Transcript New Life Core Values: Community – Nov 13 2016

New Life Core Values: Community – Nov 13 2016
[1] Core Values: Outreach, Compassion, Holiness, Community.
[2] Today we focus on Community. We’ll define it, identify its source, and learn how we implement it.
[3] 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of
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bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs
were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45
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Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they
continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate
together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
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And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. ~ Acts 2:42-47
[4] Read 2:42 together
[5] What is Community (κοινωνί
κοινωνίᾳ
κοινωνίᾳ)? Discuss. Two terms combine to give us a good idea:
1.
2.
3.
[click] We find believers together (επι το αυτο
αυτο)) − Acts 1:15, 2:1, 44, 1 Cor 11:20. Also of married
couples (1 Cor 7:5), Pharisees (Mt 22:34), kings of the earth (Acts 4:26).
[click] We find believers acting with a shared purpose (οµοθυµαδον) – prayer (Acts 1:14, 4:24),
fellowship (Acts 5:12), decision-making (15:25), worship (Rom 15:6). Unbelievers can also act with a
shared purpose, not always a good one (7:57, 12:20, 19:29).
[click] Definition: “Coming together for a shared purpose”.iv
[6] Community is in our DNA – the One who made us is in perfect community with Himself. John
17:11b Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we
are one.
[7] Community is only possible for us because of God’s grace.
o
o
[click] His work: God… reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against
them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ~ 2 Cor 5:18-19
[click] The Result: 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one
even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world
may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ~ John 17:22-23
[8] Now we can have fellowship (community) with God and with each other. Eph 2:19 You are no
longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household.
[9] What Community Looks Like…people:
•
•
•
•
[click] Praying together (v43)…prayer is often mentioned as being done together or in harmony (1
Tim 2:8 without wrath or doubting; Mt 18:19-20 two or three)
[click] Giving to each other (v45-46, 4:32) – imperfect tense; it was a habit. Cp. 2 Cor 8:4, 9:13
financial support – both times κοινωνίᾳ
κοινωνίᾳ; Romans 12:13
[click] Visiting each other (v46a – house to house); Heb 13:2, I Tim. 3:2 – pastors are hospitable; I
Pet. 4:9. They atev (v46b) and worshippedvi (‘love feasts’ Jude 1:12) in their homes as well.
[click] Working together; Phil 2:22 work of the gospel; Mark 6:7 – preaching and healing, Luke
10:1 two by two; Rom 16:9, 21, 2 Cor 8:23 (partner), Phil 2:25, Philemon 1:1 fellow workers
[10] My obstacles to community: 1) Personal pique; 2) Misplaced priorities; 3) Pride
[11] We have to stick with it! προσκαρτερεω means “they stuck with fellowship” (Acts 2:42a). Other
examples: a) to stick with prayer (Rom 12:12); b) to follow someone around (Acts 8:13); c) to serve one
person (Acts 10:7); d) to have a boat “stick around” (Mk 3:9 – like a taxi!). vii It’s a continual process.
42 ἦσαν δὲ προσκαρτεροῦντες τῇ διδαχῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ, τῇ κλάσει τοῦ
ἄρτου καὶ ταῖς προσευχαῖς. 43 Ἐγίνετο δὲ πάσῃ ψυχῇ φόβος,
φόβος πολλά τε τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα
διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο. 44 πάντες δὲ οἱ πιστεύοντες ἦσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ εἶχον
ἅπαντα κοινὰ 45 καὶ τὰ κτήματα καὶ τὰς ὑπάρξεις ἐπίπρασκον καὶ διεμέριζον αὐτὰ
πᾶσιν καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν·46
46 καθʼ ἡμέραν τε προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐν
τῷ ἱερῷ, κλῶντές τε κατʼ οἶκον ἄρτον, μετελάμβανον τροφῆς ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει καὶ
ἀφελότητι καρδίας 47 αἰνοῦντες τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἔχοντες χάριν πρὸς ὅλον τὸν λαόν. ὁ δὲ
κύριος προσετίθει τοὺς σῳζομένους καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό.
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2:43 “Signs and wonders” – this phrase is no longer used after chap. 15, although Paul continued to work miracles.
Cp Acts 4:32 Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ µία, καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν
ἴδιον εἶναι ἀλλἀ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα κοινά. The group of believers was one in mind and heart. None of them said that any of
their belongings were their own, but they all shared with one another everything they had.
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Added (προσετίθει
προσετίθει).
προσετίθει Imperfect: kept adding.
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Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In secular Greek, κοινωνίᾳ
κοινωνίᾳ meant a) the sharing of goods; b) communion with a god
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While the Passover meal is the most familiar of these, such meals were also celebrated to inaugurate the Sabbath and festival days.
On these occasions a family or a group of friends (chaburoth torbu ah friends”) would gather weekly before sundown for a meal in the
home or another suitable place. After hors d’oeuvres, the company would move to the table for the meal. The host would pronounce a
.festive, joyous religious discussion. At nightfall lamps were lit and a benediction recited acknowledging God as the Creator of light.
When the meal was over, hands were washed and a final benediction pronounced over “the cup of blessing” (like 1 Cor. 10:16)
praising God for His provision and praying for the fulfillment of His purposes in the coming of His kingdom. The meal was concluded
by the singing of a psalm. It was not uncommon for small groups of friends to gather weekly for such meals.
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“The participants, before reclining, taste first of prayer to God. As much is eaten as satisfies the cravings of hunger; as much is
drunk as befits the chaste. … After manual washing … each is asked to stand forth and sing, as he can, a hymn to God, either one
from the holy Scriptures or one of his own composing — a proof of the measure of our drinking. As the feast commenced with prayer,
so with prayer it is closed.” (Apol. 39)
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Other uses of ‘devoted’: Rom 12:12 prayer (Col 4:2, Acts 1:14); 13:6 taxes; Acts 6:4 prayer & word; 8:13 Simon w/Phillip; 10:7
personal attendant.
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