Fellowship and the Church

And this morning as we look at fellowship and as we think about small groups and really the purpose for why we have a small group ministry and the purpose of fellowship and what does fellowship do for us as a people?

I want to begin to answer the question for us this morning. The question is, what's the big deal about fellowship? I mean, who cares about fellowship anyway? Why is it really important?

And so this morning, that's the question I want to try to answer is, what is the big deal about fellowship?

One writer has put it this way. He says, when we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations can do.

When we depend upon education, we get what education can do.

When we depend upon man, we get what man can do.

But when we depend upon prayer, we get what God can do.

I think a correlation can be made to fellowship.

When we depend upon superficiality, we get what superficiality brings.

But when we nurture and develop the kind of strategy for biblical fellowship that God desires for His people, we'll get what God has designed fellowship to nurture.

We'll get what God has designed fellowship to accomplish.

And this morning, as we look into the Word, I want to help us get just a new look at what fellowship does.

And I want us to see that fellowship isn't just another tangential program or tangential ministry of the church.

That fellowship is something that we do because it is the heart and soul of who we are as a church.

It is the heart and soul of who God has made us to be.

And anything good that will happen as a result of the ministry here, we'll find as a basis, we'll find as a starting point, true biblical fellowship.

Now, certainly we understand that fellowship has to begin with a relationship with God.

The Apostle John, we've been looking through the gospel of John, but John, in one of his letters to the church of Ephesus, writes this in 1 John 1.

He says,

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life.

And we all know that he's talking about Jesus there.

What does that relationship with Jesus do?

He says,

That which we have seen and heard we have proclaimed to you.

So that you may have fellowship with us.

And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

God has placed us into relationship.

The initial and primary supreme relationship that we enjoy is a relationship with God.

And because of that common relationship that those who are in Christ can experience, it means that we can have relationship with one another.

It means we must have relationship with each other because of the primary relationship we have with God the Father.

What does that relationship look like?

How did that relationship begin?

Many of you may be able to recount just the beginnings of that spiritual legacy that God created in your life.

Now, we can chart our own family ancestry, but we can also begin to chart a little bit of our spiritual legacy.

What is that spiritual family tree that God has given to us?

And how did that all come about?

I had a chance in Sunday school class just to hear some testimonies of people who came to faith in Christ.

It was remarkable to hear and refreshing for me to hear how God has worked in specific lives of individuals to bring them to Christ.

What is your own experience?

My guess is that as we were to take an inventory here in our own fellowship, we would find a diversity of experiences and how God brought us to saving faith in Him.

Maybe through a parent or a grandparent.

Maybe through a Sunday school teacher who was instrumental in your life.

Maybe through an Awana leader.

Or maybe a neighbor who was living down the street.

Or maybe a sermon that you heard one Sunday morning.

Or an evangelist that came to your house.

Maybe it was something that you read.

An article.

Or something online.

Perhaps it was a sermon or a lesson you heard even over the internet.

Or something you watched on the TV.

But through the mouthpiece of individuals or through the pen of a person,

God brought the word to you.

Paul says in Romans chapter 10, he says,

Romans 10 · chapter mention

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

God has chosen through the instrumentation of individuals for us to hear the message of the gospel.

And as we begin to understand and appreciate how God brought us to saving faith,

we understand that God used an individual, we'll call them maybe a spiritual mom or dad,

to help lead you into a saving relationship with Jesus.

A fellowship that you may have had with them was in your introduction of fellowship with God the Father.

A fellowship that was nurtured through other individuals,

through a church setting, through a small group, through a Bible study,

maybe even through some people in a workplace.

But God used relationships in your life not only to initiate the gospel,

initiate a relationship with him,

but also to advance his objective in your life in helping you to grow spiritually,

in helping you to have a spiritual life.

One person has said that the depth of our personal relationship with God

determines the degree of fellowship possible with each other.

Fellowship is important.

And this morning I want to answer this question,

what is the big deal about fellowship?

fellowship.

Now maybe you're looking at your notes this morning and you see four pages

and you're wondering in the next 30 minutes

how in the world we're going to get through all of this material.

