By Sidharth Mohandas
I have been dwelling on the importance of committing ourselves to a local assembly and the essence of fellowship with God and His people. Many people have wrong notions about both these areas. Recently I was talking to a person and I asked him which local assembly he went to and he said “I belong to the Universal church. I don’t belong to any local church”.
Yes, we are all part of the Universal Church, but this by no means eliminates the importance of being committed to a local body. In the book of Revelations, we see letters being sent to the seven churches in the province of Asia. I thought to myself, what if there were those in that area who hadn’t committed themselves to one of these churches? They wouldn’t have received this letter that God had for them. God had a different message for each of these churches. I’m sure in this age God will question many individuals why they haven’t taken their place in a local church that He has called them to. “I had a role for you in that local body [church]. Why did you ignore my calling?”
In the age we live in, people have the “switching-church” mentality. If a little discord sprouts up in the church, people use that as a sign to switch churches. This should not be, unless and until the church is teaching heresy or is not founded on the Word.
When I ask people if they fellowship in their church, most of them tell me, “Yes, we sing songs, listen to the Word and talk to each other after the service…”. That my friend is NOT the essence of fellowship! The Greek word used for fellowship is “koinonia” and this means “to be one” or “to have in common”. Fellowship has to do with unity of purpose or oneness.
You also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. [1 John 1:3]
How much of the local church’s vision have you taken on as yours? How are you contributing to that vision? Are you using your gift or calling in the local body that God has placed you in? Or are you one of those who come to the assembly just to sing some songs, listen to the sermon, talk to some people and then go on with life without getting involved in each others life?
Are you sharing your life with the family of believers? Or do you snap when you think they’re getting too close and say, “You are entering private property, step out!”?
The intimacy of the early church never ceases to inspire me… They even didn’t consider their belongings as their own!
And all that believed were together, and had ALL THINGS COMMON; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. [Acts 2: 44-45]
All the believers were one in heart and mind. NO ONE CLAIMED THAT ANY OF HIS POSSESSIONS WAS HIS OWN, BUT THEY SHARED EVERYTHING THEY HAD. [Acts 4:32]
Today, let us make a decision to work together with one heart and one mind in the local body God has placed us in and to really get involved in the lives of others in the assembly.
All the believers were one in heart and mind.
This is my heart’s cry that we be of one heart and mind, I have experienced this type of fellowship in the Church of Philadelphia, Bahrain.
I say Amen to your prayer that the Lord make us one for that is His desire.
Great post and I love the picture.
That we may truly be one!!!!
Susan
The meaning of koinonia in paraphrase is “to Partake”. That’s the whole question…are we partaking of each other!! I believe this is possible only when we partake of the Lord and this propels us to partake of each other too
I don’t know what I would do without the support of my church. I really don’t think I would be a Christian without the love and Spirit that flows from them. It’s my family, my strength, my joy. Great post Sidarth.