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The New Testament Church 0005 - Lesson 3
Its Fellowship (Continued)
- BASICS OF FELLOWSHIP
- Fellowship Is Internal (1 John 1:3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
See All...). - Believer to believer
- Within the larger body of Christ (Galatians 2:9And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
See All...) - Within the local body (Romans 15:5-6 [5] Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
[6] That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
See All...) - Believer to Christ
- Fellowship with the Father
- Fellowship with the Son
- Pyramid of fellowship
- Attacks Are Internal.
- If fellowship is internal, then it makes sense that fellowship can only be destroyed internally.
- Consider Acts 20:28-30 [28] Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
[29] For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
[30] Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
See All.... - The first attack begins with people from the outside, but those people first have to penetrate the body of believers. Therefore, we see that both of these attacks on fellowship ultimately occur from the inside.
- Formula of Fellowship
- Begins with the new birth
- Continues with doctrine
- Works by unity in heart and service
- New Birth + Doctrine + Unity = Fellowship
- FELLOWSHIP IN DOCTRINE
- Fellowship Requires a Foundation.
- There must be some grounds of fellowship between two people or a body of believers.
- No foundation allows no fellowship.
- The Foundation Must Be Common.
- If two people have two different foundations, then no grounds of fellowship exist.
- For scriptural fellowship the foundation ought to be:
- The Lord Jesus Christ
- His word
- The Foundation Must Be Solid.
- It must be sound.
- It must be pure.
- It must be unchanging.
Proverbs 28:28
When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.