Embracing Koinonia: The Power of True Fellowship

Devotional

Day 1: Fellowship Is Following Jesus Together

Fellowship, or koinonia, is a shared life and mission rooted in relationship with God and each other. True fellowship is more than just socializing or sharing a meal; it is a deep commitment to walk alongside one another in faith, supporting, encouraging, and growing together as followers of Jesus. The early church modeled this by devoting themselves to teaching, breaking bread, prayer, and genuine fellowship, making room in their lives for each other because of Jesus. This kind of togetherness is not optional for Christians—it is essential, as no one is called to follow Jesus alone. [31:56]

Acts 2:42 (NIV)
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Reflection: Who in your life could you intentionally make room for this week to experience deeper fellowship and shared faith together?

Day 2: Our Relationship with Jesus Fuels Our Fellowship

Our fellowship with one another is directly connected to our relationship with Jesus. When we are encouraged and comforted by Christ’s love, that joy and unity overflow into our relationships with others, making us like-minded in purpose and mission. If following Jesus feels empty or discouraging, it may be because we have replaced genuine relationship with religious routine. Authentic koinonia with Jesus leads to authentic koinonia with others, and living this out brings joy to ourselves and those around us. [36:25]

Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV)
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Reflection: In what ways can you move beyond religious routine and pursue a deeper, more authentic relationship with Jesus that overflows into your relationships with others?

Day 3: Walking in the Light Together

Fellowship is not just about being together, but about walking in the light of Christ together. When we claim to have fellowship with Jesus but continue to walk in darkness, we deceive ourselves. But as we walk in the light, we experience true fellowship with one another, and Jesus purifies and transforms us. The church is a diverse group of people united by Jesus, and authentic fellowship means living out our faith together, encouraging each other to grow, and helping each other move away from sin. [41:48]

1 John 1:6-7 (NIV)
If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you need to step into the light and invite others to walk with you for support and accountability?

Day 4: Living Out the “One Another” Commands

Fellowship is made real through the “one another” commands in Scripture: being devoted, honoring, accepting, serving, encouraging, admonishing, and loving each other. This is not always easy or comfortable, and it can get messy, but it is how we grow and reflect Christ to the world. True koinonia means working through disagreements, offering hospitality, and showing kindness and compassion, even when it’s difficult. The church is called to be a place where everyone is accepted and challenged to grow, and where love is patient, kind, and keeps no record of wrongs. [47:44]

Romans 12:10 (NIV)
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Reflection: Which “one another” command do you find most challenging, and what is one practical step you can take this week to live it out with someone in your church community?

Day 5: Making Room for Others in Fellowship

Fellowship requires intentionality—making room in our lives for others, even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient. Excuses and comforts can keep us from entering into true community, but following Jesus means following Him together, bringing our messes, grace, and love into shared life. Whether it’s through Sunday gatherings, serving, or joining a small group, taking a step into fellowship is essential for spiritual growth and for welcoming others into the family of God. Don’t let fear or busyness hold you back from the blessing of koinonia. [51:41]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Reflection: What comfort or excuse is holding you back from deeper fellowship, and what step can you take this week to make room for someone else in your life?

Sermon Summary

Fellowship is more than just a churchy word or a potluck in a basement hall—it’s a vital, God-designed way of life for anyone who follows Jesus. The early church didn’t just hang out; they lived out a deep, purposeful togetherness called koinonia, a Greek word meaning “sharing in common.” This isn’t just about being friendly or social; it’s about being united in mission, purpose, and relationship with God and each other. The New Testament shows us that no one followed Jesus alone. The church was—and is—meant to be a community where we bring our mess, our gifts, our encouragement, and our love, all centered on Christ.

Fellowship is rooted in our relationship with Jesus, and it overflows into our relationships with each other. When we’re truly connected to Christ, we’re drawn into authentic, sometimes messy, relationships with other believers. This is where the “one another” commands of Scripture come alive: honoring, serving, encouraging, admonishing, forgiving, and loving each other. These aren’t optional extras; they’re the very fabric of Christian life. Our faith is personal, but it’s never private. The more we try to follow Jesus in isolation, the more we miss out on the transformation and growth that only happen in community.

Excuses and comfort often get in the way—busyness, fear of rejection, or just preferring to be alone. But the call to fellowship is a call to make room for others, to step out of our comfort zones, and to welcome those who aren’t yet part of this community. The church isn’t ours to protect from change; it’s God’s, and He’s always inviting more people into His family. Real fellowship will be messy, but it’s in the mess that grace, growth, and true transformation happen.

Practically, this means showing up on Sundays, serving one another, and stepping into small groups where real life and faith intersect. These aren’t just programs—they’re opportunities to live out koinonia, to follow Jesus together, and to invite others into the journey. Fellowship isn’t just a word we say; it’s a reality we’re called to embody, for our own sake, for each other, and for those who are still far from God.

