Living Generously

Acts 2:40-47, Luke 6:27-36, Ephesians 4:25-5:2 

 http://ia301543.us.archive.org/0/items/SermonsOfAngusKelly/VORC001.mp3

Introduction

As we come to the end of our series of 'confirmation classes for everyone' sermons on subjects that I would explain to a confirmation class; we finally look at what church is.

And a brief description of the earliest church, founded by the apostles helps us to see what the big idea was.

We read of this exciting community in Acts 2.

In one description of what they did – Acts 2:42 we get an idea of why they became such an influential community:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

– Acts 2:42

Over the past three weeks we have loosely looked at three of the things described in this verse:

Apostle's Teaching

Its strange to imagine a church without a Bible – but the community described in Acts did not have Bibles like we do today.

They gathered in Synagogues or at the temple because there they would have had access to teaching from the Old Testament. 

But from there on – at that time, all they could rely on for knowledge of who Jesus was and what he did was the Apostles.

The Apostles were those who had, according to Acts 1:21-22:

"...accompanied us (the other disciples) during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection."

– Acts 1:21-22

The apostle's were reliable witnesses of what Jesus had said and done – they were where the first Christian community got their information about Jesus.

The information that we have today – the gospels and the letters of the New Testament find their origin in this oral tradition but were probably only written down later – when the first apostles were gone and the church needed a reliable source of information about who Jesus was.

So today, when ministers are ordained they are ordained by the laying on of hands – a symbol of apostolic succession; symbolising the gospel message handed on from one generation to another.

Ever since the first apostles handed the message on to be preached.

*  *  *

Today most of us have more than one Bible in our homes – we are able to study the apostle's teaching at any time and in any place.

*  *  *

Two weeks ago you watched a video from Alan Storey – a minister in Cape Town – about how he reads scripture.  With some advice for us on how we should read scripture.

Prayer

Another thing the apostles did was pray – and I spoke about praying a few weeks ago.

In the Acts of the apostles the believers pray for guidance in moving the church forward.  They prayed regularly in the temple – in Acts 3 when Peter and John heal a lame man at the Temple gate they are on their way to "the hour of prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon." (Acts 3:1)

They seem to have prayed regularly at regular times.  Maybe there is a lesson for us in their discipline?

When the believers are persecuted and are instructed not to preach the gospel of Jesus any more – they pray – and God gives them courage and strength and they go and do what they believe God has called them to do.  Even though in doing so they risk their lives, livelihoods and bodies.

And the story of the Christian community in prayer continues – till we get to a verse I love in Acts 17:6 in Thesalonica people complain:

"These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also."

– Acts 17:6

Breaking Bread

Last week you watched a video interview I did with the Reverend Tim Attwell, a minister at the Rosebank Methodist Church near UCT in Cape Town.

We spoke about breaking bread / having communion together.

A special feast that we as a church enjoy when we break bread and drink wine, remembering Jesus broken for us.  Remembering how we are loved, and remembering who we are.

Means of Grace

In the Methodist tradition we call these things Means of Grace, things that we do that open ourselves up to God's working in us.  To God's making God's love known to us, so that we can become the people we were created to be.

They're not chores.

Or inconveniences.

But opportunities.

Do you love yourself enough to let God love you?

So often we're in such a rush to do all the things we need to do for our family, our boss, our business that we neglect these means of grace.

These ways in which God is allowed in; to love us for a moment.

To pray – to spend some time being loved by God, and in conversation with the God we love.

Study Scripture – to read and re read the story of who we are, created in the image of God, enslaved by sin, set free by Christ.

Break bread in Holy Communion – to remember that we were worth dying for; that Jesus loves us so much that he was broken for us; and now he feeds us.

Transformation

All of these things, transform us.

Change us.

Enable us to live as God would have us live.

Jesus says:

"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

– John 10:10

And so in the text we read from Acts we read of this first generation of Christians who, among other things:

"…broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts…"

– Acts 2:46

We also learn, a little earlier that they:

"…had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need."

– Acts 2:45

*  *  *

The community of people who believed in Jesus were very different to anything anyone had ever seen before.

Instead of hoarding their stuff and refusing to share – they shared.

Instead of eating their food selfishly and with grudging hearts they ate generously and with glad hearts.

They became a real contrast community.

Transformed by their belief in God, in who Jesus was, and what that meant for who they were and who the people around them were.

Instead of living selfishly – just for their own cause, they learnt to live generously.

Nearly everything we encounter in the world we live in today encourages us to do just the opposite.  To live selfishly.

*   *  *

In our reading from the gospels Jesus encourages us to:

"…love our enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return… (then) you will be children of the Most High… be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

– Luke 6:35-36

Jesus asks us to become the opposite of what seems to suit us so naturally, and when we listen, and buck the system…

We become what and who we were created to be, reflections of God, when we learn to live 'generously'.  Just like that early community who learnt, through breaking bread, listening to the apostle's teaching and prayer – just what God wanted them to be.

What can we do?

How can we become more generous, and less selfish?

*  *  *

Simple teaching of Jesus:  Do to others what you would have done to you. (Matthew 7:12).

Let us stop thinking just of ourselves.

Maybe one thing is what we do on a Sunday – we wake up – Oooo I don't feel like going to church today.

But maybe its not about whether you 'feel' like going to church.  Maybe your being at church is a blessing – a tremendous blessing, more than you understand – to the person sitting next to you.

*  *  *

Maybe its in learning to give; somebody said:  A father is someone who has pictures in his wallet where his money used to be.

When we are loved by God, our priorities change – maybe we need to learn to give away our money.  Its not law, but we encourage our members to give away a tenth of their income…  And if you earn so much that a tenth seems like a lot to give, perhaps you should ask God to help you reduce your income a bit.

If you give that tenth to the Church then it becomes a blessing to all of us.  If you give that tenth to the poor or some worthy cause – its amazing what God can do with it.

Living generously starts as a discipline – its not so easy, it goes against our nature; but soon it becomes a habit that gives us great joy.

*  *  *

Maybe our living generously simply means being a little less selfish with our ears.  When we ask: "How are you?"

Let us listen and love.

*  *  *

Maybe it means putting up with the people that irritate us; maybe it means not worrying so much about being right all the time.

Maybe it means being a little less so others can be more.

*  *  *

Then, as Jesus said – we will be children of God, like God – who lives and loves generously.

Then, as the early church experienced in Acts – the Lord will add to our number those who are being saved – as they witness first hand the generous love of God in our lives.

Then I believe – we will begin to see the Kingdom of God in this place.

Amen