Loading Content...
Share a Link to this Message
The link has been copied to your clipboard; paste it anywhere you would like to share it.
CloseRyan Sim - May 28, 2014
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Practices
Yesterday, we read this: And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 ESV) Yesterday we focused on the first two practices: Devotion to the Apostles’ Teaching and Fellowship, and the Breaking of the Bread. Today we’ll look into the other two: The Prayers Their community started this way at Jesus’ command: wait and pray for the Holy Spirit. They had a big mission, to spread his good news worldwide, and would need the Holy Spirit to make it possible. Their continued existence would require prayer, especially as they faced persecution and alienation. Their Jewish tradition of temple worship and sacrifices for individual sin was transformed into Christian prayer in the temple. All Acts says here is that they were attending the temple. It says nothing about them continuing the sacrifices, and it seems likely they would have no more sacrifices, since Jesus was descrbied in the Book of Hebrews as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. No evidence they participated in the sacrifices, but they seem to have prayed there, which was incredibly bold and dangerous. Common Life They had all things in common. That could mean a lot of things, but it goes on to say they were selling their possessions and distributing the proceeds to those in need. This is controversial, of course, because it makes us wonder if we need to do the same. First, did they do what we think we read here? Well, note that it says they were “selling” instead of “sold”. There seems to be an ongoing activity of supporting each other as needs arose, not a one time liquidation. Secondly, note that they broke bread in their homes, which means some still had a home. They didn’t all become homeless, even though Jesus was. Surely some did, but not all. Whatever the details, it’s clear they suddenly saw their possessions differently, or at least the needs of others. They became generous in a new way. Surely that endures as a principle to hold today, however it’s expressed, in vows of poverty or in opening one’s home to a friend in need. Question: To what extent does your attitude toward your possessions reflect theirs?
Related Topics: Early Church, Generosity, Holy Spirit, Pioneer, Practices, Prayer | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "Pioneer Story"
We read through the Book of Acts as a Pioneer Story for the church.
More Messages From Ryan Sim...
About the Parenting Children CourseJuly 1, 2012 |
||
About the Parenting Teenagers CourseJuly 1, 2012 |
||
About the Marriage CourseRyan Sim - July 1, 2012 |
||
About the Christianity 101 CourseJuly 1, 2012 |
||
Day 1 - IntroductionAugust 1, 2012 |
||
Day 2 - The Big Story Act 1August 8, 2012 |
||
Day 3 - The Big Story Act 2September 1, 2012 |
||
Day 4 - The Big Story Act 3September 2, 2012 |
||
Day 5 - The Big Story Act 4September 3, 2012 |
||
Day 6 - The Big Story Acts 5 and 6September 4, 2012 |
||
Day 7 - Is there a God?September 5, 2012 |
||
Day 8 - How Does God Reveal Truth?September 6, 2012 |
||
Day 9 - Why The Bible?September 7, 2012 |
||
Day 10 - Faith & ReasonRyan Sim - September 8, 2012 |
||
Day 11 - Who are we?September 9, 2012 |
||
Day 12 - Free WillRyan Sim - September 10, 2012 |
||
Day 13 - A Life Centred on GodRyan Sim - September 11, 2012 |
||
Day 14 - Alienation from GodRyan Sim - September 12, 2012 |
||
Day 15 - The Problem with our World and with UsRyan Sim - September 13, 2012 |
||
Day 16 - Replacing GodRyan Sim - September 14, 2012 |
||
Day 17 - The Consequences - 1 and 2Ryan Sim - September 15, 2012 |
||
Day 18 - The Consequences - 3 and 4Ryan Sim - September 16, 2012 |
||
Day 19 - The Problem of EvilRyan Sim - September 17, 2012 |
||
Day 20 - What God Did About EvilRyan Sim - September 18, 2012 |
||
Introduction to Daily ChallengesNovember 2, 2012 |
||
Monday - New Idea - Poor in SpiritNovember 12, 2012 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - Poor in SpiritNovember 13, 2012 |
||
Wednesday - Change - Poor in SpiritNovember 14, 2012 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - Poor in SpiritNovember 15, 2012 |
||
Friday - Reflect - Poor in SpiritNovember 16, 2012 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - Those who MournNovember 19, 2012 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - Those Who MournNovember 20, 2012 |
||
Wednesday - Change - Those Who MournNovember 21, 2012 |
||
Thursday - Act - Those Who MournNovember 22, 2012 |
||
Friday - Reflect - Those Who MournNovember 23, 2012 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - MeekNovember 26, 2012 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - MeekNovember 27, 2012 |
||
Wednesday - Change - MeekNovember 28, 2012 |
||
Thursday - Act - MeekNovember 29, 2012 |
||
Friday - Reflect - MeekNovember 30, 2012 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - Poor in SpiritDecember 3, 2012 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - RighteousnessDecember 4, 2012 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - RighteousnessDecember 5, 2012 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - RighteousnessDecember 6, 2012 |
