Faith That Stands

Week 9

Good morning, Church.

Go ahead and make your way to Acts.

I’ll be honest with you… this week stretched me a little. You spend all this time, energy and effort planning, praying, organizing, decorating, promoting, buying snacks, setting schedules, recruiting volunteers… and somewhere in your mind, you start attaching numbers to success.

And this week, we had around 20 kids on this campus for Vacation Bible School. This was my third Vacation Bible School here. We had 50 the previous two years.

And if I’m being transparent- and most of ya’ll know this because I have the world’s worst poker face- I got discouraged later on in the week when the numbers dipped even further.

But thankfully several people, had conversations with me, enouraged me, reminded me that we plant, we water, it’s God who gives the growth. He told us to be faithful.

And let me tell you what I saw this week… I saw volunteers serving everywhere. I saw people giving up their evenings after long work days. I saw smiles. I saw prayers prayed over children. I saw people investing in the next generation. I saw a church that showed up.

Ministry is not measured only by how many people walk through the door. Ministry is measured by faithfulness to the assignment God has given us.

There are churches with packed buildings and empty hearts. And there are churches with smaller numbers but people who genuinely love God and genuinely love people. I would rather be part of a church that is faithful than a church that is simply impressive.

And here’s what I know… every single child matters in God’s economy. Every conversation matters. Every seed planted matters. You do not know what God may do through one week of VBS in the life of one child.

Somebody invited me to church when I was a kid. Somebody taught me the Bible. Somebody invested in me. And I’m thankful they didn’t quit just because the crowd wasn’t bigger.

Galatians says, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we do not give up.”

So here is what we are going to do, we keep sowing. We keep loving people. We keep serving. We keep opening the doors. We keep preaching the Gospel. And we trust God with the results.

But can I tell you something else the Lord pressed on my heart this week?

Sometimes the greatest idols in the church are not golden statues. They are traditions, systems, preferences, and attitudes that slowly become untouchable.

And one of the biggest golden calves churches build is this phrase: “Well… that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Churches rarely die because the Gospel stopped working. Churches struggle because culture inside the church becomes more important than mission outside the church.

And if we’re not careful, we can start worshipping the system instead of using the system to serve people.

Hear me clearly: Programs matter. Structure matters. Organization matters. But none of those things are the mission.

The mission is people.

The system is supposed to help us reach people… not become a barrier that keeps people out.

If a child invites their friend to VBS, obviously they want to be together. That’s natural. That’s how relationships work. Are we really going to tell a child, “No, you can’t be with the person who made you feel comfortable enough to come here”?

If a child shows up and they are potty trained, but they are not quite four years old yet… are we really going to turn them away from hearing the Gospel because they missed a birthday cutoff by a few months?

That should not even be controversial. But yet, I’m having to have these type of conversations.

Ministry does not exist to protect the system. The system exists to accomplish ministry.

Jesus constantly frustrated religious people because He refused to prioritize systems over people.

The Pharisees loved rules, categories, structures, and traditions. Jesus loved people.

And over time, churches can accidentally create cultures where preserving comfort becomes more important than reaching families.

“We don’t do it that way.” “That’s not how we’ve always done it.” “That’s not our process.”

Meanwhile- there numbers are declining and that local church is on the verge of closing its doors forever— all the while people are standing at the door trying to come in but we are to in love with “thats the way we’ve always done it” to get out of our own way.

I’m not talking about abandoning wisdom. I’m talking about remembering why we exist.

We are not here to protect a machine. We are here to make disciples who know God’s Word, live God’s way, and advance God’s mission.

And if we ever have to choose between preserving a preference or reaching a person… we reach the person.

Every single time.

So— we better start smashing idols around here.

Are we looking at the things we are doing and asking difficult questions:

“Is what we are doing effective?”

If we’re going to invest time, money, energy, volunteers, buildings, and resources into ministry, then we should care whether it is actually helping people know God’s Word, live God’s way, and advance God’s mission.

If a method is helping us reach people, disciple people, and connect families to Jesus, praise God. Keep doing it.

But if something is no longer effective, why would we worship the method?

Farmers don’t keep using broken tools just because granddaddy used them. Coaches don’t keep running plays that no longer work just because they worked twenty years ago. Businesses don’t survive by refusing to adapt. And churches cannot reach future generations while acting like every method is sacred and every ministry is perfect and working.

