WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.900 --> 00:00:05.000 Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:06.100 Amen. 3 00:00:07.800 --> 00:00:10.600 Several years ago, a text was experiencing a church was experiencing a period 4 00:00:10.600 --> 00:00:15.600 of growth. So there were discussions about building a bigger sanctuary. 5 00:00:16.700 --> 00:00:20.000 They would talk about it for a little while and then it will die down. 6 00:00:21.400 --> 00:00:25.600 It didn't seem like there was an urgent need for the expansion because 7 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:28.100 the church was already having 4 services. 8 00:00:29.300 --> 00:00:31.200 But then their discussions would pick up again. 9 00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:37.300 So when it got serious and a decision needed to be made, they did a big 10 00:00:37.300 --> 00:00:42.400 survey to find out members real reason for wanting an expansion or 11 00:00:42.400 --> 00:00:44.200 declining to expand. 12 00:00:45.800 --> 00:00:49.500 There was one particular reason that was for expansion 13 00:00:49.500 --> 00:00:51.800 that was so surprising even shocking to me. 14 00:00:53.100 --> 00:00:55.800 A majority of the members give that as a reason. 15 00:00:56.900 --> 00:01:01.000 They said they felt that when they were in worship people start to close to 16 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:01.200 them. 17 00:01:02.800 --> 00:01:06.400 My thought was what is wrong brothers and sisters in Christ 18 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:08.700 do not want to sit close together in church. 19 00:01:09.900 --> 00:01:13.900 They have this one thing in common, the same precious Savior, and he 20 00:01:13.900 --> 00:01:17.800 wanted more individualistic approach and deny community. 21 00:01:19.500 --> 00:01:24.400 It was strange to me until I got a better understanding of cultures as 22 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:26.200 far as space is concerned. 23 00:01:27.500 --> 00:01:31.900 I got to know, that there is even a steady about how space is used 24 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:33.600 in human interactions, 25 00:01:33.600 --> 00:01:34.900 proxemics. 26 00:01:36.100 --> 00:01:40.300 People need to add personal space on those pews and I had no idea. 27 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:43.400 Things were really great 28 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:48.000 among the early believers to be described as being of one heart and 29 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:50.500 soul, where it doesn't get better than that. 30 00:01:52.300 --> 00:01:56.800 Those early years, after Christ had ascended into heaven, let the 31 00:01:56.800 --> 00:01:57.400 believers in 32 00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:01.500 no doubt that they were in this together. They had everything in 33 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:04.500 common, a great opportunity to be hearers 34 00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:05.800 and doers of the word. 35 00:02:07.700 --> 00:02:09.500 As the needs of the poor were being taken 36 00:02:09.500 --> 00:02:13.000 care of the apostles, were giving testimony to the resurrection of the 37 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:13.100 Lord 38 00:02:13.100 --> 00:02:17.900 Jesus Christ. They focused on the most important thing that has ever 39 00:02:17.900 --> 00:02:19.500 happened in the world. 40 00:02:21.200 --> 00:02:25.700 Beginning from Jerusalem, the testimony of the Apostles about the 41 00:02:25.700 --> 00:02:27.800 gospel God's love for you 42 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:31.500 with no strings attached, would go into the non-jewish world and 43 00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:32.300 people would believe. 44 00:02:33.600 --> 00:02:34.800 It will go to German. 45 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:39.100 There a certain monk named Martin Luther would realize how precious 46 00:02:39.100 --> 00:02:40.500 this gospel was. 47 00:02:41.500 --> 00:02:43.200 This Gospel of Jesus Christ 48 00:02:43.200 --> 00:02:47.500 has the power to save the world from spending forever without God and 49 00:02:47.500 --> 00:02:50.000 therefore with unending pain and unhappiness. 50 00:02:52.100 --> 00:02:56.600 Luther recognized that a gospel was too precious to be kept obscure. 51 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:02.400 He translated it into the language that regular people and not just educated 52 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:04.500 elites and clergy would understand. 53 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:11.000 This same great gospel with eternal benefit would make its way from the 54 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:12.000 West to Africa. 55 00:03:13.600 --> 00:03:17.600 It is the same gospel whether it is, proclaimed in the west or in 56 00:03:17.600 --> 00:03:18.000 Africa. 57 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:25.600 It is the same great gospel that says people whether they are highly educated or have limited education. It is the 58 00:03:25.600 --> 00:03:27.300 same great saving gospel 59 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:30.900 whether it is proclaimed among those who have more than enough to eat 60 00:03:30.900 --> 00:03:35.100 and toss, leftovers into the trash can or among people who are lucky 61 00:03:35.100 --> 00:03:40.500 to have two meals a day or people for whom, leftovers are essential for 62 00:03:40.500 --> 00:03:41.100 survival. 