The Value of True Christian Fellowship

Brethren, I really appreciated the semanet today because in the semanet by Mr. Claude, he mentioned an important principle about keeping the Sabbath. Because keeping the Sabbath is not just resting, but it's also the other six days that is important that we have to be working, which is part of keeping the Sabbath, the Sabbath commandment. But there is an additionally important point that I want to bring out about keeping the Sabbath correctly, because we all want to keep the Sabbath correctly. And so if you turn with me to Leviticus 23, I want to highlight this one point about keeping the Sabbath that sometimes we do not think. And so if you turn with me to Leviticus 23, and we're going to read the first four verses, Leviticus 23, and it says, And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and said to them, The feasts, the feasts of the Lord. Now, the word feasts are very interesting words, because in Hebrew is a word that says, Mo'ed. And the word Mo'ed means a fixed reunion.

It's a fixed encounter, an opportunity for people to get together. So it's a feast, but it's a reunion for that feast. So it says, The feasts of the Eternal, which you should proclaim.

So they need to be proclaimed. It's not just a question of looking at the stars and at the moon. It says, They need to be proclaimed by God. And it says, To be holy convocation. And what is a holy convocation? It's a holy assembly. It's a holy opportunity to congregate.

That's what it is. These are my feasts. Again, the same word, Mo'ed, which are my opportunities to get together as a festival. Six days shall work be done, as we heard in the sermon. The seven, six days you work. So that's part of the law of the seven, six days. But the seventh day is a seventh of rest. Yes, you stop working. But what is the reason? The mountain that you have that time off. The mountain, the reason that you have time off, is to have a holy convocation. It says, A Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. So it's an opportunity to convocate, to congregate, to meet, to assemble together. You shall do no work on it. It is a Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. Verse 4, these are the feasts. Again, the Mo'ed word of the Lord, holy convocations.

In other words, opportunity to congregate, and it is holy, which is set aside, special, which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. So in these four verses, you have three times the admonition to have holy convocations. And three times, it mentions about Mo'ed feasts. So we are commanded by God to keep the Sabbath.

But the Sabbath, it says part of it, yes, you've got to work for six days and then keep the Sabbath. But the rest, yes, we need to rest. Don't do any normal work in it. But it is a holy convocation. It is an opportunity to get together. So it is concerning for ministers when some people believe that the Sabbath is just a time to just be alone. And because now we have all these facilities, like internet and webcarts, etc., well, I can just listen to the Sabbath service at home.

And I don't have to come to church and congregate and assemble because I get the same messages at home. But if we do that, we are missing the point of the holy convocation, which is part of the command of the Sabbath. Now, we do have these facilities of webcarts, etc., because indeed there are some people that may be ill. And they have a fully justified reason not to come to services. And so, you've got an opportunity to get together. There are some people that live in very scattered areas. Some people that live out in this area, for instance, out in a countryside which is very difficult, is many hours of driving to be able. And then, fourth, it is a blessing that we have this opportunity to quote-unquote, virtually congregate. But if we have the opportunity and we can do it in our health and it gives us the capability to congregate, we should not, we should not avoid or miss that. And it is very important to notice that Paul had the same concern.

Paul had the same concern. Let's look in Hebrews 10, verse 23 through 25. Hebrews 10, verse 23 through 25.

Hebrews 10, verse 23 says, Let us all pass the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

And let us consider one another. How do we consider one another?

Well, one thing that helps us to consider one another is to see one another and therefore to talk to one another and therefore to have one another in mind. For instance, we are Yah, we see some people have not been able to be in Yah because of some health reasons, like we heard one person today could not be Yah because of health reasons or these thoughts and things like that. And then now we know that we can consider one another because we are Yah, we heard announcements, we see one another and then we don't see. And now we can be concerned for one another, we can stir one another in order to stir up love, in order to stir up love, outgrowing concern and good works. So let us consider one another how by being together, by celebrating, by congregating, and that helps us to stir up that love for one another and the good works towards one another. The caring of one another and praying for them and founding them and being aware that we need to be contacting them and encouraging them and things like that. That is important. And verse 25, not forsiking the assembling of ourselves together.

In other words, not neglecting the opportunity that we have through the Sabbath of assembling ourselves together. Us is a manner of some, aha! So some have that tendency and be careful not to do that, but exhorting. So we ought to exhort, we ought to encourage, we ought to uplift one another how? How? By being together, by fellowshiping, exhorting one another, helping one another to grow and sell the more and even it's more important as we use see the day approaching. Which day?

