The Making Of Christian Camaraderie-2

The MAKING Of CHRISTIAN CAMARADERIE-II—Acts 2:36-47

Attention:

We began this short series as a salute to those who were & are veterans in one or more of our United States military conflicts.

As we celebrated Veterans Day, we found that there are experiences that only soldiers have in common. And there are experiences that soldiers of particular conflicts have in common.

And we found that stateside(& elsewhere), soldiers have available at least two groups that foster the camaraderie of those soldiers.

Likewise, there are experiences only soldiers in the Lord’s service—God’s people— have in common. And that camaraderie should be fostered thru the Church.

‘Camaraderie’—“A spirit of friendly good-fellowship.”—Merriam-Webster Dictionary. OR--“Mutual trust & friendship among people who spend a lot of time together”—New Oxford American Dictionary.

*For our purposes today, ‘Camaraderie’ is—“Mutual trust, friendship, & good-fellowship among people with a shared experience.”

Today we will apply the camaraderie that is shared among veterans, to The Bond of Christian Experience, by describing:

The MAKING Of CHRISTIAN CAMARADERIE—Acts 2:36-47

Luke records the shared & positive response of receiving Jesus as Savior & Lord.

The Camaraderie/Bond of Christian experience is shared.

*What Camaraderie is shared among Christians?

12 definers of Christian Camaraderie.

We previously found that:

Christian Camaraderie is built upon a shared...

1. PERSONAL FAILURE(:36)

2. AUTHORITY(:37)(apostles)

3. HEART’s CONCERN(:37)

4. RECONCILIATION With GOD(:38)

5—Christian Camaraderie is built upon a shared...

GLOBAL PROMISE(:39)

Explanation(:39):

:39—“For the promise is to you & to your children, & to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

“The promise” is NOT limited to or by existing Geography/Language/Gender/Skin Color/Political boundaries/Belief systems/entrenched Societal norms, etc..

1)On one side of the same coin, the “promise” of God is—the HOLY SPIRIT Himself(:38), Who SUPERCEDES any attempted governance by any part of the created order. God the Holy Spirit does nothing apart from the knowledge & approval of God the Father & God the Son.

2)On the other side of the same coin, “the promise” encompasses everything associated with the remission of sins!(:38) That is, “the promise” also entails all that is subsumed under the totality of God’s Kingdom, encompassing everything it touches...which is actually everything involving truth!

“as many as the Lord our God will call.”

•The Global Promise must be shared by you, with others.

Jn. 1:12-13—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Again, the ‘promise’ of “the promise” is not about gimmicks to get people into the church-house, it’s rather about GETTING JESUS INTO THE PEOPLE who are outside(& inside) the church-house!

6—Christian Camaraderie is built upon a shared...

RELEASE(:40)

Explanation(:40):

:40—“And with many other words he testified & exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

“And with many other words he testified & exhorted them”

Peter was urging his audience which was already in Jerusalem celebrating ‘the Feast of Weeks’(Ex. 34:22—beginning of the wheat harvest) AKA--‘Pentecost’(fifty days from Passover).

?Why does the preacher drone on-&-on? Because in his heart of hearts, he has been & is praying that something he says, in some other, different, or particular way he says it, will awaken someone’s mind, heart, & soul to God!

Peter’s purpose was to REMIND God’s people of God’s truth. Peter’s purpose was ALSO to INFORM those who are ignorant of God’s truth.

2Pet. 1:12-15—“For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know & are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.”

“Testified/Testify/Solemnly Testified/Warned/Earnestly Testified”—diamarturomai—Verb—1) To testify—1a) Earnestly, religiously to charge; 2) To attest, testify to, solemnly affirm—2a) To give solemn testimony to one, 2b) To confirm a thing by testimony, to testify, cause it to be believed. Strong—to attest or protest earnestly, or by implication--Hortatively. Used 15X.?From—dia—Through, With, In, Throughout, During, By, the means of; The ground or reason by which something is or is not done; On account of, Therefore. Strong—Through(in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional); a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act.—&—marturew—To be a witness, To bear witness, To give a good report, Testify(literally or figuratively).

“Exhorted/Exhort/Exhorting/Pleaded”—parakalew—Verb—1) To call to one's side, call for, summon; 2) To address, speak to(call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.—2a) To admonish, exhort, 2b) To beg, entreat, beseech—2b1) To strive to appease by entreaty, 2c) To console, to encourage & strengthen by consolation, to comfort—2c1) To receive consolation, be comforted, 2d) To encourage, strengthen, 2e) Exhorting & comforting & encouraging, 2f) To instruct, teach. Strong—To call near, i.e. Invite, invoke(by imploration, hortation or consolation).?From—para—From, of at, by, besides, near. Strong—properly--Near, i.e. From beside; At(or in) the vicinity of; To the proximity with; Beyond or opposed to; On account of.—&—kalew—To call(properly--aloud).