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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/gerard-roy/assembly-fellowship/
Let us read, please, in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2. It's a privilege to be here with you at the conference, my first time in La Crosse. I have to say that I have enjoyed very much the ministry we've been privileged to listen to so far today.
I thank God for it. Acts chapter 2, please, and we'll read at verse 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. Now, chapter 15 of Romans.
Romans chapter 15. And we'll read here verse number 5. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus, that he may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and we'll read at verse number 9. God is faithful by whom you were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Chapter 10 of the same book, and we'll read here at verse number 16.
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.
At the end of verse 20, Paul says,. And I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils or demons. Now we'll turn to the epistle to the Philippians, and chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2 and verse number 1.
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy, that ye may be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
We're so thankful to have the great book of God, and we are sure that God will bless this reading from his word with what we have listened to already this afternoon and this morning. As I was thinking about the conference, the subject that was laid upon my heart was the subject of fellowship.
And we have already heard quite a bit on that subject today, and I sure would not want to add or contradict whatever has been said before. Just my own little meditation on that subject has been a big help to me.
And I do trust it will be a help to not only those of us who are in the assembly, but mainly those who are younger in the faith here at this conference. Now, when we think of this subject of fellowship, our brother has already given us a definition of the word.
We could add to that possibly Luke chapter 5, and I think it's verse number 10 when you remember the four fishermen, Peter and James and Andrew and John. It says that they were partners. They were fishing.
They had at least two boats, but they formed a company together. They were partners in the fishing industry. Well, you know that word partners is the word for fellowship. That serves to illustrate to us what is behind the word fellowship.
It is more than an agreement. It is an agreement, but it is more than that. It is a participation in both privileges and responsibilities. Now, that word is used in different contexts in the New Testament.
It is used, as you have heard already this morning, in 1 John chapter 1. Now, it is important to make the difference between fellowship in 1 John 1 and fellowship that is found in Acts chapter 2, verse 42.
1 John 1 is the fellowship in the family of God. All those who are saved are in that fellowship. And that fellowship is eternal. It is a positional truth. My enjoyment of that fellowship might vary, but once in that fellowship, I can never lose it.
I can never be put out of it. That's very important to understand that. So, every child of God, all those who are born again, are in fellowship with the Father and with the Son. And all the children of God are walking in the light.
There's no such a thing as a believer walking in darkness. This is a positional truth that my enjoyment might vary, but I can never go outside of that. When we come to Acts chapter 2 and other passages we have read, we have fellowship in a local assembly.
That is not a positional truth. It is a practical truth. That is only true of those who are part of a local assembly. There are people who are in the fellowship of 1 John 1. They are saved. But they know nothing about the fellowship of Acts chapter 2 because they're not in an assembly.
Very important to make the difference. There are some points I would like to leave with you on that subject. And the first one is this, that the fellowship of a local assembly is a spiritual truth. Now, you say, why do you gather that?
Well, this is why I've read to you Philippians chapter 2, any fellowship of the Spirit. This fellowship is brought about by the Spirit of God. It is in nature something that is spiritual. Now, let me explain what I mean.
You will remember Matthew chapter 18 verse 20, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And I'm sure you have heard by our good brethren that the verb conjugation in that passage means something like this, where two or three are having been and being gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Did you ever caught on what this means and what it doesn't mean? Now, if I put it to you this way, for where two or three gathered themselves together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Well, you will understand right away, these are people who have decided on their own accord for some motive to gather to the name of the Lord Jesus.
But it doesn't say that. Having been implies that somebody else was at work. Somebody else did the gathering. It's not the people who decided out of their own ideas to form something, to gather together.
That could be true of a denomination, that could be true of a religious system, man-made system, but that is not true of a New Testament assembly. A New Testament assembly is the work of the Holy Spirit of God.
It is produced by spiritual power. We gather that from the rest of the New Testament. This is why it is a spiritual, spirit-produced, spirit-created fellowship. So how does that work? Well, the Spirit of God indwells every believer.
And His work in each believer is to draw the hearts of all those who are saved to the person of the Lord Jesus. That's His work. Draws them how? Hebrews 13 verse 13. Let us go forth unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
This is not merely men agreeing on one thing, deciding on one thing. No, no. This is the Spirit of God working in the heart. And that one who has won our hearts by giving His life at Calvary will not only be satisfied to be saved, but there is that longing to be where He is.
And where is He? He's outside the camp. When the Spirit of God has His way in the heart of those who are saved, He draws them to the person of Christ, to leave whatever is not of God, whatever is not according to the pattern of the New Testament.
