THE VITAL SIGNS OF A LIVING CHURCH- II

A CARING AND SHARING CHURCH: (Acts 2:42-47)

When you hear the word fellowship what comes to your mind? Does it mean drinking cups of coffee, playing games and eating good food and having fun? But true Christian fellowship while it includes all of them it also focuses on caring and loving one another regardless of who they are. When we come together for fellowship we often remain at the level of taking about the weather, sports, politics or about our children but seldom do we care to go really deep with each other to find out what exactly is going on in that person’s life. True Christian fellowship occurs when we put away our defenses and be vulnerable with each other to talk about our struggles freely without having the fear of being condemned.

We have been studying the1st century Church to understand what a living Church would look like. In other words what are the vital signs we are to look for to find out whether a church is living or not. Though the universal Church of Jesus Christ can never die, local congregations can eventually die. The fist vital sign in the early church was that it was” A learning Church.” The second vital sign was that it was “A Caring Church.” Acts 2:42; 44-45 “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship (Koinonia).. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to any one as he had need”

What does the Greek word (Koinonia) really mean? It is often translated as “fellowship” but it has more in-depth meaning. It means, Association, Communion, Fellowship, Close relationship, generosity, fellow feeling, participation, and sharing.

I. A CARING AND SHARING CHURCH :( Acts 2:44-45)

The early Christians regularly gathered in the temple courts, they devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles. They were all together and had everything in common. It was a loving and living community of believers. They were in one mind and in one spirit. They went beyond just learning the scriptures; they put into action what they were learning. Vs45 reads, “Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” When it comes to reading certain scriptures we tend to avoid them this could be one of them that we want quickly jump over and carry on our reading. Is the author saying that none of us should own any thing for our selves? Does this mean that we should sell our car, our house and everything else we own and give to the Church Board and they in turn will distribute to anyone who has a need? The thought of selling all our possessions and goods and not having ownership on anything sounds rather scary and disturbing.

This may be sounding like “communism” but it is not communism. The main philosophy of communism doesn't end with economic and political reform. By definition, it tries to abolish both Religion and the Absolute Morality founded upon Religion. The irony is that communism supposedly attempts to enhance civility within society, but removes all notions of Absolute Morality, the very cornerstone of civility”[1] The Early Christians were devoted to the teachings of Jesus Christ. God was very much their center of focus.

“Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” What do they mean? Do they mean that every living church will become a monastic community and that every believer should follow the example of the early church believers literally? John Stott throws some light on this concept with a few examples of ancient communities: “A few miles from the east of Jerusalem at that time of the early church the leaders of the Qumran community practiced common ownership. New members handed over all their money and possessions to their leaders at the time of inception. The Anabaptists of the 16th century “Radical Reformation” talked much about the community of goods.”[2]

The Hutterite, brethren in 18th Century made common ownership compulsory. All property was owned by the colony, and provisions for individual members and their families come from the common resources. This practice was based largely on Hutterite interpretation of passages in chapters 2, 4, and 5 of Acts, which speak of the believers "having all things in common.”[3] Did Jesus intend all of his disciples to follow the example of the Qumran community that was around then, by selling their properties and possessions and sharing the proceeds? Jesus did not require all of his disciples to sell all of their properties and possessions. It was a voluntary choice not required by all of them. However Jesus can certainly call some people to give up everything like in the case of the Rich young ruler to whom he said “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”(Mk 10:21) Others like St. Francis of Assisi and Mother Theresa have embraced poverty voluntarily.

II. GOD’S HEART FOR THE POOR AND THE NEEDY:

God has always been mindful of the poor and the needy. Several scriptures reveal his heart and the provision he has made for the poor. Leviticus 25:35 "'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Deuteronomy 15:7 “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.” Both these scriptures explain that we should not harden our hearts or be tightfisted toward the poor among us.
It is undeniable that poverty is a reality for a section of the society even here in America. According to the senses in 2002 there were 35 million poor people living in America. However the poor in America are still much better off than millions of people in many parts of the world.

