Relationships

How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for Gods

People to live together in harmony
Psalm 133:1 TEV

You can develop a healthy, robust

community that lives right with God and

A body of an organism, has many cells. Every

Christian needs to be involve in fellowships
like:
-

Church
fellowship group
Sunday school
bible study

*This is where real community happens not

in big gatherings.

enjoy its results only if you do the hard work

of getting along with each other, treating

Imagery:

each other with dignity and honor.

Church is a ship, cell groups are the life boats

attach.

James 3:18 MSG

Life is meant to be shared.

Bible definition:
Experience life together = fellowship
Today:
Casual conversation, socializing, food and
fun = fellowship

Incredible promise about small group

believers:
For where two or three have gathered
together in My name, I am there in their
midst. Matt 18:20 NASB
For where two or three gather in my name,
there am I with them." Matt 18:20 NIV

AUTHENTICITY.
Some questions like:
Where do you fellowship? Means, Where do
you attend church?

Authentic not superficial. It is genuine. Heartto-heart sharing. Sharing hurts, reveal

feelings, failures, doubts, fears, acknowledge
weaknesses and ask for help and prayer.

Stay after for fellowship. Means, Wait for

refreshments.

MUTUALITY.
Art of giving and receiving.

Real fellowship is experiencing life together.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Unselfish loving
Honest sharing
Practical serving
Sacrificial giving
Sympathetic comforting
And all the other one another
commands found in NT

Size matter in fellowship!

*You can worship with a crowd, but cannot
fellowship with one

He way God designed our bodies is a model

for understanding our lives together as a
church: every part dependent on every other
part. 1 Corinthians 12:25 MSG
It is the HEART OF FELLOWSHIP.
-

Buiding reciprocal relationships

Sharing responsibilities
Helping One another

That is, that you and I may be mutually

encouraged by each others faith. Romans
1:12 NIV

Metaphor:
Bible commands mutual:

Accountability
Encouragement
Serving
Honoring

Bible said over 50 times that we are

commanded to do different task to one
another and each other.

Let us therefore make every effort to do

what leads to peace and to mutual
edification. Romans 14:19 NIV

SYMPATHY.
Not giving advice or quick help. Entering in
and sharing the pain of others.
You can say:
I understand what youre going through and
what you feel is neither strange nor crazy.
Therefore, as Gods chosen people, holy and
dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness
and patience. Colossians 3:12 NIV

Different levels of fellowship

Simple
o Sharing
o Studying Gods word together
Deeper
o

Serving

A despairing man should have the devotion

of his friends, even though he forsakes the
fear of the Almighty. Job 6:14 NIV

MERCY.
Fellowship is a place of grace. Mistakes are
not rubbed in but rubbed out.
When people sin, you should forgive and
comfort them, so they wont give up in
despair 2 Corinthians 2:7 CEV
No fellowship without forgiveness.
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge
against anyone among your people, but love
your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:18 NIV
Bitterness and resentment destroys
fellowship.
Bear with each other and forgive one
another if any of you has a grievance against
someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13 NIV

Bear in Mind!
You will never be asked to forgive
someone else more than God has
already forgiven you.
If you are hurt, choose: will I use my energy
and emotions for RETALIATION or for
RESOLUTION? No both.

FORGIVENESS must be IMMEDIATELY! Even if

people asks it or not.

Deepest
o

Suffering carrying each others

burdens best around people
who are persecuted, despised
and often martyred for their
faith

Share each other's troubles and problems,

and in this way obey the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2 NLT
We circumstances crush that our faith
falthers, thats where we need believing
friends the most.

Are tired of fake fellowships and you would

like to cultivate a real fellowship and a loving
community? Do some tough choices and take
some risks.

It takes Honesty, Humility, Courtesy &

Confidentiality

HONESTY.
Care enough and lovingly speak the truth
even it can cause a problem.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will
grow to become in every respect the mature

body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Ephesians 4:15 NIV

Live in harmony with each other. Don't try to

act important, but enjoy the company of
ordinary people. And don't think you know it
all! Romans 12:16 NLT

We cannot have community without candor

(quality of being open and honest)

COURTESY.

What this adds up to, then, is this: no more

lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor
the truth. In Christ's body we're all
connected to each other, after all. When you
lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.
Ephesians 4:25 NIV

The tunnel of conflict is the passageway to

intimacy in any relationship. Until you care
enough to confront and resolve underlying
barriers, you will never grow close to each
other.
In the end, people appreciate frankness
more than flattery. Proverbs 28:23 NLT
Frankness is not license to say anything.
Thoughtless words leave lasting wounds.
God tells us to speak to each other as loving
family members:
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but
exhort him as if he were your father. Treat
younger men as brothers, 2 older women as
mothers, and younger women as sisters,
with absolute purity. 1 Timothy 5:1 NIV

HUMILITY.
Self-importance, smugness and stubborn
pride destroys fellowship faster than
anything else. Pride builds walls between
people.
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to
the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with
humility toward one another, for God
opposes the proud but gives grace to the
humble. 1 Peter 5:5
Develop humility by
-

Admitting your weakness

By being patient to others
Being open to correction
Pointing spotlight on others

Respecting others in differences, being

considerate of others feelings, and being
patient with others who irritate us.
We who are strong ought to bear with the
failings of the weak and not to please
ourselves. Romans 15:1 NIV
One key to courtesy is to understand where
people come from. Discover their history.
Know what theyve been through. Instead of
thinking how far they will go but how far
theyve come.

CONFIDENTIALITY.
Only in safe and warm environment of
acceptance and trust will peple open up and
share their deepest hurts, needs, and
mistakes.
What goes on in the group, stays in the
group. Not to gossip about it.
Gossip is spread by wicked people; they stir
up trouble and break up friendships.
Proverbs 16:28 GNT

FREQUENCY
Must have an often or regular contact with
the group in order to build genuine
fellowship. Relationships take time.
Let us not give up the habit of meeting
together, as some are doing. Instead, let us
encourage one another Hebrews 10:25 GNT
Community is built not on convenience (well
get together when we feel like it) but on the
conviction that I need it for spiritual health. If
you want to cultivate real fellowship, it will
mean meeting together even you dont even
feel like it.
They worshiped together regularly at the
Temple each day, met in small groups in
homes for Communion, and shared their
meals with great joy and thankfulness Acts
2:46 TLB

Fellowship requires an investment of time.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

True feelings(authenticity)
encourage each other(mutuality)
support each other (sympathy)
forgive each other (mercy)
speak the truth in love (honesty)
admit our weakness (humility)
respect our differences (courtesy)
not gossip (confidentiality)

9. make group a priority (frequency)

When you look at the list. Its so obvious why

genuine fellowship is rare. Means giving up
our self-centeredness and independence in
order to become interdependent. But the
benefits of sharing life together far outweigh
the cost and it prepares us for heaven.