When I was younger, my picture of fellowship was an
after-church potluck. I thought fellowship was a group of Christians gathering
around food and talking about life… not necessarily spiritual life, but things
like baseball, fishing, the weather, family vacations, etc.
My view began to change after I got into a men’s
discipleship group when I was a sophomore in college. I met weekly with a few other guys to study
the Bible, pray together, and talk about the issues of life that we were
struggling with. Beyond our official
meeting time, we’d hang out at other times, doing things like eating together,
watching the Superbowl, or going to the beach for a bon-fire. Spending time with that group of guys helped
address some deeper needs in my life that a potluck never could. I discovered what fellowship or biblical
community really is.
One of my favorite passages on biblical community is found
in Hebrews chapter 10. The writer
expounds on how the Old Testament system of sacrifices never took away sin, but
when Jesus sacrificed his life, he took away sins once and for all, and we
don’t need to make sacrifices anymore.
Then he goes on to tell us that once we are in Christ, we have a new
relationship with God, a new hope, and new relationships with other believers:
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24–25
This passage describes a dynamic community of friends engaged
in mutual support and encouragement. I
believe that kind of community can’t happen in “the big church” on Sunday, but
takes place when people connect in smaller gatherings and intentionally invest
in each other’s lives. Here’s what it looks like:
- We help each other live a life of love; love toward God (demonstrated in obedience – John 14:15, 23), love toward one another (1 John 4:11), and love toward those in need around us (1 John 3:16-18).
- We keep each other engaged in the good works that God prepared us to do (Eph 2:10). The reality is, we need others to challenge us to get out and serve or we just stay in our comfort zone!
- We put courage into each other’s life so that we press on to live a life of faith and building God’s kingdom (Josh 1:7-9; Heb 4:12-14).
Early in my ministry our staff team read a book by Larry
Crabb called “Encouragement, Key to
Caring” which said that every Christian is called to encourage others,
regardless of gifting and training. The point I still remember from the
book is that my mindset in being involved in church and ministry should be to
encourage others, not for what I could get out of it. You want to know the
amazing thing? When I focus on building others up, I get encouraged too!
So what's my challenge to you? Don’t think of small groups as just one
of many options for involvement at your church. Rather, embrace the idea
that you need a community of friends to help grow closer to Jesus, and to bring
Pervasive Hope to your neighborhood!
Be strong & courageous – and create community in a small group!
Dave Stewart
