Biblical Fellowship
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what is real Biblical Fellowship? Over the years we have created traditions and events surrounding fellowship and we enjoy taking part in those things. Over the years we have built great buildings much like the one we are in this morning and some have built bigger and better buildings. But what was the original purpose of then church building in the beginning? Why did we even build the buildings? Are they necessary and are they a part of the fellowship? If we go back in church history in America we will find that the buildings were necessary. In the early American church many of the people were farmers and worked in the fields. They did not have great big homes and certainly did not have the means to have 30 people over for dinner. Enter the church building. Communities of believers would get together to build the church for a few reasons. First it was a place they could send their kids to learn how to read and study which is where we got Sunday school. It was also a place for the community to meet and enjoy meals together and historically that would take place on Wednesdays. The building to them was the less important part of the whole thing and the people they were meeting with were the more important part. Over the years though as is normal with anything we have drifted from the purpose of the church building and have entered the business age. Most of us in here are not farmers and most of us have formal education so the idea of Sunday School for academic learning is not needed so we now use Sunday School for Bible study And we still have Wednesday night meals. But as we got further out in time the fetcher away from the original reason for the church building we have gotten. Our churches in many cases operate as fully functioning businesses, we are in the business of keeping our doors open and we do what is necessary to bring in the money to do so and we try to bring people into our buildings. But if we look at the early church and their example we will find that this building and the traditions we hold so tight too are not even necessary. The things we have done for years and years should be allowed to be evaluated and changed if they are not meeting the goal of making disciples and building a strong community of believers. so what does that community of believers biblically look like and what does a biblical church look like? turn with me to Acts 2:42-47
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
We will see three things abiut the early church here and I want us to reflect on how we operate as a church and where God may be directing us. First we will see that fellowship is truthful. Secondly fellowship is devoted, and lastly fellowship is giving.
Fellowship is Truthful
Fellowship is Truthful
And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
This passage in Acts 2 is probably one of the most important but most over looked in the book of Acts. This passage sets before us the truth of how the early believers interacted with each other.
I went to a dinner with some high school friends. It was not quite a reunion but it was similar. We all showed up and we were excited to see each other. We sat down for dinner and began discussing where our lives were and how our families are doing and before you it we were on the topics of how great we were doing. It was sort of an escalating event as one person finished the next person felt the need to tell an even more amazing story and by the end of these stories it was my turn and I was not sure how to match any of the amazing stories I just heard and so I figured I would not try to match the story I would beat all of their stories. I told them how I was part of a multi billion dollar company and helped build it. I didn't tell them the part where me helping build it was getting an Amazon membership. I told them how I hiked the Himalayan trails but left out the part that it was on a treadmill with a video that made it look like the himalayans. I told them how I married the most beautiful woman in the world and well that was about the only truth in my story. The fellowship between us all was based on each of us trying to out do the other and it led us to be less than truthful with each other.
we laugh at this but isn't that the way that we have seen church go for so many years? You show up and you do your best after just barely holding things together last week and when someone asks how you are the first thing out of your mouth is I'm great. Why? Because we don't need anyone to know we are suffering. After all Jesus died on the cross so we can be happy and successful all of the time right? When things are going good for us we habe a tendency to blow that up and make more of it than we should and on both sides of the spectrum we find lies in our fellowship. The thought of sharing with someone our deepest darkest secrets about our lives seems scary and like we shouldn't do it because we don't know how people will react if they knew the real us. But truly that is how church is to operate in truth. We are to share with each other our struggles and successes. We are to share each other's burdens. James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
We are designed for truth in fellowship, it is designed so we come together to share our weaknesses and strengths with one another. The church in acts had all things in common. They loved and cared for each other on a whole new Godly level that society had never seen before. Are we all truthful in our approach to each other? Are we realistic about who we are and why we are given eternal life. Remember what the Bible says about that? Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
the church fellowship is first built on the idea of true living with each other, with understand and patience for each other's failures
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
the church should be the one place that every person can be real and true about who they are and the struggles they have knowing that others will share in carrying that and helping to move that person beyond their struggles into a better life with patience and kindness. But the early church was not simply based on truth in fellowship they were also based on the idea that fellowship is devoted
Fellowship is Devoted
Fellowship is Devoted
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
the church was devoted to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship of breaking bread together. This group of people were devoted to each other.
Now he had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she stayed by his bedside every single day.
When he came to senses, he motioned for her to come near him.
As she sat by him, he said, "You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you gave me support. When my health started failing, you were still by my side. You know what?"
"What dear?" she asks gently.
"I think you bring me bad luck"
devotion is the cornerstone of the real church. Devotion to each other and a willingness to be there for each other no matter the personal cost to do so is the basis for true Christian faith. The early church though they were not just there when someone needed help, this scripture says they were breaking bread together daily. Now the idea that this was a mass gathering daily is not what historically theologians have said happened here. Instead people were spending time together in smaller groups in their homes and enjoying each others company spurring each other on to good works.
The church moving forward in order to be successful must be devoted to individual relationships and building smaller fellowships of believers. We must be devoted to building relationships and being the good in the world. Others must see us and say that we are believers. A Christians neighbor should never go hungry whether they are a christian or not. The early church was devoted to living the Gospel. But the church was not just devoted to spending time with their families and neighbors, they also believed in giving to the needs of others and that leads me to our last point today that Fellowship is giving
Fellowship is Giving
Fellowship is Giving
Fellowship is loving and freely giving. Acts 2:42-47
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Notice verse 45 where it says that they sold their possessions and belongings and distributed to others as they had need. Notice it did not say10% it did not say how much it simply said that they saw someonone in need and they worked together to solve that need. They did this in their own families and in their neighborhoods. What are the needs of our families and our neighbors. How can we start ensuring that the people God has placed in our lot lines need nothing. That they can see us for our love. You see the Bible says that the world will know we are Christians by our love.
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
We are called to be a giving community to give more of ourselves than we can afford. More of ourselves than we want to give. More of ourselves than is really possible. I want to end with this Bible story This is the true power of the giving church. The church that understands its responsibility in giving to the needs of others. 1 Kings 17:1-8
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the Lord came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him,
You see when we begin to understand that fellowship is bound together with truth and devotion and is made full in giving we begin to understand the big picture of what God is calling on us for. Fellowship has nothing to do with this building or the name on the sign out front. Fellowship is how we live our daily lives. We need to understand that fellowship drives us to live the gospel and that true biblical fellowship takes place in the world and in our homes and in our neighborhoods. Do your families know you are a Christian by your love? Does your neighbor know you by your love? Do we fellowship with each other spurring each other on to this good works. We should gather each week to celebrate the opportunities that God gives us with our neighbors and families. To share with each other our weaknesses and sins so we can pray for each other and build each other up and help each other become stronger Christians. We should gather together to give thanks for God and to eat together and to share all things in common thinking of others as more important than ourselves. A church that takes on real biblical fellowship is a church that will add daily to its number. Not necessarily in the Sunday School roll or church attendance, although that is a side effect the greatest goal is to see souls reaching the Kingdom.