The Stewardship of Fellowship

Please note: This transcript is provided as close to verbatim record of the sermon.

Stewardship of Fellowship

Opening and Thanksgiving

Thank you, brother Hongon. Everybody can hear me clearly—am I too loud? I was told I’m too loud, so my wife and a few sisters reminded me, “Brother R, shout—turn down, turn down.” So I’m holding down this morning, especially. If you say afterward I’m too loud again, I think I failed—I’m a poor steward of that, right?

Thank you for praying, especially many of you who said, “I’m praying for you, brother,” on the text, and physically telling me. And as I was welcoming you back into the hall on Sunday morning, this couple came and said to me, “Brother, I’m praying for you—for a very powerful message this morning.” So I said, “Yes brother, thank you for praying. You are my inspiration.” This lovely couple—they are the ones who have given me this fellowship in the Lord together for so many years, and I’m truly thankful to the Lord for that.

And as you can see from the slide, my topic here is on fellowship—and particularly the stewardship of fellowship.

Scripture Reading

Before we go into the subject of fellowship, let’s read three passages of Scripture as you can see on the board.

1) 2 Corinthians 6:14–16

“Do not become partners with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? … And what agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God—just as God said, ‘I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’”

2) Acts 2:42

“They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, and to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”

3) 1 John 1:3

“What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you may have fellowship with us. And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

As we have just experienced this morning, let’s turn to the Lord for His help.

Prayer for Help

Heavenly Father, our gracious and loving God, we praise You and thank You for this morning’s worship—reminding us of the great God and Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, as we continue to remember Him, even by opening our hearts to listen to what the Lord has to say for us in our morning ministry, we thank You.

We thank You for the many prayers that have gone up—that the ministry may continue to be the transforming Word of God into the lives that need to be transformed. Thank You, Father, that this very morning we will open our hearts and seek of You to engrave Your words upon our hearts—that it is not a heart made of stone, but a flesh of ready to be changed by You.

We commit ourselves to You, in our Lord Jesus’ most worthy and precious name. Amen.

Why This Burden About Fellowship

This morning I was burdened to share this subject of fellowship simply because, in the light of the various experiences I had with some very close brothers—as well as distant brothers in the fellowship—they have this simple understanding of what fellowship is: that is, having a meal or a drink, a company of people sharing things in common.

Sometimes I am also guilty of that. I use the word fellowship loosely. I use the term loosely—even when I’m fellowshipping with people from another faith, another religion.

In short, we casually or easily embrace into fellowship everyone who calls themselves a Christian, or who calls themselves “I’m from a church,” or who says, “I’m from another …” so it is important that we are reminded of who we are fellowshipping with.

These experiences with these fellow brothers that I’ve spoken to—they have unwittingly gotten themselves into that kind of fellowship, to the point where they find it all right to compromise the biblical principles that they were taught and learned from young, in the name of Christian fellowship.

So they are prepared to let these values erode simply because “we are the universal Body of Christ, so we should continue to have fellowship.”

In the light of this year’s call to stewardship, it dawned upon me that we should be good stewards—even of the fellowship that exists in Buesta Hall Amok. We should be careful how we receive into fellowship.

Over the years our assembly has been blessed with many who have come to our midst, and we have received them into our fellowship. We were careful—those of you who were received, you remember: we were careful and observant, and took steps to verify that we receive into and extend this hand of fellowship in the truer sense of the word fellowship.

We should keep our guard up. We should keep our guard up when encountering people who have some idealized state of fellowship and unity—that it doesn’t matter as long as they are called Christians.

I’m sure we are in good fellowship in our state here—especially those of us who know one another, interact with one another, and are still going on for the past 20, 30, and 40 years and on—as good caretakers of the stewardship of the fellowship, both material and spiritual, given to us.

We treasure this fellowship we have with one another in the Lord with a responsibility—recognizing it for the greater good of us all—ever careful that we remain alert and careful to honor our God and to benefit one another in such fellowship.

