Fellowship – Not Just A Social Club; A Strong Connection With Christ

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.’ (1 Peter 3:8); ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Fellowship is important to the Christian, but only if it is done in the proper context.  Jesus must always be at the front and center; if He is not then it is simply a ‘social gathering’ and one can do that by joining a bowling league or a quilting group outside of the Church.  This does not mean that Christians in a Bible Study or a Life Group cannot do social events, but Jesus must come first.  A Fellowship of Believers should always reflect Jesus and His Word, and should be in lock step with each other when it comes to worshipping Him.  We may hold different viewpoints on various secular items, such as politics, fashion, or cars; we must be unified in our walk with Christ. 

A group cannot become ‘holier than thou’ nor should it try to compare itself to other groups.  As stated in 1 Peter 3:8, other groups may be better suited to the needs of its members; other groups may be different due to their construct, but if it is meeting the needs within its Fellowship it is a good group.  A Life Group should not be in competition with other groups when it comes to membership numbers or charities it gives to or social events it holds, as it is not something Jesus would want.  All Fellowship groups should be following 1 Thessalonians 5:11, building up its members and encouraging each other to strengthen their walk with Jesus.  We need to encourage folk to not only ‘come study the Word’ but to also ‘go do the Word’. 

There is an internal component within a Fellowship group, to keep each member knowledgeable through their Biblical studies, to share each other’s prayer needs and praises, and to be there to support the members who are hurting, at minimum in prayerful, moral support and communication, and when needed to lend a helping hand. The external component comes from the equipping of each to share the Gospel message to others outside of the group, in the secular world, through sharing the Word by talking, praying or in action – whether when with members of the group or when one is ‘on their own’ outside of the group. When there is only one Christian, there is in reality one Christian plus God via the Holy Spirit, so we’re never really alone!

In a larger context, we saw our Church family come together when Florida Baptist Disaster Relief came and helped us out during Hurricane Ian in 2022, and when members of MBC who were part of FBDR went to help those stricken by Hurricane Idalia in 2023.  They also went out to share the Word with those who did not believe, or were outside the Fellowship.  They were a Fellowship that not only studied the Word of Jesus, but then used it in a practical exercise.  If we need to make a resolution in 2024, let us emulate that within MBC and our Life Groups!