Yes—Christians should not neglect assembling together because they need the mutual encouragement and strength that come from fellow believers.
Les Feldick teaches that the whole idea of good Christian fellowship is to encourage believers to overcome weaknesses and not live in sin. Believers share a oneness as members of the body of Christ, so they are not strangers to one another. Scripture also tells believers to bear one another's burdens and to avoid divisions, showing that gathering together is essential for the Christian walk.
Galatians 6:2 — This command to bear one another's burdens shows why Christians need regular contact with other believers.
1 Corinthians 1:10 — Paul's call for unity and no divisions directly addresses the corporate life of the church.
The New Testament epistles emphasize the corporate life of believers. Paul tells the Galatians to "bear ye one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2). To the Corinthians he writes that believers should "all speak the same thing" and that there be "no divisions" among them (1 Corinthians 1:10). He also insists that believers are not to be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers" because righteousness has no fellowship with unrighteousness (2 Corinthians 6:14–15), and he reminds them that the believer's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). These passages present a people who are united, mutually supportive, and distinct from the world.
Les Feldick applies these truths to the local assembly. He says the whole idea of good Christian fellowship is to encourage believers to overcome their weaknesses and not to be Christian failures. When a believer falls into sin, Les says the fellowship is to withhold company from that person—not to condemn, but to bring him to his senses. At the same time, Les stresses that fellowship is built on the oneness of the Body of Christ: when believers walk into a room full of fellow believers, they feel at home because of that oneness. Les repeatedly warns that much of Christianity has lost the concept of separation; the world can no longer tell a Christian from an unbeliever. Israel's separation from Egypt is the pattern: God wants believers to be different. Finally, Les points out that people become like those they spend the most time with, so keeping Christian company is essential.
Les Feldick says the whole idea of good Christian fellowship is to help believers overcome weaknesses and be encouraged that they need not be Christian failures. He highlights the oneness believers share as members of the body of Christ—so much so that a believer walking into a room full of fellow believers feels at home. Paul's letters reinforce this: believers are to speak the same thing and have no divisions (1 Corinthians 1:10).
Les teaches that just as God separated Israel from Egypt, believers are to be separated from the world. He laments that the church has lost this concept, so the world cannot tell Christians from unbelievers. Paul asks what fellowship righteousness has with unrighteousness (2 Corinthians 6:14) and reminds believers that their bodies are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19). Gathering with like-minded believers helps maintain this distinctness.
Les explains that when a man who claims to be a brother is living in obvious sin, the believer is not to keep company with him—even to the point of not eating with him—so that the person will be brought to his senses. This is to be done in a spirit of meekness, because no believer is immune from temptation. The goal is restoration and encouragement, not condemnation.
Les says, "We are going to be like the people with whom we spend our most time." He saw strong churches fall when a liberal, Bible-doubting preacher arrived, and he applies the principle to ordinary relationships. If believers spend their time with the world instead of with fellow believers, the world's behavior and values will rub off on them. This is a practical reason to keep assembling.
The Influence of Companions
Les points out that people become like those they spend the most time with, showing why surrounding ourselves with believers rather than the world matters.
Encouragement and Burden-Bearing
Les teaches that good Christian fellowship helps believers overcome weaknesses and encourages them not to be Christian failures—this is central to why assembling matters.
Restoring a Sinning Brother
Les says believers are to withhold fellowship from a professing brother in sin to bring him to his senses, showing that fellowship is meant for restoration.
Separation from the World
Les applies Israel's separation from Egypt to believers, connecting fellowship with the believer's call to be separate from the world.
The Church's Loss of Separation
Les says the world can't tell Christians apart because the concept of separation has been lost, underscoring why Christian fellowship is needed.
No Divisions in the Assembly
Les points to Paul's command for no divisions in the assembly, showing unity matters when believers gather.
Oneness of Believers
Les says believers share a unique oneness in the body of Christ, so walking into a room of fellow believers makes a person feel at home.
Christians Should Be Different
Les says Christianity has lost its distinction from the world; God intends believers to be different, which is reinforced by fellowship.
Galatians 6:2: Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Les points to this command when he says believers are to bear one another's burdens and help each other overcome weakness.
1 Corinthians 1:10: Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Paul wrote this to a local assembly to prevent divisions, a verse Les references when discussing fellowship.
2 Corinthians 6:14: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
Paul's question about fellowship with unrighteousness underlines the separation Les applies to believers.
2 Corinthians 6:15: And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
This verse continues Paul's point that believers should not share close fellowship with unbelievers.
1 Corinthians 6:19: What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Paul reminds believers the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; Les uses it in his discussion of separation.
No. Les says believers are in the world but not to be of the world. He teaches that Christians are not to be oddballs or seek persecution by their actions, but the world should know where they stand. The point is separation, not isolation.
Les explains that when a professing believer is living in sin, the assembly is to withhold fellowship so the person feel set aside and eventually be brought to his senses. The goal is restoration, not condemnation.
Les says believers share a unique oneness as members of the body of Christ. When a believer walks into a room full of fellow believers, that oneness makes him feel at home rather than a stranger.
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul Said "I Die Daily" — 1 Corinthians 15:31 Explained