FELLOWSHIP IN SERVICE (Concluded from p. 51.)

To one seeking to serve the interests of the Lord, what could be more comforting and encouraging-next to the sense of the Lord's approbation-than fellowship in service! The Lord in his wisdom sent out the seventy (Luke 10:1), "two and two before his face unto every city and place whither He Himself would come." This "fellowship in service" was evidently characteristic of the early days of the Church (and perhaps more necessary) that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established" (Matt. 18:16).

Then again, the Preacher rightly says (Eccl. 4:9), "Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow, for woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him." We are all apt to get discouraged by the difficulties of the way, and are so constituted that we need one another.

But how rare is a "true yoke fellow" and how seldom are we privileged to serve with those "like-minded." In days of stress and need, the servant's path necessarily becomes more isolated, and after all, "The harvest is great and laborers few," and if the Lord has called to service, we can count upon His support and sustaining grace in a lonely path. While fellowship with fellow-servants is sweet, communion with Himself, the Master of servants, is sweeter.

Are not Martha's words expressive of our thoughts oft-times? "Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?" Does not that little word "alone" reveal the character of her service? Oh, the burden of it! But if the heart is conscious of serving in love for His dear sake, there will be no complaint, no fault-finding, that others are not willing to share our service. It will be enough that He has called to that path; and after all, service is individual in character. "One is your Master," and no one is sent at his own charges. "He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Heb. 15:5, 6).

Would not the recognition of all this preserve us from the common mistake of supposing that service such as Sunday School or gospel preaching is assembly responsibility? The local assembly is surely responsible to see that those who preach, or who teach the children, are fitted to do so, otherwise they could not with good conscience give the use of the Hall, but service must be individual and carried on under the direction of the Lord.

Then again, there is often misapprehension as to fellowship in service, and because a fellow-believer is sound on fundamentals, many think there should be no question as to serving with him, though they have no communion at the Lord's table, and truths which led the saints to "go forth unto Him without the camp" are treated as of minor consequence. Another has said, "Such do not see that our fellowship in Christ is the first thing to be owned, and that this is properly displayed in the Supper. If I am not agreed as to this, how can I consent to sink this vital ground of communion to take up with him the lower ground of service?"

Association, human energy, organization and direction, are all considered essential and excellent in religious work. It is easy to serve with a multitude. It is easy to serve with a committee or society and serve in a line of things made ready to hand. It is only when a believer is led to a true and right scriptural church position that he begins to learn what service really is; this, I believe, accounts in great measure for the accusation, commonly brought against some, of "ceasing to be useful!" It is easy to work where all is done by rule, or in the thousand ways in which the religious world carries on its works, but when we leave these arrangements and are cast, in our individual responsibility, on God, to serve Him unsupported by an arm of flesh, it finds out where we really are. But where faith is in exercise, another way will speedily open for service and if there be true dependence on God, and the purpose to be anything or do anything He may appoint, there will be no lack of happy service, for most certainly the blessing to our own souls in serving Christ is not in proportion to the outward show our work may make, or the apparent fruits of our labors, but just to the extent we are conscious of the guidance of His eye and of communion with the desires and purposes of His heart.

On the other hand, where individuality in service is not understood, there is disappointment and discontent. Comparatively few are fitted to take the platform or serve in other public ways, but there is plenty to do in the harvest field beside preaching, and much that goes unseen and unnoticed by all but the Master will get its reward in the day of glory.

Those especially mentioned by Paul as fellow shipping the gospel were the Philippians, who ministered to his temporal need, and this opens up a vast field of service, as important as it is vast.

Is it, think you, of small account to the Lord that His servants be cared for in temporal things? Are not the saints the channel through whom He would express His love and care? Does "fellowship in the gospel" consist only of listening to the Lord's servants and expressing approbation? How impractical we often are! Lydia said, "If you have judged me to be faithful unto the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us." She evidently felt that in this way at least she might fellowship the gospel. "She constrained us." Evidently she would take no refusal, her heart was in her invitation.

It is beautiful to see how Scripture commends the service of sisters in this direction, both in the Gospels in relation to our Lord, and in the Acts and Epistles to His servants.