Sermon Notes - Things Churches Need... Fellowship - Littleby Baptist Church - May 5, 2024

1.        Last weeks Things Churches Need… Discipleship requires us to be together.

a.        To teach each other.

b.       To help the next generation of believers to learn the Word of God.

c.        For us to help each other grow as disciples of Jesus, we need to spend time together.

d.       There really needs to be some level of connection.

e.        In some circles that would be called Fellowship.

2.        This week’s things churches need… is Fellowship.

a.        Sometimes translated as communion.

b.       Not the partaking of the bread and fruit of vine that we do quarterly here.

c.        Not the Lord’s Supper.

d.       But communion, as in a connection, a sharing of something, a joining together, a knowledge that is shared, an agreement with each other.

e.        It is more than just hanging out and having a good time.

f.          But I would say a lot of the time our fellowship looks that way.

g.        Not because fellowship is about having a bonfire or going to the bowling alley.

h.        It is that we enjoy spending time with fellow Christ followers, because we have things in common.

i.          We support each other, encourage each other, and more.

j.          On the flip side, it can be hard constantly dealing with challenges or attacks when we spend time with those who do not agree with our faith.

k.        Fellowshipping with Christ followers takes some of that strain away.  

3.        Acts 2:42-47

a.        When you hear talk about the New Testament Church this is it.

b.       They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, we talked about Biblical based teaching as well as discipleship.

c.        We started our series on praying dependently on our God.

d.       That leaves fellowship, the breaking of bread.

e.        Which was expanded on a bit in the verses we read.

f.          They devoted themselves to meeting together.

g.        They broke bread from house to house.

h.        They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts.

4.        The early church spent time together.

a.        It included hanging out, but it was more than playing cards or whatever they did back then.

b.       It was also more than the occasional Bible study.

c.        When we look at these verses, they were interacting daily.

d.       They were being the church regularly.

e.        They were visiting each other.

f.          They were enjoying being a blessing and being blessed by each other.

g.        Another way of looking is that they were doing life together.

5.        When we think about things churches need… Fellowship, it is about the church body doing life together.

a.        Doing life together is more than going to church each week.

b.       It is about walking along side each other.

c.        In some ways it is hand and hand with discipleship.

d.       Think about how many more discipleship opportunities there are when you spend time walking through life with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

e.        We are more likely to have conversations about the challenges we are facing if we spend time together.

6.        Churches need fellowship, we need to connect with each other.

7.        John 17:11

a.        The Father and Son are one.

b.       They are united.

c.        We will never be as close as the Father is to the Son.

d.       But we are to be united.

e.        Walking through life together.

f.          Connected.

g.        Sharing our beliefs, our joy, our pain.

h.        Being in agreement with each other as we walk together.

i.          We are to be in communion with each other, in fellowship.

8.        Galatians 3:27-28

a.        We are all one in Christ.

b.       Our differences do not matter.

c.        Our connectedness through Jesus is greater than our differences.

d.       You look different, we have different backgrounds, and ancestry.

e.        We may dress differently.

f.          We may like different music or different food.

g.        But as Christ followers we are to be united in studying the Word of God, prayer, and fellowship.

h.        All of these are to be a part of our lives.

i.          We are one Body.

j.          We are The Church.

k.        Each of these things are part of Things Churches Need... fellowship.

9.        Ephesians 4:1

a.        We are to walk worthy of the calling we have received.

b.       Now this is not a calling to some formal ministry.

c.        This is something that impacts each of us.

d.       It is a calling to pursue Jesus in this life.

e.        To pursue righteousness.

f.          To be part of the Church, the Body of Christ.

g.        We are called to live worthy of being a child of God.

h.        Not that we will be perfect.

i.          But that we are walking in that direction.

10.   Ephesians 4:2-3

a.        Our approach to fellowship with each other is to be with humility, gentleness, and patience.

b.       We are to walk beside each other with humility in that we understand that we are dependent on God and none of us are better then the other.

c.        We are not to be aggressive or rude working to assert our thoughts, emotions, or control over each other as we gather in fellowship.

d.       We are to have self-control.

e.        Patience in fellowship would be to have restraint in not retaliating if someone hurt us.

f.          As a church fellowships together they are to have humility, gentleness, and patience.

g.        If our fellowship is grounded in the teachings found in the Word of God, the chances of us being united in the guiding of the Holy Spirit significantly increases.

h.        Holding on to the peace that is found by our common ground and belief in Jesus.

i.          As churches fellowship, we will have our differences but if we are focusing on Jesus, those differences will be handled with humility, gentleness, and patience.

j.          The differences won’t cause division, they will allow us to have a greater impact on the world.

11.   Ephesians 4:4-6

a.        One Body… the Church.

b.       One Spirit… the Holy Spirit, who indwells each of us.

c.        One Hope… that gives us confidence in our future with God.

d.       One Lord… Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church.

e.        One Faith… the trust we have in who Jesus is and what He did for us that we all share.

f.          One baptism… the believer’s baptism that we do as an outward expression of what has already been done in our hearts.

g.        One God and Father… who is our Father through us being grafted into the Vine through our faith in Jesus and His saving work on the cross.

12.   The Church is united through each of these things.

13.   Being united in fellowship is a natural part of us being children of God.  

14.   Romans 14:1-4

a.        Churches and individuals are to be united in fellowship even if they are new believers or super saints.

b.       Ok, there is no such thing as super saints.

c.        But I think you get my point.

15.   When we think of the Things Churches Need… Fellowship, we are to invite new believers into our established circles.

a.        We are to welcome those of different backgrounds into our fellowship.

b.       We are to help young believers grow in their faith.

c.        We are to walk with others as they become accustomed to a new community or a new church.

d.       We are to be willing to adapt our behaviors, not Biblical truths, if it can help others fellowship with us.

e.        If God has accepted someone.

f.          If they are a believer in Jesus, we are to be unified with them.

16.   Churches Need Fellowship.

17.   As a church and as individuals we need to be praying about how we fellowship.

a.        Do we fellowship as the Lord would want us to?

b.       Do we do life together?

c.        Are we willing to learn from others as they join or are we set in our ways?

d.       Do we approach our fellowship in humility, gentleness, and patience?

18.   As a church we should always be praying about these types of things.

19.   As individuals we need to strive to fellowship with others in hopes of building each other up.

20.   To be united with other believers.

21.   If you want to join in united fellowship, but have not chosen to follow Jesus, today is the day.

a.        Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins.

b.       He defeated death to give you new life.

c.        You no longer need to carry your sin burden.

d.       Jesus will forgive you, all you have to do is ask.

22.   If you want to follow Jesus and be part of the fellowship of His Church, I would love to pray with you.