Let’s BUILD Community (living and building together)

Acts 2:42–47 NRSV

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Intro:

There are some who believe that one of the reasons many people find it difficult to be meaningfully devoted to a group of believers is due to....

.....vulnerability and transparancy

....trust building

and....

.....commitment

(pause)

First Move - Learn what Community is......

Redwood trees of San Francisco (read p.38)

A. The problem or the why!

If a strong Community that resembles what we see as described through the metaphor of the Redwood tree is going to be destroyed, it has to be done at the roots!

The Church is the one system especially in the African American community that has proven to be interconnected and interdependent. For years if we have wanted to accomplish anything of any worth in relation to our lives it has included the Church........

The Church is the one system especially in the African American community that has proven to be interconnected and interdependent. For years if we have wanted to accomplish anything of any worth in relation to our lives it has included the Church........

Civil rights.......

Education.......

Spiritual and Physical well being.....

Socio-Economic enterprise.........

Because its roots are what pulls everyone of us together!

There is no such a thing as an individual believer or disciple of Jesus Christ who thrives without the community of other disciples.

(pause and shift)

B. Summary of Acts 2.42-47

They spent their time getting teaching, fellowship, eating together, and praying together.

And......

These first followers of Jesus were some of the most diverse people we could ever imagine.

Misfits, social pariahs or outcast, men, women, children, Type A’s, those with low self esteem, all types of different backgrounds..........

And the one thing that pulls them together in spite of their diversity is Jesus!

Note: [What/Who was oppressing them maybe, that caused them to find unity and freedom in community with Jesus??]

They are not interconnected because they all look alike.

They are not interconnected because they agree about everything.

They are interconnected because the one thing they agreed on was bigger than everything else!

(pause)

C. Unpacking the Greek word “Together”

Acts 2:42 NRSV

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 2:44 NRSV

All who believed were together and had all things in common;

Epi - Used to describe the physical location of something. Luke is basically letting us know that the first followers of Jesus were in close proximity to one another.

Epi - Used to describe the physical location of something. Luke is basically letting us know that the first followers of Jesus were in close proximity to one another.

Epi - Used to describe the physical location of something. Luke is basically letting us know that the first followers of Jesus were in close proximity to one another.

(slight pause)

But close proximity does not lead to deep, authentic, biblical community.

(pause and expound)

What we need is the second word Luke uses for “togetherness”......

Acts 2.4Homothymadon - To have one mind, purpose, or impulse

Acts 2:46 NRSV

Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,

Homothymadon - To have one mind, purpose, or impulse

This happens when people become one, and are caught up in something greater and bigger than themselves!

(pause)

Second Move - Love what we have learned concerning Community.....

Together in the sense of Community vs. Together in the sense of Proximity

Freedom family,

the one thing we have to be very careful not to do is to confuse proximity with community.

......because it is easy to believe that just because we are around other followers of Jesus that we are in community, but community is more than just being around someone.

Barrel: Redwoods vs. Tree nurseries (read p.40)

The key distinctive between Redwoods and Tree nurseries is........

stability

interconnectedness or interdependance

meaning......

two or more people or things dependent on each other.

What happens when we get this close?

There are some wounds that need to be healed

but.....

Love what we learn concerning Community......

There are roots that can bind our wounds that stretch wider than they reach deep

(pause)

1. We.......NEED COMMUNITY...........

........to bind our wounds

2. Need Community

........to encourage our next step upward

(Pass out the Index cards)

Note: find a scripture on encouraging one another

3. We Need Community

.........to overcome together

Philippians 4:13 NRSV

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4.13

“In Christ!”

meaning.......

that because we are the body of Christ this means that it is in community, it is in the church that we are able to do all things!

But outside of the context of community we are not strong.........

......we are not able

......we are not overcomers

If we are not related properly to Christ we will always FALL!

Christ is the Power of our interconnectedness

Christ is the Presence of our interconnectedness

Christ is the Position of our interconnectedness

But in community which is to say we are in Christ........

We are able to do all things!!!

I can stand on the Word

I can love my brother and sister in Christ

I can serve in the Lord’s Church

I can better my community

I can share the Gospel with my neighbors

I can advance God’s kindgdom

We are able to do all things!!!

We can organize voting efforts

We can empower ourselves economically

We can do the impossible

Let’s BUILD..........

.........and LIVE in Community!!

John 15:5 NRSV

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

Last Move - Never LEAVE or LOSE COMMUNITY

Engage

Pass out the index cards