Our text today is 1 John 1, 3. If you'd like to please turn there, I'll begin reading at verse 1. But while you're turning, I'd like to ask you a question that I just want you to answer in your head. Does it ever concern you, after living a Christian life, going to church, praying every day, reading your Bible, that you might stand before the throne of God and hear those words, depart from me, I never knew you. Well, if you've never thought about that, it is something that you should think about once in a while. First Corinthians 10, 12 says, let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls. So how do you think that relates to fellowship? Well, stick around and find out. Let me read beginning at verse one. 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, the life was manifested. And we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life, which was with the Father and which was manifested to us, 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. Heavenly Father, I ask that you would open your word to us today and teach us. Let us leave here today, not only having heard your word, but also having desire and a purpose to obey you in all things. Amen. Yes. If you're going to Sunday school, now's the time to go. You may be seated. Well, I'm not an actual preacher, and I don't play one on television. So obviously, I'm a little nervous. And I haven't slept for a few days. So if I lull you to sleep, and then you're awakened by a thud, well, that would be me falling asleep. But I'll try not to do that. So the subject of fellowship is very near and dear to me because it has been one of the most powerful forces in my life for change. See, for many years, I was that guy, the guy that just slipped in during the prayer just before the service. And then with stealth, I would vanish right after the service before anybody could talk to me. See, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want questions about my life. I really didn't want anything from church except for a message once a week. So while I don't want to draw too much attention to myself, I do want to start with my personal testimony. so that you understand here, well, first of all, so that this message actually has some application. And also I wanna give you a testimony, my testimony so that you understand that I'm standing here as a trophy of God's grace. And it's not because I'm a celebrity or anything, obviously I'm not, I'm nobody. But that makes me precisely the type of person that Christ came to save. First Corinthians 1, 27 through 29 says, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. So I was raised in a Christian home, and I identified as a Christian most of my life. But sometime in the late 90s, I decided that God just wasn't treating me the way I deserved to be treated. I was a pretty decent guy. I never killed anyone. I never knocked over a bank. I wasn't torturing small animals. I didn't set fire to anybody's house, and recently. On top of that, I was at church every Sunday, sometimes twice. And I read my Bible occasionally and prayed more occasionally, but God just wasn't cooperating. None of my plans to get rich were working. Nothing I tried worked. Not even Amway. As a matter of fact, I was struggling financially. And to make matters worse, I was on the down slope of a marriage that was going to end badly. And it did. So I decided I don't want to be a Christian anymore. If God wasn't going to agree with the quite reasonable terms that I had said, then I wasn't going to waste my time. It was like Mark Twain said, God would have more friends if the ones he had he treated better. So I ran away from God and right into a life of sin. But there was a problem. God had painted a bullseye on me. For some completely unknown reason, he just wouldn't leave me alone. It was just maddening. So fast forward to 2014, and I was still running, but my life was just getting worse. And on top of that, my new wife, the one that you all know and love, you know, the one with the hair and the black greyhound, Well, she became converted. Now, for those of you who know Karen, it may be hard for you to believe, but when I met her, she appeared to be safely non-Christian. I mean, she was a Lutheran, for goodness sake, and the weird kind. I mean, the way out there kind. Well, not anymore. And so I said, here we go again. So I chided her, saying, I didn't bargain for marrying a Christian. I didn't want to have to deal with God and church and all that again. And she would say, as she loved to say, well, if you didn't want a Christian life, you shouldn't have introduced me to your mother and your sister. I was starting to think about changing my name to Jonah. I wasn't called to Nineveh or anything like that, but God was making it pretty clear that no matter how fast or how far I ran, I couldn't get away from him. He just kept whispering, you can run, but you can't hide. So you see, God wanted me. And as we all know, as Christians, and as we are all thankful for what God wants, God gets. So against all odds, and by God's grace, I ended up right here at GBC hearing the word preached. And this time, I stuck around a little while for the music and some interaction. Not much, but a little. Well, little by little, God's word seeped into this thick head and he made me grasp what all Christians come to understand. First, that there is a God in heaven and that by him all things were created that are in heavens and that are on earth. And that our God is powerful but he's not just powerful, he's absolutely holy. For thus says the one who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place. So as I began to understand God's holiness more and more, I also began to understand that he required me to be holy. And anything short of perfect compliance