Acts 2:38-44; 4; 5; 6
Introduction
A church will never grow beyond its fellowship. If the fellowship is right, the church will continue to minister, witness in love, and be built up in maturity and in number. But if the fellowship is not right, the church will decline and eventually die. If the fellowship is right, the church can work through any problem in an agreeable manner and continue to grow. But if the fellowship is disrupted, everything else goes down. The attendance will drop; the giving will decrease; the outreach will stop. Building the fellowship of a local church is important for its growth.
Thesis: Fellowship is key to the spiritual growth of a church.
Meaning of Fellowship
A. Definition of Koinonia = binding partnership
B. “Fellowship is two fellows in one ship.”
C. Fellowship is the determination to love one another and stay together.
D. Illustration of Fellowship–Links in a chain.
Threats to Fellowship
Satan is not pleased when a church has a great fellowship.
A. Acts 4, Satan attacked through external opposition. Overcoming external opposition (Revelation 12:10-11):
- We can overcome through the power of the blood of Jesus (Satan was defeated at the cross).
- Satan is overcome through bold testimony. When we become timid about our testimony for Jesus, Satan gets the edge.
- When our lives are placed in the hand of Jesus, when we become obedient to Him no matter what, Satan cannot touch that life. An attitude of self-protection gives Satan the upper hand.
B. Acts 5, Satan attacked the fellowship of the church through an invasion of hypocrisy. It is a dangerous thing to become Satan’s instrument in disrupting a fellowship. God will protect such a fellowship.
C. Acts 6, Satan attacked the fellowship through internal dissension.
- Great and rapid growth is desirable, but dangerous. There was rising tension of spiritual immaturity, and many felt neglected with attention to new comers.
- What was the source of the dissension? A group of little old ladies. Satan will use anyone who will let him. He will use little old ladies, the little old men, the little old young people, the little old deacons, or the little old preacher! Satan will use any group of little people who will allow him to infiltrate the church with murmuring and dissension. The progress of the church will stop. People will not be reached nor grown in the Lord. The attention was turned inward upon the trouble of the church. A church cannot go forward when the fellowship is disrupted. A church has only so much energy, time, and resources. If these are consumed on internal strife and negativism, there will be none left for ministry and witness.
- How was internal dissension resolved? The apostles were the key. They were mature leaders. The apostles did not react; they acted in righteousness. The apostles did not take the criticism personally; they dealt with the problem and they called deacons to heal the fellowship.
When the need was met, the problem was resolved. Wise deacons and pastors give attention to healing the fellowship. When the fellowship of the church was healed, the ministry became effective again. There was joy. There was excitement and enthusiasm. There was effective evangelism. Good deacons are helpers, healers, and harvesters.
Results of Fellowship, Acts 6:7
A. The Word of God is multiplied.
B. The number of disciples is multiplied.
C. The number of people saved is multiplied.
When the fellowship gets right, the church became even stronger in evangelism. Even the hard cases began to get saved. This will be true in the life of any church. When the fellowship is right, the church will reach people with power.