The Church: Purpose, Profile & Priorities: Talk #'3: 'koinonia: Authentic Fellowship.' Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

What does fellowship mean?

How is fellowship done?

When does fellowship happen?

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• At the seaside or a fair ground or theme park,

• Did you ever put your face through a cut out hole in a headless painted frame?

• To represent a muscle man, a clown, or even a bathing beauty?

• TRANSITION: The photos are humorous because the head doesn't fit the body.

• If we could picture Christ as the head of our local body of believers,

• Would the world laugh at the misfit?

• Or would they stand in awe of a human body so closely related to a divine head?

ill:

• A man was answering questions for a national poll.

• When he was asked for his church preference,

• He responded with the tongue-in-cheek answer, "Red brick."

• TRANSITION: In Acts chapter 2, there was no choice regarding Church.

• You went to this Church in Jerusalem or not at all,

• There was no other choice!

• I have visited countries where it is like that, just one evangelical Church.

• Now, remember that in all the New Testament,

• The word, ‘Church’ never refers to a building but always people.

• A community of people who are saved, look back to verse 41,

“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

• Peter in his first and best sermon,

• Preached the good news concerning Jesus Christ.

• His unparalleled and perfect life, his vicarious death for our sins and his resurrection!

• He also told them a few home truths about themselves.

• They were sinners, they needed forgiveness and they needed to repent and believe!

• The crowd heard the message and responded,

• Verse 37, “they were cut to the heart.”

• The Holy Spirit convicted them of their sin, and they had a conversion experience,

• They believed and were baptised,

• They made a public commitment to follow Jesus Christ.

• Then they (as if automatically) enjoyed 'Koinonia’ what we call Christian fellowship,

This is emphasised in verses 44, “All the believers were together…”

• Remember this was a big Church of 3,120 people,

• (i.e. chapter 1 verse 15 and chapter 2 verse 41),

• But they ‘all’ came together – not some or most of them, the emphasis is “all.”

• As I look at the New Testament, it seems to me,

• That you should never have to convince God's people their need to meet together.

• You should never have to do that.

• This is expected, commanded and it is a very basic activity of the Christian life.

And these verses (vs 42) tell us why they came along:

• They TOGETHER came collectively to learn – from the apostles teaching,

• Christianity is a taught faith.

• That is one reason God gave teachers to the Church, we need to learn from others!

• They TOGETHER came jointly to pray,

• Collective prayer was a Siamese twin to personal prayer!

• We see collective prayer in the book of Acts and the New Testament letters.

• They TOGETHER came collectively to Break Bread,

• That is both, Communion & having meals together.

• In some Churches (e.g. Corinth) one flowed out of the other.

• They TOGETHER came jointly to share – to meet needs,

• What we refer to as practical fellowship.

• Firstly: by sharing of something with someone – such as money or food.

• Secondly: by sharing in something with someone – such as sorrow or joy.

• Koinonia comes in many flavours, but it always includes sharing.

Question: Did you notice that all those metaphors for the Church are plural?

• They are collective, a family, a kingdom, an army, a household.

• They are collective because the normal Christian life,

• Is expected to be lived out in fellowship with other Christians,

Question #1: What does fellowship mean?

• I want to suggest that you cannot thrive as a Christian without fellowship.

• In fact, I would even say you cannot survive as a believer without fellowship!

Always remember that fellowship is God’s idea and design,

• Jesus said, “I will build MY Church,” – he is the architect and designer.

• It is not the preacher’s idea, not the leaders of a certain type of denomination.

• It is God’s idea that people who want to follow him live their lives together.

Question: How are the people of God described in the New Testament?

Answer: we are described in various word pictures, such as….

• We are the family of God.

• We are an army.

• We are a royal priesthood.

• We are a holy nation.