The difference between fellowship and outreach

1 Corinthians 5:9-10
9I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

It's like saying: don't keep company with sinners, but by the way you're going to have to keep company with sinners! As long as we are in the world we're going to have to deal with the world.

The nuance is to not have fellowship with the world even though you are right there in the world.

James 4:4
4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

What is the difference between fellowship and outreach, then?

Fellowship is friendship.
Outreach is ministry.

Matthew 9:10-13
10And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus shows us the example the Pharisees couldn't understand: in order to reach the lost we must be here in the world with them and outreach with love.

These are the people Jesus came for: the sick. These are the people we are here for, too.

Galatians5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Wherever the Spirit leads, we must follow. The soldier ought to be wearing all of his armor all of the time.

We must go where the Spirit leads rather than just meander about like a prodigal son.

Yes, we need to show ourselves friendly to sinners. We are also called to be a light to the sinners. We need to live in a way that is both loving toward the lost and that shows them a light.

Jesus was a friend to the sinners. Now, this doesn't mean that he agreed with their sins or engaged in any type of sinful activities with them. He loved them and showed them a better way by his example. That's what we are called to do, as well.

I have heard some people say that they are going out to help sinners just like Jesus did by going to bars and other places to witness to them. Problem is some end up engaging in the same type activities and sins as the lost do. Now we know this is not what Jesus did or would have us do. People should be careful with this and judge their own motives.

I've always been told that people should be careful who they hang around with because the strongest will prevail. Meaning if folks are tempted by or enjoy sin and are hanging around sinners so that they can be a part of the action, then they are eventually going to fall into sin themselves.

So I guess, that is the difference...to be a friend to the world by engaging in the same worldly behaviors is not a good idea, but to witness to sinners and be a light is what we are called to do.