Pray the Lord will make this
a blessing to us. First John, chapter one. Let's read the first four verses
together. That which was from the beginning
Which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which
we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life
for the life was manifested and we have seen and bear witness
and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the father
and was manifested unto us. That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship with
us. And truly our fellowship is with
the father and with his son, Jesus Christ. And these things
write we unto you that your joy may be full. I've titled this
Bible study, The Joy of Our Fellowship. The Joy of Our Fellowship. The
Lord willing, we're gonna have a fellowship dinner after the
service this morning. And I've been anticipating this.
I've been thinking about it for weeks. I'm excited about it. Anybody who knows me knows that
I am excited about the food. I'm very excited about the food.
But thankfully to our Lord, I get food all the time. He supplies
food to me all the time. What I'm excited about is the
fellowship. By His grace, I get food all
the time. But what I don't get all the
time Is fellowship with my brethren. Sometimes we come in here and
it's quick, you know, Hey, I love you. See ya. And it's just wonderful
to get to spend some time together and have some fellowship. And
in thinking about how wonderful and how special it is that God
has given to us a fellowship, one that we should cherish. And maybe we'll enter into that
one that we should not take for granted. And in thinking on what is the
basis and the grounds of our fellowship, it made me want to
look at this subject, the joy of our fellowship. Webster's
dictionary says fellowship is. companionship in it. Wonderful to have a companion.
Fellowship is companionship. It says that it is people of
the same interest, same activity, same feeling, or same experience. It says that it is an association
of friends. That's what it is. fellowship,
an association of friends. Now look with me at the end of
verse three. It says, truly our fellowship is with the father
and with his son, Jesus Christ. Truly our companionship. Isn't it wonderful to have a
companion? Our friend to friend association
is with the father and with his son, Jesus Christ. That's a fellowship. I want to be a part of the reason
why we have true fellowship with each other. We do. And the reason
why we do is because our fellowship is with the father. And with
his son, that's the whole basis of our fellowship. That's the
whole basis. What could a gas man and a bread man and a computer
man possibly have in common? Really? Really? What could you possibly have
in common? God, the father and God, the
son. It's not your work. Y'all don't
have that in common. You can't enter into that. It's
not your age. It's not your, you know, birthplace,
your hometown. It's not none of those things.
God, the father and God, the son. I think about the fact that
we have a family here who came from Washington state. Washington
state. What would make a family from
Washington state and a family from New York state? What would
make them want to drive all the way down to little old Kingsport,
Tennessee to sit right here in a pew together and God, the father
and God, the son. That's what it is. That's what
brings us together. That's what. unites us physically,
spiritually, heart, mind, God, the father, and God, the son. Verse three says, that which
we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you also may
have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with
the father and with his son, Jesus Christ. And these things
write we unto you that your joy may be full. Now I want us to
look at this fellowship that God has given to us for just
a minute. And I want to start with what it is that has made
us acceptable to be in a fellowship with the almighty God. We are
sinners by nature and sinners cannot have fellowship with the
holy God. They just cannot look right here
at verse five. It says this then is the message,
which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is
light. And in him is no darkness at
all. If we say that we have fellowship
with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light,
as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and
the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses. hath cleansed us
from all sin." If we are in fellowship with God the Father and God the
Son, then it means the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has
cleansed us from all of our sin. That's what it means. That had
to happen. That was the only way that we
could be allowed into a fellowship with God. Our sin had to be dealt
with. It had to be put away. We had
to be totally cleansed from it. The end of verse five says, God
is light and in him is no darkness at all. The darkness of sin. cannot dwell with him. It can't
be in his presence. He cannot have any fellowship
with us because of the darkness of our sin. The problem for us
is that's all that we are in the flesh. That's all that we
are. Verse eight. He said, if we say
that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not
in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. But if we say that we have not
sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. So the
only way that we could be allowed to enter into a fellowship with
God, the father and God, the son was Christ, our redeemer. He had to come to us and enter
into a fellowship with us. The only way we could enter into
a fellowship with him was if Christ came and entered into
a fellowship with us, a fellowship with our sin. He had to enter in to an association
with it. He had to enter into the feeling
of it and the experience of it. He had to shed his blood and
he had to die to pay the debt of that sin, to rid us of it,
to cleanse us from every, every spot of it. Turn with me over
to first Corinthians six. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9 says, know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers abusers of themselves
with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. And
such were some of you. You know, God's people are constantly
saying, I'm such a sinner. Either inside or out loud, but
either way they know I'm such a center. I'm such a center. I'm such a center. Here's God's
response to that. I know he went on to say in verse 11,
but you are washed. That's the, that's the, but God,
I know. God's people are constantly saying,
there's no excuse for me. I can't hide from this. I'm not
trying to fool anybody. I know. You don't know how bad I am.
