| “THE TIES THAT BIND” Third in a series on “Member Privileges” Ruth 1:1-18; Acts 2:42-47 Olivet Covenant Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA © Rev. Linda Jaymes, 3/7/2010 |
Two weeks ago we started to take a look at the main purposes of the church or what I am also referring to as our
“member privileges.” I started with worship, and pointed out that we worship not for our own benefit but for the love of
God. Last week the focus was on ministry or service—caring for others and their needs and doing everything we can to be a
blessing to those around us. Today I want to look at another purpose or privilege, one that may not seem all that significant at
first glance but may be a lot more important than we realize. I’m referring to fellowship.
It would be interesting to take a poll and see exactly how people define fellowship and how important they think it is. I
suspect our opinions would be all over the place. I know there are some Christians who feel that fellowship is a waste of time,
that it’s just a superficial social activity, something that has nothing to do with accomplishing God’s purpose on earth, and
therefore the Church could do very well without it. I remember a very wonderful and dedicated church member in another
congregation who was always asking me why we were continually getting together to eat! She just couldn’t see the purpose in
that, and so she would usually come to activities only for the worship or the work, and skip the fellowship part. But the more I
think about what fellowship is all about, the more I believe it is very important and absolutely necessary to the work and health
of the church.
Before I explain why I think that, let me set out a general definition of fellowship so that we’re all on the same page. On
its most basic level, fellowship in the Church is identification with the Body of Christ. Christians are called into the Body not
merely to believe, but to belong. And so anything we do that helps us better identify with the Body of Christ and strengthens
our sense of belonging is fellowship, and that is very, very important. Sharing the Lord’s Supper together is an act of
fellowship. Baptism and receiving new members are acts of fellowship. In fact, baptism is the first step into fellowship, the
primary tie that binds us together in Christ. In Baptism, we not only become identified with Christ—with his life and death and
resurrection—but we also become identified with or incorporated into his Body, the Communion of Saints and the fellowship of
the local church family.
We heard a wonderful story this morning about a family that we might think of as a metaphor of what the church family,
at its best, can be. It’s the story of Ruth, the Moabite woman. She had married into an Israeli family which had immigrated to
Moab to escape a famine in Judea. Unfortunately, after about ten years in Moab, all the men in the family had died, leaving only
Ruth, her mother-in-law, Naomi, and her sister-in-law, Orpah. So when word came that the famine in Israel was over, there
was no longer any reason for Naomi to stay in Moab and she return to her homeland.
All three women set off together, but upon reaching the road leading to Judah, Naomi told her daughters-in-law to return to
their own families, who might still be able to find husbands for them. That was the sensible thing to do. Orpah was torn and
wept at the idea of leaving Naomi, but she did the sensible thing. She went back to her family, back to her old haunts, back to a
life she knew and which would be comfortable for her. But Ruth refused. No amount of persuading could change her mind.
She was tied to Naomi through her marriage to Naomi’s son, and Ruth was determined that wherever Naomi went, she would
go; where Naomi stayed, she would stay. Naomi’s people would be her people, and Naomi’s God her God. As far as Ruth
was concerned, she and Naomi were bound together in a relationship that only death could sever.
As idealistic and heroic as that was, leaving Moab was a risky thing for Ruth to do. From all appearances, there was
nothing waiting for Ruth there. Her chances of remarriage would be limited, no small thing in a time when a woman’s only
economic security came by way of a husband or male relative. She had no assurance that there would ever be land,
inheritance, provision, husband or children in her future. As a foreigner, there was no guarantee she would even make a friend
in Israel. But all of that mattered little to Ruth. Family ties were more important to her than her citizenship or her birth family,
and apparently Ruth had heard enough about the God of Israel to want to be tied to Him as well.
If you read the rest of Ruth’s story—and I encourage you to do that, it’s only four chapters long—you’ll find out that
Ruth’s commitment to Naomi and her God resulted in a beautiful ending for both women. God blessed Ruth with a godly and
wealthy husband and in time, a son, who by Jewish law would be considered Naomi’s grandson. As it turned out, this child’s
descendants would include King David and Jesus. Naomi could not have imagined that her life of bitterness and tragedy would
be transformed into a life of hope and joy all because Ruth was determined to bind herself to Naomi and to Naomi’s God. This
story is a vivid demonstration of the way God blesses those who welcome foreigners and outsiders into their fellowship even as
He blesses the outsiders themselves. You just never know what God may do with and through those who take their
commitments to those within the fellowship of believers as seriously as Ruth and Naomi did.
