The Importance of Fellowship (Part One)

 The Importance of Fellowship (Part One) Both the Old and New Testaments have instructions and admonitions about the importance of congregational fellowship and regular Sabbath attendance. One of these appears in the Sabbath command in Leviticus 23:3: "Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings." The Sabbath is a holy convocation. "Convocation" translates the Hebrew word miqrā (Strong's #4744), which means "a calling together, a reading, a sacred assembly." The idea of a sacred assembly is reinforced by qōdĕš (Strong's #6944; also transliterated as kodesh), the Hebrew word for "holy," meaning "pure, separate, apart, holy, sacred, devoted." Old Testament examples show that, along with God's commands to rest and not work, keeping the Sabbath includes worshipping God in a sacred assembly, fellowshipping with others also in covenant with God, and being instructed by His ministers. The verb convoke means "to call together or summon an assembly or meeting," and the noun, convocation, suggests "a large, formal assembly of people." Eleven times in Leviticus 23, God calls on His people to assemble with others to worship Him on the Sabbath and holy days. New Testament Greek uses ekklesia, often translated as "church" or "assembly." It similarly means "a calling together." Christians need fellowship, a chief reason God calls His elect together for a weekly family meeting. In Genesis 2:18, God gives the principle, "It is not good that man should be alone." Like most people need a spouse, we need our spiritual brethren; we need companionship to share our experiences for mutual edification and spiritual protection. Recall that, as the Israelites left Egypt, the Amalekites attacked the stragglers at the rear, those who had become separated from the main body (Exodus17:8-13; Deuteronomy 25:17). Likewise, Satan "walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8), and lions often pick off the weakest, lagging members of a flock or herd. In this way, meeting together on the Sabbath with fellow believers provides strength, promotes unity,and encourages faith. Solomon writes about this principle in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they willkeep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Commentator Albert Barnes provides four reasons some people may avoid congregating: First, the fear of persecution may deter a few. In times of peace, such a concern is not common. Historically—but perhaps in our future—the dominant religious authorities forbade assemblies of "heretical" groups, and when they were discovered, persecution and even bloodshed followed. But because God has commandedHis people to assemble on the Sabbath, the faithful found ways to congregate. Like the apostles, they concluded they would "obey God rather than men" (Acts5:29). They reasoned, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Psalm118:6). Second, some are just not interested in attending church, an attitude of many professing Christians today. God wants us to be full of love for Him and the brethren (Matthew22:35-40). But too many believe that salvation is a purely personal matter and avoid interacting with fellow believers. Such people tend to be self-centered and consider themselves self-sufficient. But we have been called into the Body of Christ, the church (ICorinthians 12:12-27). The author of Hebrews thus advises, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much themore as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews10:24-25). Meeting together as a church is necessary, especially in tough times. Third, some neglect their responsibility to fellowship, convincing themselves that it is optional. As we have seen, Scripture—both Old and New Testaments—commands and encourages church fellowship. Yet, these days, many have an independent attitude,feeling that merely "keeping the Sabbath" is enough. They quit working by Friday sunset, do not watch secular TV programs or sports, listen only to "good" music, study their Bibles, and limit their worldly interactions. Such people believe these are enoughto satisfy God, but they are wrong. The Leviticus 23:3 Sabbath command has two parts: a solemn rest and a sacred assembly. In the church's scattered condition, fellowshipping with like-minded believers may be difficult. If the nearest brother or sister in Christ is hours away, God knows and understands why we cannot fellowship each week. But we should pray for Himto help us find nearby believers and make efforts to attend a church group occasionally, even if it is far away. God wants us to fellowship with others because it is good for us and them, so we should not neglect it when an opportunity arises. Fourth, the Christian may be dissatisfied with a minister, a member or members of the church, or a particular belief the church professes. For some, a speaker's voice, mannerisms, or speaking style are off-putting. Or perhaps he is too conservativeor too liberal. Others, having heard that his message will be aimed at the young or old or married people or singles, choose to stay home because the sermon would not apply to them. Yet, in Matthew 4:4, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, instructing us to live by every word of God. Just because a message may not seem to apply right now, the principles, metaphors, and examples the speaker uses may help us in a current or future situation. We should avoid being picky. If we eat only the foods we like, we may miss some vital nutrients. Our Savior advisesus to "hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew5:6), promising to fill us with all we need. Purposely missing one of God's sacred assemblies for such reasons point to a failure to appreciate the abundance of what God provides. If we believe God has placed us in the Body of Christ, we should not be erratic about when or where to attend. As the apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 12:18, "God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased" (emphasis ours). He has put us in the Body where it will do us the most spiritual good. We should have faith in His wisdom and make the most of the opportunity He has provided us by steadfastly committing ourselves to assemble withthose He has placed us among. In Part Two, we will focus on what may be the most common "dissatisfaction" among church members—other members of the church. - John Reiss