THE HABIT OF FELLOWSHIP (SELECTED)

SERIES: THE HABITS DISCIPLES CULTIVATE, PART 4

GCEFC: MAY 17, 2009

INTRODUCTION

1. This morning we’re in Part 4 of our current series: The Habits Disciples Cultivate. So far we’ve looked at the habit of Silence, the habit of Study, and the habit of Worship.

2. You’ll recall that the idea of a habit is that it’s an activity that’s practiced with such consistency that it becomes second nature.

3. As disciples, there are habits we must practice and cultivate. Habits that become second nature so we no longer debate with ourselves whether we will practice them or not.

4. As long as we’re disciples, certain habits must be consistently practiced. We never reach the point in our spiritual journey when they become obsolete or unnecessary.

5. Just as eating and sleeping will never become obsolete in this life. The habits disciples cultivate will never become obsolete either.

A. WHAT IS FELLOWSHIP?

1. That said, let’s look at the fourth habit that we must cultivate—the habit of fellowship.

2. In ACTS 2:42, going back to the very first days of the church, we see what occupied the believers. It says: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

3. Four things are mentioned that they didn’t just do—they devoted themselves to them.

a. Biblical teaching

b. Worship around the Lord’s Table

c. Prayer

d. And FELLOWSHIP

4. But what is fellowship exactly? The Greek word commonly translated fellowship in our Bible is the word: koinonia. It comes from the word koinos, meaning common or mutual.

5. It has the idea of sharing together or taking part together. The idea of partnership and mutual participation.

6. This is clear when we consider the other English words related to the word common.

a. community—which is a social group whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and have a common cultural and historical heritage.

b. communion—which speaks of sharing, or holding in common. When we celebrate communion together, the emphasis is upon our common spiritual heritage in what Christ has done for us and the fact that we have a common heavenly Father.

7. We can define local church as: A group of professing believers in Jesus Christ who have organized themselves for the purpose of doing God’s will.

8. What we are is professing believers in Christ. We’ve placed our faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. For all of us who are true believers—we’re related as brothers and sisters.

9. By virtue of our spiritual relationship as sons and daughters of the living God, we’re called to be faithful disciples, who seek to know and do the will of God on life’s journey.

10. So at its core, Christian fellowship is about relationship and partnership. It’s about our spiritual relationship and how we relate to each other.

11. And it’s about our common mission. How we live out God’s purpose for our lives.

12. God saved us not only for us to be in relationship to Himself. But for us to be in relationship to each other.

13. As you know, you can pick your friends, but you’re stuck with your relatives. Like it or not, happy or not, we’re stuck with each other. You’re stuck with me and I’m stuck with you. Not just for now—forever.

14. When Paul began his prayer for the Ephesian believers, here’s what he said: I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

15. If you’re a believer in Christ, then God is your heavenly Father. And if I’m a believer, then that makes you my brother or sister in Christ.

16. Biblical fellowship is based upon our mutual spiritual birth and mutual spiritual purpose.

a. We’re not in fellowship just because we attend the same church.

b. Or because we’re in the same denomination.

c. Or because we’re politically conservative and vote the same way.

d. Or because we’re in the same growth group.

e. Or because we prefer the same Bible translation.

f. Or because we both drink our coffee the same way and like the same pastries.

17. Our fellowship is based upon our common spiritual heritage through faith in Christ. And our common spiritual mission of fulfilling God’s purpose.

18. So fellowship is about relationship and partnership. Relationship describes what we are: A community of people bound together by our common life and blessings that we share together through our relationship with Christ.

19. Partnership describes how we relate to each other in that relationship: We are partners in an enterprise and calling in which we work together in a common purpose to obtain common objectives for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the glory of God.

B. THE PURPOSE OF FELLOWSHIP

1. So now that we have a basic understanding of what biblical fellowship is, let’s consider the next question: What is the purpose of fellowship?

2. I don’t think we can do better than HEB 10:23: Let us hold unswervingly to the faith we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.

3. In a passage admonishing believers to be in the habit of meeting, we’re called to do 2 main things: encourage each other and spur each other on toward love and good deeds.

4. We come together so we can encourage each other. And to spur each other on to what we should be doing. Loving well and doing well.

5. Remember how Jesus said the world would know that we are his disciples? JN 13:35: By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

6. And in JN 15:8 he says: This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

7. There you have it in just 2 verses. It’s evident that we’re Jesus’ disciples when we love one another. And it’s evident we’re Jesus’ disciples when we bear fruit.

8. The reason the habit of fellowship must be cultivated is that without fellowship we lack the encouragement we need to grow. And we lack the partnership we need to serve.

9. You’ve heard me say many times that none of us are as strong as all of us. We’re weak alone but strong together. We get discouraged alone but encouraged together.

