DEVOTED to Fellowship
What are you devoted to? We are concluding a series today called “Devoted.” It is directly from Acts 2:42. In it we see three primary things that the early church devoted themselves to, and in their devotion, we see what we are to be devoted to as well. Primarily, they were devoted to Jesus, but their devotion to Jesus was played out in their devotion to God’s Word, prayer, and the fellowship.
What the word “devoted” means here in this passage is “continued steadfastly.” These things are what the early church constantly and continually did. Today, we’re going to see through the testimony of scripture some of why true fellowship and community is important so we can see why the early church was so devoted to it. I truly believe this is the one out of the three things from Acts 2:42 that the early church was devoted to that we are the least devoted to. That means we need to search our hearts and lives all the more closely today.
Turn to your neighbor and say, “I need you.” Turn to your other neighbor and say, “The world needs us.” Say to yourself, “You don’t need to be alone.” You just spoke truth. This is a truth that goes back to the very beginning.
God created us for community. Did you know that not everything in the original creation by God was good? It says over and over each day that God created, “and it was good.” But there’s one thing that wasn’t good.
Gen 2:18 – Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
God created us to be in community. We were not intended, from the very beginning of a perfect creation, to be alone. We need each other. Tim Challies says it this way,
Humans were created to be in community, both with each other and with God. Seven times in the story of creation (Genesis 1) God looked at what He had created and saw that it was good. What follows in Genesis 2 stands out in contrast. In a perfect and sinless world, where man enjoyed perfect community with his Creator, God, looking at His creation, said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” The only thing in all of creation that was not good was man’s solitude. Though perfect, sinless and in perfect harmony with God, humans still needed to be in community with other humans. Thus God created woman to be a companion to man and to allow him true community. Though the world has changed since the advent of sin, the need for community remains.[1]
Fast forward thousands of years and the togetherness we are supposed to have becomes even more important. It’s not just something we need, but it becomes something we are.
We are one body in Jesus.
1 Corinthians 12:12 – For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
Romans 12:5 – So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
We, together, are how the world sees Jesus. The church is the body of Christ. This body includes people of all kinds. We are the body of Christ, and each are members of it. And each member is different. And each member is necessary. That includes you. Hear this parable Mark Dever wrote to start his book What is a Healthy Church.
“Nose and Hand were sitting in the church pew talking. The morning service, led by Ear and Mouth, had just ended, and Hand was telling Nose that he and his family had decided to look for a different church.
“Really?” Nose responded to Hand’s news. “Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Hand said, looking down. He was usually slower to speak than other members of the church body. “I guess because the church doesn’t have what Mrs. Hand and I are looking for.”
“Well, what are you looking for in a church?” Nose asked. The tone in which he spoke these words was sympathetic. But even as he was speaking them he knew he would dismiss Hand’s answer. If the Hands couldn’t see that Nose and the rest of the leadership were pointing the church body in the right direction, the body could do without them.
Hand had to think before answering. He and Mrs. Hand liked Pastor Mouth and his family. And Minister of Music Ear meant well. “Well, I guess we’re looking for a place where people are more like us,” Hand finally stammered. “We tried spending time with the Legs, but we didn’t connect with them. Next we joined the small group for all the Toes. But they kept talking about socks and shoes and odors. And that didn’t interest us.”
Nose looked at him this time with genuine dismay: “Aren’t you glad they’re concerned with odors?!”
“Sure, sure. But it’s not for us. Then, we attended the Sunday school for all you facial features. Do you remember? We came for several Sundays a couple of months ago?”
“It was great to have you.”
“Thank you. But everyone just wanted to talk, and listen, and smell, and taste. It felt like, well, it felt like you never wanted to get to work and get your hands dirty. Anyway, Mrs. Hand and I were thinking about checking out that new church over on East Side. We hear they do a lot of clapping and hand-raising, which is closer to what we need right now.”
“Hmmm,” Nose replied. “I see what you mean. We’d hate to see you go. But I guess you have to do what’s good for you.”
At that moment, Mrs. Hand, who had been caught up in another conversation, turned back to join her husband and Nose. Hand briefly explained what he and Nose had been talking about, after which Nose repeated his sadness at the prospect of losing the Hands. But he again said that he understood since it sounded like their needs weren’t being met.