And I just want to rest assured that my intention of putting it here

is not that we're going to cover it all,

it's that you can take it home and I don't have to talk about it, okay?

So my desire is not only to initiate this process of understanding,

but give you the resources that you need to be able to take this home,

to be able to look at the scriptures,

and to be encouraged throughout the week

in what God has said from his word about this very important subject,

the subject about fellowship.

Now as God has used individuals in your life to lead you to the gospel,

God has done the same for the individuals who were your spiritual mom or dad.

And on and on and on through history,

various situations and circumstances and interactions with individuals

will eventually lead us back to where it all began.

Back to what we're going to look at this morning.

This Christian movement,

the new church era that began in Acts chapter 1 and 2,

Acts 1 · chapter mention

where the gospel rocketed out of Jerusalem

and affected Judea and Samaria

and the uttermost parts of the world.

It all began with this small band of 11 men

that we call disciples.

And this small group of individuals,

120 people who in chapter 1 of Acts

are praying together and encouraging one another.

And the power of God falls on that group of individuals.

And there is electricity in the air,

and there is conversion,

and there is the work of the Spirit

in working in the hearts of individuals

to lead them to faith in Jesus Christ.

Our spiritual legacy can be traced back

to that movement of individuals

that God used instrumentally

to propel the gospel out of Jerusalem

into the uttermost parts of the earth.

But in order to understand how that all began,

in order for us to recognize

the significance of fellowship,

and how does that play into our discussion today,

I want to encourage us to open our Bibles

to Mark chapter 3.

Mark 3 · chapter mention

We're going to look at how this fellowship,

discipleship movement began.

We're going to see how things broke loose in Jerusalem,

and then how eventually it erupted in Antioch

some 15 to 20 years later.

And how has each subsequent generation

benefited from the strategy that Jesus laid down

early on in his ministry with the disciples,

disciples,

and then was picked up and carried along,

and to this point,

we still participate in the benefits

of this strategy that we're going to look at this morning.

Now, as you can tell,

this is just going to be a flyby.

Okay?

My desire this morning is not to dig in and to dig deep.

We don't have time for that,

but I just want to provide some exposure.

I want to give us an opportunity

to look into the Scripture

to see three key aspects of fellowship

from Mark chapter 3,

Mark 3 · chapter mention

and then the continuing legacy

that fellowship brings through the Gospel of Acts,

and we're going to have to hit it rapid fire,

but I'm sure you can stick along with us,

and I hope this will be a blessing to you.

So, what is the big deal about fellowship?

Well, first of all, from Mark chapter 3,

Mark 3 · chapter mention

13 to 15,

fellowship is the starting point of discipleship.

Fellowship is the starting point for discipleship.

Let me read these verses for us,

and then we'll dig in a little bit.

It says,

And he went up, of course,

that's speaking of Jesus,

on the mountain,

and called to him those whom he desired.

And they came to him,

and he appointed twelve,

whom he also named apostles,

so that they might be with him,

and he might send them out to preach,

and to have authority to cast out demons.

Now, if I were to ask you the question,

why did Jesus call the apostles?

What was the main objective?

How would we tend to answer that question?

Well, if you're anything like me,

your answer would be,

well, Jesus called the apostles to himself,

so they could make disciples of the world.

And certainly, that is true.

But we have to back up a little bit,

and we have to see

that the starting point of discipleship

is something else.

What do you see there in verse 14?

How does it all begin?

What is the first strategy of Jesus

from this text?

What does it say?

That they might do what?

Be with him.

Have you ever seen that before?

This was brought to my attention

a couple of years ago,

and I'm like,

how did I miss that?

How did I miss something

as important as that?

Discipleship must begin

in fellowshipping relationships.

Discipleship begins

as we are involved in community.

Fellowship begins

as we are coming to understand

and to know

and to love Jesus Christ.

Fellowship begins

as that relationship with him

is nurtured and developed in us

so that then we can move

outward

and reach the world.

