How to Love Fellow Members in God’s Church

Can one person make a difference in our congregation?

Can one family make a difference in our congregation… setting an example that inspires others?

The answer is yes!

When a person begins really trying, and making an effort there may be some snags along the way:

• they may feel self-conscious [this isn’t really me, I’m a fake]
• others may put them down or make fun of them [they are just trying to impress people, they just want to impress the ministry, they are trying to exalt themselves]

Also, a person’s enthusiasm might outweigh their wisdom [their efforts may be clumsy]… but if they are trying to please God He looks at their attitude more than on their accomplishments. We are pleasing to god when we are committed to Him, to His Church, and to one another. And to be committed means to be involved.

Romans 13:8 we owe it to one another.

We all need to change an to grow in the ability to love one another, serve one another, to help and to give. You may not have thought about it this way but all these Godly goals revolve around fellowship.

We are going to talk about what God expects of us. We will see that one person can make a difference. You can make a difference. And a biblical understanding of fellowship will guide us.

1. To have fellowship with one another we must begin with our fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Definition: fellowship means a community, an association, a group in which we participate. Our place within that group is based on what we share, what we have in common.

1 Corinthians 1:9 you have been brought into fellowship with Jesus Christ. We share things in common with Jesus the Messiah. We have a close relationship with Him based on our mutual interest. We also have a family relationship with Him… He is our elder brother.

2 Corinthians 13:14 we hold to the same convictions through the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

There is a particular quality of fellowship we share because of the Holy Spirit

There is a power of love and concern for others that flows into us through the Holy Spirit. Be we have to act upon it.

Because of our common conviction and Spirit, we can understand the trials others go through a bit better. So we share those trials and tests with one another.

1 John 1:1-3 John wrote to the church about his personal experience with Jesus so that they might all have joint participation in the knowledge of all that Christ did, who He really was, and what He taught.

Fellowship with God means we have such understanding in common… we have are to share the outlook and attitudes of God through Christ.

2. We have fellowship with one another

Acts 2:42 fellow-shipping has always been important to the church from the very beginning. Such things as the humble potluck… or perhaps praying with someone about a situation.

1 Corinthians 10:16 we share the participation in the symbols and signs of God’s process for bringing us into his family. Beginning with Passover all the way through to the last Great Day.

2 Corinthians 8:1-7 “fellowship” or sharing in taking care of the needs of God’s people. Note that the people asked, “can we be part of this project”? They accomplished this through giving. The Good Works projects we have around the world are just this kind of projects. Where a collection is made to help out God’s sanctified people… back then it was Jerusalem, today it might be Guatemala.

3. God wants us to serve to benefit others

All too often we only serve for a selfish reason, or to impress, or only when it is convenient for us. But serving for the benefit of others will work for our own good… in that, we will grow into a person patterned after Jesus Christ. A person who has the capacity to enjoy eternal life.

Take every opportunity for personal growth through service. You might say, “I don’t have the energy for that”… but this type of personal growth takes effort. Our default setting seems to be to think of ourselves rather than others. God wants to turn that way of thinking around.

When we make that change of orientation and serve within the body we benefit the church, our family, our marriages, and ultimately ourselves.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 God gives us all certain gifts and wants us to work together harmoniously for the common good. Not comparing our gifts with others and trying to raise ourselves above others or draw attention to ourselves. [read the rest of chapter 12]

Romans 12:3-4 we do not all have the same function. [verse Romans 125-9] Paul then follows with a list of doing…. Because in God’s word love is experienced by doing. [Romans 12:10-13] Philadelphia, brotherly love, which focuses on our dedication to one another, and by what we do.

James 2:15 you could just as easily substitute the word “love” in the place of faith here.

Other needs to consider, the sick need caring for, the elderly need company, widows and single parents need assistance. Share with others and share yourself Romans 12:15-16.

Philippians 2:1-2 It sometimes seems it is the same one who volunteers time and time again. We should all help to bear the burdens. Let's all be on the same page on this… with common cause… fellowship.

4. We are told to visit one another

We tend to think of visiting as a social call. The word here is episkeptomai - means to look in on one another, to check up on, in order to help or benefit, to look after to have a care for, to provide for.

Matthew 25:34-36 [expand on what prisons were back then]

James 1:27 to look in upon the weak members of the body in order to help them, to encourage, and to benefit. There are some logistic concerns that hold us back from doing a better job at this… distance, time. Idea: circle principle – visit with those within a radius of 25 minutes. If everyone were doing so then few people would be neglected.

What about visiting at church services or on Sabbath afternoons? To be friendly, make strangers feel comfortable. Are we trying to benefit and build the church of God? Or, are we merely looking after our own group or circle.

This is a form of visiting but let's not have it be the only way we practice fellowship. If that’s all we do them we are being weak.

5. We are to practice hospitality among one another

Hospitality means “love of strangers”, “interest in people other than our circle”. Extend yourself, get to know new and different people. Romans 12:13 says “actively seek out opportunities to express interest and love to new and different people” [diokos, philoxenon]

Hebrews 13:1-2

1 Peter 4:8-10 use hospitality! It is one of God’s methods for drawing people closer together. It is an active demonstration of Godly love.

What do all these points have in common?

They are the active practice and doing of what you all say you believe. We have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

Maybe you are waiting for someone else to do it. Maybe you’re afraid of feeling fake or put on, maybe you’re worried other will look at you as a goody-goody.

One person, one family can make a huge difference.

Ask yourself: how much of a benefit and it to God? How much of a benefit am I to His church? Am I really taking full advantage of what God is revealing to me?