It might be appealing. It might be attracting. But it's not based on Scripture. It has no scriptural reason for even existing. And a believer who has been touched by the Spirit, taught by the Spirit, won in his heart by the Spirit towards Christ, he gladly leaves it all behind.
Move outside to be gathered around the Lord Jesus, outside the camp. Now, having said that, we must understand then that this fellowship is not based on natural values. It's not based on family ties. Get it?
I hope you get it. It's very important. I'm not in the assembly because mommy and daddy are there. I'm not in the assembly because my grandparents are there. Well, it's a grand thing. I was listening to our brother this morning to think that second, third, and fourth generation in assembly testimony.
That's great. That wasn't my case. The first time I saw the Lord's Supper, I was there. Never saw an assembly meeting before. It's grand to have family members in the assembly. But I hope we understand this, that the fellowship of a local assembly is not based on anything natural.
It's not based on family ties. It's not based on culture. It's not based on race, or languages, or skin color, or social status. It is a spiritual truth. That's why in the same assembly, you might have people who are ditch diggers, you might say.
And you have other people from the high society. And they sit together and they function together. And they're brethren. No, there's no cliques of family here and another family there. No, no. That's not of God.
If we're going to follow the pattern of the New Testament, we're going to put all these things aside. This can be destructive to an assembly. That's a spiritual fellowship. Secondly, I would like you to notice that it is a fellowship of submission.
You say, why do you get that? Well, this is quite clear as we read 1 Corinthians 12. And the verse I've read to you in chapter 1, verse 9. God has called us to the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ.
It doesn't stop there. Our Lord. Our Lord. And chapter 12 tells us that nobody can call Christ Lord except it be by the Holy Spirit. You see how it works? Not only the Spirit of God draws the heart, but within that heart there is born that desire by the Spirit of God to give to the Lord Jesus the place that he deserves.
To give to him in my heart the place God gave him in heaven. What is the place God gave him in heaven? He gave him the throne. There's nothing in heaven that is not submitted to him. Nothing in heaven that doesn't bow to him.
And thank God there's a day coming when throughout the universe, all knees, every knee will bow to him. Not only things on earth, but things on earthier. Even the very demons will bow their knee before him.
He's Lord Supreme. Oh, this is so precious. In the local assembly, the fellowship is a fellowship of submission to Christ as Lord. This is part of the reason why God has given us the pattern the way he did it.
Some people might hear and might say sometime in a critical way, well, you talk a lot about the pattern, but you don't talk about the person. Well, if this is what you think, my friend, you're missing the point.
The very pattern that God has given us, he designed it. And he has designed it in such a way that it magnifies his son. It glorifies his son. The Lord Jesus is central. Everything in the instructions given is given so that all the attention is given to the Lord Jesus.
You can't have the pattern without having the person. You can't. So it's a fellowship of submission. Now, what does that mean? In practical, in a practical way. Well, you remember that the Lord Jesus said in Luke chapter 6, to those who called him Lord.
I think we're pretty good at that. I hope we are. Don't be afraid, young brother, young sister, to give him his full name. Don't be happy to just pray in Jesus' name. He's Lord Jesus Christ. But we have to go further than what comes out of our lips.
We have to go further than what we profess. The Lord said, Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things I say? This is where the test is, isn't it? So the fellowship of an assembly is a fellowship of people that submit to him with a glad heart.
No kicking. No resisting. No arguing. Whatever he says. That's it. That's it. That's it. He's supreme there. He's Lord there. I have no right to alter the least little bit he says. That brings us to my third point.
Not only is it a fellowship that is spiritual, it's a fellowship that is a fellowship of submission to Christ as Lord. But it is a scriptural fellowship. This is what comes out in Acts chapter 2 verse 42.
Have you ever noticed? You young men and young women here, young brothers and young sisters, take time to look at the details of your Bible. Stop and ponder. You might be like me and you don't know much about Greek and Hebrew.
You don't need to know. If you have a potential, go for it. But stop and think. When you read your Bible, did you ever notice Acts chapter 2 verse 42, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship.
Those two are linked together. Matter of fact, if you read in the Darby Bible, Darby puts it together. He says they continued or they persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles. You cannot have the fellowship of the apostles without having the teaching of the apostles.
So it's quite clear that this fellowship is produced by the Holy Scriptures. It is a doctrinal fellowship. It is based on the Holy Scripture. So it's not, well, I go there because there's a nice feeling there.
It's not I go there, well, because, you know, there's love there. Well, I do hope there is love in the assembly. There should be. No, there's more than that. Is it scriptural? Is it according to the Bible?
