Community Sharing and Blessings

TO YOU FATHERS HAPPY & BLESSED FATHER S DAY

AND TO The God and Father of Our Lord Jesus the Messiah We wish you a blessed Father s Day! Help us make it so!

Todays Scripture Text is Acts 2:36-47 especially focused on 2:42-47 I could talk about it for many hours Instead, let s focus on one theme a Sharing Community

NOT NOT REALLY A SURPRISING SURPRISING EMPHASIS IN ACTS JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE SHARER God s Love, Human Love, Joys, Human Injustices, Suffering, Death, Forgiveness, Promised Future Life with God and one another . . . All shared in by Jesus. And now Jesus is sharing with us the process of being incarnated with God s Spirit (Peter s claim in Acts 2)

So, we will look at how Luke describes this process of a community being incarnated with God s Spirit. BUT FIRST Two of my Recent Experiences

EXPERIENCE #1 #1 LAST SUNDAY S NCF GATHERING

Every Sunday Gathering I realize every Sunday gathering is filled with people sharing their lives with me/us planning of the morning, preparation of worship band, prep of the person teaching, someone opens the building, someone prepares and runs the sound and video, people come early to greet, some pray for our time together, and someone makes the coffee that I run to as soon as I enter the building, and much more.

BUT FOR ME, AND I SENSED FOR MANY OF YOU Last Sunday s Gathering Had Another Dimension of Sharedness at least as I experienced the time together. Let s revisit a Few of the Many Shared Experiences Last Week as We Gathered . . .

SHARING LAST WEEK Kathy At least I can participate Nancy Praying for our Pentecost Gathering Arlene Praying for getting past the things that cause us to draw back from experiencing God s presence and asking for more of the Holy Spirit for all of us

SHARING LAST WEEK (continued) Renee -fulfillment of Moses prayer I wish all would experience the Spirit of God -shared her teaching time with quiet times, and with prayers by others of us Ellen caring for those surrounded by military in USA Jubal celebrating graduations and promotions

SHARING LAST WEEK (continued) Gail sharing her unfinished poem Shereen sharing a prophetic word Wait on God, don t rush past God s presence among us Worship Time we seemed more involved, and I heard the messages of the songs more clearly Scripture Readings Sam and Emerson Our Dancing Children . . . and, more . . .

EXPERIENCE #2 EXPERIENCE #2 CONFESSION Telling the Truth, Being Real I have been realizing that I have become too comfortable with being more isolated.

Many Very Legitimate Reasons last 8 years Donna s last two years of Parkinson s Disease growing dementia Donna s horrible death experience down to nothing left of her Covid Isolation Audio Worship Gatherings Zoom instead of presence with many people or just absence

Many Very Legitimate Reasons last 8 years Even when we began to be together *Masking *Distancing 6 feet *Uneasiness if anyone wandered somewhat close Lots of intense pain for 2 years, and 2 major surgeries & recoveries Almost 83 years old and nowhere close to the stamina or strength that I once had

Many of these realities are just how things are. God understands our realities including me being 83 instead of 23 or 43 without stamina, unable to stand very long or sit very long. But, God Does Not Want Me Too Comfortable With Isolation, since Being Filled with the Holy Spirit is in Many Ways a Sharing Experience.

AND, NOW TO OUR TEXT!!!

ACTS 2:42-44 THE SHARING COMMUNITY 42And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship (koinonia-shared life) to the breaking of bread and prayers.43Awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.44And all who believed (trusted) were together ( one ) and had all things in common (koina-sharing).

Acts 2:45-47 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as (when) any had need.46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

PHASE #1 PHASE #1 PHRASE 1 SHARING appears twice fellowship (koinonia) v. 42 and in common (koina) v. 44

WHAT SHARING DID THE NEW EMPOWERING OF THE WHAT SHARING DID THE NEW EMPOWERING OF THE SPIRIT CREATE SPIRIT CREATE AMONG THESE JESUS FOLLOWERS? #1 SCRIPTURES hearing together God s promises and challenges concerning everyday living TIME, FOOD/MEALS HOMES

WHAT SHARING DID THE NEW EMPOWERING OF THE WHAT SHARING DID THE NEW EMPOWERING OF THE SPIRIT CREATE SPIRIT CREATE AMONG THESE JESUS FOLLOWERS? #2 intimate PRAYERS and intimate WORSHIP MONEY/RESOURCES (one of the main gods of our American culture)

Empowering of the Holy Spirit led to . . . SHARING ALL THE BASICS time, homes, resources, food, faith, prayers, how to live daily life. When you start SHARING these basics of human life with others, you are serious about what you are involved in!!!

A COMMON WAY TO A COMMON WAY TO AVOID AVOID THIS PASSAGE THIS PASSAGE This was an early, idealistic, attempt at socialism/communism, that soon failed and was abandoned. This is a misunderstanding, mostly intentional, of this passage!

SHARING ( SHARING (koinonia throughout the New Testament #1 Acts 4:32 repeats Acts 2 - they were keeping on doing this sharing whenever someone lacked necessities which they could not have if everything had been thrown into a single pot all at once in Acts 2. koinonia) continues ) continues to be a theme theme Romans 12:13 Share (koinoneo) with God's people who are in need.

