FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS

Fellowship began in the Garden with God and Adam.

Genesis 2:19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

God gave Adam Eve because He wanted fellowship between mankind here on earth to show our need for oneanother. Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.”

Fellowhsip was broken between God and man becuase of sin. Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

Fellowship was restored by God shedding blood representing Christ Jesus. Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”

We display our fellowhsip and love for God by how we love and fellowship with other believers. 1 John 4:20 “If 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?”

There’s power in fellowship. THis is why satan caused issues in the home between Adam and Eve which resulted in division between God and mankind. Mark 3:25 “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

There are benefits we can’t get until we assemble physically. (touch and seeing eachother has encouraging power within itself. The early church greeted oneanother with a holy kiss, laid hands and prayed for eachother. Acts 2:42 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

satan tries to keep us from fellowhsip (Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”) and if he can’t stop the gathering he tries to cause division when we do come together. 1 Corinthians 1:11 “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.”

satan knows if we are busy fighting eachother we cant be engaging in the real fight with him. Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Even though we all come form different backgrounds, different levels of trauma, different opinions, thoughts, ideas, customs, and etc. there’s one thing we have in common (Jesus Christ), and One thing is what causes us to deny ourselves and unite with one mind. Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

We edify eachother in the faith through the HOly Spirit that binds us together. 1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

Our testimonies are needed of how we overcame, how the Lord by HIs Word delievered us from bondages, bad decisions, marriage issues, children issues, family issues, financial issues, mental, spiritual, sicknesses, persecutions, trials, oppression, spiritual attacks, etc. Ephesians 4:16 “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

We grow in relationship with God by learning from other believers in their walk with God. Even Jesus when starting His earthly ministry gathered an assembly of believers He fellowshipped with on a regular basis. If God loves fellowship, we should as well.

Ephesians 4:25-32 “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”