The Fellowship of Saints

We are in a generation that no longer values attending church or having regular fellowship with one another. This generation finds it more interesting to chat or have church online. They do not see the significance of church or having fellowship with fellow believers. The things that have contributed to this include church-going people hurting others and the fact that church was something forced on us growing up. When Covid 19 came, we had to shut down our churches, and it was now possible for people to validate their thinking of not having regular fellowship with other saints. Matthew 19:20 speaks of when two or three gather together in the name of God. He will be in the midst of them. Fellowship is vital in our walk with God. The church offers the most organic forms.

What is a church? People today have particular ideas about the church. These ideas have been shaped primarily by religion, history, tradition, and society. The church is a notable building or place Christians go to worship God on Sundays. Others think it is an organization of people who agree with the teaching of Jesus, while others are a group of people who carry out charitable works to benefit society. When we look at the Bible, it shows us that the church is the called-out ones who believe in Jesus Christ, those who have been joined to him and sanctified unto him through faith. Some of the metaphors used to describe the church in the New Testament are

1. The bride of Christ – 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
2. The flock of God – John 10:11-18, 1Peter 5:2-4
3. The branch of the vine – John 15:1-18
4. The family of God – Ephesians 2:19, Galatians 6:10

Fellowship is a shared participation within a community. The word in Greek is Koinonia. Fellowship is vital as God wants us to receive and reflect on the generous intimacy he enjoys as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The mission of God is to unite creation to himself and human beings to one another. When we carry out his mission, more and more of the joy, generosity, and peace of the Father, Son, and Spirit can be on earth. When we give our time to the family of God, we all get a glimpse of eternity. Every time we emotionally spend ourselves for another, we feel God’s love and commitment for us. When our limited resources are generously shared, God’s limitless resources can be experienced by all. We are in the image of a God who has always known the abundance of shared fellowship. His reflection can be seen on earth and in heaven when we share all we have.

Attending church or having fellowship isn’t about fulfilling an obligation or checking off a box. It’s about gathering with fellow believers to support, encourage and serve one another as we grow in our faith. The Bible tells us we need each other. By gathering with other believers, we not only follow the biblical call to be part of the body of Christ. We also open ourselves to the blessings and growth of living in a community with other believers. I would encourage every Christian to tap into this kind of fellowship. Due to distance or traveling, we cannot always be able to attend church physically, but as often as we can tap into this fellowship of believers. Find a Bible-believing church that focuses on teaching the words of Christ and keep your focus on Christ.