Better Now Than When I Came In

Somebody asked me a good question recently: “Why do we go to fellowship?” That's a fair question. I can read the Word at home. I can listen to a teaching right on my phone. I can pray on my own couch. So why go to fellowship once or twice a week?

Let's turn to the Word and get an answer. Please turn to Romans. Tonight, we’ll be going to Romans, Ephesians, Thessalonians, Acts, Philippians, Corinthians, and Hebrews. We’re going to jump around a bit. 

In the next several minutes, here's what we’re going to learn. We’re going to see, straight from the Word (letters written to believers attending fellowship), why going to fellowship matters. Not because we have to. Nobody's taking attendance. But because fellowship just might be... just might be... the one place in my whole week... where I can walk in... in one way... and walk out... much better.

We’re going to learn from the Word, that in fellowship:

• we have mutual believing with and for each other, 

• we edify by trying to saying a good word to each other, and 

• that even though we’re all members, we’re not all the same.

In fellowship: 

• it’s like we’re building a house,

• people can believe with you and get your needs met, and

• we encourage one another to love and do good things.

We’re in Romans. Paul wrote Romans. Written a couple thousand years ago, about fellowship, and it’s written for us to apply to our lives… today. 

In Romans, chapter 1, Paul tells the believers why he's so eager to hang out with them.

Romans 1:11-12: (11) For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end... ye may be established; (12) That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith (pistis, Strong's G4102, meaning believing) both of you and me.

Paul here says that he looks forward... to come together… so they can be established. Built solid. But then in verse 12... he says it's mutual. Mutual fath, mutual believing. He also gets comforted. Apostle Paul gets built up… in his fellowship… by the very people… he came… to build up.

That's the heart of what he's saying. It goes both ways. No one in fellowship is too strong to be built up a little more... and no one in fellowship is too new to help others. If you go to the gym... to be built up... and get strong... physically... it's the same as going somewhere to get built up and strong... spiritually. And Paul is saying that the really muscular dudes in the gym... they can get even stronger. And the new folks at the gym, even they… can help others get built up. 

In fellowship, (#1) we have mutual believing with and for each other. 

Now let's go to 1 Thessalonians. That’s Acts, we’re in Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians. Chapter 5, verse 11.

Paul explains it more here… in plain language… in 1 Thessalonians 5:11: Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

In fellowship, (#2) we edify one another.

And what does that “edifying” in fellowship look like? Let's turn to the Word for that answer. It’s in Ephesians 4. Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians. Turn to Ephesians 4:29: Let no corrupt communication (words) proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

That which is good... to the use of edifying. That’s words. Words... that we speak… that build. Words that minister grace... to the ones listening.

In contrast, in the world, out there, there are a lot of words… that can tear you down. People get criticized and beat up in comments and texts... at work and school and online. BUT THEN... they come through that front door... the door to a believer's house and living room... and IN THERE, that world is different. In fellowship, we have decided ahead of time, we all agree... that what comes out of our mouths... in fellowship... is going to edify… build. That's rare. You can't get that just anywhere. And you sure can't get it scrolling... alone... on the couch.

In our fellowship, we all try to say a good word to each other - to edify - and try to make sure... that each of us... comes out... better than we walked in.

That’s doing the Word. Spoken words, from a familiar face, into your ears, that you can apply to your life, so you can live a more abundant life. Maybe if you go to fellowship… in a certain way, you can leave a little more peaceful, a little stronger, a little more sure of who you are in Christ.

Now our fellowship is all over the map. We have people in their twenties, folks over a half a century old. Some married, unmarried, retired, working, students, etc. There's the lifelong believers and people who just walked in for the first time. How's this gathering (this fellowship of total strangers) supposed to work for everyone?

The answer is in Romans 12. So, it’s Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and we’re in Ephesians. Let’s read Romans 12:4-5. (4) For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: (5) So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one, members one of another.

Members one of another. A believer in their twenties and a believer in their sixties aren't a mismatch... they're members one of another. The younger brings something the older needs, and the older brings something the younger needs. That's the intended design of a fellowship. 

And we all don't have to be best friends with everybody in the room. We're not handing out friendship bracelets at the door. You're not required to show up an hour early or stay an hour late to chat. If that's your thing, wonderful. But if you're more of an introvert, and you slip in, get the Word, get built up, and head home to chew on it... that's fellowship too. 

In fellowship, (#3) we are all members, and we’re not all the same. 

So where did this household fellowship idea come from? Let’s go to Acts, chapter 2. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts. Now Acts is the history of the early church getting started — but watch what they did way back then.

Acts 2, verse 42: And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

The doctrine (the Word)... and fellowship. Doctrine and fellowship… right next to each other. And eating and praying. And verse 46 tells us where: "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”

From house to house. The first-century church met in their homes. Living rooms. Around kitchen tables. Just... like... we do… today. We're not doing something new. We’re not doing something The Way International requires us to do. We're doing the oldest thing… in the book.

