Christian Fellowship
By Stephen Powell
Acts 2:42–47
[42] And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [43] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. [44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (ESV)
Fellowship is a word that usually meant “hang out with food” when I was growing up in the church. And while that isn’t necessarily untrue, I think the implication of that term falls really short of what true Christian fellowship is and how vital it is to our souls.
In Acts 2:42-47, Luke describes what is happening in the early church, shortly following Pentecost. He describes what the fellowship of believers looked like, at a time when things were very clear and less nuanced with denominational lines, traditions, and baggage like we have today.
The coming of the Holy Spirit means that believers, those indwelt with the Holy Spirit, have been given the ability to love people in a supernatural, sacrificial, and selfless way. We are able to care for each other and worship together in a way that was not possible before the coming of the Spirit.
Here are the examples listed of what the church did together in fellowship.
They were devoted to the cause of Christ.
[42] And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
The church requires people who are devoted. In other words, it requires loyalty, commitment, and, as abrasive as this may feel, it requires us to not be flaky. The church isn’t a subscription or a club that we get to pick up and put down, but it is a family that we can’t lightly take or leave. We share the most intimate parts of our lives with one another, praying and sharing meals, and we must take our enrollment in this blessing seriously and give ourselves to it. You aren’t only in need of the people in the body of Christ, they are in need of you and the Spirit’s work within you.
They witnessed the ministry of the Spirit and worshiped the Lord.
[43] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
There is no doubt that the ministry of the Spirit is still prevalent in the church today. We see and celebrate when people are healed, when families are restored, when another lost soul turns to Christ, and we benefit from the ministry that we receive from other believers. The response that wells up in us is “awe” or worship, declaring the worth of our God because of the way he works among his people.
They kept a close relationship with one another.
[44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
There is a real way that we relate to each other because of who we are in Christ. We share so much more in common with a believer we have just gotten to know than we do the family member who doesn’t know Christ. We share a core motivation for the glory of God and a gratitude because of the Savior we have. These core things that we share trickle into the everyday life of our community, sharing all aspects of our life, big and small.
They took on each other’s burdens.
[45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
In the community of the church, we share the burden of life. When a friend falls into a hard time financially, we pull together to help meet that need. We share our possessions so that we don’t have to spend more than we need to to accomplish what needs to be done. Community tools and pools, shared lake houses and hand-me-down blouses. We look after one another and life is just better together.
They enjoyed being together.
[46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts
The greatest times in our lives are spent with the church. The Lord has given us a large family in Christ and it is truly a joy to share our celebrations with each other. All it takes is witnessing one potluck or pizza lunch to know that there is something unique about a Christian community. When OAG’s (One Another Groups, our small groups) get together and we share meals, laughs, and stories, it is hard to find a more fulfilling and joyful meeting.
They were on mission together, supporting each other.
[47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
The Lord continues, by His grace, to grow His church. He has truly blessed and empowered His church to be on mission together to share the good news of Christ. That message lands a bit better as people see the way that we do community together. The offensive message of being called a sinner who needs to repent is sweetened as they see that doing so and joining a body of believers provides something you can’t find anywhere else.
If you are in Christ, you are a part of an amazing community. If you neglect to meet with the body of Christ, you miss out on perhaps that greatest tangible ministry of the Holy Spirit by not being with other believers who house His presence. We need Christian community and fellowship, and the church needs each of us as well.
Acts 2:42–47
[42] And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [43] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. [44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (ESV)
Fellowship is a word that usually meant “hang out with food” when I was growing up in the church. And while that isn’t necessarily untrue, I think the implication of that term falls really short of what true Christian fellowship is and how vital it is to our souls.
In Acts 2:42-47, Luke describes what is happening in the early church, shortly following Pentecost. He describes what the fellowship of believers looked like, at a time when things were very clear and less nuanced with denominational lines, traditions, and baggage like we have today.
The coming of the Holy Spirit means that believers, those indwelt with the Holy Spirit, have been given the ability to love people in a supernatural, sacrificial, and selfless way. We are able to care for each other and worship together in a way that was not possible before the coming of the Spirit.
Here are the examples listed of what the church did together in fellowship.
They were devoted to the cause of Christ.
[42] And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
The church requires people who are devoted. In other words, it requires loyalty, commitment, and, as abrasive as this may feel, it requires us to not be flaky. The church isn’t a subscription or a club that we get to pick up and put down, but it is a family that we can’t lightly take or leave. We share the most intimate parts of our lives with one another, praying and sharing meals, and we must take our enrollment in this blessing seriously and give ourselves to it. You aren’t only in need of the people in the body of Christ, they are in need of you and the Spirit’s work within you.
They witnessed the ministry of the Spirit and worshiped the Lord.
[43] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
There is no doubt that the ministry of the Spirit is still prevalent in the church today. We see and celebrate when people are healed, when families are restored, when another lost soul turns to Christ, and we benefit from the ministry that we receive from other believers. The response that wells up in us is “awe” or worship, declaring the worth of our God because of the way he works among his people.
They kept a close relationship with one another.
[44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
There is a real way that we relate to each other because of who we are in Christ. We share so much more in common with a believer we have just gotten to know than we do the family member who doesn’t know Christ. We share a core motivation for the glory of God and a gratitude because of the Savior we have. These core things that we share trickle into the everyday life of our community, sharing all aspects of our life, big and small.
They took on each other’s burdens.
[45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
In the community of the church, we share the burden of life. When a friend falls into a hard time financially, we pull together to help meet that need. We share our possessions so that we don’t have to spend more than we need to to accomplish what needs to be done. Community tools and pools, shared lake houses and hand-me-down blouses. We look after one another and life is just better together.
They enjoyed being together.
[46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts
The greatest times in our lives are spent with the church. The Lord has given us a large family in Christ and it is truly a joy to share our celebrations with each other. All it takes is witnessing one potluck or pizza lunch to know that there is something unique about a Christian community. When OAG’s (One Another Groups, our small groups) get together and we share meals, laughs, and stories, it is hard to find a more fulfilling and joyful meeting.
They were on mission together, supporting each other.
[47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
The Lord continues, by His grace, to grow His church. He has truly blessed and empowered His church to be on mission together to share the good news of Christ. That message lands a bit better as people see the way that we do community together. The offensive message of being called a sinner who needs to repent is sweetened as they see that doing so and joining a body of believers provides something you can’t find anywhere else.
If you are in Christ, you are a part of an amazing community. If you neglect to meet with the body of Christ, you miss out on perhaps that greatest tangible ministry of the Holy Spirit by not being with other believers who house His presence. We need Christian community and fellowship, and the church needs each of us as well.