Genuine Fellowship

Intro:

When you heard the word fellowship what is the first idea that came to your mind?

Was it a church potluck?

Was it a family reunion?

Was it the time in our service where we shake hands?

All of these are fleeting shadows and pale imitations of a biblical view in this one word, fellowship.

Biblical fellowship is not momentary, but it is pictorial. What I mean by that is Biblical fellowship could be seen throughout one’s daily life. For example:

The word for fellowship in the Bible means a regularly occuring activity in which two or more people participate together.

Cooking, cleaning, drawing water, working.

Therefore, biblical fellowship was never concerned about the quantity but the quality of the fellowship. (e.g. Matt. 9:11)

Christian fellowship ought to be grounded in the purity of God (v. 5)

Notice, the personal testimony (v. 5a)

The illustration between light and dark (v. 5b)

Christian fellowship participates in the purity of God (vs. 6-7)

The verb walk here again is a pictorial and it demonstrates a lifestyle. We’d say it this way, “Our talk should match our walk.”

To what extent, do you walk with the Lord? Where do your participate with Him in your daily life?

Job, Relationships, family, entertainment, worship

Notice the two consequences associated with participating in His purity and not participating:

Not - Our confession is a lie and our actions are not true.

When we do - our fellowship is manifest between one another and we are cleansed from our sins!

Christian fellowship is reliant upon continual cleansing by the purity of God through confession (vs. 8-10)

Any fellowship under our current definition requires a set of expectations to be maintained for proper fellowship!

a drunk, a liar, a lover of money, a sports fanatic

Notice, the difference in tense in v. 8 and v. 10 in relation to sin.

John here is not advocating that salvation makes us perfect.

In fact, he is advocating that salvation makes us more sensitive to sin.

Confession means to public agree. John says what keeps genuine fellowship alive is a willingness to agree with God about our sin!

Conclusion: The dangers of counterfeit fellowship