Fellowship

Hebrews 10

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Is that day approaching?

I sure hope so.

There is something in the warning, "so much more" that just hangs in the air.

Perhaps it is encouragement rather than a warning.

Perhaps

Luke 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Or maybe it is a warning about the kind of days that these will be.

And how we will need each other more than ever before.

It still amazes me that the Lord would choose sinners such as we to be ministers of grace, one to another.

But that is exactly what the Lord does.

1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Much given, much required.

It is about this administering of grace, through the saints, that this teaching on fellowship is all about.

Much of the teachings of this past few weeks have been about the equipping of the saints.

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Revelation 12

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Much of what we will deal with tonight revolves around Revelation 12:11.

The blood of the Lamb identifies who we are and by what authority we have any right to claim this victory over our accuser.

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The Real Deal Meal.

1 Corinthians 11

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

The real deal, unfeigned love.

For we know that Jesus was angered and provoked to rage during His three year ministry by only two things.

Hypocrisy and defiling the temple.

Ephesians 5

1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

In verse 11 Paul said "no fellowship with the unfruitful".

In the same verse he says to reprove them.

So how is it that we are instructed to be around them, for the tares are mingled with the wheat, yet have no fellowship with them?

"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."

Fellowship is more than gathering together and sharing space and time.

More than singing together, praying together, studying together.

Philippians 2

 

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The qualifying verse is 2:1 " if any fellowship of the Spirit ".

For it matters not what we say or do if there is no agreement in the spirit, one with another.

Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

How many times have you heard brethren say, "Let us agree together…."

And no fruit is produced!

It is not the words we speak or event the intent of the heart which determines agreement.

It is in the fellowship of the spirit, in which He leads us, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure".

Psalms 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

Proverbs 8:20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

Secondly

"and by the word of their testimony;"

Who better knows the mind of a drug addict than one who has been freed from addiction?

Who has a better witness? Those who were never afflicted or those who were freed?

Luke 7:47b but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

But we have a great love because so much has been forgiven.

Is still being forgiven.

2 Corinthians 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

1 John 3

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Here again, unfeigned love.

Without hypocrisy.

When I witness new souls being added to the Kingdom, it has usually been after the witness of a believer who has been saved from the bondage of sin.

The respondent can relate because they suffer the same sin.

We are all sinners saved by grace.

There is nothing uncommon about our salvation.

Leviticus 4

 

27 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty;

28 Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.

29 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.

30 And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.

31 And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

Our prayers for the lost are those offering which our Lord receives as a sweet smelling savor.

And thirdly

"and they loved not their lives unto the death"

With the recent death of Christians being reported at the hands of Muslims and Hindus, it is easy to see the meaning of this verse.

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:

But how about if He were to require your wife or daughter be martyred?

Would you still be so trusting?

It is far easier to suffer yourself than to watch helplessly as your loved ones suffer.

And what of the sufferings of those a stranger?

Would you have as much compassion for someone who had mistreated you?

Would you offer up yourslef for someone who spitefully abused you?

Hates you?

But that is only one meaning.

The extreme meaning.

What did you lay aside tonight to be here?

Did you have other things you wanted to do?

Were you tired and just wanted to relax?

Was there a good movie coming on TV?

Were you invited to a party?

How about your quiet time?

Too busy?

Too many distractions?

Can't get away to be alone with the Lord?

How about those prayer meeting?

What kept you from going?

How about that prophetic training seminar in Kansas City?

Too far?

Cost too much?

No one else wanted to go?

John 21

21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

Luke 9

56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Often we look back to Lot's wife and see this looking back to mean not to desire the sinful life from which we fled.

But here Jesus plainly speaks of any desire of this world.

Surely there was no evil intent in attending the funeral of a loved one.

Or saying goodbye to ones family.

But I believe it goes even deeper than that.

How about that high office the Lord has placed you in?

Having been given a flock to tend.

Could you leave the 99 to find the one?

How about leaving 5,000?

The bigger the ministry, the harder it is to leave.

What do you supposed happened to men like Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Baker?

Do you suppose it at all possible that the Lord might have called them out of those large ministries years before their fall?

Can you see the possibility that their falling into sin might begin with ignoring the Lord's calling away?

That they may have desired the fame, reputation and robes more than they desired to be obedient to God's calling?

I ended up here at Availablelight.org because the Lord called me out of Alt.discuss.god-talk.chiristian at webtv.

I liked it there.

I had friends.

I had a reputation.

But the anointing left.

I couldn't stay where the Lord wasn't working.

And that is what happens when you tarry too long when the Lord has left.

The Lord's anointing turns into a work of the flesh.

Dead works.

That is the essence of the flesh.

Dead works.

Only in the spirit can fruit be produced.

Only by the nature of the Vine.

Fellowshipping is no different.

You can do it in the flesh and produce dead works.

Or

You can commune with one another in the spirit.

The reason we should gather together is multifaceted.

No one person is equipped with all the giftings.

Every person needs the help of his brethren.

The elders need our prayers just as much as we need their wisdom and guidance.

We need to be vulnerable to one another.

So what if we make a mistake every now and then.

Who better to discover those things that need correction and reproof, then those who have been wrong themselves.

And were comforted to discover the truth.

You don't always need to be the one holding it together.

Putting on a face.

We need to help one another to be able to establish trust in one another.

We are commanded to confess our sins, one to another.

How can you do that if you can't trust your brother to have your best interests at heart?

And how can you discover that in another, or even in yourself.

If you don't gather together.

Do you think it fair that 2 or 3 go to war and the rest of us wave them farewell and good luck?

We have already studied the lessons on that.

Do we provoke the Lord?

Or do we stand in the gap.

Armed and ready for war.

You know Ephesians 6.

You know of the spiritual armor.

Did you know it is putting on Christ?

Love covers a multitude of sins.

The time would be better spent do battle against the enemy.

My first teaching was on the purpose of sin.

Now we have come full circle.

Be Holy.

Abstain for sin.

Cling to the cross of Christ.

So that the Holy Spirit might go forth into battle.

Taking it to the enemy.

We are an army.

But only if we fellowship in the spirit.

Amen