fellowship then.

Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. And that is the relationship that everyone here this morning so desperately needs. We need God as our Father. We need to be his sons and daughters. And that’s what this word fellowship involves. And so as we talk about foundations for fellowship, let’s give somewhat of a definition for that. Fellowship is something that is shared between parties. There’s something in common that links them together. It’s the idea of being on a team.

Galatians 2 and verse 9. Paul and Barnabas are getting ready to go out to the Gentiles to preach the message of salvation. And they gave the right hand the fellowship to the pillars, those who were reputed to be pillars in the church at Jerusalem, among whom were John and Peter and the brother of Jesus, James. James and Cephas and John. And they gave them, it says, the right hand of fellowship. That means approval. That means we’re all on the same team. We’re in this thing together. Let me give you some other examples of where this term is used. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 9. Again, how important is fellowship? God is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 9. And we are the benefits of his faithfulness, as Mary taught us.

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The fellowship of the Spirit and the love of God is mentioned together in 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 14. And we as Christians have fellowship in Jesus’ sufferings when we suffer for him. Philippians chapter 3 and verse 10. 1 John chapter 1, verses 6 and 7, even verse 3, talk about the fellowship we have with God and the fellowship we have with one another, and thus we are compelled to walk in the light as he is in the light. And so what that suggests is that we need to understand who God’s people are and who they’re not. What partnership has the believer with the unbeliever? What agreement at the temple of God with idols?

We need to be able to identify who’s on the team and who isn’t. You know, sometimes at the end of a bench, there are press people. There’s all kinds of people on the sidelines at a football game. But I’ll tell you what, they know who the team is, don’t they? They know who’s on the Dallas Cowboys, don’t they? We need to know who’s on the team. There’s another part of this. This team, then, is identifying and working together to bring glory to God and to obey his will. And the concept that Woody mentioned in Philippians chapter 1, in Philippians chapter 1, verse 1, Paul and Timothy bond servants of Christ Jesus to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi. All of them. Everyone who is named a saint, everyone who is identified as being on the team, those who are working together in Philippi, including those who oversee them, the shepherds, including the overseers and those who are specially designated as servants, who are deacons.

2. God Has Given Us Sufficient Information

And then Paul talks about all of these saints and their fellowship with him in verse 5. When he says, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. In fact, at one point, they were the only saints who were communicating with Paul in terms of financial support. In Philippians chapter 4 and verse 15. And so these are some of the basic principles or foundations for fellowship. And people raise questions about this subject. And they say, well, why didn’t God just spell it out in black and white? All of these determinations that we need to make about fellowship are so different. Why didn’t he just spell it out? Well, fact is he did. He has given us sufficient information to make the proper determinations about the team.

About who’s on the team and who isn’t. And what kind of people we should stay away from to some degree, anyway. We can’t go out of the world. Paul talks about that in 1 Corinthians 5. But we need to be careful about our association with people who are not in fellowship with him, to be sure. And so how are we going to make all these determinations? I’m here to tell you that God gave us sufficient information to make all of those determinations. But let me tell you what’s required, and this is so important. These qualities are essential. Now, these qualities are essential for just being a Christian, but they are certainly essential for making the proper determinations about fellowship. Our trust in God, our devotion to him, our confidence in his word, our honesty, our humility, our supreme motive of love.

3. Does It Matter Whom We Fellowship?

All of these things come to bear in these determinations that we are called to make in terms of fellowship. And let’s not forget the last. And this is why some people say, well, why didn’t God just spell it out, make it a lot easier for us and all of these decisions we have to make in terms of fellowship? Well, we have to work. He wants us to be diligent. Wait a minute, that goes back to 2 Timothy 2.15. He wants us to be diligent and to do the work to come to the proper decisions. Well, okay. Does it matter then? Does it matter whom we fellowship? Oh, I believe it does. Just a few passages for you, 2 John 9. We certainly don’t want to be guilty of this.

