The Nature of Fellowship in the Church

Mike Bergman wrote an article for SBCVoices where he asked the question, "How Does Your Church Train Up Men?" My answer was long with a few random factors, but it ended with a section on what Christian fellowship should look like, at least in part:

What should happen as a general pattern is that church membership should come with an understanding that you will have godly people who will disciple you and your family. They will be in your business. But as you grow and mature in the church, you will be asked to lend similar guidance to others according to your gifts.

One problem we have is that our culture is entirely too private. We think that church is where we go to be on our best behavior, not have our motives questioned. So we leave church and we get to relax and be our own little depraved selves. That is the antithesis of what church is supposed to be.

We should be uncomfortable away from our brothers and sisters in a world that is hostile to us. We should be comfortable with the people who are charged with being their brothers’ keepers because these people will help us glorify Christ with everything we are. We should rejoice in that. Christian men should long for the iron that sharpens their iron.