Tonight we are going to share a pot-luck meal. Everyone is asked to bring dishes of their favorite foods. Pot-luck suppers are wonderful. We enjoy the food. We enjoy the laughs. We enjoy the time of sharing with others. These are special times. We tend to refer to them as fellowships. However, to call a church dinner a fellowship is to merely scratch the surface of the meaning of this term. Fellowship goes much deeper than eating a meal together. Many people ask to have their name placed on a church membership list, but never understand the Biblical meaning of fellowship. In order to help us understand the meaning of fellowship I have asked eleven people to do a scripture parade for us. Each of these individuals will step to the microphone and read a verse of scripture.
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” Romans 12:10
“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8
“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.” Romans 14:19
“Receive one another, just as Christ also received us.” Romans 15:7
“I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Romans 15:14
“Serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
“Bear one another’s burdens.” Galatians. 6:2
“Bear with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3
“Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. Ephesians 4:25
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
“Submit to one another in the fear of God.” Ephsians. 5:21
Does that not sound like more than a pot-luck meal? Does that sound like some shallow commitment?
Many people are like the Baptist leaders I read about. A small town had three churches: Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist. All three had a serious problem with squirrels in the church. Each church in its own fashion had a meeting to deal with the problem. The Presbyterians decided that it was predestined that squirrels be in the church and that they would just have to live with them. The Methodists decided they should deal with the squirrels lovingly in the style of Charles Wesley. They humanely trapped them and released them in a park at the edge of town. Within 3 days, they were all back in the church. The Baptists had the best solution. They voted the squirrels in as members. Now they only see them at Christmas and Easter. (Contributed to Sermon Central by Rick Pendleton) Unfortunately, that is the extent of some people’s understanding of church membership and participation in the fellowship.
I want to share a passage of scripture that will help us better understand the meaning of church fellowship. “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:24-25 NKJV) Notice the context of this passage. The writer of Hebrews was concerned that believers “hold fast” their profession of faith in Jesus Christ (vs. 23). After encouraging them to hold fast he shares this teaching about church fellowship. It is interesting that a writer encourages steadfastness and in the very next breath encourages participation in the fellowship of a church. Church fellowship is essential in being a steadfast follower of Jesus Christ. So, what is fellowship? Good question!
I. Fellowship is a crucial aspect of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Notice the context of Hebrews 10. Believers are encouraged to verify their faith. “Having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus (vs. 19)….. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope” (vs. 23) When your faith is right your life will be right. Your relationship with Jesus is crucial in understanding fellowship but fellowship is crucial in your relationship with Jesus.
A. Our faith in Jesus should motivate us to be in tune with his desires. Christian writer A.W. Tozer compares fellowship to the tuning of a piano. “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all turned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.”
(SOURCE: A.W. Tozer in "The Pursuit of God."--Contributed to Sermon Central by Steven Dow)
B. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ believers should be of one mind.
Consider Jesus disciples. Jesus radically affected everything about their lives. For example, Matthew was a tax collector. All men would regard Matthew as a deserter, as one who had sold himself into the hands of his country’s enemies. He was the direct opposite of a patriot and a lover of his country. Along with Matthew there was Simon the Zealot. A zealot was the equivalent of a radical patriot. The fact is, if Simon had met Matthew, before he met Jesus, he would have stuck a knife in him. Yet Jesus motivated them to love each other and work together.
II. Fellowship is a gift from God to encourage us. That is the truth behind the passage in Hebrews 10. In verse 23 the writer encourages the believers to hold fast. In verse 25 he refers to the intensification of trials that will occur near the end of time. The believers were obviously facing trials. Some of them were abandoning their faith because of the trials. The writer magnifies the importance of Christian fellowship as a resource in times of trial. The Christian life is not free of trials. The New Testament writers were very clear that trials would be a part of the Christian life.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:1
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire” I Peter 1:7
However, God has given us Christian brothers and sisters to stand beside us during times of trial.
“In Charles Colson’s book, Loving God, he tells the story of an incredible ninety-one-year-old woman, known affectionately as Grandma Howell… As she moved into the twilight of her life, she had more than one reason to let depression take over--to just give up and die. Her youngest son had died. Her oldest son was in declining health. Many of her friends were dying and she had begin to believe that she had nothing left to live for. One day she prayed with all of her heart and told the Lord that if He didn’t have anything more for her to do, she was ready to die. According to Grandma Howell, God spoke three words: Write to prisoners. After arguing with the Lord about her lack of education and her age, Myrtle wrote her first letter: Dear Inmate, I am a grandmother who loves and cares for you. My love and sympathy goes out to you. I am willing to be a friend to you in correspondence. If you’d like to hear from me, write me. I will answer every letter you write. A Christian Friend, Grandmother Howell
When the letter was sent to the Atlanta Penitentiary, the prison chaplain sent Myrtle the names of eight prison inmates. That was the beginning of an unbelievable ministry of encouragement. Over the next months, this elderly woman carried on an extensive written ministry with hundreds of incarcerated men and women--- and all of it was done from her little room in a high-rise home for the aged in Columbus, Georgia. According to Colson, writing to the prisoners was only half of Myrtle’s joy. They wrote back! And their letters were warm, rich epistles of gratitude.
