Fellowship With Others

Title: Fellowship With Others

Text: I John 1:3-6

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Introduction:

- What is meant by fellowship in this verse?

- What is being referred to is something of a quite different order and on different level.

"They met constantly to hear the apostles teach, and to share the common life, and break bread and to pray. A sense of awe was everywhere. All whose faith had drawn them together held everything in common. With one mind they kept up their daily attendance at the temple, and, breaking bread in private houses, shared their meals with unaffected joy as they praised God" (Acts 2:42-47, New English Bible).

- This is fellowship as the New Testament understood it, and there is clearly a world of difference between that and mere social activities.

- The Greek word for fellowship means common or shared.

- So fellowship means common participation in something either by giving what you have to the other person or receiving what he or she has.

- Give and take is the essence of fellowship, and give and take must be the way of fellowship in the common life of the body of Christ.

- Christian fellowship is two-dimensional, and it has to be vertical before it can be horizontal.

- We must know the reality of fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ before we can know the reality of fellowship with each other in our common relationship to God (1 John 1:3).

- The person who is not in fellowship with the Father and the Son is no Christian at all, and so cannot share with Christians the realities of Christian fellowship.

Let me illustrate with this story the true meaning of fellowship:

In 1773, the young pastor of a poor church in Wainsgate, England, was called to a large and influential church in London. John Fawcett was a powerful preacher and writer, and these skills had brought him this opportunity. But as the wagons were being loaded with the Fawcetts’ few belongings, their people came for a tearful farewell.

During the good-byes, Mary Fawcett cried, “John, I cannot bear to leave!” “Nor can I,” he replied. “We shall remain here with our people.” The wagons were unloaded, and John Fawcett spent his entire fifty-four-year ministry in Wainsgate.

Out of that experience, Fawcett wrote the beautiful hymn, “Blest Be the Tie that Binds.”

- Our text has much to say about fellowship with people who are Christians and God.

- I want to emphasize verse 3 and share with you this morning why we have fellowship as Christians. Verse 3 says, “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 the Son, Jesus Christ.”

- We will look at our fellowship with God tonight, and address the question, What are the signs of walking in the Light? Or what are the signs of walking in righteousness?

- Basicly how do I know I am righteous, thus having fellowship with God? That will be tonight.

- But this morning I want to give you 4 points concerning our fellowship as believers in God.

- Understand that there can be no fellowship unless these points are understood and applied.

- Christians have fellowship because.......

Point 1: We Have A Common Faith

Titus 1:4 says, “To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”

Jude 3 says, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.”

- The faith means the gospel proclaimed by Christ and the apostles.

Examples are: John 15; Gal 5; Matt 5-7; The Parables that Jesus taught on; Salvation recorded in John 3:16; John 14; John 10; John 6; John 1 - Jesus is the Word; Matt 24 - concerning the end times.

- But the faith is more then objective truth. It is also a way of life to be lived in love and purity. This objective truth needs to be applied by every believer and lived out in sincerity.

I Tim 1:5 says, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

- It also is a kingdom that comes in power to baptize all believers in the Holy Spirit, that they may proclaim the gospel to all nations with signs and miracles and gifts of the Spirit.

Acts 2:22 says, “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.”