And again, this is how the Lord views it. We don’t want him to look at us this way. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, that person does not have God. Now that’s serious. The one who abides in the teaching. He has both the Father and the Son. So this matter of fellowship has to do with abiding in Jesus, as I alluded to in 1 John chapter 1, walking in the light as he is in the light. We have fellowship with one another, and we have fellowship with God. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. And so he says here that we must abide in the teaching. That person has fellowship with the Father and the Son.

But if anyone comes to you, and he does not bring this teaching. Don’t share with him. Don’t fellowship with him. Do not receive him into your house and do not give him a greeting. For the one who gives him a greeting, oh, here’s the problem, participates in his evil deed. We don’t want to be guilty of that. That goes back to 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and the passage that we started with. Now look at Romans 12 quickly. Romans 12, 17 and 18.

Actually, it’s Romans 16. I have that wrong in my outline. Romans 16. I look at this. That’s not Romans 12. That’s Romans 16. We can fix that. Romans 16, 17. No, I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned. And turn away from them. For such men are slaves not of our Lord Jesus Christ, but of their own appetites, and by their smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. And then he talks about the report of their obedience in verse 19. And so there are those who will not be obedient, who have wrong motives, who teach things contrary to the teaching which you have learned. And what is our obligation?

No fellowship. No fellowship. Turn away from them. And we are then to withdraw ourselves from every brother who walks disorderedly, Paul says in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse 6. That is, the New American standard says, to keep aloof.

Keep aloof or withdraw yourselves from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. Well, somebody said, Well, you know, that seems a little harsh. I mean, do these kinds of determinations, people are going to look at us like, who do they think they are? They can’t have fellowship with me. To some people that might seem arrogant and self-righteous. You know, that’s how people responded to Jesus. That’s how the Jews look at him. Who does he think he is, saying, I’m the light of the world? Who does he what does he say in John 8? If you abide in my word, then you are disciples of mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. You know what they did at the end of John 8, don’t you? They picked up stones. They wanted to kill him. They thought he was a blasphemer because he said these things. And some people probably looked at Jesus, well, what kind of ego trip is he on? But we know what about Jesus? It’s not about him. It’s not about him receiving this elevation from men or self-exalting. Why was Jesus saying these things? Who was he concerned about? Everyone. His motives were certainly not discernible to the religious leaders of the Jews. They saw him as having evil motives and being a bad man. And yet Jesus’ motives were the concern for the soul’s salvation of people.

4. Do Not Confuse Membership in the Lord's Church

Look, if we don’t make these determinations about fellowship, what happens? We might just allow one who teaches error and falsehood to think everything is fine and everything is okay. And he could influence others. That’s what these passages are talking about. That’s dangerous. That’s not good for him, and it’s not good for us. Because the truth shall make you free. We must abide in his teaching. We must abide in his word. And therefore these determinations become necessary. Well, there’s three things that I want to share with you. We’re only going to talk about one of them this morning, because you can see I only have ten minutes left. Let’s look at some of the facts. Number one, we must not confuse membership in the Lord’s church with joining a group of believers.

That is a local church. See, some people confuse the two things. They think they’re the same thing. But that’s not the case. When a person is baptized into Christ, the Lord does what? He adds him to the body or to the church. And so there’s a difference in what the Lord knows and the determinations that we make. Those that gladly receive the word were baptized and were added that day, 3,000 souls, and the Lord was adding to their number daily, those who are being saved. The Lord, when we rise to walk in newness of life, when we’re baptized, do all in the name of the Lord when we’re baptized in the name of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit. When we rise to walk in newness of life, the Lord says, He’s one of mine.

That’s my son. That’s my daughter. Now, we sometimes, I think, blur the lines with that a little bit because it’s almost automatically assumed that he’s what? Or she’s what? A member of the local church. A member of the Decorate Prairie Church of Christ. But I’ve got to tell you, I’ve baptized people before who never had any intentions whatsoever of identifying with the group where I preached and where I worked in worship because they lived somewhere else. They were going to attach themselves to another group of disciples and not be in our number. They never made it to the membership role of the church that I was in. You see, we become members of the Lord’s church, his saved people when we’re baptized into Christ and we rise to walk in this life.

