Spiritual Disciplines & Evangelism Примерок

  

DAY 9: FELLOWSHIP

Our faith is not our own. In 21st century, individualist cultures we may believe that there are two critical people: God and ourselves. Our personal discipleship becomes one in which we believe that as long as we have God, we don’t need others. Even a cursory reading of scripture nullifies this view of the Christian faith. The Body of Christ and the collective community of faith—be it the Israelites in the Old Testament, the Jewish people of Jesus’ time, or the Gentiles who were grafted in—are all family. 

Theologian and scholar N.T. Wright says it this way: "’If God is our father, the church is our mother.’ The words are those of the Swiss Reformer John Calvin ... it is as impossible, unnecessary, and undesirable to be a Christian all by yourself as it is to be a newborn baby all by yourself.” 

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 reads, 

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

The discipline of fellowship begins with a willingness and openness to be vulnerable to others. Each of us desires to be known and loved for who we are. In a world which praises our accomplishments and accolades, we long for places of authenticity. If we are honest, we know we cannot keep up the charade for long and deeply desire to connect with others who feel the same. In fellowship, we commit to showing the good, the bad, and the ugly to those who are journeying alongside us. 

In fellowship, we also work to meet with our community often. Acts 2:46-47 is our model:

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. 

Every day! Can you imagine that? In the busyness of life, where are we regularly seeking community in order to worship God and grow in our relationship with Him and as the Body of Christ? We mustn’t feel guilty or embarrassed if we do not meet daily, but are seeking regular fellowship with other Christians in order to grow us and encourage us in our faith, and vice versa? 

The Acts 2 passage does not end there. There’s a powerful conclusion in v. 47: “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Fellowship leads to evangelism! Their worship of God and edification in the faith resulted in hearts that overflowed the goodness of God onto all those they met! Peter and John boast of this in Acts 4:20: “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Evangelist D.L. Moody once said, “When a man is filled with the Word of God you cannot keep him still. If a man has got the Word, he must speak or die.” 

The faith of others inspires us and moves us towards greater witness. And the double blessing of fellowship is that as we are moved to greater witness, we then have a community of people to rejoice with us in what God is doing in our witness! True fellowship cries together and rejoices together. It moves together in unity on a single purpose of making God known in all ways possible in and through us. 

Questions for Reflection: 

• Do you find fellowship with other Christians to be unnerving, or comforting? Why?
• Give an example of how another Christian has blessed you and/or spoken into your life.
• How often are you spending time with fellow Christians?
• How can you better invest in other Christians such that more frequent and fruitful gospel conversations occur?