Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Sharing Love” and is found in Acts 4:32-37; 5:1-11.
The lesson describes the days immediately following the formation of the first church in Jerusalem. Thousands had been added to the 130 souls who were in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.
Peter and John had been arrested after healing a known lame man in the name of Jesus. More people began to hear about the church and more people were added. The authorities who arrested them threaten them and charged them to never speak in the name of Jesus. But after the church prayed about the situation, the Holy Spirit again embolden the church and helped them to overcome their fear.
More importantly, was the relationship between the members of the church and how they felt towards one another. There was a feeling and sense of commonality within the church. They were united in their love, in their faith and in their mission.
They were united to the point that they were willing not on look on their own possessions as being off limits to the church. But many of them sold their possession to provide money for the church so that no one in the church went lacking of the things they needed.
Today, some would characterize this behavior as socialist or communist. The needs of the many outweighed the privileged of the few. They were acting like a family who worked, sacrificed and came together for the good of all. They behaved and acted as one just as Jesus had prayed that they would.
Over the many years and centuries, selfish interest has always interfered with the church continuing to be as it was here. People allow some aspect of the commonality to separate them from others in the church. The oneness, the sameness, the mission, the faith and the love is somehow compromised by some device of the wicked one that tempts us to place self above and before others.
This was the case with Ananias and his wife Sapphira. They conspired to pretend that they had done something that they had not. Ordinarily this would not have been a capital offense. But at this stage in the formation of the church, God felt it was necessary to sent a message.
That message among other things was not to attempt to deceive one another, be sincere in your love and faith and never place self before or above others. This is a message that has been largely lost in much of the church through the centuries and even today.
Many believe the church is about them and making things materially better for themselves like a vehicle to prosperity and achievement of the things they want. But we only need look at this gathering of the church to see what God’s idea of the church should be.
Well, I hope you will be able to attend SS this coming Sunday. Invite someone to come and share your thoughts with the class. Sunday School at Flag Branch will begin at 9:00 am and you are invited to join us at www.fbmbc.org and clicking the online services link.
I look forward to giving the lesson highlights and addressing questions that arise during the lesson. If you have any comments or questions before then, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview and I will get back to you. So, as always remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
