The Spirit Filled Church Cares

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to church.

We’re continuing our series on the book of Acts this morning. If you’ve been out or missed a few Sunday’s we’re looking at the earliest days of the established ch[ourch and examining how the early church compares to the church that we have today and what kind of changes we need to make in order to have a more biblically authentic church.

We continue this morning in Acts 4 after the incident with Peter and John’s arrest is behind them. We’re looking today at how the early church cared for each other. Let’s read our passage from Acts 4...

Acts 4:32–37 CSB

32 Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. 33 With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. 34 For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas (which is translated Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

[pray]

I. The Unity of the Church

As I mentioned, the church was just being established and it was growing at a rapid rate. However, with so many new people joining together, their shared experiences bonded them together. The persecution that some were experiencing was not easy, but hard times have the tendency to either drive people apart or bond them together.

In the case of the early church, these believers were being bonded together by love and by the suffering that they were experiencing together.

This was a time of great unity in the church and it may not have been equaled at any other point in the history of the church.

Let’s go back a little ways and look at the events following the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the gathered believers. After the events of the day many people were added to the number of believers. This group of new believers began to live their lives in a unique and exciting way...

Acts 2:44–47 CSB

44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

I can see several things here that mark the early church as being unified.

They were together.

They held all things in common.

They made sacrifices to care for each other.

They wanted to spend time together in the temple.

They shared their meals together.

They were joyful and sincere with each other.

They praised God together.

They attracted the favorable attention of everyone who saw what was happening among them.

Their numbers continued to increase as God added to their numbers.

This was a church that was unified by the Spirit of God that dwelt in them. Their spiritual connection together transcended any organizational structure. It was not concerned about propagating budgets or building programs or growing Sunday School attendance. This was a group that was drawn together and excited about what was happening. While they had their enemies, who were trying to shut them down, they were still gathering new people and gaining the attention and admiration of the people in the temple who could recognize God at work in their midst.

This was a church that was multiplying because God was involved in the work and they each were excited and talking about the transformation they had experienced in their encounter with Christ, the Messiah.

II. The Generosity of the Church

There was also evidence of generosity in the early church. This is what we see in our passage from today, that this generosity continued.

Acts 4:32 CSB

32 Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.

Our passage says that they “held everything in common.”

While this was indeed a form of Christian communism—an idea that is built on this idea that “they held everything in common”—it was not like our modern understanding of political communism. It’s not even like the hippie communes that were popular in the 60’s and 70’s.

These modern concepts were based on the political philosophy of Marxism. Karl Marx was a German-born philosopher in the late 1800’s who focused on the class struggle and sought to ensure quality for all people by making the government responsible for distributing the wealth equally among the people. In Marxism, private property is abolished and all property is held jointly by the state. Citizens are required to give selflessly to the collective, even by force if necessary. The result, according to Marxism is a government run utopia in which the needs of all are provided for.

The problem with Marxism and communism is that it has never truly worked according to plan. Marxism at its heart is a humanistic and atheistic philosophy. The first requirement of Marxism is that religion be abolished. Without fail, Marxism has led to the persecution of Christians. Additionally corruption, also known as selfishness, has always been the downfall of Marxist and Communist governments.

The early church forced nobody to contribute, but the believers did so willingly. And the distinguishing factor that made early Christianity different from Marxism and Communism is love. These believers shared everything they had with each other voluntarily and out of a motivation of love that they had for each other.

Let me be clear that this early church practice is generous and worthy of our emulation in the modern day church, there is no compulsion in the Bible to practice this in the normal life of the church. The principles of Christian giving are outlined in 2 Corinthians 8-9 but there is nothing that says you should sell everything you have an bring it to lay the proceeds at the feet of your pastor the way they did in the early days of the church.

Specifically Paul promotes cheerful giving in his letter to the Corinthian church...

2 Corinthians 9:7 CSB

7 Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.

The Bible consistently supports generosity and help for the poor and the needy out of a motivation for loving others.

1 Corinthians 13:3 CSB

3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Certainly we are the beneficiaries of God’s generous act of salvation. He created this planet for us that is designed to sustain our needs and wants. He was further generous in seeking out humanity for a friendly relationship and furthermore provided a salvific sacrifice to atone for our sin and provide for our forgiveness.

2 Corinthians 9:15 CSB

15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

God teaches us to forgive as we have been forgiven and to be generous with others just as we have received from his generous act.

Proverbs 11:24–26 CSB

24 One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. 25 A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water. 26 People will curse anyone who hoards grain, but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.

God challenges us to be generous and warns us to look for the blessings that will come...

Luke 6:38 CSB

38 Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

...and in 2 Corinthians 9 Paul exhorts the church in generosity so that the Lord’s work can be accomplished.

III. The Caring Nature of the Church

Scripture tells us that we should be hospitable and caring for others—both internal and external to the church.

Look at verses 34-35 of our focal passage...

Acts 4:34–35 CSB

34 For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.

Hospitality - the generous and gracious treatment of guest, whether in the home, in the church, or in public.

The Mosaic Law in the Old Testament demonstrates hospitality by giving advice in the the treatment of neighbors and strangers (from another country or place) living among the tribes of Israel.

Leviticus 19:33–34 CSB

33 “When an alien resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. 34 You will regard the alien who resides with you as the native-born among you. You are to love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

Furthermore, Jesus encouraged hospitality through his teachings, especially the parable of the Good Samaritan...

Luke 10:36–37 CSB

36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”

The Apostle Paul rightly expanded this teaching, giving it the status of a commandment from the Law...

Romans 13:9–10 CSB

9 The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

This love extends beyond mere hospitality to caring for others. Caring for others includes taking care of those in need, whether we know them personally or not. It includes those in our family, in the church, our neighbors and even strangers, who we might encounter on our path.

We need only look to the way that Jesus taught about the Great Day of Judgment in the end to see what he considered important in ministering to those in need...

Matthew 25:31–46 CSB

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’ 44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’ 45 “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

When some read this they think it to be merely a suggestion. However, Jesus did not seem to consider this kind of activity optional for those who would call him Lord...

The apostles picked up this theme as well, saying that we need to care especially for those in our churches that present a need...

Romans 12:13 CSB

13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.

…but also those whom we encounter...

Hebrews 13:2 CSB

2 Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.

Also of importance is to avoid complaining to others as we are practicing hospitality...

1 Peter 4:9 CSB

9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

…this means to do so with grace and compassion.

Galatians 6:9–10 CSB

9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

While these commands have been practiced for thousands of years and should also be a part of our daily lives as Christians, there are also limits to one’s hospitality and caring for others.

1 Corinthians 5:11 CSB

11 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that we can probably do a lot better in caring for others today. We certainly have members in our church who help others—and some quite often. And we have some who try to help when they are able. But overall, we could probably challenge ourselves to do this better.