Fellowship — Eugene Higgins

Thank you very much for your grace in coming tonight. The Valley of the Sun has a lot of things to offer people but there is something I think you are a bit short on and that is Cruises doesn't seem to me that there are too many cruises taking off from Arizona ports.

So thank you for coming. I hope that when we look at some of these Bible ships that there will be something to encourage and help all now. I'm a bit embarrassed that there are so many Older believers here who know these things well and preachers who have preached them better than I will tonight.

Thank you for coming. I hope God will bless his word to you. If it's boring and you fall asleep that will not bother me. Just don't fall overboard, but it will not bother me. Just pray that God will bless his word.

Ezra and the Danger of Adversarial Fellowship

Now our first reading will be somewhat unusual bearing in mind what our subject is for tonight. But nonetheless, let's look in the book of Ezra. First of all, please Ezra Chapter 4 verse 1. Ezra chapter 4 and verse 1.

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity built of the temple unto the Lord God of Israel. Then they came to Zerubbabel. Now I want to note with you that this is the divine viewpoint about these people.

We are being tipped off ahead of time that they are adversaries of Judah and Benjamin. You would not Infer that from their language and from what they are suggesting here. But nonetheless God sees their hearts and reminds us that they were adversaries to the work.

They came to Zerubbabel verse 2 and to the chief of the fathers and said unto them Let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon King of Assyr.

Esarhaddon would be the son of the well-known Sennacherib. And these are referring to kings of Assyria. But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said unto them Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God.

But we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus the king of Persia have commanded us. Then the people of the land weakened the hands. And notice please how they display that they are adversaries to the work.

They weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose. All the days of Cyrus king of persia, even until the reign of Darius King of persia now into the new testament, please the book of acts chapter 2 familiar reading in the second chapter of acts.

And verse 41 acts chapter 2 and verse 41. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized. And the same day there were added unto them about 3 000 souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers, you'll notice the Plethora of important truths brought before us there.

Of course, we have salvation. They that gladly received his word and submission they were baptized and reception. They were added unto them about 3 000 souls and the instruction that that involved they Continued in the apostles doctrine the communion the fellowship the commemoration the breaking of bread.

And prayers the supplication all that linked with that assembly testimony. There in jerusalem now finally in first corinthians first corinthians Chapter 12. First corinthians chapter 12 and verse 1. Now concerning spiritual gifts brethren.

I would not have you ignorant. You know that you were gentiles carried away unto these dumb idols. Even as you were led wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the spirit of god Calleth jesus a curse and that no man can say that jesus is the lord but by the holy ghost.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit and there are differences of Administrations, but the same lord and there are diversities of operations. But it is the same god which worketh all in all but the manifestation of the spirit Is given to every man to profit With all for to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge.

By the same spirit to another faith by the same spirit. To another the gifts of healing by the same spirit to another the working of miracles to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits. To another diverse kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues.

But all these worketh that one and the self same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one and have many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body.

So also is christ for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be jews or gentiles. Whether we be bond or free. And have been all made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member.

But many if the foot shall say because I am not the hand I am not of the body. Is that therefore not of the body and if the ear shall say because I am not the eye I am not of the body. Is it therefore not of the body?

If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing if the whole were hearing where were the smelling? But now have god set the members every one of them in the body as it had pleased him. And if they were all one member where were the body?

Now are they many members yet? But one body and the eye cannot say into the hand. I have no need of thee. Nor again the head to the feet. I have no need of you. And just look down the chapter finally to verse 27.

Now ye are body of christ and members in particular and god hath set some in the church first apostles. Secondarily prophets. Thirdly teachers after that miracles then gifts of healings helps governments.

Diversities of tongues are all apostles are all prophets. Are all teachers. Are all workers of miracles. Have all the gifts of healing. Do all speak with tongues. Do all interpret. But covet earnestly the best gifts and yet show I unto you.

A more excellent way and by the way when you get the the list of the gifts given in verse 28. And then the questions given in the next two verses you will notice that two are omitted. So that of course the inference is that all are not apostles and all are not prophets and all are not teachers and all are Not workers of miracles, but he does not ask whether all are helped.

And he does not ask whether all are wise Counsels or wise counselors, which is the idea behind government so that the implication is of course that while our gifts may vary. We all ought to be able to be at least this helps.

And wise counselors. Knowing the word of god able to help others and able to encourage others in the things of god. Now subject tonight is to look at fellowship and I would like to perhaps Look at it at least.

Gather my comments around two major topics I want to consider with you. First of all, what should our attitude be towards christians who are not in the fellowship of an assembly? And what should my attitude be toward christians who are.