Key Takeaways

1. Fellowship (koinonia) is not just socializing; it’s a purposeful, Christ-centered togetherness where we share life, mission, and faith. The early church modeled this by living out their faith in community, making room for each other, and being devoted to a common purpose. True fellowship is essential for following Jesus—it’s impossible to do it alone. [21:35]
2. Our relationship with Jesus directly shapes our relationships with others. If we’re not experiencing encouragement, comfort, and transformation from Christ, we often substitute religious activity for real connection. Authentic fellowship with Jesus leads to authentic fellowship with others, moving us from empty ritual to vibrant, shared life. [36:25]
3. The “one another” commands in Scripture—honor, serve, encourage, admonish, forgive, and love—are the practical outworking of fellowship. These aren’t just ideals; they’re daily practices that require vulnerability, humility, and commitment. Living these out is how we grow, sharpen each other, and reflect Christ to the world. [43:42]
4. Fellowship is messy because people are messy. The New Testament letters are full of churches wrestling with conflict, sin, and misunderstanding, yet the call to fellowship remains. We’re called to work through the mess, not avoid it, trusting that God uses our shared struggles to shape us and display His grace. [48:55]
5. Excuses and comfort can keep us from true fellowship—busyness, fear, or a desire to keep church “the way we like it.” But the church belongs to God, not us, and He calls us to make room for others, even when it means change. Stepping into fellowship—through Sunday gatherings, serving, or small groups—is how we follow Jesus together and invite others into His family. [52:45]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:30] - Announcements and Giving
[06:45] - Upcoming Events and Series
[12:10] - Introduction to “Church Words”
[15:30] - What is Fellowship?
[21:35] - The Meaning of Koinonia
[25:00] - Fellowship in the Early Church
[31:56] - Fellowship in Paul’s Letters
[36:25] - Relationship vs. Religion
[37:54] - Personal Faith and Community
[40:23] - Authenticity and Walking in the Light
[43:42] - The “One Another” Commands
[48:55] - The Messiness of Fellowship
[50:25] - Excuses and Comforts
[52:45] - God’s Church and Making Room
[53:36] - Practical Steps: Sundays, Serving, Small Groups
[57:18] - The Power of Small Groups
[60:08] - Why Fellowship Matters
[62:39] - Communion and Closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 2:42 (NIV) — > They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV) — > Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

1 John 1:6-7 (NIV) — > If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Observation Questions

According to Acts 2:42, what four things did the early church devote themselves to?
In Philippians 2:1-2, what are the results Paul expects to see if believers are truly united with Christ?
In 1 John 1:6-7, what is the connection between walking in the light and having fellowship with one another?
The sermon described “koinonia” as more than just hanging out—what does this word mean, and how did the early church live it out? [[21:35]]

Interpretation Questions

The early church’s devotion to fellowship (koinonia) was described as essential, not optional. Why do you think following Jesus alone is “impossible” according to the sermon? [[31:56]]
The sermon said our relationship with Jesus directly shapes our relationships with others. What might it look like to substitute “religious activity” for real connection with Jesus and others? [[36:25]]
The “one another” commands (honor, serve, encourage, admonish, forgive, love) are described as the fabric of Christian life. Why do you think these require vulnerability and commitment, and what happens if we avoid them? [[43:42]]
The sermon said, “Fellowship is messy because people are messy.” How does working through the mess actually help us grow and display God’s grace? [[48:55]]

Application Questions

The sermon mentioned that excuses and comfort often keep us from true fellowship—like busyness, fear of rejection, or just preferring to be alone. Which of these (or others) do you most relate to, and what is one step you could take to move past it this month? [[50:25]]
Think about the “one another” commands (honor, serve, encourage, admonish, forgive, love). Which one is hardest for you to practice in your relationships at church, and why? What’s one way you could intentionally practice it this week? [[43:42]]
The sermon challenged us to make room for people who aren’t yet part of the community, even if it means change. Is there someone in your life you could invite into fellowship—maybe to a Sunday gathering or small group? What’s holding you back? [[52:45]]
The early church shared life, mission, and faith together. In your current season, what would it look like for you to “share life” with others in a more intentional way? [[31:56]]
The pastor said, “Our faith is personal, but it’s never private.” Are there areas of your faith you tend to keep private? What would it look like to open up and let others in? [[37:54]]
Small groups were described as a place where “real life and faith intersect.” If you’re not in a small group, what’s one reason you haven’t joined? If you are, what’s one way you could go deeper in your group this fall? [[57:18]]
The sermon said, “Real fellowship will be messy, but it’s in the mess that grace, growth, and true transformation happen.” Can you share a time when being in community was messy but led to growth or healing for you or someone else? [[48:55]]

