Jeremiah
32:27 -
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is there any thing
too hard for Me?
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Many (not all) Churches seem to have difficulty accepting someone for who they are, unless "who you are" happens to already fit in with one of the many "clicks" that are already within the Church. The purpose of fellowship is to encourage us to love one another. If Christ received a person into a relationship with Himself based on grace, that should be enough for us to extend fellowship to them. However, if you drink, smoke, do drugs or have gone through a divorce, it is unlikely that you will find anyone within the Church who wants to fellowship with you anyway, but you may find several people who are ready to change you, so you will be more like them. It seems that the only ones worth encouraging, are the sinless people who don't need encouragement. (But fit in rather nicely) Now, before you think I'm just nit picking over an unimportant subject, know that I receive email from almost every country in the world from people of every denomination and this truly is a problem for a lot of folks. There are many denominations where fellowship is defined as agreeing with a congregation who basically asks the pastor for permission regarding almost every personal decision in their lives. Including decisions within a marriage where the subject should be kept strictly between the husband and wife. (God did not ordain anyone on earth to be in that position). A famous verse taken totally out of context is Hebrews 10:25. Hebrews 10:25 - not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.Some preachers will pick a bible verse out of context and tell you, if you don't obey this verse, you will go to hell! If they don't come right out and say it, they lead you to believe it. The point and theme of the above verse is "not" that you are to attend Church faithfully every week or God will get you, it has very little to do with Church attendance. (Again) If you back up a verse or two, you will find the true meaning of the scriptures. From the beginning of Hebrews 10:1 up to that point (10:25), Paul is speaking specifically about the fact that the laws of Moses have been done away with and replaced, and that our sins would be remembered "no more". The point is, we can now enter with confidence, the holy place, by the blood of Jesus. The point is, Paul just said that we are no longer bound by the laws. He was not giving us a new one "Thou shalt have fellowship! - AMEN" (A little thunder and creepy music in the background) Paul was simply suggesting that we should not forsake assembling together, it was not a command! The specific point to Hebrews 10:25 is simply to "encourage" one another to assemble together. It is "not" a "Show up or burn in hell" thing as some of you have been led to believe! (*Again) Back up just one verse to 10:24 to get the true meaning. Hebrews 10:24 - and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,How do we stimulate one another to love and good deeds? By assembling together! Since there was no twitter, Facebook, television, cell phones or internet back then, you couldn't do it any other way. So, when the guy behind the pulpit tells you to show up next Sunday or you will burn forever where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth and you'll be forced to listen to rap music for eternity, 'He's Lying!" There is no curse from God attached to lack of attendance. If attending Church Sunday morning is not something you look forward to, then you've probably been attending the wrong Church. ~ TRUE FELLOWSHIP ~ Truly, the people who hold bible studies in their living rooms, are having true fellowship! In your neighbors living room, you share your own testimony and ask questions. In the modern day Church you are simply listening to a lecture laced with the speakers personal "point of view". Ask yourself, what makes the speaker right that you should follow him? Since you would be hard pressed to find any two preachers, even from within the same denomination who totally agree on everything, maybe it is "they" who should be asking themselves that question. Fellowship is a two way street. It is interactive. Sermons are very good sometimes, but they are simply a speech. My advice is, if you really want to hear a good written speech, read your bible! The speech has already been written, then get together with other believers and talk and ask questions about what you have read, or one of you has read out loud. That is fellowship. Now, try not to misinterpret what I'm saying. I believe fellowship is a very good thing, however, I believe that the ten or fifteen minutes we spend in the Church foyer shaking hands and hugging each other after the service, is about all the "fellowship" most of us have been getting, and that would be even better if we were spending that 10 or 15 minutes sharing testimonies and edifying each other (Building each other up), because "that" is what fellowship is. The hour and a half you spent just sitting in the pews was simply "attending a religious seminar". Granted, some of those religious seminars are pretty darn good, but rarely can they be classified as fellowship. Too many of them more resemble an angry principal telling you what to do, just before the finger of guilt is pointed at you for not giving him enough money! Ask yourself, if Jesus told the woman caught committing adultery in John 8:11, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more", will he really send you to hell for not attending? Most of us leave Church Sunday morning (or afternoon) and don't remember hardly anything the preacher said. However, if you and a few other believers get together at someone's house, and you have a discussion about a question that was asked about scripture, I'll guarantee that you will remember almost everything that was said. (*Again) Fellowship is interactive, not one way. In a nut shell, attending the Sunday morning sermon is just a small part of fellowship among believers. The majority of fellowship should come in the form of encouraging us to love one another. Galatians 5:14 - For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
Dan Douglass - I Have Spoken ~ ~ HELP SPREAD THE WORD ~ Make checks or money orders payable to:
Last Updated 04/17/2012 My writings, as with all the resources
of the entire Power of Faith Ministries website, are for the benefit of all. You are free to copy and
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In my humble opinion,
the "Fellow Ship" sailed a long time ago. What we consider to be fellowship
in the Church
today, seems to have undergone some form of a transformation! Today, we go to Church
on Sunday morning
and listen to a person give a 60 to 90 minute lecture, basically telling us "his"
(or her) opinion of what he or she thinks we should or should not do, and how we should or
should not act, then presenting it as the strict will of God himself.