The day of Christ coming. That's watching capitals. In other words, as we approaching the time of the end, it's even more important to do so, which means it's going to be more difficult. Why? Because we are scattered, because the price of gas is high and yeah, we need to help one another and maybe do a little bit of a lift club and help out one another if we can. But let us not forside the assembly of ourselves together. So it is an encouragement that Paul is giving us, yeah, not to neglect, not to let down. And so coming to church, it's not just a message. I mean, you may come to church and I may be in a day that I'm not feeling well and maybe the sermon does not come across the best way. And you may say, oh well, it was not the best sermon that George has given. Or somebody else has given, it happens. I mean, we human beings, I might be so. Or it might have not triggered something in your mind that said, oh well, you know, I didn't get my money's worth, quote, unquote, of coming to church today. But you know, brethren, we get our money's worth by fellowship, by encouraging one another. By afterwards getting together, we have one of the few little things and we get together and we just fellowship and we encourage one another.

And that is just or equal as important as a message. Not saying the message is not important, but the opportunity of every good, godly, true Christian fellowship is just as important. And we need it. We need it. Spiritually, we need it. It is important for our spiritual Christian growth. So, my purpose to diagram is to really talk about what is the true value of true Christian fellowship. And I want to look at a few points that it is valuable, very important points.

So what? So that we don't break the sadder. Really, because it's part, if we neglecting it, we could actually break it one of the 10 commandments. And also, you will see, as I get into it later in some of the points in the message, and also so that we do not lose on eternal life.

It's that important. It's that important. So let's, to start, therefore, let's go to Psalm 95.

Psalm 95 is a seventh song. Psalm 95 is a seventh song. It's a song about the seventh.

And let's read, starting from verse 1. Psalm 95. It says, O come. I mean, what do you mean, O come? O come means, leave home, leave where it is, let's get together. O come, let us sing to the Lord. O come, let us sing to the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

Who's the rock of our salvation? Who's our Savior? That's Christ. You can read in 1 Corinthians 10. It's talk about Christ. He's the rock that went with them. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving. Let us come before His presence. Where do we come before His presence? Clear. It's a Sabbath. When we congregate and assemble together. Let us shout joyfully to Him with songs. And so let's jump onto verse 6. And you can read this whole Psalm in your own time and meditate about it. It's good, but it says in verse 6, O come, let us worship and bow down, bow down. That clearly is a Sabbath instruction. To come, worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For He is our God. And we are the people of His pasture. And the sheep of His end. Today! Today! If you'll hear His voice. What do you mean, today? It's the Sabbath. Today! Because we are congregating. Today is the Sabbath. That's why it's capitalized. Oh yeah, you can say it. Well, it's the beginning of the Sabbath. But if you leave reading a number of study guides and say that, they all admit that in actually talking about today representing the Sabbath. That is the reason why it's capitalized. If you hear His voice, do not order your hearts.

Now, if you hear His voice, when you hear His voice, I mean, you can sit there, how many read His voice? But to hear His voice is in church. That's where it needs to die. If you hear His voice, if you pay attention and you listen to it and apply and so do not harden your hearts.

In other words, pay attention to it, let your hearts melt and say, hey, I'm something I need to do.

Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion. Which rebellion? When He's relaxed for 40 years, rebelled. And it says, as in the day of the trial, in the wilderness. When your father tested me, they tried me, though they saw my work. For 40 years, I screamed of that generation and said, it is the people who go astray in their hearts and they do not know my ways.

So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.

And they did not enter the rest, the promised land, except with two, Josh and Caleb. There's no.

But they did not enter the rest.

Spiritually, for us, the Sabbath, which points to creation, right?

But think about it, it points to the spiritual creation. Our rest, yes, our promised land is a millennium, but beyond that, it's the Kingdom of God. And the Kingdom of God is when we are spirit beings and therefore we have rest because it's the ultimate, the end point of the creation of mankind when we become sons and daughters of God. So the Sabbath points to that ultimate rest, which is when we'll become sons and daughters of God in the promised land, which is the Kingdom of God for us. So prophecy, as the sea is, it's always jewel. There's a physical, but there's a bigger spiritual intent. The Sabbath points to creation, but the bigger spiritual intent of the Sabbath, it points to the ultimate completion of the creation of man to be a son and daughter of God as a spirit being in God's Kingdom. Now, do you know that this scripture is quoted in the New Testament?