Now, believe it or not,

here in Mark chapter 3,

Mark 3 · chapter mention

a lot has taken place already

in the ministry of Jesus.

He's already been baptized.

He's already gone into the wilderness

and been tempted.

The initial call to Peter

and Andrew

and James and John

have already happened,

and they've been following him

for months.

There's been an initial call

to Matthew

and an initial call

to Nathaniel

and to Philip,

so many of his disciples

had already been following him.

And up to this point,

there was this massive crowd

that was following Jesus

wherever he went.

Not to mention the fact

there was already

significant opposition

in Jesus' ministry.

The scribes

and the Pharisees

all the way down

in Jerusalem,

all the way up

to the highest regions

of Galilee,

were beginning to congregate

and to evaluate

the ministry of Jesus.

What will he say next?

Who is this teacher

and preacher

who has taken Galilee

by storm?

Some commentators

have suggested

that Jesus may have actually

already finished

his first year of ministry

before this event

actually took place.

And not that the disciples

weren't already following him

and already engaged

in the ministry,

but now was a time

for something definitive

to happen.

Now was a time

for Jesus

to set apart

a group of individuals

who would be selected

to do something important,

something significant.

Christ initiates

this discipleship movement

through the means

of fellowship.

Jesus is interested

in setting apart

this group of individuals

to have exclusive access

to have exclusive access

to him,

to have exclusive privilege

and power,

to have exclusive mission

of being the mouthpiece

of Christ

in the word of God

and helping to lay

the foundation

for the church.

But it would happen

through the context

of this fellowship

with Jesus.

This strategy

that Christ used

would help to develop

these men

to carry on

this monumental vision

that he had

for reaching the world

for himself.

Interestingly,

this was so important

to Christ.

We find from Luke's account

that Jesus went

to the mountain

to pray

and all night

he continued

in prayer

to God.

And then when day came

he called his disciples

and chose from them

twelve

whom he named apostles.

Jesus was interested

in making sure

that the right men

were selected

for this fellowshipping

relationship with him

so they could

then be turned loose

to accomplish

the objectives

that he had

for the world.

We call this

discipling process,

we refer to this

as partnership.

The disciples

were in true

community

with Jesus.

They were in

relationship

with him.

Last year

when we had

this startup

for small groups

Pastor Knoyer

used this statement

he says

fellowship

is essential

for spiritual

life

and growth.

Another commentator

says that God

has chosen fellowship

to be the primary

channel of life

in his body.

If we want

big things

to happen

at Maranatha

if we want

big things

to happen

in Grove City

in Hilliard

in Columbus

in whatever

town

God has

placed you

it will happen

as you are

grounding yourself

in a community

of individuals

and fellowshipping

with them.

Now that raises

another question.

What is

biblical

fellowship?

What does it

mean?

And the reason

why we need

to go there

is because

society

and the world

has hijacked

this term.

So it's important

for us to

understand

what does

the Bible

mean when

it talks

about fellowship.

When we hear

the term

fellowship

we often

think of

food

and fun.

We think

of activities.

We think

of things

that stimulate

conversation.

We think

of things

that help

to initiate

some sort

of interaction

with one another

and relationship.

And we kind

of hope

that is

we're together

enough

that fellowship

will just

happen.

But fellowship

in the scripture

goes much

deeper.

Fellowship

in the scripture

involves things

that go

much,

much deeper

than just

the superficial

aspects of

what we would

call community

or fun

or relationship.

When the Bible

talks about fellowship

it has something

deeper in view.

It has unity

in view.

It has

partnership.

in view.

It has

participation

in one's

lives

in view.

Commitment

to one another.

Accountability.

Sharpening.

Sharing.

Edification.

And there

are 19 times

throughout

the New Testament

where the Bible

uses this word

koinonia

which is the word

fellowship.

And I've put

them here

in your

insert

for your

own edification.

But all 19

verses are listed

there and

my

this is not

authoritative

but just

my shot

at what

each verse

does and

how to

categorize

what fellowship

accomplishes.

You'll see here

that there are

intimate relationships

that happen

among believers.

