Fellowship

It is always a temptation to see worship in a very privatized, individual sense. Corporate worship becomes something I do, something that goes on between God and me. Corporate worship, then, is a gathering of people who gather together to worship God by themselves. This is the American way - privatized spirituality, insulated by rugged individualism and baptized by a personal quiet time piety.

Acts 2:42 says of the early church in Jerusalem, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." Corporate worship is continuing in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship. We should never minimize the element of fellowship in worship. But fellowship means more than having a potluck after the worship service.

Fellowship is the sharing of a common soul. It is speaking to one another before and after the service for the purpose of exhortation, encouragement, and edification. But it is also confessing a common faith through the Creed. It is singing praise to the Lord with one voice. It is confessing sin corporately. It is receiving the Word and the benediction of the Lord as a people. It is sounding the corporate Amen as a people. It is assembling for worship mindful of my influence on those around me with my appearance and demeanor and conversation.

This is fellowship in worship. And it is a blessed reality. We are the people of God who meet with God as individual souls before Him. But we are the people of God. We are Christ's body and flock and temple.

So worship Him as a people this morning. You have spent the week pursuing God individually and as families. But today we are the assembly. We are the church. We are the body. Pursue the Lord Christ and His glory in the Apostles' fellowship. Worship Him in spirit and in truth as the people of God.