Let’s consider these statistics:

Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.[4]
On the contrary in other parts of the world the poor are really suffering.

According to UN statistics about 1 billion people survive on less than $1 per day. UNICEF statistics say that “25,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world.” I am not sharing these figures to make us feel more guilty but to raise the awareness about the suffering world around us. I realize that total eradication of poverty may not happen here on earth. Jesus said that we will always have the poor among us. But he also called us to be kind to the poor.

How did the early Church practice the teachings of Jesus in regards to the poor among them? They broke bread in their homes and ate together with gladness. This breaking of bread was not necessarily the Lords supper or communion; it came to be known as “The love feast” They distributed food to the widows in the temple courts (Acts 6:1). They shared in the ministry of the saints through their sacrificial financial giving. (II Cor 8:4). They partnered with Paul in his preaching of the Gospel (Phil 1:5). They participated along with Paul in his sufferings (Phil 1:7).

When there was a severe famine over the entire Roman world the disciples in Antioch each according to their ability decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea by giving their gifts to the elders.(Acts 11: 28-29). The Corinthian and Galatian believers used to set aside on the first day of each week a sum of money in accordance to their income to support the ministry of Paul and other Apostles would be amply supplied.(I Cor 16:1-4). More than one way the early Church modeled caring and sharing through their generosity. It was love in action. When we care and share in the needs of others we are demonstrating true fellowship.

I have observed certain beautiful aspects to the body life of our church. I often hear from new comers how “warm and friendly” we are. We love to hang around with each other, do community events and fun activities. People still rave about the service we did to the community when we served the senior luncheons. Some go the extra mile and serve meals when there is illness or need or go out of their way in some way or the other. One dear lady faithfully distributes sandwiches week after week to the homeless. That’s wonderful, but I would like to see more of us can step out and excel in caring and sharing not only to the needs of our church members but also to the community around us.

Let’s face these honest questions. How could we as individuals and church demonstrate true fellowship to brothers and sisters among us who might be struggling financially? Are we participating in the ministry of the church by giving tithes and offerings? Are we mindful of others needs or are we self obsessed? How generous have we been with our money when it comes to giving to church, missions or to other charitable agencies?

There are enough books out in the market explaining how little American Christians give, like this title suggests: “Passing the Plate: Why American Christians do not give away more money.” I do not need to make another comment to add to our guilt; I would rather talk about the joy and the blessedness of giving generously to God and to the ministry of the saints. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”(Acts 20:35). Paul reminds the Corinthian believers, in I Corinth 9:7 “Each man should give what he has decided to give in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver.” When we give to God how does he give back to us? Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." The early Church was a Caring and Sharing Church and they have demonstrated it through their generosity. God has blessed them in return.

A few practical suggestions to consider: (To help us grow in our generosity)
1. Bringing our finances, properties, and possessions under the Lordship of Christ.
2. The ministries, maintenance and missions of any church largely depend on the generosity of its members. There fore develop a habit of giving tithes (10% of your income) and offerings regularly to the Church.
3. Avoid unnecessary expenditure so that you may have more money to give to missions and charities. More and more committed Christians discover the joy’s of simplified living.
4. Be sensitive to needs that may not be expressed such as the need for a kind and encouraging word, the need for a ride, help with shopping etc.
5. Practice Hospitality by inviting people to your home for a meal. When you open your home you open your heart. Make your home an oasis where people can find refreshment.
6. Make a phone call, send a card, make food to the sick, and make care packages to those who are financially struggling,
7. Help your congregation members by mowing their lawn or plowing the snow.

I believe that people are not interested in a religion but they are searching for a Church that is real. The vision of our Church is “To build an authentic community that loves God and seeks to share the message of the gospel to all ethnic groups in Quincy and beyond.” If we want to be an authentic community we must look at the early Church as a model and glean from them life guiding principles.

May the Lord help all of us and our Church to become “ A Caring and Sharing Church.”



[1] http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/communism.htm
[2] The Living Church by John Stott, Page 26
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutterite
[4] http://www.heritage.org/research/welfare/bg1713.cfm