Sermon Illustrations for Second Sunday of Easter (2018)
Illustration
Acts 4:32-35
As we look at this text for today, we see the early church and her generous giving. The key phrase in this text, as I see it, is in verse 34; “There was not a needy person among them.” I came across this story that I thought might help us see that generosity today.
A highly successful businessman was once asked to make a substantial donation toward an urgent charity appeal. The businessman listened to the case presented then said, “I can understand why you approached me. Yes. I do have a lot of money, and yours is an important cause. But are you aware that I have a lot of calls upon my money? Did you know my mother needs 24-hour nursing care?”
“No, we didn’t” came the reply.
“Did you know my sister is struggling to raise a family of eight on her own?”
“No, we didn’t” came the reply.
“Did you know I have one son in a drug rehab clinic and another doing voluntary work overseas?”
“No, we didn’t”
“Well, if I don’t give them a cent, what makes you think I’ll give it to you?!”
The businessman didn’t get it. For the Christian, it is as Corrie Ten Boom once said, “The measure of a life, after all, is not it’s duration, but it’s donation.”
Bill T.
Acts 4:32-35
In the book of Acts we are told “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need (Acts 4:34-35).”
Some people assume that mutual aid was only practiced by the earliest church, and pastors often explain that we aren’t meant to radically share all that we have with each other. But during the second half of the third century, while Christianity was still illegal, a pastor named Sotas was appointed to oversee the congregation in the Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus.
There are several documents surviving that show church leaders like Sotas preparing new Christians to be baptized or providing letters of reference for Christians travelling from one city to another. We also see Sotas encouraging fellow believers to support others in the congregation by making responsible economic choices.
In one letter to a Christian named Demetrios, Sotas writes:
If therefore you have decided according to the ancient custom to give some acreage to the (church), have it boundaried, in order that it might be put to use, and when you decide regarding this work let it be with confidence.
The practice described in Acts of donating property for the use of the church is described here as “the ancient custom.” The implication is that mutual aid continued to be a common practice involving a radical understanding of ownership.
(This passage is from Papyrus Oxyrhynchus XII (1916) 1492. translated by the present author. By the way, Sotas does not actually write 'church'. He used the word 'place' which was code for church.)
Frank R.
Acts 4:32-35
In January 2018, Paula White wrote on her website calling her followers to send her ministry up to one month’s salary. White, who is a prosperity gospel preacher and is a spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump. White is the senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center, a Pentecostal church, in Apopka, Florida, which is near Orlando. She told her followers that God requires of them the “first fruits” of their labors. If they do not offer the first fruits, then White said they will face “consequences.” White wrote, “The reason is God lays claim to all firsts. So when you keep for yourself something that belongs to God you are desecrating what is to be consecrated to God.” She went on to write that the “firsts” are money, which “supernaturally unlocks amazing opportunity, blessing, favor and divine order for your life.” White wrote that “When you honor this principle it provides the foundation and structure for God’s blessings and promises in your life.” But, White continued, “When you don’t honor it, whether through ignorance or direct disobedience there are consequences.” Though White confessed that the firsts “belong to God and God alone,” the money should be sent to her in the form of offerings to her ministries.
Application: Acts speaks of stewardship as being “of one heart and soul.” Acts speaks of stewardship as “everything they owned was held in common.” Acts also speaks of stewardship saying, “there was not a needy person among them.” Paula White’s understanding of the prosperity gospel does not meet the criteria set forth in the Book of Acts.
Ron L.