So what about believers truly saved people who are not part of an assembly? What what should my interaction with them be? What about this subject of fellowship? And then what about fellowship in the assembly?

Fellowship as Shared Likeness and Common Work

And now the meaning of fellowship will be very important to us. Fellowship is different from friendship. Friendship involves the word like. Like you like someone. He is your friend. She is your friend.

Friendship involves the word like fellowship involves the word likeness. Fellowship is based on similarity. Fellowship is based on a Commonality. Fellowship is based on the fact that that person and I share something together.

So for instance, it's the word that's used about uh, peter james and john that they were partners in the ship. They they were in fellowship in this enterprise the peter james and john fishing company.

So they shared the loss they shared the game. They shared the struggles. They shared the ups and downs. They shared the mending of the nets. They shared the the scrubbing of the barnacles if that's what happened on their boats.

They shared the uh, the the down times they shared you can imagine now. Imagine if peter decided one day he had no interest in going fishing and he's on the pier with his ray bands on and he's Sipping pina colada and of course you fish at night net fishing.

So now they're coming in early in the morning after a long day out on the on the water. And imagine if peter said how how much did we catch last night? How did we do? They might wonder why he's using the royal.

The royal pronoun we when he had been on the pier and they had been out working. So if i'm in fellowship in an assembly, then i'm part and parcel of what that assembly is doing. It's responsibilities.

It's it's privileges. It's it's joys and it's sorrows and if somebody has Cleverly said that fellowship is fellows in the ship and they actually may have been referring to that usage of it. Peter james and john being partners if it's fellows in the ship I would suggest to you that we need to add at least two other items to that.

That a fellowship is fellows in the ship. It's fellows in the ship and they're all rowing going in the same direction. They're all working together. That's fellowship. I Sometimes sometimes with an amusement amusement, I think back to a time when I was driving Along a busy street in the town where we were living at the time.

And just ahead of me. I saw two fellas. They parked their their pickup truck off to the side and they were carrying a dining room table across to an antique store. To I suppose to sell it. So they were they were moving across.

Well, I could see That they weren't going to make it track. It was. So I slowed down. And at some point now they were about halfway across at some point. They looked up both of them and they looked the opposite way and they saw cars coming and they realized we're not going to make it.

So they realized we have to get out of here so they moved much more quickly. Only they moved in opposite directions. And so here we are. This was a federal street in camden, which was a fairly busy street and here.

You'd have to understand how ludicrous this looks as they as they both thought we've got to run. The one who was nearer to my side of the street went that way and the other one went that way holding the table.

So the table opens up in the middle of federal street as if they're just about to set the course for 12 people. They opened the table all the way up because they had tried to pull it out of danger. But they hadn't been working together.

You know what fellowship is not just fellows in the ship. But as they're rowing to be done then then I put my shoulder to it. I put my arms to it. And i'm not rowing against i'm rowing with i'm working with brethren and sisters.

The assembly is moving ahead because we are in fellowship. Now. What's the measure of fellowship? The measure in which I can share a mutual interest. An involvement a confidence or a belief with someone is the measure of my fellowship with that person so for instance.

You're in the mall tomorrow. And um, you happen to give a tract to the person that is the teller that is behind the counter. And he or she looks at it and says but this is a gospel paper. Are you a christian?

Are you saved? And you say yes, I am. Are you saved? And that person says yes, I am now you have fellowship with that person you're saved and she's saved now I'll tell you what i'll give it to you from a personal experience.

I was um I was on my lunch break. This is way back now when I was working for philadelphia electric. And um, there was construction work going on on the building. So there were a number of construction workers, uh in the general area there, you know getting their lunches and um I I was I had the opportunity of getting out some tracts because it was so busy at lunch time.

And I offered one to this construction worker who was coming. And he stopped and he looked at it and he said is this is this the gospel? I said, yes, it is. You familiar with the gospel? Yes. He says i'm saved.

I said that's wonderful. When did you get saved? So he told me when. And he said are you saved? I said yes, I am and I told him when I was saved now what was happening. Oh, we had fellowship right there.

See. Because we both had divine light. We had the same father. We had the same savior. We believed in the same bible. We were going to the same heaven. We had the same world viewpoint in some ways. And then he said to me Do you speak in tongues?

I said no, no, no, I don't. Oh, he said now you you won't think this possible, but he actually said oh he said it's easy. And he put his hands out like this. He said it's easy. And he he rattled off. It sounded like a a cow giving birth.

He rattled off a whole Paragraph of things. I had no idea what in the world he was saying, but he was showing me how easy it was to speak in tongues. Now what just happened? Fellowship stopped right there.

