Class – 3, Saturday
Fellowship: Complexity/Perplexity Today
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I Tim. 6 : 11
“ But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow
after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness.”
I Cor. 15 : 58
“ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast,
unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in
the Lord.”
Bro. Gerald Sankey
Ontario Spring Gathering – 5/2011
“ But the difficult question is:
What is the best that we can
do in deciding matters of
fellowship?”
( Thomas Williams, Life & Works, page 76)
•
“You have left
your first love !”
Ephesians 1 : 15 (CEV)
“ I have heard about
your faith in the Lord
Jesus, and your love
for all of God’s people”
Hebrews 6 : 10 (KJV)
“For God is not unrighteousness
to forget your work and labor of
love, which ye have shown toward
his name, in that ye have ministered
to the saints, and do minister.”
I Thes. 1 : 3 (KJV)
“ Remembering without ceasing
your work of faith and labor of love,
and patience of hope in our Lord
Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and
our Father.”
Revelations 2 : 5 (JNT)
“ Therefore, remember where you
were before you fell and turn from
this sin, and do what you used to
do before.
Otherwise, I will come to you
and remove your menorah from its
place – if you don’t turn from your
sin!”
Jesus commended the
Ephesians because:
• can’t bear those that are evil.
• tried them that say they are apostles.
• have labored for my name’s sake.
• hated deeds of Nicolaitanes.
But they forgot
how to minister
“love” to their
brethren !!!!
“ My
conviction is that we, as a body, are in a
thousand times greater danger through failure in this
matter of brotherly love than in those doubtful
issues which have exercised so many of our
members. When once controversy has started there
is usually a tendency on all sides to multiply the sins
of unfairness, misrepresentation, and all the other
fleshly evils that arise from strife.”
“ Stones are thrown where bread should be given.
The Scriptures will save us if we will allow them to
have free course, but we must search them for food
and medicine, and not merely for weapons.”
( I. Collyer, An Appeal To Christadelphians, pg.5)
“It is well to be zealous for ecclesial
purity, but if we are to abstain from
ecclesial association till we find an
ecclesia that is perfect (pure), we shall
never have ecclesial association at all.”
“ We must have compassion as well
as zeal. We are all imperfect, and
unless we practice some of the charity
that ‘hides a multitude of sins’ we shall
hinder and destroy instead of helping
one another.”
(R. Roberts, The Christadelphian, 05/1886, pg.230)
Romans 12 : 9 (JNT)
“ Don’t let love be a mere outward
show. Recoil from what is evil, and
cling to what is good.”
“Love each other devotedly, and with
brotherly love; and set examples for
each other in showing respect.”
I John 4 : 7,12 (CEV)
“ My dear friends, we must love each
other. Love comes from God, and
when we love each other, it shows that
we have been given new life. We are
now God’s children, and we know him.”
“No one has ever seen God. But if we
love each other, God lives in us, and
his love is truly in our hearts.”
Points To Remember:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Excommunication should always be intended to
lead to the restoration of the sinner, the cessation
of fellowship being thought of as only temporary.
It is, at least, wrong to go too far in our demands
upon our brethren, as it is not to go far enough; in
other words, it is possible to err on the side of
severity.
“Fellowship” appears many more times in the
Bible as a positive thing, to be shared, than a
negative thing, to be withheld.
Patience and sympathy, even toward error or
ignorance, are always desirable; love is never a
sign of weakness.
5.
False teachers, and those who are falsely taught are
two different groups; and should not be treated the
same.
6. The “shepherd” who protects the flock must be our
example, not the “hireling” who flees at danger.
7. Our “individual” salvation is not endangered by
fellowshipping “doubtful cases”.
8. The main purpose of the ecclesia is not to keep the
Truth “pure” as a theory or system, but to help its
members, impure men and women, to strive (aim at,
seek for) toward Biblical purity or perfection.
9. Each ecclesia should be, basically, if not altogether,
concerned with its own affairs, i.e., building up and
protecting its own constituency.
10. Ecclesias are primarily responsible to Christ only,
and, secondarily, to one another.
11. Inconsistencies in local fellowship matters must
sometimes be tolerated.
12. Matthew 18 has nothing whatsoever to say about
taking up controversies with ecclesias other than
one’s own.
13. We must seek reconciliation with our brethren
continuously, and never be satisfied with disunion.
14. Much more emphasis is placed, Biblically, upon
judging oneself, than judging others.
15. “Peace” is always to be desired; division and strife,
never.
16. “Fellowship” is, primarily, a way of life; not a
technicality.
17. It is Christ’s utmost desire that his brethren be at one
with each other.
18. Divisions are not always good nor admirable (or
necessary).
19. The greatest abhorrence of sin is not necessarily to
be found in the one who is most severe on the sinner.
20. Christ did not believe in “guilt – or defilement – by
association”, in fact, just the opposite was his manner
21. Perfect, or “pure fellowship” with our brethren in this
life, is an impossibility (an illusive Ideal).
22. Those who fail to excommunicate “heretics” do not
thereby, become “heretics” themselves.
23. First “pure” then “peaceable”is a delusion; being at
peace, without absolute purity, is apostolic attitude.
24. A limited toleration of differences is more honorable
than an absolute conformity of opinion, which is
dictatorially imposed.
25. Not all contention is proper or profitable; some
contention may be for one’s own pride and personal
opinion.
26. Mouths may be stopped by means other than the
cutting off of heads !
27. Time and distance are often very real barriers to
ascertaining all the facts necessary to make a proper
decision regarding matters of fellowship.
28. No brother should ever be judged without a fair
hearing.
29. Two ecclesias may arrive at different conclusions on
a matter involving “fellowship”, and yet, agree to
recognize each other in fellowship, even while
holding opposite opinions concerning a third party.
“We need to draw together in this joy of
“fellowship” , as “partners” in true unity of shared
blessings. Let us resolve to look upon each other,
as brethren and sisters, “for whom Christ died”, both
individually and collectively, with a much deeper
understanding and appreciation for one another
than, perhaps, heretofore.
Let us be silent and reverent, brethren, as we stand
together, mingling our prayers like incense on
the altar, ascending before the throne of heaven.
We have come into the miraculous presence of
God’s grace. It is His mercy alone that has brought
each of us into this position; Why?, to share the oil
of healing, and the dew of refreshing; the bread of
strengthening and the wine of joy.
In the loving provision of His Son, the all-powerful,
self-existent Lord of all being has commanded the
blessing of life for evermore; and none can turn aside
His decree.
May we grasp and cherish that bright hope, and lead
lives worthy of our Savior, who loved us all. May the
contemplation of that awesome work - reconciliation of
sinners to God - transform our minds in the
understanding and practice of true Biblical fellowship.
And may we now --- and forever --- “dwell together in
unity” under the shadow of the love of Yahweh, who
from the beginning, has shown His desire for an
“eternal fellowship” with His creation !--- is the prayer
of your speaker this weekend. Amen.