Bible Studies for Life Sunday School Lesson for July 19

Fellowship with Believers

1 Corinthians 1:1–13

As we move through the long, hot days of summer, I recently caught a glimpse of cooler days ahead. The sign was subtle and may not be noticeable to most, but it was staring me in the face at Kroger while I waited to pay for my groceries.

It came in the form of a college football preview magazine. When I was younger, I would anticipate the arrival of these magazines. I would quickly hand over $5 and read them cover to cover. These days, the magazines cost $15, and I will watch a game on television between naps. With football on the horizon, so are cooler temperatures, and millions of fans from around the nation eagerly await the return of the games.

Fans spend an exorbitant amount of money and resources on tailgating, tickets, food, clothing and other amenities. While there are tens of thousands of fans at each football game, thousands of additional supporters gather outside the stadium, cheering on their team of choice.

While the game itself is the center of attention, it is the fellowship of other like-minded individuals that creates a sense of belonging. On a much larger scale, one measure of a healthy church is its inclination to be a warm and hospitable group of people. Our backgrounds and interests will vary, but for a time on Sunday, we unite for a common cause.

Fellowship with other believers comes because of a shared trust and commitment to Jesus Christ. (1–3)

Christians and Christian churches must cling with great passion to the bonds that keep us united. With so much in this world seeking to harm and even destroy the church, our shared love for Jesus must permeate all we strive to do and provide clarity of purpose. After 2,000 years, if it were left to the efforts of men and women to sustain the church of Christ, we would have failed long ago. It is our shared and perpetual devotion to Christ and His mercies that allow the fellowship of the believers to continue.

Fellowship is strengthened and enriched as we let Christ work through us. (4–9)

It is commonly noted that the church at Corinth faced its share of challenges. The sources of their struggles are still evident in our churches today. When a church body takes its eyes and efforts off Jesus and turns inward, trouble will always follow. When preferences take priority over lost people, problems will persist. In these verses, Paul reminded them of their ability to love Jesus and of His preeminence in all they do. As we serve Christ together in our fellowships, our churches will be strengthened.

Fellowship is lost when we divide over preferences and opinions. (10–13)

To put it in our terms, the church at Corinth was divided over which pastor or leader they liked most. As strange as that might sound, conflict and divisions (no matter their size or origins) are distractions and can be detrimental to the health and effectiveness of the local church.

Many times in the Baptist church, we equate fellowship with food. And yes, that is part of it, but we must guard the unity and closeness we have with God and with each other.

If your church is not pursuing and protecting unity, little else will matter or get done. No one should enjoy conflict, but we have a responsibility to stay committed to one another and not allow temporal issues or situations to grow and have a devastating effect.