Lesson 3: Local Church Fellowship, Stan Cox

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Fellowship and Romans 14

Lesson 3: Local Church Fellowship
Stan Cox

Introduction:

I. In this lesson, we will narrow the application of fellowship to the local level

Here we find the most practical expressions of fellowship, as the congregation is God's intended functional unit

II. The simple picture is that of a body with many members

1 Corinthians 12 (Concerning their workings as a congregation)

Discussion:

I. Congregational Fellowship

God designed the local congregation, made up of individual Christians, to do the work he wants accomplished on the earth .

Ex: Preaching and Benevolence (Acts 6:1-7)

Preaching to the Gentiles (Acts 15:22)

Each congregation is autonomous

Elders have oversight only over the "flock" among them (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2)

Paul's letters to various churches indicated their self-sufficient nature (Philippians 1:1)

Individual congregations made decisions with regard to using their monies (Acts 11:27-30)

Congregations were responsible for the spread of the gospel (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8)

Congregations received praise or condemnation of Lord (Revelation 3:1-ff)

Fellowship into a local church is necessary, and the congregation determines who will be accepted into or rejected from fellowship (Acts 9:26; 1 Corinthians 5:4-5)

Because of this practical aspect of fellowship, God may receive one into fellowship that the local church does not recognize, and vice versa

Note: Local church autonomy has been used as a call for self-determination without recrimination. i.e. - We have the right to determine for ourselves who we will fellowship, what we will teach, and what we will believe. Leave us alone! (see Steve Dewhirst Quote, below; together with defense of the public refutation of error). Autonomy does not indicate self-determination without recrimination. All congregations, to be acceptable to God, must conform to Divine will. Those who do not, deserve and in the first century received, just criticism. (Corinth, 1 Cor. 5 and example). However, self-determination is the hallmark of autonomy, and precludes the mass apostasy of ecclesiastical heiarchies. (The Catholic church a case in point).

Quote: Steve Dewhirst ~ Sentry Magazine ~ 6/93 ~ Church Autonomy

(The quote is taken from an cassette tape. The speaker was reading from a transparency which was a photocopy of the article. While the quote is accurate, I apologize if there are any mistakes in punctuation)

"We're not generally contented to mind our own business. We want to know what everyone else is doing. We find it extremely difficult to allow someone else to walk by faith if his application of faith is different from ours. History bears out our shortcomings. Man has consistently clamored for uniformity rather than autonomy."

"And history also demonstrates that those who have clamored loudest for uniformity under the guise of scripturalness actually have had an ulterior motive of power. Our brethren have not been untouched in this lust for power, prestige and influence. Religious papers, and self-important preachers have meddled repeatedly in the affairs of autonomous congregations over the years. And in our day papers are often eager to tell us with whom we may or may not have fellowship, and people are still listening. The fault not only lies with the brethren enamored of themselves, but with brethren who refuse to accept the burden of self-determination as an autonomous church family."

Note: The above quote reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of God's purposes. Dewhirst makes an incorrect assumption that uniformity in doctrine and congregational autonomy are diametrically opposed. In reality, God demands that both be present. Autonomy does not authorize self-determination for the congregation without recrimination. Rather, each congregation must submit to God's determination of will. In doing so, there will be uniformity among God's churches. Autonomy will assure that any departure by any church will not spread to other congregations. It is a false assertion to say that since a congregation is autonomous, we have no right to point out its departure from truth.

Defense of Speaking Out Against Error

Colossians 2:1-8

Paul encourged the hearts of some he did not personally know

He encouraged brethren to be knit together in love

He tried to further their knowledge of the mystery of God

He warned of those who should deceive them with persuasive words

I. One thing must be understood, the authority is the same, whether the message to be proclaimed is one of exhortation, or rebuke! The same authority is derived for both!

The apostle Paul is our example in this regard

We are to be imitators of him ~ I Corinthians 4:16-17, "Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church."

Sometimes this proclamation of truth is severe.

