Dining Room – Sharing Meals

Title: Dining Room – Sharing MealsScripture Reading: Acts 2:42, Luke 7:34 Series: The 242 BlueprintThe third component of the church's blueprint found in Acts 2:42 is the sharing of meals. Jesus provides the model for how we should approach the table, teaching us how to E.A.T. E - Example of Jesus: The early church shared meals because Jesus constantly shared meals. He was so often at the meal table that his accusers called him a glutton and a drunkard.A - Accepting the Outsider: A key part of Jesus's example was accepting those who were considered outsiders, like tax collectors and sinners. When Jesus dines with a tax collector named Levi, it forces us to choose our reaction: the pride of the Pharisees who sneer at Jesus's choice of company, or the humility of Levi who recognizes that if Jesus welcomes sinners, he welcomes us. T - Table Task: Jesus used the table to carry out his discipleship mission. We are called to do the same by leveraging our tables for mission. We can do this by practicing spiritual disciplines, having spiritual conversations, and extending hospitality to others around our tables. The table is mission control for the family and a primary tool for discipleship.