Pillar 2: Devotion to One Another
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Intro.
Intro.
Last week, upon beginning our deeper dive into Acts 2:42-47, we discussed how the Church was devoted to the apostles doctrine. We looked at how that was of utmost importance to them, as well as how it remains so for us!
Continuing down the list of things these Christians were devoted to in v. 42, we find that they were devoted to fellowship.
Let’s look at the text in its wholeness, and we will dive right in: Acts. 2.42-47
42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were dividing them up with all, as anyone might have need. 46 And daily devoting themselves with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
The Koinonia of the Church
The Koinonia of the Church
For the sake of all getting on the same page, just like we did last week, I think it is very beneficial for us to define our term for the week.
Lexham Theological Wordbook κοινωνία
fellowship, communion, sharing, participation. A term that conveys a sense of commonality, solidarity, and shared responsibility among households or individuals
Based on this definition, we are going to now move forward with what our fellowship is, and then how it is that we express and maintain our fellowship or of sharing together.
Spiritual Fellowship
Spiritual Fellowship
Firstly, we are going to move away from Acts for a moment and look at our spiritual sort of fellowship together:
We are members together in the Body of Christ:
Rom. 12.4-5
4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another,
12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For also by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For also the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has appointed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body.
2. We are all members of God’s household — together
19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Paul, more than once, will use the metaphor of the body to describe the Church. How does this help us grasp spiritual fellowship together?
Before we can get to the external fellowship, or the tangible way our fellowship is manifested, we must first come to understand that we are connected not just on a social level as Christians. We did not find Christ to join a social club. Rather, we in Christ are joined together in the Body of the Lord!
In 1 Corinthians we see Paul go into further detail with this metaphor by explaining it through a physical body. Every part of the human body does something very different, yet they are all in fellowship together as one cohesive body and working together toward the same goal.
Example: The brain, heart, and little toe all help you get up and walk. Your brain sends the signal, your heart sends the blood, and your little toe helps you stay balanced and upright. Without all three of these working together no one would be going anywhere very easily!
Are they all individually the same thing as one another? No, yet they are all part of the same Body.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Fellowship
Christian fellowship is represented as the “one new man” or the “one body” (
You and I are spiritually part of the same body! We spiritually share in the blessings recieved by God’s children and we spiritually share the reality that we are in Christ and working together to do His will. The Body is a spiritual metaphor. As is the house, because we are not literally built one atop the other the build a structure of human brick — yet spiritually we are brought together in order that, together and unified by the Spirit, the Church would be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit! This being built together into a house or a body are not literal, yet they are true in the spiritual, and they prove to us our communion together in Christ as one, and our sharing in the cause of Christ.
External Fellowship
External Fellowship
Now to look back at the book of Acts, as well as a couple other places, and look at what being devoted to fellowship is:
44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were dividing them up with all, as anyone might have need. 46 And daily devoting themselves with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Notice what sort of things the Church was up to in the Acts passage: dispersing their own belongings and selling them to help to poor among them, devoted to eating together and worshiping together, always being in one or another’s home. These are the kinds of ways in which we work out our fellowship together.
Often when we think of “fellowship,” we think of hanging out together and sitting over coffee. Now, that is a perfectly fine example of Christian fellowship, but it is not the only example. Quality time is not the only way to understand Christian fellowship. Look at what Paul said again to the Romans, Rom. 15.26
26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to share with the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
This is in reference to when Paul was taking up offerings to send to the poor Christians in Jerusalem, of which also he wrote to the Corinthians. You see, as we give of our own possessions to bless the Christians who are in need, we are sharing our common goods one with another (“having all things in common”) and we are thereby living in fellowship! The word, “sharing” in Romans 15.26 is the same word: koinonia.
Inversely, we can also fellowship through giving to wicked works: 2 Jo. 10-11 says just this, that if one were to give any greeting (meaning culturally to supply for), then they would be counted as participating in his evil deeds. “Participating” is a form of koinonia here as well! So, we must as Christians be sure that we are sharing, participating, and communing with the Body of Christ above and before anyone else! Light has no fellowship or sharing in light, and likewise we have no deep, spiritual fellowship with the world — So we must be devoted to our own fellowship and communion together!
Expression and Maintenance of Fellowship
Expression and Maintenance of Fellowship
But, are there any hindrances to the maintenance of this fellowship? Yes, there are.
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.
We have to be right with God in Christ before we have fellowship together! If our walk with Christ is not right, then our fellowship together is damaged, or not completed. If we are walking with Christ in the Light we have fellowship together; if we are not walking in the Light of God with Christ Jesus our Lord, we will not have fellowship together even if we hang out in social settings or church. If your life is not right before God, then we haven’t got that deeper and more spiritual fellowship, making the expression of fellowship meaningless!
We have to spend time together: Heb. 10.24-25
24 And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
This verse is about more than just church-time! Where is our fellowship if we cease from spending time during the week with any Christians? It suffers and deteriorates! Likewise, will our walk with Christ and double down on the former, because we cannot have Christ apart from being made part of His Bride
3. Lastly, our fellowship is held together, built upon, and maintained by our love one for another: John 13.34-35, 1 John 2.9-11.
These verses, as well as a plethora of others, emphasize what must be the key, binding element in Christian fellowship: Love.
We don’t give of our goods because we are forced to — we do it because we love!
We spend time together to grow in and show our love!
The world knows we know Jesus when we love one another!
Love is a big deal. Without it, our sharing/communion/fellowship together in the Body comes undone, as we prove ourselves to not even know God if we do not love!
Conclusion
Conclusion
How are we doing with this devotion to one another?
I know that I appreciate the generosity of this congregation and our fellowship through giving to the Californian Christians suffering the fire.
How are we doing in our dedication here? Are we spending time together? Are we sharing meals, in each other’s houses, and dedicating ourselves to the love of one another?
This week, my challenge is this: Have someone from this congregation over to your house, or be at theirs, whom you have not gotten to spend much time with personally in a while. Learn how you can better love and serve one another, be it through prayer, sharing resources, etc. And spend some of that time together in spiritual conversation! Let us build up one another in our faith, and let us each be faithfully devoted to the Body of Christ!
