If you have your Bibles, we're going to turn to the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 4. Ecclesiastes, chapter 4. I want to hit this afternoon just briefly on a topic that we skimmed over this morning, and that was that as Jesus began to send the twelve out, he began to send them forth two by two. I want to talk this afternoon about the power of fellowship. Jesus means for us to have fellowship with each other. Jesus means for us to have fellowship with other Christians. You could go to Ephesians chapter 4 and see how God uses the church to bring the church to full maturity through the lives of one another. And then you could go to various other places to see how fellowship is a necessity in the life of a Christian. But specifically, this afternoon, I want to look at the fact that there is power in fellowship. You know, whenever we think about sending the disciples out two and two, it's a lot easier to kind of tuck tail and run if you're the only one going, or if you're the only one there. We've kind of been able to experience that a little bit, me and Brother Isaac at Ripley, when there's been some difficult things to do, and we might want to try to worm out of those, but there's either been one or the other that's just accountable to each other. So there is power in fellowship. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 gives us some specifics in that. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verse 9, It says this, it says, Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. We have three categories in Ecclesiastes 4, 9 through 12 as far as two being better than one and the help that we get from fellowship with one another. The first one is help through encouragement. If one falls, the other will pick him up. But woe to him that is alone when he falls, for he has not another to help him up. We need to encourage one another. We need to be receiving encouragement from one another. There are various things that happen in life, circumstances that we can get discouraged by. multiple things that happen through the week that have a potential to be discouraging and our tendency a lot of the times is when we're discouraged or when we're upset or when we're frustrated or When we're bothered by something when I say us, I guess it kind of depends on the personality But it's very common whenever people get frustrated about something to want to be secluded and get off to their self and kind of clear their mind and I'm not saying there's not a place for that but I am saying That in isolation, usually what happens is, rather than finding encouragement, we just kind of replay the discouraging details of whatever it was that just happened to us. And so, rather than coming out of that, we kind of sink ourselves into that more and more and more. So, help through encouragement. Verse 11, if two lie together, then they shall have heat, but how can one be warm alone? Help through comfort, comforting one another. And then, help in adversity. If one prevail against him, two shall withstand. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. So help in adversity. There's a good illustration here out of, it's not really out of Psalm 23, but it's out of a shepherd sheep imagery. In Psalm 23, there's imagery there of the shepherd leading the sheep through dangerous valleys, keeping the sheep safe from enemies. And it's interesting to see how it is and how it was then that the shepherds would keep the sheep safe. And this is what would happen. An enemy would get in. Adversity would come in. And we're talking about an enemy. We're talking about a wolf. We're talking about some sort of a predator. And as that shepherd would look and look over his flock and as he would see that enemy get in the flock, had he just left him alone, he could just pick off the sheep one by one if he wanted to, and that would be that. It's not very difficult for a predator to kill a sheep. What the predator would do, or what the shepherd would do, is as soon as he spotted that wolf, he would get up on a hill, and there was some sort of call that he would do, and the reason I say it that way is because it was different for each shepherd, but he would do a call that the sheep would know. And they would all turn and look toward him, and then they would all start running toward him, and usually that wolf would get trampled and would be killed as the flock fled to the shepherd all together. So that if just one sheep were left by himself, it would have been impossible for him to ever overcome a wolf. But together in adversity through fellowship, and this is not just an illustration, it's a reality, the sheep could kill an enemy that would just really easily overcome any of them. We're the same way. We're the same way. We need one another in adversity. We don't really like that very much. Fellowship is a great blessing to us, but it also makes us admit and opens us up to the idea that we really are vulnerable, left to ourselves, and we really do not have it all together, left to ourselves. We need each other. In Amos chapter 3, verse 3, It says, how can two, or it says, can two walk together except they be agreed? Can two folks have, really, fellowship? Now, when we're talking about fellowship, a lot of times we throw that word out and we may not be really clear on what we're talking about. So the word fellowship really just means to have a commonality with someone or to have a joint participation in the same agenda as somebody else. So that if we're talking about having fellowship with Jesus Christ, we're saying that His agenda is our agenda. We have that in common and we're moving the same way. I heard somebody give an illustration one time about fellowship and said, It's kind of like a couple of fellers in a ship. They kind of made a funny joke out of that, but the picture's a good picture. You got guys in a ship, especially if you're talking about like a rowboat or something, they're all rowing, they're all working to go in the same direction. As long as you're going this way, you're in fellowship. As soon as you start rowing the other way, you do not have much fellowship. Fellowship can be had over anything. Now we talk about fellowship here because we say we have a commonality, and that is, and we're going to get to that in a minute, our commonality is that we believe that we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. But you know you can have a fellowship over anything. You could have a hamburger fellowship for people who love hamburgers. We could have a commonality and have a hamburger fellowship every day if we wanted to. You could have a fellowship over whatever. It's just a common thing, a joint participation. And what Amos brings out is, can two walk together except they be agreed? Well, the answer to that is no. Fellowship does not occur just spontaneously out of nowhere. Fellowship has some substance, in other words. There has to be something that you and I have in common, or there really is no fellowship. Now, as we begin to get closer and closer, we'll see what we're talking about. Specifically, as we define who it is that we as Christians have Christian fellowship with. So, 1 John 1 gives us a good idea here. 1 John 1, verse 3. It says, That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message that we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and we do not the truth. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin." And he continues to go on there, but the point John makes here is this, we are declaring unto you that which we have seen, and the reason we declare this to you is so that we might have fellowship with you. Then he goes on to say this, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. As you go down through there, then he continues on with that, but the point that John's making is, as far as Christian fellowship, the only test of Christian fellowship ought to be those who have fellowship with Jesus Christ. So that if you have fellowship with Christ, I can have fellowship with you. If we were to take the word fellowship out, it just means this. If you are walking in joint participation with Jesus Christ, and in the process of Him conforming you to His image, then we have something in common. We have an agreement somewhere along the lines, and we can walk together. And as I say that, I want to make it clear that I really do mean that. Period. Now, there's degrees of fellowship that we have, but as far as the prerequisite for Christian fellowship, it's those who are following Christ. Now, those are going to vary. The closeness of how we can do all that is going to vary, but we do not have a... you know, a Christian country club where we say, you come up here and we'll punch your ticket, you go to the back door and maybe, you know, next week if you do what you need to do then you can come in. That's not it. We have fellowship with, we have a commonality with, we have joint participation with those who are following Jesus Christ. There's a connection there that we have with them and God means for us to do them good and for them to do us good as well. It says, our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son, Jesus Christ. And these things we write unto you, that your joy may be full. And here's the message, that God is light and in Him is no darkness. If we say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and we do not the truth. And whenever we look at a verse like verse 6, you know as well as I do that you know, probably at least where we are, when I say we are, I mean in the cell, you know, 8 out of 10 folks that you talk to claim to be Christians. But as John goes on and continues to boil this thing down, he says this, if we claim or if we say that we have fellowship with him and we walk in darkness, then we do not the truth. So what John is saying is our fellowship is not based on a declaration necessarily, But our fellowship is based on a way of life. You're trying to live a life that pleases God. I'm trying to live a life that pleases God. We have fellowship. If you're trying to live a life that pleases God, and I claim that I'm doing that, or I've claimed that I'm a follower of Christ, but my life has really no resemblance to that at all, there's no fellowship there. And as I say that, I don't mean There's no fellowship there because I've decided to cut you off. I mean, genuinely, there is no fellowship there. It's just as sure to say that as it would be to say there's no snow on the ground right now outside. It's just a fact. We might try to make it work. We might go throw some ice outside on the pavement. It's not going to be long until it's melted and it's water. It's not going to last in the heat out there. And so the same way here, we might try to make something work with someone who's not really in joint participation with us, but the truth of the matter is, if there never was fellowship, it's just not going to work, if it's not there, if the substance isn't there. And then 2 Corinthians chapter 6, 2 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 14, says, Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness, And what concord hath Christ with Belial, or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Now, a lot of times, and probably most of the times that we hear this phrase thrown out, be not unequally yoked with unbelievers, we hear that usually in the context of marriage, but this is not speaking directly in the context of marriage. This is talking about fellowship. Do not have fellowship. Do not try to have fellowship with unbelievers. But then he goes on and pretty much says this, it makes no sense. What commonality has light with darkness? So if we were to have a list of light and darkness and we were to say what's the same about them, what's different about them? Well, there would be nothing on the what's alike list, right? I mean, what's alike? What's the similarities? What do light and darkness have in common? Well, nothing. He says, what does the temple of God and the temple of idols have in common? Nothing. There's nothing in common there. And so again, he's making a point that we made earlier. It's not that he's saying you can try, but you really shouldn't try to do that. But what he's saying is the fact of the matter is it makes no sense because there's no substance there. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. It doesn't make sense. In Proverbs chapter 27, Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 says, Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. So just as when two pieces of iron come together, they don't just automatically begin to sharpen one another, but one is used to sharpen the other, or maybe vice versa. And so, purposefully, a man, through his fellowship, can sharpen the countenance of his friend. Again, that goes back to the idea, and I'm probably going to say this on every verse, but the idea is this, we need one another. You need fellowship. You weren't created, you weren't designed to do life, to live life on your own. You weren't created, you weren't designed, and salvation does not work with those, when I say it doesn't work, I just mean It doesn't come to full fruition with those who want to be hermits. It doesn't work that way. God designed us to live together and to grow together and to help one another through fellowship with each other. In Hebrews, I'm sorry, in 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. 