Living Generously: Unity, Spirituality, and Community Impact
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, Hope Church! Today, we celebrate the healing and mobility of our dear brother, who is now able to move around more freely. We also welcome our first-time visitors and invite them to connect with us through our Connect Center. Next Sunday, we will have a "Party with the Pastor" where I will share my vision for the church.
We discussed the importance of community outreach and how it takes the entire church to meet the needs of our community. We are not just trying to grow our church but to impact our community by being the light of Christ. We also celebrated the achievements of our young members who recently returned from New Zealand as world champions.
Today's sermon focused on concluding our series, "A Generous Life," by examining the story of the Good Samaritan and the early church in Acts 4. We explored how generosity transforms lives and how every act of generosity, big or small, can make a significant impact. We discussed the importance of unity, spirituality, and submissiveness in living a generous life.
Unity in the church is crucial. When we come together in one heart and soul, we can achieve great things. Spirituality is about being led by the Holy Spirit and not by our fleshly desires. Submissiveness involves being obedient to God's will and the leadership He has placed over us.
We also touched on the importance of voting and being involved in our country's future. As Christians, we have a responsibility to pray for our leaders and seek God's guidance in all aspects of our lives.
Finally, we took communion together, remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the new covenant in His blood. We prayed for healing, forgiveness, and unity as we continue to strive to live generous lives.
### Key Takeaways
1. Unity in the Church: Unity is essential for the church to function effectively. When we come together in one heart and soul, we can achieve great things for God's kingdom. Unity brings about an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, transforming lives and adding to the church. [01:12:19]
2. Spirituality and Walking by the Spirit: We are called to live by the Spirit and not by our fleshly desires. Feeding our spirit through God's Word and prayer helps us overcome fleshly struggles and addictions. Walking by the Spirit leads to a transformed life. [01:18:05]
3. Submissiveness to God's Will: Being submissive means being obedient to God's will and the leadership He has placed over us. Jesus exemplified this by only doing what the Father told Him to do. Our obedience to God transforms our lives and helps us fulfill His purpose. [01:22:53]
4. Generosity as a Lifestyle: Generosity is not just about giving money; it's a lifestyle. Every act of generosity, big or small, transforms lives. Whether it's giving financially, using our talents, or offering our time, generosity impacts those around us and fulfills God's call on our lives. [01:03:44]
5. Responsibility to Pray and Vote: As Christians, we have a responsibility to pray for our leaders and seek God's guidance in all aspects of our lives, including voting. Our involvement in our country's future is crucial, and we must seek God's will in our decisions. [01:32:45]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[39:19] - Outreach Recap
[53:20] - Community Involvement
[54:33] - Celebrating Achievements
[55:51] - Upcoming Events
[57:05] - Introduction to Acts 4
[58:05] - The Good Samaritan
[59:24] - Reaching the Rejected
[01:00:48] - The State of the World
[01:02:24] - Generosity Transforms Lives
[01:03:44] - Givers vs. Takers
[01:05:17] - Acts 4:32-37
[01:08:06] - Equipping the Saints
[01:12:19] - Unity in the Church
[01:18:05] - Walking by the Spirit
[01:22:53] - Submissiveness to God's Will
[01:32:45] - Responsibility to Pray and Vote
[01:37:04] - Call to Generosity
[01:48:18] - Communion
[01:56:21] - 30-Day Prayer Guide
[01:57:41] - Closing and Announcements
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Acts 4:32-37: "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. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 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 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet."
2. Luke 10:25-37: The Parable of the Good Samaritan.
3. Galatians 5:16: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
### Observation Questions
1. What actions did the early church in Acts 4 take to demonstrate their unity and generosity? [01:05:17]
2. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, what were the key differences between the actions of the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan? [57:05]
3. According to Galatians 5:16, what is the result of walking by the Spirit?
4. How did the pastor describe the impact of unity within the church during the sermon? [01:12:19]
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the unity described in Acts 4:32-37 reflect the overall mission of the early church? [01:05:17]
2. What does the story of the Good Samaritan teach us about the nature of true generosity and compassion? [57:05]
3. How can walking by the Spirit, as mentioned in Galatians 5:16, help believers overcome fleshly desires and live a generous life? [01:18:05]
4. Why is it important for Christians to be involved in their community and country, including voting and praying for leaders? [01:32:45]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced unity within a church community. How did it impact your faith and actions? How can you contribute to fostering unity in our church? [01:12:19]
2. The Good Samaritan went out of his way to help someone in need. Identify a specific way you can show generosity to someone in your community this week. [57:05]
3. Walking by the Spirit involves daily choices. What specific steps can you take this week to feed your spirit through God's Word and prayer? [01:18:05]
4. How can you be more submissive to God's will and the leadership He has placed over you? Are there areas in your life where you struggle with obedience? [01:22:53]
5. The pastor emphasized the importance of being involved in our country's future through voting and prayer. How can you make informed decisions that align with your faith in the upcoming elections? [01:32:45]
6. Generosity is a lifestyle, not just about giving money. What are some non-financial ways you can practice generosity in your daily life? [01:03:44]
7. During the sermon, the pastor mentioned the importance of praying for our leaders. Commit to praying for a specific leader this week. How can you make this a regular practice? [01:32:45]
Devotional
Day 1: Unity in the Church
Unity in the church is essential for its effective functioning. When believers come together with one heart and soul, they can achieve great things for God's kingdom. Unity brings about an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, transforming lives and adding to the church. This unity is not just about being physically together but being united in purpose, vision, and love for one another. It requires humility, patience, and a willingness to put others before oneself. When the church operates in unity, it becomes a powerful force for good in the community and the world. [01:12:19]
Ephesians 4:3-6 (ESV): "Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Reflection: Think of a recent conflict or disagreement you had within the church. How can you take steps today to promote unity and reconciliation in that situation?
