The Heart of the Sermon:
Our connection to Christ should produce a connection to His people.
“Sweet Fellowship,” is based on Acts 2:42–47 and emphasizes that biblical fellowship is much deeper than simply eating meals or spending time together. It is a spiritual connection with Christ that produces genuine connection, sacrifice, and participation with one another.
1. Fellowship Is More Than Being Together
Illustration of ants: Although an individual ant has limited strength and intelligence, ants accomplish remarkable things when they work together. Their strength is found in community.
Likewise, the church is not merely an institution but a living body. Christians may grow individually, but our true strength is found in our fellowship with one another.
2. Biblical Fellowship Means Sharing and Participation
The Greek word koinonia means to hold or share something in common. Fellowship involves participation, connection, sharing, and partnership.
Christian fellowship begins with our relationship with God. We have fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that relationship produces fellowship with other Christians.
Fellowship is rooted in truth and submission to Christ. We cannot have genuine Christian fellowship while ignoring God's truth or Christ's authority.
3. Fellowship Produces Fruit
Acts 2:44–47 shows what happens when believers are genuinely connected to Christ.
They:
• cared about one another's needs,
• shared with one another,
• spent time together,
• worshiped together,
• ate together,
• praised God together,
• and viewed one another as family.
An important point to remember; these activities are not fellowship itself—they are the fruit of fellowship. When our relationship with Jesus becomes deeper, our relationships with His people should become deeper as well.
4. Individualism Is a Threat to Fellowship
Modern individualisms: busyness, distractions, technology, and self-sufficiency are obstacles to Biblical fellowship. Our culture can teach us that we don't need anyone else. We have jobs, devices, entertainment, and countless ways to occupy ourselves. As a result, Christians can become disconnected from one another.
If we allow it, Christianity can be reduced to watching worship online. There legitimate benefits of online worship for people who are sick, shut in, or unable to attend, however, Christianity is not meant to be practiced in isolation.
5. We Are Called to Be a Family
Everything comes back to Acts 2. The early Christians were so connected to Jesus that they became deeply connected to one another. Their question wasn't simply, “What can I get from the church?” but “What can I give to my brothers and sisters?”
Final challenge: As Christians we must resist individualism and self-sufficiency and intentionally pursue deep relationships as God's family.
Questions
1. What is the difference between simply being around other Christians and actually having fellowship with them?
2. How would my relationships with other Christians change if I viewed them as family rather than simply fellow church members?
3. What sacrifices am I willing to make in order to strengthen my fellowship with other Christians?
4. What distractions most often keep me from spending meaningful time with God's people?
5. Am I becoming more connected to people through technology while becoming less connected to people personally?
6. Do I sometimes treat church as something I attend rather than a family in which I participate?
7. If every Christian in the congregation practiced fellowship exactly as I do, what kind of church would we have?
8. What is one specific thing I can do this week to deepen my connection with Christ and, as a result, deepen my connection with His people?