John 6:25-35, The Church is a Fellowship (1)

In the local church setting we often use the term “fellowship” to refer to an upcoming potluck.  That’s not wrong.  But it is very incomplete.  “Fellowship” is the Greek koinonia and means we share together, partake of together, have things in common.  Thus, it applies to a church dinner where people all bring a dish and share it.  The NT church enjoyed sharing of meals together (Acts 2:46).   

But “fellowship” goes far beyond this.  In other words, according to the NT there are other things we share, most famously, of course …

·       The Church is the fellowship of Christ (1 Cor. 1:9; 10:16; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 1:3).  We all have Christ.  We share His life (John 6:35).  Whatever picture the Bible paints of the Church, Christ is at the center of it!

IF THE CHURCH IS …	THEN CHRIST IS …
The Body of Christ, 1 Cor. 12:12-31	The Head of the Body
The temple of God, Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Pt. 2:5-7	The Chief Cornerstone
The people of God, 1 Peter 2:9-10	The Savior of the People
The bride of Christ, Eph. 5:22-33; Rev. 19:7-9	The Husband of the Church
The flock of God, John 10:1-30; 1 Peter 5:2	The Good/Great Shepherd
The Branches of the Vine, John 15:1-16	The Vine
The Royal Priesthood, 1 Peter 2:5-9	The Great High Priest
The family of God, Eph. 2:19; Rom. 8:14-17	The Only Begotten Son

·       The Church is the fellowship of the Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1).  Certainly, we are a fellowship brought together in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.  But we also share the same Holy Spirit; He lives in every one of us.  We have not received the spirit of this world but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God (1 Cor. 2:12).  We have all been given the one Spirit to drink (1 Cor. 12:13).  There are no “second class” Christians in terms of God’s provision.  Jesus promised to send the Spirit; He fulfilled that promise. 

·       The Church is the fellowship of faith (Acts 2:41-42; Titus 1:4).  For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves (Eph. 2:8).  We have entered this fellowship by receiving God’s free gift through Jesus Christ our Lord.  There is no other way.  Thus, every Christian shares a common faith, faith in Christ!  Along with this, we can also say …

·       The Church is the fellowship of salvation (Jude 1:3).  There is only one Savior; there is only one salvation.  We have been saved from sin through the Savior’s work on the cross.  Thus, as Jude puts it, we share a common salvation. 

In all these things we can say that there are no second class people in the fellowship of Christ.  There is no distinction.  All have Christ.  Christ, under the New Covenant, promised to give all believers the Holy Spirit.  We have Christ only because of our faith in Him for salvation.