Fellowship is a word that is used a lot in church.
While we are acquainted with what fellowship is, the question we struggle to answer is, what does biblical fellowship accomplish? Here at Village our discipleship model devotes two components where fellowship is central. Experiencing Community and Extending Care are Steps 2 and 3 in our discipleship model and focus in on the element of fellowship that is needed for true believers to grow. In what ways does fellowship bring about this corporate growth?
Fellowship increases our knowledge.
The better you know Jesus, the more you will love Him, and your fellowship with other Christians helps you know Him better. You might be able to perceive a great deal of truth about the glories of Christ, or about what pleases and displeases Him, from studying God’s Word on your own, but no one should think of himself as independent in the learning process. Other Christians will perceive more than you can on your own—things you never noticed in the Bible or thought of in your meditation on Scripture. When another believer shares something wonderful about Jesus, or something to avoid because it grieves Him, your own heart is blessed by the additional knowledge. But this would have been lost to you (at least for the time being) were it not for the fellowship you shared in knowing and loving Him together. This is God’s design. He never intended for believers to know or love Christ in isolation from other believers (see Col. 3:16).
Fellowship increases our love.
Love for Christ is the mark of every true believer (see 1 Cor. 16:22). You simply cannot know Him without loving Him. Furthermore, fellowship that is centered on Christ increases everyone’s love for Him. No longer do you merely say in your heart, “I think Jesus is wonderful,” you now say, “We all think He is wonderful.” Not only do you think of Him with warm affection and praise, your closest friends think and speak about Him in these ways. Not only do you trust and depend upon Him to provide for your needs and walk with you through every trial, you all depend upon Him, and together you gain an even greater appreciation for His faithfulness. Not only do you find Him worthy of the sacrifices that the Christian life calls for, your brothers and sisters in Christ make those same sacrifices. You all encourage each other to love Christ in these ways, and in loving Him together, everyone comes to love Him more.
Fellowship increases our obedience.
Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). But if love for Christ motivates an individual commitment to holiness, shared love for Christ becomes the bond that unites groups of Christians in a shared commitment to holiness. It is no longer merely, “I resist the temptation to sin because I love Jesus,” but, “I resist the temptation to sin because we love Jesus.” People are careful to avoid offending someone they esteem highly, but they are more careful to avoid offending that person if all of their best friends esteem him highly as well. Fellowship with other Christians allows you to see and feel something about your sin that a lone Christian cannot.
Christians become Christians one by one as the Spirit opens blind eyes and grants saving faith, but fellowship with other believers is the fertile soil in which every individual believer is meant to grow strong and bear fruit. Allow yourself to join with other believers by joining in committed fellowship here at VBC so that you can know, love, and obey Jesus together.
Some may ask, where do I engage in this type of fellowship? Use times of greeting in the service to reach out to others. Join an A.B.F. or a Small Group with the mind set of impacting others with real fellowship.