didn't count. And if the Bible be true, and I was beginning to believe it was, I had one foot in hell and the other on a banana peel. First Peter 1.15 says, but as he who called you to be holy, I'm sorry, he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. Hebrews 12.14 says, strive for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. That's pretty clear. But exactly how does one get holy? Well, Romans 8, 7 reminds us how. I'm sorry. No, I'm sorry. Missed that one. Hey, I'm not a preacher, remember. So it's pretty clear. How does one get holy? Even the Bible says the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God and it cannot submit to him. So it was at this point that it began to dawn on me why Christ had to come to die. God showed his love for us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He had taken God's wrath on my behalf. So as Christians, we understand that this salvation is through no merit of our own, but by God's grace. By God's grace, by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. So if God's grace comes to us through faith, then where's the faith come from? Romans 10, 17 answered that, faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. So God's grace comes to us through faith, and the word of God is the means by which that faith comes. But it doesn't stop there. God's word keeps working on us after we believe. It keeps on working, increasing our faith, slowly and steadily, sometimes undiscernibly. Beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. So faith isn't a single event in a Christian's life. It's a lifelong struggle that leads to sanctification and someday the holiness that will allow us to look on God's face. And this lifelong journey isn't done from an easy chair. It takes work and sometimes hard work. Now here's where fellowship comes in, and you're probably thinking, where is this going? After all of that, I should probably read the last part of the text again. 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 His Son, Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches us that sanctification comes by abiding in Christ. And it happens that one of the most powerful tools for abiding in Christ is fellowship. Fellowship with God's people. And if anyone thinks that's an intellectual leap, stick with me. When I was running from God, I found it very intriguing that I was pretty comfortable going to church. I even liked the sermons to some extent, but fellowship was uncomfortable. Why? My prayer today is that when you leave here, you will understand that and that you will have a new appreciation for how important fellowship is to the spiritual growth of every Christian. So, when you think of fellowship, what do you think about first? What comes to your head? Okay, I was gonna say that, but somebody beat me. Mixing it up with everyone after church? Getting together with Christian friends? And I was gonna say, need I even mention food? Is it even possible to have fellowship without food? So what does fellowship actually mean? If you've been paying attention to the preaching here at our church, you've probably figured out that when it comes to biblical words, popular definitions don't always give the full meaning that was meant in scripture. Well, that's certainly the case here. The popular definition makes fellowship any type of interaction or kind friendship with others. One dictionary defines fellowship as friendly association, especially with people who shares one's interest. Another hits a little closer to the mark. It says, a group of people that join together for a common purpose or interest. But even that falls short. True fellowship as brought out in the original language goes way beyond that. In the Bible, if you notice, fellowship is almost tangible. It centers on acts of love and service at a lot of different levels. When it's done correctly, fellowship actually becomes a means of grace, just as the word of God is a means of grace. And the grace of God literally flows to believers through fellowship. Have you ever thought about that? So it follows that fellowship is not a means of grace that can be ignored. Each of us needs it desperately. It's not just beneficial, it's critical. In contrast to the floating lounge chair, it's a life preserver ring, the kind that lifeguards throw to drowning people. So true fellowship has four primary characteristics. Now there are others, but I think these are the most important. I'm going to go through each one briefly, and then I'll circle back to unpack them. First, fellowship is deliberate and intentional. It doesn't happen by accident, and it doesn't happen automatically. Number two, as we've heard in the opening passage, fellowship is inextricably based on the work of Christ. Now, those two characteristics work together, so I'm gonna take them as one point. Number three, and if you're writing furiously, I'm gonna be coming back to these. Number three, fellowship is an expression of a mutual bond. Finally, fellowship is necessary for perseverance and faith. Let me repeat that last one. Fellowship is necessary for perseverance and faith. Does that last point tweak your brain just a little like it did mine? Well, I'll get to why that's the case, but first, since I accused the popular definition of being inadequate, let's get a clear meaning of what Christian fellowship actually means. I imagine most of you have heard the Greek word for fellowship, it's koinonia. Now, I think I first heard that word when I was in high school, so I'm not trying to act like a Greek scholar, I'm just an insurance guy. But koinonia brings a broader meaning to fellowship than we tend to equate with it. What it means is this. Having a share in something with others. Sharing with someone in something. Participation in something with others. So do you see how that's more than just an interaction? I'm gonna say that again because I'd like you to listen for those principles coming out in the next few verses that I read. The full meaning of fellowship is having a share in something with others, sharing with something, I'm sorry, sharing with someone in something, or participation in something with others. Here's the first verse, 1 Corinthians 10, 16. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a fellowship in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a fellowship in the body of Christ? So here fellowship refers to a participation with others in Christ. When we drink the cup and eat the bread, we are participating or sharing with each other in what Christ did for us. Here's the next one, Philippians 3.10. that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. So here again, fellowship is our participation, a shared participation, but this time in the sufferings instead of the benefits of Christ's work. So in one sense, koinonia can refer to sharing with each other in the benefits of Christ's work, and in another sense, it can refer to sharing ourselves with others during trials. Next one, 1 Corinthians 1.9 says, you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Have you ever thought about fellowship as a calling? Well, yes, Christ calls us to fellowship with him, but our fellowship isn't just he and, I'm sorry, our relationship with Christ is not just he and me. It's shared with other Christians. And you really can't separate those two. Now that doesn't mean that there are no personal relationships with Christ, but it doesn't mean that a Christian doesn't have a personal relationship with Christ to the absolute exclusion of others. Each of us must have a personal relationship with Christ, but that relationship is intended to be shared with others. Listen again to 1 John 1, 3. That which we have seen and heard, we declared also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. So fellowship doesn't just refer to our union with Christ individually, but to our shared union. Anytime you fellowship with another believer, Christ is there. And he's not there passively. He's not just listening in. He's participating. When true fellowship is happening, Christ is speaking through the participants. So let's go through now, we'll go through each of the four characteristics and I'll talk more about how they're supposed to work. First and second, fellowship is intentional and always based on the work of Christ, always Christ-centered. The fact that fellowship carries the idea of sharing with one another in Christ, it implies that it's intentional, focused, and Christ-centered. So when you're talking with others after church and you think you're fellowshipping, you might be or you might not be. If it's intentional, it's more likely that it's fellowship. If it's not focused and if it's not intentional, don't flatter yourself. You're socializing. So in true fellowship, we intentionally share ourselves. We intentionally share our possessions. We share our money. We bear one another's burdens. We listen, we pray, we exhort, we enjoy, counsel, encourage. So here it is. Fellowship becomes a means of grace when we speak and act like Christ to each other. Now as Christians, we all say that we want to be more like Christ, right? Well, here's the opportunity. The Lord gave us fellowship to exercise that muscle. I see it as a kind of put up or shut up. Listen carefully here. This is one of the most profound statements I've read. If we don't try to act like Christ with our brothers and sisters, we're fooling ourselves when we say we want to be more like Christ. When fellowship happens the way it's supposed to, we experience God's grace through his people. We literally commune with the Lord through our brothers and sisters. But fellowship also becomes a means of grace when we sin against or offend each other. Now hopefully you're a step ahead of me in how that works. When someone sins against us or offends us, fellowship gives us the opportunity to die to ourself and forgive. And that my friends is how we become more like Christ. Loving his people just as he does and just like we have been loved. So there you have it, fellowship is both intentional and based on our relationship with Christ. Number three, fellowship is the natural result of a mutual bond. People who have things in common are automatically drawn to each other. Have you ever noticed that? You could be in a room and you find out that somebody has something in common and people have something to talk about. And the more important those commonalities, the stronger the bond. And this is why two Christians who have only Christ in common can be the best of friends, while every other thing that they have is not in common. So this mutual bond implies that we are in something together. We're in the same boat, if you will, but we're not just in the same boat as passengers. We're rowing towards the same destination. So the fellowship we are working towards unites us in a profound and eternal relationship. And this relationship should express itself in thoughtful service to one another's good. Let me repeat. I didn't make that one up myself. It's a pretty profound statement. The fellowship that we are working towards, remember that it takes work. It unites us in a very profound and eternal relationship. Remember that you're eternally united with your brothers and sisters. And that relationship should express itself in thoughtful service for each other's good. So that's a large part of the essence of fellowship, struggling together, taking up the slack, supporting, encouraging. But remember, always in union with Christ. Christ is always there in our fellowship. Now, we tend