Last week, I began to make the argument that we need fellowship. This week, I will begin to give some reasoning that extends beyond the scriptural commandment to have fellowship. First of all, fellowship has a lot to do with evangelism. Acts 2:44-47 says this:
44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
What was going on in the beginning of Church history? Many things! Observe in verse 44 that the believers “were together.” What does that mean, exactly? We don’t know for sure, but based upon the scripture, it appears the early believers were together as much as possible. Verse 46 indicates that they were meeting together, “day by day,” and daily taking of the Lord’s Supper in different people’s homes, “breaking bread from house to house,” and, “they were taking their meals together.”
Since so many of the first Christians consisted of people that had traveled from many different regions to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, there were many people who became displaced from their homelands and needed financial assistance. Because of this need a fund was put together for the common good of all in need. That’s what verse 44 means when it says, “all those who had believed were together and had all things in common,” and there was an ongoing assessment of what was needed and verse 45 says, “they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”
This wasn’t a model for a society, as I have heard some attempt to argue, but this was a group of people that just discovered Jesus – the best news they ever could have hoped to hear – and they didn’t want to leave the apostles. They wanted to hear as much as possible and to learn as much as possible before they had to go home. This required financial assistance to pull this off, and the church came together to pull off this great early fellowship.
If you’ve ever participated in a mission effort with the church, or spent a week at a church camp or attended a multiple-day Christian conference, you may have experienced the same swept up euphoria of Christian fellowship that happens when Christians are together over a period of time – learning together, sharing experiences together, remembering Christ together.
But also notice verse 47 – as this great Christian fellowship was occurring, the joy of that fellowship spilled over to other people who didn’t yet know Jesus, “and having favor with all the people.” And people didn’t know what it was the new Christians had, but they wanted it too. And when those people entered into the fellowship to see what it was all about, look at what it says the Lord did in verse 47, “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
The Lord used Christian fellowship to produce new converts. And He will do the same today, but we first must fight to maintain fellowship. One light might be easily ignored, but one hundred lights shining together commands attention.
Much Love and Fellowship!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
