This sermon, “𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲,” preached by 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 (𝐃𝐫) 𝐖. 𝐅. 𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐲𝐢, at the opening and day one of the Global Marriage and Family Conference focuses on the 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 2:38-47. It describes 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝. The message highlights that 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐲, 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞. It further elaborates on the 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. The source concludes with an invitation for unbelievers to accept Jesus Christ and for believers to grow in their spiritual walk.
The message is structured into three main parts
1. 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝
This section defines fellowship as a union with those who have received forgiveness of sins and redemption through Christ. It is not a mere human association. True fellowship requires being in Christ and is a call to unity, with believers being “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment”. It involves speaking the same thing and having no divisions. The sermon stresses that genuine fellowship is characterised by sincerity, openness, and walking in the light, not in sin, secrecy, or hypocrisy. It also requires putting away lying and deception, which are considered sins against God.
2. 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦
This part warns against various attitudes and actions that are not true fellowship, such as fear, envy, lying, obstinacy, hypocrisy, strife, and pride. Genuine fellowship requires sincerity, unity, honesty, and love flowing from the heart. It is a reciprocal relationship, modelled on Christ’s love for the church and the love and reverence between husband and wife. True fellowship purifies the church, making it “glorious… not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish”.
3. 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐧
This final section outlines the practical aspects of living in full fellowship. It is a faithful and steadfast continuation in the apostles’ doctrine, breaking of bread, and prayers. True fellowship means:
𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦
Living as undefiled, pure, and faultless followers of Christ.
𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
Building up one another in the body and inspiring them in their service to the Lord.
𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬
Leaving the old life and society behind to live a transformed life among God’s people.
𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝
Working in unity without disagreement or division, even though challenges.
𝐎𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞-𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐧
Not returning to ignorance or former lusts but living a holy life in all conversations.
𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲
Learning from past battles and maintaining victory through prayerful watchfulness.
𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬
Being generous and sharing material possessions, time, and attention for the benefit of others.
𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬
Converting sinners and backsliders from the error of their way, forgetting personal hurts for the sake of their eternal salvation.
𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲
Reviving the kind of fellowship that brings growth and increase as it did in the beginning.
𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫
Uniting in prayer to prevail against persecution and receive the power of God.
