Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts - 12

Acts 4:32-37

Introduction

A Situation Report, or SitRep is what a soldier provides for his commanding officer when they want an update on what is happening in the field.

A true SitRep is a highly detailed, ordered list of information to give all the relevant information necessary.

Consisting of no less than 17 distinct lines of information, a SitRep is comprehensive and efficient, providing all the necessary information without much fluff.

Acts 4 ends with a SitRep for the Church.

After getting off to a fast and successful start, those early Christians ran headfirst into some persecution.

Because of their boldness in preaching Jesus, the authorities are doing all within their power to shut them down.

They’ve already arrested the Apostles Peter and John.

Since the Apostles did not cave under the pressure put on them, the authorities issue further threats and order them to stop preaching about Jesus.

All of the early Christians simply dismiss those threats and pray for God to make them even more bold.

Persecution could easily slam the brakes on the Church’s growth.

It could stall the Church’s excitement.

So how are things going on the other side of these challenges?

We need a SitRep.

Acts 4:32-37 - 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

TS - things are going well!

We were given a similar SitRep in Acts 2 and now see the continuation of God’s work in and among His people.

This is obviously a special Church filled with special people.

Or is it?

Could it be that this description is supposed to be the normal experience for all Churches?

That this uncommon Church should really be common?

Let’s take a few minutes and break down the text.

Three uncommon descriptions:

UNCOMMON UNITY (V.

32)

This is where the church’s uniqueness begins.

In a world where all are divided, God’s people stand united.

First century culture in the Roman Empire held to sharp and fierce cultural divides.

There was royalty and governmental leaders who had all the power.

There was the aristocracy that owned everything.

And there were slaves.

It is estimated that up to 80% of the citizens of the Roman Empire were considered slaves.

They are owned.

They have no rights.

But in the Church…this division was erased.

Sitting in worship together are those from Jewish backgrounds and those from Gentile/pagan backgrounds.

There are slaves and their owners, sitting as equals at the foot of the cross.

There are men, who hold all the power, and women who were considered property, now equal in value in God’s eyes.

There are the wealthy sitting with beggars, both now endowed with dignity and worth.

According to v. 32, they are ‘of one heart and soul.’

The heart, biblically, is the center of one’s affections, really the center of one’s life/personhood.

Their identity is one.

They see themselves as one body, one group.

Together no matter the consequence.

They are of one ‘soul.’

It is the Greek word psyche.

It is translated elsewhere as ‘mind.’

This doesn’t mean they participated in group-think or were all brainwashed to think the same.

All it means is that they held to the same convictions about Jesus.

What they thought about Jesus was the same.

How they thought about Jesus was the same.

All this to say…their attention and their affection were one…all centered on Jesus.

Galatians 3:26-28 - 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In our culture where we are not only divided, but are encouraged to be even more so, it is the Church who stands in defiance of that nonsense.

Our political world becomes even more divided as people go to the extreme right and left, refusing to even hear the other side.

The wealth/poverty gap continues to widen as the have’s have more and have-not’s have less.

It is only the Church where all the forces that could divide people from one another are erased.

All the things the world uses to tribalize our society are superseded by the Gospel of Jesus Christ that brings us together under one heading…sinners saved by grace.

In his book The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer writes, “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other?

They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.

So one hundred worshippers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become “unity” conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”

Listen to how the NT addresses our unity and drives home its source.

Ephesians 4:1-6 - …walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

‘Maintain the unity of the Spirit.’

Not create.

Maintain.

God has already provided the unity through Jesus Christ.

Our job is to maintain it.

That sets an example to follow among a fractured world.

That is how you shine brightly in a dark world.

UNCOMMON FIDELITY (V.

33)

Tucked into this text is a verse that is typically overlooked.

v. 33 - 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

Consider the truth of that verse in the midst of the previous verses.

What has just happened to them all?

Peter and John were arrested and interrogated by the same group that condemned and killed Jesus.

These are dangerous men who gladly kill to protect their power.

They’ve been further threatened.

They’ve been ordered by the murderous group to immediately stop preaching about Jesus.

Yet here they are.

They dismissed the threats and prayed for even more boldness.

Now they are reported as continuously testifying to Jesus’ resurrection, which is the message that got them arrested in the first place.

They don’t quit.

There is no stopping them.

They cannot be intimidated.

You see, this is the problem (from the world’s perspective) with people who believe in resurrection and eternal life…they aren’t afraid of anything.

Think of the life of the Apostle Paul, who we will turn our attention to in just a few chapters in Acts.

He travels around and preaches about Jesus, planting churches and training leaders.

When he preaches, it causes riots.

He has to escape cities in the cover of night, not to save his life, but to get to the next city and keep on preaching.

We are going to jail you.

Ok, I’ll happily share the gospel with the guards.

We are going to kill you.