The environment of a congregation is heavily dependent upon the characteristics of the people that make up the group, the level of their sincerity, openness,
and awareness of those around them.
Through Christ we become one and are unified, despite differences that exist between each of us.
“The physical presence of other Christian’s is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
We are strengthened when we are together. Fellowship, sharing or partnership, is what they Greek term koinonia means.
What are the fruits of joyful fellowship?
1. Affirmations of love. Phil. 1:7-8. When we speak about our love for one another it strengthens that love. That is evident here at Decker Prairie. The love we have for one another is open and obvious. We see Paul praising the people here, praying for them, thinking the best of them. That is what you do when you have this type of relationship. We need to praise one another for the good things they do. There are continual acts of kindness and help offered by so many here, mostly unsolicited, mostly unknown by the masses. As much as we enjoy traveling and worshiping with other groups when we do, we especially enjoy coming home to our Decker Prairie family.
2. Help facing troubles, Phil. 4:14. “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.” This comes right after Paul saying “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Paul is in prison and, because of how prisons worked then, needs help from others to survive. His situation is vastly improved because of the help the brethren there provided. Fellowship is action, not just mental assent. People who love one another share with each other and in their struggles.
3. A focus on God’s glory, Phil. 1:1, 4:20. All of the things above are not about us, they are all about God, who He is, what He has done for us, how He is working through us. The things we do for another are what result when we have a love for God.
When we see the acts of love that happen, it encourages us to do it even more.
Sermon by Brent Moody
