Results of Being Sold Out (2)

Settle, Satisfied, or Sold Out?

We’ve been looking at this one passage for a number of weeks now.

These new Believers were sold out to the things that would bring them closer to God.

Here we see again what they were devoted to:

Acts 2:42-47

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

We have looked at this from the perspective of clarifying the difference between being settled, satisfied, or sold out.

Here is our question today: What happens when the church of God sells out for the things of God?

There were four main results from their devotion in these four areas:

Acts 2:43

43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

There was a sense of “awe” in the body of believers.

Let’s look at this carefully.

The passage does not say that the people saw the apostles do a lot of miracles and THEN they were in awe of God

It says they were in awe of God AND wonders and miraculous signs were done by the Apostles.

This is critical. They were already in awe of God and THEN the miracles showed up.

The miracles were not performed so that people would be in awe of God.

They were to confirm that God was who they were in awe of already!!

What does it take today for us to be in awe of God?

We keep waiting on God to do another miracle and THEN we’ll be in awe of Him.

I wonder what would happen in our church if we were already living in awe of our almighty God???

Possible: The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshiping Him in awe.

Acts 2:44

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.

There was unity in the church.

“Unity is a by-product of mission” - Francis Chan

Holy Spirit brings us together under the mission we have been given to achieve.

“Our casual, dismissive attitude toward unity is incredibly dangerous for three reasons: 1. God is disgusted with it. 2. The world is confused by it. 3. It could be evidence that the Holy Spirit is not in us.” - Chan

We must live in a way that is pleasing to God.

And, He takes unity in the body very seriously.

We are confusing the world with the way that we live.

They can’t comprehend our message when our lives don’t back it up.

Holy Spirit brings Unity among fellow believers.

Unity is therefore a part of having Holy Spirit in us.

Acts 2:45-46

45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

The church was known for their generosity.

People that commit to these four things will end up being generous people.

Why? You can’t study God’s Word, truly fellowship with His people, remember what Jesus Christ did on the cross, and spend quality time in prayer, and still try to hang on to all your stuff for your own personal gain.

Which can also mean that, if you are not a generous person, you’re missing one of these critical elements in your life.

Generous people: Someone who is freely willing to give their time, money, or other possessions to others, often more than is expected or usual, without expecting anything in return

Matthew 6:19-21

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Generosity knows the difference between storing it up and giving it away.

Look at what God does:

Acts 2:47

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

God grew His church.

Do we play any part in this growth of the church?

Absolutely.

We are the ones that God uses to share the story of the Gospel to everyone we meet.

None of this happens without Holy Spirit showing up at Pentecost.

So, what is going to happen with us now that we are truly committing to these four things:

We will be a body that stands in awe of God because of Who He is, and not for what He has done.

We will be a unified body. Unified around the mission to help people follow Jesus so they can be disciples that make disciples.

We will be generous people.

God will grow His church!