Mrs. Hand nodded in agreement. She wanted to be polite, but, truth be told, she wasn’t sad to be leaving. Her husband had made just enough critical remarks about the church over the years that her heart had begun to reflect his. No, he had never burst into an open tirade against the body. In fact, he usually apologized for “being so negative,” as he put it. But the little complaints that he let slip out here and there had had an effect. The small groups were a little cliquish. The music was a little out of date. The programs did seem a little silly. The teaching wasn’t entirely to their liking. In the end, it was hard for the two of them to put their fingers on it, but they finally decided that the church wasn’t for them.
In addition to all that, Mrs. Hand knew that their daughter Pinkie was not comfortable with the youth group. Everyone was so different from her, she felt out of joint.
Mrs. Hand then said something about how much she appreciated Nose and the leadership. But the conversation had already run on too long for Nose. Besides, her perfume made him want to sneeze. He thanked Mrs. Hand for her encouragement, repeated that he was sorry to hear of their departure, then turned and walked away. Who needed the Hands? Apparently, they didn’t need him.”[2]
That sounds silly, but I know it hits home. I’m certain you’ve seen that lived out in the church or maybe it convicted you that you have said some of the same things. We must remember that we, together, are the body of Christ, and each member is important. And we must not live for ourselves only, but what’s best for the whole.
I love what C.S. Lewis says about this. “The Church is not a human society of people united by their natural affinities, but the Body of Christ, in which all members, whoever different, must share the common life, complementing and helping one another precisely by their differences.”[3]
We differ in our backgrounds and personalities and abilities and hobbies. But all these different types and kinds come together and are made one. And each part is important for the whole. Think about a symphony orchestra. Each musician plays a different instrument and even different notes, yet together they create beautiful, harmonious music. In the same way, as the body of Christ, we each have unique gifts and roles, but when we function in true fellowship, the beauty of Christ is displayed to the world.
There is a unity in Christ that is far deeper than all our differences. We aren’t one because we have all things in common. We are one because we have one thing in common. We belong to Christ. We are His body.
We are unified by the blood of Jesus.
Ephesians 2:13 – Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Galatians 3:28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
We are not just one body because we are called to be. We are one body because Jesus died for us to be. We are united to Jesus through his blood, and we are united to one another through his blood.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book Life Together states,
“Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.
What does this mean? It means, first, that a Christian needs others because of Jesus Christ. It means, second, that a Christian comes to others only through Jesus Christ. It means, third, that in Jesus Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity.”
To stick with another music analogy, I love what A.W. Tozer says.
“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”[4]
The core of our fellowship is Christ. Many commentators agree that part of the meals that the early church devoted themselves to was the Lord’s Supper. What is the purpose of the Lord’s Supper? To remember and proclaim the death of Jesus (1 Cor 11:23-26). The wine symbolizes His blood, and the bread symbolizes His body. Our table fellowship, with Christ at the center, is to remember and proclaim the death of Jesus until He comes again. And it’s to be done together in community.
Our fellowship with one another is ultimately tied to our fellowship with God. It wasn’t just Adam and Eve in fellowship with one another in the garden. It was Adam and Eve and God. Sin fractured our fellowship with God. But the blood of Jesus both binds us together and forgives us of our sins, mending our broken fellowship with God. That is why there can be such verses as Matthew 18:20, which says, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” This should affect how we interact with one another.
We are to “one another” one another. (see article)
Turn to your neighbor and say, “I one-another you.”
The phrase “one another” occurs 100 times in the New Testament. Especially in this individualistic culture we are in, we need to “one another” one another. We so often live for ourselves and don’t think about others. This isn’t how the New Testament says we are to live as one body in Christ. We don’t always live this out. Actually, we often don’t live this out. When the world looks at Christian fellowship, they should wonder why it is so much richer than the fellowship of the world. Yet, it is sadly often the opposite.
The New Testament often calls for unity in the church.
1 Corinthians 1:10 – I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
Romans 14:19 – So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Ephesians 4:11-13 – 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
I have heard many stories of people coming to faith in Christ and expecting to have richer fellowship than they did with their community of people when they were living away from Christ, only to find the opposite. I have specifically heard this testimony from people within the homosexual[5] community and the gang[6] community. Once they came to Christ and came out of these lifestyles, they missed the tight community that they once had. They knew they should have it in the church, but they didn’t experience it.
