“Are You Devoted to Fellowship”
Introduction:
Three pastors met and were talking over conditions at their churches.
The first pastor said, "You know, since summer started, I’ve been having trouble with mice in my church. I’ve tried everything----noise, spray, cats---nothing seems to scare them away."
The second pastor said, "Yeah, my church too. There are hundreds living in the basement of the church. I’ve set traps and even called an expert to get rid of them but nothing has worked so far."
The third pastor said, "I had the same problem, so I baptized all mine and made them members of the church... haven’t seen one since.
The last time I preached I preached a sermon entitled “are you devoted to the Apostle’s Teaching”. For the next few weeks I said we would be looking at different aspects of what the early church was devoted to. I want to this morning to look at the devotion of the early church to fellowshipping with one another and the importance of fellowship in our lives today.
We have our fellowship hall, our fellowship dinners, our fellowship meetings. But what exactly is fellowship? What does it mean?
Is fellowship a potluck dinner? – It could be.
Is fellowship a S.S. class? – It could be.
Is fellowship joining the church? - It could be.
Is fellowship becoming a Christian? – It could be.
The dictionary defines “fellowship” as: - Companionship, friendly association – Mutual sharing as of experiences, of activities, of interests – A group of people with the same interests, brotherhood.
The Greek word for fellowship is “koinonia”, and it comes from a root meaning common or shared. So fellowship means common participation in something either by giving what you have to the other person or receiving what he or she has.
The early church was devoted to fellowship. The early Christians met day by day in the temple, and were eating meals in each others homes daily.
I believe that in order for us to have the exponential growth that the early church did, we must again devote ourselves to fellowshipping with one another.
Text: Acts 2:42
I. Fellowship Builds Faith
I believe that we can see clearly from scripture the importance of fellowship with our brothers and sisters and how it builds our faith. I honestly believe that we cannot stay strong in our faith without contact with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Fellowship is not simply going to a baseball game, or eating a fellowship meal, fellowship takes place when Christians talk about the Lord. I think that when the early church met together they talked a lot about the Lord. There is nothing wrong with talking about the big games, there is nothing wrong with talking about cars or other things of that nature, but we need to spend more time talking about the Lord when we are with out brothers and sisters in Christ because that is when our faith is built up.
Christianity is a unique religion in that it is not an completely individualized religion. In Christianity we lean on other people called by the same name to help us to grow and to mature in our individual faith. I think it is great that just by talking about our Lord with each other you can grow in faith. Perhaps you have an experience like that. Maybe one time you sat around fro hours with a friend talking about the Lord and you leave feeling so strong. That is the nature of fellowship; it builds up our fait when we are together.
Proverbs 27:17
a. Builds Accountability
One reason why we should be devoted to fellowshipping is because it builds accountability. I really think that this is important for our faith. I suggest that you find a friend who is a Christian outside of your family that you can talk to about things that you are struggling with in your faith, and ask them to check up on you and to encourage you. As you begin to be around more Christians and fellowship more then you begin to meet more people and those people will help you to grow in faith. I believe that fellowship builds accountability.
b. Builds Unity
A comedian once said that there can be union without unity. – Just tie two cats’ tails together and throw them over a clothesline.
The church is called to be united. I feel that many times in the church though there is union, we meet together, but there is not unity. Unity is being as the first century church was having everything in common and being of the same mind. This does not mean that we will disagree this just means we will not speak in matter of opinion.
Psalm 133:1
The church is called the family of God and we as the church are all one body and each member I important. That is why it hurts the whole body when someone skips church. When someone skips church it is as if a part of the body is not present. We cannot be fully functional as the church if members of the body are not worshipping with the rest of the body. Fellowship builds unity, it did in the early church and it does now.
I hope that we all see the importance of fellowship. We cannot stay strong without fellowship. This does not mean simply coming to church on Sunday, but this is meeting regularly with other Christians. Sunday morning is not enough fellowship time.
If you were to take a bunch of burning coals and lay them together you would have a strong fire. If you pulled one coal out eventually the fire will die. That is the way it is with our faith. When you begin to get away from the rest of the body your fire will soon die out. So I ask you, are you devoted to fellowship?
II. Fellowship Builds Relationships
There once was a lady who began coming to church. She came for weeks all alone to the Sunday morning service. She would come in right as the service began and would be the first one to leave the church because she would rush out during the closing song. One day she decided to stop going to church, after a few weeks the preacher went and visited the woman and she said she didn’t come back because she did not build any relationships in the church.