(Our Lord turned over the tables of the money changers in his Father's house - Matthew 21:12-17

Stephen called the Jews stiffnecked, and uncircumcised in heart - Acts 7

Paul withstood Peter, because he was to be blamed in his hypocrisy...and was influencing others to sin - Galatians 2:11-12

Paul called the names of Hymenaeus and Philetus - II Timothy 2:16-18)

Not only do we have authority in this regard, but we have an obligation

III. Fellowship means "joint participation". What do local congregations jointly participate in?

The fellowship of WORSHIP

Church in Corinth sang, prayed and edified one another (1 Cor. 14:15, 26); gave (16:1-2), and did this when the church assembled (11:18; 14:23)

The church in Troas came together for the Lord's supper (Acts 20:7)

Christians are not to forsake the assembling of the saints (Hebrews 10:25)

Worship incorporates both Vertical and Horizontal fellowship

The fellowship of EVANGELISM

Saints in Jerusalem had been rsponsible for spread of the gospel. What were the responsibilities of the Gentiles to them? (Romans 15:27)

The Thessalonian church an example (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8)

Philippian church had fellowship with Paul in preaching (Philippians 1:5; 4:15-16)

Of course, this was done through supplying physical needs (2:25; 4:18)

Quote: "Congregations supporting gospel preachers are having fellowship with them in their work. One is the giver. The other is the receiver. Churches, coexisting and functioning in evangelism by supporting the same evangelist, share (have fellowship) in the preaching of the gospel, though each functions independently of the others. They are concurrently having fellowship with the same preacher." Art Ogden, Gospel Truths Magazine, February 1991. The Fellowship of Churches, pg 14.

The fellowship of BENEVOLENCE

Sharing with other saints in need (Acts 2:44-45; 6:1-6)

This is done congregationally, out of a common treasury (Acts 4:37; 1 Cor. 16:1-2)

The church must take care of those who fall under its "jurisdiction" (1 Tim. 5:16)

In times of need, churches had fellowship with one another (Acts 11:27-30)

Note, this was in times of special need, when the congregation could not take care of its own.

The only time we have recorded of churches sending monies to other churches was to fulfill physical need (benevolence).

Sometimes, one church had fellowship with many in this way (Gal. 1:22; Phil. 4:15)

Sometimes, many churches had fellowship with one church (2 Cor. 8:4;Rom. 15:26-27)

Conclusion:

Quote: "The fellowship of churches may be summed up under two headings: that within and that without. The fellowship within includes that fellowship extended (or withdrawn) to individuals, our worship of God together, and our functioning together in the work ordained of God that we do as a church. The fellowship without includes that fellowship extended by the congregation in supporting the preaching of the gospel in other places and in assisting needy saints outside the local church.

Every work undertaken must be done in the name of the Lord (Col. 3:17; James 4:12). Having fellowship in unscriptural works or in unauthorized scheme is sinful regardless of how noble the cause (2 John 9). .. Let us always make sure that our fellowship is biblically directed." Art Ogden, Gospel Truths, February 1991. The Fellowship of Churches, pg 14.