The church we read about today in the book of Acts is a case in point. As we heard, fellowship played a key role in the
life of the early church. It all began with the arrival of the Holy Spirit, who inspired Peter to preach such a rousing sermon that
three thousand listeners were convicted of their sin and convinced of their need to repent and be baptized. Those believers then
devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. What began with
commitment to Christ was lived out in commitment to and fellowship with one another.
For those first believers, that included selling possessions and property and holding all things in common for the benefit of
the community. Perhaps that was the only way that community could survive. In this day and age, Christians aren’t usually
expected to sell everything and give it to the community, although we still expect members to give in proportion to what they
have. And the other principles that guided the activities and life of the early church, such as commitment to one another,
sharing in worship and fellowship, study and prayer, are still as important for Christians today as they were then. As those first
believers continued to meet together, in the temple courts and in homes, sharing meals and praising God, the Lord added to their
number daily those who were being saved.
In many ways, the culture we live in today is as opposed to Christianity as it was in the days of Peter and Paul, and it
would be a mistake to think that we can be strong, healthy and fruitful Christians apart from the fellowship of the Body. Even
the simple act of eating together is a mark of unity, solidarity and deep friendship. It’s a visible sign that we don’t let social,
economic, ethnic or racial distinctions come between us. It’s also biblical. Scripture reminds us over and over again of the
table fellowship Jesus shared with all kinds of people: Pharisees, lepers, tax collectors, Samaritans, women and even
prostitutes, just to name a few.
Something that made a vivid impression on me as a child and also influenced my faith was the fellowship shared at pot
luck suppers in the little church where I grew up. I don’t remember a single sermon that was preached in that church, or even
a single Sunday School lesson that was taught. But I have always remembered and treasured the way that small but devoted
community of faith came together regularly and laughed and enjoyed each other’s food and company around the table.
Whenever I read this line in Acts which talks about eating “together with glad and sincere hearts,” I know exactly what that
means. Oddly enough, the Greek word translated as “glad” in that verse literally means “jumping up and down.” Unfortunately
we’ve lost something in the translation, but I hope that when we come together for fellowship meals and activities that we do
experience some of that “jumping up and down” gladness in our hearts.
But fellowship isn’t just about sharing meals. It is through the ties that bind us together in fellowship that most
discipleship and spiritual growth takes place. Fellowship opens the door to growth in those areas. Those of you who
participate in small group Bible Study understand what I’m talking about. It’s when we get to know one another and accept
each other and get real with each other, real enough to become vulnerable with each other, that we realize who we are in Christ
and discover what He is calling us to be and do. That’s where the rubber meets the road. Those times of fellowship give us
opportunities to share our faith stories, our struggles and frustrations, our joys and dreams. It’s through fellowship that we
learn how to study the Bible, how to pray for one another and how to love one another. Through fellowship, the ties that bind
us extend beyond the walls of this sanctuary, and draw us into activities where Jesus calls us to work out together the purposes
He worked in when He went to the Cross for us .
Jesus began his ministry with fellowship. He called 12 people together and spent time with them. He ate with them,
prayed for them and with them demonstrated a new quality of life. He created an atmosphere where they could experiment
with the new behavior he had taught them without the risk of rejection and failure. And later, after his death and resurrection,
11 of them were still together. They studied scripture together, prayed together and ate together. They forgave, nourished,
encouraged, and ministered to one another. Bound together in Christ, they discovered their gifts for ministry and received the
power to put them into practice. All of that happened in the context of fellowship with one another.
Out of fellowship, separated from the ties that bind, the fire of the Holy Spirit in us begins to flicker and die, like a single
coal removed from a blazing fire. We need to be in fellowship with each other, where we can touch each other’s lives and keep
the fire going. That’s the way God intended it to be. Christ has called us not only to believe, but to belong. He calls not only
to faith, but to fellowship; to community. It’s an important purpose and privilege of membership in Christ’s Body. And when
we fellowship together—whether it’s a “pot-luck” supper or the Lord’s Supper—we should do it all in remembrance of Him
and his great sacrifice on the Cross, which is the source and reason for the ties that bind.
