The Power of Church Fellowship

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

(Acts 2:42–47, NIV84)

Big Idea: Unity and fellowship within the church are vital for spiritual growth and nurturing one another's faith. Fellowship is centered around the sacrificial love of Christ.

Chuck Swindoll writes in Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary; “Anne Ortlund, in her book Up with Worship, compares two kinds of communities commonly found in churches. One she describes as a bag of marbles. The people come together for fellowship, they clack and clatter, they glitter and throw off light beautifully, and they scratch each other. They connect, but they don’t mingle. That’s not koinōnia. The other kind of community she describes as a bag of grapes. Shake the bag around a little, and it starts to drip. Look inside and it’s not a pretty sight, but they’re mingling. Each life bleeds into the others. That’s koinōnia. That’s authentic, Spirit-empowered fellowship.”

Swindoll, Charles R. 2016. Acts. Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Bible Passage: Acts 2:42–47,Luke 22:14–20

Summary: These passages that we are going to focus on are the essence of church community, highlighting the practices of early believers and the significance of communion in fostering unity and devotion among members.

Point I Devoted to Doctrine and Fellowship

Acts 2:42-43

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

We see four things that these new believers were doing in their daily lives.

1. Devoted themselves to the Apostles Teaching. –

a. The text clearly states that the apostles did the teaching.

b. These twelve men were trained by Jesus from the very beginning (Acts 1:21–22), and they had personally interacted with the resurrected Savior.[1]

c. Jesus poured Himself into these men for 3 years. Teaching them.

2. To the Fellowship.

a. The Greek term is koinōnia κοινωνία (koinōnia). n. fem. fellowship, communion, sharing, participation.

i. A term that conveys a sense of commonality, solidarity, and shared responsibility among households or individuals.

ii. The most general sense of this term refers to a shared conviction that manifests itself as mutual responsibility and status.

b. Most often, koinōnia refers to the sharing of resources, monetary or otherwise.

3. To the Breaking of bread.

a. The custom of “the Lord’s Supper” comes from the time Jesus shared a worshipful Passover meal with His disciples, at which time He recast the image of the traditional cup and bread to represent His blood and body (Matt. 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:17–20).[2]

b. The phrase breaking of bread has in mind a meal that had the double purpose of satisfying hunger and thirst and giving expression to the sense of Christian brotherhood.  

4. and finally to Prayer

a. These little groups that began meeting in the city began to grow and burn with excitement and enthusiasm.

i. It reminds me of a fire where it only takes a spark and then all of a sudden its burning.

b. These were powerful prayer meetings,

i. James 4:2 “you have not because you ask not.”

5. Just as the first Christians experienced awe, believers today can find inspiration in mutual devotion to God's Word and joint life.

a. Jesus remains the main focus as His teachings and Spirit unite us today, just as they did then.

What must it have been like to be a part of the early church.

2. Generosity Knows No Bounds

Acts 2:44-45

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

1. The remarkable fellowship of the followers of Christ was such that they lost their sense of personal entitlement; wealth and possessions became a means of meeting the needs of fellow believers.

a. This doesn’t mean they lived communally together in a compound like one large household.

b. It means their unique fellowship produced extraordinary unity and generosity. People became more important to them than things or their own comfort.[3]

2. This model reveals how fellowship goes beyond mere gathering—it's about supporting and serving one another, mirroring Christ's sacrificial love.

3. Shared Meals, Shared Joy.

Acts 2:46-47

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

1. They met every day in the temple.

a. They were not content to meet once a week for services as usual.

When I was younger, I remember that we would meet for bible studies at people’s houses. I remember how much I looked forward to it. I looked forward to the fellowship. Why don’t we do that anymore.

2. They cared daily Acts 6:1

3. They won souls daily Acts 2:47

4. They searched the scriptures daily. Acts 17:11

5. And increased in number daily Acts 16:5

These followers of the Messiah worshiped in the house of God as well as in their homes for heartfelt koinōnia [2842] worship.

6. The words of Acts 2:47 can be understood to amplify “prayer.”

a. Joy, simplicity, and prayer produced a people with satisfying vertical relationships and great horizontal relationships.

b. This is the way a group of believers ought to be.

7. Well-taught, authentic followers of Jesus praise God and encourage people.

a. And they look to the Lord in prayer to add to their number.

b. The Lord worked, and as their friends and peers examined their manner of life, the first community of believers grew exponentially.

Daily meetings and shared meals-built unity and joy in the early church, resulting in growth and stronger faith. This collective worship reflected Jesus' practice of dining with others and drawing people closer to God and each other.

Conclusion:

Don’t get scared, I am not suggesting that we meet every day but maybe call another brother or sister and check on them.

Write a letter everyone likes to go to the mailbox and see a letter or card addressed to them.

When our kids were growing up our church had a Wednesday evening meal every week. Everybody loved it. The menu would be printed in the bulletin on Sunday mornings. Then after dinner we would meet for AWANAS for the children and bible study for the adults. Those were great times.

[1]Charles R. Swindoll, Acts, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2016), 61.

[2]Charles R. Swindoll, Acts, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2016), 61.

[3]Charles R. Swindoll, Acts, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2016), 62.