Secular society tells me that the highest good is my individual freedom.
Romans 12:5 We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Koinonia: Literally partnership, sharing in common, being one
Acts 2:42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship (Koinonia), and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
Acts 2:44-47 All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
They sacrificed (financially) to care of each other
Regularly (daily) worshiped all together
Smaller groups ate, laughed, shared together
Purpose of more joining the gathering
This is Koinonia
Koinonia: we belong to each other
1 Corinthians 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
We belong to each other because
- We are all in Christ
- We have all been baptized into same name
- We all have the same Holy Spirit
Eph. 4:2-6 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.
We belong to each other
Koinonia is a community, always for the purpose of reaching those on the way
John 17:21-23 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Greet each other with a sacred kiss (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14)
Stop and Focus – is an invitation to belong, to care, to let go, and to pray
We belong to each other, so the world will know