1 Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 18. He says, But now hath God set the members, every one of them, in the body as it has pleased Him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary, and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable upon these we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness." And then he continues on there. The point that Paul is going to make here is this, we need, as far as the body, we need all of our members. He makes the point, would it make sense for the eye to say, would it make sense for your eye to say, I don't need you ear anymore? Would it make sense for your arm to say, I don't need you leg anymore? It's not silly, but it's just kind of a crazy example, because the answer is obviously no. And he says it would be just as crazy and just as silly for me to say, I don't need any of you, I'm good on my own. It would be just as ridiculous for me to say that. And yet, we do have those tendencies at times. Because there are things about people in every congregation that get on other people in every congregation's nerves. There are things about people that rub other people the wrong way. We all have the tendency to think that we think a little more clearly than the guy in front of us and behind us and the girl, whatever. We all think there's something about us that's just a little more on target than somebody else, depending on who it is you're considering. And so what he says is this, you are not sufficient by yourself, but you need every member of the body to be what God is calling you to be. In Hebrews chapter 3, in Hebrews chapter 3. Verse 12, it says, Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it is cold today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Now, these two verses, it's pretty interesting the way they're set up. First, he says, be careful unless there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. He says, be careful that that does not happen. And then he says this, But, he's going to contrast here, rather than letting this evil heart of unbelief set in, do this instead, but exhort one another daily while it is called today, let any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Fellowship strengthens our faith. Fellowship strengthens our faith. Whenever we withdraw ourselves from fellowship, we are very vulnerable to a hardness of heart that sets in. When we withdraw ourselves from fellowship, we're very vulnerable, really, to any of Satan's attacks, because none of us can handle those on our own. By the way, not only do we look at that end of it, but if we flip the coin around, it's this. We need to be exhorting, you need to be encouraging one another daily. Again, that takes some vulnerability, that takes some opening up, that takes some knowing something about somebody. If I'm going to encourage you in a meaningful way, it's got to be more than just a slap on the back saying, hang in there. It's going to be more than just some generic something, if it's going to be worth anything to you. And so through real relationships comes real encouragement, and that only happens really as you spend time together and you get to know each other more and more and more. I'm not saying that doesn't happen at all, but I'm saying it ought to happen generally, it ought to happen way more in our churches than it does. Exhort one another daily. Encourage each other daily. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 23, Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised. 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 you see the day approaching. And so, same thing, it's an exhortation for us to exhort one another, encourage one another to faithfulness. You see a good picture of this in, or at least this getting ready to happen at the very beginning of 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 1 in verse 6 says, this is what Paul says to Timothy, he says, Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Whenever he says, I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, what Paul is saying there is, Timothy, I'm writing this to remind you of a few things to try to kindle the gift that you have. The word to stir up there means to kindle a fire, to blow oxygen on a weakening fire in hopes that the flames will rekindle and the fire will begin to grow and grow and grow and grow. He takes this entire letter here to do that with Timothy. The first thing he does is he reminds them that he's not been given a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind, and then he continues to go on from there. And it's obvious when you read the letter to Timothy that Paul knows Timothy, Paul knows Timothy's struggles, and Paul knows what he's going to say to encourage Timothy as he goes about to rekindle the gift that Timothy has. And then in Ephesians chapter 4, Verse 11, this is speaking of the gifts that God gives to the church. It says, He gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lay and wait to deceive. but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ." And what Paul is saying here is that God gave the church gifts through the ascended Christ and he did that for the perfecting of the saints until we were all or until we are all brought to full maturity. And again, you can't make it from verses 11 down to verse 16 and escape the idea that you need me and I need you if we're going to get to where God has planned for us to be. It just doesn't work without fellowship because God designed it that way. And so I would encourage you This afternoon, there's power in fellowship. Power in fellowship. And so it's not just a message to be preached and heard, but I would encourage you to be strategic about your fellowship. To be thoughtful about who it is you're going to encourage and how you're going to encourage that person. And then just about the time that you spend with one another. I realize everybody has lives and you only have so much time and you probably don't have enough time to do what you have going already. But it is a valuable thing to invest your time in fellowship with other believers. It's how maturity, spiritual maturity occurs. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your design for the church. Lord, we thank you that you've revealed that to us. I thank you for the fellowship that you bless us to have around the commonality of being sinners that are saved by grace. I pray that you would bless us to strive to remain in fellowship with you and that the fellowship we have with one another would be based on that. I pray for the church here that you would strengthen them through one another, that you would bring them to full maturity in Christ. I pray that you would just continue to bless them. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.