Fellowship 11/2/25
Notes
Transcript
Fellowship
Fellowship
Good morning church! I want to thank you all for allowing Hollie and I to get away last week, and to Mark and Jon stepping up and teaching all last month, what a blessing to learn from them right? Mark and Andy kept referring to the JV team...I’ll tell you all, these men and their wives are special people with amazing gifts and a love and respect for the Word of God you don’t find every day.
For those of you who aren’t aware, last weekend was very uncomfortable for me. Not only was it terribly unproductive...but was also very emotional. For those of you who know me, I can count on 3 fingers the emotions I am aware I feel...it was hard!
In all seriousness, it was good that it was unproductive. The last thing I needed was to be productive. I left my work behind, I left my sermon prep behind, and I got to just be with my wife. No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone.
It was an excellent pause from our busy lives, to be busy in another way, about ourselves. I learned I have more than 3 emotions. I don’t like any of them...but I had to admit, there are more. It’s actually the only thing I cried about all weekend, was recognizing that I can be a man and have feelings. Some of you men might have to come alongside me and slap me back into shape soon. Where’s Shane when I need him...
Anyway, all kidding aside, it was exactly what we needed. Time of refreshment, recentering in our relationship, and encouragement. So, thank you. It reminded me of the time needed for Sabbath. I don’t take enough time for that myself, neither does my family. I’m working on it. We’ll do a teaching on that in the coming weeks about how important that should be in your life.
With that said, today, we’ll be talking about fellowship:
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
Fellowship is important to the believer, isn’t it? Why do we get baptized? To show those we fellowship with that we are under new management, right? We’re actually showing people we belong in fellowship, aren’t we?
In Acts 2, Peter is baptized with the Holy Spirit and delivers a sermon, and at the end of his sermon this question is asked by the people:
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
And what did they do?
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
They continued in the Word, in fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers.
One thing I appreciate about our church is the way we all know each other. Some of us for 10+ years. You’ve been with our family thru major struggles and hardships, and my family is so grateful for that. We have some new faces here, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you all. That’s my job as your pastor, to know the sheep, and have you all know me and my family. That, and equipping you all to do the work of the ministry.
We don’t have a true building yet we can call our home, and I don’t know when one will be coming for us. We’ve had some ideas, but things have not materialized, and that’s OK. We’ve got to learn how to grow first, right? How to be a healthy church first. Heal our wounds and press on.
Most churches have a Wednesday night Bible study, and we’d love to have something like that. What we’ve come up with is the next best thing, I believe at least.
We are going to be starting small groups. Next week, we’ll have some of the leaders of those groups coming up to say a little about what they’re going to be getting into for their groups and that will give you a chance to see where you might fit in.
More than anything, we want to build a firm foundation for our body. Strengthening and discipling families, empowering the men to lead, the women to embrace their important roles as the vital support system, as well as the chief advisor to their husbands. I can tell you, I take 100% of my wife’s advice into account when we make decisions for our family.
Ultimately, the responsibility falls to me as the husband and father, before God I’m responsible for the leading of my family, but she plays just as big a role in the success of our family as I do. If it were left up to me, I would fight a land war in Asia and see how that goes.
Why are small groups important? Let’s look at some scripture:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
We are to make disciples. This is a way to do that.
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
OK, one thing I don’t want to ever do is take scripture out of context to make a point. There is rich context behind some of these verses today, but I’m going to boil out the main meaning of the passage as a whole because I don’t have time to go into great detail about them.
Can 2 walk together unless agreed? It’s not about being democrat or republican. It’s not about syrup or not syrup on your bacon. You know who you are and you’re wrong.
What this passage is talking about, It’s about AGREEING to walk with someone.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Ps 55, Matt 11
11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
For the early Christians, koinonia was not the frilly “fellowship” of church-sponsored, biweekly bowling parties. It was not tea, cookies, and sophisticated small talk in Fellowship Hall after the sermon. It was an almost unconditional sharing of their lives with the other members of Christ’s body.
-Ronald J. Sider
Discipleship sometimes requires that tasks be suspended while fellowship is maintained.
-Darrell L. Bock
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These groups are a part of the greater whole. They serve an amazing purpose.
9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
If any of you are in positions where you can enjoy Christian fellowship, and you have an opportunity of earning ten times as much money in another position where you must give up that fellowship, do not do it.
Christians Kept From Sin, Volume 53, Sermon #3037 -1 Samuel 25:32, 33
- Charles Spurgeon
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Our encouragement to you
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
346Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in. He attaches far more importance to godly intercourse than we do. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation.—11.602
- Charles Spurgeon
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
LIFE GROUP GENERAL GUIDELINES
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
Ephesians 4:11-15
1) WHAT IS A LIFE GROUP? – a. A group of people or families looking to grow together (Hebrews 10:24-25, Col 3:16, 1 Cor 14:26), disciple one another (John 13:34-35), bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and stoke the fruits of the spirit in each person enhancing their families thru fellowship.
2) How many leaders or groups should we have? – 6-8?
3) How big should the groups be (in adults)? – 6-10 adults. - Families should get together with families, building relationships with husbands, wives, and children.
4) How often should the groups meet? – At least 3 times per month
Groups should, but don’t have to include a meal (breaking bread), devotion time, discussion about prayers/praises, building fellowship and accountability with one another, as well as a time of devoted prayer.
The measured goal, to see spiritual growth as husbands lead their families, families becoming active in serving others, and becoming an influence to those outside their group.
