Another Way of Lliving

Text: Acts 4:32-35

Focus: Membership class

Function: to illustrate that we have another way of living.

³²Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. ³³With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold.

Good morning and welcome again to our visitors!

It is appropriate that we baptized Addy this morning since we are in the middle of learning what we understand it to mean when we are held together in this Christian community at Painter Creek.

Baptism, as we saw two weeks ago is the outward sign of our inward decision to follow in the way of Christ. It symbolizes our covenant with God to give up selfishness and live to show God’s love.

And I hope you noticed that when we baptized Addy, we baptized him into the way of Christ. I did that because that was what the early church called itself and I want to be like the Brethren and try to restore us to the teachings of the early church.

The Church of the Brethren seeks to follow the teachings of Jesus beyond creeds and doctrines and emphasizes that worship of God is through service to others according to Romans 12:1.

I believe that the Jesus taught that the greatest commandment: “To Love God” is fulfilled in Jesus’ new commandment, Love Others. Matthew 25 bears it out that we love God by loving others.

I believe that the Christian journey is a journey with God through the Holy Spirit that explores the depths of what it means to love others as much as I love myself.

If you think about it, loving others as much as you love yourselves is difficult and requires sacrifice.

So, I emphasize that in my preaching here at Painter Creek.

In the Church of the Brethren, Our motto is: “to continue the work of Jesus, simply, peaceably and together. So let us look at those three things:

• We emphasize simple living.

  • Greed and extravagance are the result of selfish behavior.

    • Our culture values getting more for ourselves regardless of the impact of on others. It is called Materialism.

      • The early believers shared instead.

      • James says that if we have an excess and someone lacks basic sustenance, we must to share. So, instead of extravagance, we live simply and then our excess can be used to nurture others as well.

      • Throughout the scriptures we read about the need for us to be generous.

  • We are committed to caring for the earth.

    • In the Garden of Eden, God charged humanity with the responsibility to care for the earth.

    • Earth care is part of our service to God.

• We emphasize a commitment to peace.

  • Personal peace in Forgiveness

    • God wants to restore us to God and to each other.

  • Corporate peace in non resistance

    • Simply put, we believe that God is opposed to war.

    • Several scriptures: Turn the other cheek, love enemies, bless those who curse you

    • one of three peace churches

      • opposed the taking of another human life.

      • but also minister to the armed forces community.

        • Because we know that a Christian witness there will help set barriers to evil.

• We emphasize community.

  • Where two or three are gathered...

  • In community, we believe the Holy Spirit reveals God’s word to us.

    • Not for private interpretation

    • that is why I like to ask questions and see other expressions like poetry and art in our worship.

  • It is in community that we believe the power of Holy Spirit enables us to do the work of Jesus.

And finally, the beginning of our motto: “Continuing the work of Jesus…”

One of the last things Jesus said was for us to go into the world and teach what he taught the disciples.

Again, not an easy task given to us because Jesus’ teachings contradicted the status quo of their materialism and begged them to share. He kept that message up right until the killed him to silence him.

He did that to start the movement, the way, as it was called, where people gave up selfishness and treated others as well as they treat themselves.

May we love that way as well.