I hadn't introduced something that stopped it. He hadn't. See. So you see if you meet someone and they say to you, um, where do you go to church? And you say well, um, I meet with some christians. The building is called the gospel hall.

We're just christians and and he says oh I'm, um, I'm a baptist. I'm a methodist. Well, he has just introduced a name that you and he can't share. Now if he just took the name christian a person belonging to christ, see then you could have fellowship with that.

But what denominationalism has done it has erected barriers that limit the fellowship that believers can have. So you can have fellowship with someone where you share but now it is ludicrous. You see it is ludicrous to talk about having fellowship where you do not share.

In other words there must be doctrinal agreement. For there to truly be fellowship. Sometimes we minimize doctrine and we think that is not important, but there must be an agreement in doctrine. If there is going to be true fellowship.

It's one of the reasons I read to you from Ezra chapter 4 because you see these people who are trying to join in the work. Were professing to take the same place. But there was so much difference about what they believed.

They had taken the belief in the true god and they had sort of blended it with belief in other gods as well. So how could there be fellowship when what these people were doing was building a house to the one true god?

So if we ask ourselves what about their work and me. Should I be involved in that? Well, I remember what the lord jesus said. The disciples came to the lord jesus and they said master. We saw one casting out demons in thy name and we forbade him because he's not following us.

Please notice what the lord jesus did not say. He did not say Go back and stop him and he did not say Go back and join him. He said in effect let him alone forbid or not. If he's doing a work in my name just let him alone.

So what should my attitude be. I want to be thankful. I want to be thankful. For any furtherance of the gospel that's going on. I cannot be a part of it in many ways. Truth may keep me. You see doctrinal truth what god has been kind enough to show me from his word may keep mean that that person is less of a believer or is is uh, is a carnal believer or is not as spiritual as I am or does inferior work or.

How foolish to write it all off and say well they never really see people get truly converted. It's just us how foolish that would be just let them alone. Thank god for whatever is done by god wherever he does it because he is sovereign.

He can go where I can't. He can go where he doesn't want me to go. He can do What I would never be able to do so the lord jesus says forbid him not. But now what about when they want to join us? Well, isn't that exactly what happened in ezra chapter 4?

And this is exactly the language now that comes to bear at this point when they say let us build with you. Ezra is careful to say. You have no fellowship with us in this. Because we are building a house to the true god.

So in order to honor god and the truth he had shown. They simply had to move on in separation now. Maybe that's enough to say I to me that seems very important because We're about to move into the idea of assembly fellowship and I think in our pluralistic society.

When tolerance is the touchstone. For how people judge everything whether whether it's acceptable to to us or or to god or to his word. The whole thing is the tolerant the accepting of everything. That we are quickly coming to the point where people are beginning to question.

Is it is it really right to say that there is only? One way to gather now. I'll just show you how that logic has been taken to its ultimate extreme. There are people who are taking the next step and saying Is it really right to say there's only one way of salvation?

And is it really right that missionaries should go into other countries? And disrupt. Disrupt the way of life of those people when really We're all the same. They serve god their way. We're serving god our way.

They will reach heaven. Hopefully their way and we hope to reach heaven through the lord. Jesus. It's just simply taking that logic. You see to its to its logical conclusion now, I think I would be Wrong To say I belong to the only scriptural assembly that meets in pennsulka, new jersey.

Because I don't know enough. I don't know enough to be able to tell you that see. And I don't think god has given me the responsibility to determine what is and what is not an assembly as far as out there.

You know what he has done. He's given me his word. And he has held me responsible to obey that word so that my responsibility is not to make a list about what are the acceptable assemblies and My responsibility is when I find a place where the word of god is being carried out throw myself wholeheartedly into that.

Do everything I can to strengthen what I believe is from god. So I want to notice with you then. Uh our attitude toward christians who are in assembly fellowship just think now about the oneness that god has made.

Diversity, Interdependency, and Unity in the Assembly

You will notice in our first corinthians 12. He uses the simile of a body. Now in a body just as in the assembly, there is first of all diversity. But not division there is diversity. Listen to how paul puts it the body is not one member but many.

But many and by the use of the constant use of the word same same same the same spirit the same lord the same god. This all these things work with the self same spirit. He is showing us gifts may differ.

The way those gifts function may differ. The results of the functioning of those gifts may differ. But the gift comes from god. And if it's a if it's a true case, then that gift is employed where god has placed them in in that assembly.

And that god will determine the results of the use of that gift. But rather than it being something that means there's differences. We can trace it all back to the same divine god. The origin is the same the same spirit the same lord the same god notice that in a body just as in the assembly.