1 John 1:1--2:2
Nineteenth-century American newspaper editor and poet George Pope Morris echoes a theme of this Lesson: “United we stand, divided we fall.” Certainly America is not taking this advice. We know well from the pundits how the last Presidential election testified to how divided we are. A book written by political scientist Charles Murray well describes our situation. Titled Coming Apart, he shows that white America is shattered economically, that the top and bottom live in increasingly different cultures. He makes a good case that top and bottom do not even know each other, do not have common friends, and do not even follow the same sports or have the same pastimes. How has it happened? The title of a book by psychologist Jean Twenge, Generation Me, gives us all we need to know. We have developed a narcissistic ethos in American society -- a society that encourages preoccupation with self-fulfillment as to blur the boundaries between self and world until the world becomes nothing more than a vehicle for self-gratification. No true community is possible with these dynamics, since we are all just using each other (see Christopher Lasch, The Culture of Narcissism). It’s like Martin Luther once said: We are “turned in on ourselves.” (Luther’s Works, Vol.25, p.291)
John Calvin nicely describes the image of God being light in this lesson (1:5-6) and helps overcome our selfish isolation. The light overcomes our filth and creates a relationship with God:
Mark E.
1 John 1:1-2:2
John’s letter is all about the Good News of the Gospel, of the death and resurrection of Jesus. John’s letter reminds us we have nothing to fear for we are forgiven. We are redeemed. We are loved. How many of us live our lives as fearless, forgiven and redeemed people? How many of us love in the joy that we are children of God, welcomed and embraced by God? And how many people do not know that God loves them.
Perhaps during this Easter season, and remember that Easter is a season, we could be about sharing the Good News, the God News that we are each loved by God, each forgiven by God, each redeemed by God, each blessed by God. What a difference that knowledge might make in the life of an individual. What a difference that knowledge would make in the world. Will you be a part of the movement to touch people’s hearts with God’s love? Pray God, it will be so.
Bonnie B.
1 John 1:1--2:2
John is talking about his personal contact with the risen Lord, which was shared by his fellow disciples and a few more. We can have fellowship with the Lord even if we don’t see him in person.
One of our sons emailed back and forth with a woman before he met her. They developed a relationship online that led to marriage once they met in person. I also have gotten to know people who I only communicated with by email or regular mail. Some were fellow missionaries. We had much in common and became friends though we never met in person.
I came to know our Lord through reading his words in the Bible spoken to his people. I could feel us growing closer the more I read -- and prayed. I sometimes felt that we had conversations in our prayers! I would pray for an answer, and the answer often came in the next passage I read! Sometimes the feeling grew when he answered my prayers. In his word or through a Christian friend. My kids would not believe me, but when I had important messages coming from Nepal on my computer and it stopped working and would not let me answer their requests, I prayed that it would be “healed.” When one of my sons came over to try and fix it, it suddenly fixed itself! It amazed both of us! He began to wonder if he had seen a strange miracle.
When some who we prayed over in Nepal were healed instantly, they suddenly felt the Lord in their lives. It encouraged their family and friends to come to meet this Lord of love. The church in Nepal started with one old pastor Tir who was still alive and serving his Lord, and when we answered the call and came over, there were over a million Christians! When we went back a couple years later there were two million! Only God could do that! It started with one man, but when that multitude turned to the Lord it was from hearing the words of scripture from men like John.
Sometimes we may think that our sins are nothing compared to the sins of those we read about in our daily paper who have committed murder or robbery, but we have to remember that we have also sinned and that Jesus died for our sins too. We need to be grateful to God as we kneel for the Lord’s supper and remember the blood that had to be spilled in agony for our salvation!
That last passage is one I liked to read when I was in Nepal “The sins of the whole world!”
We and they should have fellowship with each other. That is what strengthens us. That is what church is for.
Bob O.
John 20:19-31
John Young, who died in January 2018 at the age of 87, was at the time of his death the longest serving astronaut for NASA. Young was an astronaut for 42 years. During those decades he flew in space six times and walked on the moon once. He was the only astronaut to fly in the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. Young retained a single-minded devotion to the space program that kept him working 12-hour days into his 70s. His only hobby was staying fit enough to maintain his active flight status. At his retirement Yong played down his accomplishments, saying, “Anybody could have done it. You’ve just got to hang in there.” Young continued to believe in the importance of space exploration and manned space flights. Astronaut John Young said, “Our ability to live and work on other planets in the solar system will end up giving us the science and technology that we need to save the species. I’m talking about human beings. I’d hate to miss all that fun.”
