Our Fellowship

I will warn you this morning that we'll be going to a number of different passages, so be ready to go. I want to begin in Acts chapter 2. If you would turn with me to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 I will begin reading in verse 41 Acts 2, 41 So those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about 3,000 souls 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. Let's pray. Father, now we ask that as we look into your word, you would guide us and help us. Lord, we don't want to remain static. We want to grow and we want to change, not just as individuals but as a congregation. So help us to that end.

Help us as we look into this, your word, that we would seek then to examine ourselves and to take the necessary steps that we need to take in order to grow more into the likeness of Jesus. Guide our thinking now. Help us. In Jesus' name. Amen. How many of you make it a point to attend a flock meeting every week?

Don't raise your hands. That is a rhetorical question. All right? But it's a question I want you to think about. Now, why would I even ask that question? Frankly, this morning, I want you to understand something about fellowship, as the scripture describes what fellowship is.

We started our flock groups 13 years ago next week. We started them to promote fellowship in this congregation. Well, you say, flocks are nice, but I don't know, they're just not me. I'm just uncomfortable in small settings with people. Well, then I have to ask you this question. Are you saying then that fellowship just isn't your cup of tea?

Is that the deal? Is that okay? Is that permissible? Well, I want us to look at the scriptures this morning and get an understanding of what fellowship is all about. At the very beginning of the church, you find the people of God, as we noted, devoted to fellowship. It says in Acts chapter 2, verse 42, And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers. now we would expect devotion to teaching we would expect quite possibly devotion to the prayers but this whole idea about devotion, devotion to fellowship hmm what about that matter of fellowship, they didn't just have fellowship, they devoted themselves to the fellowship, they gave it a priority along with the word along with prayer and along with communion.

Now, is fellowship something that is, or is it something that we do? Let me say it again. Is fellowship something that is, or is it something we do? Take the word relationship. I have a great relationship with Becca. Now that says that there's something that's happening between us.

It's a subjective thing. It's good. This is the subjective side of relationship, right? Then there's the official notification of status on Facebook that says Carol is in a relationship. All right? Here relationship is a condition or a fact of being related, as in she is in a relationship.

Now that relationship may be good. It may be bad. But no matter what the experience, the fact of that relationship remains the same. Okay? She may be experiencing a terrible relationship, but she's still in a relationship. The fact of that relationship is there.

And so our experiential relationship with one another grows out of the objective relationship. That is today to say those who are in fellowship with one another, objective fact. Experience fellowship with one another, subjective experience. Both are true. Those who are in fellowship with one another, right, objective fact. experience fellowship with one another subjective experience alright so here's the first thing you need to see fellowship as something that exists see fellowship as something that exists fellowship is an objective spiritual reality 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 8 and 9 we heard it just a few minutes ago If you want to turn there I want you to notice something 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verses 8 and 9.

Jesus will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now how do you view the word fellowship there? You were called into fellowship into the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord. Will you be strong and blameless on the day of judgment because of your faithfulness in communing with Jesus? in reading the Bible, in praying, in being at church every week, and all those things?

Is that what he's saying? You'll be guiltless if those things are true? No. He's grounding the assurance of our salvation in the fact that a fellowship exists between you and Jesus. Okay? It's a fact that by faith you are united to Christ.

All right? By the way, I've been I'm thinking that's a great topic for lectures around here. What does it mean to be in union with Christ? Well, it means this. You've been united to Christ. That's a fact that never changes.

And you will be held guiltless on the day of judgment, not because of what you do, but because of the fact that you and Jesus are united. Okay? So fellowship here, as Paul uses it with regard to Jesus, is an objective fact, an objective reality. You belong, you are in fellowship with Jesus, or you are not. Either the state exists, or it does not. Alright?

Objective relationship, or an objective reality. To be a Christian means you are in fellowship with Christ. You are joined to Him. Now, the fellowship we have with other believers also exists. It's an objective reality. Turn to 1 John chapter 1.