But local church fellowship has to do with our determinations and yours. Now, the Lord’s knowledge may be different than ours. There have been people, no doubt, through the years, who have been excluded from fellowship in the local church who were actually in fellowship with God. Now, we need to be careful not to make determinations like that. To exclude somebody that the Lord includes. And our fellowship ought always to be, and I’ll say more about this tonight. Our fellowship must always be about including everybody that the Lord includes who wants to be identified with us. Fellowship is not the idea of who can I exclude. It’s who can I include? Whom we believe to be included with God. Now, the Lord, his knowledge of that is perfect.

The Lord knows those that are his. Now let me tell you who they are. And 2 Timothy 2.19 is a wonderful verse about that. And let everyone who names the name of Christ abstain from wickedness. Again, this problem of wickedness and error and falsehood, it has everything to do with fellowship, not just with us as the Lord’s evil, but with him. The Lord knows those that are his, and let everyone who names the name of Christ abstain from wickedness. And we have this assurance as well.

The word fellowship is not used, but it’s written all over it. If anyone loves God, now that doesn’t mean, oh, I love God. You know, a lot of people say they love God, but they don’t. Not by biblical definition. But if anyone loves God, he is known by him. There’s not anybody in the world who truly loves God. And ultimately, God, not me, is going to be the one who determines that. On the day of judgment, he’s either going to say, You love me or you didn’t. I might think you do, you might think I do, but God may have a different determination. The Lord knows. His knowledge is different than ours. But those who do love him, again, they have abstained from wickedness. 2 Timothy 2.19.

5. God's Will That Members Band Together

If anyone loves God, he is known by Him. Well, our determinations, well, that’s a little different. It’s God’s will that members of His church band together to perform religious acts of worship and work in His name. That’s the second fact. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. You can’t read 1 Corinthians 12 and come up with a different conclusion. As Paul is writing the church at Corinth, and the context of that is they’re fractured. It’s not enough that we’re in the Lord’s church in its universal sense. When we’re baptized into Christ. The Lord adds this. He wants us to work and worship together with others who are also in Christ. It’s God’s will that we do that. And in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, in Corinth, they’re fractured, fragmented, divided people.

And he goes through actually into chapter 13 when he talks about love, it’s all the same context. Even in chapter 14, when he talks about how assemblies of spiritual gifts are to be done. It’s really all the same context. When he says, look, you’re a body. And individually, members of it. You are in Corinth, who are the saints of God. You’re a body. You’re in fellowship with one another, and that has something to do with the way you treat each other. The foot can’t say to the hand, I have no need of you, and vice versa. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. No, say there’s something there’s an implication that flows out of that’s really important. This necessitates the ability to identify who the foot is.

Who the hand is.

People think sometimes, because if I if I show up at every service, I’m automatically a member. How can that be? This church knows who the members are. All the members have the same care, one for another. God gives more abundant honor to the member that lacks. This necessitates the ability to identify who is a member and who isn’t. We’re members one of another. That’s Romans 12, verses 4 and 5. We’re to speak the truth to one another, Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 25, and lay aside falsehood. Thus, local church fellowship is not an informal collection or gathering of people or everyone who is present on the Lord’s day. Our fellowship does not include everyone who’s here today necessarily. Now, we want to include everybody that wants to be included, who is in Christ, and who wants to work in worship in his name.

We want everyone who wants to be included, who is first in fellowship with God. But look at this. In the same context of 1 Corinthians 14. Notice the way this assembly is to be done, where there’s speaking in tongues and gifts of the Spirit going on. He says the secrets of the heart are disclosed. But he talks about an unbeliever in verse 24, or an ungifted man is in the assembly, that he should fall on his face by the very nature of this worship and how it’s conducted, declaring that God is certainly among you. Paul recognizes in Corinth, there may be believers who are coming to worship that day in the assembly. But they’re not recognized as members of the body. So thus, as I said, formal declarations are necessary.

