Address—R. Thonney
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My brother is.
Spoke to us of the great privilege of being gathered to the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is a great privilege.
And as we're together, not only in the meeting where we express our membership as the body of Christ, as members of the body of Christ and the breaking of bread, but in times when we get together like we have tonight.
A real challenge always comes to my soul. We're enjoying fellowship together.
Is it a result?
Of maintaining intimate fellowship.
With a Father, with his Son, Jesus Christ.
It's awfully easy to get together and have a happy time together.
But rather than real fellowship even between Stersel amongst ourselves comes from first of all, enjoying individual.
Fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, he said.
Sometimes the brethren in South America are.
Not too well instructed. And sometimes they've written letters of commendation in the following fashion. We commend such a person as in fellowship with the Lord and at his table. And so we've had to instruct them that a letter of fellowship really only should state that this person is in fellowship the Lord's table.
Fellowship with the Lord Himself is an individual matter in our individual lives.
That can be lost at any moment.
And as we get together sometimes in our breaking of bread meetings, Brother Ready comes home to my soul.
Sometimes we sit there and there's not much response from these hearts of ours to the person that is there waiting for a response. From who? From that brother who's the main brother in the assembly, Yes, but just him. No brother from all our hearts. And it's evident in our meetings sometimes read.
That we come, yes, this is the customer. Come and sit down and break bread.
But is there that intimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus himself every day of the week?
Are regarding that fellowship and I just like to turn to 1St John chapter one.
To show this, her brother is spoken of.
Principles.
The Word of God, basic principles that are not to be let go.
First John chapter one in this.
Chapter we have the word fellowship.
Mentioned I think about four times.
But I'd like to just notice with you tonight.
The order in which it's mentioned. First of all, it's verse 3.
That which we have seen and heard, the apostle John is speaking in the plural. He and the other apostles, that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us.
Here's the first mention of fellowship. And what is it in connection with? It's in connection with the doctrine of the apostles, the principles that they laid down, if you are walking in these principles.
And I am not. Is there true fellowship? Is there the apostles fellowship between us? No ready.
It's evident true fellowship of the apostles is based on the apostles doctrine, and if we are not following in one point or another the apostles doctrine, we can talk all we like about fellowship, brethren.
But it's not the fellowship that the Scripture speaks about.
And this comes home. I'm not talking with my finger at you. Please don't think that talking another finger here. This comes home to my soul and I think about it.
And so the apostles fellowship is mentioned 1St and then he says truly our fellowship is with a father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
This is the secret to real fellowship with the Father, with his Son Jesus Christ. Do you enjoy that?
00:05:06
Oh, sometimes I have to stop and reflect the middle of the day.
Been so busy in the morning or in the afternoon?
Little things have come in and gotten mad. Somebody.
A word that was a half truth slipped out of my lips and I haven't thought about it again. And before I know that.
That fellowship is gone.
Gun.
Are regarding that fellowship breath.
Are we judging ourselves daily, hourly, so that we can keep that simple?
Heartfelt fellowship with a father, with his Son Jesus Christ. And remember, brethren, we do not set up the standards of fellowship.
Between the Lord and Himself, the centers, the standards are right here. We cannot bring God down to enjoy fellowship on our level. No, no.
God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.
We're going on with something that is related to the darkness.
No fellowship? Oh, it's awfully easy to say. Yeah, I have fellowship with the Lord.
But it's another matter, brethren.
Truly have fellowship.
And that's why I really believe.
That verse four we don't understand the reality of this. These things right we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Are you really happy tonight?
Are you only about half happy?
You know, it's awfully easy to show a happy face.
But many, many happy faces in this world hide an aching heart.
And I really feel there's hearts right here in this room that are aching, maybe showing a happy face.
Why are they aching? Oh, I got this terrible complicated problem in my life. Is that the reason? No brother, the problem isn't very complicated. The problem is a small 3 letter word.
SIN. Sin has come in. I've allowed it.
No, I don't have to look at that other brother who provoked me. No, I don't have to look at those brethren that I think I misunderstood me. No, no.
Look right here.
Thank you. That's where it begins if you want to be restored to the Lord.
In happy fellowship that flow, that full joy.
Fill your heart. This is the secret.
And then we come down to verse nine or seven and we get the mention of fellowship.
The last time in this chapter. And this is where fellowship, one with another comes in. It's not first.
Sometimes we make it first, but it's not first here.
If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
You walk in the light.
