Fellowship a Necessity

Paul teaches here that the whole body works together, under Christ, to build itself up. Christ is at work in every Christian. We see his hand and hear his voice at work in each believer.

1 Corinthians 12.13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

It is plain as daylight, that Jesus intends all church members to pull their weight. He intends that everyone should minister to one another so that there is a tremendous network of growth. Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4.

How can such growth occur if we don’t meet together? How can the body build itself up if some parts are neglected and other parts refuse to pull their weight? This is exactly why Jesus set up his church in homes. The further we get away from this close, family-type interaction the cooler the love between us and the less empathy and understanding we have for each other. This will result in less talk and learning from God’s Word. It will lead to shallow, self-centred praying and formal worship. On the other hand, if we live interdependently as described in these letters to the churches at Ephesus and Corinth, then there will be growth.

We often make the mistake of thinking that a big outreach will fill the church and make it grow. But growth has to be added onto something that already exists. If we had a big meeting next week that brought in 100 people, they would soon dribble and drift away unless there is something for them to be plugged into. That is the role of home groups. They are the core of the fellowship. If they are small and ineffective, then the church will never be able to support good growth.

So, if you want to see our Church grow, you must take seriously the matter of ‘fellowship’.

Hebrews 3.Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ (or: have become sharers in Christ) if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.

Hebrews 10. Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.