The priceless value of Christian fellowship

Do you value Christian fellowship in your life?  Is it important to you?

Francelle and I came away from church Sunday morning feeling weary and somewhat jaded.  I had preached a difficult sermon and Francelle had a hard time with a difficult bunch of kids.  We did the best thing we could ever do: we went out for lunch with two other families from our church.  What tonic for the soul!  What grace God pours on us when we talk and share over a meal with other believers!  There was nothing particularly deep or profound about our conversations; it was just their presence with us that made all the difference.  We talked about the morning and shared about the week.  We laughed a little, we let off some steam, and we shared some deeper things about our trials and difficulties. And then we drove home. 

But we were now different people.  We went home with our hearts full.   All thoughts of weariness had fled.  We felt revived spiritually. 

In such times as this Psalm 16:2-3 comes to mind: 

“I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.” As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.”

Did you get those last words?  “All my delight is in them.”  Is that how you view fellow believers?  Do you delight to be with them, eat with them, talk with them, and pray with them?  You should if you are a believer in Jesus.  The Lord plants in his people a love for his own.  He gives us a deep affection for fellow Christians. 

But this love needs to be cultivated. 

Let me draw you a little deeper into this.  We need to see how Christian fellowship is not the same as talking about life with a co-worker or having a yarn to a neighbour over the fence.  It something far richer and deeper.   In Psalm 133 we find this:

¹ How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
² It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
³ It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

Oil was a valued commodity in ancient Israel.  It was used for cooking, moisturising and refreshing.  But the unity that comes from God is not just like any oil.  It is like precious or fine oil. God has put his stamp of approval on it.

Pouring oil on one’s head is a picture of blessing.  It was often used in hospitality.  The climate was hot and dusty, and oil on the head would be a welcome relief.  But this precious oil is not just poured on the head.  It is also running down the face.  In other words, this is not just a little bit of oil, but this is oil poured out so richly, so fully that it even runs down on the person’s beard.

Christian fellowship is like oil poured on the head, running down on the beard.  It is precious, refreshing, and a gift from God, and God is generous with this gift.  He doesn’t hold anything back.

But the imagery doesn’t stop there.  The Psalmist goes further.  He says it is also like the dew of Hermon falling on Mount Zion.  Now, what is all that about? 

Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel with an altitude of over 9,000 feet above sea level, extending along the border of Lebanon and Syria.  It is known for its cool nights and heavy dew.  Mount Zion, in comparison, is a smaller mountain with an altitude of only 2400 feet above sea level.  Unlike Hermon, there is very little dew, rain or any moisture at all in Jerusalem during the summer months. What an amazing thing it would be if the dew of Mount Hermon were to fall on Mount Zion!  

That is exactly what happens with Christian fellowship.

The word translated “falling” in verse 3 is the same word we saw for “running down” in verse 2.  Once again God’s blessing of unity comes down to us from heaven.  It is something we receive from the Lord.  Apart from God’s blessing, we are like the dry, arid land of Mount Zion, but God sends his blessing upon us like the dew of Mount Hermon.

Now that you see the extraordinary beauty of Christian fellowship, let me encourage you: don’t wait for it to happen.  Plan for it.  Schedule it.  Call or text someone this week to meet up with them in the coming days.  Sometimes Francelle and I ask people on the day to join us for lunch somewhere, or we heat up some soup and buns and have them over.  It’s not the food that matters; it’s the company. It’s being there with somebody.

The relationships we have in the body of Christ are of immense value. Cherish them. Cultivate them.  Don’t take them for granted.