Christian Fellowship I Jn. 1:3
INTRO.: Once at an area meeting, I invited a choir from a congregation of another Church to sing. They did a very good job, but a fellow preacher who attended took exception to bringing in "outsiders" to sing. He felt moved to write me a very strong letter, soundly chastising me. Of course, I wasn’t convinced I had done any wrong and considered it a difference of opinion.
But, he had the right idea in writing a letter. That’s what the Apostles of Jesus did when they wanted to correct an error. The only difference is they were inspired by the Holy Spirit and knew what they were writing about. He didn’t, at least in my opinion.
Today, we begin a study of a letter written by an Apostle of Jesus. It was written to correct errors that were causing a serious disruption in the early Church. It is the first Epistle of John, tucked away very near the end of the New Testament. It was written about 90 AD from the city of Ephesus and was intended to be read to the churches of the surrounding area.
John’s letter deals with subjects dear to our hearts; righteousness, moral purity, eternal life, love for God and man, prayer, and the deity of Christ.
In John’s day, the Church was troubled by the Gnostic heresy. It said all material things are evil and the only thing good is the spirit. This led to a complete separation between religious activities and everyday life. Differences of opinion as to how this was to be worked out in daily life caused quarrels. Of course, they couldn’t accept the idea that God, who is a Spirit, could live in a body, which is evil. This led to arguments as to how the incarnation was to be interpreted.
All this is to say, the Church was divided and John’s letter is sent to unite the Church once again and restore fellowship. So, he begins by addressing the issue of fellowship. Let’s look at fellowship from God’s point of view as expressed through John the Apostle:
I. What is Christian fellowship at it’s very heart? Not the name of a meal, It is sharing in a common life. We are "fellow" Christians. It’s essentials include:
A. Allegiance to Christ: I John 1:3
1. We remain in fellowship with Him if we "continue in Him." 2:28
2. Being confident and unashamed at His return is the goal of our lives and fellowship.
3. There is no fellowship with the dead. Therefore, if one does not believe in Christ, we cannot have fellowship with Him. Our fellowship, like our life, is in Christ.
B. Joy. John is writing to restore fellowship and thus restore joy to himself and those who read and heed his letter. 1:4
1. Have you ever noticed when you worship with a church where there are interpersonal problems, you can sense it almost immediately. It’s because there is no joy. The fellowship has been disrupted.
2. When we have real joy in our fellowship, we can’t help sharing it.
3. The Ethiopian "went on his way rejoicing" after accepting Christ as Savior. No doubt he took that joy to all he met. He had found fellowship with God and Christ. Acts 8:39
4. "rejoice in the Lord!" (Phil. 3:1) It’s a mark of our fellowship.
C. Forgiveness. I John 1:7. Fellowship is coupled with forgiveness that comes to us only through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice.
1. If we are honest, we know we need God’s forgiveness all through our lives. It is not a "one time need" met when we accept Christ as Savior.
2. Sometimes we are loathe to accept back a Christian who has sinned and repented.
3. But, we need to remember, we also stand in need of God’s forgiveness. That doesn’t mean we condone sin or act as if it never happened. It means we forgive the truly penitent.
II. The enemies of our fellowship:
A. Worldliness: I John 1:15-17
1. If we allow ourselves to become enamored of wealth, comfort, and power, we will disrupt the fellowship.
2. I know of one congregation that split over whether to put pews or chairs in the new sanctuary. The issues of comfort and preference were so important the fellowship was destroyed.
3. I met a man who was so proud of his business accomplishment he felt no one in the Church was worthy of being called a peer. He left the fellowship because of pride. Worldliness and pride always disrupt fellowship.
B. Rebellion against God: John does not want his readers to sin. 2:1
1. Making the body evil and the spirit good leads to many sins of self-indulgence. That was a problem in John’s day.
2. We cannot deny sin or excuse it in the name of Christian love. We must go to Jesus, our advocate and find forgiveness.
3. Obviously, when Christians sin it reflects on the Church. The fellowship is disrupted and destroyed if we don’t repent and seek forgiveness.
C. In John’s day, as in ours, fellowship is interrupted by death. For that reason, he reassures them of eternal life: 5:13
1. The Church was two and three generations old and some dear members had died.
2. Even our congregation is older than the New Testament Church was when John wrote. No doubt our attrition has been greater than theirs. How we miss those who are with the Lord!
3. But, the fellowship is interrupted, not destroyed. Here is John’s testimony from God: "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (5:11)
III. The traits we should cultivate as "fellow Christians":
A. Righteousness: doing what is right: I John 3:6, 7
1. Some in John’s day believed you could do whatever you want if you only hold the correct beliefs. He warns, "Do not let anyone lead you astray." 3:7
2. The sincerity of one’s religion is shown in what he does. If you really believe, your faith will affect your lifestyle.
B. Obedience to God’s commands: I John 2:3, 4
1. It isn’t enough just to know, or even to believe, the Truth.
2. Every Biblical example of saving faith shows faith means nothing unless translated into obedient action.
3. John has some very harsh words about the disobedient in verse 4. He is a liar if he says he knows God and can neither enjoy nor share God’s love.
C. Love for God and our fellow Christians: I John 5:1
1. This is not just a mushy feeling. It involves serving others ahead of self.
2. It means a sharing of burdens, even to the point of sacrifice. 3:16, 17
3. It includes intercessory prayer, especially for those who sin. 5:16
4. Christian love is based on the foundation of love for God: I John 5:1.
CONC.: Claude and Evelyn Likins were missionaries to Japan. Claude had just baptized a young girl and Evelyn was assisting. When the girl came up out of the water, the first thing she said to Evelyn was "Now we are sisters."
That’s what Christian fellowship is all about. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We share a common life; the life of God.