63 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:44.400 Of course Satan 64 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:49.200 does not want the gospel to secede. If he only operated outside 65 00:03:49.200 --> 00:03:50.500 the walls of the church 66 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:51.800 we could simply ignore him. 67 00:03:53.100 --> 00:03:53.800 But for now 68 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:58.200 God still allows him to operate inside the church as well among 69 00:03:58.200 --> 00:04:02.700 Christians and it causes a lot of confusion and sows division. 70 00:04:04.200 --> 00:04:06.800 So, it was that even as the early Christians 71 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:08.500 saw a need and rose to meet that 72 00:04:08.500 --> 00:04:11.100 need Satan also made his way in. 73 00:04:12.200 --> 00:04:13.800 Why is the full number of those 74 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:17.600 who believe way of one heart and soul holding everything in common 75 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:20.100 Satan moved in to disrupt and confuse. 76 00:04:21.399 --> 00:04:24.700 He moved in while a great thing was happening in the church. 77 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:27.400 Those who are being blessed financially 78 00:04:27.400 --> 00:04:29.000 saw a great need 79 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:31.900 among the believers most of whom were poor. 80 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:36.600 They responded wholeheartedly with sales of some of your properties 81 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:39.100 and donated, the proceeds to be used to help. 82 00:04:40.200 --> 00:04:44.200 Someone can say that this was a church when it was working right. 83 00:04:44.200 --> 00:04:48.000 Taking care of people's needs and proclaiming the gospel. 84 00:04:50.300 --> 00:04:54.900 So, Barnabas sold a field that he owned and brought the proceeds to 85 00:04:54.900 --> 00:04:55.900 support the effort. 86 00:04:57.200 --> 00:04:59.900 We note that Barnabas did not sell everything 87 00:04:59.900 --> 00:05:03.000 he owned. He sold a field, he owned. 88 00:05:04.100 --> 00:05:07.500 Ananias decided that he too, would sell that property and bring their 89 00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:10.800 proceeds to help their fellow brothers and sisters, who are poor. 90 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:15.800 He conspired with his wife, Sapphira to bring a portion of the proceeds 91 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:18.300 while pretending that he brought everything. 92 00:05:19.900 --> 00:05:22.400 What it did was not pleasing to Peter. 93 00:05:22.400 --> 00:05:25.500 Neither was it pleasing to God the Holy Spirit. 94 00:05:27.400 --> 00:05:33.000 The church is a community of believers among whom the Gospel is 95 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:35.400 preached and the sacraments properly administered. 96 00:05:35.400 --> 00:05:38.600 This is what we believe teach and confess. 97 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:42.300 It's all about Jesus and what he has done for the world, so that it 98 00:05:42.300 --> 00:05:46.400 will have an enduring peaceful relationship with God for now and for 99 00:05:46.400 --> 00:05:47.000 eternity. 100 00:05:49.400 --> 00:05:53.500 The early Believers that we read about in our texts understood very 101 00:05:53.500 --> 00:05:55.200 well, the idea of community. 102 00:05:56.500 --> 00:06:00.000 No one said that any of the things that belong to him was his own. 103 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:04.000 Now, obviously, we should not confuse this, having everything in 104 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:08.000 common with Communism, not forcibly took from people, you know, that 105 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:09.200 we share equitably. 106 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:14.800 Lutheran Christians from Africa, have one thing in common for sure 107 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:17.000 with Lutheran Christians, in the West. 108 00:06:18.200 --> 00:06:20.500 We believe in the same Jesus Christ. 109 00:06:20.500 --> 00:06:25.400 We believe in the same one gospel that is the power of salvation for 110 00:06:25.400 --> 00:06:25.900 the world. 111 00:06:25.900 --> 00:06:30.400 And we all equally guilty before God because we have all sinned and 112 00:06:30.400 --> 00:06:31.700 fall short of the glory of God. 113 00:06:33.500 --> 00:06:37.600 But there are differences that may sometimes be frustrating for both 114 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:38.300 cultures. 115 00:06:39.500 --> 00:06:43.100 I would describe the typical American Lutheran Church as highly 116 00:06:43.100 --> 00:06:46.800 efficient. It is highly efficient in terms of time. 117 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.300 It works well like clockwork. 118 00:06:51.200 --> 00:06:54.800 When I joined the Lutheran Church in Ghana, I had no idea what 119 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:55.700 worship was like, 120 00:06:56.700 --> 00:07:00.300 I had visited a couple of Pentecostal churches and some reformed 121 00:07:00.300 --> 00:07:00.700 churches. 