We are taking a one week break from the ONE: Unity in Christ series to turn our attention upon the defining story for the Israelites, the Passover and Exodus from Egypt. We will return to the ONE series on September 13th. In regards to the Israelites, they were a chosen people that began as a family. The family grew over a period of generations until they eventually became so large that they were known as the twelve tribes of Israel. During a season of a famine, the families moved to Egypt. “Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt” who decided to enslave the Israelites, who were also known as the “Hebrews” (Exodus 1:8 NLT). After suffering for generations under the ruthless demands of the Egyptians and their pharaoh’s, the prayers of the Hebrew people were answered by God when he chose Moses to lead his chosen people out of slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.

 

When the day of Passover had arrived, death came upon the first born sons throughout Egypt including the Pharaoh’s son and livestock, but the Israelites were unharmed because of the blood of their Passover lambs that were upon the doorposts of their homes. The Lord told Moses to let the Israelites know that “the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13 NRSV).

 

All the Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded. On the day of Passover, the Lord freed the Israelites from the Egyptians. During that time, God revealed through Moses, “This annual ‘Celebration with Unleavened Bread’ will cause you always to remember today as the day when I brought you out of the land of Egypt…you must celebrate this day annually, generation after generation” (Exodus 12:17 Living Bible).

 

For more than a thousand years before Jesus was born, the Israelites passed along the celebration of the Passover meal from one generation to the next. And for nearly 2,000 years since Jesus’ ascension, the Jewish people have continued to celebrate the Passover. The annual celebration helps them to “remember” what God did so that their identity as a people claimed by God and set free from slavery continues to be part of who they are and how they know God and themselves. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why Jesus told his disciples to eat the bread and drink the cup of wine in remembrance of him on the night of the Last Supper when they shared in the Celebration of Unleavened Bread. As we receive Holy Communion, we remember Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Whenever we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we remember who we are as the children of God united in the ONE body of Jesus known as the Church. Christ’s story, the story of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, is our defining story as Christians (John 1:29).

As we continue the ONE: Unity in Christ series, we turn our attention to the first century Christians in the city of Corinth who were struggling with a lack of unity as the body of Christ. The apostle Paul told them, “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24 NIV). Paul went on to explain, “I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:33b-11:1 NIV).

 

Who’s example are you following?

Who is following your example?

Are you seeking what is good for others? Why?

 

Paul was seeking the common good so that many would be blessed, and ultimately saved, through faith in Christ. Are you willing to seek the common good of the people of AUMC and our community so that many may be saved?

The apostle Paul encourages believers to, “be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:2-5 NRSV). The mind and attitude of Christ was revealed in Jesus’ actions and words, “I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will” (John 6:38 NLT).

 

Are you willing to surrender your will to fulfill God’s will?

 

Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts, words, and actions?

 

Are you looking to see and do what is in the best interest of others within God’s family, the church of Jesus Christ?

 

Are you regarding other Christians as better or more important than you?

 

Are you united with sisters and brothers in Christ by living in harmony as a faith family with one mind?

 

Is the love of God flowing in you and through you to Jesus’ disciples here and now?

Jesus prayed for his followers, “Holy Father, protect them {the disciples} in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one” (John 17:11b NRSV). Jesus’ desire was for the disciples to live in supernatural unity just as God the Father and Jesus the Son are united. The unity Christ prayed for included not only the twelve disciples, but “all who will ever believe” (John 17:20 NLT). Thankfully, Jesus’ prayer began being answered within the earliest years of the church when “all the believers were one in heart and mind” (Acts 4:32 NIV). Yet as the church became more diverse, the unity became strained and broken. In 1973, in a city torn by racism and hate the Woodlawn high school football team experienced a supernatural unity through faith in Jesus and the Spirit of God. The miracle of 73’ was over forty years ago and the unity described in Acts 4 was over 1,900 years ago. Is Jesus’ prayer still being answered today?

During Sunday morning worship services and within the weekly Your Faith Journey devotionals from the past few months, we have gone on a journey through the first seven chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. The chapters reveal Jesus’ ascension, the Holy Spirit coming upon the believers on the Day of Pentecost, and the season when Christ’s followers were being his witnesses in Jerusalem, performing miraculous signs and wonders, healing the sick and afflicted, helping one another as needed, enduring opposition from the religious leaders, all while the Holy Spirit enabled them to be “one in heart and mind.” All of this took place before persecution caused the earliest Christians and their Gospel message to spread beyond the city of Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing” issues began to arise because of the differences between the treatment of Greek-speaking widows and Hebrew-speaking widows (Acts 6:1 NIV). To ensure that the needs of the widows were being met, seven men “full of the Spirit and wisdom” were chosen to be given the responsibility of overseeing their care (Acts 6:3 NIV). Because of the expansion of the leadership responsibilities beyond the twelve apostles, “the word of God spread” and “the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly” (Acts 6:7 NIV).