By the way, always remember this, because the very first sermon ever preached here as a pastor came out of these verses. 1 John chapter 1, verses 1 through 4. Listen to the Apostle John. That which is from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life the life was made manifest and we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the father and was made manifest to us now who's he talking about here he's talking about we saw this eternal life we saw jesus okay then he goes on that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you so that you too may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is with the father and with his son jesus christ and we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete all right he's saying that because you have fellowship a relationship because you you are joined to christ by that by virtue of that fact you are joined to one another.

Again, this is a relationship that already exists. It already exists. Because of your relationship to Jesus, the fact of that relationship, the fact of our relationship with one another is true. Now the believers in Acts 2 were not devoting themselves to social activities. They were devoting themselves to this objective reality, reality this relationship they had entered into that relationship through faith in Jesus not by joining an organization they were in fellowship because they were in with one another because they were in fellowship with Jesus their fellowship with God brought them into fellowship with one another that is to say through your union with Christ you are formed into a community You are formed into a community, an objective fact, that reality right there, the community of God's people.

You can see it, that fellowship. So we have to see that this is a community, not an activity. Grasp the idea that fellowship means belonging to one another with all the rights and responsibilities that that relationship entails. I love Romans 12, 4 and 5. It says this, For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

The New International Version puts it this way, and each member belongs to all the others. We belong to one another. Now, whether you're acting like it or not, that's not the issue right now. The issue is, it exists. This objective reality, this fellowship of believers is something that is true of everyone who has joined or in fellowship with Jesus. So our fellowship with Jesus and with one another is a reality that exists.

But is that all there is to it? I can say, yes, Becca and I entered into this relationship nearly 45 years ago, and we have kept that agreement all that time. Okay? So does that relationship, is that all there is to a marriage relationship? The objective reality of two people? Now recognized as a unit?

Is that all there is to it No It isn a fellowship is an objective reality but you got to also see that fellowship as something you experience It is both. It exists and you also experience it. It is both. Objective reality, subjective experience. Both are true of that word fellowship. here we're talking about communion if you will communicating intimately or sharing with one another in a close personal and spiritual level it is what we do together so it's a reality that exists but it's also an experience it's something we do together let's turn to Romans 12 Romans 12 watch what happens here Romans 12 beginning in verse 10 love one another with brotherly affection outdo one another in showing honor do not be slothful in zeal be fervent in spirit serve the Lord rejoice in hope be patient in tribulation Be constant in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints. And seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

Alright, now note. Look at what we do within this objective fellowship. This objective reality. What do we do within the fellowship of believers? What are the things we do because this fellowship exists? What do we do?

We love one another. Let me ask you, how do you love someone unless you're together? Honor one another. Can you honor someone if he never shows up? Contribute to the needs of the saints. Can you do that if you don't even know those needs? show hospitality can you do that if all you see of one another is Sunday morning rejoice and weep with one another well how can you do that unless you know the heartbroken state of someone you see all of those things we exist as a fellowship but this then is what we do within that fellowship fellowship happens by being together you can't I hope you're seeing this you can't love somebody if they're not there you can't meet needs if you don't know them if you're not talking to one another how are you ever going to know those things it happens as we share with one another and please notice here's what I want you to see these are all commands these are all commands we are commanded to weep together to love one another we're commanded to know needs we're commanded to show hospitality to one another these are commands that must be obeyed so how can you obey those commands unless you are together unless you are sharing your life with one another how is that possible? how is it possible? now here's a question how can we do fellowship then?

Well, as a church, we need to create opportunities for fellowship. We need to create the opportunities that will bring us together, that will help us. The baseline, the very most basic, the absolute most kindergarten level is you show up for church. Right? It's no fellowship if you're not here. But that's the very baseline.

What other things? Bible studies, like men of faith. There's an opportunity for fellowship. Guys, if some of you have never been to men of faith, I'm telling you, you're missing out. You are missing out. Those are some of the best times that we have together, where we are welded together as parts of this church.