122 00:07:01.700 --> 00:07:06.100 I didn't expect to see singing of choruses and doing a joyful, dance 123 00:07:06.100 --> 00:07:06.600 to go 124 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:09.900 put your offering the offering basket and actually do in the offering 125 00:07:09.900 --> 00:07:13.500 twice, one for your regular offering and one for the day of the week, in 126 00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:14.300 which you were born. 127 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:19.400 If you were to measure joy, not just in people is heart 128 00:07:19.400 --> 00:07:22.900 but outwardly you could see joy visibly. 129 00:07:24.500 --> 00:07:28.600 And I sometimes heard people say that if those things we're not a part 130 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:30.600 of the worship, they will feel like they are not worshiped. 131 00:07:32.400 --> 00:07:36.300 There were a few American missionary families that way their regular 132 00:07:36.300 --> 00:07:37.500 and they loved it. 133 00:07:38.700 --> 00:07:39.500 The services 134 00:07:39.500 --> 00:07:42.700 were not efficient, by they were joyful. 135 00:07:44.700 --> 00:07:47.000 I did not think that the sermons were long. 136 00:07:48.400 --> 00:07:52.500 One Sunday during the sermon one of the missionaries suddenly stood 137 00:07:52.500 --> 00:07:56.000 up and put into his what year is already too long it is 138 00:07:56.200 --> 00:07:57.300 supposed to be 1 hour. 139 00:07:59.500 --> 00:08:00.300 Then he sat down. 140 00:08:02.200 --> 00:08:03.400 You could have heard a pin drop. 141 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:06.500 And so people were glaring at him. 142 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:12.300 The preacher stopped for just a few seconds then he continued. 143 00:08:13.400 --> 00:08:16.800 Service continued after the sermon it ended 144 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:17.500 when it ended 145 00:08:18.900 --> 00:08:22.500 I guess that the services were often about 2 hours long. 146 00:08:23.900 --> 00:08:28.400 A 2 hour regular Sunday morning worship in a typical Lutheran Church 147 00:08:28.400 --> 00:08:31.000 in America would not be considered efficient. 148 00:08:32.299 --> 00:08:34.900 I don't think anybody would get up and yell the service has to be 1 hour 149 00:08:35.900 --> 00:08:36.700 it is too long. 150 00:08:38.500 --> 00:08:43.299 But I think that if it continues to happen regularly, people would get 151 00:08:43.299 --> 00:08:49.000 up and leave or perhaps even stop attending all together and find one 152 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:50.800 that is more efficient. 153 00:08:52.500 --> 00:08:56.000 If service is supposed to start at 10 and starts 10 minutes after 154 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:57.000 there will be a problem. 155 00:08:58.400 --> 00:09:01.900 Am I advocating for a longer worship, not necessarily. 156 00:09:01.900 --> 00:09:05.400 But can we devote more time to our great 157 00:09:05.400 --> 00:09:09.000 God and savior and not feeling like you're going to miss lunch or 158 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:09.500 something? 159 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:14.800 Can we be head and heart Christians instead of head only Christians. 160 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:21.900 I think here in America Lutherans often draw a hard line between 161 00:09:21.900 --> 00:09:25.100 private Christianity and public Christianity. 162 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:30.900 It is easy to not want to be overtly Christian in public because 163 00:09:30.900 --> 00:09:36.000 somebody might get offended or we ourselves might just feel uncomfortable 164 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:37.100 with it. 165 00:09:38.500 --> 00:09:43.300 So we will be Christians in church and church gatherings or activities 166 00:09:43.300 --> 00:09:43.500 but not 167 00:09:43.500 --> 00:09:44.000 elsewhere. 168 00:09:45.700 --> 00:09:48.600 The African Christian would likely be Christian everywhere. 169 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:50.100 And might readily 170 00:09:50.100 --> 00:09:54.000 see God acting in many situations if not in all situations. 171 00:09:55.600 --> 00:10:01.200 If God is omnipotent and omnipresent, and omniscient, as we believe, 172 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:04.000 teach and confess then we should not be 173 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:07.500 so hesitant to have them be a part of our public life. 174 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:10.100 It is possible 175 00:10:11.500 --> 00:10:15.000 that there is a sign somewhere in America that we we don't talk about 176 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:15.800 Jesus here. 177 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:19.100 But if there is, I haven't seen it. 178 00:10:20.200 --> 00:10:24.300 We can live graciously as Christians in America and we can speak 179 00:10:24.300 --> 00:10:25.800 graciously as Christians in America. 180 00:10:27.300 --> 00:10:30.700 And we don't have to censor ourselves too much about that. 181 00:10:32.300 --> 00:10:36.500 From the West to Africa, and now from Africa to the West, we can grow 182 00:10:36.500 --> 00:10:38.200 together confidently. 183 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:44.200 God is working in us still since we have a common faith in the one 184 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:48.300 savior, whose love for you and the world will never end. 185 00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:56.300 May his work began in, you continue to the day of our Lord Jesus 186 00:10:56.300 --> 00:10:56.700 Christ. 187 00:10:56.700 --> 00:10:58.000 Amen.