You'll see that

there are

financial contributions

that are

taking place

and caring

for one another.

You'll see that

it describes

the intimate

relationship

we have with God

that partnering

relationship

union we have

with the Godhead.

And because of

that partnership

there must be

purity and holiness

and righteousness

in our life.

A testimony

for Christ

in our world.

And then a

joining together

in ministry.

It is our

fellowship

that leads

to

service.

Fellowship

isn't just

about

having good

relationships

with individuals.

if fellowship

ends there

then fellowship

that is taking

place in your life

is not

biblical fellowship.

Fellowship

that just has

community

in view

and interactions

in view

and conversations

in view

and sharing

common interests

in view

is a delinquent

form of fellowship.

It is not

as deep

as God

would have

it to go.

Not that it

doesn't include

those things

but it's got

to go deeper.

There's got

to be more.

There is a goal

in mind

to fellowship

and that takes

us to our

next point.

Fellowship

is a platform

for service

and sending.

Fellowship

is a platform

for service

and sending.

Let me

again read

verse 14

of chapter 3.

Mark 3

14.

Here's what it says.

And he appointed

the twelve

so that they

might be with him

and he might

send them

out to preach.

What is the goal

of fellowship?

Where does

fellowship

lead us?

Where does it

take us?

How do we know

that true

biblical fellowship

is happening?

because it says

that they might

be with him

and he might

send them

where?

Out

to preach.

The focus

of biblical

fellowship

is outward.

It's others.

the goal

of biblical

fellowship

is outside

of you.

Now that is

just counterintuitive

wouldn't you think?

That's just not

what we think of

when we think

of fellowship.

We think of

strengthening

the group.

We think of

nurturing one another

and meeting needs

and fixing

problems

and certainly

that is part

of what fellowship

accomplishes.

But fellowship

is strengthening

of self

so there can be

a going out

and strengthening

of others.

There is this

growing

concentric

circles

of community

that continues

to draw more

and more people

into the mix

as you are

enjoying

relationship

with God

and seeing

the benefits

of relationship

with others

that you will

understand

that everywhere

God has placed

you there will

be a desire

to draw more

and more people

into that community.

Understanding

that that community

only happens

through the context

of the gospel.

It only happens

through relationship

with Christ.

And so in your

workplace

there is this

enthusiasm

and excitement

for the fellowship

that you have

with God

that seeks

to draw others

in and to

include them

in to the joy

and the enthusiasm

that you are

experiencing

for yourself.

You see

the purpose

of strengthening

life

is for the purpose

of strengthening

others.

Pouring into

one's life

leads to

pouring out.

Sowing

leads to

reaping.

Receiving

leads to

giving.

Building up

leads to

building out.

And that's what

fellowship does.

Fellowship is

intended not to

have this community

that is so

introspective

that it only

considers the

needs of one

another.

But it is

the kind

of community

that looks

for ways

to share

the joy

to the people

around you.

So if that's

not happening

in your life

then I would

challenge you

to think

is biblical

fellowship

really taking

place

for you?

After all

they were

called apostles.

Apostles

were sent

ones

we

are sent

to speak

his words.

We

are sent

to show

his works.

God

shows up

in our

life

through

words

and actions

through

fellowship

in communities.

And our

union with

Christ

shapes

our

relationships

with others.

I like

how John

Piper

puts it.

He says

you cannot

commend

what you

do not

cherish.

I'll say

that one

more time.

You cannot

commend

what you

do not

cherish.

You're not

going to

talk about

Jesus

if he's

not the

sweetest

thing

that has

ever

happened

in your

life.

But as

he becomes

supreme

and ultimate

for you

as you

begin to

cherish

him

you cannot

help

but commend

him to

others.

And that's

what fellowship

is intended

to do.

It's to

nurture

that loving

relationship

with God.

Nurture

the loving

relationships

we have

with others

so that we

have something

to talk

about in

our world.

It will

be attractive

to those

in our

communities

in our

workplace

wherever

God may

place us

as they

see the

sweetness

of Jesus

and the

sweetness

of relationship

that you're

enjoying

with God's

people.

people.