A “Scam-Full” Age and the Need for Discernment

You know, we are living in this called scam age—scam-full age. There are a lot of scams everywhere, when it is not so clearly distinguishable between what is true and what is false, between what is righteousness and what is lawlessness, between what is light and what is darkness, between Christ and Belial—or the devil—and so on.

As the first scriptural passage we have just read, in which Paul elaborated to the Corinthians: you might say I’m too sensitive, or as my wife sometimes says, I’m paranoid—reading too much into this threat—but I seek your indulgence to hear me out.

In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John was asked to write to the churches that were established—we read of them in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3. There are seven churches of Asia Minor in the New Testament age. It is like a report card on the state of each of the seven churches.

We read of commendations, and we read of reviews from the Lord who declared, “I know your deeds.” Seven times the Lord Jesus Christ declared, “I know your deeds.” This Revelation ended with a severe exhortation: “Those who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

If these early churches fell into such states that provoked those strong and repeated commendations as well as rebukes, all the more it suggests to us the need to be good stewards of the fellowship in the Lord—a responsibility every believer must safeguard.

For the sake of time, I will just highlight one commendation and one rebuke. You can read chapter 2 and chapter 3 of Revelation and you will read the rest.

A Commendation: Ephesus (Revelation 2:2)

To the church of Ephesus, John wrote in chapter 2 verse 2:
“I know your deeds and your toil and your perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false.”

That’s a commendation from the Lord to the church at Ephesus.

A Rebuke: Pergamum (Revelation 2:14–15)

What about the review a few verses down, in verse 14–15 of chapter 2?
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam… [teaching Balak] to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”

That’s not what I want to hear from the Lord personally. It is not a commendation, but a rebuke from the Lord to the church at Pergamum.

Many of us here have for decades understood fully the meaning of fellowship. We are grateful. And many have exercised the fellowship—not just thinking of ourselves, our own benefit, but also of the well-being of others. We praise the Lord, bearing others in mind in our fellowship with an alert mind—to exercise responsible stewardship—by testing every spirit, as 1 John 4:1 instructs us, keeping our guard against any that may lead us to destruction.

I think last week our brother Isumi shared with us how many assembly testimonies are disappearing over the last few decades, and that destruction of assembly fellowship—of assembly testimony—is a reality, something that we as an assembly here shouldn’t trifle with.

What Then Is Real Christian Fellowship?

What then exactly is real Christian fellowship—assembly fellowship?

Here I attempt to give you a definition. Those of you who are well learned in Greek—or some people are studying Greek—I know you know the word fellowship comes from the word koinonia, or rather fellowship is a translation from koinonia.

Koinonia simply means—and I went to look: I looked at Strong’s Concordance, I looked at Wikipedia, I looked at the Bible two website—and there were so many words: partnership, participation, spiritual fellowship, contribution, intercourse, distribution, joint participation, jointly contributing, a collection, deep spiritual connection, communion, intimacy, close relationship.

With all this wealth of words in our research—there’s a lot of websites you can go into, a lot of dictionaries, you can find a lot of AI description for you as well—but with all this information of the word, do we still have a firm grip of the meaning fellowship, so that we can practice responsible stewardship of fellowship?

Why is it still difficult for people to explain, or to pin down a clear definition of fellowship?

I don’t blame you if afterward you come and tell me, “Oh brother, you have confused me thoroughly.” Yes—I like to share then, hopefully not confusing you, just these three main points concerning fellowship.

Three Main Points of Fellowship

1) Fellowship Is About Relationship

First point: fellowship is all about relationship.

Relationship—we all know what is a relationship, don’t we? Between husband and wife, between parent and child, between siblings, between even like a partner—not necessarily in your family but in an organization, for example like a law firm.

But a relationship that is characterized by intimacy. There is always a link—very close—and it brings across to us this idea of being: you are what you are, a being. And the main idea here is that sense of being.

2) Fellowship Is About Sharing

Second point: fellowship is all about sharing.

As relationship is about being, so sharing is about sharing. Quite easy, yeah? Those in an intimate relationship together will share what they have—sharing what one has with another.

The common space in a home: a married couple, new couple—they have a new home, the common space. Not only physical, material; it is also spiritual—the hopes and aspirations and so on—having things in common.