10. I cannot do alone what we can do together. This is what 1 COR 12 means: The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the foot, ‘I don’t need you!’ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

11. Fellowship is crucial because you cannot grow spiritually without it. This is because the Christian life is relational. It’s all about relationships.

a. God saved us so we can be in relationship to him.

b. Jesus gave his life to restore our broken relationship with God.

c. We’re commanded to forgive each other so our relationship can be restored.

d. We’re to speak the truth in love so our relationships will be honest and real.

12. The Christian life is all about relationships. Fellowship is all about relationships.

C. THE SYMBOLS OF FELLOWSHIP

1. So now we know what fellowship is, and we know the purpose of fellowship. But we should also know the symbols of fellowship.

2. Symbols are important. A symbol is: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention.

3. We have countless ways of identifying ourselves with what’s important. We identify ourselves as married by the symbol of a wedding band. We identify ourselves as male or female by the symbols that communicate it.

4. Even a uniform is a symbol of identification. What would you think if you went to a Yankee game and when the players took the field, Derek Jeter comes out wearing jeans and his ratty Grateful Dead t-shirt?

5. You’d think: What’s wrong with him? Isn’t he part of the team? Doesn’t he want to identify with his fellow players? Why is he doing something that symbolizes that he’s not?

6. There are 2 fundamental symbols that identify us with the fellowship of the church. Jesus gave the church 2 symbols that we belong to him and to the for whom he died:

a. Believers baptism

b. The Lord’s Supper

7. Baptism identifies a professing believer with Christ and with the community of the . This baptism is done when a person willingly and voluntarily declares their faith in Christ and their allegiance to him.

8. In the first century and in many centuries since, baptism has been not only an important commitment for a believer to make—it was often a dangerous one. Sometimes it even cost the believer his or her life.

9. In the modern world, about the only sacrifice one has to make to be baptized is you have to get wet and have a towel handy. Few Americans are put to death for being baptized.

10. But it’s still very important because it symbolizes a believer’s commitment to his or her Lord and to the family of believers who are his or her brothers and sisters in Christ.

11. Why would any true and confessing believer not be baptized as a symbol of their faith and loyalty?

12. The second symbol of a believer’s fellowship with the community of the is The Lord’s Supper.

13. Here professing believers gather and symbolically remember the sacrificial death of Christ on our behalf.

14. It’s a time of solemn remembrance. But it’s also a time of joy and celebration. There are occasions in life when these 2 emotions are mixed.

a. When a child is born. In minutes you go from agony to elation.

b. When you run a marathon. From sheer physical torture to euphoria.

15. As you know, the Lord’s Supper is also known as communion. Which beautifully symbolizes what we have in common. What we have in common is our salvation, our Lord, and our spiritual family.

D. THE KILLERS OF FELLOWSHIP

1. The last thing I want to mention today are the killers of fellowship. Those things that hinder or destroy fellowship once it’s been established.

2. The first killer of fellowship is neglect. No relationship can survive neglect. This includes spiritual relationships.

3. Relationships must be nurtured or they’ll weaken and die. We neglect fellowship by not showing up, not following up, and by giving up. Relationships are hard work.

4. You have to be around the people you want to relate to. You must follow up on them when they’re gone. And you must engage when you’re together.

5. You know, this pulpit shows up every Sunday. But it never engages with me when I’m here. You can’t just show up—you must engage if fellowship is going to work.

6. The second killer of fellowship is busyness. This is one of the great curses of our modern age. Nobody has time for each other anymore. It’s not a matter of quality vs. quantity of time. It’s about both—and both are required.

7. We must make time for fellowship. It needs to be more than an occasional option. It must be a cultivated habit or it just won’t do.

8. The third killer of fellowship is laziness. Sometimes we’re just lazy and there’s no other way to say it.

9. The fourth killer of fellowship is disobedience. Remember HEB 10:25 says Don’t give up meeting together, but encourage one another. To not commit to fellowship is just disobedience—plain and simple.

10. The fifth killer of fellowship is relational sin. The Word of God says that as believers we are not free to treat people any way we like. It’s incumbent upon us to do what we can to restore the relationship and make it right.

11. GAL 6:1 says: Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.

12. And Jesus in MT 18 says: If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.

13. There are so many things we can do within the realm of fellowship that will contribute to the life and health of our and make us a stronger force for Gods’ purposes.

a. You can pray for someone.

b. You can assist someone.

c. You can spend time with them.

d. You can encourage them.

e. You can show mercy to them.

f. You can give them godly counsel.

g. You can confess to them.

h. You can be honest with them.

i. You can support them.

j. You can forgive them.

E. CONCLUSION

1. We must all cultivate the habit of fellowship. It’s absolutely crucial to the health and strength of our corporately and to each of us individually.

2. The life of a disciple is relational. So we must devote ourselves to relationships. We must devote ourselves to fellowship.

3. There are many ways to do this. But we’ve made it easier and offered a jump start by providing Growth Groups each week.

4. If you’re not yet in a Growth Group…what on earth could you possibly be waiting for? Do a little self-examination and see if one of the fellowship killers has shown up.

5. Let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

6. Let’s not make a habit of not meeting together—let’s cultivate the habit of fellowship.