So the

focus of

biblical

fellowship

is others

then how

is that

expressed?

How do

we get to

the business

of showing

that to

other people?

Well the

expression

this is the

next point

the expression

of biblical

fellowship

is through

one another

commands.

And I put

them here

in your

notes as

just kind

of a

sampling

of all

of the

one another

commands

that God

gives to

us as

a church.

All those

things that

God tells

us to do

to express

that

fellowshipping

relationship

that we have

with one

another.

There are

some 60

one another

commands

throughout the

New Testament.

Some are

repeated but

they show up

in so many

different ways.

And like I

said this is

just a sampling

of what you

can expect.

Things like

loving one

another,

praying for

one another,

bearing one

another's

burdens,

singing to

one another,

comforting one

another,

confessing your

faults to

one another,

being kindly

affectionate to

one another,

preferring one

another,

stirring one

another up to

love and good

deeds.

All of the

things that we

can only do

when we are

in community.

You cannot

obey God's

commands unless

you are with

God's people.

You cannot

carry out

the things that

God has called

you to do.

You cannot

grow in your

Christian life

unless you are

expressing the

wonder of these

one another

commands that

God has set

up, not only

in giving but

also in

receiving the

beauty of what

fellowship is

designed to do.

The significance

of fellowship in

terms of being a

platform for

service and for

sending.

So what is the

big deal about

fellowship?

discipleship?

Well, it's the

starting point for

discipleship.

It's the platform

for service and

sending.

And thirdly, it is

the channel of

divine strength.

The channel of

divine strength.

Notice again,

coming back to our

text in chapter 3

of Mark, it says,

He appointed the

twelve, whom He also

named apostles, so

they might be with

Him and He might

send them out to

preach and have

authority to cast

out demons.

This word for

authority is the

word, the Greek

word exousia.

It's the word for

jurisdiction or

control or authority

to rule.

It's the word for

supernatural power or

the right to judge.

It's the same word

that we find in

Matthew 28, 19 or

18 through 20 where

Jesus says, all

authority in heaven

and on earth has

been given to me,

so go and make

disciples.

All authority has

been given to

Christ.

Christ has been

given to the

church and so the

church can enjoy

the power of God

because of Christ

and fellowshipping

with Him and

express that power

in this world.

There is divine

strength that comes

to the believer,

that comes to the

church because of

our position in

Christ Jesus.

He has authority

and because of

being in Christ,

we have authority

and power.

A few years ago

when I was working

through the letters

of Paul to the

churches, this

continued to just

come home to my

heart.

Listen to a sampling

of what Paul says

in Ephesians 1.

He says, I'm

praying for you

that you would

know the

immeasurable

greatness of

His power towards

us who believe.

Later on in

chapter 3, he

says, I'm

praying on my

knees to the

Father for you

that you would

be strengthened

with power

through His

Spirit in your

inner being.

And in

chapter 6, he

says, be

strong in the

Lord and in the

power of His

might.

in Philippians

Philippians 3:10

chapter 3, verse

10, he says, I

am praying for

myself that I

would know Him

in the power of

His resurrection.

In Colossians

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1, he's

praying for the

church again.

He says, I

haven't ceased to

pray for you that

you would be

strengthened with

power according to

His glorious

might.

Would you

characterize your

life as one of

power?

maybe the

reason why you

feel so

powerless in

this life is

because we have

not dialed in to

the kind of

fellowship that

God has called

us to have.

Fellowshiping

relationships that

are channels of

divine strength and

power.

And throughout

the gospel of

Acts, or

throughout the

book of Acts,

you see how

that power shows

up corporately for

the church.

Really, as you

look through the

New Testament,

anywhere that

power is used,

it really is used

in conjunction

with the church at

large, not to

individuals.

If you want to

recognize and

experience the power

of God in your

life, it has to

happen through

relationships with

God's people.

Okay, so

drawing this to

a close, you're

asking yourself the

question, I know you

are.

He says, okay,

we've seen how

fellowship is

important to the

church.