Let us pray.
“member privileges.” I started with worship, and pointed out that we worship not for our own benefit but for the love of
God. Last week the focus was on ministry or service—caring for others and their needs and doing everything we can to be a
blessing to those around us. Today I want to look at another purpose or privilege, one that may not seem all that significant at
first glance but may be a lot more important than we realize. I’m referring to fellowship.
It would be interesting to take a poll and see exactly how people define fellowship and how important they think it is. I
suspect our opinions would be all over the place. I know there are some Christians who feel that fellowship is a waste of time,
that it’s just a superficial social activity, something that has nothing to do with accomplishing God’s purpose on earth, and
therefore the Church could do very well without it. I remember a very wonderful and dedicated church member in another
congregation who was always asking me why we were continually getting together to eat! She just couldn’t see the purpose in
that, and so she would usually come to activities only for the worship or the work, and skip the fellowship part. But the more I
think about what fellowship is all about, the more I believe it is very important and absolutely necessary to the work and health
of the church.
Before I explain why I think that, let me set out a general definition of fellowship so that we’re all on the same page. On
its most basic level, fellowship in the Church is identification with the Body of Christ. Christians are called into the Body not
merely to believe, but to belong. And so anything we do that helps us better identify with the Body of Christ and strengthens
our sense of belonging is fellowship, and that is very, very important. Sharing the Lord’s Supper together is an act of
fellowship. Baptism and receiving new members are acts of fellowship. In fact, baptism is the first step into fellowship, the
primary tie that binds us together in Christ. In Baptism, we not only become identified with Christ—with his life and death and
resurrection—but we also become identified with or incorporated into his Body, the Communion of Saints and the fellowship of
the local church family.
We heard a wonderful story this morning about a family that we might think of as a metaphor of what the church family,
at its best, can be. It’s the story of Ruth, the Moabite woman. She had married into an Israeli family which had immigrated to
Moab to escape a famine in Judea. Unfortunately, after about ten years in Moab, all the men in the family had died, leaving only
Ruth, her mother-in-law, Naomi, and her sister-in-law, Orpah. So when word came that the famine in Israel was over, there
was no longer any reason for Naomi to stay in Moab and she return to her homeland.
All three women set off together, but upon reaching the road leading to Judah, Naomi told her daughters-in-law to return to
their own families, who might still be able to find husbands for them. That was the sensible thing to do. Orpah was torn and
wept at the idea of leaving Naomi, but she did the sensible thing. She went back to her family, back to her old haunts, back to a
life she knew and which would be comfortable for her. But Ruth refused. No amount of persuading could change her mind.
She was tied to Naomi through her marriage to Naomi’s son, and Ruth was determined that wherever Naomi went, she would
go; where Naomi stayed, she would stay. Naomi’s people would be her people, and Naomi’s God her God. As far as Ruth
was concerned, she and Naomi were bound together in a relationship that only death could sever.
As idealistic and heroic as that was, leaving Moab was a risky thing for Ruth to do. From all appearances, there was
nothing waiting for Ruth there. Her chances of remarriage would be limited, no small thing in a time when a woman’s only
economic security came by way of a husband or male relative. She had no assurance that there would ever be land,
inheritance, provision, husband or children in her future. As a foreigner, there was no guarantee she would even make a friend
in Israel. But all of that mattered little to Ruth. Family ties were more important to her than her citizenship or her birth family,
and apparently Ruth had heard enough about the God of Israel to want to be tied to Him as well.
If you read the rest of Ruth’s story—and I encourage you to do that, it’s only four chapters long—you’ll find out that
Ruth’s commitment to Naomi and her God resulted in a beautiful ending for both women. God blessed Ruth with a godly and
wealthy husband and in time, a son, who by Jewish law would be considered Naomi’s grandson. As it turned out, this child’s
descendants would include King David and Jesus. Naomi could not have imagined that her life of bitterness and tragedy would
be transformed into a life of hope and joy all because Ruth was determined to bind herself to Naomi and to Naomi’s God. This
story is a vivid demonstration of the way God blesses those who welcome foreigners and outsiders into their fellowship even as
He blesses the outsiders themselves. You just never know what God may do with and through those who take their
commitments to those within the fellowship of believers as seriously as Ruth and Naomi did.
