Fellowship in The Faith

The speaker emphasizes the importance of fellowship among believers, particularly fellowship based on faith. They highlight the need for unity, love, and support within the faith community. They discuss various scriptures that emphasize the significance of fellowship in the faith and how it impacts our relationship with God and one another. The speaker also touches on the role of fellowship in prayer, accountability, and guarding against deception. Overall, the message emphasizes the power and purpose of fellowship in the faith and encourages believers to actively participate in building up and supporting one another. Well, hello to everyone. It's really good to be at another session with you and here in Ohio where I'm at, we're getting into some warmer weather and it's dry, but certainly on the Sabbath here, we all look forward to the Sabbath and being able to see the brethren and fellowship and study God's word and be with the fellowship we have with God and Christ. And that's all we're going to be talking about today. And the message is fellowship. But the fellowship we're going to be talking about is a fellowship that we should be having that's based on faith, the fellowship in the faith. And, you know, we'll start by asking the question, how important is our fellowship as brothers and sisters in Christ? How important is that? We know it's much needed. And as mentioned there in the opening prayer, we see more and more evil going on in this world as we get closer to end times. And we know that's going to be happening. It's talked about in God's word. So the brethren and what we mean to each other in our fellowship is so important. But again, is our fellowship in the faith? Is that where our fellowship lies? So that's what we'll be talking about in this message. So if you would, let's turn back with me to Romans. We're going to see what Paul wrote here in Romans, the first chapter. Romans 1, verse 11, it says, For I'm longing to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift in order that you may be established. And we know that's what Paul's motivation was as he loved God's people and loved God and Christ. When he visited or when he wrote, there was things that he wanted to give to them for their edification, that they would be more established in God and Christ. And he goes on to say here that I may be comforted together with you through the faith in each one of us, both yours and mine. So Paul writes here plainly, he needed comforted. And so do all the brethren with each other. But, you know, this comfort we look for is based on, as Paul said here, the faith in each of us. And we do get comfort from one another. And what is this faith? Well, it's something we know that we receive from Christ. And we'll talk about that in just a little bit. Now, let's go back to what Paul wrote to Timothy. You go back to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy 1, in verse 4 and 5, here's what Paul says. He says, as I recall your tears, I am longing to see you so that I may be filled with joy when I remember the unfeigned faith that is in you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. And I am convinced that it dwells in you also. So this unfeigned faith, it's a genuine faith, isn't it? It's a sincere faith. Let's go back to 1 John, 1 John, the first chapter, and we'll just talk again about fellowship, what fellowship should be. So 1 John 1, we're going to start in verse 1. John writing here, he says, that which flows from the beginning, that which we have heard and that which we have seen with our own eyes, that which we observed for ourselves and our own hands handled concerning the word of life. And sometimes as we read the Gospels and we read also in Acts where it talks about the apostles, you get a really good idea of what the relationship was like between the apostles and Jesus Christ and the time they physically spent with him before he was crucified. So they had that personal experience, that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As we read on here, it says, and the life was manifested and we have seen in our bearing witness and are reporting to you the eternal life, which was with the father. And it was manifested to us. That which we have seen and have heard, we are reporting to you in order that you may also have fellowship with us. So that fellowship that they had with Christ, they wanted us to their writings to understand that fellowship, that we could have the same fellowship with God and Jesus Christ and with each other. For the fellowship, indeed, our fellowship is with the father and his own son, Jesus Christ. And in these things, we are also writing to you that your joy may be completely full. So that was the purpose of the writing, that our joy may be full, understanding this fellowship that we have. It's the same fellowship that they had with Jesus Christ is the fellowship that we have with them and one another. It was established. You know, when you think about the God and Jesus Christ themselves, the fellowship they have with one another now. And the fellowship they had when they were together as both God's Elohim. Before the Lord God emptied himself and became Jesus Christ, the fellowship they had then. Well, it's the same fellowship. And we'll read about that in a little bit. And that fellowship they have, God and Jesus Christ, there is no darkness at all in that fellowship. It's a true fellowship in faith. Let's go back to Jude and see what Jude writes. In Jude, and we're going to read verse three, he said, Beloved, when personally exerting all my diligence to write to you concerning the common salvation, and that's what we have today as brethren, this common salvation that we look forward to, that we're in this part of life now is physical life where we're in conversion after we entered into covenant. But this common salvation it talked about here, I was compelled to write to