Application: The disciples in the Upper Room, though scared and bewildered, realized the importance of the mission before them. They were to save human beings with the message of salvation.
Ron L.
John 20:19-31
There is a scene in the Star Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back that always affects me when I see it. Luke has gone to Dagobah to meet with the Jedi master, Yoda. Yoda is teaching him the ways of the force. On this day they are sitting in the bog where Luke’s ship has settled. While they are sitting there, the ship sinks. Luke is panicked, but Yoda tells him to use the force. He tries and is unsuccessful. He thinks it is impossible. Yoda, though, can raise the ship. Luke looks on in stunned amazement. He exclaims, “I don’t believe it.” Yoda simply replies, “That’s why you fail.”
I thought about this scene as I thought about Thomas. I think a lot of us can identify with Thomas. Some things seem too good to be true. Unless we see it for ourselves, we just can’t accept it. Jesus provided Thomas a chance to see and to express his belief. He does, though, remind him, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Faith inspires belief before proof. Luke was unwilling to trust the force. He couldn’t fathom how it could possibly work. That’s a fiction story. The question for today is are you willing to trust that Jesus lives. Will you possess the faith that accepts before it sees and trusts before it verifies?
Bill T.
John 20:19-31
When (Jesus) had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22)."
This is the equivalent of Pentecost in John’s gospel. Note that it is far gentler than the event in Acts 2 -- and precedes it. While for some receiving the Holy Spirit meant an ecstatic experience, or even speaking in tongues, this was not always the case. It is certainly not so here. Jesus granted unto the whole community the responsibility for forgiving sins.Instead of being the conduit for a personally satisfying charismatic experience, receiving the Holy Spirit was an invitation to be actively involved in reconciliation between aggrieved parties.
Frank R.
As we look at this text for today, we see the early church and her generous giving. The key phrase in this text, as I see it, is in verse 34; “There was not a needy person among them.” I came across this story that I thought might help us see that generosity today.
A highly successful businessman was once asked to make a substantial donation toward an urgent charity appeal. The businessman listened to the case presented then said, “I can understand why you approached me. Yes. I do have a lot of money, and yours is an important cause. But are you aware that I have a lot of calls upon my money? Did you know my mother needs 24-hour nursing care?”
“No, we didn’t” came the reply.
“Did you know my sister is struggling to raise a family of eight on her own?”
“No, we didn’t” came the reply.
“Did you know I have one son in a drug rehab clinic and another doing voluntary work overseas?”
“No, we didn’t”
“Well, if I don’t give them a cent, what makes you think I’ll give it to you?!”
The businessman didn’t get it. For the Christian, it is as Corrie Ten Boom once said, “The measure of a life, after all, is not it’s duration, but it’s donation.”
Bill T.
Acts 4:32-35
In the book of Acts we are told “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need (Acts 4:34-35).”
Some people assume that mutual aid was only practiced by the earliest church, and pastors often explain that we aren’t meant to radically share all that we have with each other. But during the second half of the third century, while Christianity was still illegal, a pastor named Sotas was appointed to oversee the congregation in the Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus.
There are several documents surviving that show church leaders like Sotas preparing new Christians to be baptized or providing letters of reference for Christians travelling from one city to another. We also see Sotas encouraging fellow believers to support others in the congregation by making responsible economic choices.
In one letter to a Christian named Demetrios, Sotas writes:
If therefore you have decided according to the ancient custom to give some acreage to the (church), have it boundaried, in order that it might be put to use, and when you decide regarding this work let it be with confidence.
The practice described in Acts of donating property for the use of the church is described here as “the ancient custom.” The implication is that mutual aid continued to be a common practice involving a radical understanding of ownership.
(This passage is from Papyrus Oxyrhynchus XII (1916) 1492. translated by the present author. By the way, Sotas does not actually write 'church'. He used the word 'place' which was code for church.)
Frank R.