Let's go there in Hebrews 3, chapter 7. Hebrews 3, chapter 7. People say, oh well, Paul never talks about the Sabbath.

Well, Hebrews 3, chapter 7, is clearly talking about the Sabbath, as we saw.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Hebrews 3, verse 7, today, when is today the Sabbath?

Today, if you will hear His voice, when do you hear His voice on the Sabbath?

Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your father tested me, tried me, and so my words, forty years. Therefore, I was angry with that generation and said, they always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. We read that in Psalm 95.

Now, Paul continues and says, verse 12, Hebrews 3, verse 12, beware! Beware! Be-way! Grandma. Paul is now talking to Christians and says, beware lest they be in any of you an evil part of unbelief.

What was their unbelief?

Their unbelief was a terror about, they did not abide.

That was their unbelief. You see, every time you see in the Bible, believe, see beyond it, obedience. If you believe, you're gonna do what God tells you to do, because you believe. So, whenever you see in the Bible the word believe, see beyond it, obedience. So, let's continue reading. Verse 12, beware brethren, let there be, let there be any of you with an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

How do you depart from the living God? You depart from the living God when you sin.

So, that unbelief leads to sin, and that sin means departing from the living God. Let's continue verse 13. But exhort one another daily. Exhort, encourage each one daily.

Which day? Every day? Yes, sure, we should encourage each one daily. Sure. But it says, wow, it is called today. Today.

Wow, it is the Sabbath. Today, particularly today.

You see, again, it's in the middle of a sentence, but it's capital. It's capitalized.

So, exhort each one daily. You know what's every Sabbath day? Sure, we should encourage one another every day, but we particularly should encourage and exhort one another daily when it's today the Sabbath. How can we do that? How can we do that? Bar, congregate, bar, assembly.

Obviously, some of us cannot. Then, yeah, then, make a phone call. Found some of your brethren that you know that can't congregate. Do that on the Sabbath as well. There's nothing wrong. Oh, and other some people might say, well, you can't even do use the phone on the Sabbath because it's work. Well, what is the purpose of not working on the Sabbath?

To have a holy congregation. Then verse 14. Oh, wait, wait. I didn't finish verse 13. It says, Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

You see brethren, sometimes when you talk to one another, it kind of triggers in our minds one thing that says, oh, I've got a shock for myself. I'm on this. I'm kind of deviating myself a little bit from the right way. We encourage, we exhort one another as we talk in church, after church, before church, etc. We encourage one another, and that helps us to get back on the way. It is very important to have Christian fellowship on the Sabbath. Very important to exhort one another, and what it's called today, the Sabbath. Lest, lest you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. There was less you're going to be deceived by sin. Verse 14. For we have become par takers of Christ. Interesting word. There's two Greek words I'm going to mention today. One is this one, which is metokos, which means par takers, which means members, which means associated with Christ. Yes, we are members of Christ. We are members of the body of Christ. We all are members of the body of Christ. We are par takers, members of Christ. If we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said to die, if you hear His voice, do not order your heart. Do not order your hearts as in that rebellion. And then those are continued. For who? Having heard. Rebel. Who rebelled? Was it Israelites leading Egypt right?

So, talks about rebellion. Rebellion is going away from God's law. Remember, it's talking about your evil heart of unbelief and it's talking about unbelief. And now it says in that context, it says that her belt. And that's the one reading. For who? Having heard her belt. Indeed, it was not.

All who came out of Egypt led by Moses. Now, with whom was he angry for 40 years?

Was it not with those who sinned? They rebelled, they sinned. Whose corpses fell in the wilderness. And to whom did he swear that they would not enter into his rest? But to those who did not obey.

Can you see? Their belt, they sinned. They did not obey. It's actually talking about obedience, isn't it?

And then in verse 19, so we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.

You can see beyond the word, belief is obedience, or unbelief is disobedience.

To show them their belt, they disobeyed, they sinned.

So brethren, the sale of command is the command of a commanded meeting.

Let me give you an example. Some of you have worked for corporations.

And when you work for a corporation, the boss may say to you, look, today, or not today, but on this day, put it in your calendar. On this day, we're going to have a meeting, a regular meeting. And we want you all to get together to the meeting. And therefore, you don't have to do your normal work because you're going to the meeting. Sometimes you have a meeting, a big corporate meeting, that's a whole day. And maybe you have a special venue to go to that meeting. And the boss is appointed to that venue when you go to that meeting. It's a whole day meeting. And he says, because of that, you don't have to come to work. You go to that meeting. So what do you say? Well, I don't have to go to work. I turn around, I put on my sluttiness, and I take a rest.

