ARE YOU CONNECTED?

Ac 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly (devoted or committed themselves to) in (1) the apostles' doctrine and (2) fellowship, and in (3) breaking of bread, and (4) in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 (5) And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, (6) continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

I want to draw your attention to verse 42 and the word fellowship. The Greek word for the English word fellowship is defined this way in Strong’s Concordance: partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse,--(to) communicate(-ation), communion, distribution. The root of the word fellowship means to hold in common or community.  

• The Greek word, “koinonia,” was used to describe corporations, labor guilds, partners in a law firm, and the most intimate of marriage relationships. From the usage of the word, we can conclude that fellowship is a word denoting a relationship that is dependent on more than one individual. It is an interdependent relationship. A close study of the usage of this word shows that action is always included in its meaning. Fellowship, you see, is not just being together, it is doing together! Pastor Bob Gilliam
• As we work our way through this subject of fellowship, I want us to think of fellowship within the body as banking or farming. In banking, there is no such thing as a withdrawal apart from first making a deposit. In the farming industry, if you do not sow the seed and till the soil, there will be no harvest. The same is true when it comes to fellowship within the body of Christ. If you and I do not make deliberate efforts to make deposits of time and talents in one another and deliberately make efforts of sow seeds of fellowship with one another, we simply are not going to experience fellowship in the biblical sense of the word.
• Fellowship is the body of Christ should not be thought of like membership in a social club. Biblical fellowship means ministry and service unto others. In other words, God’s grace calls us to be conduits of God’s love and care for others instead of consumers.
• Getting back to our passages in Acts 2, we see that these saints continued stedfastly to among other things…..fellowship. Some other translations read that they devoted or committed themselves to fellowship. And the very root of the word indicates that this was a deliberate choice to have meaningful interaction with others in the body of Christ. In fact, as you read the entire section of Scripture, the words they, all and together reveal that a vital impact of the new birth is that it strips away all sense of independence from others and creates a supernatural sense of community and interaction with one another in the body of Christ. 
• Dr William Barclay in his excellent book NT Words writes: koinonia is used as the opposite and contrast to pleonexia, which is the grasping spirit which is out for itself. Thus, koinonia is the spirit of generous sharing as contrasted with the spirit of selfish getting.
• True regeneration manifests itself in true fellowship with The Father, The Lord Jesus Christ and one another in the Spirit of God. 

o   1John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

o   1Cor 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thus biblical Koinonia or fellowship connotes the ideas of sharing, community, joint participation, sacrifice for the sake of others, and the giving of self for the common good. The heart of fellowship in the church is primarily service and sacrifice for one another, not festivity or social functions per se. John Macarthur

• Let me give you 3 biblical examples of what Dr. MacArthur just explained.
• Ro 15:26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution (Gr. Koinonia; collection; love offering) for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
• 2Co 8:4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship (Gr. koinonia) of the ministering (relief) to the saints.
• Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate (Gr. Koinonia; sharing, distribute,) forget not: for with such sacrifices (acts of worship) God is well pleased.
• Clearly, individualism and self-centerdness is hostile to the biblical teaching of the kind of fellowship we have been called to within the body of Christ.
• I want you to note the fact that all that happened here in Acts 2.42-47 was a supernatural work of The Spirit of God that created these desires within the body of Christ.  Nobody had to come to the disciples and other new believers on the day of Pentecost and say, “You need to practice fellowship.” There was no manual for them to follow. No program that dropped down from heaven. The Holy Spirit had come upon these people and formed an inner unity and their natural inclination was to exercise it outwardly.  The Spirit of God is into fellowship!
• It is my belief beloved that what the Spirit of God did on the day of Pentecost is the exact same thing that the Spirit of God wants to duplicate in every local church and within each and every person who is regenerated and born of The Spirit of God.
• It is my belief that a person who is born of The Spirit will have a (1) desire to hear and grow in The Word, (2) a desire for prayer as well as prayer with one another, (3) a desire to remember what Jesus did for them by observing The Lord’s Supper and last but not least (4)  a desire to be connected to and with other brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus that expresses itself in outer co-participation with Christ and one another in accomplishing the will of God on earth.
• Do you believe that it is important for you to read your bible and have sound teaching? Do you believe that it is important for you to pray and worship The Lord? Do you believe that it is important for you to break bread together and observe The Lord’s Supper? Do you believe that it is important for you to have consistent fellowship with other believers within the body of Christ and have meaningful interaction with them?
• Am I saying that all we should do is isolate ourselves with ourselves and outside of what is absolutely necessary, avoid the lost at all costs! Absolutely not! Jesus has called us to be a culture within a culture. We are called to be salt and light in a world of darkness. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ in a world that is bound by the prince of the power of the air.
• But a large part of equipping and preparing us to make a difference in the world that we live in comes from steady fellowship and community with other saints.

