Fellowship

​Our culture is more populated than ever before. Sadly, large numbers of our citizens feel lonely, isolated and alone.

​Secular and Christian based surveys reveal that loneliness is the number one personal concern for Americans. Anxiety/stress ranks number two. Depression number three. Currently in America, just over 50% of our people live alone. This number includes not married yet but want to be. Single by choice. Divorced. Widowed.
Often in crisis counseling I hear the words “I feel so alone.”
The first thing our Creator told Adam in the Garden of Eden (after He directed the first human to cultivate the land, eat its fruit, but not to eat fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:15-17) was that it was not good for man to alone. (Genesis 2:18).
Loneliness was not God’s plan for man. Being alone is not a good thing. So, God created Eve. Adam was an incredibly happy boy when his eyes fastened upon a beautiful, unclothed woman! I heard a man or two reading this say AMEN!
The antidote for loneliness in the body of Christ, the church, is FELLOWSHIP.
Throughout my forty-plus years of pastoral ministry, I have been asked countless times “Pastor Steve, what is Christian fellowship.” My response:” Fellowship is two fellows in the same ship!” Christians sailing, not solo, but together, on the sea of faith.
TWO FELLOWS IN THE SAME SHIP. The word fellowship appears fifteen times in the New Testament. Acts 2:41-47 is God’s blueprint for Christian fellowship. Study the entire passage. Meditate on it. Then evaluate your fellowship experience/practices according to the New Testament church experience.
“And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to FELLOWSHIP, and to the breaking of bread and prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were TOGETHER (in the same boat!) and had all things in common. And they began selling their property and possessions, and sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
 And continuing day by day, with one mind in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house, taking their meals together (Many fellows in the same ship!) with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Multitudes of new fellows in the same ship!).
The New Testament Christians were not Lone Rangers. Mavericks. They were a band of born-again, Holy Spirit empowered, joyful, bold gunslingers for Jesus Christ, praising God for His goodness and the opportunity to win lost sinners to Christ. First generation Christians did the above together. They even went to jail together. Fellowshipped behind bars. Incredible!
FELLOWSHIP! OUR FIRST BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST DID IT TOGETHER.
Today, 2024, Christian fellowship is about Christ’s followers worshipping together. Praising the Lord together. Praying together. Preaching, teaching and studying the Word together. Serving the Lord together. Caring for each other together. Sharing meals together. Ministering to and meeting the needs of people together. Fighting the good fight of faith together. Standing against Satan together. Reaching the lost together.
TOGETHER…IN THE SAME BOAT!!!
Random Thoughts Regarding Christian Fellowship

• Christian fellowship is based on our relationships with Jesus Christ. A Christian’s fellowship is with Jesus and with each other. You and I need Him. We need each other as we await His glorious return.
• Hebrews 10:23-25 sternly warns believers in Christ to not forsake the assembly of the saints. Do not stay away from the ship folks!
• You and I must fellowship with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to experience a mutually fulfilling, satisfying, biblical relationship with God and His people.
• The fellowship factor is vital to spiritual growth, maturity and unity. Those who drop out of fellowship with Christians inevitably become carnal, worldly folks whose eyes are no longer on the prize. Staying away from fellow Christians they lose their way.  
• Fellowship fortifies and strengthens our faith. Weak, worldly minded, non-committed Christians avoid fellowship like it is a plague or something.
• Satan is a pick-off expert. His chief strategy: deceive, Isolate and destroy. I have seen it hundreds and hundreds of times. Christians drop out of fellowship, DRIFTING away from Jesus and the body of Christ. Picked off by the enemy of their soul.

 

• Two fellows in the same ship: much, much better than two fellows in their own ships.

I am very blessed to have a couple of brothers in Christ who sit in my ship and I in theirs. We have fellowshipped together for decades. Amazing! I need them. They need me. Sometimes they sit in my ship. Sometimes I sit in theirs. We share anything and everything. Joys. Victories. Sorrows. Downtimes. Uptimes. Questions. Direction. Wisdom. God’s guidance. Faith.
We are “iron sharpens iron” guys. “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens one another.” Proverbs 27:17. I am so grateful the Lord has given me a couple of brothers who help me stay “sharp” in my faith walk.
 Our desire and goal is to be increasingly like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We also fellowship with many others and are involved in the life and ministry of our local churches.
QUESTIONS YOU AND I MUST ANSWER:  Whose ship are you sitting in? Who is sitting with you in your ship? Who are your fellowship partners? Name them. Thank God for them. Spend time with them. Encourage them. Build them up. Serve them in Jesus’ name.
Two fellows in the same ship. Fellowship. What a way to go!
“But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” I John 1:7   
A Word For Your Week: Who are you going to fellowship with this week?