The many members of the church have been sovereignly placed into the one body of Christ in order to fulfill
God’s great redemptive purposes in the world. In part 1 of Biblical Fellowship, Pastor Dan Cox reads from 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.
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Study Notes
“FELLOWSHIP”
Koinonia= Common Life
“Spiritual fellowship in the New Testament is participating together in the life made possible by the Spirit through our union with Christ. It is sharing something in common on the deepest level of human relationship – our experience of God himself”.
- –John Loftness
“Spiritual fellowship with one another on any level (family, small group, or one on one) involves commitment, honesty, openness, and integrity. Wherever these virtues are present, the saints enter into deep and satisfying relationships that promote their spiritual growth.”
- –Philip Graham Ryken
“Fellowship is, first, a sharing with our fellow-believers the things that God has made known to us about himself, in hope that we may thus help them to know Him better and so enrich their fellowship with Him. …Fellowship is, secondly, a means of finding strength, refreshment, and instruction, for one’s own soul.”
- –J.I. Packer
Principles from the Text
- While there are many individuals in the church, we are united as one body.
- You have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the church and He continues to unite us.
- Denial or failure to recognize your membership in the church does not make you any less a part of the church.
- Whatever your role, you play a vital part in the functioning of a healthy church.
- God has sovereignly placed you in the church just as He wills.
- Everyone in the church needs everyone else.
- God desires unity and mutuality in His church.
- The church is not a social club- we are the body of Christ.
Applying the Text
- Do you see yourself as a member of something much bigger than yourself- Christ’s church?
- Do you see yourself as a vital part of Christ’s church?
- Are you fulfilling God’s purpose for you in the church?
- Are you living in unity and with mutual concern for others in the church?