||
Friday - Reflect - RighteousnessDecember 7, 2012 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - MercifulDecember 10, 2012 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - MercifulDecember 11, 2012 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - MercifulDecember 12, 2012 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - MercifulDecember 13, 2012 |
||
Friday - Reflect - MercifulDecember 14, 2012 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - Pure in HeartDecember 17, 2012 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - Pure in HeartDecember 18, 2012 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - Pure in HeartDecember 19, 2012 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - Pure in HeartDecember 20, 2012 |
||
Friday - Reflect - Pure in HeartDecember 21, 2012 |
||
Christmas EveDecember 24, 2012 |
||
Christmas DayDecember 25, 2012 |
||
Boxing DayDecember 26, 2012 |
||
Thursday - December 27December 27, 2012 |
||
Friday - December 28December 28, 2012 |
||
New Years Eve - GrowthDecember 31, 2012 |
||
New Years Day - GroupsJanuary 1, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - January 2 - GraceJanuary 2, 2013 |
||
Thursday - January 3 - GenerosityJanuary 3, 2013 |
||
Friday - January 4 - GodJanuary 4, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - PeacemakersJanuary 7, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - PeacemakersJanuary 8, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - PeacemakersJanuary 9, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act - PeacemakersJanuary 10, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - PeacemakersJanuary 11, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - PersecutedJanuary 14, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - PersecutedJanuary 15, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change - PersecutionJanuary 16, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act - PersecutedJanuary 17, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - PersecutedJanuary 18, 2013 |
||
Monday - New Idea - Living BackwardsJanuary 21, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - Living BackwardsJanuary 22, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change - Living BackwardsJanuary 23, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act on It - Living BackwardsJanuary 24, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - Living BackwardsJanuary 25, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - SaltJanuary 28, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - SaltJanuary 29, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - SaltJanuary 30, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - SaltJanuary 31, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - SaltFebruary 1, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - LightFebruary 4, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - LightFebruary 5, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - LightFebruary 6, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - LightFebruary 7, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - LightFebruary 8, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - LawFebruary 11, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - LawFebruary 12, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - LawFebruary 13, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - LawFebruary 14, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - LawFebruary 15, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - AngerFebruary 18, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - AngerFebruary 19, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - AngerFebruary 20, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - AngerFebruary 21, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - AngerFebruary 22, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - The LookFebruary 25, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - The LookFebruary 26, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Study It - The LookFebruary 27, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - The LookFebruary 28, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - The LookMarch 1, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - TruthMarch 4, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - TruthMarch 5, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - TruthMarch 6, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - TruthMarch 7, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - TruthMarch 8, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - RetaliationMarch 11, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - RetaliationMarch 12, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change It - RetaliationMarch 13, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - RetaliationMarch 14, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - RetaliationMarch 15, 2013 |
||
Monday - A New Idea - NeighboursApril 8, 2013 |
||
Tuesday - Study It - NeighboursApril 9, 2013 |
||
Wednesday - Change - NeighboursApril 10, 2013 |
||
Thursday - Act On It - NeighboursApril 11, 2013 |
||
Friday - Reflect - NeighboursApril 12, 2013 |
||