Center Christian Church
Being the Body: Being United
  • When We All Get To Heaven
  • 'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus
  • Our God Is Greater
  • Your Grace Is Enough
  • Glorious Day

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    John 10:10 ESV
    10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
    Acts 2:42–47 ESV
    42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

    The first church was united in DEVOTION

    Acts 2:42 ESV
    42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

    The first church was united in CONCERN for one another

    Acts 2:44–45 ESV
    44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

    The first church was united in FAITH

    Acts 2:46 ESV
    46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
    Acts 2:46 NASB95
    46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
    Acts 2:46 KJV 1900
    46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

    The first church saw what CHRIST had done for them and lived in UNITY with one another

    We don’t have to work for DIVISION, we have to work for UNITY

    There is an ENEMY of unity that dwells within every single one of us, PRIDE

    When we start to look away from the GREAT COMMANDMENT and look to OURSELVES, DIVISION occurs

    Matthew 22:37–39 ESV
    37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
    James 3:16 ESV
    16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
    James 4:1 ESV
    1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

    The church will fall apart when it turns from focusing on CHRIST to focusing on SELF

    Ephesians 4:1–6 ESV
    1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
    1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV
    10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
    John 17:20–23 ESV
    20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 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.

    It’s only through the CROSS that we can be united in the way that Jesus prays in John 17:20-23

    Galatians 3:28 ESV
    28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
    Psalm 133:1 ESV
    1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

    The way that we unite is that we LOWER ourselves and UPLIFT others

    Mark 9:35 ESV
    35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
    Matthew 22:37–39 ESV
    37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
    Matthew 7:12 ESV
    12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

    We struggle with running things through our filter of PERSONAL DESIRES, not what is GLORIFYING to God

    Philippians 2:2–4 ESV
    2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
    Philippians 2:5–11 ESV
    5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
    Matthew 5:23–24 ESV
    23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
    1 Corinthians 13:1–3 ESV
    1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
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      • John 10:10ESV

      • Acts 2:42–47ESV

      • Acts 2:42ESV

      • Acts 2:44–45ESV

      • Acts 2:46ESV

      • Acts 2:46ESV

      • Acts 2:46ESV

      • Matthew 22:37–39ESV

      • James 3:16ESV

      • James 4:1ESV

      • Ephesians 4:1–6ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:10ESV

      • John 17:20–23ESV

      • Galatians 3:28ESV

      • Psalm 133:1ESV

      • Mark 9:35ESV

      • Matthew 22:37–39ESV

      • Matthew 7:12ESV

      • Philippians 2:2–4ESV

      • Philippians 2:5–11ESV

      • Matthew 5:23–24ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 13:1–3ESV

  • I Have Decided To Follow Jesus
  • This Is The Day

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    Acts 2:42–47 ESV
    42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

    The first church lived in extreme generosity

    Acts 2:45 ESV
    45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
    Acts 4:32–35 ESV
    32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
    Acts 4:36–37 ESV
    36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
    Acts 5:1–2 ESV
    1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
    Acts 5:3–6 ESV
    3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
    If we feel like the consequences of Ananias & Sapphira is too extreme, we are saying God is unjust and we have more mercy than God. In reality, we don’t have the proper view of sin and view it with the disgust that we should truly view it with. — John Lovell

    God commands generosity

    Deuteronomy 15:7–8 ESV
    7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
    Luke 6:30 ESV
    30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.
    Luke 12:32–34 ESV
    32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
    Hebrews 13:16 ESV
    16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
    John 3:16 ESV
    16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

    If you want to see the extent of our generosity, look to the cross

    Romans 8:32 ESV
    32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

    The first church was living with the cross in view, and living out of what the cross meant for them

    When you live with an eternal perspective, you realize that the things of this world are not yours, nor eternal

    Matthew 6:19–21 ESV
    19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
    1 Timothy 6:17–19 ESV
    17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

    The Gospel will make us generous

    1 John 3:16–18 ESV
    16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

    Generosity is the giving of something that is not earned or deserved, but is based on the kindness of the one giving it

    Generosity is not a numerical value, but a state of the heart

    Luke 21:1–4 ESV
    1 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

    Generosity is not expecting a return, but giving freely

    Matthew 25:35–40 ESV
    35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

    Generosity is not giving out of obligation, but with joy

    2 Corinthians 9:6–7 ESV
    6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

    Generosity is not just financial, but a way of life

    1 Corinthians 12:4–7 ESV
    4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

    We are to be generous with our time, gifts, finances, and possessions

      • Acts 2:42–47ESV

      • Acts 2:45ESV

      • Acts 4:32–35ESV

      • Acts 4:36–37ESV

      • Acts 5:1–2ESV

      • Acts 5:3–6ESV

      • Deuteronomy 15:7–8ESV

      • Luke 6:30ESV

      • Luke 12:32–34ESV

      • Hebrews 13:16ESV

      • John 3:16ESV

      • Romans 8:32ESV

      • Matthew 6:19–21ESV

      • 1 Timothy 6:17–19ESV

      • 1 John 3:16–18ESV

      • Luke 21:1–4ESV

      • Matthew 25:35–40ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 9:6–7ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 12:4–7ESV

Center Christian Church
centerchristian03@gmail.com
620-674-3429
http://www.centerchristian.org
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