The Anatomy of a Fellowship

Introduction:

Churches today have many different definitions of what it means to do “church” If you were to walk into many churches, you would be greeted by friendly people at the door, find a seat in the auditorium, enjoy a worship concert that you may or may not be able to take part in, and then have a 15-20 minute devotional before being dismissed. Other churches following a long line of tradition may have a welcoming statement by the pastor, announcements and offering, sing some songs together and then a full length sermon. In the Catholic church, you would come in to an entrance song, walk up to the baptismal font and receive the sprinkling, maybe receive a penitential blessing from the priest, then partake in the Kyrie, the glorias and an opening prayer. Then you would have a liturgy, a homily or message, profession of faith and creed, then the mass is offered and then concluding ceremonies. How are we to know what should be included in the services of our churches. Today’s message is going to go beyond that. We will begin by looking at the four essential elements of a church service, then looks at the daily community of the early church.

I. The Early Church Services

The following section describes life of the believers within the church assembled and without. They show a deep connectivity between the members of this local congregation of believers. Contrary to what we often see today in our hectic, busy lives; these believers had daily exposure to one another. While living in a commune and sharing all of our money may not be practical today; there are elements of the community of God which we must make central to all our associations with one another.

Vs 41-42 Luke here gives us four main elements of the community life within the church. To these elements the disciples continued steadfastly- to be devoted to or persevere in some activity. This sounds a lot like the attitude that we see in Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” This group of believers coming off of Pentecost valued being together as believers. They were hungry to learn, to worship and to serve God; so they sought for every opportunity they could to be together.

A. Apostles Doctrine

The teachings of the Apostles Matt 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Instruction is an important part of the church fellowship if not the central part of the church fellowship. 1 Cor 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” preaching is the means by which people hear the gospel and are saved. Titus 1:2-3 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;” hope of eternal life which has been shown through preaching. 2 Cor 5:19 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” we are committed the word of reconciliation 2 Tim 3:10 “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,” Paul claims that timothy knew fully Paul’s doctrine. There is a reason this element is listed first. This is the most central part of our worship.

A deacon once told me the following story. A young minister accepted the call to his first pastorate on a year-by-year basis. During his first year he preached virtually the same sermon every Sunday morning. At the end of the first year he fully expected that his congregation would not extend a call for another year. To his surprise (and delight), he was given a unanimous re-call. But during his second year his preaching did not improve; it was the same sermon with little variation. He knew now that his time was up. He candidly admitted to his wife that they had better be prepared to move. But, lo and behold, another unanimous re-call. He tried bravely to produce better sermons during his third year, but he knew that the congregation knew that the content of his preaching was the same old thing. This time both he and his wife were actually beginning to pack their belongings as re-call time arrived. They were going to hold no grudge toward their congregation and leave with dignity. But to their astonishment the congregation gave them a unanimous recall for the third year in a row.

The minister courageously called the senior deacon to one side. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘you know and I know that I am not much of a preacher. I have preached the same sermon every Sunday for three years, and yet you keep giving me unanimous re-calls. What is going on?’ ‘Oh,’ replied the senior deacon, ‘the answer to that is quite simple. We never wanted a preacher in the first place.’

Preaching has become a minor thing in most churches because people have no taste for preaching. They don’t want to be told what to do. Maybe they have had a bad experience with preachers in the past, but more often than not, they just want to do what they want to do. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Paul states that a time will come when people will not be able to handle sound doctrine but flock to false teachers. In our days, people can’t handle sound doctrine so they go to churches that entertain them. Tickle their ears. Say only things that interest them and make them feel better about themselves. Why do you think Joel Osteen’s church has 45,000 attendees each week. He preaches a message of only positivity; nothing negative. Nothing about sin, nothing about repentance and nothing about holiness because these would offend people. That is the culture of our days today.

B. Fellowship

Fellowship entails a sharing, but more specifically a sharing in activity. The Greek word is Koinonia which is used in the case of a marriage contract between a husband and a wife in which they agree in the joint-participation of the necessities of life- Wuest. Being around each other. Sharing Life Together- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Our fellowship is based off of and centered on our relationship with Christ 1 Cor 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We cannot have true fellowship with unbelievers 2 Cor 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

Serving together can be fellowship 2 Cor 8:4 “Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”

Fellowship means partaking in each others suffering just like we have fellowship with Jesus when we endure suffering for His sake. Phil 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

It can involve sharing finances Romans 15:26 “For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.” The word contribution is κοινονια.

It can involve communicating with people Philemon 6 “that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” The word communication of thy faith is the same Greek word.

C. Breaking of bread

These final two elements are aspects of the fellowship of the church: breaking of bread could refer either to sharing meals together or the Lord’s Supper. In this first verse it seems that the emphasis is on the Lord’s Supper within the services of the church. In support of this argument is that in Greek the article is used before breaking of bread: lit. the breaking of bread whereas in vs 46 the article is missing. We all know that the purpose of the Lord’s supper is to remember and symbolize the death of Jesus on the Cross for our sins. But the Lord’s supper has another function as well in the church: fellowship with Christ and each other as the body of Christ. 1 Cor 10:16-22 “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? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” Communion here is the same word as fellowship. Not only does it symbolize our relationship with Christ and each other, but it is also a warning that we cannot serve God and the devil at the same time.