I know. No, I mean it. I'm wretched.
I know. But you're washed. He said, but
you're sanctified. But you are justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. So our fellowship with God is
only because of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that washed
us and cleansed us. Now, hold your place right here.
We're going to go back and forth between Philippians for just
a second. Turn with me over to Philippians three. Philippians 3, the end of verse
8 says, that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which is of
God by faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of His sufferings. That's the reason for our fellowship. If you get to the heart of it,
honestly, the basis of our fellowship, without this, we have no fellowship. This is the foundation. This
is the focal point. This is the common interest.
the suffering and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That
is solely what unites God's people, solely. It's our message, it's
our gospel, it's our ministry, it's our all. It is our all,
the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now hold your place
in Philippians and go back to 1 Corinthians, this time chapter
one. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 3 says, grace
be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your
behalf for the grace of God, which is given you by Jesus Christ,
that in everything you are enriched by him and all utterance and
in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed
in you, so that you come behind in no gift waiting for the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the
end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, verse nine is one of my
favorite verses. God is faithful. by whom you were called unto
the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Every soul who is in this fellowship
with God the Father and God the Son was called into it or will
be called into it. God the Father hand selected
this fellowship. This is why you talk about not
taking it for granted. I think so many times just about
how weak the flesh is. Flesh is so weak. We long to
be rid of this flesh. As soon as we're rid of this
flesh, we'll be rid of every hindrance. And my prayer is that
in the fellowship of His Word, the Lord will rid us of it for
just a moment, like He let Enoch be translated into His presence.
Lord, translate us for just a moment. But everything about this flesh
is just so weak and it's just so contrary to the Spirit. But if God will overrule, He
will impress upon us just the wonderful gift that He has given
us in the fellowship of God the
Father and God the Son. God the Father hand-selected
this fellowship. God's people are, the great question
is, why would He hand-select me? Why would He call me? He chose who he would allow into
this fellowship. And he did that before the foundation
of the world. Yesterday we were working at
the building and I was talking to a brother about how man is
so concerned about his works. Well, all of God's works were
finished before the foundation of the world. You talk about
not having anything to do with me. This privileged fellowship
is of God. He gets all the glory for it.
This is not something that men and women can earn. We don't
deserve this fellowship. We're not worthy of this fellowship. Our God chose who he chose to
be in his fellowship. And this is who he chose, sinners. He chose sinners. He said, I
didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners, the chief sinners. That's who he included into this
fellowship. Now that's wonderful news to
me because that's what I am. And this is the message for anyone
who is truly heartbroken over sin. If you are a sinner, this
ought to be great news to you. He chose sinners into his fellowship. In time, God's Holy Spirit comes
to each one of these sinners and notifies the sinner of his
calling. And it is glorious. It's one
of the most enjoyable things to witness on this earth. He
notifies that sinner first that he's a sinner and it's glorious. It is so glorious. Watching people
come down is so enjoyable. He notifies the sinner that God
the Father chose sinners. After He convinces of sin, He
notifies God the Father chose sinners just like you. He notifies the sinner that Christ
shed His blood to redeem sinners, real sinners. And with that notification,
the sinner's called into the fellowship. The sinner hears
and believes. says, well, I'm a sinner, maybe
he called me. That was the first word of peace,
honestly, that was spoken in my heart. I grew up believing
that God was sovereign and that God elected a people and only
the elect would be saved and the non-elect would not be saved.