Day 2: Spirituality and Walking by the Spirit
Living by the Spirit means allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives rather than being led by our fleshly desires. Feeding our spirit through God's Word and prayer helps us overcome struggles and addictions. Walking by the Spirit leads to a transformed life, one that reflects the character and love of Christ. It involves daily surrender and a conscious effort to seek God's will in every decision. As we grow in our spirituality, we become more attuned to the Holy Spirit's leading and more effective in our witness to others. [01:18:05]
Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV): "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."
Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you struggle to walk by the Spirit. What practical steps can you take today to invite the Holy Spirit's guidance in that area?
Day 3: Submissiveness to God's Will
Being submissive to God's will means being obedient to His commands and the leadership He has placed over us. Jesus exemplified this by only doing what the Father told Him to do. Our obedience to God transforms our lives and helps us fulfill His purpose. Submissiveness requires trust and a willingness to let go of our own plans and desires. It involves seeking God's direction through prayer and being open to His leading, even when it goes against our own understanding. [01:22:53]
James 4:7-8 (ESV): "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find it difficult to submit to God's will? How can you practice submission in that area today?
Day 4: Generosity as a Lifestyle
Generosity is not just about giving money; it's a lifestyle. Every act of generosity, big or small, transforms lives. Whether it's giving financially, using our talents, or offering our time, generosity impacts those around us and fulfills God's call on our lives. Living a generous life means being willing to share what we have with others and looking for opportunities to bless those in need. It reflects the heart of God and demonstrates His love to the world. [01:03:44]
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV): "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Reflection: Think of a specific way you can be generous today, whether with your time, talents, or resources. How can you make generosity a regular part of your life?
Day 5: Responsibility to Pray and Vote
As Christians, we have a responsibility to pray for our leaders and seek God's guidance in all aspects of our lives, including voting. Our involvement in our country's future is crucial, and we must seek God's will in our decisions. Praying for our leaders and being informed about the issues helps us make wise choices that align with God's principles. It also involves being active participants in our communities and using our influence to promote justice and righteousness. [01:32:45]
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (ESV): "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way."
Reflection: Take a moment to pray for your local and national leaders. How can you stay informed and involved in the political process to ensure your decisions reflect God's will?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "It's not only, only inside the four walls. It's about what goes on outside and being the light of Christ to community. You know, are we trying to, uh, we're going to share Jesus, but we're trying to grow our church through this. No, we're trying to impact a community to show people who Christ is because this world is, if any of you saw, uh, the opening of the Olympics, this world's going crazy. It is going nuts. So, uh, let's be out. Let's be the light of Christ. I'm going to challenge you." [54:03] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Every act of generosity big or small transforms a person in life. Every act of generosity big or small transforms somebody's life. We don't know the seeds that were planted last night this conversation that Michael had with two pastors kids it's going to bring back everything that they've heard about who Jesus is and we don't know as we pray for them God reveal yourself they could have easily went back to their their place of living last night and turn their hearts over to Jesus and we can believe that can happen to anybody but it starts with generosity." [01:02:24] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Generosity is not just a word generosity is a lifestyle here's the question we need to ask ourselves am I a giver or a taker let me give you a definition of a taker first you go to the buffet you eat all you want and it's good you enjoy it service was great the drinks were great the food was great it's got all of your favorites dessert was out of the world and you get up you leave you don't pay for it that's a taker do you know what I mean I'm not please hear me on this please hear pastors hard on this I'm not beating anybody up with this I'm not this is not directed at any one people any one person this is just a generalization that we have people in the church today not just here but churches around this world we're takers and at one time we were all takers we took what God had given us and we ran with our own things but God doesn't want us to be takers he wants to sow into the ministries so into people's lives to transform lives every act of generosity big or small transforms a life and many of you here today because somebody did something that changed your life and that's what God's called us to do." [01:03:44] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The greatest gift of generosity is John 3 16 for God so loved the world he what he gave you don't even have to be a believer you can be an atheist and you stole still heard that verse I don't know how many people googled John 3 16 they saw it on tv see somebody in the stands holding their sign up or a baseball or a football player under on their black on their eyes saying John 3 16 but here's the big idea of this whole sermon series is right here every act of generosity big or small transforms a person in life." [01:01:00] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We are not to be led by the flesh, but by the Holy Spirit. Two summers ago, I had a series on the spirit-filled life. Actually, I did it in May, and I got told we got to the end of it. I was like, can we do some more? So we added a couple more weeks onto it because it was transforming lives. And God called us to live by the spirit. In Galatians 5.16, Paul says, but I say, walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. If you are struggling with fleshly desires, addictions and