INTRODUCTION
Last week we talked about the reason for having a purpose.
The Church needs to define its purpose; this must start from God’s word.
The first Purpose of the church that I we looked at last week was Worship.
Last week I said that I believe that there are four basic questions that we have to answer as a church.
1. Why does the Church exist?
2. What are we to be as a church? (Who and what are we?)
3. What are we to do as a church? (What does God want done in the world?)
4. How are we to do it?
The way that we answer these questions will give a context from which to function from as a church.
If we do not answer these questions, we will just stumble around with no true purpose to what we do.
What is one thing that people look for in as church? What do you think draws people to a church? According to a 1995 study done by the Barna Research group, the number 2 reason a person attends a church service is “how much people seem to care for one another. (http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PageCategory.asp?CategoryID=10)
At least 50% of the unchurched audience found meeting other people as a good reason to attend a worship service.
The second purpose of the church that we are going to study is Fellowship.
In His book “The Body” Chuck Colson states the following:
• Surveys show that the number one thing people look for in a church is fellowship. But what most modern westerners seek is a far cry from what the Bible describes and what the early church practiced. No term in the Christian lexicon is more abused than fellowship.
• LET US READ ACTS 2:42-47
SERMON
I. WHAT IS FELLOWSHIP?
• When you hear the word Fellowship, what do you think about? What is the first thing that comes to mind?
• To some people fellowship means a warm affirming “hot tub” religion that soothes our frayed nerves and provides relief from the battering of everyday life.
• Sometimes we turn the social aspect of fellowship into an end in itself. We reduce fellowship to a good meal, or to the time that we go places together anywhere from shopping to going to retreats.
• For some people fellowship means no more than coming together for church events. We meet in our “fellowship” halls.
• The word in the New Testament literally means “a communion”, a participation of people together in God’s grace. It means to have something in common. Common participation in something either by giving what you have to the other person or receiving what he or she has.
• It describes a community in which individuals willingly pledge to share in common, to be in submission to each other, to support one another and bear one another’s burdens, to build up each up in our relationship with Jesus.
• ROM 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
• ACT 1:14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. SINGLE PURPOSE
• PHI 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. PUT OTHERS FIRST
• ROM 12:4-5 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
• ACT 4:32-35 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. SHARING
• Fellowship is a oneness of purpose and cause, a setting aside of personal agenda’s. It is a focused purpose.
• If we have fellowship, it is based on the fact that we live for and serve Jesus.
• 1JO 1:1-3 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life -- and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us --what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. COMMON BELIEF
• 1JO 1:7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. COMMON CAUSE
• Notice that if we do not accept what the Bible says about Jesus, we cannot have fellowship. Notice that if WE are not walking in the light, we cannot have fellowship.
• This is why Paul gives us a warning about not being yoked together with unbelievers.
• 2CO 6:14-16 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial (BE LEE ILL) (Belial, appears to be equated with Satan), or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
• READ 1 CORINTHIANS 5:9-13. A person who claims Christ yet lives an immoral life is not in fellowship with other Christians.
• EPH 5:5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
• When you see that fellowship is a oneness of purpose, mind, and life, do you feel that we have fellowship at the Auburn Christian Church?
• If you do not feel that we do what are YOU going to do to fix it?
II. WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF FELLOWSHIP?
• The reason that we have fellowship is to help each one of us to grow in Christ. We are to help one another grow in Christ. We are to encourage each other to live for Jesus.
• The Living Bible Ephesians 2:19 Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.
• We are called to belong, not just believe, we are not meant to live on an island.
• What is the purpose of a healthy family? To build up, to encourage, to equip. If we are doing our job as parents, we are raising our children in such a way that they have the tools to make it in life.
o 1TH 5:11 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
o HEB 3:13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
• We have fellowship so that we can grow together in Christ. We have fellowship with one another to so that we can be there for one another.
• We cannot help each other if we do not know each other. We cannot have true fellowship if we do not spend time together. We cannot help each other if we are afraid to open up to one another. I imagine that if you would ask those who have been willing to let others get to know them, most of them would say they have been helped by this.
III. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FELLOWSHIP?
A. A basic human need. People to live with.
• Just think how hard it would be if you thought you were the only one. I have felt that way before. It makes it tough. We need that sense community to help us along the way. (FEELING THIS WAY IN FACTORY) WHY IS IT EASY IN CHURCH?
B. Not only do we need people to live with, but the church provides us a family for living.
• Most of us need the encouragement of a family.
C. We receive an emotional benefit. Support.
• COL 3:12-14 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
• We need the support of others.
• What happens when God grants the gift of genuine Christian fellowship? Deep, joyful sharing replaces the polite prattle typically exchanged by Christians on Sunday morning. Sisters and brothers begin to discuss the things that really matter to them. They disclose their inner fears, their areas of peculiar temptation, their deepest joys. Ronald J. Sider
CONCLUSION
• Koinonia (fellowship) was Paul’s favorite word to describe a believer’s relationship with the risen Lord and the benefits of salvation which come through Him. On the basis of faith believers have fellowship with the Son (1 Cor. 1:9). We share fellowship in the gospel (1 Cor. 9:23; Phil. 1:5). Paul probably meant that all believers participate together in the saving power and message of the good news. Believers also share together a fellowship with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14), which the apostle understood as a most important bond for unity in the life of the church (Phil. 2:1-4).
• I ask you again, do we have fellowship at ACC?
• Our fellowship has to be based on our relationship with Jesus.
• Fellowship is an important purpose of the church. It is one of the things that people will be attracted to. If the world doesn’t see a church that is one in heart and one in purpose, they will not take us very serious.
• I want to challenge you as we look at the purpose of the church to not just hear the messages, but to purpose to think about how you can make these purposes your purposes.
