Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: September 19, 2004
Things That Enhance Christian Fellowship
Ben Justice
Fellowship is truly a beautiful and wonderful thing that exists among those of like precious faith. The word
“fellowship” is from the Greek word koinonia. The term literally denotes, “joint participation, the share which
one has in anything.” It is sharing something in common. Fellowship is more than just union. Do
Christians share things in common? Absolutely. Christian fellowship is far greater than any other kind of
fellowship that exists in this world. Christian fellowship is seen in a variety of ways. It is seen in our
worship together; it is seen in benevolence and evangelism; it is seen simply in the fact that we are brothers
and sisters in Christ — those of like precious faith. But, how can we enhance our fellowship with one
another. There are a number of ways that we wish to briefly consider. We must remember, though, that our
fellowship will never be enhanced unless we are willing to enhance it.
First, preaching enhances fellowship. Preachers should preach on this rich topic. I certainly know that when
preachers “preach the word” fellowship among brethren will be better. We need to understand all of the
ramifications of Christian fellowship, and the preacher has a pivotal role to play in teaching on Christian
fellowship.
Second, wanting to know Christ even more enhances fellowship. Paul stated this very thing in Phil. 3:10 —
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made
conformable unto his death;” When we all want to know Christ even more, it will enhance the fellowship that
exists. Knowing Christ even more means regular personal Bible study; it means making every effort to attend
every service of the church possible; it means taking advantage of the opportunities to grow in the grace and
knowledge of Jesus (2 Pet. 3:18). When all of us have this attitude, fellowship will naturally be enhanced.
When we miss services, fellowship naturally will be weakened. As a side point (among other things that
could be mentioned), this is one of the reasons I am against the divided assembly.
Third, doing the work of the church enhances fellowship. What would happen if every member contributed
their part to the work of the church? Fellowship would be greatly enhanced. When members of the church
could care less about the work of the church, fellowship is weakened.
Fourth, coming together socially enhances fellowship. The people that we should most want to be around
should be Christians. We have very little in common with the world. However, we have everything in
common with other Christians. Fellowship is enhanced when we want to be around one another. On the
other hand, fellowship is weakened when we could care less.
As a final word, a very important point must be made. That point very simply is this: UNITY MUST PREVAIL!
Christian fellowship and unity go hand in hand. How can there possibly be fellowship if there is no unity? If
the unity in a local congregation is not what it should be, then there will never be the kind of fellowship God
wants. The opposite of unity is discord and division. Sadly, this exists in too many congregations. As a
result, the fellowship is practically unnoticeable. Unity and fellowship are words very closely related and are
intertwined, for both words convey the idea of “togetherness.” In Eph. 4:3, Paul said, “Endeavoring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The term “endeavoring” carries the idea of “diligence.” Brother Clifford
Newell, in commenting on Eph. 4:3-6, stated, “The unity of the Spirit means the unity that is furnished and
wrought by the teaching of the Holy Spirit through inspired men. The unity that comes from the Spirit is the
blending together of particles which are identical and of the very same kind. Illustration: If I were to break
the tibia so that it is severed unto two pieces, I would expect the bone to grow back together. That would be
unity; i.e. elements of the same kind blending together in a cohesive manner and thus forming one out of the
same material and identical in nature. Surely, people would recognize such a unity or oneness. Where
oneness of faith and purpose exist, God’s people will be a unit, i.e., they will be cemented together as one”
(Clifford Newell, Jr., “Fellowship and Ephesians 4:1-6,” Bellview Lectureship — Christian Fellowship,
Michael Hatcher — Editor, Pg. 161). No wonder the Psalmist said, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).
“Greater Works Than Jesus?”
Ben Justice
In John 14:12, Jesus made this interesting statement: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the
works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
The context of the above statement finds Jesus speaking to his apostles. The statement is in the middle of
a consolatory discourse given by Jesus to his disciples. Jesus was preparing them for his impending
departure from this earth. One of the things our Lord commented on were the works that those who would
believe on Jesus would do. Most of what is said in John 14-16 applied only to the apostles, but there are
certainly some things Jesus uttered that apply to all followers of him in all ages. Passages like John 14:6 &
15 are clearly not limited to the apostles.
The expression in v. 12, “He that believeth on me” is certainly universal in scope. The term “believeth” is
employed as a synecdoche (a figure of speech whereby a part is put for the whole) to stand for all that is
involved in the salvation process. In other words, “believeth” is employed as a comprehensive verb that
embodies hearing, faith, repentance, confession, and baptism, and subsequent faithfulness. Just a few
verses later, Jesus spoke of keeping his commandments (v. 15, 21, 23-24). “Believeth,” therefore, includes
commandment keeping.
Those who would obey and follow the Lord would do the same works that Jesus did. Jesus said, “the works
that I do shall he do also.” The antecedent of “he” refers to those who “believeth” on Jesus. This does not
mean that everyone in all ages will be able to do all the works Jesus did in the way he did them — such as
perform miracles. Miracles were limited to the age of revelation and inspiration (cf. I Cor. 13:8-10). This
expression simply underscores the fact that Jesus is our great example and that we are to follow in his
footsteps.
Then, Jesus makes this interesting statement: “and greater works than these shall he do.” In other words,
the works of those who believe would be greater than the Lord’s. How so? How can anyone do greater works
than Jesus did? Can anyone die for mankind? The question is, “In what sense did Jesus mean?” Certainly
not in quality, but in quantity. The last expression in v. 12 helps us out. Jesus said, “because I go unto my
Father.” This is the reason of why his followers would be able to do greater works. “Greater” therefore must
be taken to mean greater in quantity. All one has to do is read the book of Acts that clearly demonstrates
this truth Jesus set forth. The Lord’s apostles would carry out the Lord’s commission. They would go into all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature. This mission is still applicable to us today. The mission
of the Lord’s followers extends much farther than the ministry of Jesus did. To put the matter into
perspective, brother Woods stated, “there were more converts to Christianity on the day of Pentecost than
there were people espousing his cause during the whole of his three years’ ministry. He converted about five
hundred in three years; three thousand obeyed the gospel on the day the church began. His labors were
limited to an area no bigger than some counties; the apostles were to carry the gospel to all of Asia and
Europe and to influence others to take it to the uttermost parts of the earth” (Guy N. Woods, Commentary
On John, Pg. 309).