As we concluded our recent series on God's Design for the Church, we looked at 18 different costs of negelecting fellowship with other believers. We noted that habitually neglecting the gathering of God's people is an expensive form of spiritual neglect. We also looked at this issue from the vantage point of all we gain from fellowship together. These 18 blessings correspond to the 18 costs we talked about through the series. Take a moment and think on what a spectacular gift Christian fellowship really is. 

When You Commit to and Embrace Fellowship with God’s people:

1. You demonstrate a sincere love for Jesus. 1John 4:19-20; Romans 12:9-16

2. You receive the encouragement of harmony. Rom. 15:5

3. You experience mutual acceptance among radically different people. Rom. 15:7

4. You benefit from mutual instruction, encouragement and correction. Rom. 15:14

5. You gain opportunities for joy, mutual comfort, unity, encouragement and peace. 2Cor. 13:11; 1Th. 4:18; 1Th. 5:11    

6. You use your newfound freedom for the loving service of others. Gal. 5:13

7. You receive God-given opportunities to develop patience. Eph. 4:1-2

8. You become aware of God-given opportunities to grow in kindness and forgiving others. Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13

9. You receive mutual encouragement and growth that comes from corporate worship before God. Col 3:16

10. You demonstrate reverence to Christ. Eph. 5:21

11. You put yourself on God’s pathway for cultivating spiritual growth. Col. 3:7-10

12. You gain opportunities to see God’s answers to prayer especially in the lives of others. 2Th. 1:3 cf. 1Th. 3:11-12

13. You receive confrontation from others, making yourself less vulnerable to the hardening deceitfulness of sin. Heb. 3:13

14. You stir up others to love and good works, while being stirred up by others to love and good works. Heb. 10:24-25

15. You gain many opportunities to put to death your judgmental spirit. James 4:11, 5:9

16. You are freed to confess your sins to a brother or sister and benefit by their prayers for you. James 5:16

17. You grow in humility. 1Pet. 5:5

18. You make the Gospel more visible to a dark world. John 13:35; 1Th. 4:9; Titus 3:3; 1John 3:11, 23; 1John 4:7, 11-12; 2John 5