Sermon Tone Analysis

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people.

And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.[1]

Fellowship is one of those misappropriated words marking contemporary English.

Whenever we use the word *fellowship*, we know that we are in a religious setting.

In fact, we are reasonably confident that when we hear people speaking of fellowship that we are in an evangelical setting.

Almost invariably, whenever someone speaks of fellowship, we think of eating.

Those who practise fellowship are well fed.

My concern is that few of us practise fellowship.

One great reason we fail in our practise of fellowship is that we have no contemporary model of fellowship.

On one occasion, I was listening to the broadcast of a message by Charles Swindoll.

Those who have heard Charles Swindoll will know that he is a master of illustration.

I regret that I cannot remember the precise broadcast, but I do recall one illustration that he used.

Swindoll served as a Marine and was stationed in Okinawa.

There, he had one sergeant who was profane and coarse.

If anyone was an unlikely candidate to become a Christian, it was this particular sergeant.

Swindoll maintained his testimony as a Christian throughout his days in Okinawa, despite pressure to lower his standards.

After his discharge from the Corps, he attended seminary and pastored several churches before receiving a call to pastor the First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, California.

One day, out of the blue, Pastor Swindoll received a call from this former Marine sergeant.

The man had become a Christian, and he wanted Swindoll to know about his conversion.

As you might imagine, both rejoiced over this conversation—the sergeant that he was a Christian and Swindoll because he had provided a positive influence which had served to point this rough man to salvation in Christ the Lord.

As they talked and reminisced, however, the former sergeant made a telling statement.

“You know what I miss more than anything, Chuck?

I miss the slop chute.”

The “slop chute,” for those who have never had the experience of serving in the USMC, is the enlisted man’s bar.

When I heard that illustration, I immediately connected.

I knew precisely what that man meant.

At the bar, people are friendly.

Generally, you will build a circle of close friends who share the experience of conversation and drinking with you.

You can speak out of your pain and still find acceptance.

Just because you are hurting, others will hurt with you.

You can laugh and others laugh with you.

It really doesn’t matter if you are a millionaire or a pauper, your friends are glad to see you and they always welcome you.

May I suggest that the church could learn something from the “slop chute.”

I’m not recommending that we make it a habit of frequenting bars, nor yet that we open a bar; but I do say that we should be ashamed that we have neglected the fellowship.

Maybe we would do well to return to the pages of the New Testament where we can review the ideal which should be part of the congregation which is pleasing to the Lord.

In order to pursue this ideal, I invite you to join me in review of the activities of the First Baptist Church of Jerusalem as recorded in the second chapter of Acts.

Fellowship Marks the Church Which Pleases God — *Going to church* is not the same as *being the church*.

Let’s establish one great truth.

The church which pleases God is a church characterised as the fellowship.

The members of that church share their lives.

Without question, God seeks fellowship with man, and when we walk according to His will, we enjoy fellowship both with Him and with one another.

John R. W. Stott says, “the word ‘fellowship’ was born on the Day of Pentecost.”[2]

The reason for this statement is that Christian fellowship implies common participation with God.

We should be concerned whenever fellowship becomes constricted, including just a few individuals.

Biblical fellowship speaks of sharing our lives with one another, enjoying being with one another, and especially sharing in the study of the Word of God and the teachings which are presented within that Word.

The Christians in this first church were one in Jesus and one in God the Father and they therefore quite naturally participated in a common life together.

Listen to a clarifying statement from John’s first letter which addresses this issue.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us [*1 John 1:1-10*].

Fellowship with God and fellowship with His people goes together.

The stronger your fellowship with God, the stronger your fellowship with other believers.

Those who are out of fellowship with God are likely also out of fellowship with other Christians.

Not only are we to enjoy fellowship with one another, but the union of saints is known as the fellowship.

According to the Apostle, we who have believed were called into the fellowship of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord [*1 Corinthians 1:9*].

What I would have you witness from the text is that the first disciples did not merely seek fellowship, but they endeavoured to be the fellowship.

Study the first verse with me.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and *to the fellowship* [τῃ̂ κοινωνίᾳ][3]  The translators failed to note the definite article in the original text.

I checked a variety of Bibles, asking how translators have dealt with this definite article.

To my surprise, fifteen out of twenty-two ignored the definite article.

To these translators, the emphasis is upon fellowship, or sharing.

However, the text makes it plain that what is in view is the commitment to the assembly.

I have frequently cited Eugene Petersen’s refreshing treatment of the New Testament.

He maintains the sense of what Doctor Luke was saying.

*They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together*…[4]

Other translations have been equally careful to maintain the sense of what was first written.

*They spent their time in learning from the apostles, taking part in the fellowship*.[5]

They *were giving constant attention to the teaching of the apostles and to that which they held in common with them*.[6]

Despite this brief review of versions which are careful to maintain the sense of what Doctor Luke wrote, it must be admitted that the majority of translations are focused on act and not on the life.

The distinction is that between the fellowship as a corporate entity, and fellowship as an act.

Did Luke mean to draw attention to eating meals together, or did he mean to draw attention to sharing the common life?

Dr. A. T. Robertson, the great Baptist linguist, employed considerable understatement when he wrote concerning the word *fellowship* as used in this verse: “/Fellowship/ (/koinōniāi/) [is an o]ld word from /koinōnos/ (partner, sharer in common interest) and this from /koinos/ what is common to all.

…There is wide diversity of opinion concerning the precise meaning of /koinōnia/ in this verse.”[7]

I don’t suppose that my view will prove to be conclusive for everyone, but I am nonetheless compelled to state that I understand Luke to have focused on the entity and not on the action.

Perhaps I can’t settle the debate, but I can make us aware of a vital issue which must be addressed.

Luke is awakening us to the face that early Christians were not merely paper Christians, but they were partners in a common bond of love.

This partnership involves participation in the blood of Christ.

Paul challenged the Philippians, asking them to review the impact of Christ to discover if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit [*Philippians 2:1*].

Fellowship entails co-operation in the work of the gospel.

In the same Philippian letter, the Apostle assures the people that he prays for them with deepest gratitude, because of your partnership in the gospel [*Philippians 1:5*].

The phrase, participation in the Spirit is literally, *fellowship in the Spirit* [εἴ τις κοινωνία πνεύματος], and the phrase partnership in the gospel is literally *the fellowship in the gospel* [τῃ̂ κοινωνίᾳ ὑμω̂ν εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον].

Fellowship may be said to be a spiritual union with physical manifestations.

I might add as well that fellowship will lead us to share with fellow believers our wealth.

The compassion of Christ must of necessity be expressed through the concern of believers for their fellow saints.

You will recall that Paul was deeply impressed by what he witnessed among the Macedonian churches, not only because they were joyful and generous, but because they also pleaded for the favour of taking part in the relief of the saints [*2 Corinthians 8:4*].

Again, that phrase relief of the saints seeks to translate the Greek phrase τὴν κοινωνίαν τη̂ς διακονίας τη̂ς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους,[8] which means more literally *the fellowship of the ministry to the saints*.

Likewise, in *2 Corinthians 9:13*, Paul is still speaking of a monetary contribution, which he calls *the fellowship*, though in my translation it is referred to as a contribution [τη̂ς κοινωνίας εἰς αὐτοὺς καὶ εἰς πάντας].

I have wandered rather far to bring the message to this point, and for the sake of clarity I must draw together the several strands which now hang loose.

Fellowship, as referred to in our text speaks of our close relationship as Christians.

“The Greek word used here (/koinōnia/) is one Paul often employed, but it appears only here in all of Luke-Acts.

Its basic meaning is ‘association, communion, fellowship, close relationship.’