you, exhorting you to fervently fight for the faith, which once for all time has been delivered to the saints. So we're to fight for it. You know, it was delivered. This faith that we have, it wasn't something we derived, was it, or something man came up with. No, it was something that was, again, established and delivered to us, and it's required of us. This faith, as we're going to read here, that Jesus Christ had is required of us. So yes, the expectation is we fervently fight for that faith that's been delivered to us as saints. Let's go back to Galatians, the second chapter, and we'll see what Paul writes about faith in the life we live, the life we need to be living according to faith. Galatians 2, in verse 20, he says, I have been crucified with Christ, and we know that's through baptism, through that covenant death that Paul entered into and likewise we entered into. But he says, yet I live just as we do. Indeed, he goes on to say here, it is no longer I, but Christ lives in me. For the life that I am now living in the flesh, I live by faith, that very faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So yes, we know we have God and Jesus Christ within us, but that is the faith, the very faith of Jesus Christ that we should be living. Let's go back to now Hebrews, the 13th chapter. So again, this faith that we have, this faith that we live, this faith that we fellowship in, we live by Christ. We live by the very faith that Jesus Christ has. And we read about that in his word. So Hebrews 13, verse 7, it says here, to remember your leaders who have spoken the word of God to you, considering the outcome of their conduct and imitate their faith. So yes, we should imitate those who lead well, but based on their faith. But hopefully all of us set the right example, right in the church of God, where those who see us, those who fellowship with us, see that very same faith also. And hopefully we get strength from one another in this and we imitate one another in this faith. It goes on to say here that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. And we'll just read the beginning of verse 9, it says, do not be carried away by all kinds of strange doctrines. And we'll talk about a little bit about that later. But staying in the faith, this again, this faith of Christ helps us not to stray away with different doctrines. I want to go back now, if you would, to Psalm 133. There is a way that we should dwell with one another. So back in Psalm 133, it says here, I'm just going to read verse 1, behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, right? Explanation mark there. It's a pretty bold, sound statement. So what is this unity that we need to dwell in? You might say this fellowship that we need to be dwelling in. Well, if we go on to read the next couple of verses there, it says it's like this special ointment here, this precious ointment that was put upon the head of Aaron, his beard. It's like the dew of Hermon, the mountain there. So when we look at some of these things and what it's equated to, the brethren and their fellowship and their dwelling together in unity, we know it's a spiritual thing, isn't it? It's something that's been designed by God. This fellowship we have, it's holy. You could say it has a special purpose, right? And it brings, ultimately it brings life, being able to dwell together in this way. So brethren, we, in our fellowship with one another, it is very impactful and it has a spiritual purpose that God intended for it to have. Let's go back to Ephesians 4, and while we're talking about unity and unity we need as brethren, let's kind of laid out what this unity is, what it's based on and what it includes back in Ephesians, the fourth chapter. So let's go back there to Ephesians 4. And we're going to start out in verse 1, it says, therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord and exhorting you to walk worthily of the calling to which you were called. Now that's a lifetime event there, to learn to walk worthily of this calling, considering we have Jesus Christ as an elder brother that we are to be like and to be imitators of and to build the mind of. So yeah, this takes a lot of work and effort on our part to, after this calling, this covenant that we entered into, to walk in this manner. It says, goes on to say here, with all humility and meekness, with long suffering and forbearing one another in love. It says, be diligent to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, even as you are also called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all, who is over all and through all and in you all. So we look at all the things here that we have through God and Jesus Christ that really should unify us, right, as brethren, as God's people. But probably the most important thing is what we read there at the end is God in us, in you all. So that should really sound up our fellowship. And as we're talking about this message, but it's based on faith, this very faith of Jesus Christ. Well, as we move on, do we consider what we do for one another as brethren? Do we think about, again, we've used the word impact in this message, but how we impact one another, what our jobs or what our purpose is in serving and loving one another, being an example to one another, comforting one another, edifying one another. Do we think about that in our fellowship? Because we do have that ability and it's through God's power in us, the power of God's spirit working within us to be able to do this. Let's go back to Proverbs 17. I'm going to read verse 17. It says, A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Well, can we apply that to us, to God's children? Well, I think we can, because we're all friends to one another. And we're certainly friends of Jesus Christ, right? That's what Christ said. He doesn't call us serpents, he calls us friends, right? If we obey him and follow him, we're his friends, right? And he reveals a lot to us, him and God to follow. So we can think of being born, you know, we've not been born again by no means, we're still in this physical flesh, but we've been begotten by the seed of God, the Holy Spirit, as brothers and sisters in Christ. So there is a lot we do for one another, brethren, as we look at this scripture. We help each other in adversity. We're there to love one another. Let's go back and see kind of a similar principle here explained in Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 4, and we're going to look at verse 9 of Ecclesiastes 4. It says, two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he does not have another to help him. Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth. But how can one be warm alone? And a man may prevail against him who is alone, yet two shall withstand him. And their three-fourth cold is not quickly broken. So again, what can we do to help one another? And, you know, Jesus Christ talked about there in Matthew 18, he says, you know, where two or more are gathered, he's there with us, right? He's in the midst of us when we're together. So yes, the ability we have to help one another, brethren, in our fellowship is very important. It's powerful. Let's go back now to Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10, and we're going to talk about, we know this verse, it talks about what we again do for one another, but Hebrews 10 and in verse 22, it says here, let us approach God with a true heart and full conviction of faith. Our hearts having been purified from a wicked conscience and our bodies haven't been washed with pure water. So, you know, after baptism, brethren, you know, entering into the cabinet, that's how we can approach God, full of conviction in the faith, right? We can have confidence. We can have boldness then to approach God because we are reconciled to him through the blood of Jesus Christ. We should feel this way, have this confidence, and that's how we should be able to approach one another in the very same way. Goes on to say here, let us hold fast without wavering to the hope that we profess for he who promised is faithful. And let us be concerned about one another and be stirring up one another and to love in the good works. Again, when we get together, this is what we do for one another. We stir each other up. But as we'll continue on through the message, it has to be in the faith. We can't be doing these things outside of the faith. Let's go back to Galatians 5. Galatians 5, verse 13, it says, For you have been called unto freedom, brethren. You do not use this freedom for an occasion to the flesh, rather serve one another with love. And that's how we are to be. You know, we do have this freedom, this understanding through the calling again and God's spirit dwelling within us that others don't have. But as Paul admonishes here, use it. Use it to serve one another with love, right? Verse 14, For the whole law is fulfilled in this commandment, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you divide, bite and devour one another, watch out lest you be consumed by one another. So certainly, we want to continue doing what we're doing and love one another in the faith. Well, sometimes we, as we fellowship with one another, we hold each other accountable. Now, let's go back to Jude and look on this and see what Jude writes. In Jude 20, he said, But you, beloved, be building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. And that's how we are to pray through God's spirit dwelling in us. And we know it talks about there, right, in Romans 8, about how the spirit works within us and it groans within us. It speaks things for us through our prayers to God, but we already be building ourselves up in our prayers in this manner so that you keep yourselves in the love of God while personally awaiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and to eternal life. Now on the one hand, it says show mercy to those individuals who are doubting. But on the other hand, save others with fear, snatching them out of the fire, hating even the garments that have been defiled by the flesh. So what I want to bring out here, brethren, when we fellowship in faith, in the faith, the things that have been delivered to us, the truth. It helps us to be able to do these things with one another, to point out problems, to show love to those sometimes who are doubting and have mercy, but at other times, maybe to pull somebody out of the fire. But if we have a lot of different things going on within the body of Christ, it's harder to do this. So that's why it is important that we stay in the faith, all of us, as we spend time together and fellowship together, very vital, or we can't do this the way it needs to be done. Oh, it affects even our prayers. Let's go back and see what is written in James, the fifth chapter, James 5 in verse 14. We know this is talking about sickness and getting anointings. It says, Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him after anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And it says here, In the prayer of faith shall save the sick one, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. It goes on to say here, though, but confess your faults to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. For the supplication of a righteous man prevails much being effective. So how much more effective are we with one another in our prayers? Again, if it's done through faith, our faith, the faith that we have, the faith that we share, even talks about here being able to confide and talk to one another, confess faults to one another. That might not mean that we tell everyone about our problems and issues, but, you know, within the body of Christ, we do have those we draw close to, maybe at times we share things with that we need help with, that we need encouragement with, that we need prayers for. Right. So being in the faith and doing