Acts 4:32-5:11

Introduction

Major Ideas

Lesson #1: Unity is Demonstrated in Gracious Giving (Acts 4:32-35)

Acts 4:32–35 NASB95

32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

[EXP] The unity of these early believers was such that they had one heart and soul. They felt for one another and cared for one another as they would for themselves. They loved one another and acted thoughtfully toward one another.

This unity began with the birth of the church as the Holy Spirit filled the Apostles, the other disciples, and then the three thousand souls who believed after Peter’s Pentecost sermon.

At that time they “were together and had all things in common… Day by day (they continued) with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,” (Acts 2:44, 46).

But this unity would soon be attacked.

Peter and John were going to pray in the Temple when they healed a man who had been crippled from birth. When the crowd gathered to see the once lame man who was now leaping with praise, Peter took the opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected.

The powerful religious leaders, especially the Sadducees who didn’t believe in resurrection from the dead, didn’t like this proclamation of resurrection, so they arrested Peter and John, interrogated them, and then threatened them “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus,” (Acts 4:18).

Facing such a threat, we might have expected to read that some of the early believers decided to walk away from one another. To keep associating with believers like Peter and John would likely mean more arrests, more interrogations, more threats, and more persecution.

But instead of walking away from one another, the church, strengthened in prayer, bound more tightly together with one heart and soul.

Persecution had not succeeded in diminishing the unity of the early church.

They were still together, refusing self-centeredness and treating all things as common property between them.

Those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the Apostles who would distribute it to those in need.

Why would they do this? The answer is in v. 33…

Acts 4:33 NASB95

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

These believers had experienced the great power of Jesus’ resurrection in their lives! Their sins had been wiped away by the cross of Christ! They had received new spiritual life through faith in Jesus raised from the dead!

In light of their Lord so graciously giving Himself for them, it was their joy to give themselves for others.

The grace they received from Jesus opened their hearts and hands to be gracious to one another.

[ILLUS] A couple weeks ago, the world lost a great man named George Shelton whom everyone knew as Buddy. He had been my high school social studies teacher, but I remember him best as a faithful servant of Jesus in my home church.

Because of divorce, abuse, alcoholism, and selfishness, I didn’t live with my parents but with another family in the church.

Mr. Shelton knew this and correctly concluded that I didn’t receive a lot in the way of financial assistance from my parents. So, on Sundays he would walk up and extend his hand to shake mine. When I would take his hand, I would always find a $20 bill in it.

Mr. Shelton was gracious to others as well. When he died several people told stories about how he encouraged and helped them in some way.

What makes a man so gracious to others. In Mr. Shelton’s case, it was because Jesus had been so gracious to him.

The grace he received from Jesus opened his heart and his hands to be gracious to me and so many others.

[APP] God’s grace makes us great givers. When Jesus first sent out His Apostles, he told them, “Freely you received, (so) freely give,” (Matt. 10:8). Do we freely give as we have freely received?

Because of grace we ought to give until there isn’t a needy person among us.

[TS]…

Lesson #2: Unity is Encouraged by Those Like Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37)

Acts 4:36–37 NASB95

36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 37 and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

[EXP] Barnabas will become a well-known person in the early church, but this is the first mention of him. He is an example of one who was made a great giver because of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. He was one who fed the unity of the early church. The apostles called him Barnabas, son of encouragement, because he was always exhorting and encouraging others.

When people were still skeptical about Paul who persecuted Christ’s church before claiming to be one of Christ’s Apostles, it was Barnabas who “took hold of him and brought him to the Apostles and descried to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus (Paul) had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus,” (Acts 9:27).

In Acts 11, Luke says that when Barnabas arrived in Antioch and witnessed the grace of God among believers in that city, “he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord,” (Acts 11:23).

When Paul didn’t want to take John Mark on another missionary journey after John Mark left during a previous journey, it was Barnabas who extended encouragement to John Mark by taking John Mark with him to Cyprus, the place of Barnabas’ birth (cf., Acts 15:37ff).

As a jew from the tribe of Levi, Barnabas wasn’t to own land in the Promised Land, so its likely the land he sold was on the island of Cyprus or some other location.

In any event, Barnabas sold it and laid the money at the feet of the Apostles.

Jesus had delegated His authority to the Apostles. They were the leaders in the early church leading with the authority of Christ.

When Barnabas laid the money at the feet of the Apostles, he was laying it at the feet of Christ.