And quite possibly, I think we're pretty sure, I think we're just on the edge of getting a final commitment for a women's Bible study this coming year. Okay? So, I'm pretty sure, if I remember the minutes from our elders meeting, I'm pretty sure we're right on the edge of that. Alright? 46. I would estimate 46 of the 52 weeks that we meet, we have dinner together.

Some of you have never been to one of those. Not yet. That's a great opportunity. we do it 46 out of the 52 weeks we're together in a more intimate way and then of course we have flocks what a wonderful opportunity to be together to know one another to share with one another to be a part of each other's lives when we're together in our small groups to get to know one another on a personal basis so we have to create opportunities for fellowship, but you have to take them.

You have to make use of them. Make the most of those opportunities. You say to me, I don't know. If I'm standing there with someone, I'm just like, what am I going to say? I don't know what to say. Listen, can I tell you something?

And some of you going to believe this, some of you are not. But I was like that. I never, I did not know how to talk to anybody I was just completely you know I worked in a construction crew it would take us 45 minutes to get to the job site I would sit in a truck with a fellow worker and never speak a word for the entire 45 minutes I didn't know what to say.

I don't know what to say. That was me. If you want confirmation of that, just talk to Becca. She will expand on that for you and tell you exactly. And she's right. I was just kind of a...

I don't know. I didn't talk to anybody. I'm not going to say that, dear. Okay, she just whispered to me, self-centered. But frankly, that she's absolutely right in that. I didn't want to risk anything.

It was all about protecting me. I might say something stupid. Who knows, it might lead to me having to share the gospel. God forbid, we don't want that to happen. But I would not talk to anybody. And then, through a friend of mine, a young guy who we kind of adopted when we were in seminary.

He was a single guy. We started going to the same church. He kind of became, he was only a couple of years younger than me, but kind of became somebody. I watched this guy, Don Vogel. I watched how he interacted with people and I learned. You know how you do it?

So you have these opportunities to fellowship. Some of you are saying, boy, if I go to flock or something, man, I don't know what to say. Well, listen, you start on a personal basis. You just start asking questions. That's all there is to it. It's as easy as asking questions.

By the way, when someone's visiting here, this is what you do. You ask questions. So where are you from? Where did you grow up? How many children do you have? Tell me about your children.

Oh, that's easy, right? And then as they answer, you learn more things to ask. something will do. Or you may, what about their testimony? So here you are, you're in a flock and you don't know what to say. You're sitting next to someone. You haven't started.

What do you say? Well, how did you come to Christ? Tell me about how you came to Christ. Tell me how you ended up here at this church. Share biblical truth with one another. You know?

What have you been reading in the Bible lately and how has it impressed you? What's your favorite book and passage? How has God changed you in his word? Those are questions you can ask one another. So you take the opportunities for fellowship that are given you and do something with them. And as you get to know one another, we begin to open up with one another.

We begin sharing our discouragements and our trials. One of the things about flock is that we can sit there in this small group and we can say, can you guys pray for me? I'm really struggling right now. This is what's going on at work. I'm afraid that if this continues, I may lose my job. Can you pray?

And we will pray that night for that. Right? Our trials, our weaknesses, and yes, yes, even sins that we're struggling with. And as we proceed, we need to be accountable to each other. Right? Colossians 3.16.

Jans mentioned this as he was praying to the Lord. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. We need to pray together. Those are the things that help us in our fellowship. That's what we do in terms of fellowship. By the way, let me just mention something.

Here's another thing that's important for fellowship is we solve our problems. We do not, Jesus does not give us the right to be at odds with anyone in the congregation. It makes a lie of the whole idea that we are one. Listen, I'm saying to you right now, if there's someone in this congregation on the other side of the room because you won't talk to each other, that is not acceptable.

