Series: Devoted: DEVOTED TO FELLOWSHIP

DEVOTED TO FELLOWSHIP

Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 10:23-25, Psalm 133:1-2;

Acts 2:42–47 (KJV 1900)

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Hebrews 10:23–25 (KJV 1900)

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Psalm 133:1–2 (KJV 1900)

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head,

That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments;

Paryer; “Lord please forgive us for the ways we have neglected fellowship. Help us move beyond simple offenses with each other that keep us from being together and give us a renewed desire to live our faith in Christ centered and Christ honoring communities.”

Today we’re continuing our 4-week series, Devoted with a look at one of the most important aspects of our faith, fellowship. Which, if you’re here today, you’re already participating in this ancient practice of gathering together as believers. The early church was extremely devoted in several areas of faith. One of the most important and empowering being their commitment to regular fellowship with one another.

When we are in the physical presence of other Beleivers it brings a source of incomparable joy and strength in the fellowship. Satan hates it when Beleivers get together for fellowship; it is his policy to keep Beleivers apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in. He attaches far more importance to godly fellowship than we do sometimes. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation. And Psalm 133:1-2 says, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2  It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 

Fellowship is valuable. For there is great power in gathering together in worship, prayer, and communion. The earliest church communities were absolutely devoted to being together. Whether it was homes, synagogues, or marketplaces it would seem that nothing would stop them from being together and there is so much we can learn from their example in this area.

Main Teaching

As we get started today, I want to revisit our main text for this series, Acts 2:42: And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

You’ll notice that fellowship is the second of four practices the early church was devoted to. Last week we covered teaching, and in upcoming weeks we’ll take a deeper dive into prayer and communion. The interesting thing about fellowship is that it’s the practice where the other practices happen. When we gather together we teach/learn, we pray, and we take communion together. Upon further reflection you’ll notice that you can do everything on your own, except fellowship. By nature, you cannot gather with others, if you’re by yourself. *

Fellowship is a communal exercise with a common focus.

- What We Have in Common

Let me say this again, Fellowship is a communal exercise with a common focus…

“The word fellowship is derived from the Greek word koinonia. Koinonia can be defined as “holding something in common” and is specifically used 20 times in the New Testament (e.g. Phil. 2:1-2, Acts 2:42, 1 John 1:6-7)[1]” What is it exactly that we hold in common as a Christian fellowship? If you guessed Jesus, you’re correct. And amazingly, despite all our differences, when we hold Jesus in common with others we experience this deep abiding community that wouldn’t be accomplished otherwise.

Pastor: This would be a great place to share a story of someone who is wildly different then you AND who is also a beloved brother or sister in Christ. Try to emphasize the differences you have that the world would say are incompatible while also sharing the common bond you have in Christ.

There is amazing diversity in the fellowship of Christ, and amazing unity can be found through Christ.

Romans 12: 4-5 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 

We are one body in Christ. We have a common focus and a common goal, and believe me when I say that it takes every single one of us to accomplish anything here.

Listen to this explanation form author Jon Bloom;

“The one you is comprised of an almost incomprehensible number of unique parts that all function together. And every member of your body, strong or weak, prominent or obscure, is necessary. You would be overwhelmed if you could see a comprehensive list of what all the diverse parts of you do to make it possible for you to move across a room, or teach a class, or eat a meal, or play catch. You are one body, but it takes every individual member of your body working together to make it possible for you to do what you do every day.[2]”

What we accomplish as a church is only possible when we as a fellowship are committed to gathering together, learning together, praying together, and ministering together. - What We Have in Common

Simply put, we are better together, and that’s the way God designed it.

- Keep Getting Together

It is likely because the fellowship of Christ is so incredibly powerful that the enemy of faith is so firmly set against it. Earlier I read a quote from Charles Spurgeon who in part said, “Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Beleivers apart…” If this is indeed true, that there is an enemy set against our being together, then don’t you think it’s worth asking, “what’s he so afraid of?”

So, instead of trying to guilt all of us into being together, I’d much rather focus on the positives. Realities like, we’re truly better together, or as Jesus says in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. .” A unified church is a powerful church, and at the end of the day, there is great power in our being together, and for the early church, it meant incredible growth as the light of the gospel spread.

Read Acts 2:46-47

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

I can only imagine in these early settings there was an excitement and joy amongst the believers as God was adding to their numbers daily. Not that more people and bigger churches is the end goal, but rather that the truth of the gospel would be shared with as many people as possible as often as possible. It’s why the writer of Hebrews encouraged people to “to provoke unto love and good works…”

Read Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We need encouragement. We need to be “pushed forward” from time to time. We are better together, and frankly, when we isolate ourselves and try to do things on our own, we become a prime target for the enemy of our souls. - Keep Getting Together

- Looking to Devour

There is a very interesting passage in 1st Peter chapter 5 that talks about the strategy of the enemy. In fact, the passage gives us some insight into the power of fellowship and the danger of going it alone.

Read 1 Peter 5:8-9

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

So what is Peter saying? When Peter said be sober, be vigilant He means be alert and watchful. He is saying that “the enemy prowls like a lion, looking for someone to devour.” Not some group, or some church, but someONE. Lions are strong, yes, but they also know they have a much better chance at a meal when they can get one from the herd cut off and apart from the herd. Lions know, like the enemy knows, that it’s far more productive to attack one than it is to attack an entire herd.

Think about that with me for a moment today. The enemy is looking for someONE to devour, not some group. There is strength in the herd, the group, the church and it can be dangerous to forgo the community in favor of your own isolated path.

Secondly, notice how Peter says we should respond to the enemy’s tricks. He says we should “resist him, stand firm, and remember that the FAMILY of believers around the world is enduring the same kinds of suffering.” Resist him, yes. Stand firm in the faith, yes and yes. But also, remember the family of faith. Set your mind on the herd, on the group, and on the church fellowship. Remember you’re not alone in the battle, but rather, there’s a whole worldwide church experiencing similar suffering and pain as you.

The enemy wants to get us alone, or get us thinking we’re alone, but Peter wants us to remember we are not alone. We’re part of a much bigger family, a fellowship with a common focus and bond. Looking to Devour

Conclusion

It would be easy enough today to say something like, “Well, there you have it. Fellowship is important so let’s all commit to being together as much as possible.” But, I think we all know that saying something like that falls short.

The truth is, our fellowship is powerful. Koinonia is an ancient practice around a common bond. For Beleivers, Jesus is the bond between us and He can somehow bring all of our diversity together in a beautifully powerful way. Somehow in Him, we are so much better together. So today, I want to leave us with a couple of thoughts about fellowship.

First, if having regular fellowship with other believers isn’t a part of your life, I’d encourage you to take some time this week to ask yourself why. And if through that process you are able to identify a couple of key barriers, then I’d suggest doing what you can to remove or redeem those barriers for the sake of fellowship with others.

Second, if you or someone you know has been isolating themselves lately, please either ask for help or contact them and ask how they’re doing. Take them a meal, or meet them for coffee. And if you’re here today and you’ve been carving out your own lonely path, let us know. We’d love to have a meal with you and hear what’s been going on in your life.

Finally, let’s commit to praying for fellowship. Let’s pray not only for our community, but for the believers all around the world who are gathering together. Pray for strength and unity. Pray for protection and empowerment. Pray that others would be added to our fellowship who need to hear the gospel.

Fellowship is a communal exercise with a common focus.

We are so much better together.

Let’s pray.

[1] Definition accessed here: https://seminary.grace.edu/understanding-biblical-christian-fellowship [2] Accessed here: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/one-body-many-causes