struggles you cannot break, I have to ask you, are you trying to walk by the spirit?" [01:18:05] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "The concept of this whole series that teaches generosity now I think a lot of us have a good understanding of what generosity is and we don't need to necessarily have to have a sermon series on generosity you can ask anybody what generosity is whether they go to church or not they're gonna have they're gonna basically tell you what generosity is some of it's in our own thoughts compared to what the true definition of it is but in the midst of this it's not necessarily that we have I have to teach you what generosity is but I think I think I think I think I'll get it out right I think at times we the church lacks teaching and things the church last lacks basic biblical principles the church because we lack those we lack a true understanding of what things are we lack sufficient teaching to live our lives with the understanding of what generosity really is." [01:08:06] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "When we gather in unity of the heart the heart is the center of the physical and the spiritual beating it's compassion and it's understanding ephesians 4 says this in verse 3 eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace there's one body one spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call one lord one faith one baptism one god and father of all who's over all and through all and all the unity of the mind when we come together is in total agreement with the great commission to go and make disciples it is is the great commission jesus gave us it's not a suggestion but are we determined to obey his instructions so the unity of a believer's heart mind is evident in the community of the believer believers are transformed because they felt whatever they owned was not their own but they shared with others they shared generously not pridefully and not begrudgingly that's why worship and and fellowship are so important within the body." [01:15:26] (76 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We are spirit beings with a soul that lives in this body. We can shed the body, at one time we will, but our spirit lives on. And so we are called to live generously through our spirit. We are not to be led by the flesh, but by the Holy Spirit. Two summers ago, I had a series on the spirit-filled life. Actually, I did it in May, and I got told we got to the end of it. I was like, can we do some more? So we added a couple more weeks onto it because it was transforming lives. And God called us to live by the spirit. In Galatians 5.16, Paul says, but I say, walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. If you are struggling with fleshly desires, addictions and struggles you cannot break, I have to ask you, are you trying to walk by the spirit?" [01:17:31] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "When we come together as a body, there's unity. When we come together as a body, there's a spiritual life that grows. We come together as a body, there's submissiveness. And all that leads to what generous is, a generous life. That's all that leads to being transformed in each one of those aspects of our lives. And you may be here today and you're like, I'm struggling in all those or one of those. God wants to do a work in us and God is challenging us. Stand with me across the place. Church, God is challenging you today. God has been challenging you this whole, over the last five weeks, this whole sermon series to generous. Pastor, I don't know what that looks like. Man, sometimes it's just volunteering. If you have any questions, like I don't know what that generosity really looks like for me, come talk to me. And let's, let's, let's work on that to see how that looks for you. But God's calling you to be different than what this world is, the world is today. He's calling this church to be different than all other churches. He's calling this church to, the people walk in, they feel the love, the peace and the mercy of God, but they also will feel the Holy Spirit, the power and the presence that miracles begin to happen in their lives. The breakthrough begins to happen in their lives. Chains breaking off of them. He says, I've come to preach the good news to the poor, to give sight to the blind, to set free those who are captive and to give liberty to the oppressed. He's come to declare the year of Jubilee, the day of the Lord, that we don't have to wait every seven years, that we have it now, the freedom. He's called us to that as a body of believers. And God is challenging you today. What are you going to do with what you've heard over the last five months or five weeks? Bury your head in the sand and go on normal or be transformed. I can't force you to do things, but I'm trying my best to encourage you to do something. I'm trying my best to compel you and to inspire you to do something you don't think you can do. Because when you realize you can do something you didn't think you can do, there's an excitement and an energy that begins to happen and it gets contagious it transforms people's lives around us." [01:38:32] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "The church is looking to the world, or the world's looking to the church on how to live. And they come into the church, what do they see? The church living like the world. Why not just live in the world then, Steve? You know? If it's in here, what's the difference between being in here and being out there? I walk in here, it's the same thing. Except for you guys in here, act like you're holier than thou, is what we hear. You're more holier than me because you go to church. And they give a bad taste because they see a bunch of hypocrites. Had a lady one time, got mad at the church we used to attend because a guy was in there and she wasn't going to come back. You know what her reasoning was? He played the lottery. He bought scratch-off cards. And she wasn't coming back because he played the lottery. He's a hypocrite. You know what we found out? The gas station he bought the lottery cards at, she worked there and she's the one that sold them. So you hear that? He's a hypocrite for playing the lottery, but you're feeding his addiction. Instead of ministering to him, she's like, I ain't coming there. See what happens in the church today? Because people see. But the first time you say, I need to find a perfect church, as soon as you walk in, that church isn't perfect anymore. Because nobody's perfect." [01:20:16] (78 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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