So what does it mean to do the will of our father in heaven, as a family of followers of Jesus? How do our values impact our routines and traditions as we develop into a church family?
One example that will guide us for the rest of this series comes from this description in the book of Acts, which tells the story of the first followers of Jesus organizing their extended family after Jesus died, rose and left the earth.
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[e] 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.
Five main elements devoted to:
- Growth in Discipleship – They shared some teaching and belief in common with each other, and those who knew Jesus, the apostles.
- Groups in Community –They were together regularly.
- Grace in Lifestyle – They gained favour with all the people through their changed hearts
- Generosity of Resources – They were selling and sharing their possessions to ensure no one was in need.
- God in Worship – They regularly attended temple worship, and were breaking bread in homes in keeping with Jesus’ instructions from the night before he died
We’ll explore each of these things in depth these next few weeks, because these are the same things our church community will be devoted to. We will try to keep it well rounded, and not just focus on one thing or another.
Challenge: Rank these from easiest to hardest for you.
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CloseRyan Sim - May 28, 2013
Tuesday - Study It - Worry
Last week, we talked about priorities, and that putting God and his kingdom first pours into other areas of life. This passage follows on from there, since it begins with “therefore I tell you.” It’s like Jesus is saying IF you choose God, light and heaven, it has consequences for your life. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV) Now, to clear up a few misconceptions, Jesus has nothing against material things – they matter! He made them and although our world is broken, he intends to redeem the material world, not just our spirits. Jesus cares about the body & world – he made them both. But he wants to worry about it, not for us to worry about it. He has nothing against making plans - watch a bird build a nest! They are not lazy, they work hard, but they are reliant on what is provided for them in nature. Worry has no place there. We all need purpose in life – we are made to be seekers - not aimless. We can live for any number of aims, though. Career, power, perfection, love, etc. Jesus reduces all our possible ambitions/purposes to two options: selfish security or heavenly kingdom. Having goals, plans and material things isn’t the problem. Worry is the problem – when these things become sources of anxiety that cut to the core of who we are. Question: What’s the difference between prudent planning, and anxious worry? How does that show up in your life?
Related Topics: Anxiety, Fear, Planning, Possessions, Worry | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "Sermon on the Mount"
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