There is interdependency without independency. Interdependency notice what paul says in verse 21 the eye cannot say into the hand I have no need of thee nor again the head to the feet. I have no need of you.

And he goes on to say. Whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it one member be honored all the members rejoice with it. What does that mean? There's an interdependency. There's an interdependency.

Not everybody. Not let's just take the assemblies that are represented here. Not everybody in your assembly will have your gift. Not everybody in a given assembly will have the same ability to preach the gospel the same ability to minister the word of god.

The same ability when it comes to shepherding and caring. Not everyone will have the same gift. Just as that finger. Cannot do what this hand can do but When all the parts go together What happens is the hold the whole?

Functions properly. Because all the parts are functioning properly. And it seems to me I don't want to take this further than it ought to be taken. But it just it seems to me that first corinthians chapter 12 Is indicating that not only does god sovereignly save people, but he places them.

He places them in the assembly. He gifts them. He gifts them and places them in the assembly. And that there ought to be some sense of responsibility. Some sense of commitment to that testimony just as I want that hand to be committed to my body.

Just as I want this arm to be committed to my body so that you do have interdependency. Where we are depending on one another and all functioning and there is unity now are they many members yet, but one body unity.

And of course the reason why I put that question on the Outline if you have it is because again and again in the word of god you read about those words. One another one another one another each other one another forbearing one another and forgiving one another.

Have peace one with another by love. Serve one another be kind one to another. That god intended that his people would always be together. See that we would not be isolated islands in fact. What I have noticed Is that where a where a believer is isolated by circumstances.

It is absolutely incredible to see how god can preserve that believer. Where a believer is isolated by circumstances. I'm, just thinking now of a family that lives in montreal. Or at least in in quebec.

And the assembly that they are a part of is in the united states in vermont. And they are they make it to the meetings as best they can but you understand that they are separated by 200 miles I think.

And it is remarkable to me that where those circumstances are such that believers are separated. From other believers god can sustain a believer. He can keep a joseph. See he can keep a joseph in the court of pharaoh.

He can preserve a daniel when daniel has been through no choice of his own rushed from home. And planted in this hostile heathen environment, but where a believer chooses isolation. He is in grave danger see.

Where I choose to do without The believers. Where I choose to isolate myself. Where I choose to go without you. I am asking for trouble. That's samson. I said man. I never seem to develop any fellowship with other believers.

What he could have been the leadership qualities he might have had we will never know. How he could how he could have been useful imposed on that. Because he was a loner. You rarely in fact just just if you wish to have an interesting study sometime.

Just look at the things that are missing from samson's life. Where do you find him fellowshipping with other believers? Where do you find him praying? I see him pray when he's about to die of thirst if you're going to call it a prayer.

And hacore the fountain of him that called and he's he's almost berating the lord. Am I going to die now from thirst after this great victory has been wrought? But you see it's not it's not until the last day of his life that he really prays isn't it?

When when the blind man is reaching for the pillars and he says just help me just this once oh lord and finally. Finally now, this is the other thing that was lacking finally. On the last day of his life.

He comes around to where paul started the first day of his christian life. And he uses the term lord he finally he finally acknowledges the lordship that's over him. Tragically, it's on the last day of his life when he is about to die.

We need each other sympathy. That ought to be shown. So if that is the one that god has made consider with me the warmth. That should be displayed and maintained. Let me just give you three new testament words that will describe the warmth that should mark us in our fellowship with one another.

Grace, Peace, and Love as Bonds of Fellowship

The first word is grace. Romans chapter 15 the apostle said wherefore receive ye one another as christ also received us to the glory of god grace. You notice that at the beginning of his epistle. He says grace be unto you.

And peace from god our father and the lord jesus christ. And he gets to the end and he says the grace of our lord Jesus christ be with you all. Remember that he admonished the colossal believers when he said let your speech be all way with grace seasoned with salt.

I have no justification. I'm going to apply it to myself, but I hope you will apply it to yourself. I have no justification for speaking harshly to a fellow believer. You may need to speak firmly to me.

But let your conversation be all way with grace. All way with grace. Now many times people take that verse and they misapply it. They they think that when paul was speaking about his reception Into the assembly and we ought to receive people just as christ received us.

Don't ask any questions. He just received you as you were. By grace now you just be the same with anybody who shows up the door. But of course you understand that it is not reception into the assembly.

But reception in the assembly how I should receive a fellow believer. For instance when paul said receive us we have wronged no one. He's not saying let me come and share fellowship with you. Let me let me preach.

Let me break bread with you. Let me come to your prayer meeting. He's saying accept me. I know a few of your motives. Accept me receive us. So when he says receive you one another he is telling the believers the grace that they ought to show to one another.

