Sharing and Adding
"Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." Acts 2:41
Dear Friends in Christ,
Sharing and adding: it seems a contradiction in ideas. You give away what you have, and more is added to what you possess. It just doesn't make sense, unless... unless you think the way God thinks. The scripture cited above is part of the Pentecost message in the Book of Acts of the Apostles. Pentecost, as we know, is the beginning of the Christian church. God sent his Holy Spirit which breathed life anew into those waiting to receive it, and as the Apostle Peter spoke, people "accepted his message" and they were added to the church of Jesus Christ.
God shared of himself; he gave his Spirit, and the church of Christ grew. There's a significant lesson here for those of us who believe in God, profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, and follow his commands: we need to be like Peter, and with the anointing that has been placed on us by God's Holy Spirit, we must give away, share of what we have, so that others will come and the church universal including our little outpost called Pikes Peak will grow.
We all want the church to grow. We know the benefits: new friends, fun fellowship, and new unions with fellow believers who help us through this life. But what can we give? (I hear it now: "Please, Pastor Rick, don't ask us to give another dime!") I'm not asking for additional monies, nor even promises of more donations. I'm asking you for something much more important, something all of us have equal amounts of, and something everyone can share. I'm simply asking for your time. Just a small amount of your time. And I'm asking you to
share it with a friend or neighbor. If you share yourself, I believe your sharing will add to, and grow God's kingdom on earth.
Let me explain what I mean. Like God gave of his Spirit that we might be blessed, when you share your life with others you are doing the same thing - blessing others through your gift of time. And we all know, when we do this, we get back so much more. Do you see, it's "sharing and adding." Likewise, the same is true for our church. When we give of our time and share about our church with others, people come, and we add to our numbers, and God's kingdom on earth grows. "Sharing and adding."
On Pentecost Sunday we asked you to share the life of this church with others you know, to invite family and friends to come and worship with you this summer. "Sharing and adding." On Saturday, June 19, we are going to distribute flyers to RV camps, bed and breakfasts, motels and restaurants on the Westside....taking time to share, so that we can add to our numbers. "Sharing and adding." Will you help? Will you share, giving of yourself, so that you can grow, and at the same time help our church to grow to God's glory?
I pray your answer will be "yes." The Apostle Peter said "yes" and spoke to multitudes. He gave of his time, "...and three thousand were added to their number that day." Do you think you as part of this faith community, and we as part of God's kingdom on earth, could share of our time, and add one percent of that number (that's just 30 new folks) to our roster of believers?
Let's all try it: talk to your family, friends and neighbors, and help distribute flyers on the 12th. Let's share the love of Jesus Christ that's a part of us with others, and let the Holy Spirit work so that "30" will be "...added to [our] number" this summer.
See you in church on Sunday. And don't forget to bring a friend!
Blessings, Pastor Rick