One inmate who signed her name ‘Grandmother Janice’ wrote: Dear Grandmother, I received your letter and it made me sad when you wrote that you think you may not be alive much longer. I thought I would wait and come to see you and then tell you all you have meant to me. But now I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to tell you now. You’ve given me all the love and concern and care that I’ve missed for years and my whole outlook on life has changed. You’ve made me realize that life is worth living and that it’s not all bad. You claim it’s all God’s doing, but I think you deserve the credit. I didn’t think I was capable of feeling love for anyone again, but I know I love you as my very own precious grandmother.” (SOURCE: Acts of Love, Vision House, David Jeremiah, pp. 159-161. Contributed to Sermon Central by SermonCentral PRO)
III. Fellowship involves a responsibility. There are three concepts included in verse 24-25 that explain our responsibility. Each of these are very closely connected. In fact, each of them comes under the title of encouragement. They are essentially three sides of the same picture.
A. The first concept is motivation. We are challenged to “consider one another.”(NKJV). The NLT brings this phrase out clearly. “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” We are to give consideration to the needs, hurts, and pains of fellow believers. Church participation is not all about you and what others can do for you. Church participation is about what you can do for others.
Illustration: Several years ago, while serving in Northport, I attended a University of Alabama football game. As we were nearing the stadium a group of young men caught my attention. There were four of them walking toward the stadium. They were Alabama fans. The four young men were getting pumped up for the game. They were giving high fives, screaming, and shouting cheers. They were motivating each other for the game. That may be a little radical for a worship service but the point remains the same. Our actions are to motivate each other.
B. The second concept is stimulation. In verse 24 we are instructed to “stir up” or stimulate love and good works in other believers.
Illustration: I heard about a grandmother who sought to stimulate the learning of her 4 year old grandson who was staying with her. The little boy said "Grandma, I want `unch’." She said, "You want what?" "I want `unch’." She said, "You mean, you want lunch!" "Yes, I want `unch’." Grandma said, "I’m not gong to give it to you until you say it correctly. Now, what do you want?" "I want `unch’." She said, "Say it right, what do you want?" He finally looked at her in exasperation and said, "Grandma, read my `ips’!" (Contributed to Sermon Central by Timothy Smith) Stimulating another person can be a challenge. However that is our responsibility.
Let me give you some examples of ways you can stimulate other people.
• If they are absent contact them.
• Pray for them daily.
• Be faithful to help carry the load at church!
• Be positive!
• Be an encourager!
• Be friendly!
• Be authentic!
C. The third concept is encouragement. The NKJV uses the word “exhortation.” When you exhort someone you urge or persuade them to do something.
Illustration: This is a true story. Two guys in a church, Paul and William decided that they wanted to become godly men. So they started meeting to pray and encourage one another. They set goals for themselves and their behavior, and then were accountable to each other. Paul decided he wanted to break his habit of using profanity. He decided he was going to put five dollars in the offering for every time he swore during the week. In order to stay accountable, he would tell William how many times he’d failed. The first week cost Paul $100. Now, Paul must’ve been doing ok financially, because that didn’t stop his swearing. In fact, while he improved some over the next couple weeks, he really wasn’t making much progress. He was giving away a lot of money. After the fourth week, William told Paul he had decided that the deal needed to be changed, but he wasn’t going to tell Paul how it would change. He just said, Trust me. It will cost you both less and more.¨ When they met the following Sunday before worship, Paul admitted he had failed again. William put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Paul, I told you this was going to cost you both less and more. It’s called grace." William took out his checkbook, and made out a check to the church, leaving the amount blank. He gave the check to Paul and said, "Your sin still costs, but for you it’s free. Just fill in the numbers. And next week there will be more grace." William’s grace cost him $55 the first week; the second only cost him $20. There was no third week. Paul couldn’t bear to see what his sin was costing his friend, so he quit sinning. (Contributed to Sermon Central by Mary Lewis) That is real fellowship. Fellowship becomes real when it costs you something. You must give of yourself to strengthen others. You must give of yourself in order to encourage others. That is the goal.
