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Refocus Church

Series 2

8. Churches grow warmer through FELLOWSHIP
   

Underlying Theme:    How these things contribute to church growth

   

Focal Idea No.1:   Warmth of fellowship brings togetherness which builds and strengthens the existing church and encourages fruitfulness, and is attractive to outsiders.

  

    

A. Introducing ‘Fellowship' 

 

fellowship = in common, unity, togetherness

 

1 Jn 1:6,7 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

 

Acts 2:42,47 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship , to the breaking of bread and to prayer….. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved

 

Our focus: They devoted themselves to the fellowship

•   ‘Church' experience starts with togetherness.
•   Until we came to be part of ‘church' we largely lived as individuals.
•   Now we come:
  •   together with God, the Father, Jesus the Son, & the HS,

•   together with one another.
•   This is where “loving, accepting & caring” comes in.
  •   i.e. we come together in love, accepting one another as we are, and caring for one another.         

    

B. Aspects of Fellowship

 

1. Togetherness of attitude

  

•   it starts with what we think of one another

   

Phil 2:3  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves

   

•   That's a difficult one! But it does remind us at the very least to think well of others – and gives us something to work towards!

        

2. Togetherness of heart – which results in togetherness of action 

      

Acts 2:44,45  All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

•   This says they were TOGETHER   
  •   i.e. if you have a need, I'm there for you, i.e. unity of heart and being
•   Note, therefore that ‘fellowship' is practical, not just words

    

3. Togetherness of purpose

 

Phil 2:2  make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose

•   What is that common purpose? To do the will of God.
•   To obey His written word and to follow His Spirit.

    

4. Togetherness in belonging

 

Eph 2:19 (Living)  From now on you are not strangers and people who are not citizens. You are citizens together with those who belong to God. You belong in God's family.

•   When you have a sense of belonging to something, you work to build it up because you feel good about it (warm)
•   Football players ‘belong' to a team and give everything for it and when they win they feel warm about it.

 

 

C. The Blessings of ‘Fellowship' at work

  

	What I Receive
Jn 13:34 Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (& Rom 12:10 , 1 Jn 3:10 etc)	I will be loved unconditionally
Rom 12:16 Live in harmony with one another.	I will enjoy peace with others
Rom 14:13 stop passing judgment on one another	I will be critical-free
Rom 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you	I will be accepted like I am
Rom 15:14 instruct one another . (& Col 3:16 )	I will be helped by instruction and shown how to overcome
1 Cor 1:10 agree with one another so that there may be no divisions	I will know harmony
Gal 5:13 serve one another in love .	I will be blessed by others serving me
Eph 4:2 be patient, bearing with one another in love .	I will be tolerated for my slowness
Eph 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other	I will be understood and forgiven
1 Thess 5:11 encourage one another and build each other up (& Heb 3:13 )	I will be encouraged and built up
Heb 10:24 let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.	I will be spurred on
1 Pet 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.	I will receive hospitality

     

Does that leave you feeling 'warm'?

	What I Contribute
Jn 13:34 Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (& Rom 12:10 , 1 Jn 3:10 etc)	I will love others unconditionally
Rom 12:16 Live in harmony with one another.	I will enjoy peace with others
Rom 14:13 stop passing judgment on one another	I will not criticise others
Rom 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you	I will accept others as they are
Rom 15:14 instruct one another . (& Col 3:16 )	I will be able to help others by instruction and show how to overcome
1 Cor 1:10 agree with one another so that there may be no divisions	I will know harmony
Gal 5:13 serve one another in love .	I will bless others by serving them
Eph 4:2 be patient, bearing with one another in love .	I will tolerate others' slowness
Eph 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other	I will understand and forgive
1 Thess 5:11 encourage one another and build each other up (& Heb 3:13 )	I will encourage and build up
Heb 10:24 let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.	I will spurred others on
1 Pet 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.	I will give hospitality

 

D. The Outcomes of this Fellowship 

  

i) Us as individuals 

•   I will feel good about who I am in Christ, blessed and built up by the body (church). 
•   I will feel secure in their love, support, encouragement and forgiveness. 
•   I will feel secure to reach out to those who don't have this. 

        

ii) The rest of the church 

•   We collectively will realise a sense of goodness in being part of one body. 
•   We will learn what it means to ‘love one another' and this will create a greater understanding of ‘accepting and caring for' one another. 
•   We will find a new security in the awareness that we are not standing alone. 

   

iii) Outsiders 

•   When outsiders see the oneness, unity and acceptance within the body they will realise what they are missing.
•   They will realise that this is an environment where they can be secure in finding faith and facing themselves and their need for Christ. 

A Final Comment 

"Fellowship", real fellowship, is at the heart of church life. A church that merely talks to one another doesn't know this and is not 'warm'.  Fellowship is about togetherness and oneness and that generates a warm sense - it's good to be part of this!

Something we haven't covered above is the person who struggles to cope with other people. Many of us are like this. It isn't always easy to get on with other people - it is a two way thing that requires mutual giving. The person who feels alone and isolated cannot enter into fellowship and therefore misses out on al the benefits above. Where this is so, it is up to the rest of us to love and accept this person as they are, so that our love can melt their fears and bring a sense of security to them, whereby they can slowly come into a place where they give of themselves and enter into fellowship.