The Church's Purpose to Love People Is Expressed Through Fellowship

Training Category: Church Purpose
 

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.
 

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