You see, those in Acts chapter 2, they were listening to the apostles' teaching and they were showing their submission to the Lord Jesus by obeying what the apostles had taught. And where did the apostles get the teaching?
They got it from the Lord. During His ministry, Matthew 28 tells us, Teach them all things whatsoever I taught you. In the upper room ministry, the Lord tells them that the Spirit of God will come. The Spirit of truth.
Three times over in those chapters. Why? Because He will teach you the truth. Remind them of what the Lord taught them. Then teach them more truth. So actually, this will underline a point our brother Brendan has done this morning.
When these believers at Jerusalem, that first local assembly, when they were listening to the teaching of the apostles and obeying it, they were actually showing their fellowship with God. Because the teaching came from God.
And the Lord Jesus to the apostles, to the assembly. You see? Based on Scripture. Now I have to pause here and try to make a couple of points of this. It should search us really. I'm afraid at times we confuse, we confuse the terms membership and fellowship.
You know, it's possible for somebody to be in the assembly. You have your name on the list of the members of the assembly. And you're not in fellowship. You say, how can that be? Well, when a brother or sister is part of the assembly, but disobeys the teaching on the apostle.
Can that person say he's really in fellowship? I doubt it. I doubt it. Because it's a scriptural fellowship. Yes, by lips we say we're in fellowship. But if we are disobeying the Lord, disobeying the scriptures, deviating from it.
And that measure, I cannot say I'm in fellowship. So fellowship is far more than being a member. It is a scriptural fellowship. You will remember, I like to think of that example in the Old Testament.
When David was in the cave, and these men tired of the King Saul's rule, they came to David, the rejected man, and they made him a captain. They were mighty men. 400 of them to start with. They had their own ideas.
They had their own weak points and strong points. But the person who got them together was David. You see? And when they gathered to David, they did not gather to David to tell him what to do, what not to do.
They gathered around David, and they said, David, you're captain. You decide everything here, David. We're here behind you. We're here to obey you. You see? You see the picture? In the assembly, it's not a place where I push my envelope.
I try to make small changes here and small changes there. No, no. No, in the assembly, that fellowship is a fellowship that is based upon, preserved by, obeying the scriptures. And John tells us, his commandments are not grievous.
His commandments are not grievous. Not only is it a scriptural fellowship, but it's a serious fellowship. Serious fellowship. That comes out quite clearly, doesn't it? In Acts chapter 2. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.
There's a perseverance. This was not, in the New Testament, it was not something occasional. It was not something done out of convenience. You see? Those who continued in the fellowship, they were fully committed to, in their participation, in all the activities of that assembly.
That includes being present at all the meetings of an assembly. That's part of it. That includes my full support behind the elders of the assembly. That's part of it. That includes doing my share when it comes to gospel work.
Hospitality. I'm so glad for the kind hospitality of the Lord's people here. And I would like to encourage younger couples. There's a time coming when the older couples might not be able to do as much as they used to.
I hope you don't leave everything to them. And don't make the mistake of thinking that you need to have a palace before you can show hospitality to somebody. Use what the Lord has given you. A brother reminded me recently, kind of put me to shame a bit, but I'm going to tell you the story.
My wife and I were just married, renting a small house about 17 feet by 22 feet. We had one bedroom, and downstairs in the basement we had a bed where we went to sleep when we had company. And our bed in our bedroom was a waterbed.
And those kind of waterbed that has no baffles in it. It was just like a bag full of water. The reason why we bought it, because it was cheap. And they came when we had two brethren visiting us. One was a preacher, Brother Jack Nesbitt, and he had another brother with him.
So we gave them what we had, our bedroom with a waterbed. He said, I wouldn't dare do anything like that. Preachers in a waterbed? Well, I remember a brother told me, he reminded me of that recently again.
He says, in the morning, he told, the brother told Jack Nesbitt, he said, how do you get out of this thing anyway? I'm not saying this to make you laugh. I'm just telling you this as an example. Sometime we can create difficulties and miss on the blessing when we think we should have this and this and that before we can have people over.
Don't make that mistake. If the Lord has entrusted to you some material things, use it for His service and for His people. And if He sees fit, He might entrust you with more someday. But if you don't use what He has given you when you start, it's very doubtful He'll give you more or you use it for Him when you have more.
This is part of fellowship, participation, not only in the privileges, but also in the responsibilities. I would like to leave a couple more as the time has gone. When we read chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians, we also learn something else, that this fellowship of a local assembly is a fellowship of separation.