“Is this helping us make disciples?”

that may be the most important question of all.

Because at the end of the day, that is the mission. Jesus told us to go and make disciples.

So every ministry, every class, every event, every program, every dollar we spend, every schedule we create… at some point we have to ask: “Is this actually helping people follow Jesus?”

Is it helping people know God’s Word? Is it helping people grow spiritually? Is it helping people take their next step? Is it helping us reach families? Is it helping us raise up the next generation? Is it helping people become more like Christ?

Because churches can get really busy doing church stuff without actually making disciples.

You can have a full calendar and still be spiritually stagnant. You can protect traditions and still fail the mission. You can keep people entertained without helping them mature.

And that’s why this question matters so much.

Not: “Do we like it?” Not: “Have we always done it?” Not: “Will everybody approve?” But: “Is this helping us make disciples?”

Because if something is not helping us accomplish the Great Commission, then we at least need the humility to reevaluate it.

And church, healthy churches are willing to evaluate honestly because the mission matters more than our preferences.

But I’ll be completely 100% honest and transparent. I do not believe we’re willing to do that.

Most of us think the problem is out there— out there is the problem. Not in here. and since we think that way, we don’t have the humility to reevaluate what we are doing and why its ineffective.

And here’s another question churches have to be willing to ask honestly:

“Are we reaching people?”

Because somewhere along the way, a lot of churches stopped focusing outward and became completely inward.

Everything became about keeping the already saved comfortable instead of reaching people who are far from God.

But church, we are not called to hide from the world. We are called to reach the world.

Jesus left heaven for people. Jesus went toward broken people. Jesus pursued the lost.

And if we are going to follow Jesus, then we cannot build a church culture that expects lost people to already act like church people before they ever walk through the doors.

We have to constantly ask: Are we actually reaching anybody outside these walls?

But that would require us to actually get out of these four walls.

Are we making an actual impact in our community?

If our doors closed, would anyone outside of the church actually be affected?

Or are we just maintaining religious activity?

Because churches can get really good at keeping church people busy while never actually engaging the mission field around them.

We think we are but we’re not.

And honestly, this is where pride can creep in.

Sometimes churches care more about preserving comfort than actually reaching people because reaching people is messy.

Lost people don’t always act like church people. Kids are loud. New believers ask hard questions. Ministry gets inconvenient sometimes.

But if we ever get to the point where we care more about protecting our routines than reaching people, then we have forgotten the heart of Jesus.

Church, heaven celebrates one sinner who repents. One.

So yes, we should absolutely ask: “Are we reaching people?”

Because if we are not intentionally trying to reach people, then we are no longer functioning like a New Testament church.

And if I’m being honest with you… I think we have to be humble enough to admit something:

I don’t believe we are reaching our community the way we should be.

Now hear me clearly. I’m thankful for every person in this church. I’m thankful for faithful members. I’m thankful for the volunteers who serve week after week. I’m thankful for the people who give, pray, work, clean, teach, and love this church.

This is not criticism. This is conviction.

Because when I look around our community, there are thousands of people within just a few miles of this campus. Thousands of families. Thousands of children. Thousands of students. Thousands of people who need Jesus.

And if we are honest, we are not making the kind of impact on this community that we want to make yet.

That’s not me attacking the church. That’s me refusing to pretend everything is fine when there are still people not being reached.

And listen… the answer is not shame. The answer is not panic. The answer is not abandoning truth to attract crowds.

But the answer also cannot be: “Well, this is just how things are now.”

No. We have to be willing to ask hard questions. We have to be willing to evaluate honestly. We have to be willing to change methods if it helps us better reach people without compromising the Gospel.

Because I refuse to believe God placed Cedar Bay Baptist Church in the middle of this community just so we could survive.

I believe God called us here to reach people. To make disciples. To love families. To preach the Gospel boldly. To shine light in darkness. To be a community church for the community.

And if we truly believe that, then we cannot settle for "thats the way we always done it” Christianity where our only goal is keeping the doors open until Jesus comes back.

And maybe the real question underneath all of this is this:

Are we actually doing ministry for the Kingdom of God, or are we just protecting what makes us comfortable?

Because those are not always the same thing.

Sometimes churches convince themselves they are being faithful, when in reality they are just being comfortable. We protect routines. We protect schedules. We protect traditions. We protect the way things have always been done because familiarity feels safe.