Yes, because you're not going to work, so you're raised from work.

But why did the boss give you that day off?

To have a meeting. Now, let me ask you a further question. Do you think your boss is going to be happy with you? Well, he's going to check. At the end of the day, he says, who was at the meeting or wasn't?

And he says, you went to the meeting. Well, you at work now, I was around. You took the day off. You guys were at the day off, so I decided to stay around. Well, I'll have the meeting. I'll have it on a different day. I'm not going to have the day you have. I'm going to be on a different day.

The boss says, I've set it up. I showed up. Why didn't you?

I think it's God doing the same thing. He's showing up. Why don't we?

Now, I'm just giving this as an example. I'm not saying that you're not doing it. I'm just saying to bring a very interesting point, which I'm going to come to a little later. But we have seen so far a couple of things. First, the Sabbath is a holy congregation. It's a responsibility for us to live together. We've seen that we must not neglect the same thing of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, as false say. We ought to exhort each other on the Sabbath to encourage to uplift each other on the Sabbath. And we ought to be aware, as Paul says, yeah, beware, says yeah, in Hebrews 3 verse 12. We beware. It was because we are members of this body. Let's just think of it as spiritual organism. We are members of this entity, spiritual entity. And therefore, we need to be careful that you don't be deceived by the deceitfulness of sin.

So, through Christian fellowship, putting it in another way, there's an opportunity for us to exhort one another so that we are not caught up by the deceitfulness of sin, and God has given us this opportunity to do that, and He's given us a day of work to do that.

That puts a slightly different look into the Sabbath, doesn't it?

It does put it a slightly different, interesting look into the Sabbath.

Now, I want to go on to some interesting points about it as well.

And this is about toward fellowship. Do you know when was the first time that toward fellowship was referred to in the New Testament?

Was it during the time that Christ was living on earth?

No. Okay. So when was it that was first mentioned in the New Testament?

It was immediately after the disciples received the Holy Spirit.

Let's go to Acts 2 then, when was giving the Holy Spirit.

So just let's look at into context here. Let's look at a few verses here on Acts 2, purely to put it into context, and then we'll get to the scripture that talks about fellowship. Acts 2, verse 1, and then we'll get to the scripture that talks about fellowship. Acts 2, verse 1, when the dead came across the folicah, they were all together, were one accord in one place. Hey, they were assembling! Amazing! Interesting, isn't it? They were assembling or wrong. Okay. And then, looking at in verse 4, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, so they received the Holy Spirit.

Okay. Then we get down a bit further, and verse 17, it says that this was the fulfilling of the prophecy by Joel. It says, and it comes to pass in the last days, says the God, that I'll pour out my spirit on all flesh. And then, further on, it says in verse 18, in the middle, and onto my servants, and on my maid servants, I'll pour out my spirit in those days. So, Diabetic cost was the first groups, when the beginning, when the Holy Spirit was given, which would be given to all mankind at the fall of us, but there, at Pentecost, was the first groups, when it first was given to all type of people, but it would be fully open to the whole world later on. So, we see that the Holy Spirit was given as a fulfillment of prophecy. Then, let's look at Peter's message. And Peter's message, he tells Peter's message, which starts around about, yeah, starts around about verse 14. But let's look a little bit further. In this Peter's message, he says, listen, you, you people have killed Christ. You killed the Messiah.

And then, when the people realize this, in verse 37, now when they heard this, they would come to the heart. And they say to Peter, to the rest of the apostles, what are we going to do? And then, Peter says, repent. We are repent. We are going to change the way we, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And he says, this is a promise for you and for your children. And then, you can see in verse 41, and then those who get, get and receive this word were baptized, and on that day about 3,000 people were baptized, and when added to the Amen, it was received to the Holy Spirit. On that day, it died. Wow, can you imagine the line for back to 3,000 people, right? Something unusual. But anyway, it was significant, because it was the first time it was something very special. But remember, the Holy Spirit had just been given to these people. Immediately after, these 3,000 people and the disciples and 120 received the Holy Spirit. Look in verse 42, what happens. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and the fellowship. In Greek, the word thee is there. The article that fellowship. So it says, in that apostles doctrine and in that fellowship. And how was the fellowship? In the breaking of bread and in grace. So they were together. They were eating together. They were having fellowship. And part of the fellowship, that they had a few things to eat, a few little nibble things to nibble, etc. And they had ideas of things to pray. And they could go and pray. And obviously, we don't do prayers in public, because it's not a tranche a hulk. But when we hear of something, we can pray right there, privately, quietly. And also, we can go home and have something to pray about, because we hear because of the fellowship that we hear. And so they continued steadfastly in apostles doctrine, in the doctrine of Christ, which is what apostles taught, and in that fellowship.