Now we differ personalities differ levels of intelligence differ economically educationally ethnically. There's so many ways in which we differ. But we are called upon to show grace grace To one another enough with one another.

Is it is is there anybody you would want to do it out of the assembly? Is there anybody you would say? You know what? He just he's a trouble. She's a troublemaker. I just wish she would go. Is there anybody you would want.

I see you're all looking at me. I mean other than me. Is there anybody that you would want to do it out? We're called upon to show grace to one another. We're called upon to pursue and to maintain. She had grace.

They have peace. And i'm using that word because paul says endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit. In the uniting bond of peace. It's actually the idea of the ligament. You see that's that's that's moving through your body.

Now there's something that ties and assembly together. And that is that is where we seek for peace. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace now. You can ask some of the older preachers who are here tonight and they would be able to help you more on this.

But it seems to me that since we have moved in ephesians chapter 4. Out of the doctrinal and into the practical part of the book. And since i'm being called upon to do something. That that uniting bond of peace.

The unity of the spirit. Is not something that is a doctrinal positional truth, but something that is to be maintained in the assembly. Peace is a tremendous thing. You want to know something about peace?

You never miss it until it's gone. It's like that quiet brother or sister that you never appreciate until the lord calls him or her home. That's what peace is like. You never realize how valuable it was to have until trouble breaks out.

And then you look back and you think I wish I wish we could go back to those days. Thank god that the most of assembly experience is marked by peace, but we're called upon to to endeavor to keep it to maintain it.

I used to think you see that paul started in first corinthians. With the small problems and began to work his way toward the larger problems moving eventually toward chapters five and six. Where you have immorality and injustice in the assembly.

But I wonder if instead of viewing it that way I wonder if paul starts with the source of those problems. When in chapter one he is speaking about the lack of unity the lack of peace. And perhaps he is suggesting that out of a fetid swamp of their divisiveness and their inability to get along.

Came all of these other things. And it's at any surprise then when we read james's words when he says that where there is that kind of confusion and disorder. There is every evil work, which is exactly what you have.

First corinthians out of the discord outlined in chapter one. You have the defilement and the disorder that is seen as paul handles those awful problems grace. Peace we need to strive for that strive for that.

Peace will not automatically be a part of the assembly where you are. Unless you make that part of what you're aiming for. Unless you are a peacemaker. You will no longer no more have a peaceful Relationship with your swedish mail order bride.

Because sweden and some believers together in an assembly.

He has like ligaments linking the muscles and tendons and parts of the body. He has united those believers. Now, we must make sure That we do nothing to shatter the peace that has been formed. Grace peace.

Love. Colossians chapter 3. Paul says above all these things put on charity, which is and again. Here's the idea of the uniting bond. Of perfectness. What ties believers together? The uniting bond of perfectness.

Love and unselfish concern. And unselfish concern for fellow believers. On the way to meeting here once I was traveling with some people who happened to point out that a relative had been told that By by someone who was caring for her and her illness.

That she was beautiful. Just a kind man saying that to this person in a wheelchair. And when she mentioned it to her husband. He realized how much that meant to her. And he thought he would start to say that to her every day that she was beautiful.

My comment was doesn't every husband do that? I'm sure you tell your wife all the time that she's beautiful. But but you know what? I noticed we don't major on encouragement. We've kind of got it in our head.

That if we encourage somebody too much. We will inflate him or her. We will we will it far better far better to knock them say keep them down. When's the last time you went up to a sister and you said to that sister?

Do you know what? When I think of christ-likeness, I think of you. The last time you went up to a brother and you said to that brother. Do you know what? Somebody said something to me at school and I thought wow.

You know, but then I thought i've listened to you teach the word of god and I thought you know I may not have the answers, but I know a man who does have the answers. I really appreciate your knowledge of the bible.

When's the next time you did that? When's the last time you went up to some older brother or sister now just to pick on the old for a moment here. And you said, you know, I find it hard to get to meeting with my schedule.

And i'm sure it's not easy for you with the arthritis that you suffer. And I I really appreciate your consistency. When's the last time we did anything like that. An unselfish concern for one another.

Which paul puts under the umbrella of charity? Unites in assembly. See here's what I noticed. Luke writes to us about two fires. He writes to us about a fire. That the world kindled. And peter went to that fire to get warm and you remember the tragic results.

I don't know the man. I don't know the man. Let heaven strike me if I am lying. I do not know the man. Tragic day in the life of that great. Luke writes about another fire. And this is a man of god. Who in order to minister to those bedraggled survivors from the shipwreck.