Acts 4:32-35
In January 2018, Paula White wrote on her website calling her followers to send her ministry up to one month’s salary. White, who is a prosperity gospel preacher and is a spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump. White is the senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center, a Pentecostal church, in Apopka, Florida, which is near Orlando. She told her followers that God requires of them the “first fruits” of their labors. If they do not offer the first fruits, then White said they will face “consequences.” White wrote, “The reason is God lays claim to all firsts. So when you keep for yourself something that belongs to God you are desecrating what is to be consecrated to God.” She went on to write that the “firsts” are money, which “supernaturally unlocks amazing opportunity, blessing, favor and divine order for your life.” White wrote that “When you honor this principle it provides the foundation and structure for God’s blessings and promises in your life.” But, White continued, “When you don’t honor it, whether through ignorance or direct disobedience there are consequences.” Though White confessed that the firsts “belong to God and God alone,” the money should be sent to her in the form of offerings to her ministries.
Application: Acts speaks of stewardship as being “of one heart and soul.” Acts speaks of stewardship as “everything they owned was held in common.” Acts also speaks of stewardship saying, “there was not a needy person among them.” Paula White’s understanding of the prosperity gospel does not meet the criteria set forth in the Book of Acts.
Ron L.
1 John 1:1--2:2
Nineteenth-century American newspaper editor and poet George Pope Morris echoes a theme of this Lesson: “United we stand, divided we fall.” Certainly America is not taking this advice. We know well from the pundits how the last Presidential election testified to how divided we are. A book written by political scientist Charles Murray well describes our situation. Titled Coming Apart, he shows that white America is shattered economically, that the top and bottom live in increasingly different cultures. He makes a good case that top and bottom do not even know each other, do not have common friends, and do not even follow the same sports or have the same pastimes. How has it happened? The title of a book by psychologist Jean Twenge, Generation Me, gives us all we need to know. We have developed a narcissistic ethos in American society -- a society that encourages preoccupation with self-fulfillment as to blur the boundaries between self and world until the world becomes nothing more than a vehicle for self-gratification. No true community is possible with these dynamics, since we are all just using each other (see Christopher Lasch, The Culture of Narcissism). It’s like Martin Luther once said: We are “turned in on ourselves.” (Luther’s Works, Vol.25, p.291)
John Calvin nicely describes the image of God being light in this lesson (1:5-6) and helps overcome our selfish isolation. The light overcomes our filth and creates a relationship with God:
... wherever God comes, all things are so imbued with his holiness, that he washes away all filth; for without him we have nothing but filth and darkness. It is hence evident, that no one leads a holy life, except he is united to God. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.XXII/2, p.164)This light, this relationship with God, makes community with others possible. Martin Luther made that point well. He wrote, “Above all, one must see to it that the heart has this light. Then the works will follow.” (Luther’s Works, Vol.30, p.228) The18th-century father of modern political conservatism Edmund Burke hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “Whatever disunites man from God, also disunites man from man.” The Easter light dims our selfishness. God and Jesus won’t let that divide us.
Mark E.
1 John 1:1-2:2
John’s letter is all about the Good News of the Gospel, of the death and resurrection of Jesus. John’s letter reminds us we have nothing to fear for we are forgiven. We are redeemed. We are loved. How many of us live our lives as fearless, forgiven and redeemed people? How many of us love in the joy that we are children of God, welcomed and embraced by God? And how many people do not know that God loves them.
Perhaps during this Easter season, and remember that Easter is a season, we could be about sharing the Good News, the God News that we are each loved by God, each forgiven by God, each redeemed by God, each blessed by God. What a difference that knowledge might make in the life of an individual. What a difference that knowledge would make in the world. Will you be a part of the movement to touch people’s hearts with God’s love? Pray God, it will be so.
Bonnie B.
1 John 1:1--2:2
John is talking about his personal contact with the risen Lord, which was shared by his fellow disciples and a few more. We can have fellowship with the Lord even if we don’t see him in person.
One of our sons emailed back and forth with a woman before he met her. They developed a relationship online that led to marriage once they met in person. I also have gotten to know people who I only communicated with by email or regular mail. Some were fellow missionaries. We had much in common and became friends though we never met in person.