So we can see the first time fellowship is mentioned in the Bible. It was immediately after they received the Holy Spirit. The word for fellowship is koidonia. So it's the second word I said I've mentioned to you today. And it's koidonia, which means this fellowship. Some areas of the Bible translate it as communion. But it's basically fellowship. It's probably a better word in today's modern language, because the word communion is got a little bit of a wrong interpretation by some people. But it's a communion of fellowship. It's sharing conversation and talking, having that Christian fellowship, true Christian fellowship.

And look at in verse 44. It says, now all who believed were together. You see, they were assembling and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods and divided them amongst all as one had need. So they were together. And so quite often when you think of fellowship in this context, we think of a physical thing. But you know what it is. In those days, they didn't have an ATM. They didn't go to the bank and draw money. So they had goods. And so if they needed a bit of money, they sold. And then they gave it to somebody else. And what do we do if somebody needs a bit of money to die? We give them a little money. We give them some goods. We give them maybe a bit of food or whatever. We give them a little bit of financial assistance. That's what we do today. It's basically the same thing. Verse 46. So they continued in daily with one accord.

One accord. They had one mind. How do they have that one accord? Through the Holy Spirit. Because they just received the Holy Spirit, and they were one accord in the temple. Oh, in the temple. So they were assembling. They were disassembling. They were the fellowship. And breaking bread from house to house. Yeah, they had fellowship. They also then, afterwards, maybe off the church, maybe whatever it is, they went to the people. Or whenever they had an opportunity, they went and talked in their fellowship. And they ate together. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.

Praising God and having flavor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily, those who were inside. So quite often, we think of singleness of heart, or simplicity of heart, or as some scriptures translated as singleness of heart. And we think of one accord, and we think in this context of physical. But it's not just physical. One accord and singleness of heart is spiritual. Brethren, you would not meet me if it was not for God's church. And I would not meet any of you, and many of you would not meet each other if it was not for God's church and for what we share. We are a very special group of people. I mean, we don't all kind of play cards, and we are not together because we play cards. We're not together because we, for instance, go to the races or whatever it is. We are together because we have, we share something very special. First, the Holy Spirit. We share one Savior. We share the Father. We share one heritage. We share one looking life. We share one hope. We share the same laws. We share the same value system. We share the same morality, principles of morality. We view the future in the same way. We share a lot of things that are very special, which are related to God. And that's a very special fellowship that we have. So it was not just physical things. Yes, they had food. Food. But again, think about duality.

Food, physically. We also, when we talk and have food physically, we talk about spiritual things. And therefore, we have spiritual food through that talking of one another and that fellowship.

So, let's jump to Acts 4 verse 32. Acts 4 verse 32.

Another multitude of those who believed, they were of one heart and one soul, neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. In other words, they were of one heart, one mind. There was that singleness that one accord through God's only Spirit. They had one accord and they shared with one another. Now, this is not communism.

This is voluntary. And if we see somebody as difficulty or trouble, we want to help that person. And it's a desire that we have. And we share from one another when we hear that some of the brethren are in the That is what it's talking about here. Now, this thing of being a reed of one heart and one soul, isn't that Jesus' lost prey? Think about it. When you think about, like, your lost world, isn't that kind of what you want for the people? It's like your lost world, your world. It's what you want for people to do. And in a sense, Jesus' lost prey. What do we pray in Jesus' lost prey? Look with me at Jesus' portions of Jesus' lost prey in John 17.

First, let's look at verse 11. John 17, verse 11.

And now, I'm no longer in the world. Yeah, Christ knew that he was going to die soon.

And but these are in the world. And I come to you, Holy Father, keep through your name. In other words, that's why we are called the Church of God. It's not the Church of Christ, or the Church of something else, or the Church of some saints, or whatever it is.

