7 Sermon Illustrations on Fellowship

“Evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

Roaming in the woods, some boys found a nest containing two linnet fledglings, which they managed to capture and take home. Securing some plain, wooden birdcages, they put one of the linnets in each and hung them on either side of a canary. They explained to their mother that they hoped the linnets, being so young, would learn to imitate the canary, instead of cheeping as linnets ordinarily do. The mother smilingly questioned the likelihood of the plan succeeding.

The next day the boys entered the room, and exclaimed, “Mother, come here, our canary is cheeping like a linnet!”

And so it was. The canary had to be separated from the wild birds of the wood and kept under cover for a time before he regained his song. Surely there is a lesson here for all Christians. Fellowship with the world does not lead the godless to take the way of the Lord, but generally results in the believer losing his joyous song and taking on the speech and manners of the world.

" Divers countries have divers commodities, and one needeth what another produceth; one aboundeth with wines, some have spices, others have skins, and commodities of other kinds; and all this is so ordered that by commerce and traffic there might be society maintained among mankind. So God in his church hath given to one gifts, to another graces, to each one somewhat which is not possessed by his fellow, to maintain a holy society and spiritual commerce among themselves." Brethren who will not commune with one another upon spiritual subjects are as traders who shut up their shops and will neither buy nor sell. Too wise to be taught, and too idle to teach, they live isolated lives, like the man in the iron mask, without joy to themselves or benefit to others. We shall all be beggars together if we shut ourselves up like hermits, and cry "every man for himself." We have seen a little of this "protection" in spiritual goods, and we witness that it tendeth to poverty. Fellowship is pleasant, mutual help

is profitable; let us not look every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Time was when they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and that was the best of times. Let us hold mutual discourse upon our experiences, make pleasant exchange of our knowledge, and aid each other by our gifts. Among idolaters we read that "the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smoothed with the hammer him that smote the anvil," and surely such cooperation ought to be even more evident among the servants of the true God. We wish it could be said of all church work, "They helped every one his neighbour, and every one said to his brother, 'Be of good courage.'" When shall all rivalry cease, and every Christian seek to advance the interests of his brethren? We want no more "exclusive brethren," whoever they may be; but we need communicating brethren, whose fellowship is with the Father, and with the Son, and with all the saints.

It is with Christians as with burning coals. If these are scattered far apart, one after the other is easily extinguished; but, when collected together, the fire of one preserves that of the other, and the glowing coals often ignite others that lie near. J. H. Francke.

Fire will not tarry in a single coal; but, if many be laid together, it will be long before it is clean gone. A single tree may not afford much shelter for a traveller; but he will rest beneath the thick boughs of the grove: so will Jesus often sit longer where many of "the trees of the Lord" are planted. Go to the assemblies of the saints, if you would keep the arm of the King of saints. Those who dwell most with the daughters of Jerusalem are most likely to have a goodly share of Emanuel's company. Spurgeon.