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 3: Local Church Fellowship Stan Cox Introduction: I. In this lesson, we will narrow the application of fellowship to the local level Here we find the most practical expressions of fellowship, as the congregation is God's intended functional unit II. The simple picture is that of a body with many members 1 Corinthians 12 (Concerning their workings as a congregation) Discussion: I. Congregational Fellowship God designed the local congregation, made up of individual Christians, to do the work he wants accomplished on the earth . Ex: Preaching and Benevolence (Acts 6:1-7) Preaching to the Gentiles (Acts 15:22) Each congregation is autonomous Elders have oversight only over the "flock" among them (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2) Paul's letters to various churches indicated their self-sufficient nature (Philippians 1:1) Individual congregations made decisions with regard to using their monies (Acts 11:27-30) Congregations were responsible for the spread of the gospel (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8) Congregations received praise or condemnation of Lord (Revelation 3:1-ff) Fellowship into a local church is necessary, and the congregation determines who will be accepted into or rejected from fellowship (Acts 9:26; 1 Corinthians 5:4-5) Because of this practical aspect of fellowship, God may receive one into fellowship that the local church does not recognize, and vice versa Note: Local church autonomy has been used as a call for self-determination without recrimination. i.e. - We have the right to determine for ourselves who we will fellowship, what we will teach, and what we will believe. Leave us alone! (see Steve Dewhirst Quote, below; together with defense of the public refutation of error). Autonomy does not indicate self-determination without recrimination. All congregations, to be acceptable to God, must conform to Divine will. Those who do not, deserve and in the first century received, just criticism. (Corinth, 1 Cor. 5 and example). However, self-determination is the hallmark of autonomy, and precludes the mass apostasy of ecclesiastical heiarchies. (The Catholic church a case in point). Quote: Steve Dewhirst ~ Sentry Magazine ~ 6/93 ~ Church Autonomy (The quote is taken from an cassette tape. The speaker was reading from a transparency which was a photocopy of the article. While the quote is accurate, I apologize if there are any mistakes in punctuation) "We're not generally contented to mind our own business. We want to know what everyone else is doing. We find it extremely difficult to allow someone else to walk by faith if his application of faith is different from ours. History bears out our shortcomings. Man has consistently clamored for uniformity rather than autonomy." "And history also demonstrates that those who have clamored loudest for uniformity under the guise of scripturalness actually have had an ulterior motive of power. Our brethren have not been untouched in this lust for power, prestige and influence. Religious papers, and self-important preachers have meddled repeatedly in the affairs of autonomous congregations over the years. And in our day papers are often eager to tell us with whom we may or may not have fellowship, and people are still listening. The fault not only lies with the brethren enamored of themselves, but with brethren who refuse to accept the burden of self-determination as an autonomous church family." Note: The above quote reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of God's purposes. Dewhirst makes an incorrect assumption that uniformity in doctrine and congregational autonomy are diametrically opposed. In reality, God demands that both be present. Autonomy does not authorize self-determination for the congregation without recrimination. Rather, each congregation must submit to God's determination of will. In doing so, there will be uniformity among God's churches. Autonomy will assure that any departure by any church will not spread to other congregations. It is a false assertion to say that since a congregation is autonomous, we have no right to point out its departure from truth. Defense of Speaking Out Against Error Colossians 2:1-8 Paul encourged the hearts of some he did not personally know He encouraged brethren to be knit together in love He tried to further their knowledge of the mystery of God He warned of those who should deceive them with persuasive words I. One thing must be understood, the authority is the same, whether the message to be proclaimed is one of exhortation, or rebuke! The same authority is derived for both! The apostle Paul is our example in this regard We are to be imitators of him ~ I Corinthians 4:16-17, "Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church." Sometimes this proclamation of truth is severe. (Our Lord turned over the tables of the money changers in his Father's house - Matthew 21:12-17 Stephen called the Jews stiffnecked, and uncircumcised in heart - Acts 7 Paul withstood Peter, because he was to be blamed in his hypocrisy...and was influencing others to sin - Galatians 2:11-12 Paul called the names of Hymenaeus and Philetus - II Timothy 2:16-18) Not only do we have authority in this regard, but we have an obligation III. Fellowship means "joint participation". What do local congregations jointly participate in? The fellowship of WORSHIP Church in Corinth sang, prayed and edified one another (1 Cor. 14:15, 26); gave (16:1-2), and did this when the church assembled (11:18; 14:23) The church in Troas came together for the Lord's supper (Acts 20:7) Christians are not to forsake the assembling of the saints (Hebrews 10:25) Worship incorporates both Vertical and Horizontal fellowship The fellowship of EVANGELISM Saints in Jerusalem had been rsponsible for spread of the gospel. What were the responsibilities of the Gentiles to them? (Romans 15:27) The Thessalonian church an example (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8) Philippian church had fellowship with Paul in preaching (Philippians 1:5; 4:15-16) Of course, this was done through supplying physical needs (2:25; 4:18) Quote: "Congregations supporting gospel preachers are having fellowship with them in their work. One is the giver. The other is the receiver. Churches, coexisting and functioning in evangelism by supporting the same evangelist, share (have fellowship) in the preaching of the gospel, though each functions independently of the others. They are concurrently having fellowship with the same preacher." Art Ogden, Gospel Truths Magazine, February 1991. The Fellowship of Churches, pg 14. The fellowship of BENEVOLENCE Sharing with other saints in need (Acts 2:44-45; 6:1-6) This is done congregationally, out of a common treasury (Acts 4:37; 1 Cor. 16:1-2) The church must take care of those who fall under its "jurisdiction" (1 Tim. 5:16) In times of need, churches had fellowship with one another (Acts 11:27-30) Note, this was in times of special need, when the congregation could not take care of its own. The only time we have recorded of churches sending monies to other churches was to fulfill physical need (benevolence). Sometimes, one church had fellowship with many in this way (Gal. 1:22; Phil. 4:15) Sometimes, many churches had fellowship with one church (2 Cor. 8:4;Rom. 15:26-27) Conclusion: Quote: "The fellowship of churches may be summed up under two headings: that within and that without. The fellowship within includes that fellowship extended (or withdrawn) to individuals, our worship of God together, and our functioning together in the work ordained of God that we do as a church. The fellowship without includes that fellowship extended by the congregation in supporting the preaching of the gospel in other places and in assisting needy saints outside the local church. Every work undertaken must be done in the name of the Lord (Col. 3:17; James 4:12). Having fellowship in unscriptural works or in unauthorized scheme is sinful regardless of how noble the cause (2 John 9). .. Let us always make sure that our fellowship is biblically directed." Art Ogden, Gospel Truths, February 1991. The Fellowship of Churches, pg 14.