So there is relationship—being together—and there is sharing—sharing together.

3) Fellowship Is About Partnership

Third main point: lastly, partnership.

The idea of serving, the sense of labor. Partners share with each other who work together. We have the same interest and the same goal to achieve.

For example, as a new couple newly married: the goal to start a Christian home, or starting a family—a Christian family with children—or to start a new ministry. There is not just an inner unity among them or among the partners, but also an outer unity—a joint testimony to achieve in view of the service, in view of the serving.

Not as individuals then, but together—collectively, corporately.

So there is fellowship that is relationship—being together; there is sharing—sharing together; and finally there is partnership—serving together.

Applying This to Assembly Fellowship

Now we apply this understanding of three points of fellowship to our assembly—to the believers that are in fellowship one with another.

We clearly now know that fellowship is on the basis that we are all in a relationship—brothers and sisters. Are we all in a relationship here? If you find that somebody is very distant from you—he’s the akong from all distant, distance, distance away—then you are not in a relationship, right?

We as believers in this fellowship here are in a relationship—being part of the family of God. We are all children of God, being born again through faith in Christ Jesus. We have fellowship with the Father and with the Son and therefore with one another.

John chapter 1 verse 2 says: “To all who have received Him, those who have believed in His name, He has given the right to become children of God.” So we are in a relationship—a new creation, a new being—the sense of a being born again.

Then the second point about sharing is assembly fellowship. I’m sure many of us have shared in many, many ways—or received the sharing in many, many ways. We share the same things together.

We share a common salvation. We share a common Savior—the Lord Jesus Christ. And more than that, we share the same divine nature, as what 2 Peter verse 1 to 4 tells us. And I like that the Good News Translation uses the word “may come to share the divine nature.”

In this fellowship we too share the suffering of Christ, and we too share the glory of Christ. Romans 8:17 says: “Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we share in His suffering in order that we may also share in His glory.”

And then we have the relationship; we have the sharing; and now in this fellowship of assembly in Amok here we have this partnership.

On the basis of those who are related and who are sharing, we work together in partnership. If you have not worked with anybody in this assembly, brothers and sisters, it’s a question mark whether you are in fellowship here—partnership with one another, with Christ—in order to bring glory to our God, and in order to do His will.

John 5:17—I was reminded this week—that “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working also.”

Also Philippians chapter 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which pours out His strength into me.” Certainly nobody can say, “I have no ability to partner with the fellow brothers and sisters in this fellowship.”

Brothers and sisters, this is our challenge: we are in fellowship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ His Son, and with one another. We are intimately linked, sharing His interest, and seek to display His character, and avoiding anything that is unclean. We are to come out of them that are associated with sin.

And that, I think, is the underlying focus of the word fellowship.

“Two Fellows in a Ship”

You have heard before the phrase: fellowship is the idea of two fellows in a ship. The two fellows in the ship is very accurate—very simple—covering these three main points.

We are the fellows—the beings—inside the ship, two or more, and yet with the same line, like-mindedness inside the same common space, the same boat. And they can’t go anywhere else; they are in the same space.

And they are in partnership—rowing or heading in the same direction. You can’t have one partner heading forward and the other going backward—then you are heading nowhere.

So they are all in the same relationship as being, they are sharing the common space on the boat, and they are partners serving together in a direction forward—in the godly direction, preferably.

Two More Reasons: Vital and Valuable

Other than the fact of our stewardship of fellowship—to safeguard against casual relationship that may trip us—I like to offer two more reasons why it is important to exercise biblical fellowship of believers.

One of them is: fellowship is vital. The other one is: fellowship is valuable.

Fellowship Is Vital

When we read Genesis 2:18, the Lord said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

Indeed, when God placed Adam in the garden and he started naming all the animals, and then a pair of one and two and three come along—he named every one of them—and God sensed inside the very heart and soul of Adam that there was not a helper found among the animals for Adam.

So God, out of His deep love—a special love gift—was given from God to Adam. It appears, brothers and sisters, that fellowship is vital to us. We mankind are made in the image of God, and we have a basic need for fellowship.

