Lesson 7: Loving my Brethren in Fellowship

[!NOTE]

Lesson Overview

Daily Reading Schedule:

• Thursday: Luke 14:12-14
• Friday: Hebrews 13:1-3
• Saturday: Romans 12:9-13
• Sunday: Luke 10:25-37
• Monday: 2 Thessalonians 3:5-15
• Tuesday: 1 Corinthians 5:1-12

Lead Scripture:
1 Peter 4:8-9 “And above all things have fervent

love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.” Galatians 6:9-10 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Of the terms used to describe the church, one of the most endearing is “family.” We are brothers and sisters under our Father. We are not a dysfunctional family where there is no harmony among family members but rather, we must be “knit together” as an interwoven fabric united on all sides. Loving as Christ in Hospitality The early church had such love and togetherness. In Acts 2, we read that the brethren willingly shared their possessions with those in need and ate food together with gladness and simplicity of heart. Nowhere did God command the church to provide a meal for brethren to use for fellowship. In fact, Paul rebukes the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 11:22 by saying , “What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?” The New Testament does not authorize a

“fellowship hall” as is used by so many denomina tions. Brethren shared social fellowship on an individual basis. The New Testament writers urged brethren to s how hospitality towards one another. The word

“hospitality” literally means a “love of strangers.” In the Ol d Testament there were laws regulating the treatment of strangers. For example, De uteronomy 10:18-19 commands: “He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and love s the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore, love the stranger, for yo u were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Before the Law, Abraham and Lot fed and sheltered stra ngers (Genesis 18, 19). These men entertained angels unknowingly, Hebrews 13:2. From the beginni ng, hospitality has been a virtue desired by God. The New Testament urges us to be “given to hospitality,” Romans 12:13. The word translated

“given” literally means to pursue. We must pursue opportunities to show hospitality. We must also recognize that many of our brethren, whom we see week after week, are still in many ways strangers to us. We may not know where they live, what their hobbies are, their likes and dislikes. When we enter their homes and they ente r ours, they see what is important to us by our collections, our pictures, and our possessions. Sometimes I have learned that a brother and I have similar interests and hobbies when visiting with them. When we open our houses and our lives to our brethren, we will develop deeper friendships and brotherly love. When we share together, we lear n some needs that our brethren have. Going “house to house” is one of the best ways to develop a close relationship with his brethren. Hospitality should extend beyond a close circle of friends. It is easy to have people in our homes on a regular basis whose company we already enjoy, and we shoul d not neglect this. However, the transformed life extends hosp itality beyond those friends. C onsider Jesus’ admonition in Luke 14:12-14 to not invite those who can repay us back with a meal but invite those who most need it. Their primary need mig ht not be food but companions hip. Consider also this sober lesson from our Lord: Matthew 5:46-47: “For if you love those who lo ve you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?” Christians must be willing to receive hospitality. When a brothe r invites us into his home, we should be thankful and, if possible, accept that invitation. Some people have a hard time accepting hospitality, but we help other Christians fulfill their duty by allowing them to show their love towards us. Just as we should graci ously accept when they want to wash our clothes, mow our lawn, bring us food and other types of se rvice when we are sick or otherwise in need, we must willingly receive hospital ity. Some have such pride that would refuse the offers of kind brethren. We need to humble ourselves and allow them to fulfill their duty. We will have a chance to repay hospitality and service shown to us by serving others. Loving as Christ in Discipline In 2 Thessalonians 3:5 Paul wrote, “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” In the very next verse, he commands them to withdraw from the disorderly. Many consider withdrawing fellowshi p from a disorderly brother the most unloving and divisive things that we can do. However, Paul preceded this command with the exhortation to let love direct their hearts (v.5) and ended it with the prayer that God would give them peace in every way (v.16). Our love for brethren must be so strong that if it were necessary to withdraw fellowship from a brother to save his soul, we would be willing to do it. Some churches have problems wi th fulfilling this command. There have been cases of abuse where a member or members used this command to get rid of unwanted members; Diotrophes was like this, 3 John 9-10. In some cases, a chur ch may withdraw fellow ship from individuals without making many attempts to bring them back to the Lord. Sometimes we may be fearful of fulfilling God’s command. Cowardice is condemned and must not stand in the way of obedience, Revelation 21:8. In the preceding section, we were encouraged to be rich in hospitality and fellowship. In many cases, church discipline has not been effectiv e because there was really no fellowship to withhold from an erring brother. What does it matter to a person who is shunned by the congregation or is not part of the right group, who has not shared hos pitality with brethren, if the church withdraws fellows hip from him? What has he lost? However, if we are truly knit together in love among all members, one would f eel great loss at the rem oval of fellowship. It would teach him that he not only suffers separa tion from his brethren but also from his God. When real fellowship exists, the lesson is learned and there is opportunity to reclaim that soul. In 1 Corinthians 5:4-8, Paul commanded the c hurch to withdraw from a brother committing sexual immorality. They were to “deliver such a one to Satan” with the hope that he could be saved. What was the result? A man, claiming to be a Christian, living in sexual immorality (and therefore lost), repented and obeyed God. When he returned to God, Paul ur ged them to forgive, comfort, and receive him back, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11. They reaffi rmed their love for him. By disciplining him, they showed great love for his soul. By receiving him back into the fold and strengthening him, they showed great love again. Consider the reason for this: 2 Corinthians 2:9 “For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.” When we must show this love by discipline, we must strive to do so with a pure heart and genuine concern. Discipline must never be handle d carelessly and thoughtle ssly. The intent to discipline a brother or sister must have as the goal of bringing them to their senses so that they would return to God. We must be obedient in all things and not, as Paul would say, fail this test. We must be faithful to all of God’s command, for His commandments are for our good. They are not always comfortable to obey and may cause great distress at times, but they lead to everlasting life. God’s Pattern for Discipline

Matthew 18:15-17

If your brother sins against you… Tell him his fault alone

No Repentance

Take one or two more people Tell it to the church Let him be like a heathen Withdraw from him That you may gain your brother! You have gained your brother If he repents

Questions for Discussion & Study

1. Since hospitality means “lover of strangers” does it apply to our brethren? Why or why not?

2. How does hospitality strengthen our lives as Christians?

3. What things keep us from allowing others to show us hospitality?

4. Why do you think some churches do not discipline, as they should?

5. What are the proper steps in loving, fair, and effective church discipline?