"Christians may certainly congregate and be together but may not be
in fellowship." How true that statement is depends on what we understand
Christian Fellowship to be. The Bible contains many teachings on the basis,
meaning and expression of Christian Fellowship.
"That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3). Here the verse points to the fact that true Christian fellowship is determined through one's relationship with God. God is the initiator of Christian fellowship and we need to learn from Him first of all.
In Hebrew 10:24-25 the writer calls fellow believers to commit themselves
to fellowship and to make fellowship their habit. The Apostle Paul in Ephesians
4:25 calls all Christians to be accountable and responsible in their relationship
and their manner of life.
Unfortunately, the true meaning of Christian fellowship has been whitewashed and turned into meetings of no substance, no edification and fruitlessness. We hear of some ladies' meetings turn into gossip sessions hidden in the name of concern and intercession. Fellowship time is meant to build one another up in the Lord and not to tear someone down into shred and cause division in the church. True Christian fellowship is quick to encourage one another and it speaks truthfully to one who needs to hear the truth. Admonishing and rebuking an errant brethren is part of Christian fellowship, but it needs to be done discretely and gently (most of the time) with the purpose of restoration to God. (Gal 6:1).
A one to one kind of fellowship can be found in the form of a bosom buddy or in a disciple-disciple relationship. Here we have 2 or 3 persons who just happen to clique and have no qualms about sharing their thoughts and feelings knowing that they will not be misunderstood. It can be dangerous when the relationship becomes too subjective where we see the lack of true honesty when it comes to correcting the other person. The problem comes in when this small clique becomes exclusive and others are not welcomed to fellowship with them.
Positively this kind of situation can be spiritually edifying when they
allow spiritual accountability be an objective of their relationship. They
encourage each other to grow spiritually and they can pray more specifically
for each other.
Very often we leave the sharing of biblical truths to certain groups of people like church pastors, elders or leaders. The rest of us would simply remain passive listeners. There is a place for us to be quietly listening to preaching and teaching and there are times where we ought to be ready to share biblical truths.
Sharing biblical truths comes with preparation and practice. It is not something that comes naturally to us. Firstly we must let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us in all wisdom (Col 3:16). This means we are to be devoted and diligent in reading and studying God's Word. The wisdom of God will then enable us to know how to apply His Word into our lives and as we see it working we cannot but share it with others. There are many ways we can share His Word, for instance we could share it though a hymn or through just sharing it in your Bible study group or with your bosom friend.
The fruits of sharing biblical truths in fellowship are many. People will be encouraged, comforted, strengthened and ultimately giving praise to God the Father (Col 3:17).
One of the questions that pops up in our minds when we consider what we ought to share on more personal matter would be, "How vulnerable a position would I be if I were to share especially of my failure or weakness?" It is not wrong to feel that way. But are we to share these? The Bible does speak of confessing our sins to one another in James 5:16. Our sins sometimes need to be confessed firstly to God and there will be times they need to be confessed to another or to some only that they may pray, intercede and help bring restoration. The fellowship group will be wise not to mention the personal sharing indiscriminately to other members. Be trustworthy!.
In sharing of ourselves in the area of need and when undergoing crisis it would and ought to lead one to experience empathy, comfort and encouragement. In fellowship we are called to bear one another's burdens and thus fulfil the law of Christ (Gal 6:2). Be wary of being judgmental. Be a good listener, empathize and show compassion like Christ our Lord.
Christian fellowship involves Christian service. The attitude of a Christian
servant should be submissive. In Eph 5:21, the Apostle Paul urges the early
Christians to be "submitting to one another in the fear of God". For pride
and dogmatism are destructive to fellowship. The servant of God must be
faithful, available and teachable. He must be responsible and accountable
for what he does. He must be ready to share and give account for what he
is doing and what he plans to do. We are Body of Christ as the Apostle
Paul so appropriately puts across.
Christian fellowship without prayer is like an arm without its muscles for therein lies its strength. When we gather together to fellowship we must pray because prayers can humble and guide us. It is in prayer that we acknowledge our dependence upon the Giver of prayer. He gives us the strength and wisdom to exercise Christian fellowship.
I find that attending church prayer meetings are good times of fellowshipping
with brothers and sisters in the Lord. In coming together to pray we share
what God has done for us and we share the needs of the church as well as
our own. After we have brought our needs before the Lord, our Christian
fellowship is complete. It is dangerous just to share needs and concerns
without laying them at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christian fellowship
is strengthened when we share and pray together.
Do you know true Christian fellowship and are you experiencing it now?