The Fellowship of the Believers

[plain_n_simple]

44 A.D.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.

45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

2015 A.D.

42 They devoted themselves to the Baptist traditions and to fighting each other over doctrine, and to the Sunday chicken and noodles dinner, and to gossip and sports ministry.

43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many children's programs and presentations performed by the choir.

44 All the Baptist believers were together and had some things in common(according to economic and social class outside of church), other so-called believers were ridiculed, judged, and counted as lost.

45 They sold baked goods to give to anyone who had need, after filling out the proper forms and reviewed by a committee.

46 Twice on Sunday and on Wednesday night they continued to meet together. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with suspicious and fearful hearts,

47 praising the military and a political party, and enjoying the favor of being armed, ready to kill. And the Lord added to their number once in awhile those who were being saved. :thumbs: :applause:

 

[BobRyan]

indeed sir.

in Christ,

Bob

 

[JonC]

In my experience churches today are not interested in the fellowship of believers. They are interested in getting more people to come to the church. We no longer "have church" for the equipping of the saints" as much as we do to remain relevant to the community in which we find ourselves. Then again, it may just be it's been a long day, I'm tired, and a natural pessimist.

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

I crave the time of fellowship I have with some of the older men in the church.

I NEED the fellowship of believers!

 

[JonC]

I crave the time of fellowship I have with some of the older men in the church.

I NEED the fellowship of believers!

I simply don't see it happening, Jordan. Our culture has changed from community....you may get a bunch of people to hang out for awhile, but insofar as fellowship in terms of a "community of believers," I just don't think it possible any more. As a society we are pulled in far too many directions. I hope I'm wrong. I miss the fellowship our churches had when I was a growing up.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Years ago Elton Trueblood published an excellent book, The Incendiary Fellowship.

Indeed, it seems the entire book can be read at:

http://www.ccel.us/incendiary.toc.html

From a review:

"I came to cast fire on the earth" is one of the most neglected of Jesus' sayings. In his new book, The Incendiary Fellowship, Elton Trueblood writes that the fire cast on the earth two thousand years ago by Jesus is flickering with alarming faintness.

In the first place, he asserts, committed Christians do not represent the mainstream of Western culture. A new and active paganism commonly referred to as "the Playboy philosophy" is emerging — a paganism that is both articulate and arrogant.

It is absolutely vital, says Dr. Trueblood, that Christianity should again become a vibrant, fighting force. It cannot survive as a mild religion-in-general. The Church is located not in a church building or out in the world. It is in people. Unless we make a strong and conscious drive to rekindle the fire it could be quenched by the flip ridicule of the playboys of the world, who would have us play it cool.

In The Incendiary Fellowship Dr. Trueblood shows how the Church can be set aflame today as it was in the first century of Christianity.

"Dr. Trueblood presents the Christian church with its problems and opportunities set forth in clear outline. He never fails to bring fresh insights into old situations. I am forever in debt to Trueblood books, and this last one is no exception."

— GERALD KENNEDY

 

[wpe3bql]

In my experience churches today are not interested in the fellowship of believers. They are interested in getting more people to come to the church. We no longer "have church" for the equipping of the saints" as much as we do to remain relevant to the community in which we find ourselves.

While I can agree with you in general terms, I cannot agree with your seeming "broad-brush" characterization that concludes that ALL LOCAL CHURCHES EVERYWHERE ON THIS EARTH ARE "NUMBER'S HUNGRY," AND THUS WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO LURE PEOPLE TO THEIR SERVICES/MEMBERSHIP, EVEN IF THEY DON'T ABIDE BY THE NT PATTERN OF HAVING SPIRIT-FILLED, BIBLE-BASED MEANS OF FELLOWSHIP WITH EACH OTHER AND SOUND BIBLICAL TEACHING AND/OR PREACHING IN THEIR CORPORATE WORSHIP SERVICES OR ANY OTHER VENUE WHEREIN THE TRUTHS OF GOD'S WORD ARE EXAMINED/EXPONDED [e.g., a "men's" or a "women's" "small-group Bible study," etc.].

Brother P&S (et.al.), you have indicted many wonderful local churches, not only in the USA, but also in many other parts of terra firma that do "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3b), and apparently without even giving them a chance to prove to you what they have to offer a "hungry-for-true-NT-fellowship" that you seem to be.

Maybe it's been your personal experience that has tainted your thinking that because you personally have noticed and/or attended churches that appear to have apostatized by departing from the real NT purposes such as, for example, are listed in Ephesians 4:11-16.

I say "maybe" because I don't know exactly to which churches you are referring--and, to be honest with you, don't really care to know which churches they may have been--that has caused you to broad-brush every single good, sound church wherever they may be located

I'd venture to say that the ones with which you've had bad experiences are relatively few in number compared to the total number of churches that exist throughout the world who haven't left the true NT faith.