But the Kingdom of God has never advanced through comfort.

The early church was not comfortable. The disciples were not comfortable. Missionaries are not comfortable. Gospel-centered ministry is messy, inconvenient, sacrificial, and disruptive at times because reaching people is hard work.

And honestly, I think churches can slowly drift into maintenance mode without even realizing it. The goal quietly changes from reaching people to preserving stability. We stop asking how to engage the community and start asking how to avoid upsetting church people.

That is dangerous.

Because you can have smooth services, full calendars, organized programs, and happy members while still not making disciples or reaching lost people.

And if we are not careful, we can spend all of our energy protecting systems that make us comfortable while the community around us remains untouched by the Gospel.

I do not want Cedar Bay to be a church that simply exists to keep church people comfortable until Jesus comes back.

I want us to be a church that is willing to sacrifice, adapt, serve, invite, disciple, and engage our community for the sake of the Gospel.

That means we have to hold methods loosely and hold the mission tightly.

Because comfort is not the mission. The Kingdom is the mission.

And church, this kind of mission requires all of us to examine our hearts.

Every volunteer. Every teacher. Every leader. Every ministry.

We all have to ask: “Am I helping us move forward in the mission God has given this church?”

Because ministry is not about protecting territory. It is not about ownership. It is not about keeping things the way we prefer them. Its not about doing things the same way we have always done them because that what we’ve always done.

It is about serving the Kingdom of God and helping people follow Jesus.

And every one of us, myself included, has to stay humble enough to grow, adapt, learn, and ask: “How can I better help this church reach people and make disciples?”

When we start doing all these things, I truly believe we will start looking like the church God is calling us to be.

But it all starts smashing the golden calf of comfort and doing whats familiar.

We like what is familiar because it feels safe, manageable, and predictable. But if we are going to reach people, make disciples, and engage this community, then we have to accept that ministry will sometimes make us uncomfortable.

The truth is, a lot of churches want God to move without anything having to change. We want new families, new growth, and new life, but we also want everything to stay exactly the same because change feels threatening.

But the mission Jesus gave the church has never been comfortable.

We have seen that right out the gather at Pentecost. Peter and John get arrested for preaching the gospel and Peter refuses to stop preaching the gospel, they gather together and they don’t ask for comfort, they ask for boldness to move the gospel forward.

You know what—lets just read Acts 4:32-37

Acts 4:32–37 ESV

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Truth #1 — Spirit-Filled Churches Are United Around The Mission

Acts 4:32 says, “The full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul…”

That does not mean they agreed on everything. That does not mean they all had the same personalities, same opinions, same backgrounds, or same preferences. What it means is they were united around something bigger than themselves. They had been gripped by the Gospel. They understood the mission mattered more than their comfort.

And honestly, this is where a lot of churches lose their way.

Churches do not usually split over doctrine. They split over preferences. Politics. Personal opinions. Cultural tensions. The same kinds of divisions we see everywhere else in the world somehow finding their way into the church. People choosing sides instead of choosing unity. People protecting their perspective instead of protecting the mission.

But when the mission becomes central, preferences start shrinking.

It is hard to argue over trivial things when you are watching people come to Christ. It is hard to fight over traditions when eternity is at stake. It is hard to cling tightly to comfort when you remember there are people all around us who are spiritually dead and desperately need Jesus.

The early church was united because their eyes were fixed on the mission.

And notice something important here: this unity was supernatural.

You had fishermen standing beside tax collectors. Zealots beside ordinary laborers. Rich people and poor people. Older believers and brand new converts. Different personalities. Different life experiences. Yet somehow they were “of one heart and soul.”

That does not happen naturally.

The world divides over everything. Politics divide. Social status divides. Race divides. Preferences divide. Pride divides.

But the Gospel tears down walls.

Ephesians 2 says Jesus “has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” That is what Christ does. He brings people together who otherwise would never belong together.

One of the greatest pictures of this in Scripture is the church at Antioch in Acts 13. You had Jewish leaders, African believers, wealthy men, common men, people from completely different cultures and backgrounds worshiping and serving together. Why? Because the mission became bigger than themselves.

That is what Spirit-filled churches look like.

They are not united because everybody gets their way.

They are united because everybody surrenders for the sake of the Gospel.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “The church is the church only when it exists for others.”

