Habits that Lead to Christian Maturity Lent 2002
Formative Fellowship
Acts 2
The need for Maturity:
In Romania, after communism fell, we in the west became aware of the many orphans there who were basically warehoused in huge orphanages. They were vastly understaffed. So the babies, while they had most of their physical needs looked after – food, shelter and some hygiene, were very seldom picked up and snuggled or played with. Many of them had what doctors aptly call “failure to thrive syndrome.” They may have been many months or sometimes even years old, but they still looked and acted like newborns. What they did not have is family. Or even a sort of surrogate family who would encourage growth. Many people in North America saw these helpless children on the news and decided that they would adopt one.
Christians can be the same – we might be born into new life with Jesus, but if we are left on our own, we can have that same “failure to thrive syndrome” in our spiritual lives.
This is why teaches that it is so important to be adopted into a fully functioning body of believers. Paul,says in Ephesians 4 verse 14,
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
There was never meant to be any “Lone-Ranger” Christians.
This is how the new Christian community is described in Acts 2: (p.772) 42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
They describe the new Christians as “those added to their number”, not new converts, not even individual Christians, but new members of this family, this body.
This is what John says in 1 John 1:3,6-7
3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. …6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[2] sin.
He doesn’t say, “We are telling you these things so that you can know Jesus like we do,” he says “we are telling you these things so that you can be part of this community that knows Jesus.”
The early Christians could not even conceive of a Christian outside of a Christian community.
“They devoted themselves to the fellowship.”
What is fellowship?
If You we trying to get your definition of fellowship based on the way that the word is used in most churches today, you would think that it has a great deal to do with drinking coffee and eating deserts.
I happen to think that coffee and desert are great tools to lead to fellowship, but it is much deeper than that.
Mel Lawrenz gives this definition of the Greek word “koinonia” that is often translated “fellowship.” “the Greek term koinonia is rendered in English translations in various passages as “fellowship,” “participation,” “sharing,” “partnership,” and “communion.” Elements of koinonia, such as sharing material goods, sharing in ministry, and being partners in the gospel, are rooted in the spiritual reality of a connection between believers that is based on their connection to Christ.”
We can get the meaning of fellowship by looking at the behavior of the early church. In Acts 2
They were witnesses to signs and wonders together - verse 43 – they had the same spiritual history.
To have true fellowship, we need to share Spiritual experiences together. When we have spiritual experiences on our own, or when we witness signs and wonders on our own, it is easy to start to wonder if what we experienced was real and was really God, but when we witness these things together, it builds our faith, and we are able to grow mature together.
They shared their material possessions together. – verse 44-45 our caring and sharing must go beyond nice words and prayers it must go into our pocketbooks
Paul calls the donations that churches made to the people of other churches “the fellowship”
They worshiped together – verses 46a & 47 (they met in the temple) The church is not just a social club where we are real nice to each other, we are a worshiping community. 1 Peter 2:4-5 says: 4As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We are not each a temple, but together we as living stones are built as a temple – a living stone off by itself is just a rock!
Don, on Monday night shared about how when one of your children bring a gift, it is wonderful, but how much more amazing it is when they work together to bring you a gift!
They shared their lives – both communion and just meals verse 46b
It is so important to eat together! I’ve told Betty Alder that she has the most important job in the church – she organizes the food and kitchen for many of our functions. This is because as we sit around the table together we share not just food, but our lives – tell our joys, our pains, our triumphs, our struggles, we listen to each other , rejoice with each other, cry with each other, and pray for each other
Why do we need fellowship?
I can’t tell you the number of times that people have said to me, “you can be a Christian without going to church can’t you?” The answer is that you are saved not by going to church, but by Jesus paying the price for your sins on the cross. Thus you can be a Christian without going to church, but you will never mature and you will not persevere in the faith without fellowship.
A young fellow who was fed up with church went to see this wise old Christian in his cabin to get some advice. He told him all the things that were bothering him about church, an how he felt that he would be better off without the company of other Christians. As he was speaking, the old man silently took the fire tongs and removed a red-hot glowing coal from the middle of the fire and set it on the hearth. The coal glowed for a while, but eventually dimmed and turned black. He let it sit there a while and then took the tongs and places the coal back in the middle of the fire. Within seconds the coal was glowing red hot once again. The young man took the wordless lesson and left determined to stay with church.
Just as coals soon burn out when they are removed from the company of other coals, we will not last long in the faith if we are removed from true fellowship.
This is what wisdom literature scripture says:
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Proverbs 27:17
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another.
There is strength in numbers
Vance Havner says: “Snowflakes are frail, but if enough of them get together they can stop traffic.”
How does fellowship “form” us?
How I have been formed by fellowship
– openness to the Holy Spirit through Marilyn & Lynn
– Perseverance through Bea
– Integrity through Don
– Humility through Glen
What is our fellowship supposed to look like?
Use the model of the early church in Acts 2
Not even they had it right all the time – they had to be taught by the Apostles what true fellowship is.
The “one another” commands – how we are to act in fellowship
John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Ro 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Ro 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Ro 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
How do we get there?
Join a Small Group – we cannot have this type of deep fellowship in the larger congregation – we need to have face to face relationship that can grow in trust and depth
Start a group
Make a “soul friend” - there are some who have difficulty functioning in a small group, but we still need to be formed by fellowship – start to pray with someone, read a book together, listen to God together.
You are the light of the world, but if you try to be a lone light, you will soon blow out, but if we learn to burn together, we will have a blaze that no one can blow out.
