Contact Stan! Join Our Mailing List! Home Page Sermons Have you taken time to hear one of Stan's sermons in streaming audio?  Listen, and follow the presentation with his sermon charts! Palm Content You can now read each issue of our Sound Teaching bulletin on your Palm or other PDA device.  Check here to find out how! Study Material These TV outlines, bulletin articles, and other special studies.  There are reams of beneficial material here.	Lesson 2: Fellowship ~ The Big Picture Stan Cox Introduction: In this lesson, we will discuss the concept of fellowship in the broadest of terms Remembering the definition, "Partnership; joint participation" Having reference to the fundamental relationship enjoyed by all Christians The relationship we have as fellow citizens in God's kingdom John 3:1-23  Discussion: This fellowship is contingent upon our conversion We, through obedience to the gospel, become children of God "alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:1-11) "but you received the spirit of adoption" (Romans 8:13-17) We have fellowship "vertically" with God. Our fellowship with God results in fellowship with other "children" of His In that we are all "children", we are all brothers and sisters We have fellowship "horizontally" with God's children Our horizontal fellowship is contingent upon first being "vertically" in fellowship with God While this is as it should be, practically, we make mistakes "Thus, two types of fellowship are apparent - that with God, depending wholly upon our walking in truth; and that with men (even brethren), which is subject to man's approval or disapproval. Saying we should approve only that which God approves (with which I agree) does not change facts. Brethren sometimes approve that which they should not - or disapprove that which they should accept. God knows the difference, and judges accordingly; but the 'party' doesn't always act as God would have it act." (Robert Turner, article entitled Fellowship, For A Better Understanding, Vol. 33, No. 1). Examples of mistakes Approve that which they should not (1 Cor. 5:1-13; 2 John 9-11) Disapprove that which they should accept (Rom. 14:1-4, 13; 3 John 9-10) I have fellowship with everyone God fellowships They are my brethren It is a spiritual relationship, contingent upon baptism into the body of Christ Acts 2, esp. vss. 40-47 This concept is illustrated in various figures in the New Testament We are "members" of the "body" We are "citizens" in the "kingdom" We are "added" to the "church" We are "branches" of the "vine" We are "stones" in the "temple" We are "brethren" in the "family" This relationship is divinely regulated by God Universal relationship as Christians does not set aside divine regulations regarding local congregational fellowship, church worship, work or structure Being fellow Christians does not give authority for "brotherhood" projects, intercongregational oversight, sponsoring church arrangements, etc. "Fellowship of men with men is an earthly tie which has an acceptable religious significance only when it compliments our service to God. It is given divine regulations, but men do not always follow those regulations. One who counts on the outward bond of 'church' fellowship alone to guarantee his spiritual redemption, leans on a broken reed. No, I do not depreciate the importance of the church. I seek to emphasize the meaning of the true church, as God's people, who do God's work in God's way - praised for their allegiance and service to God, rather than for their faithfulness to the 'party.'" (Robert Turner, article entitled Fellowship, For A Better Understanding, Vol. 33, No. 1). Conclusion: Ultimately, our fellowship is Christians is contingent upon our relationship with God. We must first have "vertical" fellowship with God before we can have "horizontal" fellowship with other Christians. In its broadest sense, fellowship indicates a spiritual relationship with one another as members of the family of God. Practically, mistakes are made. We will sometimes accept those who God does not, and reject those who God accepts. This will happen most often in a local congregation, where most decisions regarding fellowship are made. We should make every effort to align our bounds of fellowship with those drawn by God. Our acceptance of an individual does not mean God will accept Him in eternity, nor does our being accepted by a group guarantee us an eternal reward, judgment is individual. The universal relationship we have as Christians does not give us carte blanche regarding the work, structure, and worship of congregations. Our relationships and work are regulated by God. The church is not activated (does not work) universally, but rather locally, by the establishment of local congregations. The work, worship, fellowship and structure of these local congregations are limited and regulated by God's word. The practical application of "local church fellowship" will be the subject of our next lesson.