That is a needed reminder in modern Christianity because we have become very consumer-minded. People shop for churches like they shop for restaurants. “Do I like this?” “Does this fit my preferences?” “Am I comfortable?”

But New Testament Christianity was never centered on comfort.

These believers were not gathering to consume. They were gathering to advance the Kingdom.

And comfort-centered churches divide easily because when church becomes about me, then everything becomes personal.

“My ministry.” “My classroom.” “My routine.” “My seat.” “My traditions.” “My preferences.”

And the second someone disrupts those things, conflict starts.

But Acts 4 is showing us a better way.

The mission has to stay bigger than our preferences.

I remember hearing a pastor say one time, “Nobody complains about the color of the walls in the emergency room.” Why? Because when people understand lives are on the line, the small stuff suddenly feels small.

That is the mentality the church needs again.

Because souls are on the line.

People are hurting. Families are broken. Kids are growing up without truth. Marriages are collapsing. People are drowning in anxiety, addiction, depression, confusion, and hopelessness.

And meanwhile churches are arguing over things that do not matter eternally.

That is not New Testament Christianity.

Jesus did not die so we could protect our comfort zones. He died and rose again to save sinners and send His church into the world with the Gospel.

Charles Spurgeon said, “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our dead bodies.”

That is the kind of urgency the early church had.

They were united around the mission.

And honestly, I think one of the greatest signs of spiritual maturity is when believers stop asking, “What do I prefer?” and start asking, “What best helps us reach people and make disciples?”

Because healthy churches understand this: sometimes you have to surrender comfort for the sake of mission.

Sometimes ministry gets messy.

Sometimes things change.

Sometimes your preferences are not the priority anymore.

But if the Gospel is advancing, if people are hearing the truth, if disciples are being made, then it is worth it.

Spirit-filled churches are united around the mission.

So the real question for us this morning is this:

Are we unified around the mission… or around preserving comfort?

Spirit-filled churches are united around the mission.

Truth #2 — Spirit-Filled Churches Hold Their Preferences And Possessions Loosely

Acts 4:32–35 says, “No one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own…”

That is such a radically different mindset than the one that comes naturally to us because naturally we hold tightly to things.

We hold tightly to comfort. We hold tightly to routines, preferences, traditions, and possessions because those things make us feel safe, predictable, and in control.

But the early church understood something that we tend to forget very quickly: everything they had already belonged to God in the first place.

Because they truly believed that, they lived with open hands instead of closed fists.

They were willing to become uncomfortable if it meant somebody else could encounter Jesus. That is what Spirit-filled ministry actually looks like.

And honestly, this connects directly to everything we have already been talking about this morning.

One thing that stands out in Acts 4 is how naturally these believers cared for one another. Their generosity was not performative or attention-seeking. It flowed out of hearts that had been changed by Jesus. They understood that the church was not just a gathering they attended; it was a family they belonged to. And when people truly see each other as family, meeting needs stops feeling like an obligation and starts becoming an act of love.

And none of it was convenient.

But that is ministry.

Ministry has never primarily been about convenience. Jesus never called people to comfort. He called people to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. The early church understood that following Jesus would cost them something, and Acts 4 shows us just how serious they were about it because people were literally selling property and possessions so needs could be met and the Gospel could continue moving forward.

That was not casual generosity. That was sacrificial generosity. They gave up things they could have kept for themselves because they believed eternal things mattered more than temporary comfort.

And one thing I love about this text is that nobody was forcing them to do it.

This was not government-mandated redistribution. This was not manipulation. This was not people acting out of guilt.

This was Spirit-filled believers who had been so transformed by the Gospel that they began looking at their possessions differently.

They understood that Jesus had already given everything for them, and because of that they loosened their grip on everything else.

Do you realize that during Jesus’ ministry he talked more about money more than he did heaven or hell? Becaue Money can have a grip on us more than just about anything else.

And honestly, this brings us to something a lot of churches get weird about talking over, but the Bible talks about it constantly, so we are not going to pretend it is not there.

I want to talk for a minute about tithing and generosity.

Now let me say this very clearly before anybody gets nervous. I do not know what anybody in this church gives financially, and that is completely on purpose. I do not want to know. I never want to be accused of treating somebody differently because of what they put in the offering plate or give online. I never want somebody wondering if they got attention, leadership opportunities, or pastoral care because of money. That stays between you and the Lord.

But I also cannot preach Acts 4 honestly and ignore what is sitting right there in the text.

