In Acts 2:42 we read that one of the things that the early church devoted itself to was fellowship. The key word there is devoted! They didn’t just have fellowship, they devoted themselves to it, it was an objective.
What is fellowship?
The word “fellowship” comes from the Greek word koinonia. It is elsewhere translated in the King James Version as communion (1Cor.10:16; 2Cor.13:14); communicate (Heb.13:16); or contribution (Rom.15:26). All three usages of the word koinonia suggest commonality of purpose, partnership and interest. This commonality is illustrated by the words of the prophet Amos, Amo.3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary it means: (a) companionship, company, associate (vb.); (b) the community of interest, activity, feeling or experience, i.e., a unified body of people of equal rank sharing in common interests, goals, and characteristics, etc.; (c) partnership, membership.
Why do i need fellowship?
Proverbs 27:17- Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
Our relationships and contacts with one another stimulate and sharpen us in our walk with God, and life in general. We are able to grow and be sharpened by the insights, gifts, and God’s workings in the lives of others.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
We need help from our brothers and sisters in Christ when we are going through tough times. This is not just a literal meaning of fall. It can also mean to veer off of the path that the lord has set for you, or to be sucked in by the things of this world. I myself have, in the past, fallen for the things of this world and I know first hand that it helps to have someone there to help you back up. Sometimes we just need to vent some of our emotions, and sometimes we seek councel. Whatever our problems may be, they are easier to solve together.
1 Corinthians 12:12-18 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.
This passage emphasizes how important fellowship in the sense that we are all parts of the body of christ. We can function as one, but we thrive when we all work together. One part of a body can’t win a fight by its self, when we all have a common interest and work towards one goal is when miracles happen.
I Thessalonians 5:11-12 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,
Here we can see how the temptations of sin makes the need for fellowship even stronger. Not only in church, but outside of it as well. I know that I never feel any temptations to sin while I’m at church, so if we stay in fellowship outside of church it should make avoiding temptation much easier.
Where can i find fellowship?
Anywhere and everywhere, as long as you are with your family in Christ. Try to hang out with your Christian friends outside of church, this will make your walk with God much easier. I can guarantee it!
Conclusion
Fellowship in the body of Christ is certainly no side issue. Without fellowship we can be driven to sin out of sheer boredom or temptation from the things of this world. It was one of the four things the early church devoted itself to. It is a means of support and encouragement to others.
How do we have the kind of fellowship that encourages, builds up and serves one another? How do we find the strength, the wisdom, and the courage to have true fellowship?
The answer is found in all of the “one another” passages. Looks these passages up and take them to heart, they will help with your walk in life and your walk in the body of Christ.
I found this poem online when i was researching fellowship and it really touched my heart, so i thought i would share it with y’all.
A poet has written:
Loneliness is like a piano without keys,
Like a violin without strings.
Like a sanctuary without a congregation
Or a choir where no one sings.
Loneliness is like a blade of grass
Growing through a crack of cement.
Loneliness is like a camp ground
Without a single tent.
Loneliness is like a mocking bird
That cannot sing a song.
Loneliness is a feeling
That one does not belong.
Like a pansy in a corn field
Hidden where no one can see.
I know all there is to know about loneliness
Because it lives inside of me.
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