We see how Christ

kind of initiated

this fellowshipping

relationships, but

come on now, is

this really the

strategy for the

future?

Is this really how

God intends for

this to happen in

his church?

And I'd like to

just quickly run

through some

examples in Acts

and show you that

fellowship is God's

enduring strategy.

fellowship is God's

enduring strategy.

So in Acts

Acts 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1, and I'm

just going to

summarize this for

sake of time.

Acts chapter 1, the

Acts 1 · chapter mention

disciples find

themselves having

just said goodbye

to Jesus.

Jesus has just

ascended to heaven

and he's given

them instructions.

He says, go and

wait in Jerusalem.

Wait in Jerusalem

for my power to

show up.

And when it

does, you will be

my witnesses

everywhere.

So they do.

In beginning in

verse 12, we find

them obeying the

instructions of

Christ.

Acts chapter 1,

Acts 1:12

verse 12.

If you're following

along, it's on page

909.

It says, they

returned to

Jerusalem from the

mount called

Olivet, which is

near Jerusalem, a

Sabbath day's

journey away.

And when they had

entered, they went

to the upper room

where they were

staying.

Now, this is

important.

I want you to

recognize that they

didn't all go to

their own individual

places.

They went

together to a

house in

Jerusalem.

They were there

together.

And they

understood that

waiting did not

just mean sitting

on the couch

watching a football

game, as great as

that might be.

Waiting meant

praying.

If they had

learned anything

from Jesus, they

understood that

waiting and praying

went hand in

hand.

So that's what

they're doing.

They entered the

upper room, and

there they are

together.

And it says in

verse 14, all

these with one

accord were

devoting themselves

to prayer.

together with the

women and the

Mary, the mother

of Jesus and

his brothers.

This word, one

accord, is used

11 times in the

New Testament, and

10 of them show

up in Acts.

That's how

significant it was

for this early

church to express

their oneness,

their like-mindedness,

their singular

vision and focus

for ministry was

collaborative.

And there they

are together, and

when they are

together, God's

power shows up.

See that in

chapter 2, verse

1, it says,

when the day of

Pentecost arrived,

they were all

together in one

place, there it is

again, and

suddenly there came

from heaven a

sound like a

mighty rushing

wind.

We find all

the same hallmarks

of fellowship

taking place

here.

Singular devotion,

togetherness, unity,

and partnership, and

praying together, and

we didn't have time

to look at this, but

the word of God

being taught in

their midst.

And then the

power of God

comes through the

channel of this

fellowshipping

relationship.

Turn to the

page of chapter 2.

Acts chapter 2,

Acts 2:42–47

verses 42 to 47.

This is a

familiar verse to

you, and I just

want to point out

some specific

words.

First, in verse

42, it says,

and, what's that

word, that next

word?

They, this group

of 2,000 believers,

this brand new

church era had

begun, and they

are all together.

Every single one

of them together,

fellowshipping, it

says.

They devoted

themselves to the

apostles' teaching

and the

fellowship.

And throughout the

rest of this

passage, you're going

to find how that

community, how that

community partnered

with each other to

distribute for each

other's needs, to be

interested in care.

And as a result of

the fellowshipping

relationship they had

with one another, we

find the result in

verse 47.

It changed everything

about them, praising

God and having favor

with all the people, and

the Lord added to their

number day by day, those

who are being saved.

Do you want that?

Do you want that as a

church?

Do you want God to show

up in relationships that

we have with one another?

This explosive work of

God in the hearts of his

people that is creating

evidence of that work in

the world?

Well, maybe you'll say,

that's good for the

apostles.

But what about us?

We don't have the same

gifts.

So briefly, turn to

chapter 11.

This is where it explodes

out of Antioch.

And now, 15 to 20 years

later, the church era

has begun, and Antioch

will become the launch

pad for worldwide

evangelism.

It will turn the world

upside down with the

gospel from this city

of Antioch, made up of

a bunch of ragtag

misfits from Jerusalem

who got kicked out

because of persecution.

Briefly, verse 19.

