“The neighborhood bar is possibly the best counterfeit there is to the fellowship Christ wants to give his church. It’s an imitation; dispensing liquor instead of grace, escape rather than reality. But it is a permissive, accepting, and inclusive fellowship. It is unshockable; it is democratic. You can tell people secrets and they usually don’t tell others, or want to.”
— Bruce Larson
The sermons this month are focusing on “Fellowship.” That doesn’t mean we are exchanging recipes for potluck suppers or sponsoring game nights at the building. True Christian Fellowship is a very deep, very intimate relationship with a vertical and a horizontal dimension. The vertical relationship describes walking with God and the horizontal relationship describes our intimate relationship with each other.
Fellowship provides us with security. Just consider the apostles, Peter and John – ordinary fishermen – as they stood before the highest court in the land. Because they knew God, they knew where they stood. They were secure and that security led to boldness. The Sanhedrin was amazed at their courage (Acts 4)! Likewise the Apostle Paul boldly appeared before the Roman emperor Nero because he was secure in his fellowship with God (2 Timothy 4:16, 17).
Fellowship provides us with a place to grow. Good friends encourage us to be better. Diets are easier when they are shared with caring friends who will hold you accountable. That encouragement leads to growth. Paul told the Thessalonians, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit… test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil,” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-22).
Finally, fellowship provides us with a place to practice love. On the night before he was crucified Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John 13:34, 35).