The Road to Fellowship

The Road to Biblical Fellowship

Introduction:

Question: What do routes 322, etc. have in common? They all lead to State College, Pennsylvania. These roads are jam-packed with cars full of people heading to the same place to share in the same event which is Penn State football!

Possibly show video of a Penn State football game.

Some items for consideration:

          1) there is a common purpose: supporting the team

          2) there is a common focal point: the game on the field

          3) there is a common “fellowship”:  eating food while talking about the       game

Now there are probably a number of Christians at any given Penn State game. In fact, there may be a number of Christians that went together last week to see the game. Question: would the conversation about the football game, by these Christians, before and after the game, constitute Biblical Fellowship? I hope the answer becomes very clear by the end of our time together today.

Background:

The title of the sermon today is The Road to Biblical Fellowship. I will be using the phrase Biblical fellowship as opposed to just “fellowship”. By Biblical Fellowship I mean, simply, fellowship as it is defined, or described in the Bible. A Biblical definition of the word fellowship would look something like this: to enter into a very close, intimate partnership with someone. The original NT word (koinwnia koinonia koy-nohn-ee’-ah) is used to describe an association, a community; it also involves communion, or joint participation.

This is over against the broader usage of the word “fellowship” as it is sometimes expressed in today’s Christian culture. Take for example the term “Fellowship Hall”, it usually is understood to mean the place in the church building where Christians gather for events that usually involve food.

(TRANSTION) to Point #1

Let us get on this road to Biblical Fellowship and notice first of all that:

I. The road to Biblical fellowship runs in two directions

          A. The road runs VERTICALLY

                    1. Biblical fellowship begins with Christ (1 Cor. 1:9)

                             a. This fellowship begins at the new birth

                             - Poole writes: into a state of friendship with Christ, and into                                  a state of union with him, into such a state as he would daily                                   by his Spirit be communicating the blessed influences of his                                    grace unto them.”

                    2. This fellowship with Christ is symbolized by the eating of                                    bread (John 6: 30-35; 52-58).

                    3. This fellowship (eating of spiritual bread) is an ongoing                                      process

                             a. Individualy through the continual consumption of the                               Scriptures (Mt. 4:4)

                             b. Corporately through the Lord’s Supper (1Cor. 11:23ff)

                             Possibly have a loaf of bread at the pulpit

          B.  The road also runs HORIZONTALLY

                    1. Biblical fellowship begins with Christ and involves Christians                            (Acts 2:41-47)

                              a. This fellowship involves breaking bread also

                              b. Breaking bread is vertical and horizontal, or spiritual and                                    physical

                   2. In short, we share what we are eating

                   - When we are given spiritual bread from Christ, then we are to                     share that bread with the brethren

                   - When we are given physical bread from Christ, then we are to                     share that bread with the brethren as well

                                                What is given to us is to be shared with others

II. One illustration of Biblical fellowship on the road to Emmaus

          A. Read Luke 24: 13-35 (2 ½ minutes to read aloud)

13 ¶  And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.

14  And they were conversing with each other about all these things which had taken place.

15  And it came about that while they were conversing and discussing, Jesus Himself approached, and began traveling with them.

16  But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

17  And He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?" And they stood still, looking sad.

18  And one of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"

19  And He said to them, "What things?" And they said to Him, "The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,

20  and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.

21  "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.

22  "But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,

23  and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive.

24  "And some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see."

25  And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

26  "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?"

27  And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

28  And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He would go farther.

29  And they urged Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over." And He went in to stay with them.

- They broke physical bread together

30  And it came about that when He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.

31  And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

32  And they said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?"

- The result of their fellowship with Christ is that they had to share with the brethren:

33  And they arose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,

34  saying, "The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon."

35  And they began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

(TRANSITION: to the one fork in the road)

III. One fork in the road to Biblical fellowship

Biblical fellowship is not a group of Christians getting together and interacting around anything under the sun; Biblical fellowship is a group of Christians getting together and interacting around Christ. In short, Christ is the focal point in Biblical fellowship.

With that said, however, I am not saying that you, as Christians, should never talk about politics, education, hunting/fishing, golf, NASCAR or football when you are together; just don’t call it Biblical fellowship. It is simply Christians talking about politics, education, hunting/fishing, golf, NASCAR and football. There is nothing wrong with this, in and of itself, however, these types of subjects should not be all you ever talk about with other Christians, and if it is all you talk about with other Christians, then there may be something spiritually wrong with you, with them or both of you!

Keep your finger on the pulse of your “fellowship” for it is an indicator of what is going on in your heart.

(Transition)

One way to help facilitate true Biblical Fellowship is through

the Small Group ministry at Grace)

III. One road to Biblical fellowship at Grace

          A. The Small Group concept at Grace

                   - Brothers and sisters ministering to each other in various ways                     according to their individual gifting (I Peter)

                   - Outreach to your surrounding community by demonstrating the                            love of Christ

          B. Five elements in choosing a Small Group

                   1) Leader  2)Group  3)Topic  4) Time  5) Location

          C. Small Groups at Grace (list on PPT all involved, introduce leaders)

(TRANSITION TO CONCLUSION)

Conclusion

QUESTION:

Are you breaking bread with Jesus? In other words, have you entered into true Biblical fellowship through the new birth, and are you feeding off of Him, through His Word on a regular basis? One way to facilitate this would be daily devotions?

Secondly, are you breaking bread with your brother and sisters? In other words, are you sharing with others what you are eating spiritually, and are you sharing with others what you eating physically? One way to facilitate this would be participating in Small Groups?

Many of you are doing both, and to that end I praise the Lord, and I do believe that what you are doing on an individual level is one of the reasons why we are having so much success at the corporate level here at Grace.

If you are not part of a Small Group, I would encourage you to consider it. The experience should expand your Christian knowledge to a different level.

One can participate in many types of fellowship in a lifetime, but there is only one true biblical fellowship that has eternal worth!

May the Lord grant us all grace to be at Christ’s table breaking bread and each others table breaking bread both now and forevermore!

Let us pray.