The Church's Purpose to Love People Is Expressed Through Fellowship
Getting to Know & Love One Another as Fellow Believers
The Priority of Fellowship:
- mankind created for human community (Gen. 2:18)
- corporate aspect in both Old Testament life and in the New Testament Church (Gen. 12:2; Eph. 2:19-22)
- devotion of early church to fellowship (Acts 2:42)
- Jesus' prayer for oneness patterned after the Trinity (John 17:20-23)
- commanded not to forsake relationship with one another which requires that time be spent with one another (Heb. 10:25)
- corporate dimension in the life to come (Rev. 21:2-22:5; Heb. 11:10, 13-14; 1 Thess. 4:16-18; Phil. 3:20)
The Program for Fellowship:
- first fellowship with God, then with others(1 Cor. 1:9; 1 Jn. 1:3, 6-7)
- extended upon recognition of God's grace in a person's life (Gal. 2:9)
- among believers, not with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:11)
- if out of fellowship with God, not going to find true fellowship with one another (1 Jn. 1:6-7)
The Process for Fellowship:
- communion --sharing the Lord's supper together (1 Cor. 10:16)
- contribution --sharing materially with one another (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:3-4; 9:13; Phil. 4:15)
- communication --sharing our faith with one another (Phile. 1:6)
- community --sharing the whole of our lives with one another on a regular basis (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35)
The Product of Fellowship:
- unity among believers (Phil. 2:1-4)
- desire to pray for one another because of genuine concern (Phil. 1:3-5)
- an effective witness to the world around us (Jn. 13:34-35; 17:23)
The Church Purpose Ministry Manual provides some additional input and questions for you to reflect on regarding the priority, program, process, and end result (product) of fellowship in your church.
More on Fellowship:
- Does True Fellowship Need to be Restored in the Church?
- Church Fellowship Ideas in a High Tech, Low Touch World
- Fellowship Defined
- Getting Disillusioned People to Open Themselves to True Fellowship
- Ideas for Getting Busy People to Engage in True Fellowship
- Stressed Out People Need True Fellowship
- The Church is a Community
- True Body Life Results in Fellowship
- Resources & Ideas for Fellowship