Beloved, you cannot be a lone ranger in the body of Christ and expect to grow to maturity in Christ. The born again Christian is not called to be a “soloist” in the body of Christ. When we imagine that we, as Christians and humans, can live in total independence and self-sufficiency, we are deluding ourselves. God, from the beginning, never intended that we should go through the world "alone."  We are incomplete apart from one another.

• While we all need our space from time to time, but if the truth be told, the vast majority of “church people” prefer to remain anonymous and live on the superficial level.  They love The Lord, they come to church, they hear the message, they say hello to a few people, but any other involvement is accidental rather than deliberate.
• We all need fellowship with one another just like every part of my body needs what every other part contributes to function properly. A part of the reason why we need to continue steadfastly in fellowship (community) is because we all need accountability to grow. Any sin or area of failure within our lives is oftentimes due to the lack of making ourselves accountable to others within the body of Christ. Independence from the body is dangerous!

Another reason why we need fellowship with one another is because you cannot and will not grow to full maturity in Christ as long as you are a spectator and not a participator in the body. Your gift from God can only grow to the extent that you exercise it. Your spiritual gifts will only flourish to the extent that you use them and invest them in others.

• Like we saw on the day of Pentecost, It is people who make fellowship happen, not programs. Each one of us must make the deliberate choice to make vital investments in one another’s lives.
• What we seek to do here at KF is provide you opportunities to come together for Bible studies or prayer meetings or other kinds of events in order that you would take the initiative to make deliberate choices to use your gifts and talents to bless one another and seek deeper, meaningful fellowship and relationships in Christ.
• When we begin to experience the beauty of fellowship and community as God intended it to be, it will strengthen rather than disrupt our vocations. It will strengthen our families and vocations because they will be built upon biblical and not secular ideals. Fellowship is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts in the power of The Holy Spirit.
• Let me put this right out there beloved. When I speak of fellowship within the body, I mean much more than fellowship with only those who attend KF. Hopefully, if you consider KF to be your home church, you are making deliberate attempts to get acquainted with other saints at KF and are making efforts to invest your gifts within the ministry here. However, God has placed you and your gifts within a larger body. KF is a part of a much larger body!
• It is important for us to remember that within the one body of Christ, there are many other local congregations of saints, as is seen in NT epistles and Revelation 2,3.
• Thus, KF is a body within a larger body. Yes, My desire as your pastor is to feed you the word of God and build you up in Christ for the glory of God. And it is also my desire to present as many opportunities for you to assemble here for ministry and social fellowship and interaction. But I never want you to think that your fellowship in Christ is to be limited to only KF people, exclusive of others who belong to Christ. That is a characteristic of a cult. A cult only mingles with those in its own organization or group.
• While I believe it is the will of God that every believer have a place that they call “home”. A place where they are their families can be fed and serve and interact with others. I also believe it is healthy for the body to fellowship with other saints as well.

Beloved, self-centerdness has no place within the church, because self centerdness is nothing more than self love. It is the fleshly, unregenerate nature to be independent of others and secluded. Dear KF family, self-centerdness is heretical because it is the very antitheses of what Jesus taught and modeled for us. Everything that Jesus taught and lived strikes a deadly blow at the human root of independence and self-centerdness.