Sermon Clips

Nobody followed Jesus alone in the early church because you can't follow Jesus alone. This is why fellowship is such an important church word for us to understand and to live out because it gets us to how we follow Jesus. We follow Jesus together. This is what the purpose of koinonia fellowship is. It's us committing to following Jesus in community all on mission together. [00:32:57] (23 seconds) #FollowingJesusTogether

Our fellowship with Jesus impacts our fellowship with each other. That when we follow Jesus, it should lead us into the lives of each other to fellowship, to koinonia together. This is what we're called to do. This is what we're expected to do. This isn't an option when it comes to being the church and following Jesus. [00:39:00] (17 seconds) #JesusUnitesDiversity

If we're talking about koinonia, this fellowship, which is much deeper than just a friendship, it's a life together on common purpose and common mission, it's much deeper than just like, hey, I'd like to hang out with my buddy. That's no, I'm living life with my friends, with my church community, with my other fellow followers of Jesus for the same purpose. We want to follow Jesus and we want to help others know and follow Jesus. That's much deeper than just hanging out on a Saturday night, you know, grilling out and watching a football game or something like that. [00:41:36] (28 seconds) #FellowshipDeepensFaith

If you want to know what koinonia is, look for the one another's all throughout your New Testament and your Bible. Because here's the truth. In our scriptures, there's a lot of talk and a vital talk of how we follow Jesus in scripture, which is obviously the most important thing. But in that, there's also a lot of talk in how we function together as people and as the church. And usually those two things are connected to each other. How we follow Jesus impacts how we have a relationship with each other because the former following Jesus impacts the latter of how we treat each other. This is fellowship. This is what we do. It's following Jesus together because there's no other way to do it. [00:48:06] (38 seconds) #MessyButCommitted

It's this commitment to each other, together as a church. And the truth is, this will be messy. It's not going to be perfect because we're all broken human beings to begin with. And we bring our mess and our baggage into this thing. It's not going to be perfect. It will be messy. In fact, a lot of the New Testament letters in our Bibles are addressing churches for the messes that they're in right now. The book of 1 Corinthians in our New Testament, Paul is writing the Corinthian church and basically saying, stop being idiots and shape up. I mean, that's how you just lump it. That's how you just lump it all together. This is what the first Corinthian letter is all about. It didn't give an excuse not to fellowship, though. Fellowship was expected. That's part of what creates the mess, but we work through the mess. [00:48:55] (44 seconds) #MakeRoomForEachOther

One church is not your church. One church is not my church. One church is God's church. And we're called to live out the mission He's called us to live out. And if we do that well and what we're supposed to do, more people should come into koinonia together. And it's going to change our church. That's why we have two services now. We're starting here again in a couple weeks. Because more people came in. Good job, one church. We're living out mission together. [00:52:41] (28 seconds) #TogetherInGraceAndGrowth

To follow Jesus is to follow Jesus together. We can't do it by ourselves. It's impossible to because it goes against how scripture calls us to do it. We don't do this on our own. Fellowship means that because of Jesus, we follow Him together. We bring our messes together. We bring our grace together. We bring our love together. We bring our forgiveness together. We bring our learning and growing together. We bring our serving together. We bring our support and encouragement together. Because this is what we're doing for one another. This is what the church is. [00:53:33] (32 seconds) #ConnectedThroughKoinonia

In fact, what we see in churches, in one church but all churches, is that when people take steps to be in this koinonia together, serving in a small group, they stay connected to a church, and they grow in their faith and relationship with each other. Honestly, here's what happens. This is a risk. When you just do Sunday mornings and nothing else after a while, you're going to be like, well, this isn't doing anything for me. And that's just the reality of it. We have to enter into fellowship together. [00:57:28] (27 seconds) #FellowshipShapesFaith

Here's the truth. Church words aren't just things we say. Church words are things that we do and believe because Scripture calls us into them. And fellowship is no different. And I would argue fellowship is the one that helps us grow and follow Jesus the best. The first three, singing and communion and baptism. Those are all responses to who Jesus is and what Jesus has done. But fellowship is this like continual thing, this continual relationship with God, with Jesus, with each other that's going to challenge us and help us to grow and put us in community together. [00:58:51] (34 seconds) #FellowshipInvitesGrowth

My hope for you today is you leave here with koinonia on your mind and you wrestling with it. And my hope and prayer is you're sitting here like, I need to try this out. And you take that Connect card and you fill it out and you can drop it off at the Welcome Center. You can put it in the offering box in the back. Either of those are fine. But you take the step and say, I got to take a step into this. Let me try it out. That's my hope for you today. My prayer for you, because when we do that, we are following Jesus into what he calls us to be. And that's a fellowship of believers together. [01:00:29] (33 seconds)

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