In fellowship, (#4) we meet in our homes. 

Now, the word “edify.” When Paul says "edify one another" in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, it’s the Greek is oikodomeo (oy-kod-om-eh'-o, Strong's G3618). That word… is built from two parts: oikos, which means a house... and a root word that means to build. Edify literally means… to build a house. Cool, right? 

I've spent a good part of my life building houses. When we edify one another, the Word is saying we're building a house. We're the contactors, the builders, and we're also the building.

A house… when it gets built… the boards are joined or added… one board to another — fitted, fastened, framed up together. Alone, a wood stud board is just a stick. But joined together, boards can make up the entire structure.

Alone on the couch, we're as a good board. Joined together… in fellowship... we're like a house. 

In fellowship, (#5) we’re building a house. And the house is us. 

Please turn to Phillipeans, chapter 4.

So, we're a household. And a household... it takes care of its own. We try to meet each other's needs. And in Philippians 4:19, it says that God shall supply all of our needs. Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Back up a few verses, and Paul is talking about how the believers in Philippi had met his need, over and over, when no one else would. 

Look at Phl 4:15: Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 

Paul says no church gave to support him — except the Philippians.

Phl 4:16: For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

Phl 4:17

Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 

Phl 4:18: But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 

Their latest gift arrived (carried by a man named Epaphroditus), and now Paul says he's full. His need was met by those people.

Phl 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

This spiritual truth is spoken to people who had just met the Paul’s needs.

God supplies the need... and he can supply it through people, maybe… just maybe through the people in your fellowship. The Philippians were God's "supply" to Paul. Paul turns around and tells them God will be their supply. That's the loop. 

In fellowship, (#6) meeting needs… can run in both directions through the church body. 

And one of the ways we help each other out? Prayer.

Here's something we do in fellowship… that I just can't do alone in my living room chair. In fellowship, we can pray WITH each other — and if I've got a need, I can say it right out loud. It’s completely optional. Nobody's calling on anyone who doesn’t want to pray in fellowship.

But if you want… you can pray out loud, or pray quietly, or speak in tongues to yourself, or just listen — it’s all good… in our fellowship. 

Praying is good and powerful, so never stop. 

But if I wanted to, I could lay out my needs… with other believers... and the second I do, something changes. I'm not believing… by myself… anymore. I got other believers… believing right along with me.

And that's not just a nice feeling you can get in fellowship. Paul? He counted on it. Because in fellowship, (#7) people can believe with you. 

Please turn to 2 Corinthians 1. That’s Acts, Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, and we’re in Philippians.

2 Corinthians 1:11: Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

Paul is telling the Corinthians that their praying together for him played a real part in his rescue from a deadly trouble — so that the deliverance God granted through the prayers of many believers would have many people giving Him thanks.

Paul leaned on a whole roomful of believers praying for him. And in Romans 15:30, he comes right out and asks for it directly. 

I’ll just read it to you. You don’t have to turn there. Romans 15:30, Paul writes, “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.”

Strive together. Pray to God. For me. That’s cool stuff.

I’ll wrap up with one more verse — and this one is in Hebrews. Let’s turn to Hebrews, chapter 10. We’re in 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:24-25: (24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another...

So, it says to consider one another. In fellowship, (#8) we encourage one another to love and do good things. And don't under-value or mistaken our meetings together. 

That's really… my entire teaching… in those two verses – Hebrews 10:24-25.

Application

So, here’s how we can APPLY what we’ve learned to our lives. 

When I come to fellowship, I try to be ready… to say just one good word to someone… who might really need it. Not a big sermon – just a sentence. Like, "Good to see you." Or, "That blessed me." Or, "I’ll believe with you about that.” 

By doing that, I get to add one board into that house we’re building in fellowship. And ALSO, I get to come to fellowship ready… ready to RECEIVE… a good word from someone, a promise or blessing from God, or to get my needs met. I can come to fellowship… for someone build me up. 

And here's another one. Write down your need — on a Post-it. Your need... or somebody else's. And put it where you can see it and believe for it, like a note on your fridge. Put your believing note on the Gromicko’s refrigerator wall. Go ahead. That’s where we can see it. By doing something like that, your need stops being yours alone. The second it's on the fridge, the whole house is believing with you… for it to come to pass. 

Summary

So tonight, we learned a lot. 

Why go to fellowship? Well, in fellowship:

• we have mutual believing with and for each other, 

• we edify by trying to say a good word to each other, and 

• we are all members, but we’re not all the same.

In fellowship: 

• it’s like we’re building a house,

• people can believe with you and get your needs met, and

• we encourage one another to love and do good things.

So, I encourage you to keep going to fellowship. Bring a friend. Come as you are. Stay as long or as little as you like. But come... and you'll walk out better than you walked in. 

And that’s what I wanted to share.

You’re the best.

God Bless. 

I’ll put this teaching on RaleighFellowship.com in a couple of days. 

Love ya. Miss you all.