to think of fellowship mostly in the light of happy terms, but expressions of fellowship might sometimes be deadly serious. In 1555, when two reformers, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, were about to be burned at the stake, Latimer said to Ridley, play the man, Master Ridley. We shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England, as I trust shall never be put out. Well, that's incredibly serious encouragement. But personally, I don't expect to be standing next to any one of you on a pyre anytime soon. So I'm glad that Christian fellowship can be as simple as a kind or supportive word, and supportive word to a friend worried about work, a serious doctor's appointment, or something like that. So whether you're facing martyrdom with someone, a scary doctor's appointment, or anything else, Christian fellowship says this, we're in this together, and I'm here for you. Number four, fellowship as a means of perseverance and faith. Arguably, the least understood characteristic of fellowship is that it is a means of perseverance and faith. Now I don't think many of us fully comprehend what a protection fellowship is against serious sin. I've been referring to fellowship as a means of grace in general, but in particular, it's a means of perseverance. Does anyone wonder why that's the case? I'd lay odds that the average Christian doesn't fully grasp what I'm about to say next, even though it's very clear in the Bible. Faith requires perseverance. Now, let me be clear. When a person is justified by faith, they're never going to lose their salvation. When God justifies them, the end result is their glorification. That's never a question. But the question is, how do you know if you ever were justified? The evidence is perseverance. There can be tons of other signs of conversion in your life, but if there's no perseverance, there's no salvation. Scripture gives us example after example of people who, for all intents and purposes, were in the inner circle of Christianity, and then failed to persevere, and they either fell away partially or completely. First, my mind goes to those multitudes of people that early in Christ's ministry were following him around. They were listening to his sermons, praying with him, watching him perform miracles, taking the food that he was handing out. But the minute he started saying things they didn't like, they left. So the multitudes didn't persevere. Then there's Demas. In several of his epistles, the Apostle Paul made reference to Demas as one of his inner circle of helpers. But in his final letter, Paul makes that ominous statement that Demas had forsaken him and run hard after the world. And this after spending so much time under Paul's preaching and his training. Demas didn't persevere. And who can forget Judas? I don't know about you, but for me, it's really difficult to comprehend how a man could spend three years under Jesus' care and teaching, and then fall away. Scripture doesn't go into detail, but if we read between the lines, we see Judas participating in the activities with other disciples, evangelizing, and even perhaps casting out demons and healing the sick. Judas was even considered trustworthy enough to hold the money for Jesus and the disciples. And all of this only to end up falling away, and that in the worst way. Judas didn't persevere. Then there's Peter. From a human perspective, we might call Peter a close call. And it's human perspective because we know that there's no such thing as a close call with God. There's never any doubt. But here's Peter, he's the head honcho disciple. Peter's the one who, when that multitude walked away from Christ, and Christ looked at the other disciples and said, are you going to leave too? Peter said, where would we go? Only you have the words of life. And Peter's also the one who made that profound statement. You are the Christ, the son of the living God. So it's a little surprising that Peter so quickly denied Christ. We can only thank God that he was restored. Peter was on dangerous ground, but he ultimately persevered. Now I believe it is precisely because of the danger of falling away that scripture almost makes it sound as if a believer can fall from grace. We know that's not the case, but it is important to note that scripture is at pains to make sure we don't presume on that grace. We can't afford to grow complacent in our faith, thinking once saved, always saved. Mark 13, 13 says, the one who endures to the end will be saved. In Revelation, Christ says several times that those who overcome, those who conquer will be saved. And while perseverance is guaranteed to all who are justified, we just cannot sit back and take our justification for granted. Why? Because all true Christians, without exception, are in the process of being sanctified. And as I hope all of you know, we cooperate with God in our sanctification. God gives us the will and the strength, and we obey. Well, perseverance is a necessary component of sanctification. In fact, you can't be sanctified if you don't persevere. So here is where Christian fellowship comes in. And it's a protection against the danger of falling away. God literally gave us fellowship to help us sustain our faith. Hebrews 3, 12 to 14 is the most on-point support for that that I've ever seen. And it starts off, take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God. Notice that the writer seems to be talking to Christians. It says, take care, brothers. lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. So the writer is saying, my brothers, be on the lookout for signs of unbelief in your own heart that might ultimately cause you to fall away. So what's the antidote? The passage continues, but exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, for