So God took from Adam’s side and created the woman and gifted her to him.

So if we take this a step further: fellowship is vital to us. A step further is that we are vital to the fellowship.

What do I mean by that? Well, we can see that in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. You read the whole chapter: it is a pointed teaching that says we, all believers, are members of the one body of Christ—and the body cannot function as effectively as it should if some of the parts are missing.

In the same way, when it comes to the assembly fellowship, one member cannot say to another, “I have no need of you.” We need each other, brothers and sisters. It is a biblical teaching that we are vital to the fellowship—all of us.

When the assembly gathers, we need to be here. Am I shouting? We need to be here. The assembly cannot function as well as it might if certain members of the body are not here—present.

Fellowship Is Valuable

Last February, in 2023, we covered the Book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 4:9 tells us: “Two are better than one, because they have good return for their labor.”

When we are in spiritual Christian fellowship, there is more that can be done.

Then verse 10 says: “For if either of them fall, the one will lift up his companion; but woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.” There is support. There is help in fellowship.

Verse 11 tells us further: “Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm; how can one be warm alone?” There is brother and sister warmth in fellowship.

And verse 12 says: “If one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him; and a cord of three is not easily broken.” Brother and sister, there is strength in fellowship.

So this is valuable. Fellowship is vital. Fellowship is valuable.

Seven Characteristics That Validate New Testament Fellowship

In the remaining minutes, allow me to quickly list down that there is the validation of that fellowship.

What do I mean by that? That God desires that every believer enjoy that fellowship with Him and the Lord and one another. What does one such New Testament assembly look like?

Seven typical characteristics that are found in the New Testament—though the word fellowship is found 20 times in the New Testament—it is all possible here.

1) Centered Around Christ

First, assembly fellowship very clearly is that the fellowship is centered around Christ.

Matthew 18:20: Every gathering of the believer must have the sense of who is in the center—our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ must be the gathering center. All eyes and hearts must be upon Him and be attracted to Him. We need to display the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and His person in our worship.

2) Conduct

Secondly, conduct.

1 Timothy 3:15: We ought to conduct ourselves in the household of God—which is us. We are the household of God. Believers meet in this home, this household, this sanctuary.

As we gather, we bear the name of Christ. We display His character. We obey His instruction, His Word. And on every matter His name is to be honored. There will be reverence in the house—so joy, obedience, worship, and remembrance.

3) Commitment

Thirdly, commitment.

It’s not a New Testament passage; it’s from Old Testament: Numbers chapter 2 tells us about the setting of the children of Israel—12 tribes, northeast, southwest, surrounding the tent of meeting. And the Lord gave such instruction how they were to gather around the tent of meeting.

The idea is that our lives should be arranged around the gathering of the local assembly—just as the children of Israel gave God the rightful place with the tent of meeting in the center, and they surrounding on all four sides.

Our lives will be arranged around the gathering center of the assembly. Of course there may be some exception—one or two exceptions—we can miss it. Somebody said, “I’m not open to other option; I must be at the prayer meeting on Tuesday night.”

We have already highlighted that in 1 Corinthians 12: if we are not here, brothers and sisters, there will not be that godly effectiveness of the assembly.

4) Continuance

Number four: continuance.

Acts 2:42: “They were continuing, devoting themselves to prayer, to apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, and to breaking of bread.” There’s continuance. There’s devotion. Describing the New Testament church in the gathering of God’s people—they were keeping at it.

We have the idea of stickability. They may get some knock down; they may be getting some knock back. And sometimes our members can do or say things that we find not so appropriate—but brothers and sisters, we stick at it. We work it out together.

Which is easier: to pull the plug and leave, or to stay and fix the issue?

5) Contribution

Next, we have contribution in the New Testament assembly.

1 Thessalonians 1:3: “Constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and the labor of love”—the exhaustion of love.

We talk about “fellow in a ship.” We are not a ship to be carried along by it. We are not beings on a ship free floating, letting the rest do the work.

There are no silent partners in this fellowship, and every one of them are not sleeping partners. Every one of us are working partners—serving together, actively engaging together. That is the meaning of true spiritual fellowship in the things of the Lord.

