Unity and Selflessness: Lessons from the Early Church

In summary, he suggested that black families, the black communities undergirded by us when we experience external persecution, when we experience external racism, when we experience external inequality that black Americans experience, which caused us to bond together in unity that led to the success of obtaining the civil rights of 1964. [00:03:44]

Church, when I began to look back at history, it was under that persecution. It was under that opposition. It was under that opposition that our churches, our families, our educational systems, our communities were stronger in our faith and in our social dynamics. [00:04:17]

Church, it was in this culture over here and society that forced black Americans through the black church to address spiritual and social issues of change that has casted an inclusion net that now is experienced by Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and other ethnic minority groups. [00:08:23]

It is with this historical foundation in mind that you and I have to ask and answer the question, why do you worry and have anxiety about what's going on in this country as if God can't sustain us? No one understands that the same God that was back then, I wish I had somebody in here, is the same God that we have today. [00:08:56]

Because here's here's you know, here's here's here's because here's what I believe is happening Here's what I believe is happening uh, we are witnessing a divine move of god That is allowing through his providential will for you and I as children of god To reconnect to him to show them what oneness and unity looks like for the Bible , he knows something that we don't know [00:10:59]

Maybe his ways are not like our ways Maybe because he sits as the heavens are higher than the earth. So are his ways higher than our ways Maybe he knows something that is in us that we don't know And sometimes through his sovereignty god will allow persecution and opposition Watch it now to break us so he can get the best out of us [00:11:32]

and church it's a it's a perfect season it is a perfect season for us to be able to shine so we can show the world what biblical authentic unity looks like and so the question we have to ask this morning is what can we learn beyond the experience of the black church in this text that we can apply to our lives today [00:14:25]

Because because they were one. Now they get to experience the visible manifestation of the glory of God. Did you hear what I said? Because they are one heart, soul and they have unity. Then everybody get to see the physical. If we are wanting to see God do some great things, then we have to become one. [00:18:02]

This is a kind of one. This a biblical oneness that emphasizes watching now our unity, despite our diversity, even our diversity in personal experiences and perspective. Because some of us think that we can't be one because we have different experience. The devil is the oneness is based upon the feeling of the Holy Spirit. [00:19:14]

there's something else that we see they are often most often matter of fact i believe all the time unselfish the text says that not one of them claim that anything belonged to him was his own but all things were common property to them church under the power of the holy spirit when we demonstrate this oneness we will have a unselfish mentality [00:21:21]

so number one this is how we do it by becoming one resulting in selflessness number two by becoming one resulting in proclamation and grace the text says that it was with great power in verse 33 that these apostles began to preach proclaim to give testimony about the resurrection of Jesus Christ hear me there is no other proclamation or message that can transform your life [00:24:57]

Church the world Can do almost anything That the church can do and maybe in Some cases even better Because you don't have to be a Christian to build a house You don't have to be a Christian To feed the hungry you don't Have to be a Christian to heal the sick But there is Only one thing that the world Cannot do It cannot offer Grace [00:28:35]