I think a lot of times people are like that woman, they come into church and they leave before anyone can talk to them, and then they wonder why they have not built any relationships. It takes effort brothers and sisters for us to build relationships. I have learned that most people want good friendships. If you want to build good friendships in the church then you need to get involved with things in the church. You cannot expect good relationships to be built if you are not fellowshipping with other Christians.
The early church really was a close knit church. They were all together and had everything in common and they got along greatly. I believe that the reason that the early church had such good relationships was because of their devotion to fellowship.
One of the great things about being a Christian is the bond that exists between them. People over history have been impressed with the Christian bond and the strong relationships that exist between them. The reason I believe there is a strong bond is because of the fellowship that takes place, and when Christ is lifted up relationships are strengthened.
With Christ at the center marriages are stronger and friendships are stronger. Fellowship builds relationships mainly because of the encouragement that is received from brothers and sisters when fellowshipping with one another.
a. Fellowship Keeps Brothers and Sister from Sin
Hebrews 3:13
We need to make sure that we have daily fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ, because our fellowship not only helps us but it helps them as well. When we fellowship with each other people are encouraged in their faith. That is why the Hebrew writer can say to encourage one another day by day. The fellowship that we have needs to be regular not sporadic, not just Sunday mornings, but we fellowship to keep people from being hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Did you ever think that the encouraging words you say may keep a brother from sin? The fellowship that we have with each other is extremely important to individuals spiritual well being. We are obligated to Fellowship regularly so we can encourage each other and help other from falling into sin.
b. Assembling Together is Essential
I have mentioned how the non-formal fellowship that we can have with each other is important. It is important to invite brothers and sisters over fro dinner. It is important to have Christian friends rather than non-Christian friends and to choose your friends wisely, but I also think the scriptures make clear that we are to meet together formally and corporately as the body of Christ. Before I was a Christian I used to say that you do not have to go to church to show your faith. Maybe that is true, but now I know that if you have faith you will go to church, because faith without works is dead. If you want to grow in your faith then you must come to church. The fellowship that we gain and the studying of the scriptures builds our faith. The scriptures give a command for us not to forsake assembling together. Have you been forsaking the assembly? Fellowship builds relationships that strengthen our faith. Are you devoted to fellowship?
III. Fellowship Builds the Kingdom
I think that the greatest benefit of the fellowship that exists between Christians is that it builds the kingdom. Because of fellowship that Christians enjoy more souls are brought to Jesus.
Acts 2:47
a. Builds the Local Body
When Christians regularly meet together to fellowship people in the community will be drawn into that fellowship, therefore the local body will grow and will increase. If you look at the early church it was because of their strong fellowship that people came to be added to the kingdom. It is very hurtful when a part of the body is not in the Lord’s assembly. When there is a group though of faithful and dedicated people, souls will be won to Jesus Christ.
Our fellowship is a witness to the community. I remember when I started coming to church I was drawn in by the strong fellowship that existed within the church. Numerous times people commented about the strong fellowship that existed between our youth group and people wanted to be a part of that. The early church was devoted to fellowshipping with one another.
It is important therefore for us to make wise decision about the friends that we have and the people in which we spend out time with. I hope that you would prefer to be with Christian friends than non-Christian friends, because it is amazing how a Christian relationship can build your faith quickly and a non-Christian relationship can tear down your faith quickly.
The local church will grow if the people in the church devote themselves to fellowshipping with one another. We have to do whatever it takes to spend more time with one another in and out of church, this is a great witness to the community. When people see such a close knit group of people they will want to be a part of the fellowship here.
I hope you see that you presence is important to the kingdom. Not simply because we want a few more number on our attendance, but because the body is not complete without one person. When the community sees a member of the church not devoted to fellowship they will assume there is nothing different about those friendships and relationship and they will also assume that it is not a big deal if church is missed for anything.
Over the past several years many people have come out to try to tell you what you must do to grow a church. I think there are some valuable incites that they can bring, but I think the key is to devote ourselves to what the early church devoted themselves to. This means that we are to be a church that is devoted to fellowship. This means that we need to be a church where every individual wants to be here in the Lord’s house when the doors are open because they can learn from God’s word and they can grow and enjoy the fellowship that they can have with their brothers and sisters in the Lord,
I don’t know about you, but I love coming to church because I love being with my brothers and sisters. I can have fun hanging out with other friends, but when a group of people can have fun and gather together in the name of Jesus there is no greater time. I hope that you want to be devoted to fellowship because fellowship builds up the kingdom of God and the local church will grow when a church is a fellowshipping church, but when a church sees fellowship as unimportant than the church has no chance to grow.