Jesus does not allow that in our midst, ever. He says fellowship is so important that if you have something against someone, you're going to go talk to them. And if they refuse to be reconciled, you're going to go get someone else. The refusal to be reconciled to someone may end up putting you outside of the congregation. That's how important Jesus sees fellowship.

You see what I'm saying? I mean, that tells me something about the fact that Jesus says, listen, I died to put you together. Don't make a mockery of that by letting differences separate you. All of us here must be on good terms with each other. It's required. It's important.

So fellowship, then, is not just something that exists. Fellowship is something that we experience as we share our lives with one another. And listen, we don't have a choice in this matter. Jesus commands it. He commands it. don't say, well, I'm uncomfortable doing this. I'm just not that kind of a person.

Let me ask you this. How many other commands of Christ do you do that with? Husbands, love your wives. Ah, you know, I'm just not that kind of a guy. Right? Is that what you're going to tell Jesus when you stand before him?

You know, I think you could have loved your wife better, he might say. And you say, Jesus, you know me. And he's going to say, oh, you know, you're right. I forgot. I guess my commands don't apply to you because you get uncomfortable with that sort of thing. No.

He doesn't allow that. There are no excuses allowed. no excuses of time I don't have time for it no excuses of personality I'm just not that way no excuses of comfort I'm uncomfortable so what Jesus commands it Jesus commands it You know, I will never forget, decades and decades ago, I was counseling a guy, not from this congregation, and he'd come to me for help. And this is when, some of you old-timers remember, we had the offices in the old house that used to be over here, and I can remember walking him out to the porch, and as we're getting near the porch, here's what he says to me, after we've talked for about an hour.

He says this, You know, I just can hardly stand to be around other Christians. I thought, boy, we just wasted an hour. That's the issue right there. And I thought, wow, how is, that's not acceptable. Deal with it. We are in fellowship with one another, so therefore we must fellowship with one another.

All right? So fellowship is something that exists. Fellowship is something we experience. Here's the last thing. You have to see fellowship as something you need. You need it.

You have to understand that no one has the ability to live the Christian life alone. None of you has the ability to go it alone to glory. In your journey to glory, it's never my journey to glory. It is always our journey to glory. You will not make it without one another. That's just the truth of it.

Fellowship is necessary for your spiritual growth. One of the most important things that we can share with one another is the truth that God has been teaching us. Listen to J.I. Packer. He says this, we should not think of our fellowship with other Christians as a spiritual luxury and optional addition to the exercises of private devotion. We should recognize rather that such fellowship is a spiritual necessity.

For God has made us in such a way that our fellowship with himself, listen, that our fellowship with himself is fed by our fellowship with fellow Christians and requires to be so fed constantly for its own deepening and enrichment. He says you cannot fellowship with God adequately without fellowship of one another. That feeds this. And so as we fellowship together, right?

Listen, what he's saying is as we fellowship together, we communicate God's grace to one another. The grace, the power of God that you need to make it as a Christian, walking and following Jesus. You need one another to minister the power of God, the grace of God. I've always been fascinated by 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 10. this this verse struck me we were studying first peter in sunday school class and i preached on i preached through first peter mid 90s which to me is like yesterday but it was a long time ago and i remember this verse it's first peter chapter 4 verse 10 listen to what it says as each has received a gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of god's varied grace.

So God has gifted you. He's made you a steward. And he says, you serve one another. This is God's grace in you. Serve one another. So you know what he's saying?

He's saying, you minister grace to other people. You minister the power of God to other people through fellowship. I've often said that the grace of God arrives in your life with a familiar face. the fellowship that we have as believers is a ministry of god's grace you know here's another thing that happens in fellowship here's how grace is ministered so you know i go out several times a year in different locations and i'm assigned certain lectures to do in terms of counseling as i go to these places where i where I teach counseling.

And there's one lecture that I do in which I tell the people who have spent a good share of money to come and listen and to be taught counseling I say counseling is not the answer I'm sure some of them go like, then what am I here for? Here's what I mean. Counseling is not the answer because counseling is just one part of the ministry of the church, of the congregation.

