The Church Is Responsible For Encouraging The Believers Through Fellowship

Dear Bethelites,

In Acts 2:42, And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers, when the disciples were converted, they were admitted to the church, adhering to the doctrines and duties of the Christian religion, keeping the communion of the saints, joining in the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper and continuing in prayers.

Baptism is one of the two sacraments commanded by our Lord (the other is Holy Communion). While it is only a symbolic ceremonial act, nevertheless it has profound meaning in the life of a believer. Water baptism is the outward sign of an inward faith; it signifies the washing away of sin and renunciation of one’s sinful past (cf. Romans 6:3,4); it signifies entry into the New Covenant and admission into the Church of Jesus Christ; and it signifies total commitment and life-long allegiance to Jesus Christ, to the exclusion of all others. The believer will be considered for baptism only when he has truly experienced the new birth, has full assurance of salvation, is ready to obey the Lord’s command is public baptism, and to enter into a life-long relationship with Jesus Christ. As a member of the church, he can partake of the Lord’s Supper which was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself just before His death (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34). The Lord’s Table is to be observed reverentially and faithfully, because the bread and cup represent the body and blood of Christ, but it is not just a commemoration, it is also a spiritual exercise and as John Calvin said, “There comes a special blessing from heaven.”

The word fellowship is koinonas from which comes the basic root, the idea of a partner or partnership. True fellowship is with the Triune God. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 John.1:3). Once a believer receives Jesus Christ, he is a partner with Him and this relationship is forever. True fellowship is the partnership one shares with the Triune God and with each other in the church, the common unity and the common life in Christ; thus, it is about ministering to one another, exercising the ministry of the partnership. Christian fellowship within the church embodies confessing your sins to one another, rebuking one another, exhorting one another, edifying one another, comforting one another, praying for one another, teaching one another, admonishing one another, exercising the prerogatives and the ministries of fellowship.

Christian fellowship is tremendously important, and there are many opportunities for fellowship offered in the church. Christian fellowship is not just coming to church and sitting in the pew and getting casually acquainted with a few people who are sitting around him. But fellowship grows deeper and stronger as the believer becomes more involved in groups within the church, like Sunday school classes, fellowship groups, the choir and small groups. These gatherings and sharing with one another are great opportunities for fellowship.

Some of the objectives of the church ministry to the believer through fellowship groups are: ● To nurture and care for the spiritual, emotional, and physical need of the believer through the preaching and study of God’s Word and fellowship activities, ● To encourage fellowship among the believers through outings, indoor and outdoor activities, tracting-sessions, evangelistic programme, etc, ● To help the believer worshipping in the church to adjust, adapt and integrate into the body of believers, ● To ensure continuity and cohesion between members, integrating and working closely with other groups within the church. ● To promote the unity and harmony of the church as a whole.

Most churches have fellowship groups to cater to the needs of certain particular groups. But they ought to function within the framework of the church, in a subsidiary role under the direction of the Board of Elders. A fellowship group is not a church, and must not begin to act like a church, independently of the Pastors and Elders, doing its own things under its own direction. For example, when a fellowship group ministering to the widows tries to hew its own line, without any reference to church leadership, there will inevitably be troubles. Leaders of fellowship groups ought to know that its primary duty is to assist and complement the work of the session, catering to the needs of the people. Thus, they should function strictly in a subsidiary role, under the authority and direction of the Pastors and Elders.

With love in Christ,

Pastor Paul Cheng