Chapter 16 of the Believe Study is on Biblical Community. Our Youth and Family Minister, Ethan Davis, did a great job teaching on this during our Sunday service on April 23rd. If you missed the message, please check that out on our Facebook page or YouTube channel.
Biblical Community was evident from the onset of the New Testament Church. We see this in Acts 2:42-47, “42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The key to the Biblical Community that these 1st Century believers had and the Biblical Community that we can have, is spiritual fellowship.
We can begin to understand this fellowship that is to exist among God’s people through the Greek word “koinonia”. “Koinonia” means commonness or a mutual connection. It’s the idea of sharing partnership, commonness and fellowship.
As God’s People, we are to have a partnership...a connection and common ground that leaves us changed and impactful in the world among us. It’s “who we are”!
What is the common ground? What gives us unity beyond difference and disagreement? What gives us power and effectiveness to impact the world beyond our fault and weakness? The answer to all of this is JESUS!
Spiritual Fellowship only happens as a result of Jesus. A church will only be healthy and achieve God’s purposes, when we allow Jesus to be our source of fellowship beyond the differences and difficulties that may come between us.
We need to always connect at Jesus! We need to always overcome through Jesus! We need to always forgive and love and serve and encourage...through Jesus! He is our source of fellowship. He is our source of community.