this in a right way helps these things and helps our prayers and helps us to pray better in a different way. Well, we've got to be on guard and help each other in deception, too, because deception is coming and deception is now. Let's go back to Matthew 20, 24, and Christ talks about this. Matthew 24. The verse 4 says that Jesus answered, said to them, be on guard so that no one deceives you, for many shall come in my name saying, I am the Christ and they shall deceive many. And then while we're here, 21 through 24, it says, for then shall be great tribulation, such has not been from the beginning of the world until this time, nor shall be again. And if those days are not limited, then there would no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake, those days shall be limited. Then if anyone says to you, behold, here is the Christ or or he is there, do not believe it. For there shall arise false Christ and false prophets, and they shall present great signs and wonders in order to deceive. And he goes on to say, if possible, even the elect. So we look out for one another and these things are now these things are occurring now, and I'm not talking about what we see out in the world, there's a lot of deception out in the world. There's a lot of things that are going on within the churches and are going to continue to go on. But. If we're in the faith, all of us strong in the faith. In the truth, in our beliefs, we can help one another to watch out for these things. To point these things out when we see them. Because again, we're brothers and sisters. Now, a brother and sister, as we read back, there is born for adversity and we're going to face a lot of adversity and a lot of problems. Our fellowship we have with one another, we can help one another with this and we will. We are all of us, as we talked about the faith of Jesus Christ, that in us. We all need to be growing up into Christ. Into Christ is. Go back to Ephesians four. Ephesians four and verse 15. It says, beholding the truth and love. They and all things grow up into him who was the head, even Christ, so that's again what we're growing up into is being like Christ. From whom all the body fitly framed and compacted together by that which every joint supplies according to it, to its inner working in the measure of each individual part is making the increase of the body into the edifying of itself in love. Well, there's a lot said there in that verse, isn't it, that how this works within the body of Christ. You know. The body of Christ grows and develops within itself and all of us play our part in that. If we're fit into it. But again, as we're bringing out this message, it has to be done. In the faith. Not outside of that. Or this won't be working. So then I declare and testify this in the Lord that you are no longer to walk, even as the rest of the Gentiles are walking in the vanity of their minds. So we can maybe think about this as ourselves, or do we walk in any of these ways? Having their understandings darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardness of their hearts. So hopefully we're not that way. You know, our minds aren't that way. Our minds are trying to be like Christ's mind and we are walking in the light. Not a hardened heart, but a softened heart, a circumcised heart. They have cast off all feelings and have given themselves up to licentiousness to work every uncleanness with insatiable desire. But you have not so learned Christ. Because that's not who Christ is. If indeed you have heard him and have been taught him according to the truth in Jesus. Faith is faith. That concerning your former conduct, you put off the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And then you put on the new man, which, according to God, is created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. And Brethren, that's what we strive to do all the time is put off this old man who we were and be a new person, a new man. That's created in righteousness. Holiness and truth. Therefore, let each one put away lies and speak the truth with his neighbor because we are members of one another. Well, what's that talking about there when we're together as God's people? Do we have this problem? Is there something going on with us, within us, we're bringing something that shouldn't be there, as it says here, put away lies, put away the things that aren't of God and Jesus Christ, put away the things that shouldn't be in our fellowship in this faith. But we speak the truth of one another, right? Why? Because we're members of one another. We're members of the same body. So these are things to be mindful of because this has to be our fellowship needs. We need to be on guard. With one another. We're going to be turning back to John 7, if you'll turn back to John 7 with me. In the churches of God, and I'll just say this, we don't base. Our fellowship in the church of God on certain things, we may find that we have in common. And sometimes we see that. A fellowship that's based on what, well, let's get together and let's. Think about and focus on what we do have in common and things we don't have in common. We won't dwell on those things. Let's just look for what we have in common. Is that right? Well, no, that's not correct. That's not what our faith should be. Our faith should be complete and whole in one another. We don't we don't pick and choose what we fellowship and dwell together in. We don't look at things that are the faith of men that come from men or derives from men. This faith that we have came from Jesus Christ. It was delivered. It was established. We didn't invent it or come up with it. So these are things we have to be on guard of. But it's written here in John 7, verse 14, he said, but then after that, then about the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and was teaching and the Jews were amazed, saying, how does this man know letters having never been schooled? Well, we