Don't Miss the Fellowship of the Brethren!
Rev. Tse Amable | January 30 2025 | Acts 2:42-47
KEY VERSE: “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 (NIV)
MESSAGE: One truth about Jehovah is that He loves family. Before the church was established, the Lord created the family, consisting of a father (male), a mother (female), and children. Similarly, the Lord places us in a spiritual family when we are born again by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord. The Apostle Paul referred to our new family as “THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH” (Galatians 6:10). The NIV translates this as “THE FAMILY OF BELIEVERS.” This is your church family – the congregation, sheepfold, home cell group, and the denomination to which you belong. It is called FELLOWSHIP because we are fellows travelling to heaven on the ship known as the CHURCH.
Just as there are benefits to belonging to our natural families, we also receive blessings from being active members of a local assembly, congregation, or fellowship within the wider Church Universal. The programmes of the fellowship (e.g. preaching, teaching, Sunday School, prayer meetings, love feasts, etc.) are designed to keep you spiritually alive and strong. You benefit from mutual love, care, and sharing by staying connected to your fellow believers in the fellowship. Just as pieces of charcoal burn brighter when they are together but extinguish when scattered, your passion for the things of God will be stronger when you maintain fellowship with the brethren, but it will grow cold and eventually die when you cease participating in fellowship (church) programmes.
The Bible commands us: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR CHURCH FAMILY! DON’T EVER MISS THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE BRETHREN!!
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Do you love the fellowship of the brethren? Can you say with the psalmist, “I was glad when they said unto me, LET US GO INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD”? How has your attendance at various meetings and services of your congregation, assembly or Christian fellowship been a blessing to you?
PRAYER:
Father, I thank you for the blessings of belonging to my family of believers. Help me to love the House of God, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore and where all my needs – spiritual, physical, material, social, emotional, etc. - are met. Amen!
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 29: Genesis 41 — Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams
DAILY word study: FELLOWSHIP
The word "fellowship" in Acts 2:42 is translated from the Greek "koinōnia" (κοινωνία), meaning "sharing, participation, communion, or partnership." It signifies an intimate bond among believers, rooted in their common faith in Christ.
In the early church, koinōnia was more than just social interaction; it represented spiritual unity, mutual support, and shared purpose in Christ. It was a divine partnership where believers strengthened one another through worship, prayer, and communal life. This depth of fellowship was crucial in fostering the rapid growth of the early church, as they not only studied the Word together but also cared for each other's needs.
True Christian fellowship extends beyond attendance at church services—it involves active participation in a faith community. Are you merely present in church, or are you truly engaging in the life of the body of Christ? How can you strengthen your connection with fellow believers today?
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