"DISCIPLINES FOR THE DISCIPLE"

The Discipline Of Fellowship

INTRODUCTION
  1. Thus far in our study of spiritual disciplines we have looked at...
    1. Prayer - especially the value of secret, simple, and steadfast prayer
    2. Meditation - contemplating God, His works, His words, and things worthy of virtue
    3. Fasting - a means of humbling one's self before God when joined with sincere prayer
    4. Singing - which edifies the singer as well as praises God
  2. Let's now take a look at the spiritual discipline of fellowship...
    1. The Greek is koinonia and means "to share in, fellowship with, participation" - CWSD
    2. The early church continued "steadfastly in...fellowship" - Ac 2:42
  3. The idea is that Christians did things together...
    1. They assembled together for worship
    2. They spent time together in such activities as prayer, singing, etc.
    3. They valued the time together as something beneficial

[To grow spiritually, we need to exercise ourselves unto godliness (1 Ti 4:7), and fellowship with other Christians is an important spiritual exercise. To appreciate why, consider...]

  1. THE NEED FOR FELLOWSHIP
    1. THE PROBLEM OF SELF-CENTEREDNESS...
      1. Many Christians do not value their time with other Christians
      2. As evidenced by their:
        1. Sporadic attendance of regular church services
        2. Failure to visit and support gospel meetings elsewhere
        3. Lack of interest in home Bible studies
        4. Unwillingness to extend or accept offers of hospitality
      3. The main reason is the problem of self-centeredness
        1. Interested only in things pertaining to themselves
        2. With little concern for the needs of others
        -- Self-centeredness is a real problem for many Christians today
    2. THE REASON FOR SELF-CENTEREDNESS...
      1. Many of us lived through the "Me Decade"
        1. The 1970's, distinguished by self-centered attitudes and self-indulgent behavior
        2. A time in which there was...
          1. A rapid rise of crime against others - rape, theft, assault, murder
          2. An increased use of drugs and alcohol as a way of escape
          3. A turn to philosophies and religions which involve preoccupation with self:
            1. "Looking Out For #1"
            2. Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Yoga
          4. An emphasis on consumerism and materialistic gain
        3. A decade followed by the "Greed Decade" (the 1980's)
      2. Cultural trends today have produced many self-centered people
        1. We live in a highly mobile society
          1. New families move in, and others move away
          2. Many live great distances from the place of worship and from each other
        2. Technology designed to bring us closer together, can easily move us apart
          1. Phones, email, etc., greatly increase our ability to communicate
          2. But we can become stretched out so thin through such technology that we do not develop meaningful relationships
          -- Such things have made it much easier to become isolated from one another

        [The problems of self-centeredness and isolation can be greatly reduced through the spiritual discipline of fellowship. Allow me to explain what I mean by describing...]

  2. THE PRACTICE OF FELLOWSHIP
    1. THROUGH ASSEMBLIES OF THE CHURCH...
      1. We assemble regularly to exhort one another - He 10:24-25
      2. This we do through worship services and Bible classes
      3. Each time we assemble, we have fellowship with one another
      4. A main goal in such assemblies is mutual edification - 1Co 14:26
      -- Faithful attendance of all the services of the church contributes greatly to fellowship
    2. THROUGH BIBLE STUDIES IN THE HOME...
      1. Early Christians often met in their homes for Bible study - Ac 5:42; 20:20
      2. Such settings allow for personal attention and application of Scripture
      -- Involvement in home Bible studies provides wonderful opportunity for fellowship
    3. THROUGH VISITING OTHER BRETHREN...
      1. Area churches often have special events like gospel meetings
      2. This provides the opportunity for fellowship with brethren in other places - Php 1:5
      -- Attending gospel meetings is a great way to experience fellowship

    [Any occasion to be with brethren to praise God and study His word is an opportunity to practice the discipline of fellowship. To encourage such practices, let me conclude by briefly mentioning...]

  3. THE BENEFIT OF FELLOWSHIP
    1. TO FULFILL OUR DUTIES TO ONE ANOTHER...
      1. To have a care for one another - 1Co 12:26
      2. To teach and admonish one another - Col 3:16
      3. To serve one another in love - Ga 5:13
      4. To pray for one another - Jm 5:16
      5. To restore one another - Jm 5:19-20
      6. To be hospitable to one another - 1Pe 4:9
      -- When we fellowship frequently, such duties are more likely met
    2. TO RECEIVE HELP FROM ONE ANOTHER...
      1. We need encouragement to remain faithful - He 3:12-14
      2. We need comfort in times of tribulation - 2Co 1:3-5; 1Th 5:11
        1. Note that comfort comes from two sources: from God and each another
        2. Thus God comforts both directly and indirectly
        -- When we fellowship frequently, we are blessed by one another's faith and comfort
CONCLUSION
  1. As we think of the various "Disciplines For The Disciple"...
    1. Let us not limit such spiritual exercises that can be done alone
    2. Let us also value spiritual exercises that we can do together
  2. In our desire to exercise ourselves unto godliness...
    1. Beware of the danger of self-centeredness and isolation
    2. Be aware of the value of assembling together in our churches and in our homes

Through such fellowship with other Christians, along with private prayer, meditation, fasting, and singing, we will grow in grace and godliness as disciples of Christ...