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.

 

Ryan Sim - May 30, 2013

Thursday - Act On It - Worry

Today we look at how Jesus teaches us to stop worrying Helene Hadfield said she doesn't worry about her husband while he's in space, despite the high level of risk involved in his work. "If I did, I would go crazy. You can either spend your time worrying or spend your time enjoying the whole process and knowing Chris was loving every second of the time. For me to worry, it would be counterproductive because it would take away from his joy," she said. "And I trust him. I trust that he can fix things and he knows what's going on and he's trained for so many years and he's so competent. But most of all, I just know that he loves what he does so it doesn't matter what the risks are." Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/hadfield-says-hot-shower-felt-so-good-after-5-months-aboard-iss-1.1280554#ixzz2TQQKwlUp She has faith in her husband, but of course he's not God, he's just a man in the sky! For our worries, the solution involves deeper faith, but in God. This is why Jesus says, “You of little faith.” He's not telling people with no faith to get on it. He's talking to his followers, people with some faith, and he wants them to deepen their reliance on him. Apply him to all areas of life…trust him with his creation, rather than thinking its all ours. Having God's kingdom as first priority means we can have all sorts of second priorities. Think back to the image of our water glasses last week - pouring into God's kingdom overflows into our worldly needs. But if I worry about building my kingdom, I am consumed by worry. Note that Jesus isn't saying he'll give you all your wildest hopes and dreams. He’s offering a bird's level of food and a flower’s level of clothing! Oh, and citizenship in his kingdom. That's what makes it all worthwhile. Challenge: From your worry list, what do you love more than God? How can you love God first, and those things second? In what decision today can you extend a little more trust to God than before?

Related Topics: Anxiety, Fear, Possessions, Worry | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

From Series: "Sermon on the Mount"

Discuss the Daily Challenge

More Messages From Ryan Sim...

Powered by Series Engine