D. Prayers

Within Judaism there seems to have been set times of prayers and topics for prayers. The early church would have followed to some extent this model but amplified by their knowledge of the Messiah. Having gone through the prayer devotions this past year, one thing I noticed is that there are many different types of prayers in the bible. Many times our prayers are of one type: supplication. We are asking God to do something for ourselves or for someone else and this is necessary but what about the other types of prayers. What about prayers of repentance, what about prayers of worship what about prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of dedication, prayers of lament ect. The list could go one, but there are more than one type of prayer. Maybe for our Wednesday night prayer meetings we should focus on one type of prayer. I might try this sometime.

Vs 43 The Result: One could say this is the result of Peter’s preaching which indirectly it is, but why would it be placed right here in the center of the text about community life in the early church. While the people were living in this way and the apostles were performing miracles, the lost were overcome with fear of God as they saw a new age beginning. It is significant that this text mentions that miracles and signs were done by the apostles, thus placing the emphasis on the Apostles being the primary ones who performed such acts. Every soul- everyone including the lost began to fear God.

II. Community life in the Early Church

As we get into 44-46, I think the focus shifts a little bit because Luke is now describing their daily lives with one another. Church isn’t intended to just be Church services that we come to and go home. There is intended to be spiritual interaction between believers through out the week. While the cultural situation may not be the same and the reasons for why they were in one place may not be the same for us today, there are still principles that we should derive from the text about how we live life together with other believers.

Were together- is an idiom in Greek meaning they were in one place

had all things common- they viewed all their belongings as at the disposal of the group

These verses are often used by some to support Communism within the church. They may also cross reference Acts 4:32 which teaches a similar concept. If we are going to understand the account given here and in chapter 4 there are some things we must keep in mind about the issue.

Where the early Christians practicing Communism:

1. Even though it says they had all things in common, this cannot mean that everyone sold everything and they had one big pot of money in the church. Acts 16:15 people still had their own private property. Acts 5:4 Ananias and Shaphira were not condemned for not giving all, but for lying. Peter even acknowledges that the property was theirs to do with as they wished. The implication is that they sold their extra things.

2. The distribution of goods was not forced or given by the collective, but freely by individuals. Having everything in common does not speak of wealth redistribution but of a radical sharing of their things when people had needs.

3. It was never the norm- There are things in the book of Acts that are descriptive but not prescriptive: meaning they are not commanded. Nowhere in the rest of the NT do we see a command to live this way. These events are only even used of the early church in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost; thus many commentators believed this was an emergency measure because of all the believers who got saved from out of town. Vs 45  seems to indicate that they sold it whenever there was a need.

4. There were limits on the generosity of the church. The early church did not just give out money to anyone and everyone who had a need and clearly some people had already begun to start taking advantage of the early church. 2 Thess 3:10-12; 1 Timothy 5:3-16

1 Timothy 5:3–16 KJV 1900

Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work. But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned aside after Satan. If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need- the implication isn’t here that they sold everything and created one big pot and distributed the money. but rather as men had need they would sell their extra belongings and give to people. How willing are we when we here someone has a need to give up something we don’t need to meet their need?

Vs 46 Daily Community life outside the church

1. Continued daily in the temple- the early church was very Jewish oriented and may have even met in synagogues. Here it says they met in the temple daily. This could be for public worship but also for witness as we see in Acts 3 where Peter and John heal a man and preach in the temple.

2. Breaking bread- this is most likely fellowship meals at each others houses. I remember growing up having families over to the house to share a meal. Usually it was on a Sunday afternoon for us, but other days might have worked better. The conversations you are able to have at a meal allow you to move deeper into relationship with people. Its so much more than Hi and Bye at church.

3. Praising God- again God was the focus of their fellowship. Getting together, they couldn’t help but praise god together. dinner at Rekha’s

4. Gaining favor with the people- Christianity grew in one day from 120 people to 3120 people. Such growth had to attract the attention especially in the way it occurred. As the church grew, their reputation among the lost also grew. Luke is clearly making a connection between how the church practiced daily community life and how they were received by the lost around them. This favor resulted in the salvation of the lost. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. The result of this God honoring lifestyle of community was that souls were saved daily.

Conclusion

Luke gives us a look into the inner lives of the early church because living like this is what caused the church to explode. Within our text we hit but didn’t dwell on three results of the church living in community with one another. First of all, fear came on the lost around them. The world today has no need for God and most of the church doesn’t take God seriously either. What the world needs today is to see the Church be what it was intended to be. Secondly, they had favor with all the people around them. I can’t imagine that the church is always going to enjoy the favor of the world around them because men love darkness because their deeds are evil, but 1 Peter 2:15 “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:” Thirdly, the church grew. People were saved on seeing the church function the way it was intended to function. Every day it says they were growing. When was the last time we had someone added to the church because they got saved; other than our own children? I am not discounting the children but the interaction and relationship is different. By placing these results where he did, Luke is clearly trying to make a connection between the church being what it ought to be and these results.