we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our confidence firm to the end. Do you see that? We exhort each other, why? because we have come to share in Christ if we hold our confidence firm to the end. Notice what it does not say. It does not say if we hold our confidence firm, we will share in Christ. It says if we hold our confidence firm to the end, we have shared in Christ. So it says, take care and exhort one another every day. Why? Because you know that if your brother does not hold his confidence to the end, he will prove himself to have never shared in Christ, and we will be lost. So the exhortation here is one of God's means for keeping our brother or sister holding fast to Christ, and so saving them from destruction. Now does that elevate the importance of fellowship? Is it not critically important? Fellowship is a means of helping your brother or sister cling to Christ. What could be more important than that? This is one of the great callings in your life as a Christian. It's the calling of Christian fellowship. So is it any wonder that Proverbs 18.1 says that whoever isolates himself breaks out against all sound judgment? Think about it. In Christian terms, friendships, discipleship groups, home fellowships, counseling, and even marriages, they exist to allow Christians to say things that will keep one another believing. So you might ask, if that's the case, then what exactly are we supposed to say to keep someone believing? Well, let's say your brother or sister has found something and it's suddenly starting to occupy all their time and strength, and it's starting to pull them away from church and away from Christian friends. You might say things in so many words, Christ is better. His way is better. Or you might say, all of the things life has to offer are fleeting and certain to disappoint. Those are the kinds of words that keep us from falling. Hebrews 11, 24 to 26 is a great example. The author is exhorting his brothers and sisters not to lose faith in Christ. and to go back to their Jewish religion. The writer says, by faith, Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ's greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. So the author is saying, don't throw Jesus away, don't shrink back, don't commit eternal suicide. Hebrews 10, 39 says, but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and preserve their souls. So you say to your brother, if you shrink back, if your heart is deceived and hard and unbelieving, you will be destroyed. I recently read an article by a pastor who had met with one of his church members, a woman who had gone into sexual sin, and he warned her in no uncertain terms of the consequences of the failure to repent. The woman eventually left the church, and the pastor assumed that she was gone. But seven years later, she wrote him a letter, and this is what it said. I wonder whether you remember a very younger me sitting in your office telling you I was afraid God would have to use a car accident or some other awful event to get my attention. You pointed out that the consequences of my deliberate choice to continue sinning would be nothing short of hell itself. No one had ever before told me I was headed for hell. Missionary kid that I was, saved at six, it was a turning point in my life. That conversation made me feel loved, that you cared enough to tell me that my life at the time was leading me to hell. So the application here is first, don't take fellowship lightly. We are either strengthening people's affections or weakening them. We're building up or tearing down. There are no neutral moments ever. Every single conversation that we have with another believer can be a means of grace. Life is incredibly meaningful at every point. Second, be a true friend. In 1 Samuel 23, David's life was literally hanging in the balance. The Lord had revealed to him that a certain town was going to hand him over to Saul, so David ran and he escaped. But later, another group called the Ziphites betrayed him by telling Saul exactly where to find him. Again, David escaped by the skin of his teeth. And as we see in many of the Psalms that he wrote around this time period, he was really agitated and distraught. And if there was anyone who might have been at the point of losing heart, it had to be David. So how did he manage to persevere? For Samuel 23, 16 gives us the answer. And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God. Jonathan didn't wait around for David to come to him. And he didn't just commiserate with him. He went to him and he strengthened him in the Lord. Each of us is called to be a Jonathan in our relationships. Remember the words of Hebrews 3.13, exhort one another every day as long as it is called today that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. So in closing, we have seen that true fellowship is intentional, not something that happens by accident or automatically. We've seen that fellowship is inextricably based on the work of Christ and also is an expression of a mutual bond. And finally, it is necessary for perseverance and faith. I hope this has been helpful and that it has raised your opinion of the importance of fellowship. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you that you have given us so many means of grace in our lives. You've given us everything that we need, not only for our sanctification, I'm sorry, not only for our salvation, but our sanctification and for our ultimate glorification. Lord, we thank you. Help us to be people that take advantage of every one of those means of grace and including fellowship. Lord, we ask that you'll help us to be focused and intentional with each other, and that everything that we do would be for the good of your children. And we pray this in Jesus' name, amen.