know who Jesus Christ was taught by. Right. We read that back in Isaiah. He was taught every day in the morning. By God, the father. Jesus answered then and said, my doctrine is not mine. But he who sent me. So when we think about the doctrines, brethren, the doctrines came from God and Jesus Christ. Yes, we can say there's doctrines, churches, the churches have doctrines. They do. But the churches didn't invent the doctrines. God and Jesus Christ, they're the ones that brought the doctrines to us. If anyone desires to do his will, he shall know of the doctrine. Whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own self, the one who speaks of himself is seeking his own glory. But he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true and there is no unrighteousness in him. So Jesus Christ is true. He received instruction from God, the doctrine from God. But there are those who speak of themselves. And so we have to be on guard for that because the ones that speak of themselves. Or maybe those in groups that speak of themselves and what they're doing may not necessarily be in line with what God and Jesus Christ teach in the doctrine, they may be speaking for their own glory. So in our fellowship, Brethren, it can never be that way. It has to be for the glory of God and Jesus Christ continual. Let's go back to what John also wrote in Second John, if you'll turn back there with me to Second John. Second John, verses one and two, he says the other to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth. And not I alone, but also all those who have known the truth, though this is written to the church. For the sake of the truth that is dwelling in us and shall be with us forever. Right. So. Paul or John here is talking about the truth, the truth that we have and we receive that dwells within the body of Christ. How important that is. Let's go on to. Verse eight, he says, now, watch out for yourselves in order that we may not lose the things we have accomplished. But we may receive a full reward, so we've got to be on the watch out. At all times. Because we have accomplished a lot. Think about that and a lot of people have been in God's church for a long time and have accomplished a lot. But just because we've been in the church a long time. Doesn't mean that at some point things can't creep in and maybe creep into ourselves, but we need to be on guard for this again. We want to receive a full reward. Anyone who transgresses and does not continue in the doctrine of Christ does not have God, but the one who continues in the doctrine of Christ has both the father and the son. So we'll finish up here. Ten and eleven, it says, if anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house and say to him, welcome. For anyone who says welcome to him is partaking in his evil works. Well, I'll just say that any doctrine that's not been delivered by Christ, we shouldn't be receiving into our fellowship. You know, we need to be putting those things out, can't be a part of us, right, in our true fellowship of faith. Let's go back to first Corinthians 14. Now, we know at the Corinthian church, there was several things were going on, and Paul loved the Corinthian church, and as we read earlier, his purpose was to try to deliver, which he did, the message of God and Jesus Christ to them to help them in their conversion, to help them to have a better understanding, to sometimes also correct. Which he did with this church. But he says here in verse four, first Corinthians 14, 26. He says, what is it, brethren, when you assemble together, each of you has a song, has a doctrine, has a language, has a revelation or has an interpretation that all things be done for edification. So, you know, we need to be on guard for this because a lot of times we've seen this. Those come in with a lot of different things they want to bring in and present to the brethren, but they may not necessarily be of the faith. But we got to be on guard for that. Watch out for that and help one another in these things when we see this. Verse 33, just we'll read here, it says, For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. So a lot of these things can bring in confusion and cause divisions and stripes among God's people. So, again, we need to be on guard for this because God is the God of peace and our fellowship certainly needs to be that of peace. So let's go ahead and we'll conclude in Philippians. In Philippians 3. Verse 8. It says, But then truly I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as dumb, that I may gain Christ. And hopefully we all feel that way. And a lot of us came from different backgrounds. But you know what? We were involved in the past and who we were in the past, what maybe we accomplished in the past. A lot of people in the church accomplished a lot of things, but those things are past. And now we look to this calling we have and this knowledge and understanding we have now. We look to gain Christ now continually. It says, And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is derived from law, but the righteousness which is by the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God that is based on faith. And that's what we all should be striving for now, is this faith that comes from God and Jesus Christ. The righteousness that's been imputed to us. That's where our fellowship is. Going on to verse 14. Says, I press towards the goal of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. So then let as many be perfect be of this mind. And if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, in regard to that which we have attained, let us walk by the same rule and let us be of the same mind. So brethren, we'll just conclude there by saying this is the fellowship that we should have. All of us walking by the same rule. All of us walking by the same mind, the very mind of Jesus Christ. This is the fellowship that we need to have in the faith.