Because Paul tells them in that chapter 10, that when we gather, to remember the Lord Jesus, fellowship of that assembly is expressed in the breaking of bread, fellowship of blood of grace, body of grace.
Then he tells them about what would happen if they get out there during the week and visit the idol's temple. Not to worship the idol, but perhaps to have a meal that was served there, leftovers from the animals that were sacrificed to idols.
And Paul says you can't have both. You can't have both. The assembly is a fellowship. The idol's temple is a fellowship. And the synagogue is another fellowship. And this fellowship here we express in the local assembly bars us all together from participating in whatever else is out there.
Now we live in a day when we need to remind ourselves of this. Whatever is not based upon scripture, once I'm in the assembly, I have no part in that. No part in that. Sad to say there are, I hear of some dear believers there in the assembly, as members we might say, but they have no problem to go to a Baptist church or a Pentecostal church.
Now there are true believers in those places, but it's not based on scripture. Being part of a local assembly separates me from all the rest that surround me. If not, it's not biblical fellowship. One more thing.
That fellowship is also a sacred fellowship. Chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians tells us there's a within and a without to the assembly. And those who are within should be marked by purity of life. And when there is sin committed, sin must be dealt with in the assembly.
Now when I say sin being dealt with, I don't only mean sins of immorality or sins of bad doctrine. Matthew chapter 18 is very clear. No false doctrine in Matthew 18. No immorality mentioned. It's a sin of another nature.
He doesn't mention the sin because that's not the point of the passage. It is a sin. That person is eventually put out of the fellowship because they refuse to obey, refuse to submit, refuse to listen.
That's very important. Why? Because this fellowship is a sacred fellowship. And there's no place for disobedience in that fellowship. There's no place for rebellion against the scriptures and against the government of the assembly in that fellowship.
It's the opposite. That fellowship should be marked by a true contrition. When sin happens in my life, personal confession of sin, personal judgment of sin, and when certain sins happen, they must be dealt with in the assembly.
If not, that fellowship is affected and is marked. I would like to leave another one with you before I sit down. This fellowship is also a very sensitive fellowship. That's Romans 15. In the passage, it's not a question of sin.
You have believers that have a Jewish background. You have believers from a Gentile background. Of course, they have different ideas about meat and so on because of their background. But in the same assembly.
And the point arises when somebody he wants only to eat certain food or observe certain days. And the other group don't think it's right. And there's criticism. There's judgment. And of course, that is not put into check.
And it affects the atmosphere of the assembly. It affects the fellowship within the assembly. It's not a doctrinal issue. So Paul writes in chapter 15 of Romans and he tells them to have the mind of Christ.
And that doesn't mean that this group will think differently about what they think. And this group will change. No, it simply means this. There will be mutual consideration. So that they can worship with one mouth.
With one mind. Glorify God in the assembly. Now, how true, brothers and sisters. I can speak here freely because I'm a visitor here. How true and how many assemblies. There is a coldness at times when we meet.
At the breaking of bread. That was once marked by that want. And that reality. That touch of heaven. That sweetness. When we meet together to remember the Lord Jesus. Then, bit by bit, we discover this.
There's that coldness creeping in. There's this cloud coming on the meetings. And brethren used to take part. Don't take part anymore. Or if they take part, they've lost something. I hope you understand what I mean.
At times, I'm afraid we become so mechanical. And so formal. We go through the process. But the very zest, the very love is gone. Why is it? This fellowship is very sensitive. The least little lack of consideration for others.
Carelessness for others. Grieves and quenched the Holy Spirit in the assembly. And that is the case. It is to the detriment of the assembly. We're robbing God. We're robbing His Son of the true worship.
Even in the gospel meeting. Yes, we might have gifted men. We might go through the motion. We might say the right things. But those who have known better. Those who have experienced what it is. To preach the gospel with the power of God.
And the help of God. And God coming in and blessing. They know something wrong here. Something wrong here. What's happening? Perhaps it's the preacher's fault. At times, it could be something in the assembly that has gone unchecked.
Unfixed. For weeks and months and perhaps years. And we expect to enjoy the presence of God? We expect to enjoy His power and His help? It can be. So this is why I leave these thoughts with you today.
I do trust God will use them to encourage us and help us. And those of you who are younger, perhaps young in the assembly. I do trust that what we've tried to say today will get into your soul. That it will mark you and mold you.
So that you will be a blessing in the assembly we are part of. That you will make contribution. You will not just be merely a member. But you will be truly in fellowship of the assembly. May God bless His word.