I came to know our Lord through reading his words in the Bible spoken to his people. I could feel us growing closer the more I read -- and prayed. I sometimes felt that we had conversations in our prayers! I would pray for an answer, and the answer often came in the next passage I read! Sometimes the feeling grew when he answered my prayers. In his word or through a Christian friend. My kids would not believe me, but when I had important messages coming from Nepal on my computer and it stopped working and would not let me answer their requests, I prayed that it would be “healed.” When one of my sons came over to try and fix it, it suddenly fixed itself! It amazed both of us! He began to wonder if he had seen a strange miracle.
When some who we prayed over in Nepal were healed instantly, they suddenly felt the Lord in their lives. It encouraged their family and friends to come to meet this Lord of love. The church in Nepal started with one old pastor Tir who was still alive and serving his Lord, and when we answered the call and came over, there were over a million Christians! When we went back a couple years later there were two million! Only God could do that! It started with one man, but when that multitude turned to the Lord it was from hearing the words of scripture from men like John.
Sometimes we may think that our sins are nothing compared to the sins of those we read about in our daily paper who have committed murder or robbery, but we have to remember that we have also sinned and that Jesus died for our sins too. We need to be grateful to God as we kneel for the Lord’s supper and remember the blood that had to be spilled in agony for our salvation!
That last passage is one I liked to read when I was in Nepal “The sins of the whole world!”
We and they should have fellowship with each other. That is what strengthens us. That is what church is for.
Bob O.
John 20:19-31
John Young, who died in January 2018 at the age of 87, was at the time of his death the longest serving astronaut for NASA. Young was an astronaut for 42 years. During those decades he flew in space six times and walked on the moon once. He was the only astronaut to fly in the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. Young retained a single-minded devotion to the space program that kept him working 12-hour days into his 70s. His only hobby was staying fit enough to maintain his active flight status. At his retirement Yong played down his accomplishments, saying, “Anybody could have done it. You’ve just got to hang in there.” Young continued to believe in the importance of space exploration and manned space flights. Astronaut John Young said, “Our ability to live and work on other planets in the solar system will end up giving us the science and technology that we need to save the species. I’m talking about human beings. I’d hate to miss all that fun.”
Application: The disciples in the Upper Room, though scared and bewildered, realized the importance of the mission before them. They were to save human beings with the message of salvation.
Ron L.
John 20:19-31
There is a scene in the Star Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back that always affects me when I see it. Luke has gone to Dagobah to meet with the Jedi master, Yoda. Yoda is teaching him the ways of the force. On this day they are sitting in the bog where Luke’s ship has settled. While they are sitting there, the ship sinks. Luke is panicked, but Yoda tells him to use the force. He tries and is unsuccessful. He thinks it is impossible. Yoda, though, can raise the ship. Luke looks on in stunned amazement. He exclaims, “I don’t believe it.” Yoda simply replies, “That’s why you fail.”
I thought about this scene as I thought about Thomas. I think a lot of us can identify with Thomas. Some things seem too good to be true. Unless we see it for ourselves, we just can’t accept it. Jesus provided Thomas a chance to see and to express his belief. He does, though, remind him, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Faith inspires belief before proof. Luke was unwilling to trust the force. He couldn’t fathom how it could possibly work. That’s a fiction story. The question for today is are you willing to trust that Jesus lives. Will you possess the faith that accepts before it sees and trusts before it verifies?
Bill T.
John 20:19-31
When (Jesus) had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22)."
This is the equivalent of Pentecost in John’s gospel. Note that it is far gentler than the event in Acts 2 -- and precedes it. While for some receiving the Holy Spirit meant an ecstatic experience, or even speaking in tongues, this was not always the case. It is certainly not so here. Jesus granted unto the whole community the responsibility for forgiving sins.Instead of being the conduit for a personally satisfying charismatic experience, receiving the Holy Spirit was an invitation to be actively involved in reconciliation between aggrieved parties.
Frank R.
