And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47

Too frequently, people are coming up with the idea that they can be Christian and not go to church. Or, an alternative note, I can worship God in nature all alone. How do these ideas stack up with what the Bible says about Christians and how they are to follow Jesus?

People don’t live in isolation. There is an old song, “People who need people,” which means all of us. We are social creatures who need one another to thrive. Let’s face it, life is hard, and we all need friends to help us through this life. This is true whether you are a follower of Jesus or not. So, how does the Bible express this?

Mark 12:28-31 Love your neighbor as yourself
Romans 12:5 members of one another
Philippians 2:4 look to the interests of others
John 13:35 have love one to another
Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection
1 Corinthians 11:33 when you come together to eat, wait for one another
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens
Ephesians 4:15 speak the truth in love
Ephesians 4:32 kind to one another…forgiving one another
Ephesians 5:19 addressing one another in psalms…
Ephesians 5:21 submitting to one another
Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another
Colossians 3:16 teaching and admonishing one another
Hebrews 3:13 exhort one another every day
Hebrews 10:24 stir up one another to love and good works
James 5:16 confess your sins to one another and pray for one another
1 Thessalonians 5:11 encourage one another and build up one another
1 John 1:7 fellowship with one another
Romans 14:19 mutual upbuilding
Acts 2:42-47 the one anothers in practice

This kind of interaction only happens between people who know and love one another to a meaningful degree. The practical reality is that we have to be in some small group of fellow Jesus-followers before these admonitions can be fulfilled. Most churches have some form of small group ministry for just this reason. Most of these admonitions cannot be fulfilled in a Sunday morning worship service, and yet, that is all the exposure that some people get to the body of Christ. Those who limit their exposure to the body of Christ are missing out on some of the most powerful and impactful ministries that they can give or receive.

God has given gifts to every person who follows Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Those gifts are intended primarily to be shared with fellow Jesus-follower;.not exclusively, but primarily. Those gifts are also intended to be shared with people who do not yet know Jesus. That is how he demonstrates his love and compassion to those who do not know him.

During these days of COVID, some people cannot get out in public due to their underlying health issues that make them particularly vulnerable to the effects of COVID. Their lives would be threatened were they to contract the disease. I am sure that most people who are having to isolate due to COVID have a deepened appreciation for the experience of these many “one another” exhortations since they have a much-reduced exposure to other people with whom they can do any kind of “one another” activities. It would be great for each of us to contact the people in our lives who are homebound like this. Drop a card in the mail, or better yet, a handwritten letter. A phone call or text. Some kind of personal connection that says basically, I love you and care about you. It is a way of loving one another.

If you don’t participate in some kind of small group ministry through your church, begin to do so. That is where the one-another ministry really shines. And, that is where you will be ministered to like nowhere else. And, you will be able to minister in-depth to others. This is the environment where some of the greatest spiritual maturity will take place.

If this thinking is new to you, I encourage you to go to the list of passages and take the time to look them all up. Read the context and meditate on the significance of each passage to your life. It can change you…for the better.