We think we have fellowship—yes. Are we actively engaging, working, serving together? Look at those people in the Myanmar group. Look at those brothers and sisters in the tract distribution group—working together—that sense of fellowship, sharing together with the gospel.

6) Care

Secondly last: care.

Acts 4:23: When Peter and John were released, they went back—chapter 4:23 says they went back to their companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

The assembly, brothers and sisters, is a wonderful place. If you are like Peter and John—you were just released from some trials and difficulty—you want to come back to the assembly. You come back to the family that cares and has compassion for you—just like what Peter and John had.

Philippians 4:5 says: “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men; the Lord is near.” What is the gentle spirit evident in the gathering? It means to forgive when you have the right to condemn. There is a time when we as believers need to forgive rather than condemn—and not to insist on our right.

7) Compliance

Lastly, compliance.

1 Peter 5:3: “Not yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.” Speaking to the elders of the assembly: there are to be examples of Christian living to the flock.

God has established order for us, and God desires for us to comply and obey through these overseers, these elders. And for us—because they are put in a position of responsibility—we may not at all occasions agree to everything elders have to say, but we should as believers humbly submit to their guidance, because God has placed them in this spiritual role of responsibility.

I hope these seven characteristics—there may be more as you study—but these seven characteristics are the validation of the spiritual fellowship that is found in the New Testament church.

Closing Exhortation: Be Careful Who We Associate With

So in summary: koinonia—we know—is that fellowship of believers together, having the same relationship one with another, having the ability to share with one another, and ability to serve together.

Be careful who we associate in this secular world, and especially in this spiritual fellowship. There is a great difference between being an influencer and being influenced.

If I may borrow the sober warning from Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: bad company corrupts morals.” Yes, Paul was talking to the Corinthian church because they were thinking of living for the present and don’t care about the future.

But brothers and sisters, we are easily influenced today. Otherwise, if we are not good stewards, we may end up like the Laodicean church—where we are neither hot nor cold—and eventually the Lord will vomit us out of His mouth.

Unless we stick to what the Bible teaches, we will become corrupted. I like the other word—eroded. Being aircraft engineer, I like the word erosion. Erosion tells us a greater meaning than corruption. Erosion is something that slowly, but subtly, through association with false fellowship, leads to destruction.

Brethren, be careful—not just for ourselves, but as good stewards we are also to be concerned for others in our fellowship. For this corruption, this erosion of our biblical framework with vague and doubtful teaching that undermines the dignity and potential and contribution of individuals to the fellowship—may lead to catastrophic destruction.

Oh brother, end with a scary picture, is it? But it has happened already—three times—the scary picture was there. We studied Genesis at the beginning of this year: Genesis 4, you read Genesis 6, you read Genesis 11. You read man made in the image of God, but the image was corrupted, and like that old artifact it became eroded towards total destruction—and it is still happening today.

Brethren, BMK fellowship needs your full-hearted support: a fellowship that is founded on a relationship in Christ—that you are created and born again—being worshiped together; and on sharing things in common in prayer at the same throne of grace—for the same burden, for the same pain, for the same joy, and for the same life everlasting; and lastly, in our partnership in serving the one and only Master—we own the very gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brother and sisters, I pray that you be encouraged.

Closing Prayer

Eternal God, our gracious Father, we thank You for this last sounding words—that our Father, we ought to be serving as partners in the gospel.

And we continue to pray that as a fellowship of believers, saved by grace through the same Savior our Lord Jesus Christ, we may take Your Word seriously, and change our life, and embark upon this journey together with the fellowship that meets together here according to Your Word, and then directed by Your Word.

Now we pray for this evening gospel service. We pray for Your words to be clear and powerful to the lips of our brother Samuel, and even through Joel as you chair the meeting.

We pray for brothers and sisters to be partners in this gospel—that the hall will be filled with Your people, as well as those who have yet to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our hearts go out, Father, for those that are lost, and we look to You that You may use us as humble instruments for the saving of precious soul.

We commit ourselves to You in our Lord Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Thank you. Sorry for the time.