Better Together

Background Information

Before I share the reading I selected for my sermon focus to be on—I want to give just a little background information. The reading is from … the story of Ananias and Sapphira. And its… well, a bit wild.

But two things you need to know leading up to this:

The first is that:

As the early church was being formed, it was recorded as practice for individuals to give up EVERYTHING they owned for the sake of the community they were joining. It didn’t matter if someone was extremely rich or extremely poor—everything went into the community chest so to speak. And whenever ANYONE had need—they would be able to take resources back out of the pot to tend to those needs.

The second is that:

The community was based on trust. Giving everything meant entrusting yourself and your family entirely to God and to the church you were joining. Keeping something for yourself would, ultimately, mean that you were not trusting the community.

The New Revised Standard Version Ananias and Sapphira

5 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2 with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!” 5 Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. 6 The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.

7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.

Introduction

This story is one of the wildest and craziest bits of scripture that we have in the New Testament. And when it popped up in my mind of texts to preach on for this special community service, I thought I was going crazy! But then I realized just how fitting it is for us in some ways—and hoped that it was unlikely that anyone else would pick this text!

Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I am quite hopeful that no one is going to drop dead in the middle of worship this evening. So let’s get that hurdle out of the way.

I do need to give just a little background information on his story before I leap into my sermon

Just to get the obvious thought out of the way--I’m not holding a Stewardship pledge drive with grave diggers at the ready in case someone’s pledges aren’t up to snuff. In fact, let’s step back away from the ‘money’ part of this all together as we think about this text.

So if we’re not going to talk about the money aspect.. what is there to talk about? The focus on Ananias and Sapphira that I want to bring today is that they were trying to be part of a community while really just watching out for their own individual needs and concerns.

And this couple joins the group with the expectation of

Better Together

Like I said, I am by no means am suggesting we get the grave diggers ready… but there is something to be said that living selfishly does not produce life—but instead I would dare to say that it steals life away not only from others but from ourselves.

The flip-side to this message, of course, is that to be part of community is life-sustaining and life-giving. Which is, of course, the part of the message that we tend to like to hear about! And it is part of what we are celebrating today.

Our Ministerial Alliance theme this year is, “Better Together.” And this is perhaps more deeply true than we realize at first thought.

As we come together to worship… to do ministry together… perhaps even to share a pot of coffee together… we are trusting ourselves into the community.

We are spending not just monetary resources but even more important resources like our time and our energy in order that we can be TOGETHER.

And being part of community together does not mean we will agree on everything. We do not have to be Democrat or Republican, Libertarian or Independent in order to be part of one community. And, by God’s Grace.. we don’t all have to support OU or OSU—even if OSU is the best.

Conclusion

But we do have to love one another—to trust one another with our time, our energy, ourselves because we recognize that those that we are with are WORTH that investment… that risk… that trust.

Ultimately, we are more closely

Blessings to you this Sunday evening.