Though the very early church devoted themselves to fellowship, it wasn’t long before that unity was fractured. That is why the epistles are constantly urging the church to maintain unity. We need to hear and head those same words. And it’s not only because we were created for fellowship and united by the blood of Jesus into the body of Christ, but also…
Fellowship is good for us.
Proverbs 27:17 – Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Acts 2:44-47 – 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.
Fellowship has fruit. It has fruit for you, for those who you enter into fellowship with, and to the outside world. We need to know each other, and we need to be known by each other. That’s the only way to truly grow. And it’s for our good. So, we need to get back to what that early church was devoted to, for our good, the good of our neighbors, and the glory of God. So, I am grateful for this small glimpse of Acts 2:42-47, modeling for us how the church can and should function in fellowship.
The early church modeled fellowship.
Acts 2:42, 46 – 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.
They not only came together regularly. They came together willingly. They were there day by day, constantly, consistently.
I listened to a sermon on this by the great Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and he said that one of the first tests of a Christian is fellowship with believers. This new life is bound to express itself. And the first way it expresses itself is they come together and do so constantly. He also said…very boldly…If you don’t desire to come together with other Christians, there is only one real explanation…you are not a Christian.[7]
It got me thinking through why some people who claim to have a relationship with Christ don’t gather with other Christians. A lot of people don’t attend church because they have been hurt by the church or because there are so many hypocrites in the church. It all boils down to the brokenness of people. You might say, like Mahatma Gandhi, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”[8] Well, that’s the point. Christians are not like Christ. Christ is the only perfect one. Christians seek to follow Christ but so often fail. Christ never fails. But he is the one who offers forgiveness and grace and mercy. Gandhi was a Hindu. He didn’t know the grace of the Christ he was talking about. The fact that the church is full of hypocrites actually, in a way, accentuates the gospel!
Turn to your neighbor and say, “Apart from Jesus, you shouldn’t be here.” Say the same thing to yourself. Again, you just spoke truth.
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon is quoted as saying,
“You that are members of the church have not found it perfect and I hope that you feel almost glad that you have not. If I had never joined a Church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all! And the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect Church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.”[9]
He said elsewhere,
“If you wait for a perfect church, you must wait until you get to heaven; and even if you could find a perfect assembly on earth, I am sure they would not admit you to their fellowship, for you are not perfect yourself.”[10]
And going along with our text and the need for fellowship with believers, hear what he else he says.
“...the Church is faulty, but that is no excuse for your not joining it, if you are the Lord’s. Nor need your own faults keep you back, for the Church is not an institution for perfect people, but a sanctuary for sinners saved by Grace, who, though they are saved, are still sinners and need all the help they can derive from the sympathy and guidance of their fellow Believers.”[11]
Fellowship is necessary for the mission Jesus has called us to.
Jesus sent out his disciples two-by-two (Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1). They weren’t to do the mission alone but were more effective together. If I look around to those I am closest in fellowship with, it is just about all people I have served with in ministry. True fellowship is fostered through service. We also see, at the end of the early church’s example of living out fellowship, the outcome of their living on mission together.
Acts 2:47 – praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Your togetherness…your oneness in Jesus…your unity though your differences are glaring…your fellowship…is how the world will see Jesus and see that you belong to Jesus.
John 13:35 – By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
How is your love for one another? Are you devoted to fellowship? Have you joined this church, entering into covenant community with one another here? Do you regularly have meals with people in this body? Have you gotten to know someone who is not like you? Who is younger than you or has a different background than you?
Right now is the time for us to start devoting ourselves to fellowship as that early church did. Have meals together weekly. Discuss the Bible and things of God together openly. And serve Christ by serving our neighbors faithfully.
[1] https://www.challies.com/articles/one-another-the-bible-community
[2] Mark Dever, What is a Healthy Church? (9-11)
[3] Letters of C.S. Lewis, 7 December 1950
[4] A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine
[5] Rosaria Butterfield Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert and The Gospel Comes with a House Key
[6] https://ministrytodaymag.com/outreach/community/25101-francis-chan-why-do-gangs-offer-better-fellowship-than-the-church
[7] https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons-online/acts-2-41-47/the-fellowship-of-believers/
[8] https://www.christianity.com/bible/gandhi-doesnt-like-us-11668745.html
[9] https://blog.faithlife.com/the-prince-of-preachers-has-something-to-say-to-church-shoppers/
[10] https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/additions-to-the-church/#flipbook/
[11] From his sermon, “The Best Donation” (No. 2,334)