Those who were scattered

because of persecution

that arose over Stephen

traveled as far as

Phoenicia and Cyprus and

Antioch, speaking the

word to no one except

the Jews.

That's one group.

But, verse 20, there

were some of them, men

of Cyprus and Cyrene,

who on coming to Antioch

spoke to the Hellenists

and also preaching the

Lord Jesus.

And what was the result?

Verse 21.

In the hand of the Lord

was with them, and a

great number who

believed turned to the

Lord.

Hallelujah.

Word gets back to

Jerusalem.

Jerusalem.

And the apostles

send this no-name guy,

at least at the time,

the son of encouragement

named Barnabas, to go

and try to encourage

this band of people.

He shows up in verse

22, and then he says,

in verse 23, he came

and saw the grace of God.

He was glad and exhorted

them to remain faithful.

And then jumping down to

the end of verse 24,

before, and a great

many people were added

to the Lord, because

an encouraging ministry

of Barnabas.

And now fellowship

begins to really take

place.

Barnabas goes and finds

Saul, who is also

known as Paul.

The two of them team

teach for the next

year.

We find the results of

that at the end of

verse 26.

For a whole year, they

met with the church and

taught, and a great

many people were

instructed.

And in Antioch, the

disciples were first

called Christians.

And then finally, this

last group of individuals

known as prophets, they

also show up, and they

add their little giftedness

to the mix.

We see five different

ways the word of God is

brought to this group of

people.

It's spoken, it's

preached, it's encouraged,

it's taught, and now

it's prophesied.

And as a result of that,

we find in the remaining

verses 27 to 30, that

fellowship not only

happens amongst the

people of God there in

Antioch, but it spills

out to Judea, where

they're now sharing

gifts and care and

love to the churches

who will be hurting

someday in the near

future because of a

famine.

It says in verse 29,

the disciples determined

everyone according to

his ability to send

relief to the brothers

living in Judea.

That's what happens

when true biblical

fellowship is taking

place.

It always has an

outward component.

It is nurturing the

strength of individuals

so they can be

strengthened for

nurturing and helping

others.

Big things happen

when we are about

biblical fellowship.

So we end where we

began.

The question is,

what is the big deal

about fellowship?

And I trust this

morning as we have

looked into the

scriptures, we can see

fellowship is a big

deal.

It's part of God's

program to do big

things in this world.

And so we as a

church have designed

a small group

ministry for you to

plug in and not just

to have conversations

and interaction.

We want that to take

place.

But we are nurturing

disciples so that you

can go.

We're nurturing

relationships that you

can invite and

encourage others to

participate in.

That's why so many of

the small groups are

actually in communities.

It's our hope that

your neighbors might

benefit from that

touch that small

groups will have in

that immediate

context.

And by God's grace

grace and

according to his

power, we'll see

God show up through

this small group

ministry, not only for

you individually, but

we'll begin to see how

God will nurture us and

strengthen us and

strengthen our

children so that we

can have an impact in

the world around us.

I wonder if a hundred

years from now,

someone might say,

you know, it was

because of my great

granddaddy in the

faith who was

nurtured in this

fellowshipping

relationship at

Maranatha Baptist

that I stand here

today.

May God use these

small group ministries

to fan the flames of

gospel in your life

and help us be more

impactful in the world

around us.

Let's pray.

God, we praise you

this morning for the

example of Jesus who

got this all started.

You who initiated

fellowshipping

relationships with

these twelve men who

would then become

eleven.

You initiated that in

their lives and you

fanned the flames of

knowledge and love for

God so they could come

to cherish you and in

cherishing you, they

could commend you to

others.

We stand here today

because of the legacy

of faithfulness in that

first century and the

legacy of faithfulness

that continued on

through the ages to the

person who ministered

the gospel to us and we

praise you.

How you understood that

whole process and you

instrumentally put those

individuals in our lives.

Thank you for bringing us

to faith in Christ and

help us in our

relationship with you to

convey relationship and

love and care to the

community of believers

around us so that we

can be strengthened to

reach this world for

Christ.

We pray these things in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.