Jesus Himself taught this principle clearly. His invitation to prospective disciples was a call to total self denial. Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

• You saints are sharp…did you catch what Jesus said? Did He say let him or her deny something? No! He said let him deny himself. The one most ungodly, Jesus opposing trait that all of us have is selfishness and self-centeredness. Selfishness is the antithesis of follow Me.
• We were not created or designed to live selfishly, that is a Western, unbiblical concept that has to be crucified. The most depressed and bummed out people are the loners…the ones who are uninvolved in the lives of other people for the glory of God.

Another truth of Scripture that underlines the importance of fellowship and community is revealed by the various one another passages. Let me give you a few:

• John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
• This is servant hood 101! When we walk in fellowship, there will be times when we wash others feet, there will be times when we will need our feet washed. That’s life!
• John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
• Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love (treat one another as family); in honour preferring one another (putting the interests of others above your own; esteem others better than yourself…be courteous, kind….serve one another)
• Romans 15:7 Wherefore receive (welcome, include) ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
•  Romans 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
•  Romans 16:16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. (Verbal and visible expressions of love for one another)
• Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ (share difficulty and pain with one another).
•  Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
•  Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you (mending broken relationships).
• 1Thess 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another (come alongside and strengthen one another).
• Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (accountability).
• Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works (giving deliberate consideration to building up those around us and stirring them up to use their talents to glorify Christ):
• Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (make an effort to call those who are MIA…ask where they have been).
• James 5.14 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (we need to allow ourselves to be accountable to others, even in private areas that we wrestle with).
• 1Pe 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging (open your homes and share Gods blessings with one another).
• Even a cursory reading of these passages indicates that they are a call for selflessness, sacrifice and service unto others. They rule out beyond any doubt any and every expression of self-centeredness within the community of the saints.
• Beloved our biblical mandate and purpose is to live in fellowship and community with one another in order that we may show God’s glory to the world. We are called to participate together seven days a week to glorify God, and we are called to do it together.
• KF, like any other local fellowship, is at best an imperfect family living in an imperfect world, and by developing fellowship with one another, we are working out our salvation with fear and trembling.
• Biblical fellowship gives us a place to air our growth and our struggles, our successes and failures. It simply gives us the opportunities to forgive one another, exhort one another, comfort one another, admonish one another or correct or comfort one another.

But there are some ungodly one another’s that destroy true Christian fellowship.

·      Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

·       Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

·      James 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

o   Which of the 2 one anothers lists describe you and your relationship with others within the church? What list would you like others in the body of Christ to be a part of?

The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ is the Head of His body, the church, From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (Eph 4.16).

1Co 12:14  For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

1Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

·      If you do not know your spiritual gift, pitch in where you have a natural ability. As you work with others, your gifts will surface and you’ll find places you might function in our church according to your gifts and abilities.

Beloved, fellowship with other saints in the body and participation of service within the body is a deliberate choice that you and I make. It is your personal responsibility to make deliberate efforts to gather with other saints outside of these 4 walls.

As a pastor who meets with other pastors for fellowship and exhortation, it is not uncommon to hear them say that they too hear comments from disgruntled people like, the church is not friendly, caring, loving or generous.

Here is what we have concluded.

·      The church is as friendly as you are.

·      The church is as caring as you are.

·      The church is as loving as you are.

·      The church is as generous as you are.

The biblical idea of fellowship or community is, in a sense, from another world, a world very unlike our own. Fellowship or community is from the world as God wants it to be. When put into fellowship practice by the leading and power of The Holy Spirit, God begins to develop a richness in life that is both challenging and edifying. It is one of the foundations of walking with Christ and growing in Him. It is one that we all need and should be sought with joy.

Would I like to see all of you come to the next Connect Event on Saturday March 24^th? Sure I would! Then what? Put your gifts to use…seek out others and invite them over for dinner to get acquainted…..connect with other saints or families who are at the season of life that you are at….connect with other singles…..check out and pray through the KF Internet prayer chain….check out the upcoming events in the bulletin….let us know of any skills or talents that the body can benefit from…..communicate, do not amputate!