What is Fellowship?

Ephesians 2:19-22

1. With God, consisting in the knowledge of His will (Job 22:21; John 17:3); agreement with Hs designs (Amos 3:2); mutual affection (Romans 8:38, 39); enjoyment of His presence (Psalm 4:6); agreement to His image (1John 2:6; 1John 1:6); and participation of His felicity (1John 1:3, 4; Ephesians 3:14-21). 2. With one another, in duties (Romans 12:5; 1Corinthians 12:1; 1Thessalonians 5:17, 18); in ordinances (Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:46); in grace, love, joy, etc. (Malachi 3:16; 2 Corinthians 8:4); mutual interest, spiritual and temporal (Romans 12:4, 13; Hebrews 13:16); in sufferings (Romans 15:1-2; Galatians 6:1, 2; Romans 12:15); and in glory (Revelation 7:9).

FELLOWSHIPToday, however, we often view fellowship as what we do after the service. That maybe called having a chat in a gardening club, but it falls far short of fellowship according to biblical Christian fellowship is TWO dimensional, and it has to be straight up before it can be straight to others.

1. We must have a relationship to God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ before we can know the reality of fellowship with each other. Jesus is the very glue that holds this unique family together. 2. The church is to be a family. Its unity does not come from organization, or ritual, or tradition; it comes from Christ. Where Christ is, there is the Church. The Church is a home where the Spirit of Christ can dwell and where all who love Christ can meet in that Spirit.

RELATIONSHIPFellowship means we belong to

each other in a relationship because we share together the common life and empowering

grace of Jesus Christ. This is fellowship in the vertical.

Our common bond is Jesus Christ, His grace and His mercy. Fellowship is first the sharing together in a common life with other believers through relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Fellowship is first and foremost a relationship, rather than an activity. The principle is that any activity that follows should come out of the relationship.

PARTNERSHIPIs about a PARTNERSHIP, TOGETHERNESS. In the book of Acts the church was fellowshipping not just at worship services but also day to day in their homes. Paul says that we are together God’s family and that we are being built together. To do that you have to spend time with each other.

In spending time together you learn to CARE for each other in a giving and receiving, at various times we will be one or the other, sometimes both at the same time. You will need to minister to someone and be ministered to. This is fellowship in the horizontal.

COMPANIONSHIPAnd it is finally about COMPANIONSHIP. Companionship involves communion and communication; interchange, intimacy, sharing and receiving. In our communion with the Lord, we need to listen to His voice and respond in obedience. And then communion with each other. God has created us to be dependent people, dependent on Him and on one another.

There is no substitute for “going to church and worshiping with others of like faith.”What does it require of you as a family member, in order to foster that family relationship? God’s family has some responsibility to and with one another:

Fellowship

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