Acts 4 v 32-35 The Believers Share Their Possessions * also in Acts 2:44-46
John 20.19-31
Theme: All the believers shared their possessions to help those in need.
Aim: To encourage a spirit of generosity as a response to God’s great love and generosity towards us.
This morning, we are looking at the life of the early church, post Easter, as recorded in the book of Acts. In our reading from Acts 4 we meet a sharing, caring, community of believers. What was the reason for this radical generosity and what does that have to say to us today? We will think about those two questions in a moment. But first, it would be helpful to know what’s happened so far. It’s a bit like watching catchup telly. When you get to the next episode, usually it starts with previously on… and you get a quick recap. It’ll be good to do that as we’ve jumped in towards the end of chapter 4.
So, the book of Acts begins with the risen Jesus instructing His disciples about life in his kingdom. Before he is taken up to heaven, he promises them the Holy Spirit who will come and live in them, transforming their hearts and empowering them to be his witnesses to the whole world. This takes place on the day of Pentecost (a feast day of great celebration) in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit comes on the disciples as a great wind, and something like flames of fire appear to rest on each of them. Together the disciples begin telling of God's mighty deeds in different languages, testifying to the resurrection of Jesus. In chapters 2 & 3 we read thousands hear and respond to the message of the disciples accepting Jesus as their Saviour, forming new communities of believers dedicated to generosity, worship and celebration. But not everyone is celebrating. The religious leaders feel threatened by this message of Jesus being the one true King who has risen from the dead. And after healing a man crippled from birth, Peter & John are arrested and put in prison. They are threatened and warned to stop speaking about Jesus and released. The believers pray about this threat. As they pray, they are filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus.
And that brings us to our reading this morning where we meet a sharing, caring, community of believers, one in heart and mind, overflowing with the love of Jesus. So, let’s take a closer look and find out the reason for their radical generosity and what it has to say to us today.
What is striking in our reading is the unity of this diverse, multicultural, multi-ethnic community of believers. Did you notice it? Its right there in verse 32. They were one in heart and mind. Bible scholar Warren Wiersbe says this is a God-given spiritual unity. It’s not man made. They didn’t wake up one morning and decide to be united as a community. Nor did they hold a meeting to first discuss whether this might be a good idea or a cool thing to be doing. So, what brought about this unity among the believers?
The answer is the Holy Spirit. In verse 31 we read that in response to their prayer, the believers are filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who brings unity to the church and sustains its life in Christ Jesus. This unity is always centred on Jesus and what he has done for us on the cross.
** illustration of sharing
Illustration
Props needed: 3 items of food (eg. banana, cereal bar, small carton of juice, breadsticks etc)
Tell everyone you've been so busy that you haven't had a chance to eat your breakfast. Explain you're very hungry so you're going to eat your breakfast now. Apologise for eating in front of them, but point out its very important to eat your breakfast!
Pull out your banana, peel and begin to eat it. After a bit or two, look around guiltily, say you're feel rather selfish eating in front of everyone and wonder if anyone would like to half your banana. Invite them to the front, finish peeling banana, give skin to child/person. While they look sad/confused, tell everyone else how generous you've been in sharing your banana.
Next take cereal bar out of bag. Explain you're still very hungry, ask if anyone wants to share the bar with you. Invite them to come up. Unwrap bar, comment on shiny wrapping etc, give wrapper to child/person and eat bar. Emphasise to rest of folks you're being very kind in sharing your bar.
Do the same thing with the next item, again saying how kind and generous you're being by sharing your food with others.
Ask congregation why they think the three children/people up front don't look very happy. When someone says its because you haven't been sharing, point out you did what you said you would. You shared part of each item with them.
Then, admit that in one sense you did share with them, but what you actually did was very selfish and not kind at all. Explain that real sharing means considering other people and their needs rather than what we want for ourselves. Sometimes its difficult to be a good sharer. Sometimes its easy to do a tiny amount of sharing but keeping hold of the best things for ourselves. Eg. we might give a ball to someone to play with, but all the while we know that we've hidden the best ones for ourselves to play with later. Or we might say we're including someone/child in a game, but give them the least favourity part. Or we might give someone we don't like or get on with a small portion of food and give our friends more.
Real sharing beings with an attitude of love towards others. A recognition that everyone we meet is worth sharing with. As Jesus' followers, we recognise how much God has shared with us - how generous and kind he has been towards.
Link in to passage: This is the kind of deep sharing we see in our passage from Acts. And so we see that as the apostles continued to preach and teach about .....
And so, as the apostles continued to preach and teach about the resurrection of Jesus, God’s grace was powerfully at work in the hearts of the new believers, transforming them to be more like Jesus. One evidence of this unity among the believers is their radical generosity. Their attitude to possessions was completely transformed. No longer did they view their property or possessions as their own. They shared what they had with anyone in need. They were able to do this as a result of the unity brought about by the Holy Spirit working in and through the believers’ lives. What was the result? There was no needy person among them.
Wow! What a beautiful description of the early church. Warren Wiersbe says, “when the Holy Spirit is at work, giving is a blessing and not a burden.”
So, what does this passage have to say to us today?
Let me suggest a couple of things.
Firstly, unity in the church comes through the work of the Holy Spirit in us individually and as a community and is always centred on Jesus. The spiritual life and ministry of the church depends on the life-giving work of the Spirit. As we allow God’s grace to work in our hearts, transforming our thoughts, attitudes and desires to be more in line with Jesus, we will be drawn closer in unity to one another. Do you want to see greater unity in our churches? I certainly do. I wonder what that might look like in our benefice. Let’s seek the Lord and ask for a deeper work of the Holy Spirit in our lives individually and as a community of believers.
Secondly, as Jesus’ disciples, we must regard all that we have as a gift from God, belonging to him. We should hold things lightly. We should be ready to share with those in need in the church and beyond. Our sharing should be done out of love and not compulsion or guilt, just like these believers in Acts. What the believers did was completely voluntary and motivated by love. They didn't share because there was some legislation they had to follow. They did it out of love for their neighbours, as and when the need arose. We should imitate their spirit of generosity towards others. The joyful, caring, godly life of the of community of believers drew others into the fellowship of the early church. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see the same thing happening in our churches.
What might you be able to share with someone in need this coming week? Could it be your money, your possessions, your words of encouragement, your time. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you.