Fellowship 11 th January 2015 Acts 2 v 44-46 V 44: The believers were together and had everything in common What does this mean for us today? V 45: The haves gave to the have-nots What does this mean for us today? V 46: How were they able to meet together every day? Breaking bread could simply mean sharing a meal together V 47: The Lord added to their number daily They were blessed by God Hallmarks of Fellowship = Caring and Sharing Acts 4 v 32-35 V 32: The believers were one in heart and mind Was this a type of communism? They expected Jesus to return soon V 33: What was the source of their love? The Apostles testimony and Gods grace V 34: Grace from God should flow into grace to others Matthew 10:8 says Freely you have received; freely give. V 35: Re-distribution through the apostles and later the Seven How could we do likewise today? Hallmark of Fellowship = Giving to those in need Ephesians 4 v 7-16 V 7: We receive the amount of grace that Christ has decided to give us It will be exactly as much as we need V 8-10: Jesus has triumphed over death and evil He has the authority to give us gifts These gifts are for serving the church V 11&12: Christ has appointed roles for people in the church Not for their own good or prestige To build the body through works of service V 13: What to aim for Unity in the faith Knowledge of the Son of God Maturity = fullness of Christ V 14: What to avoid Immaturity Following wrong teaching Being deceived by schemers V 15: Method of growth = Speaking the truth in love We often find this hard V 16: The picture is of a body gradually being built up It is like the dry bones in the valley that Ezekiel was shown Each part must do its work - thats all of us! Main Lesson: We all have an active role to play in building up the Fellowship When we come to church, do we think How can I build today?"