 

Today, we can learn a lot from our first century sisters and brothers in Christ. In order to continue successfully spreading the Gospel and making new, maturing, and fruitful disciples of Jesus, we must share the responsibilities of the church. Thankfully, there are many leaders and members of the body of Christ who are part of Avon UMC using their time, talents, and treasures to fulfill God’s will and spread the Kingdom of God into new hearts, lives, and families. If you are one of the faithful followers of Christ helping AUMC to share the Good News about Jesus and make disciples, thank you for your help! None of us are equipped to fulfill the Great Commission on our own. We need each other!

How good do you have to be to go to heaven? If you’re kind to your family members and friends, is that good enough for a ticket into eternity in paradise? Do you also have to be kind to people in need? How much of the Bible do you have to read and memorize to earn an “A” on your afterlife report card to gain acceptance into the ever after? Are angels in heaven taking weekly worship service attendance because you have a certain number of days you’re allowed to be absent before you receive an “unsatisfactory” on your permanent record?

 

In Mark 10, a rich young man asks Jesus, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” In the first century there was a widespread belief that a person’s wealth was equal to the amount of God’s favor and blessings in their life. It was assumed that the wealthy were going to inherit a pleasant eternal life because God already looked upon them favorably. Jesus shattered that myth when he taught his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:23 NIV). Jesus’ followers were shocked by his statement. They asked him, “Then who can be saved?” Christ explained that you can not earn your way into heaven. He told them, “it is impossible” if you’re trying to be good enough or do enough good things to earn your way there (Mark 10:27). But it is possible to receive eternal life through faith, because “all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27 NIV).

Acts 5 reveals that the Jewish religious leaders had the apostles arrested and sent them to jail again (Acts 5:18). Their hope was that the message about Jesus, including teaching in his name, would cease. Instead, an angel set the arrested believers free from the jail and they went back to the temple and began to “teach the people” at daybreak (Acts 5:19-21). The temple guards were shocked to find empty jail cells, but they were able to find the apostles since the men were not trying to hide. The guards then escorted them to the Jewish supreme court, known as “the Sanhedrin”, to be quested by the high priest (Acts 5:26-27). He accused them by saying, “you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching” (Acts 5:28 NIV). Although the apostles had been previously warned by the religious leaders in Jerusalem not to teach or proclaim the truth about Jesus, they responded with strong faith and “great boldness” in speaking the truth as the Lord gave them opportunities (Acts 4:29). Instead of acting fearful as they stood before the Sanhedrin and were questioned, Peter and the apostles said, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29 NRSV).

 

For the apostles, although they were Jewish men living under the rule of the Roman government, their allegiance was first and foremost to Jesus the Christ. What about you? If you had to rank your allegiances, what would you rank as first? Why?

 

How does the hierarchy of your allegiances impact your decisions and life?

Imagine being part of a church of thousands of people that can claim all of the members are one in heart and mind (Acts 4:32). It seems impossible. Yet, “all things can be done for the one who believes” (Mark 9:23 NRSV). A church united through Holy Spirit-guided thoughts, desires, and emotions would be a fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer from John 17, “I pray…that all of them may be one” (John 17:20-21 NIV). That’s what happened within the earliest years of the church, which is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament. As the earliest Christians were united in heart and mind, there was a season when they “shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32 NIV). As a result of their selfless giving and generosity, “there were no needy persons among them” (Acts 4:34 NIV). Who wouldn’t want to be part of that kind of church?

 

Is Avon UMC similar to the church described in Acts 4? If not, are you aligning your prayer for the church with Jesus’ prayer?

 

Lord, unite the people of Avon UMC in heart and mind so that we are one just as you and Christ are one. Guide us to serve and give generously just as Jesus served and gave his life for the benefit of many (Mark 10:45). Amen.

While he was still with the disciples Jesus told them, “whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing” (John 14:12 NIV). There was a time during Jesus’ ministry that “people bought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed” (Matthew 14:35-36 NIV). Something similar happened to Peter. Acts 5 reveals, “people brought the sick into the street and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by” (Acts 5:15 NIV). Can the shadow of a person who believes in Jesus Christ and is empowered by the Holy Spirit be a source of healing for the afflicted? What do others experience when they are close enough for your shadow to pass by them?

The religious leaders kept Peter and John in jail overnight. The next day they questioned them about what the two disciples had been saying and doing, including healing the man unable to walk since birth, as well as proclaiming forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the death through faith in Jesus. Although they were warned not to speak in Jesus’ name, the two replied, “we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20 NIV). When they were released, Peter and John went to their friends to share what the religious leaders said (Acts 4:23). The response of the group was to lift “their voices together in prayer to God” (Acts 4:24 NIV). It is surprising that instead of praying for protection and safety, the believers prayed for “great boldness” in speaking God’s word (Acts 4:29). Have you ever prayed for “great boldness” to speak God’s message and Good News? The disciples also prayed, “stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:30 NLT). Perhaps you have prayed for God’s healing power to help someone you love or even for yourself, but have you prayed for the Lord to do “miraculous signs and wonders” in Jesus’ name? If you have not, are you willing to start?