Fellowship

This is an often discussed and preached on topic. Usually, the time is spent determining and outlining who Christians are to have fellowship with with. Here, however, I would like to use some space to discuss what fellowship actually is. There are 5 words in the New Testament which are translated as “fellowship.” Four of these words come from the same root word. Here they are, as defined by Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, with a verse in which it is used, so that we may better determine meaning (with the word in question in bold).

Nouns

koinonia - “communion, fellowship, sharing in common”

That 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. (I John 1:3)

metoche - “partnership” a more restricted sense than koinonia

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (II Corinthians 6:14)

koinonos - “A partaker or partner”

But 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. (I Corinthians 10:20)

Verbs

koinoneo - “to have fellowship”

Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. (Philippians 4:15)

sunkoinoneo - “to have fellowship with or in”

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.(Ephesians 4:11)

What we see then is something subtly different from how we often think of fellowship. “Fellowship” is as much a state of existence as something that is done. If we engage in a work with someone, we have fellowship with them. And in scripture we are warned against having fellowship with various groups that are teaching and engaging in falsehood and sin. We must not work hand in hand with sin and those who continually perpetuate it.

But more than that, the idea of fellowship extends to looking at our lives. Fellowship has as much to do with commonality as it does with activity. For example, if we look at our lives, we should see that we have fellowship with Christ. That is, that we have commonality of purpose, of thought, and of action. On the other hand, if we look at our lives and it matches with those who are living sinfully, we have a fellowship with those people. Sometimes fellowship is something we don't want, but have anyway! Fellowship is not always a good thing!

Who do you have fellowship with? Not simply who do you support and work with, but who do you have commonality with? Is your life one of fellowship with the Lord? Or is it one of fellowship with the works of darkness? Saying we have fellowship and having fellowship are two very different things. Who do you have commonality, communion, and partnership with? With Christ? With Christians? Or does your life show instead that you are partnered with Satan, his followers, and sin?

Does Doctrine Matter?

There are many who hold the belief that doctrine does not matter. The reasoning is that so long as a person believes something, they'll be okay for eternity. Yet, II John 9 tells us "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." Doctrine does matter! It matters a great deal! As we know we must abide in Christ, and He in us (John 15) for eternal life. It is very important that we hold to His doctrine!

Becoming More Noble

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Acts 17:11

The Bereans opened the scriptures to see if what Paul was teaching was true. For this studying, they are commended by Luke and the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. The idea of studying is also found in such New Testament passages as John 5:39, I John 4:1, II Timothy 2:15, and a host of others.

In the Old Testament, the people are also told to be dedicated to the study and understanding of God's word.

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
God's word was to be ever present in their minds, and it was to always be their focus. When the children of Israel failed in this, they were led astray and destroyed. God, through the prophet Hosea attributed their destruction to their lack of knowledge in Hosea 4:6.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

How familiar are we with the word of God? We much time do we spend with the Bible each day? Each week? We should each consider how much we look at what the scriptures say. Are we doing so?

This week, I'd like to make a challenge to each and every one of us. Make a tally mark for each time you open your Bible, whether to simply read it, or for a dedicated time of study. To make things even easier, I am leaving a space in this bulletin for that very purpose. Simply leave this bulletin in your Bible, and make a tally mark to record how often you read your Bible this week. I think we will all be surprised at how much time we put into it.

Sunday:

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:


Will we be noble like the Bereans, and search the scriptures daily? Or will we be like the Israelites in the time of Hosea, and be destroyed by a lack of knowledge? Let us each strive to become more noble than we were in the past!

Putting God to the Test

When Satan was tempting Christ, one of Christ's responses was to quote Deuteronomy 6:16. “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God.” How often do we tempt God? How often do we put Him to the test? How often do we provoke the Lord? Think of the times that ancient Israel provoked the Lord, and a pattern quickly establishes itself. By “tempting the Lord,” they brought judgment upon themselves. However, when they repented and turned back to God, they were forgiven and accepted by the Lord. So, how often do you ignore what God said through Moses, and what Christ said, and "tempt the Lord your God?"

What is a...

Preacher. Elder. Deacon. Bishop. Overseer. Shepherd. Pastor. Evangelist. Minister. What do these terms actually mean? We hear them all used in the church and in the religious world at large. Let us look briefly at what the scriptures teach about each of these designations. Greek words and definitions are taken from Vine's Complete Expository of Old and New Testament Words.

Preacher:
kērux, meaning “a herald”
A preacher is a person who preaches. His role is to preach the word, in season and out of season, and to speak the whole gospel of God. His role is not one of guiding or shepherding a congregation. It is necessary for such a person to be careful to speak only God's word, and nothing else in his teaching, because preaching anything else is false teaching.

(II Timothy 4:2, Acts 20:27)

Evangelist:
euangelistēs, meaning “a messenger of good”
This is a term refers to the same person as the preacher, but usually with an emphasis on those reaching outside the church. An evangelist much seek the lost, working to bring the gospel to those who have not yet obeyed Christ.

(II Timothy 4:5, Acts 21:8)

Minister:
daikonos, meaning “a servant, attendant”
leitourgos, meaning “one who discharged a public office at his own expense”
hupēretēs, meaning “an under rower”
A minister is one who works in some capacity (physical or spiritual) for the good of another. All Christians are called to minister to various people: to each other, and to the world. Although a preacher, a deacon, or an elder are all to be a minister, they are not “The Minister.”

