FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL*By the late Pastor L. PETERSON

FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL*
*By the late Pastor L. PETERSON*


In writing the church at PhiIippi Paul said, 'I thank my God .... for
your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.' Phil.
1:3,5. What does fellowship mean? Dr.Harry Ironside illustrated it by
picturing a team of horses pulling together. The word itself means
partnership. It implies working together with a common goal in mind.
There are various aspects of fellowship. There is the possibility of
sweet and wholesome communion while working together.

When we were boys and working together in the field we didn't spend all
our time talking about the work we were doing. While we were doing that
work we exchanged ideas, planned our recreation, told stories and
debated. This was fun too; it helped us to pass the time as we labored
and to make the burden of the day lighter. Fellowship is so important to
all of us as Christians. We need to get together and have some of the
other folk share life with us and we with them.

Man in a sense is a triumvirate, that is, an association of three in the
governing forces of life. Genesis 2:7 says, 'And the Lord God formed man
of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life; and man became a living soul.' To me this is Body, Soul and
Spirit. Dust of the ground---Body; Breath of Life--- Spirit; and living
soul (union of body and spirit)---Soul. Daily we care for the body by
feeding, washing and repairing it. The spirit is cared for too if we are
right with God. This is done by the ministry through the Word of God.
Jesus said 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God. ' Matt. 4:4.

What about the soul? Can its needs be met by physical culture or
spiritual exercise? Indeed it cannot. There is therefore the need to
care for the soul. In my way of thinking this is done by fellowship; the
communion with fellow Christians. It does us all good to become
acquainted with each other. The exchange of ideas, the expression of
convictions concerning life, to get the other fellow's slant on life,
the making known of burdens and problems, spiritual and economic, to
gain the attention and sympathies of others. This is good and wholesome
for us all. Do you want me to prove it to you? Doesn't it make you feel
better to know your friends have problems financially as well as you do?
Really now, wouldn't you hate to be the only person in your circle of
friends having mortgage on your property? It may not really be right in
a deeper sense to 'feel good' because your close friend is paying
installments on his car, but it sure goes for encouragement. This may
all seem trite but it is only to illustrate that we need fellowship as
Christians in order to learn how goals are gained, problems are solved
and trials are endured. We need one another more than we know. Should
you be a person inclined to shut yourself off from the rest of the
world, break the spell or habit. meet with fellow Christians for pure,
good, clean and wholesome fellowship. The early Christians did, why not
today? God forbid that we as a church should ever major, in socials.This
is not our calling. We are called of the Lord to 'preach the gospel'.
However, in the preaching of the gospel there necessitates In our
program a place for expression and communion relative to the soul.We can
thus better pray for, sympathize with and encourage one another in our
pulling together in the matters that are spiritual and eternal. Thus,
should your class in Bible School or circle of friends in any auxiliary
of the church meet for fellowship, be sure to meet with them. May God
our Heavenly Father guide us in our spiritual programming that in all
things we may please Him.