It's the Church of God. Keep them in His name.

Those whom you have given Me, that they may be one.

And you see, when they received the Holy Spirit, they were in one accord.

They were on one mind. This is an answer to prayer. This is what Christ prayed for, that they may be one as we are. You see, God is one. It's not that God, Father, and Jesus Christ is one person, but they are one. Like we are to be one. The multitude was in one accord and one mind.

We are to be one. Together we can be one person. We still individual members, but we are to be one body, the body of Christ, with one mind, one purpose, one accord.

Read also in verse 21 through 23, the same chapter, that they may be one as you, Father, are in Me and I in you, that they may be one in us, plural, us, that the world may believe that you sent Me.

And the glory which you gave Me, I've given them, that they may be one, just as we are one.

I in them and you in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, perfect in unity, to be united, to be together, to be one, that the world may know that you have sent Me and have loved them and you have loved Me.

So the thing about us being one in this fellowship of the Spirit is something miraculous, is something very, very important. And so, fellowship is very important because it leads to this miraculous unity of being one. Like God is one.

So let's look at the objectives, yeah? And Paul described it in 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 9 and 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 9 and 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and 10. Since God is faithful by whom you were called?

We are called by God into what? For what purpose?

Into the fellowship of the Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Brethren, God is faithful by whom we are called? For what purpose? For what objective?

We're called to have true fellowship with Jesus Christ, to be one with Christ, to be part of the body of Christ, to be members of His body. That's what we call into that fellowship in that body of Christ. Now, if you have that fellowship and if you are one with Christ, we are now one with God, and one with one another, because we all are one. Can we see the importance of this fellowship with Christ?

He says you are called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same things, that you be one, that you be united, and that we know the visions among you, that you may be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. This is a very intimate union or unity, because it's in us, it's in our heart, it's in our mind, it's inside us to be truly one. It's a very special union. And brethren, in other words, if we do not have true fellowship, true Godly Christian fellowship with one another, do we then have true fellowship with Christ?

Because if we want to have true fellowship with Christ, and we are one, and the other brethren, the eyes also one, and all one, then we're going to have fellowship with one another. In other words, if we do not have true fellowship with Jesus Christ, we do not have true Christian fellowship.

So just meeting with people does not necessarily mean having true Christian fellowship, because if those people don't have the true relationship with Christ, we cannot really have true Christian fellowship with those people that do not have true relationship with Christ. And the whole thing becomes a unity, and it therefore is something very special amongst those people. Turn with me to still in Corinthians chapter 10, first Corinthians chapter 10, just a few pages ahead, start in verse 1. I'm going to read a few verses in this chapter. Moreover brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses, into Moses. They were baptized into Moses. Like we are to be baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit into the same word in Greek, haste. We're baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food. Yes, they had a manor, but you know we all ought to eat Christian fellowship spiritual food, not just physical, that spiritual food. And he says all drank the same spiritual drink, and they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ, as we mentioned in the log. Our rock is Christ. But with most of them, God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in wovens. But it was not happy with them. The bodies were scattered in wovens. Now these things became our examples. They are lessened to us. They're not they're just a nice little kiddie story. It's a lesson for us. To the intent that we should not do very sense, and in number right, it's very simple. Verse 12, therefore let him think, let him who thinks that he stands, let his fault. Why? Look at verse 11. All these things happen to us as an example, and they were written for our mission, for thou or us, that the end of the ages have come. For us at the end time. And therefore, be careful, be careful. And let's jump at the end onto verse 14. Verse 14 says, therefore, therefore, and therefore means, because of what I said before, right? Therefore, Matthew 11, free ideology. What? Free ideology? What do you mean? You see, he's talking about ideology.

I speak as to wise men. In other words, I'm talking to you because I know you've got a little bit of grey matter up, yeah, and you can understand what I'm talking about. Okay? Judge for yourselves what I'm saying. Now, think about it what I'm saying. Think very tight about what I say.

For the path of blessing with which we bless, is it not the communion? And if you have a little knock on the margin, say, fellowship. It's the same Greek word, koinonia.

Fellowship. Is it not the fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break. Is it not the fellowship, koinonia of the body of Christ?

Brethren, it's time, this whole thing about fellowship with the actual posselva.

As I, with a little bit of humor, say, this is C for serious. Obviously, C for serious with the mess, not C, but C is like thick, very important, C for serious, very serious. It's very important.