SHARING ( SHARING (koinonia throughout the New Testament #2 koinonia) continues ) continues to be a theme theme 2 Cor. 8:4 and 9:13 koinonia -- entire 2 chapters are encouraging koinonia/sharing between COMMUNITIES of Jesus followers those who have more and those who are in great need Jesus is the reason given he shared his life so we could have life -- God wants us to all have enough through sharing back and forth with one another

SHARING ( SHARING (koinonia throughout the New Testament #3 koinonia) continues ) continues to be a theme theme 1 Tim. 6:17-18 God provides for you so be ready to share these gifts Philippians 4:15--"not one except you partnered/shared with me in the expenses of my journey Galatians 6:6-- Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share in common all good things Romans 15:26 "For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make things shared in common for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem";

INTENTIONAL MISUNDERSTANDING INTENTIONAL MISUNDERSTANDING BECAUSE BECAUSE . . . this passage confronts both the INDIVIDUALISM of Western Culture and MAMMON the god of Western Culture.

INDIVIDUALISM INDIVIDUALISM CONFRONTED INDIVIDUALISM: We tend to think of everything in individualistic terms. It s mine! -time, home, resources Rather than I am a steward of God s gifts that are meant for sharing. What do we have that You God didn t first give us? (David)

MAMMON MAMMONCONFRONTED: CONFRONTED: In Western Christianity, especially American Christianity, worshipping MAMMON the god of having more receives legitimization by the Christian Churches partly through fervent anti-socialism and anti-communism. Jordan Cruz Ryan McCarthyism has become the primary hermeneutic/interpretive framework/ of the American Church if it smacks of socialism , it cannot be Christian.

The Results BLIND TO THE GIFT GOD IS OFFERING US THIS INDIVIDUALISM and McCARTHYISM Serves to Justify MAMMON, and tends to BLIND US to the call to be Empowered Sharers. Blinds us to - THE EMPOWERING OF THE SPIRIT JESUS SENT TO CREATE A SHARING COMMUNITY

PHASE #2 PHASE #2 one/together v. 44 one/together v. 44 OT - This oneness is the fulfillment of the great celebrative prayer in Psalm 133:1 How very good and pleasant it is when the family of God lives in oneness (yahad). dwells together in unity -this word one also continues to be used throughout the New Testament as something God wants to create in the communities of Jesus followers!

PHASE #2 one/together v. 44 (continues) Jesus prayer in John 17:21-23 21that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be (one) in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me . 23 that they all may be one Father, as I am in you . 1 Cor 12:12-13 12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is the Messiah.13For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.

PHRASE #3 PHRASE #3 When anyone lacked what was necessary A WAY OF LIVING - 2:45 #1 JESUS had already taught this way of living: LUKE 12:33-34 --33Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

PHRASE #3 PHRASE #3 When anyone lacked what was necessary A WAY OF LIVING 2:45 #2 As did one of the late letters of the New Testament-1 John 3:16-17 We know love by this, that Jesus laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.17How does God s love abide in anyone who has the world s goods and sees a brother or sister in need (lacking what is necessary) and yet refuses help (Gr. shuts down his guts)?

Phrase #4 Phrase #4 = day by day day by day - 2:46 This Holy Spirit empowered sharing is a way of living as a community of Jesus followers, not just a Sunday morning religious experience.

PHRASE # 5 PHRASE # 5 glad and generous hearts glad and generous hearts (glad and simple simple hearts) 2:46 If simple or simplicity of heart is the best translation: This confronts our tendency to give, as so much giving occurs with mixed-motives giving that is really transactional in nature. I give to you in order to get something. Instead, this is giving because I have already been given to! -If generous heart is best sounds good too!

PHRASE # 5 PHRASE # 5 glad simplicity of hearts) 2:46 glad and generous hearts and generous hearts (glad and This isn t a have to . . . This is a want to . . . a glad heart God wants to empower the kind of giving and receiving we all love to experience sharing that is simply joyful!

glad hearts glad hearts -- -- CONFRONTS OUR TENDENCY CONFRONTS OUR TENDENCY to think that getting closer to God means . . . Means being more burdened Feeling more incapable of living up to the calling Experiencing more guilt and guilt feelings All the opposite of Jesus promise that my yoke is light More of the SPIRIT THAT INCARNATED JESUS means more WANT TO not more HAVE TO

CONCLUSION: We have been asked to be praying for more of the Empowering of the Holy Spirit. I certainly do not claim to know exactly what that will, or should, look like. However, I am Positive that it involves less isolated individualism, and more sharing as the community empowered by the Spirit that empowers Jesus!

Prayer: God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, let us hear what you want us to hear. Fill us with this empowering spirit of wanting to be a community of sharing people who follow Jesus. People who gladly follow your Son Jesus who SHARES EVERYTHING YOU HAVE GIVEN HIM WITH US! AMEN!

COMMUNION: JESUS INVITES US TO SHARE IN HIS FATHER S TABLE WITH HIM AND WITH ONE ANOTHER an opportunity to renew our willingness to share in more of the empowering of the Holy Spirit that incarnated Jesus who shares everything God has given him with us!