And this is a question I had in my mind for years. How can
I know if he chose me? I believe he's only gonna save
his elect. How do I know if I'm one of them?
Well, here's how. The Spirit will say, you are
a sinner and God chose sinners. And in response, you'll say,
yeah, I am a sinner. Maybe he did choose me. Turn with me back to Philippians,
this time chapter two. Philippians chapter two, verse
one. It says, if there be therefore
any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if the Spirit has called us into this fellowship. And he went on to say, if there's
any heart, that's what bowels means. And he said, if there's
any mercy, Verse two, he said, fulfill ye my joy that you be
like minded, having the same love, being of one accord of
one mind. That's what a fellowship is.
Would we like to be included in this fellowship? There it
is. That's what this fellowship is.
Verse three, he said, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory. But in lowliness of mind, let
each esteem other better than themselves. That's what a true
fellowship is. That's what a true friendship
is, a true companionship. Let the gas man esteem the bread
man higher than himself and let the bread man esteem the gas
man higher than himself. Verse four says, look not every
man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. That's what a true fellowship
is. And that's what the spirit of
God has called us into with God, the father and God, the son.
Verse five says, let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a
name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus, every
knee should bow of things in heaven, things in earth, and
things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. That right
there is the basis of our fellowship. At the hearing of his name, what
do you want to do? You want to bow? And you want
to cry, he is Lord, he is Lord, he's my Lord. He's risen from
the dead and he's Lord. Every knee shall bow in the fellowship. Every tongue shall confess in
the fellowship. That Jesus Christ is Lord. That's the basis of our fellowship
in chapter one. He called it the fellowship of
the gospel. If you look at chapter one, verse
two, and I'm almost done. Chapter one, verse two, he said,
grace be unto you and peace from God, our father, and from the
Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you always in every prayer of mine for you all making request
with joy. for your fellowship in the gospel. From the first day until now,
being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun
a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. This is our fellowship. It's
of God the Father, it's with God the Son, with his sufferings,
with his blood, with his death, with his resurrection, with his
life, And it's by way of, it's through the calling of God the
Spirit to a knowledge of the good news of the gospel, that
gospel that's been declared to us. And it really is a wonderful
thing to be a part of. It really is. I am just so, so
thankful to be a part of it. This is a blessed, privileged,
joyful thing to be a part of. This is what it produces in every
child of God. I'm not gonna turn because I've
gone long enough. But this is what it produces
in every child of God. Let me just skim this to you.
You know this very well. This is Acts chapter two. It
says Peter was preaching to, um, brethren, but Acts chapter two,
verse 22, he said, you men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus
of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and
wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you,
as you yourselves also know him being delivered by the determinant
counsel and foreknowledge of God. You have taken him by wicked
hands of crucified and slain. whom God the Father hath raised
up, having loosed the pains of death, it was not possible that
he should be holding of death. He went on to say, therefore,
let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made
that same Jesus whom you've crucified, Lord and Christ. It says, when
they heard these things, they were pricked in their hearts.
And they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and
brethren, what shall we do? He said, repent and be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And you'll
receive the Holy ghost. And it went on to say in verse
41, they that gladly received his word were baptized in the
same day were added unto them about 3000 souls. And they continued steadfastly
in the apostle's doctrine, the preaching, and in fellowship,
and in breaking of bread, and in prayers, and fear came upon
every soul, and many wonders and signs were done, and all
that believed were together, and they had all things common.
And they sold their possessions and they parted them to all men
as every man had need. And they continuing daily with
one accord in the temple, breaking bread from house to house to
eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising
God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added
to the church daily such as should be saved." Thank God for this
fellowship. Those things have been written
to us that we may have fellowship and truly our fellowship is with
the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. All right, you're
dismissed.