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Question

What did the early 1st century Christians use as an example for assembling together?

Answer: the Jewish synagogue system

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Question

Why did the Jews start assembling on Sabbaths for corporate worship if God never commanded it?

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Question

Why did the Jews start assembling on Sabbaths for corporate worship if God never commanded it?

Answer: (short version) The First Temple was destroyed in 586 BC. No Temple mean no sacrifices.

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Jewish Synagogue System

Jewish religious life revolved around sacrificial ceremonies at the Temple

Performed by Levitical priests

No pattern of regular, weekly assembly or worship outside of festivals

Instruction was mostly rooted in the individual family

Jews came to Temple 3x a year to sacrifice and for festivals (Ex. 34:18-23):

Passover
Pentecost
Tabernacles

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Jewish Synagogue System

First Temple was destroyed in 586 BC
Jews taken into Babylonian Captivity (and later during the Persian Period)
No longer have a Temple to offer sacrifices
Synagogue system takes root during this period of Exile (500-300 BC)

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Jewish Synagogue System

Jewish religious life shifted from Temple/family to synagogue

Public prayer (3x daily)
Reading the Scriptures
Teaching the Scriptures

If Jewish community was new or too poor, they would meet in houses

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Question

What does “fellowship” mean to you?

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Relationship vs Fellowship

Relationship: state of how 2 things are connected

Born into Family of God (in context of Christianity)
Passive - what “is”

Fellowship: partnering together

Decision
Active - requires effort

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Relationship vs Fellowship

John 1:12-13
Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God —
children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Romans 8:14-15b, 17a (also Galatians 4:7)
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
...the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba (Aramaic for father), Father.”
Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...

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Definition of Fellowship

English	Greek	Meaning	In NT
fellowship	koinonia	Holding something in common, partner, participant, associate	19x

Luke 5:10 (referencing fishing)
and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners (koinonia).

2 Corinthians 8:23
As for Titus, he is my partner (koinonia) and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.

2 Peter 1:4
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate (koinonia) in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

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Definition of Fellowship

Not the same as “hanging out”
Not about “being together” but rather “doing together”

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Question

What is it we are doing together as Christian fellowshippers?

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Question

What is it we are doing together as Christian fellowshippers?

Answer: If we are members of God’s family, the what we’re participating (or fellowshipping) in is the family business of reflecting God to the world.

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Definition of Fellowship

1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship (koinonia) with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Philemon 6
I pray that your partnership (koinonia) with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.

Ephesians 3:9-11
...to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery (Gospel), which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Definition of Fellowship

Fundamental purpose of the church

Definition of “Christian Fellowship”
Inner unity among believers that expresses itself in outer participation with Christ in reflecting God and spreading the Gospel.

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Foundation of Fellowship

Foundation of Christian fellowship with each other is fellowship with Christ

Reading and studying the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:15-17)
Praying (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16)
Listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13)

Books “about” the Bible should never “replace” the Bible

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Doing Fellowship Together

Two ways to accomplish Christian fellowship:

Discipling fellow believers
Showing hospitality both inside and outside the church

Neither demands that evangelism be a singular event
Understand that evangelism is often a process and we each have a role

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Doing Fellowship Together

Many different roles are involved in evangelism

	1 Corinthians 3:5-9
5	What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
6	I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
7	So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
8	The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.
9	For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

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Question

What is discipling?

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Question

What is discipling?

Answer: Process of helping others become more like Christ.

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Doing Fellowship Together: Discipling

Talk to others about what you’ve been reading in the Scriptures
Tell others what God has been doing in your life
Share what the Holy Spirit has been laying on your heart lately
Encourage someone going through a difficult trial or come alongside them and lend a hand

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Doing Fellowship Together: Hospitality

Meeting financial needs of a fellow believer

View it as reallocation of our corporate funds, not “me” giving “them” something

Open your house to visiting believers

View it as cutting expenses in our corporation by saving on housing

Spending time with those hurting

When fellow Christians hurt, it is “you” who are also hurting

General outreach to the community

Food and clothing

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Doing Fellowship Together: Conclusion

Simpler than we think
If you feel inadequate because you don’t feel smart enough, skilled enough, or charismatic enough, you are right where the Enemy wants you: disagreeing with God

God has equipped each of us with abilities to use in His church

	Romans 12:4-6b
4	For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5	so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6b	We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

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Prayer in Community

Lord’s Prayer is plural (Matthew 6:9-13)

“Give us this day our daily bread…”

Apostles and early church prayed together

Acts 1:14a	They all joined together constantly in prayer...
Acts 2:42	They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 6:4	[we] (apostles) will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.

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Prayer in Community

Corporate prayer is not intrinsically more “powerful” than individual prayer
Should be praying both individually and corporately
But what about Matthew 18?

“Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am also.”
One of the most misunderstood passages in Scripture

A text without a context is a pretext

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Prayer in Community: Interpreting Matthew 18

	Matthew 18:15-20
15	“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
16	But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ (Deuteronomy 19:15)
17	If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18	“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19	“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20	For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

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Prayer in Community: Proactive, not Reactive

Pray proactively, not reactively

Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Don’t wait until life is hard to involve God

	James 4:2b-3
2b	You do not have because you do not ask God.
3	When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

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Prayer in Community: Pray for Each Other

Pray for each other, not just yourself

1 Timothy 2:1
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.

Ephesians 6:18-20
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

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Prayer in Community: Pray as Worship

Pray as an act of worship to God, not just asking for things
Below public prayer of King David dedicating son Solomon as next king and future builder of the First Temple

1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

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Summary

Christian Fellowship...	Prayer...
Is a partnership	Pray proactively, not reactively
“Family business” is reflecting God and sharing the Gospel	Pray for each other
Foundation is Relationship with Christ	Pray as an act of worship, not just requests
Disciples church through teaching and encouraging
Demonstrates hospitality both inside and outside the church
Is simpler than many think

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Conclusion: Naaman

2 Kings 5:1-19

Syrian General Naaman had leprosy, went to prophet Elisha to be healed
Was told to bathe in the filthy Jordan River 7 times
Balked at such a petty task
Was prepared to do great and mighty things, except humble himself and obey

How many times are we like Naaman in our Christian life?

Latest devotional
Figuring out the right size for our “small group”
Need more facts and knowledge

“Magical” water didn’t heal, but the infinite, loving God behind the water did

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Conclusion: Application

(1) Sometime this week:

Pray a prayer of worship and praise to God

(2) Sometime this month (October):

Read a book of the Bible in its entirety (fellowship with God)
Share what you read with another believer (discipleship)