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Nurturing Relationships•4 min read

What Biblical Fellowship Really Means

A practical Christian study of “What Biblical Fellowship Really Means,” with clear application for faith, relationships, and everyday life.

By Kris EmersonJune 7, 2021Let's Talk "Fellowship"
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Let's Talk "Fellowship"

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Key Scriptures
1 John 1John 1Acts 2

See the people in front of you

I also believe that we are in a dangerous time among God's people where we could potentially and inadvertently produce a generation of young people who would become adults and start families of their own who do not value Christian fellowship the way that they should. When we talk about fellowship, by the way, we're talking about our shared relationship in Jesus, communion, commonality, joint participation.

And even before the pandemic, I was hearing some of our young people when they would go off to college or start their careers, talk about the importance of being spiritual in the world, of being a good person, of speaking the name of Jesus to lost people, all of which is tremendous.

What gets in the way

It was invisible, it is eternal, it is a shared relationship that exists between believers in Christ. So in my mind, coming from one place to another, I started to think it could not at all be the first thing because it is entirely the second thing, a spiritual, really non-tangible, ever-existing joint participation.

And again, I'm not saying it was taught exactly that way, but I'll tell you, even into my early 30s, if a group of guys from church were going to breakfast and one of them said, I've really enjoyed this fellowship we've had together, I would feel kind of weird about it.

A more loving response

And if we kind of relegate it to this unseen internal thing, would it not give rise to this modern thinking of, well, I'm just going to go out and be spiritual, but this organized religion business, that's not necessary. To me, right now, that's like saying, as long as I have faith, the works that I do among God's people don't matter.

So this leads us back to Acts chapter two when the church first began, when their fellowship in Christ and with one another originally started.

Practice this with others

Meet them with passion, meet them with so much drive that you would consider your fellowship with them to be hollow until you fill it with the substance of giving. Because while giving to help needy saints may not be fellowship by definition, it is the works that fellowship produce in the same way as faith and works.

If you know Christians who are hurting and God has positioned you to help them, we share Jesus in this joint community, and we share the giving, compassionate character of Jesus with one another.

Think about it

Take the idea with you.

  1. 01Where do I see the problem or opportunity described in “What Biblical Fellowship Really Means” in my own life?
  2. 02What Scripture or spiritual principle in this study most needs my attention?
  3. 03What one specific change can I make this week to put this teaching into practice?
From Excel Still More

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