Fellowship

2 Corinthians 8:4

Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

Fellowship is an important part of our lives, but it is often misdefined. Fellowship is about who we associate with. The problem with most people is that they seek fellowship instead of discovering it. Those who seek fellowship will stay loyal to personalities and institutions, whereas those who discover fellowship will stay loyal to truth. When I seek fellowship, I seek those who make me feel good; however, when I discover fellowship, my fellowship comes from discovering people around me who are doing the same things that I am doing. If I am doing right according to God's Word, I will discover fellowship with the right people.

God gives several guides in His Word that show us how to discover fellowship. Your need for fellowship is more of a need of service to God than it is of a need of entertaining. Let me share several things God's Word shows of how we can find the right type of fellowship in our lives.

First, you find fellowship through ministering in the ministry. I hear people often say they can't find friends. The reason they can't find friends is because they are not serving in the church. My best friends are those who go soul winning with me, those who serve with me in the ministry, and those to whom I am ministering to help grow. Your need for fellowship reveals your need for service to God, for it is in service to God where we find fellowship with others. You will have a better chance of keeping the right friends by discovering your friends through the fellowship of serving God.

Second, I find fellowship with those who produce fruits of light. Ephesians 5:11 says, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. If I am not to have fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, that means I am to have fellowship with fruitful works of light. Light attracts light, just like darkness attracts darkness; if you do right, you will discover fellowship and friendship with other likeminded people. For instance, I don't seek friendship with other preachers, but I discover friendship with other preachers. Those preachers who are producing works of light grab my attention just like I grab their attention with my work of light, and because we are in the same yoke of producing fruits of light, we find fellowship with each other. Get busy producing works of light, and you will find fellowship with others who are producing works of light.

Third, I find fellowship in suffering. Philippians 3:10 says, That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings… You will find that as you suffer, you will discover others who suffer with you. God allows me to go through trials so that I may minister to others who are going through the same trials; I find Scriptural fellowship as I minister to them. God gives you hard times so that you can fill your need for fellowship by ministering to others who are going through the same trials. Turn suffering into a ministry, and you will find fellowship with others.

My friend, fellowship has more to do with the action of doing right than it does with entertainment; I find fellowship through doing right. 1 John 1:7 says, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another… If you will do right, you will discover others in agreement with you, which will cause sweet fellowship as you serve in the same yoke.