The church we read about today in the book of Acts is a case in point. As we heard, fellowship played a key role in the
life of the early church. It all began with the arrival of the Holy Spirit, who inspired Peter to preach such a rousing sermon that
three thousand listeners were convicted of their sin and convinced of their need to repent and be baptized. Those believers then
devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. What began with
commitment to Christ was lived out in commitment to and fellowship with one another.
For those first believers, that included selling possessions and property and holding all things in common for the benefit of
the community. Perhaps that was the only way that community could survive. In this day and age, Christians aren’t usually
expected to sell everything and give it to the community, although we still expect members to give in proportion to what they
have. And the other principles that guided the activities and life of the early church, such as commitment to one another,
sharing in worship and fellowship, study and prayer, are still as important for Christians today as they were then. As those first
believers continued to meet together, in the temple courts and in homes, sharing meals and praising God, the Lord added to their
number daily those who were being saved.
In many ways, the culture we live in today is as opposed to Christianity as it was in the days of Peter and Paul, and it
would be a mistake to think that we can be strong, healthy and fruitful Christians apart from the fellowship of the Body. Even
the simple act of eating together is a mark of unity, solidarity and deep friendship. It’s a visible sign that we don’t let social,
economic, ethnic or racial distinctions come between us. It’s also biblical. Scripture reminds us over and over again of the
table fellowship Jesus shared with all kinds of people: Pharisees, lepers, tax collectors, Samaritans, women and even
prostitutes, just to name a few.
Something that made a vivid impression on me as a child and also influenced my faith was the fellowship shared at pot
luck suppers in the little church where I grew up. I don’t remember a single sermon that was preached in that church, or even
a single Sunday School lesson that was taught. But I have always remembered and treasured the way that small but devoted
community of faith came together regularly and laughed and enjoyed each other’s food and company around the table.
Whenever I read this line in Acts which talks about eating “together with glad and sincere hearts,” I know exactly what that
means. Oddly enough, the Greek word translated as “glad” in that verse literally means “jumping up and down.” Unfortunately
we’ve lost something in the translation, but I hope that when we come together for fellowship meals and activities that we do
experience some of that “jumping up and down” gladness in our hearts.
But fellowship isn’t just about sharing meals. It is through the ties that bind us together in fellowship that most
discipleship and spiritual growth takes place. Fellowship opens the door to growth in those areas. Those of you who
participate in small group Bible Study understand what I’m talking about. It’s when we get to know one another and accept
each other and get real with each other, real enough to become vulnerable with each other, that we realize who we are in Christ
and discover what He is calling us to be and do. That’s where the rubber meets the road. Those times of fellowship give us
opportunities to share our faith stories, our struggles and frustrations, our joys and dreams. It’s through fellowship that we
learn how to study the Bible, how to pray for one another and how to love one another. Through fellowship, the ties that bind
us extend beyond the walls of this sanctuary, and draw us into activities where Jesus calls us to work out together the purposes
He worked in when He went to the Cross for us .
Jesus began his ministry with fellowship. He called 12 people together and spent time with them. He ate with them,
prayed for them and with them demonstrated a new quality of life. He created an atmosphere where they could experiment
with the new behavior he had taught them without the risk of rejection and failure. And later, after his death and resurrection,
11 of them were still together. They studied scripture together, prayed together and ate together. They forgave, nourished,
encouraged, and ministered to one another. Bound together in Christ, they discovered their gifts for ministry and received the
power to put them into practice. All of that happened in the context of fellowship with one another.
Out of fellowship, separated from the ties that bind, the fire of the Holy Spirit in us begins to flicker and die, like a single
coal removed from a blazing fire. We need to be in fellowship with each other, where we can touch each other’s lives and keep
the fire going. That’s the way God intended it to be. Christ has called us not only to believe, but to belong. He calls not only
to faith, but to fellowship; to community. It’s an important purpose and privilege of membership in Christ’s Body. And when
we fellowship together—whether it’s a “pot-luck” supper or the Lord’s Supper—we should do it all in remembrance of Him
and his great sacrifice on the Cross, which is the source and reason for the ties that bind.
Let us pray.