Everything Barnabas owned was owned by Christ. In his heart he sold everything, gave it to the poor, and followed Jesus.

[ILLUS] The rich young ruler who met Jesus wasn’t willing to do that. For him, material wealth was a treasure that kept him from finding his treasure in Jesus, an idol that kept him from following Jesus as Savior and Lord. As Jesus said in…

Matthew 6:24 NASB95

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

[APP] Who owns your stuff? If you’re a believer, your name may be on the deed or the title, but it is owned by Jesus and should be available for His use.

Barnabas held his treasures with open hands because he had found eternal treasure in Christ Jesus.

Our hands should be likewise be open if we have found our treasure in Christ.

If our hearts and hands are open, we are sure to be a son of encouragement like Barnabas.

If our hearts and hands are open, we are sure to encourage unity in our church like Barnabas.

[TS]…

Lesson #3: Unity is Attacked By Deceitful Self-Promoters (Acts 5:1-11)

Acts 5:1–11 NASB95

1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. 6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. 7 Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” 10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.

[EXP] It’s obvious that people knew about the gift Barnabas gave because Luke recorded it, but Barnabas didn’t give so that it would be recorded. He gave so the needy would be helped and Christ would be glorified.

Ananias and Sapphira, however, gave for a different reason. They gave so that it would be recorded. They gave so they would be glorified.

This husband and wife conspired together to sell some property they owned and give part of the money to the Apostles. They would lay it at the Apostles’ feet just as Barnabas had. The only problem was that Ananias and Sapphira had conspired to lie.

They sold the property, laid a portion at the Apostles’ feet, and then claimed it was all the money they made on the sale, but the Holy Spirit revealed their deceitfulness to the Apostle Peter.

First, Peter asked Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?” (Acts 5:3)

Satan longs to steal God’s glory, so it shouldn’t surprise us that Satan led Ananias to steal some glory away from God in this way. As Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, giving in secret glorifies God, but giving publically (and in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, giving dishonestly) is attempting to win glory from men.

Ananias and Sapphira didn’t have to sell their property. They didn’t have to give any of the proceeds from the sale to the church. They didn’t have to lie about only giving a portion, but because they did, they would pay with their lives.

Ananias had lied to God the Holy Spirit. As Peter spoke, Ananias fell down dead and was carried out.

Three hours later, Sapphira came in. What was she doing for those three hours? Perhaps she was just at home waiting for her husband to return or maybe she was shopping with the portion of the sale that wasn’t laid at the Apostles’ feet or maybe she was out humble-bragging about her generosity.

In any event, when she came in, Peter had a question for her too, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price,” (Acts 5:8).

Then Peter asked, “Why is it that you have agreed to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?” (Acts 5:9).

Ananias and Sapphira had challenged the holy authority of God when they lied about what they gave. They were acting like God didn’t exist, like He wouldn’t know they were lying, like He wouldn’t do anything about it.

In short, they had no fear of God, no reverence for Him!

In the same moment that Sapphira learned that her husband was dead, she fell down dead herself.

The young men who had carried and buried the body of her husband did the same with her lifeless corpse.

The reason for this is given in v. 5 and v. 11, “And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.”

[ILLUS] When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land to conquer Jericho, everything in that city was to be destroyed as an offering to the Lord.

But one man didn’t take the Lord seriously. He didn’t revere the Lord. He didn’t fear Him.

“A man named Achan had stolen some of (the) dedicated things...” (Josh. 7:7).

Like Ananias and Sapphira, Achan put the Lord to the test, and like Ananias and Sapphira, Achan would teach God’s people the fear of the Lord through his death.

“And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies,” (Josh. 7:25).

The next time the Israelites conquered a city in the Promised Land, no one took anything that was devoted to destruction as an offering to the Lord.

God’s people had learned to fear Him.

[APP] The Lord usually doesn’t kill us when we deserve it. He is longsuffering, perfect in patience, and sits on a throne of mercy.

But make no mistake, all sinners deserve to die. Achan deserved to die. Ananias and Sapphira deserved to die. And their deaths taught and still teach God’s people that God is real, that He knows our deeds, and that He will call them to account.

We should not test the Lord. We should not try Him with our disobedience. We should not try Him by trying to exalt ourselves in the church!

Rather than test Him, we must revere Him!

Fear of the Lord builds unity in the church.

Exalting ourselves is a good way to tear the church apart.

[TS]…

Conclusion

[PRAYER]