It was a Fellowship Church (Acts 2:42c)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/13/2017 6:46 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  It was a Fellowship Church

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  Acts 2:42c

            Message of the verses:  “and to fellowship”

            John MacArthur writes:  “Fellowship is the spiritual duty of believers to stimulate each other to holiness and faithfulness.  It is most specifically expressed through the ‘one another’s’ of the New Testament (cf. Rom. 12:10; 16; 13:8; 14:19; 15:5, 7, 14; 16:16; Gal. 5:13; Eph. 4:2, 25, 32; 5:21; Phil. 2:3; Col. 3:9, 13, 16; 1 Thess. 4:9, 18, 5:11, 13; Heb. 3:13; 1 Peter 1:22; 4:9, 10; 5:5, etc.)  The basis meaning of koinonia (‘fellowship’) is ‘partnership,’ or ‘sharing.’  Those who receive Jesus Christ become partners with Him and with all other believers (1 John 1:3).  That fellowship is permanent, because our shared eternal life is forever.  The joy associated with it, however, may be lost through sinful neglect of its duties.

            “For a Christian to fail to participate in the life of a local church is inexcusable.  In fact, those who choose to isolate themselves are disobedient to the direct command of Scripture.  Hebrews 10:24-25 charges believers to ‘consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, and not forsaking our own assembling together, as it is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.’  The Bible does not envision the Christian life as on lived apart from other believers.  All members of the universal church, the body of Christ, are to be actively and intimately involved in local assemblies.”

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “God gave water from a rock” (Exodus 17:1-6).

Today’s Bible question:  “What did the beggar who lay at the rich man’s gate want to eat?

Answer in our next SD.

8/13/2017 6:59 AM