What A Fellowship!

1
What A Fellowship!

• Behold what manner of love the Father has
  bestowed on us, that we should be called children
  of God! (1 John 31)

2
koinonia

1. as a relationship characterized by sharing in
   common fellowship, participation
2. as giving so that others can share generosity,
   fellow feeling willing contribution, gift

3
Fellowship

• The active sense of the word has to do with
  giving of ourselves, our time, our money and our
  abilities in the practical aspects of Christian
  discipleship.
• In this active sense of the word, we do have a
  say concerning those with whom we have
  fellowship.
• That is, we have to make decisions concerning
  those to whom we will give of ourselves, our
  time, our money and our abilities.

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Things Which We Do

1. Give of Ourselves

5
2 Corinthians 81-5

• Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the
  grace of God bestowed on the churches of
  Macedonia that in a great trial of affliction
  the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty
  abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I
  bear witness that according to their ability,
  yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely
  willing, imploring us with much urgency that we
  would receive the gift and the fellowship of the
  ministering to the saints. And not only as we had
  hoped, but they first gave themselves to the
  Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

6
Romans 121-2

• I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
  of God, that you present your bodies a living
  sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
  reasonable service. And do not be conformed to
  this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
  your mind, that you may prove what is that good
  and acceptable and perfect will of God.

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Things Which We Do

1. Give of Ourselves
2. Give of Our Time

8
Acts 241-42

• Then those who gladly received his word were
  baptized and that day about three thousand souls
  were added to them. And they continued
  steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and
  fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in
  prayers.

9
Hebrews 1024-25

• And let us consider one another in order to stir
  up love and good works, not forsaking the
  assembling of ourselves together, as is the
  manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so
  much the more as you see the Day approaching.

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Things Which We Do

1. Give of Ourselves
2. Give of Our Time
3. Give of Our Money

11
Acts 244-45

• Now all who believed were together, and had all
  things in common, and sold their possessions and
  goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had
  need.

12
1 Corinthians 161-2

• Now concerning the collection for the saints, as
  I have given orders to the churches of Galatia,
  so you must do also On the first day of the week
  let each one of you lay something aside, storing
  up as he may prosper, that there be no
  collections when I come.

13
2 Corinthians 910-11

• Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and
  bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you
  have sown and increase the fruits of your
  righteousness, while you are enriched in
  everything for all liberality, which causes
  thanksgiving through us to God.

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2 Corinthians 912-15

• For the administration of this service not only
  supplies the needs of the saints, but also is
  abounding through many thanksgivings to God,
  while, through the proof of this ministry, they
  glorify God for the obedience of your confession
  to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal
  sharing with them and all men, and by their
  prayer for you, who long for you because of the
  exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God
  for His indescribable gift!

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Things Which We Do

1. Give of Ourselves
2. Give of Our Time
3. Give of Our Money
4. Give of Our Abilities

16
Ephesians 411-13

• And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some
  prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
  teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the
  work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of
  Christ, till we all come to the unity of the
  faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to
  a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of
  the fullness of Christ

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Ephesians 414-16

• that we should no longer be children, tossed to
  and fro and carried about with every wind of
  doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning
  craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking
  the truth in love, may grow up in all things into
  Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole
  body, joined and knit together by what every
  joint supplies, according to the effective
  working by which every part does its share,
  causes growth of the body for the edifying of
  itself in love.

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1 Corinthians 1215-19

• If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand,
  I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the
  body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am
  not an eye, I am not of the body," is it
  therefore not of the body? If the whole body were
  an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole
  were hearing, where would be the smelling? But
  now God has set the members, each one of them, in
  the body just as He pleased. And if they were all
  one member, where would the body be?

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1 Corinthians 1220-22

• But now indeed there are many members, yet one
  body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have
  no need of you" nor again the head to the feet,
  "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those
  members of the body which seem to be weaker are
  necessary.

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1 Corinthians 1223-25

• And those members of the body which we think to
  be less honorable, on these we bestow greater
  honor and our unpresentable parts have greater
  modesty, but our presentable parts have no need.
  But God composed the body, having given greater
  honor to that part which lacks it, that there
  should be no schism in the body, but that the
  members should have the same care for one
  another.

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1 Corinthians 1226-27

• And if one member suffers, all the members suffer
  with it or if one member is honored, all the
  members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of
  Christ, and members individually.

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1 Corinthians 1228-31

• And God has appointed these in the church first
  apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after
  that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,
  administrations, varieties of tongues.
• Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all
  teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all
  have gifts of healings? Do all speak with
  tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire
  the best gifts. And yet I show you a more
  excellent way.

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