For though we, many, we are one bread and one body. For all partake, we are all members, again, that other word, metokos. We are members partake of that one bread of one body, which is the Church of God, which is the spiritual body of Christ. You see the importance here of this union, but now he takes it further. What am I saying then? Remember he's talking about three idolatry, right? He said that in verse 14, three idolatry. So what am I talking about? Do you guys get it? And then he says, he says, well, I've skipped a mistake in verse 18. Observe Israel out of the flesh, are not those who ate of the sacrifices or takers of the altar? In other words, are they not sharing of that altar? What am I saying then? Then an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything rather. What I'm saying is that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. And I do not want you to have fellowship, koinonia, or koinons, fellowship with demons.

So, it's talking about the point that says you cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot pour type of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. You cannot be members, and we need to have that fellowship with one another, and not fellowship with people that are non-Christians, because people that are non-Christians, that fellowship is not true Christian fellowship, because we cannot join with them thinking that we're worshiping God, because they worshiping a different God. They have a different type of a different fellowship. They have worship with demons. In other words, that's what he's saying. And when we have true Christian fellowship, we fellowship with God the Father, through Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit.

And so, what he's saying is we need to run away from false Christians to worship God.

He does not say that we're not going to love old people. Yes, we need to love old people. We need to be trans with old people. That's not what it's saying. But when we are having true Christian fellowship, that true Christian fellowship needs to be with those of the same table, of the same body, of the same fellowship, of the same bread, and of the same wine, which represents the sacrifice of Christ. And that's what true Christian fellowship is about with those true same Christians. Now, jump ahead to 2 Corinthians chapter 6. 2 Corinthians chapter 6.

We start reading in verse 4b.

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. That's what he's saying.

You cannot have plow in a field with a bull and an ox because it will be skewed. I mean, a bull and a different type of animal. It will be skewed because one is stronger than the other one. So they have to be of the same sort of yoke. And likewise, in Christianity, we cannot have togethers of unbelievers. That's why he says in old Israel, they said, don't marry the woman and the people out there because they will take you to worship the wrong God. Why? Because that will lead you to the wrong fellowship and you'll then worship the wrong God. You can't have that. And that's why he says, for what fellowship? Aha! Fellowship! You can see enough, quite in the same word, has righteousness and wilderness. And what fellowship or communion has light with darkness.

It's an intimate relationship that we have with the Holy Spirit. Read also in 2 Corinthians chapter 13. At the end, the last few verses to concluding remarks in 2 Corinthians in chapter 13, starting from verse 11. He says, finally brethren, farewell. So he's saying goodbye. Goodbye, brethren. Yes, the end of the letter. Ciao! Goodbye! Become complete. Be of good comfort. Be of one mind, again one. Living peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with the Holy Peace. All the saints greet you. And then he says, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion, communion, fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Amen. Now, some people say, oh, this is a proof of Trinity. No, it's not going to be a Trinity. Because what it's talking about is the grace. It's talking about the love. It's talking about the fellowship. It's not talking about a Trinity. It's talking about the grace of Jesus Christ. It's talking about outgoing concern and love of God. And it's talking about the fellowship that we have of the Holy Spirit. It's not with the Holy Spirit. It's of the Holy Spirit. Even it's the Holy Spirit that makes possible for us to have through Godly Christian fellowship.

That's why the word fellowship first was mentioned when they received the Holy Spirit. Can you see how it all starts tying together the importance of fellowship and how the Holy Spirit makes it possible because it's the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. When it was through the Holy Spirit that we have that fellowship with God, Father, that mind.

Also, to supplement that, look in Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2 verse 1. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship, koinonia, fellowship of the Spirit, it's God's Holy Spirit in us, that same mind of God in us that enables through Godly Christian fellowship. You can only have through Godly Christian fellowship through the Holy Spirit.

If any affection and mercy fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and one mind. And then he says, a little bit like that, he says in verse 5, let this mind be new, which was in Christ Jesus. In other words, is that fellowship true or all the Holy Spirit? So, the Holy Spirit is a key or is a key component in enabling through Godly fellowship. So what? He masks so what? Okay, good question. Let's go into 2nd Peter. 2nd Peter chapter 1.

2nd Peter chapter 1.

Right in the beginning of this, 2nd Peter, 2nd Peter, 2nd Peter, there's a Simon Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ for those who have obtained like gracious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Some people say, say, oh well, in every Bible says that Jesus Christ was God. Well, there it is, of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Anyway, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God the Father and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord has is the divine power. What is this divine power? It's a Holy Spirit.

