Today, churches have fellowship halls,
fellowship dinners, and fellowship retreats, but very few have real fellowship.
Yet for a church that seeks to be guided in principle and practice by the New
Testament, fellowship is very important. Apostle Paul encourages believers not to
neglect fellowship
with other brethren. There are benefits when you commit to and embrace
fellowship with God’s people, some of which include:
- You demonstrate a sincere love for Jesus. 1John 4:19-20; Romans 12:9-16
- You receive the encouragement of harmony. Rom. 15:5
- You experience mutual acceptance among radically different people. Rom. 15:7
- You benefit from mutual instruction, encouragement and correction. Rom. 15:14
- You gain opportunities for joy, mutual comfort, unity, encouragement and peace. 2Cor. 13:11; 1Th. 4:18; 1Th. 5:11
- You use your newfound freedom for the loving service of others. Gal.
- 5:13
- You receive God-given opportunities to develop patience. Eph. 4:1-2
- You become aware of God-given opportunities to grow in kindness and forgiving others. Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13
- You receive mutual encouragement and growth that comes from corporate worship before God. Col 3:16
- You demonstrate reverence to Christ. Eph. 5:21
- You put yourself on God’s pathway for cultivating spiritual growth. Col. 3:7-10
- You gain opportunities to see God’s answers to prayer especially in the lives of others. 2Th. 1:3 cf. 1Th. 3:11-12
- You receive confrontation from others, making yourself less vulnerable to the hardening deceitfulness of sin. Heb. 3:13
- You stir up others to love and good works, while being stirred up by others to love and good works. Heb. 10:24-25
- You gain many opportunities to put to death your judgmental spirit. James 4:11, 5:9
- You are freed to confess your sins to a brother or sister and benefit by their prayers for you. James 5:16
- You grow in humility. 1Pet. 5:5
- You make the Gospel more visible to a dark world. John 13
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