Counseling is one part. The preaching of the word of God is another. The Lord's table is another. Fellowship is another. Counseling will do no good without the others. I'm wasting my time.

So when someone comes to me for counseling, I say, you've got to bring your pastor with you. Or you've got to come to church here. because counseling is useless without all the other things that the church has, one of them being fellowship. Now here's how it works. I can talk to someone for an hour, but then when they're in the fellowship of God's people, when they're together, they see the Word of God lived out, and they can see models.

No other counseling system has this, folks. They can see models, right? And I tell folks, for example, I'm working with somebody about how to deal with their kids, and they come to my house for dinner, and they see, this is when my boys were younger, right? They see Calvin, Clock, Levi, right? And it's in the pastor's house. What are they going to see?

They're going to see how I deal with that, right? And there are people then that are involved in the fellowship. when you're in fellowship, you see models. Not just people who are being counseled, but you sitting here. You see models of what it's like to follow Christ. You see that as you get intimately involved in one another's lives. You have a means of grace that's open to you.

Right? Can I tell you how many people I've looked at and learned things from? in the 35 years I've been, 36 years I've been here? Right? Fellowship is a means of God's grace to help you walk in a way that's worthy of the Lord Jesus. It's a means of grace, just like teaching is a means of grace, just like prayer is a means of grace, just like the Lord's table is a means of grace. fellowship is a means by which God communicates his grace to you and if you're not in fellowship you will not have what's necessary to walk well so fellowship is not not only necessary for your spiritual growth it's necessary for your spiritual strength turn to the book of Hebrews now Hebrews and we know this one we covered it a number of weeks ago, Hebrews chapter 3, verse 13, but exhort one another every day, as long as it's called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

We need one another so that we can, believe it or not, rebuke one another, point one another's sins out, so that that sin does not harden us. Sin will harden you. The deceitfulness of sin will harden your heart. And unless people are speaking the truth to you, you may start getting hard. You don't want that to happen. Right?

And you've heard me say this before. Okay? You've heard me say this before. Bishop Ryle, a tremendous man of God who lived in England in the 1800s, once made this statement. Your sins are pinned on your back. You can't see them.

But everybody else can. Right? Right? You need the fellowship of other believers so that they can come alongside and say, Brother, look, I love you. You know that, don't you? But there's something you need to know.

Now that doesn't happen when, number one, we're not together. And number two, when you're not together, that's a very uncomfortable thing to do. But when you are together and you start learning to love one another that becomes easier That becomes easier All right Look at Hebrews 10 So we need it in order to fight the temptation of sin We won't make progress against sin without one another.

Right? I've got to. You're going to help me know me. I love what Paul Tripp says. I know I've said it before. You know, I'm getting old.

I can't remember the things I tell you and the things I don't. But if you've heard this before, write it down. You can tell me when I repeat it again. But I'll never forget Paul Tripp saying, self-awareness is a community project. You won't even know yourself well without other people. Just ask anyone who gets married, right?

You think you're cool and you dress well and you get married and you have a woman saying, got to get rid of those clothes. I'm cool actually you're not right self-awareness is a community project you got to be in fellowship with one another you're going to know yourself if you're going to fight the deceitfulness of sin you need other people in order to make progress against the temptation of sin Hebrews 10 very familiar verses 24 and 25 we've looked at them already today and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as it is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching, drawing near. All right?

We need it. We need to be stimulated when our zeal for our Christian duty starts to flag, I need someone to come alongside and to spur me on to love and good deeds, to say, keep at it, brother. Listen, your ministry is having an effect. Don't give up. We need to do that. And listen, that's not going to happen.