The divine power is a Holy Spirit. Has is the divine power as given to us all things that pertain to Godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by the glory and virtue by which you have been given us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers.

The word there in this case was the word kononia, kononos, partakers have fellowship of the divine nature. You may be part of that divine nature so that you may have the vanity in you ultimately when you sons and daughters of God when you made spirit beings in God's family.

Having escaped the corruption that is involved with us.

So, so what? The Holy Spirit is key because it's through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit that we'll be sharing having that fellowship of the divine nature. It's key. That's so what? That's what? And also look how John started his letter as well. First John, just one or two pages ahead in your Bible. First John chapter 1 verses 1, starting, then which was from the beginning which you heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have spoke which we have looked upon and our hands have touched concerning the world of life we saw himself we touched him we've got authority to talk to you about about the world of life the life was manifested which is spoken about Christ of course and we have seen and we bear witness and he prayed to you the eternal that eternal life which was of the Father and it was Christ was with the Father before and was manifested to us that which we have seen and heard and we declared to you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ John had a authority to talk about this and he sang and these things were right to you that your joy may be true we have fellowship through the Holy Spirit and with that fellowship that's why Christ prayed his lost world prayer was that they may be one and we have one that fellowship through the Holy Spirit to be one of Christ and before one with one another and one with the Father and with five this is a message which we heard from beginning and declared unto you God is light and in him is no darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him if we have that fellowship with Christ and with God and walk in darkness in it was we walk in an habitual way of sin we lie and do not practice the truth and if you walk in the light and it was if we have an habitual way of obeying God's law doesn't say that we may trip yes we may trip but we have an habitual way of trying to please God in our way of life walking the light as he is light we have fellowship with one another as the blood of Christ as the blood and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleans us from all sin so he's the Holy Spirit important extremely important because Holy Spirit gives us the fellowship is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit that guides us into all truth so Holy Spirit that gives us the strength to keep and to walk in the light and through that as we walk in the light we practice the light we practice the truth we have that one fellowship of God and Jesus Christ now with that in mind now with that in mind let's conclude by going back to the scripture in Hebrews 10 that Paul described to us and which we read in Hebrews 10 Hebrews 10 verse 24 let us consider one another and to stood up love and good words how through fellowship to the fellowship of God's Holy Spirit having God's Holy Spirit not forsaking the assembly of ourselves not forsaking the opportunity not neglecting the opportunity of having Christian through Christian fellowship as a manner of samis but exhorting one another encouraging one another lifting up one another stirring up love one another not quenching the Holy Spirit in any words but building up this this exhortation of one another so much more as the day of the time of the end is coming for for the next verse because if we sin willfully sin willfully as manner of samis not assembling one another because you see that assembling helps us to avoid the deceitfulness of sin as we saw early on and therefore fall if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth since uh john when we read that says that if you walk in in in darkness you don't follow the truth after we receive the truth we are obeying god in god an habitual way of trying to obey god therefore fall if we sin willfully after we receive the knowledge of truth they no longer remain the sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fire indignation which will divide it without adversaries and in verse 31 says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god so paul is making some very serious connections that neglecting true christian fellowship could lead to what it's described as an important sin an abboudia the book that the cover is already kind of broken but it's entitled what you mean the important sin by mr almshrom a man that god used dated 1967 and and he's talking about an important symbol one of the things about the important sin says here on page 33 i'm going to read to you the section says the converted christian can lose the presence of god spirit but continued neglect neglect of pray neglect of power study neglect of spiritual fellowship with god's people so it's very serious subject today brethren we saw the value our hope of through christian fellowship the salad is a wonderful opportunity that god has given us for through christian fellowship it's a holy congregation we should not neglect that opportunity to do so if we can we understand sometimes we may not be able to that is understandable but let's be aware that we are not going to be by neglecting that fellowship that we're going to be hardened our hearts hardened by the deceitfulness of sin it is very important to have that christian fellowship through the holy spirit because it gives us that unity that capability that miraculous unity of becoming one with god and therefore avoid avoid mixing with false christians in this religion of babylon out of the world because that's not true christian fellowship because that's can mean us phleidology but through christian fellowship of the holy spirit it makes it possible to true joy and makes us possible to have ultimately the divine nature let us not brethren neglect through christian fellowship