I walk in the lake. The automatic result is fellowship.
Not that I'm.
Purposely seeking fellowship, exactly in that sense of the word, my brethren. First of all, no, it's that I'm cultivating that simple fellowship with the Lord, first of all.
There's another brother. He too is cultivating that simple thought automatically. There's fellowship between us both walking in the lake, and there's fellowship. This is the groundwork of true Christian fellowship that we have in the Word of God.
And then that end of the verse.
Is that part of the verse we often quote in the gospel? The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
Why does it appear to hear, hear. This isn't really spoken here to unbelievers. This is spoken to Christians, to those who are members of the family of God. Why is it put here?
All comes home to my soul in this way, brother.
Sin is what breaks fellowship.
Sin is what divides from fellowship with his heart.
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And sin is what divides from fellowship one with another as well.
And God at all cost himself has provided the means that that which divides from having happy fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ and with one another. God has provided the means that all that may be taken away. Now the challenge comes to my heart, brother and sister and the Lord.
Are we still allowing things in our lives to hinder?
That fellowship with his heart, first of all.
And then fellowship one with another.
We have no one to blame but ourselves if we do.
Knowing the boy, God has done all at all cost himself. The blood of his dear son was shed so that that fellowship might be renewed.
Are you enjoying that fellowship?
Oh, I just feel my own soul.
Brother, I'm a failure in this myself so much that I can't point the finger but it is evident off times in our meetings.
That we come and sit here. Why do we come oh, this is what we do on Tuesday night This is what we do on Thursday night. Come and sit here. But rather than is the fellowship we enjoy one with another spring from that fellowship that we.
Are enjoying daily, hourly with the Father with his Son Jesus Christ.
This is a challenge that comes to myself.
And now I like to just go back to Acts chapter 2.
Where we get this fellowship mentioned?
Brothers mentioned these principles about defilement.
And they're very definite principles of the Word of God that cannot be denied.
If we are going to enjoy fellowship with the Lord Jesus collectively.
Acts Chapter 2.
Read from verse 41.
It's often been mentioned that we gather on the ground of the one body.
What do we mean?
We mean simply that the Scripture simply states that there is one body, that every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, sealed by the Spirit of God, is one body, a member of that one body.
That's the ground on which we meet. We don't recognize any other membership. Person may come and say I'm a member of such and such a church. Oh, I see. Well, the Scripture doesn't speak about that.
A person comes. I'm a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, thank God for that.
You're a member of the body of Christ.
But the Scripture also speaks of another thing, and this is the important thing to distinguish the fellowship of the body of Christ.
Oh, to say we're members of the body of Christ is one thing.
But to say we are in the fellowship of the body of Christ is another, I think a very important thing to distinguish. And here we have this mentioned in verse 42. There's two two things that go together in the Scriptures.
They continued steadfastly in the apostles, doctrine and fellowship.
The Apostles doctrine and the Apostles fellowship because that word apostles refers to both of those words.
Or rather, are we reading this book? Like our brother said, I really feel a challenge for my own soul. Like he said, we don't have any trouble finding time to eat our meals.
Why do we have trouble finding time through this book?
Why is this the reason perhaps?
Why we're missing out on this fellowship that the Scripture speaks to us with plain.
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The fellowship of the apostles is based on the doctrine, the teaching of the Apostle.
Cannot be.
Divided these beginnings.
So when we come together to remember the Lord Jesus and his death, one loaf on that table represents one body, the glorious truth that there is one body.
But the Scripture also speaks of the fellowship of the body of Christ.
Yeah, a believer comes in from a denomination.
Where they allow things that are contrary to the doctrine, the teaching of the apostles.
Always a believer in the Lord Jesus, there's no doubt about that. We recognize he is a member of the body of Christ. He is represented in that law. He has a place at the table of the Lord.
But if he is not heeding.
And not walking according to the doctrine, the teaching of the apostles, that we have so plainly laid out these principles in the New Testament, and especially, especially, but also through all the word of God.
How can we say that there's fellows?
And this is the point we have to distinguish.
So brother, what I had on my heart tonight, especially what is the first point?
And again, I want to press it home to my own heart and tears as well.
Oh, it's so easy to get together in these happy times of fellowship, one with another. We're enjoying fellowship.
But brother, let's challenge our heart. Is it the fellowship?
And the apostle?
That fellowship that is fellowship truly that the Father who his Son Jesus Christ.
If it is, it's going to be more manifest in our assembly meetings as well.