Where Do I Go From Here? 7

Embracing A Powerful Generosity

Text: Acts 4:32-37

Introduction

There have probably been times when some charity organization or cause has pressed upon your emotions and you willingly extended your generosity.

What we have read is a unique generosity. It is a generosity that only comes about through a divine change of the heart and soul of an individual. The people group who were displaying this generosity were the same believers we read about in verse 31 (we will get to it in a moment).

Jesus’ desire for His church was to reflect a generosity that came from Heaven. He wanted it to model the same model of generosity He demonstrated with His own life. What kind was that?

The kind that was undeserved.

The kind that was different than the world offered.

The kind that was sacrificial.

The kind that took someone to a better place than they were.

This was a time of forming strong corner stones to carry the church into the future (even this very day). This was a wholistic generosity, meaning, it wasn’t infectious down into the heart and soul of every believer. It was important that the entire church body be led in this way by the Spirit.

Aren’t you glad to be a part of a church who is always ready to spread their generosity toward one another? That truly is the kind of atmosphere that should be growing within a body of believers.

When this generosity begins and continues to flourish, what are the benefits that flow out of it? How does the body as a whole become healthier? Finally, is this kind of generosity attainable by every believer?

1) It Was Prompted By God’s Spirit

Notice verse 31

“they were filled with the Holy Spirit.”

The Spirit had done a work of “oneness” in their hearts.

This had already started in 2:44, 46.

Earlier in Jesus’ ministry, He made a request for oneness from the Father.

John 17:11 “11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”

John 17:22 “22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:”

Jesus truly wanted the church to experience authentic oneness.

If the early church was going to develop the oneness Jesus Christ had requested from the Father, it was going to have to be brought about through a working of the Spirit.

While a church must be “organized,” its organization must never HINDER the spiritual life of the church.

Jesus did not pray for His church to become like a typical religious institution that keeps itself going.

(v32) “one heart and mind”

While church leaders need to apply some creativity to allow special moments of connection, NO MERE MAN can produce this kind of authentic oneness like the Spirit can.

Quote: “The church is an organism that is held together by life, and that life comes through the Holy Spirit” — Warren Wiersbe

Luke is not speaking out your ideas or theology about Christ, BUT YOU HEART AND SOUL; your thinking, willingness, and feelings.

What is a key to giving each other our best support?

Ans — knowing what is going on inside each other.

The handle to the door to our lives in on the inside.

You need to pray to “desire to be known.”

Prayer meeting!!!

2) It Produced A Spirit Of Loyalty

If someone is truly loyal, they will do all they can to be by your side and give what they can to supply your need.

One evidence of the unity of the church was the way they sacrificed and shared with one another. When the Holy Spirit is at work, giving is a blessing and not a burden. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 420.

A major key to developing a spirit of loyalty was their generosity was 100% voluntary! (Acts 5:4 “4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”)

Nor should we think that every believer sold all his goods and brought the money to the Apostles. Acts 4:34 indicates that some of the members “from time to time” sold various pieces of property and donated to the common treasury. When the assembly had a need, the Spirit directed someone to sell something and meet the need. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 420.

Example: 2 Corinthians 8-9.

Read 8:1-9

Read 9:1-8; 12-15

Jesus called them (and you) to be a ministering church.

How many of you could say, “Everyone here knows how loyal I am to them?”

How can you claim with assurance Jesus remains loyal to you?

Through His words and through His interaction with you.

But all this would not be possible without the assurance of loyalty. We all need a handful of people who are loyal to us and to whom we are loyal because of Christ’s unswerving loyalty to us. He is for us; He will not leave or forsake us when we succeed or fail. Lloyd J. Ogilvie and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Acts, vol. 28, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 111.

Are you saved? If so…Jesus has enabled His own loyalty within you!!!

Dr. Luke moves to introducing an example of that kind of person…….

3) It Provided A Spirit of Encouragement

It is here where Dr. Luke introduces Joseph Barnabas. I don’t think it was by accident!

To be honest, we know very little about Barnabas.

His name means “son of encouragement.”

Why was Barnabas mentioned here? TWO REASONS:

FIRST — His life described the very thing Luke was describing.

Spirit-filled encourager of the church.

Gave his all to the Lord.

Mentioned at least 25 times in the book of Acts. Five times in the epistles.

Barnabas encouraged Paul in his early service for Jesus.

He encouraged his cousin John Mark at his point of failure.

Whenever we meet him on the pages of the New Testament, he is helping, encouraging, affirming, uplifting, and untiring in claiming the best for people Lloyd J. Ogilvie and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Acts, vol. 28, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 113.

SECOND — It purged the early church of envious hearts

Paul instructed the Corinthian church against this — 2 Corinthians 9:6–8 “6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

Ananias and Sapphira (they were Satan’s easiest way to destroy the church).

Quote: George MacDonald wrote, “Half of the misery in the world comes from trying to look, instead of trying to be, what one is not.”

Quote: Hypocrisy is deliberate deception, trying to make people think we are more spiritual than we really are. — Warren W. Wiersbe

Ananias means “God is gracious,” but he learned that God is also holy; and Sapphira means “beautiful,” but her heart was ugly with sin. No doubt some people are shocked when they read that God killed two people just because they lied about a business transaction and about their church giving. But when you consider the features connected with this sin, you have to agree that God did the right thing by judging them. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 422.

To begin with, the sin of Ananias and Sapphira was energized by Satan (Acts 5:3); and that is a serious matter. If Satan cannot defeat the church by attacks from the outside, he will get on the inside and go to work (Acts 20:28–31). He knows how to lie to the minds and hearts of church members, even genuine Christians, and get them to follow his orders. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 422.

Quote: Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, “Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.

Attacks from the outside is one thing, attacks from the inside is a lethal thing!

Matthew 15:8 “8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

Question: If God killed “religious deceivers” today, how many church members would be left? Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 422.

Hebrews 10:30–31 “30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Conclusion

The true nature of the life of the body of Christ is the fellowship of the daughters and sons of encouragement. We are called to stand with each other, helping each other to learn from the difficulties and to rejoice fully in the delights of life. We are called out, and called into, a loyal assembly of believers, an ekklēsía, to be liberators and maximizers for each other. Lloyd J. Ogilvie and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Acts, vol. 28, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 113–114.

Not everyone can be a John or Peter, but EVERYONE CAN BE A BARNABAS!