“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that we are to be in the fellowship of Your church. Lord Jesus, we have often neglected the fellowship of Your church. We have been critical, not realising that each of us constitute Your church. Please forgive us. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
Act 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
We have seen that in His church we grow in the doctrine of God. We must also be in the fellowship of His church. Why is it important to be in the fellowship of His church?
I John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— (2) the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— (3) that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. (4) And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
We share with each other, how we have experienced the richness of the word of life, in each of our lives. We witness to each other the manifestation of eternal life, who is Jesus Christ, in us. This fellowship that we have with one another makes us the household of God. It is in this fellowship of His church that our joy is full.
Ephesians 4:13-16 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (14) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (15) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— (16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The purpose of this fellowship in His church is that we all come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We grow together into Christ, who is our head, for we are His body. The body is knit together. Every part of the body does its share and each part supplies to the other parts so that all parts of His body are growing into Christ, in love.
This passage gives us the dynamics of the fellowship of His church. We are all responsible and in the enablement of His Holy Spirit we must build up this dynamic in His church.
I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Each of us must walk in His light. This is how we have true fellowship with one another in His church. Fellowship in His church is not only the physical gathering but nurturing the spiritual oneness that exists in His church. This spiritual oneness in His church causes the blood of Christ to cleanse us from all sin.
Ephesians 2:20-22 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, (21) in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, (22) in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The fellowship of His church is nurtured by being built on the doctrine of God. The whole building of His church, which consists of each of us is fitted with each other. Together we are the dwelling place of God in His Spirit.
I Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Each of us is a living stone in the building of the household of God. We are a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.
As we consider these aspects of the fellowship of His church, we are humbled and we are also ashamed for we have not sought to progress towards this kind of fellowship in His church. We repent, seek His forgiveness, and commit ourselves to move forward to experience fellowship in His church.
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, (25) not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Having understood fellowship in His church let us stir up one another for love and good works. We are in the end times and this is the time to build up the fellowship in His church.