These people were selling property and possessions so needs could be met and the Gospel could keep moving forward. And nobody was twisting their arm to do it. Nobody was manipulating them. Nobody was promising them a bigger house or a private jet if they gave enough money.

Their hearts had been changed by Jesus.

That is the difference.

And that is why tithing is ultimately not a money issue. It is a heart issue.

Jesus talked about money all throughout His ministry because He knew money has a way of grabbing hold of people. Money makes us feel secure. Money makes us feel in control. Money whispers to us that if we can just keep a little more for ourselves, then we will finally feel safe.

And Jesus comes along and says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In other words, what you do with your resources says a whole lot about what actually matters to you.

And hear me carefully. Tithing is not God trying to take something from you. God does not need your money. What are you going to do, give Jesus 20 dollars?

The tithe has always been about obedience, trust, worship, and surrender.

It is about learning to live open-handed before God instead of white-knuckling everything He has entrusted to you.

Because the truth is, some people do not just cling tightly to money.

We cling tightly to comfort. We cling tightly to schedules. We cling tightly to preferences. We cling tightly to control. We cling tightly to “the way we have always done it.”

But Spirit-filled people learn to loosen their grip.

That is why generosity in the New Testament is always connected to worship. When somebody truly understands the Gospel, generosity stops being an obligation and starts becoming a response.

When you really understand that Christ gave His life for you when you deserved judgment, it changes the way you look at your money, your time, your comfort, and your preferences.

The early church saw needs and responded to them because people mattered to them. Thats gospel generosity.

I think one of the clearest pictures of this mindset is found in Luke chapter 19 when Zacchaeus encountered Jesus. Zacchaeus had spent his life accumulating wealth for himself, taking advantage of people, and building comfort through dishonest gain.

But after meeting Jesus, his entire perspective changed. Instead of clinging tightly to his possessions, he stood up and said he would give half of his goods to the poor and repay anyone he had cheated four times over.

That is what happens when somebody truly encounters Christ. Their grip on earthly things loosens because their heart has been transformed.

And what did Jesus do.

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Because reaching people is messy sometimes.

Real ministry interrupts comfort. Real ministry stretches systems. Real ministry creates inconvenience. Everybody says they want revival until revival starts affecting routines and preferences. Everybody loves the idea of growth until the nursery fills up, the parking lot gets crowded, classrooms get noisy, and methods have to adapt to make room for more people.

But that is not a problem.

That is ministry.

The early church was not sitting around asking, “How little can I sacrifice while still feeling spiritual?” They were asking, “What will it take to reach people?”

That is an entirely different mindset.

Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

That sounds exactly like Acts 4 because these believers were not worshiping their possessions. They were leveraging their possessions for the mission God had given them.

And honestly, churches become unhealthy when comfort becomes the goal because comfort will always resist change. Comfort wants everything predictable. Comfort wants everything familiar. Comfort wants ministry to fit neatly into routines and preferences. But the Kingdom of God has never advanced through people clinging tightly to comfort.

Abraham had to leave his homeland. Moses had to stand before Pharaoh. Esther had to risk her life.

The disciples left jobs, businesses, boats, and security behind in order to follow Jesus.

Nobody in Scripture significantly impacted the Kingdom of God while making comfort their priority.

Even Jesus constantly allowed His comfort to be interrupted by people. Children interrupted Him. Blind men shouted over crowds trying to get His attention. Sick people reached for Him everywhere He went. Broken people constantly interrupted His schedule, His rest, and His plans.

And yet Jesus never treated people like interruptions.

He treated them like the mission.

I think sometimes churches unintentionally drift into the opposite mindset where we begin protecting systems more than people. We start saying things like, “That is not how we normally do it,” or “That changes the routine,” or “We have always done it this way.” And before long we become more passionate about protecting familiar systems than we are about reaching actual people.

Insanisty is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results.

if we aren’t willing to adapt, and change what we do and what we don’t do to effectively- and I keep using that word intentionally- effectively reach people.

Paul himself said, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” Paul was willing to inconvenience himself if it meant more people could encounter Jesus.

But we can’t even admit when a ministry isn’t working effectively.

And another thing you see clearly in Acts 4 is that the early church never separated meeting physical needs from sharing the Gospel. They did both. They cared for people physically while also proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They understood the mission was not simply making people comfortable for a few years on earth. The mission was introducing people to Jesus and helping people encounter eternal life.

