Duncan Christian Reformed Church

fellowship group

What's in a Church? The Fellowship

How can you tell if a church really is a church? What do you look for? In a previous article we looked at one corner of the church, the apostles' teaching. Today we look into another corner, what Acts 2:42 calls "the fellowship." Most church buildings today have a "fellowship hall" where after the main worship service people can gather and have a cup of coffee, or juice, or water and perhaps a cookie. This gives us a venue where we can converse, talk, catch up. But what should we talk about? What should the topic be? A lot of people think that fellowship is simply having something to drink, speak on weather issues, or how the Game went. Is this what the Bible means by fellowship?

Jamie was not yet a teenager when she lost her arm in an accident. For a whole year she refused to go out in public; she was terribly embarrassed. Finally she found enough courage to face her peers, and decided it was time to attend church again. Her mother, protective as she was of her daughter, phoned the girl's Sunday school teacher to let him know her daughter would be there and, "Please do not draw attention to her plight."

Everything was under control, right? As it turns out, the Sunday school teacher got sick, needed to find a replacement, and forgot to tell that person about this sensitive matter. All was well, though, until the very end of the lesson, which was about the church. The teacher invited the class to sing a song, and do the actions with it. Maybe you know the song? "Here is the church, Here is the steeple, Open the door, See all the people!" A fun song, involving actions and everything!

But if you don't have an arm to perform half of those actions, what can you do? How can you be involved? How can you participate? Jamie, the girl with just one arm, had tears in our eyes because she felt left out; until a boy in her class noticed. He knelt beside her and using his opposite arm, performed the actions with her! This is not just a heart-warming story told by Billy Waters; it is an example of what the church really is all about. All of us, like Jamie, are hurting in some way. All of us need each other! The church is not a church until two, or three, or more of us gather together and help each other, encourage each other, direct each other toward Jesus.

I'd like to quote to you some verses that describe the fellowship of the church.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and [Spirit-inspired] songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 5:18-20).

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God (Col 3:16).

I myself am convinced, my brothers [and sisters], that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another (Rom 15:14).

Imagine approaching another church member with those last words! "I am sure you are full of goodness!" This is the sort of thing fellowship means.

Fellowship begins with being filled by the Holy Spirit. And how are we filled with the Holy Spirit? By speaking words to one another from the psalms, hymns, and Spirit inspired songs.

Fellowship comes from the inside out ("let the word of Christ dwell in you richly"). It's something that is living inside of us, something we can't keep in because it must come out. This "something" is the power of the gospel in us.

Fellowship is about songs that direct our attention to the realities of God in Christ.

Fellowship is about being thankful to God for all he's done for us, and sharing that with each other.

As we sink our roots into the living God, we will then be able to share what we know with each other, always blending grace and truth together as we speak to one another in fellowship.