(II Corinthians 8:1-4, Romans 15:24-29)

Deacon:
daikonos, meaning “a servant, attendant”
The word for deacon literally means servant. A deacon is one who works in taking care of a congregation's physical day to day things, so that the elders of a congregation may remain focused on the spiritual guidance of a congregation. It is a role which the Bible provides specific qualifications for: grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful, and overseeing their household well (including children and one wife).

(I Timothy 3: 8-13, Acts 6:1-7)

Elder, Bishop, Overseer, Shepherd, Pastor:
presbuteros, meaning “an old man, an elder”
episkopos, meaning “an overseer”
poimēn, meaning “a shepherd, one who tends herds or flocks”
These terms all refer to the same role, which we usually refer to as an elder. Elders are responsible for overseeing the spiritual well being of a local congregation. They are to shepherd their flock, and only their flock, working to ensure that all those under their care are faithfully following Christ. It is a role which the Bible gives quite specific qualifications for. They are men that must be above reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not a brawler or striker, gentle and uncontentious, not a lover of money, rules well his house and believing children, not a new convert, a good reputation outside of the church, and one who holds to that which is good and faithful. Specific guidelines are also set down by God for their oversight to ensure that elders to not begin lording it over a congregation or altering what God has said.

(Titus 1:5-9, I Timothy 3:1-7, I Peter 5:1-3, Acts 20:28-30)

Abide and Walk

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

I John 2:6 (NKJV)

If someone were to ask for a show of hands as to who abides in Christ, most likely each of us would quickly and eagerly raise our hand. But saying we abide in Christ is different than actually abiding in Christ. And the test for it, as stated here, is whether we walk as He walked. Are we living our lives in such a way that matches to Christ? Are the things we say the things that Christ would have said? Are the things we do things that Christ would have done? Or are we walking as we want to walk, and simply claiming to abide in Christ?

Confession

Christ makes very clear the necessity of confessing Christ.

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33

The implications are clear, of course. We must confess Christ if we desire eternal life. If we want to follow the Lord and be accepted by Him, we must make this confession.

We see that the confession of Christ was made by Peter in Matthew 16:16, when he stated that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And we see the Ethiopian Eunuch making the same confession in Acts 8:37. What we are to confess seems clear. We must confess before others that Jesus is the Christ, and that He is the Son of God.

We also learn that making this confession is a part of our salvation. In Romans 10:10, Paul writes,

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

IF we wish to be saved, we must make a vocal confession of Him.

But is that all we have to do, as far as confessing the Christ goes? We just say once that we believe, and then no more confession Christ is required? Of course, such a thought is an absurdity. Every day of our lives should be a confession of Christ. Paul writes in II Corinthians 9:13 of the obedience that accompanies confession. And Galatians 2:20, Paul provides us with a wonderful description of what our lives should be:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Are we living our lives in such a way that each day is a confession of our faith in Christ? Are we living so that Christ can be seen in us?

Verbal confession is absolutely necessary, as the Bible teaches. Likewise, a person must continue their lives in such a way that every hour of the day is a confession of the Christ. Obedience in both of these is an essential part of our salvation. Let us always remember what Christ promises to those who deny the Christ!

Is it Long Enough, or Too Long?

We all have a notion of how long sermons are supposed to last, do we not? Generally, it seems we expect a sermon to be 30-45 minutes long. Yet consider Acts 20:7, where Paul preached to midnight. Or Nehemiah 8:1-6, when the people stood for hours, listening to scripture. Or maybe we can look in Acts 2:14-36, and see how short a period of time it would take to preach this sermon (read it out loud and find out). None of these seems to fit in the 30-45 minute conception we have:yet all are examples of godly men speaking godly things, and of people learning from those lessons. Let us focus on the Word, regardless of how long or short, whether a Wednesday night or Sunday morning!

TULIP: A False Doctrine

You have probably heard of “Calvinism” or “the tulip doctrine.” TULIP is an acronym for a doctrine that was taught by John Calvin during the reformation, and continues to be taught in some form by many in the religious world today. As such, it may be useful to take a very quick look at this teaching, and compare it with what scripture says.

T – Total Depravity

Calvinism teaches that because of Adam and Eve's sin in the garden, man has been inclined, totally, toward evil and that man cannot accomplish good. It is often also taught as a doctrine identical to that of original sin: that because Adam sinned, we are all guilty of that sin until the point of salvation.

Yet the Bible Says:

The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:20)

Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.(Ecclesiastes 7:29)

U – Unconditional Election

This doctrine teaches that God chooses which individuals will be saved in advance: that salvation is not based on human merit or action, but rather on God's predestined decisions. In other words, God has chosen and individuals have no say in their salvation.

Yet the Bible Says:

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: (I Peter 1:17)

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30)

L – Limited Atonement

Limited Atonement is the teaching, based off the previous point, that only those who God has chosen to save can be saved, because it was only for those individuals that God sent Christ to earth to die for.

Yet the Bible Says:

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.(I John 2:2)

I – Irresistible Grace

This teaches that man cannot resist the Holy Spirit.

Yet the Bible Says:

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.(Acts 17:51)

P – Perseverance of the Saints

This doctrine teaches that once a person is in a saved condition, they cannot lose that salvation: there is no way to “fall away.” And, if someone falls away, well, they must not have been saved to begin with.

Yet the Bible Says:

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.(Galatians 5:4)

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. (II Peter 3:17)

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12)

Calvinism, the TULIP doctrine, is a false doctrine from start to finish, teaching error. It is something we must be careful not to fall into. It can be easy to think there may be truth in it, as it is taught by so many. But remember, few are those who walk the straight and narrow path! (Matthew 7:14)