The Heart of the Church

United in Purpose: The Heart of the Early Church

Bible Passage: Acts 4:32–37

Summary: Acts 4:32-37 describes the early church's unity and generosity, emphasizing their shared possessions and the spirit of community among believers as they supported one another in faith and need.

Application: This sermon can encourage Christians today to foster a sense of community, promote generosity, and support one another in their struggles, reflecting the love of Christ through practical actions within their church and beyond.

Teaching: The teaching focuses on the importance of unity and selflessness in the body of Christ, demonstrating how these principles not only strengthen the church but also fulfill Christ's command to love one another.

How this passage could point to Christ: This passage reflects Christ's teachings on generosity and community. It shows how the early church emulated Christ's sacrificial love, which serves as a model for how believers are to live out their faith today.

Big Idea: When we genuinely love and support one another in our Christian community, we reflect Christ’s love and fulfill our calling as His disciples.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider exploring the cultural context of communal living in the early church. You might want to examine the Greek terms used for 'one heart and soul' in Acts 4:32, which can result in deeper insights using Logos. Additionally, reviewing commentaries on the social dynamics of the early church can enhance your understanding of how these principles apply in contemporary settings.

It’s no secret that within our church we have multiple generations represented, even among our staff. Not only does this mean that we have difference ways of thinking, but we also had vastly different experiences growing up. For example, in te 1960s, one website ranks the top 10 kids movies including Peter Pan, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and at number one - Mary Poppins.

In my generation, we had movies like Finding Nemo, Ice Age, The Incredibles, Cars, and of course, the number one according to Ranker was “Shrek”

And while I am technically a 2000’s baby, I was close enough to the 90’s that many of my experiences as a child are related to trends and favorites from that time, including my appreciation for the movie Lion King. And, just to be clear, I watched it on VHS Tape.

The whole move is fantastic, probably one of the most iconic films of my time, and ranked number 1 of the 1990’s. What captured my attention lately is remembering the time when Simba looks into the water, after wrestling with so much of his own identity and purpose in life. He lost his father when was just a boy, and it’s been easy for Simba to forget that he is the king of the jungle. It’s easy for Simba to forget that he was anointed, hoisted up and the entire jungle kingdom bowed to him as an infant lion cub.

Another character named Rafiki tells Simba, come with me, and I’ll show you where your Father is. Rafiki leads Simba to a small body of water, and tells him to look down. Simba says “that’s not my father, it’s just my reflection.” and when Rafiki tells him to look closer, Simba sees the face of His father within his own reflection, and learns that my father is inside of me, and I am to become everything he was, and everything that I have been called to be.

I wonder if in a similar way, we look for our Father in the heavens, and forget that he dwells within His children. I wonder if in a similar way, we forget who we are, and forget that we are called to reflect the image of our heavenly Father here on earth. In similar to Simba, we aren’t sure how do to that. We’re afraid of messing up, dissapointed our Father, and failing to reflect the brilliance and character of our Father.

Maybe it’s time for the church to remember who they are! Maybe now is the time that God’s children rediscover who they are, as a reflection of their Father, who are made and called to rise up and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

In Acts 4, we’re able to see how the church can truly reflect the heart of Jesus. What can the church do, what can the church say, what can the church consider in order to reflect the heart of Jesus?

Identity Precedes Activity - Before Simba could truly rise up and be the king he was called to be, he had to remember who he was. Before the activity began, identity had to be discovered. This means Christians give because they are saved, not in order to be saved. Christians are generous because they’ve received abundant blessing from God, they are not generous in order to receive blessing. The church is unified because they are called by one name, they are not unified in order to gain any kind of leverage or spiritual advantage.

Verse 32 says that the “full number of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.”

This means that the multitude of people had one thing in common that influenced everything else in their life. They had Jesus in common. They had all become the dwelling place of God, born-again from darkness into light, brought out from under the law and into grace.

Their common thread of Jesus meant many things for them. It meant that unity of heart was inevitable, and unity of soul was possible. It says they were of one heart because followers of Jesus are marked by the same priorities, the same affections, the same Kingdom attitude and mindset, and even many of the same emotions, convictions, and positions on things. More than any political party of cult group to ever form, Christians experienced unity.

1. Unified in Spirit

Acts 4:32

The Spirit of God not only changes our relationship with God, but He desires to change our relationship with each other. It matters to God how healthy our relationships are. It matters to God that his children would be united and together on the mission He has set for us. Christians experience a unique soul bond between other blood bought believers. This means that when followers of Jesus come together, it’s called a family, and it’s called a body because now we are connected by an perfect God, into an inseparable family.

For you and me this means two things: Unity is the goal, of which pride is the enemy. We are bonded by the Spirit, but to remain united in the family of God takes work, it takes effort on your part. We will not accidentally experience unity, we have got to fight for it. You and I have to commit every day to destroying our pride, and considering others greater than ourselves. I’ll ask you, for the sake of those around you, will you adopt the mind of Christ into your own head and consider others, serve others, love others? Someone said that the hell-bound are not those who travel downward, but those who travel inward. That the defining characteristic of a disintegrating heart is a focus on the self.

Who do you find yourself complaining about? Are you united with Christians, or is there a lot of division around you? Do you need to repent of some pride? Do you need to confess to a brother or sister that you’ve been selfish? How can you fight for greater unity this week?

If identity precedes activity, then maybe you need to remember right now that you have been called a child of God, if you’ve received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you’re covered in the blood, then you are automatically called to live a different life. All of that is to say - if you are a child of God, then the reason you should confess to others and forgive others isn’t so you can earn something but because you’ve been given the greatest gift imaginable, and you have been purchased by God Almighty.

2. Witness with Power

Acts 4:33

Maybe highlight the apostles' powerful witness to the resurrection of Jesus, supported by God's grace among them all. This demonstrates that a unified community enhances the message of the gospel, prompting believers to seek God's empowerment for bold witness through community life and shared faith.

3. Generosity in Action

Acts 4:34-35

Perhaps focus on how there was no needy person among them, as those with resources freely shared with those in need. Encourage generosity and selflessness within your church, reminding them that generosity is a reflection of Christ’s sacrificial giving. This builds up the community and witnesses to the world of Christ’s transformative love.

4. Example through Encouragement

Acts 4:36-37

Maybe present the example of Barnabas, who sold a field and brought the money to the apostles. Use his act as an illustration of how individual acts of generosity contribute to the well-being and mission of the community. Inspire personal acts of sacrifice and generosity, seeing them as acts of worship and expressions of faith in the community.