Failures in Fellowship
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Introduction: Historically, the word fellow means to lay money ; as to lay money down. A fellow was one who financially supported a business deal with someone else; a business partner. Originally, a fellow was one who shares with another in possession, official dignity, or in the performance of any work; a partner, co-worker. Also, one united with another in a covenant for common ends.
Fellowship then is to be united together in covenant for a common purpose. That is, the word is stronger in the Bible than is commonly used today. Today, a fellow is just a casual friend or a companion and fellowship means a good time together. In the Bible, it meant more. Paul called one man his “true yokefellow” (Philippians 4:3
See All...). This indicated those who were tied together with strong bonds.
We also see the importance placed on our fellowship in the compound words used with fellow. They all show a common purpose and bond. In the Bible, we see:
- Fellowdisciples (John 11:16Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
See All...) - Fellowservants (Matthew 18:28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
See All..., 29, 31, 33; Matthew 24:49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
See All...; Colossians 1:7As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
See All...; Colossians 4:7All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
See All...; Revelation 6:11And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
See All...; Revelation 19:10And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
See All...; Revelation 22:9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
See All...) –10 times - Fellowhelpers (2 Corinthians 8:23Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.
See All...; 3 John 1:8We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.
See All...) - Fellowlaborers (Philippians 4:3
See All...; 1 Thessalonians 3:2And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
See All...; Philemon 1:1Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,
See All..., 24 - Fellowworkers (Colossians 4:11And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
See All...) - Fellowsoldiers (Philippians 2:25
See All...; Philemon 1:2And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
See All...) - Fellowprisoners (Romans 16:7Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
See All...; Colossians 4:10Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
See All...; Philemon 1:23There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
See All...) - Fellowcitizens (Ephesians 2:19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
See All...) - Fellowheirs (Ephesians 3:6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
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The fellowship of the saints is a very serious business in the Bible. It is the “fellowship of the mystery” (Ephesians 3:9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
See All...). We “fellowship in the gospel” (Philippians 1:5Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
See All...). We take upon us “the fellowship of the ministering to the saints” (2 Corinthians 8:4Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
See All...) and “the fellowship of his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
See All...). But our true fellowship with one another is “with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (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...). In salvation, we “were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
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As such, we are to guard against false fellowship. We are not to fellowship with “the throne of iniquity” (Psalm 94:20Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
See All...), “with devils” (1 Corinthians 10:20But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
See All...), “with unrighteousness” (2 Corinthians 6:14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
See All...), or “with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
See All...). And, we are not to be false in our fellowship to others. Our passage in Leviticus 6:1-7 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[2] If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
[3] Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:
[4] Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,
[5] Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.
[6] And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:
[7] And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.
See All... refers to the breaking of the trust of fellowship. It is a serious charge that requires a serious response. We will look at how the law of Moses dealt with this sin and then apply this teaching to our own lives.
- THE TRESPASS (Leviticus 6:1-3 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[2] If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
[3] Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:
See All...) - The Breaking of Fellowship is a Sin
- The Breaking of Fellowship is a Sin Akin to Lying or Stealing
- The Breaking of Fellowship is a Sin Against God (Philippians 2:1-5 [1] I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
[2] And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
[3] For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
[4] Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
[5] Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:
See All...; 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...; 1 John 4:20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
See All...) - THE RESTORATION (Leviticus 6:4-5 [4] Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,
[5] Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.
See All...) - Fellowship Lost Was to be Restored (1 Corinthians 1:10-11 [10] Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
[11] For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
See All...; 1 Corinthians 12:25That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
See All...; Philippians 4:2
See All...; 1 Thessalonians 5:13And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
See All...) - The One Who Wronged Was to Give Restoration
- The Restoration Cost More Than the Original Loss
- The New Testament Changed the Responsibility of Initiating Restoration (Matthew 18:15-18 [15] Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
[16] But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
[17] And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
[18] Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
See All...) - THE FORGIVENESS (Leviticus 6:6-7 [6] And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:
[7] And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.
See All...) - The Sin Required the Forgiveness of God
- The One Wronged is to Forgive the Other
- The Basis for Forgiveness is the Forgiveness of Christ (Ephesians 4:31-32 [31] Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
[32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
See All...; Colossians 3:12-15 [12] Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; [13] Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. [14] And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. [15] And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
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Conclusion: What broken fellowship needs to be restored today?