And I thought I had this on the slide a minute ago, and it gave me pause. But it’s here in Acts chapter 9. Saul of Tarsus sees the vision of the Lord on the road to Damascus. He goes in to Damascus where Ananias is awaiting on him. It’ll be told you what you should do. Ananias says, Arise and be baptized. Wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. And he does that by implication. And comes in fellowship with God, he who had been a persecutor of the church. But notice this. The local church in Jerusalem. And when he had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to fellowship. He was trying to associate with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, not believing.

They knew his past. They were not believing that he was a disciple. They would not extend fellowship to Paul. But that’s where Barnabas comes in. Barnabas steps in and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road to Damascus and that change. But notice, originally, they did not accept him into fellowship. Local fellowship can only be extended to those who, from all outward appearances, are God’s people and disciples of Jesus Christ. If that’s not the case, then we will violate those passages of 2 John 9. Verses 9 through 11 in Romans chapter 16. Local fellowship should only be extended to those that we determine who are following the traditions of Paul, who are walking orderly, who are abiding in the teaching of Christ.

And we have to make those decisions. What are those qualities that I said we needed in the very beginning? Faith. Humility. Honesty. Love. And oh, what’s that other word? Work to make those determinations. And sometimes those things are not easy because we don’t have the knowledge God does. His knowledge is perfect. Their knowledge in Jerusalem, they’re scared to death of this man who claims now to be a disciple. It takes time for Paul to convince them with Barnabas’ health that he’s worthy of local church fellowship. In 1 Timothy chapter 5, let me tell you about this. 1 Timothy 5 and verse 24, and we’re nearly done here this morning. 1 Timothy 5, 24. This is that context where Paul is warning Timothy about partaking in sinful things.

In the midst of this context, he says, by the way, because of your stomach ailments, take a little wine. Which obviously was something Timothy did not do customarily. He would have associated that beverage, whatever Paul was describing, he would have associated that beverage with the practice of sin. So he says, in this context, it’s okay in this circumstance. But then he says, the very next verse, the sins of some men are quite evident. Going before them to judgment for others. Their sins follow that. In our determinations of local church fellowship, there’s going to be some things that are obvious. Sins and practices we can’t tolerate that. That can’t be a part of those who are trying to walk in the light as Jesus in the light.

Conclusion

That determination is easy. But this passage is telling us that some sin is not as obvious. It’s not as evident. It can even be concealed. Again, the Lord’s knowledge is perfect, but our knowledge is not. And the Lord will take care of that which we are not able to determine. But what we are able to determine, we must definitely take action. Regard. Well, that’s the introduction to foundations for fellowship. There’ll be more on this tonight. Here’s the real question for everyone here today. Are you in Christ?

What does that mean? That means fellowship. Have you done what this word says because Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free? Have you done what this book says that places you in Christ? Are you in fellowship with him? You know that’s why we’re still here today. That’s why this earth is still ticking. Because God is looking for more people. More with submissive hearts who will come into fellowship with him. He calls you to fellowship with him. Will you respond to the call as those in Corinth did? 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 9. Perhaps you’re not ready to make that decision today. Perhaps you’re unsure. This is something we need to be sure of. Absolutely sure. You need to look into God’s word to find the certainty and the security that I am in Christ, that I am doing his will, and that extends to my behavior, the way I live, the things I think, the things I do.

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? What partnership has believers with unbelievers? Come out from their midst and be separate. And that’s the determination we have to make about each other. Is this a person trying to do that very thing, to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light? You need to be that person. You need to be in Christ. And then, by his instruction, be associated with other people who are also in Christ. And that’s what we’re striving to be. Can we assist you in putting him on this morning so that you can be, as Barry talked to us last week, a recipient of the promises made to Abraham? Through your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

And here we are, able to partake in the promises, the great promise made to Abraham. Have you done that? Won’t you come while we stand inside?