The early church held their preferences and possessions loosely because they believed eternity mattered more than comfort.

And honestly, some people say they want the church to grow as long as nothing changes. But growth changes things. More people means tighter parking, louder hallways, stretched schedules, and challenged preferences. That is not failure. That is ministry.

So the real question becomes whether we are going to cling tightly to comfort or whether we are willing to sacrifice so people can encounter Jesus because Spirit-filled churches hold their preferences and possessions loosely.

Truth #3 — Spirit-Filled Churches Care More About People Than Preservation

Acts tells us, "There was not a needy person among them." Think about that statement for a minute. Luke is not saying there were no needs. He is saying there were no unmet needs because God's people stepped up when they saw them.

The early church did not look at suffering and say, "Somebody ought to do something about that." They became the somebody.

When a family was hurting, the church responded. When someone was struggling, the church responded. When needs arose, believers did not sit back and wait for someone else to fix the problem. They moved toward people. They carried burdens. They shared resources. They took responsibility for one another because they understood that being part of the body of Christ means we are connected to one another.

And if I can be honest, I think this is where a lot of churches struggle today.

We say we want to reach people, but sometimes we want to reach people without actually going where people are.

We say we want students and children, but we will not go into the schools. We will stroke a check for a program. We will donate supplies. We will sponsor something. But we will not show up and do the hard work of building relationships. We will not learn names. We will not invest in families. We will not consistently be present where people actually live their lives.

We’ll do things that we’re comfortable doing but its not effective and its not building the kingdom. We’ll spend hours upon hours on that stuff but

Now don't misunderstand me. Writing checks matters. Giving resources matters. The early church gave resources. Acts 4 makes that clear.

But money is not a substitute for ministry.

It is a lot easier to write a check than it is to build a relationship. It is a lot easier to donate supplies than it is to spend months earning trust. It is a lot easier to say we care about the next generation than it is to consistently show up where the next generation actually is.

The church in Acts did not just throw resources at problems. they didn’t just do what they were comfortable with. They moved toward people.

Ministry is not simply about funding the mission. its part but its not all. Ministry is about being present in the mission.

The church should be leading the way in compassion ministry. We should be known as people who care for widows, care for children, care for families, care for the hurting, and care for those who have fallen on hard times. That has always been part of the church's mission.

Throughout Scripture, when God talks about caring for the vulnerable, He is talking to His people. He is talking to the covenant community. He is talking to the church.

The early believers understood that. They did not just preach the Gospel with their mouths. They demonstrated the love of Christ with their lives.

Spirit-filled boldness always produces generosity.

Most people do not have a generosity problem. They have a fear problem.

We hold tightly to money because we are afraid there will not be enough.

We hold tightly to our possessions because we are afraid of losing security.

We hold tightly to our resources because we are afraid of what might happen tomorrow.

We hold tightly to our comfort zone because we are scared outside of it.

But the believers in Acts were not generous because they were wealthy.

They were generous because they were convinced that God would take care of them. Their confidence was not in their property, their savings, or their possessions. Their confidence was in the Lord.

When you truly believe God is your provider, you stop living with clenched fists. You start living with open hands.

You become willing to give, willing to serve, willing to sacrifice, and willing to trust God with tomorrow because you know the same God who has carried you this far is not going to stop being faithful now.

One of the things that stands out in the text is that the generosity of the church was not random or disconnected.

The people brought their gifts to the apostles, and the church distributed those resources wherever needs existed.

There was structure. There was accountability. There was stewardship.

The believers understood that the local church was God's primary vehicle for carrying out His mission in the world.

They trusted the leadership God had put in place, and they gave so that ministry could happen, needs could be met, and the Gospel could continue advancing.

That is still God's design today.

Now, I want to be careful here because there is nothing wrong with helping people directly. There is nothing wrong with supporting a missionary, buying someone groceries, helping a family pay a bill, or stepping in when somebody has a need. We ought to do those things.

But throughout the New Testament, we repeatedly see believers giving through the local church because the local church is God's plan for making disciples and advancing His mission.

The goal is not to collect resources so we can sit on them. The goal is not to build bigger budgets so we can feel successful. The goal is to leverage every dollar, every volunteer, every building, every ministry, and every opportunity for the advancement of the Gospel.

Because the truth is, you cannot outgive God.