That's not going to happen. We cannot spur one another towards love and good deeds real effectively on a Sunday morning. It's hard to fulfill that responsibility on a Sunday morning. Rob Green, in his book, Tying the Knot, which is a book that's addressed to people who are going to be married. It's a premarital counseling guide. Beck and I use it when we talk to couples but at one point in that book he's talking to couples about you must find a church you must find a church when you get married and you move away from everything familiar you must find a church and he gives some advice about how to find a church here's what he says visit whatever ministry the church uses to connect people to each other the Sunday worship service is often the worst place in church to get connected.

Everyone faces a platform where all the action occurs, and the worship service is the most crowded event in the church. Take time to visit a small group. Now, you're not looking for a church, you're here, but I'm saying to you, just like Rob does, this is good, it's not the best place for building these kinds of relationships, for having this kind of fellowship.

You need to be involved in those opportunities that are created for you for fellowship. And here's the last thing when it comes to needing fellowship. Fellowship is necessary for your ministry. Romans chapter 1. I'm amazed at what the Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 1. Let's start in verse 8. first of all or first I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because your faith is proclaimed in all the world for God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers asking that somehow by God's will I may know I may now at last succeed in coming to you for I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you that is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith both yours and mine here's an apostle saying to these people what we're we're going to mutually enrich one another i'm going to come with the authority of god and every word out of my mouth has the authority of god behind it but you're going to also strengthen me you're also going to help my ministry.

We can mutually edify one another. You know, the demands of family of job and other legitimate responsibilities may detract us from ministry unless we encouraged and spurred by other believers who share our vision And so fellowship is something you need. So you dare not neglect this means of grace. You need it. You need it. Now let me ask you another question then, as we conclude. how many of you sense that you need to obey christ's command to engage in fellowship how many of you sitting here saying you're right pastor tim i have not i have not entered into the fellowship of believers like the bible expects me to how many of you sense that this morning and dare i ask how many of you will engage in the fellowship offered in our thought groups you may respond come on pastor i don't think you can force us to come to flock and the answer is You're right, I can't do that.

And I'm not going to browbeat you into doing that. But let me ask you, what are you doing then to obey the commands? If you don't want to come to flock, what are you doing? What are you doing? You tell me, you know, I have three families over to my house every week. I'd say, well, you don't have time for flock.

God bless you. But I doubt that's happening. I doubt that's happening. What are you doing, what are you going to do to obey the command to enter into communion with your brothers and sisters? Now this is not just some program intended to make us cool or a better church. Small groups got to be really cool a couple decades ago.

Everybody jumped on the bandwagon, right? But can I tell you, we didn't jump on the bandwagon because we wanted to be cool. We think it was a way that we could promote fellowship. we want to get together because we all participate in a fellowship already by our connection to the Lord Jesus Christ. It exists. And because that fellowship exists, we have to express it by sharing our lives together.

And we do this because without this fellowship, we will struggle to glory. We will be weak and immature. We will not be what God would want us to be. Really, the bottom line is this. Do you love Jesus who gave himself so you would love one another? Do you love Jesus?

It does boil down to that. If we love Jesus, we will love one another. And if we love one another, we will seek by his grace to overcome any obstacle that will keep us from living out the reality of our fellowship. that God help us, folks, so that we can be strong and vibrant and we, each of us, will look more like Jesus and the whole congregation will have the aroma of Christ around it.

Isn't that what you want? Father, thank you for your word. If it wasn't for your word, Father, we'd have all kinds of ideas about what we ought to do and what we ought to be. But you've not left that to our imaginations. You've given it to us in your word. You've told us, you've told us that a fellowship exists because we all belong to Jesus.

You've told us that a fellowship is something we can experience as we obey the commands of Jesus within that fellowship. And that you've told us this is something we need. Help us to take this seriously. God, help us to change. Help us to have a holy dissatisfaction with where we are in our walk with you. Oh, but give us hope that when we walk in obedience to you, there is joy, there's righteousness, there's peace.

And when we walk in obedience to you, with regard to fellowship. We find overwhelming love for one another, strength, power to walk as a disciple of Jesus. So, Father, I ask you, work in our hearts for your glory and our good. In Jesus' name, amen.