If you really wish to find good, solid NT-based local churches, you may have to do some looking around beyond the immediate region where you live, but there are plenty out there--some of which are pastored by people that post here on BB (or could give you some "contacts" to help you in your quest).

Since I'm not a pastor or even a member of a church staff, I could only refer you to only a handful of churches that I know of in a couple of areas in the US. OTOH, there are people right here on BB that could be a great source of information to help you in this matter.

Maybe some of you out there in BB Land could help P&S (et.al.) find a good church where he could attend, and also be a blessing to that congregation by using whatever gifts/talents God gave him.

"Seek, and ye shall find," my brother.

May God bless you in your seeking.

 

[JonC]

While I can agree with you in general terms, I cannot agree with your seeming "broad-brush" characterization that concludes that ALL LOCAL CHURCHES EVERYWHERE ON THIS EARTH ARE "NUMBER'S HUNGRY," AND THUS WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO LURE PEOPLE TO THEIR SERVICES/MEMBERSHIP, EVEN IF THEY DON'T ABIDE BY THE NT PATTERN OF HAVING SPIRIT-FILLED, BIBLE-BASED MEANS OF FELLOWSHIP WITH EACH OTHER AND SOUND BIBLICAL TEACHING AND/OR PREACHING IN THEIR CORPORATE WORSHIP SERVICES OR ANY OTHER VENUE WHEREIN THE TRUTHS OF GOD'S WORD ARE EXAMINED/EXPONDED [e.g., a "men's" or a "women's" "small-group Bible study," etc.].

I think, Bro. w, that you have expanded on my comments a bit farther than I would have ventured (but I also see that you have lumped all of us into your reply....which is fine - saves on digital thingies) I was speaking specifically of fellowship and internal discipleship that I have found to be second to evangelism. Given that I only offered a couple of sentences in two posts, I think it reasonable to conclude that I was indeed speaking in general terms (our churches as a whole, or “broad brushing” if you prefer). I do not know, but some of your response contains experiences that may actually be your own (or perhaps the experiences of others you’ve incorporated into my response).

"Seek, and ye shall find," my brother.
May God bless you in your seeking.

Thank you. I am seeking, but I am not necessarily seeking a different church. I recognize things that need to be strengthened within my own church (and within churches in my community). I think that my best choice is to be faithful where God has me, and if He takes me somewhere else, then I’ll strive to be faithful there.

I believe that when we stop recognizing room for improvement and growth in ourselves and our churches then we stop growing. So please understand that I don't mean to be overly critical.

 

[BobRyan]

In my experience churches today are not interested in the fellowship of believers. They are interested in getting more people to come to the church. We no longer "have church" for the equipping of the saints" as much as we do to remain relevant to the community in which we find ourselves. Then again, it may just be it's been a long day, I'm tired, and a natural pessimist.

Well then have I got the Baptist Board thread for you ...
#1

See "This Gospel of the Kingdom going throughout all the world" - as it happens.

 

[wpe3bql]

JonC--

I appreciate your prompt and kind reply to my earlier post.

If I misinterpreted your post(s) to mean more than your own local church, I humbly apologize and ask your forgiveness in this matter.

I've had a rather rough day today due to the fact that I had to undergo my very first total ["up" & "down"] colonoscopy today and, consequently, may still not have totally recouped from the effects of the anesthesia under which they put me. Actually, they had to put me under twice because the first time they "forgot" to decompress my colon enough and left a whole lot of "trapped air" that was lodged midway in my intestine.

Needless to say, yours truly wasn't a very happy camper for much of today!

Anyway, you are correct in believing that a born-again Christian's first priority to his local church ought to be to correct what he deems as hurtful priorities from either its leadership or its membership in general (or both).

I'm in total agreement with you that you should do what you can to try to reduce--if not eliminate--problems before they get so far out of hand that your church is ruined (cf. I Cor. 1:10 & Rom. 12:16a).

I had to experience what came very close to ruining a church because some folks thought that they should have "their way" in spite of what the pastor knew was a direct threat to his leadership--which was based on the right way of pastoring a church.

"They" opposed him because he refused to bow down to their childish demands that he lead the church according to "their way," and not what God's Word said to do. Thankfully "they" left the church, but managed to take over a third of the membership with them.

And, to make matters worse as far as I personally was concerned, I was merely a "babe in Christ" when all this happened, having only been saved for less than two years before this had happened.

If nothing else, it made me appreciate and pray for my pastor(s) [I've served under about six pastors since then...All of whom were/are Godly men, and all for whom I thank God for allowing me the privilege of sitting up their leadership!]

Yes, it ought to be the desire of every Christian to do what they can to make their own local church be one with which they serve God in a way that brings honor to the One Who shed His Blood for that church.

May God bless you in your efforts to try to make your local church more like the one about which Jesus mentioned in Revelation 3:8-12!