I have never met a mature believer who regretted being generous. I have met people who regretted chasing money. I have met people who regretted making possessions their priority. I have met people who regretted sacrificing their family on the altar of a paycheck. But I have never met someone who genuinely regretted investing in God's Kingdom.

Then Luke gives us a real-life example of what this looks like.

He introduces us to Barnabas.

Acts 4 tells us that Barnabas owned a field, sold it, and brought the money to the apostles.

Now, that is easy to read quickly and move on from, but think about what he actually did. Land represented security. Land represented inheritance. Land represented future income. It was a significant asset.

Barnabas willingly gave up something valuable because he believed the mission was more valuable.

Nobody forced him. Nobody manipulated him. Nobody guilted him into it.

He simply understood that what God had given him could be used for something bigger than himself.

And that is why generosity is ultimately an act of worship.

When we worship, we are declaring what matters most to us. We worship with our voices when we sing. We worship with our obedience when we follow Christ. We worship with our time when we serve.

And yes, we worship with our giving.

Giving is never primarily about dollars and cents. It is about the condition of our hearts.

Every time we give, we are making a declaration that Jesus is more valuable than our possessions. We are declaring that we trust God more than we trust our bank account. We are acknowledging that everything we have came from Him in the first place.

Barnabas was not trying to earn God's favor. He was responding to God's grace.

His generosity was simply the overflow of gratitude for what God had already done in his life.

Which brings us to what may be the central truth of this entire passage:

God did not give you all that you have so that you can have all that you want. God gave you what He has entrusted to you so that others can have what they need.

That is biblical stewardship.

Everything we have belongs to God. Our homes belong to God. Our money belongs to God. Our vehicles belong to God. Our talents belong to God. Our careers belong to God. Even the next breath we take is a gift from God.

We are not owners. We are managers.

And every blessing comes with responsibility.

One of the greatest dangers facing American Christians is that we can begin to mistake God's blessings for God's endorsement of our selfishness.

We assume that because God has blessed us, the blessing must be entirely for us.

But throughout Scripture, God's blessings are meant to flow through His people, not stop with His people.

God blessed Abraham so that all nations would be blessed through him. God blessed Israel so they could be a light to the nations. God has blessed the church so the Gospel can reach the ends of the earth.

The question is not whether God has blessed us. The question is what we are doing with those blessings.

Are we consuming everything for ourselves?

Or are we leveraging what God has entrusted to us for His mission, His glory, and the good of others?

Are we examining what we are doing with what God has blessed us with and sought to be more effective?

Because Spirit-filled people understand that everything they have is a tool to be used for the Kingdom, not a treasure to be hoarded for themselves.

Because at the end of the day, none of it belongs to us anyway.

It all belongs to Him anyways.

And if everything belongs to Him, then we ought to be willing to honestly evaluate how we are using what He has entrusted to us.

As individuals, that means asking questions like: Am I using my time, my gifts, my resources, and my opportunities for God's Kingdom or simply for myself?

But churches have to ask those same questions too.

Every ministry. Every program. Every budget item. Every tradition. Every activity.

We have to be willing to ask: Is what we are doing effective?

Not effective by our standards. Not effective because we've always done it. Not effective because it's familiar.

Effective at making disciples.

Is this helping us make disciples?

Is this helping people know God's Word, live God's way, and advance God's mission?

Are we reaching people?

Or are we simply keeping busy doing church activities that make us feel good about ourselves?

Those are not comfortable questions, but they are necessary questions.

Because there is a difference between doing ministry and maintaining ministry.

There is a difference between advancing the Kingdom and preserving our preferences.

There is a difference between faithfulness and familiarity.

At some point every church has to honestly ask itself: Are we actually doing ministry for the Kingdom of God, or are we just protecting what makes us comfortable?

The church in Acts was willing to sacrifice comfort for mission.

They were willing to sacrifice preferences for mission.

They were willing to sacrifice possessions for mission.

They were willing to sacrifice anything necessary so more people could hear the Gospel and encounter Jesus.

And that brings us to our response this morning.

In just a moment, we're going to worship together.

As we sing, I want you to spend some time reflecting on what God has entrusted to you. Not just your finances, but your time, your talents, your opportunities, your influence, your possessions, your family, and your gifts.

Ask yourself a simple question:

Am I leveraging what God has given me for His Kingdom, or am I simply consuming it for myself?

Church, let’s pray