Sermon Tone Analysis

Reading of Scripture [Acts 4:32 - 5:11]

Introduction

The Scriptures once again ask us to consider how the early believers in Jesus both viewed and stewarded their possessions in fellowship with one another.

It was first in Acts 2:44-45 that we were told that:

Once again, this theme of holding all things in common, and selling possessions to give to those in need emerges as important. . .

There is something unique, unnatural, and even for us uncomfortable about the way these believers were living together before God and in community with one another!

Because the way these believers lived was not natural — it was spiritual.

Their fellowship gives us a glimpse into the future that awaits us — the Heaven our Lord is preparing for us — when we will all sit at His table, and eat with Him in perfect fellowship—lacking nothing!

When we read about the perfect fellowship of believers in Acts, it compels us to look forward with hope to that which is yet to come!

But it also makes us pause and consider what what once was in Eden, in the garden God planted in the beginning for the first man and woman, Adam and Eve.

In that garden of Eden, God prepared a place for his people and God made provision for them.

The trees God planted supplied every food Adam and Eve needed.

And God graciously permitted them to eat from every tree in that garden which He had made, except for one tree which he specifically commanded them not to eat from.

God walked in the Garden with His people, and all of Creation experienced perfect fellowship with their Creator in His presence and through His abundant provision.

There was no lack — there was no need.

Everything was given by God to be shared and enjoyed together in perfect fellowship!

Have you noticed, that we are not in the Garden of Eden any more?

What happened?

Satan slithered into the Garden as a serpent.

Satan called God’s character and word into question.

And Satan deceived the woman, Eve, to eat the fruit of the tree God had commanded they not eat from.

And Eve gave to her husband, Adam, who was with her, and he too ate from the fruit of that tree in disobedience to God.

Adam and Eve were not satisfied with the plenty God had given to them, and instead took for themselves from what God had set apart for Himself — They took from what belonged to God by eating from the tree God had commanded them not to eat from.

The Bible calls this sin.

This selfish, greedy, disobedience and lack of trust in the God who gave them life crept in to destroy what was beautiful, perfect, and united!

And as bad as that sin was, what is worse is that Adam and Eve tried to cover up their sin!

They tried to hide from the presence of God!

What Adam and Eve did was very serious.

Their sin resulted in consequences that we continue to experience today.

God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden and ensured that they would never return.

And the judgment of God upon Adam and Eve for their sin began that very day — Adam and Eve would die.

And every genealogy after them would remind future generations of their sin, because all will share in the same consequence of it.

The Scriptures say “in Adam, all die.”

(1 Cor 15:22).

You say, Why Pastor Christopher did you spend all this time talking about Eden, Adam and Eve?

What does that have to do with the book of Acts?

Because even in this perfect community and fellowship of the early Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered believers — sin entered the picture.

This account in Acts with Ananias and Sapphira is what the Fall was to Eden, with Adam and Eve!

And as it was in Eden, so it is in Acts — That what appears to be on the surface a misappropriation of God’s provision and the misuse of possessions, is in reality a much more serious issue — it is an issue of the heart.

God absolutely cares how his people steward His Creation and possessions — But how God’s people steward possessions is always an indicator of the health of the heart.

God is most concerned about the health of the heart — the innermost being, the motivations that move us — why we do what we do!

Exposition

Look how Acts 4:32 begins:

Acts 4:32 (ESV)

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul...”

Before anything is said about what the group of believers did, the Scriptures first tell us they were of one heart and soul.

This means they were united, not so much in WHAT they did, but in WHY they did what they did.

Their motivations were shared because they were one in heart and soul.

If you think about all of the different denominations and traditions of Christianity, it is those things that are done differently that become defining.

But in many ways, we are not as different as it appears!

We may baptize differently, we may worship differently, we may govern ourselves differently…but even so we can say "Amen” in agreement on many of the reasons why we do these things, and we may still be united in heart and soul.

This unity is the true measure of love and a mark of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:32 (ESV)

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul...”

And because of this, what did they do?

Acts 4:32 (ESV)...

“...no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.”

This is where the unity of heart may be observed… in the use of possessions.

Faith is like that.

I can’t see your faith, but I can see your works that bear testimony of your faith!

So it is with possessions and your heart.

I can’t see your heart, but I can see what you do with what you have — and that says everything about what is in your heart!

Jesus taught his disciples to:

The use of treasure and possessions is always a reflection of the heart.

And this was especially true of the early group of believers, who were controlled by the Spirit of God, and the Spirit moved them to share the things they were given so that no one in their fellowship was found to be lacking or in need of anything.

This was a testimony of the character, provision and salvation of God through Jesus Christ lived out among His people!

The believers were living in light of the resurrection, and their manner of life, and stewardship of possessions, and care for the needs of one another, reflected their belief that Jesus is alive, and Jesus is raised from the dead!

And if Jesus is alive — Jesus is Lord.

And if Jesus is Lord, then he is Lord over everything — Lord of my life, Lord of my possessions, Lord of my future — everything belongs to Him and is His to control!

This is the message the apostles proclaimed, and the message the believers backed up in their manner of life!

It is only in light of the resurrection that we understand that true gain is not attained through receiving, but through giving.

Acts 4:33 says “great grace was upon them all.”

God is pleased with how his name is being proclaimed and represented.

The reason there was not a needy person among them, is because when needs arose, believers who had the ability to meet those needs did so, by selling land or houses and giving the proceeds to the apostles, who then distributed to meet those needs.

This is an insight into the giving practices in the early church.

People in the church wonder: Should we tithe?

Should we give?

The model in the New Testament as seen as early as Acts 4 is not asking “What should I give?”

Instead, it is asking the Lord, “What should I keep?”

Those who owned lands or houses — both of those words are plural.

This could be referring to those who were wealthy and owned multiple estates, or landlords with more land or property than they needed.

They sold and gave.

And notice the proceeds were brought to the apostles for distribution.

There was an organization - a process to this giving.

They brought the proceeds to the apostles, and the apostles distributed the proceeds to those who had need.

So not only are the believers devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles (Acts 2:42), but also bringing their gifts to them to be distributed, so that the gifts would be distributed in a way that supported the teaching of the word.

There was accountability.

The church has a responsibility, and church leaders have a responsibility to God, to steward well money that is given to the church, to make sure that money is used in support of the mission of the word.

And part of that support will include caring of the needs within the community.

The believers did not have to sell their possessions.

There was no command to do this.

But they did so because they wanted to!

God had placed it in their heart, through His Holy Spirit.

And they were obedient to the leading of the Spirit.

The law of Deuteronomy 15 said this:

This care for the needs of the community of faith has always been important to God.

This means, if we do not care for the needs among us, we do not know God, we do not represent God, and we are walking in disobedience to him and we must repent!

Acts introduces us to a man who who gave generously in this way:

Joseph, called “son of encouragement,” is an example to be celebrated!

But the celebration is short-lived, as it was in Eden.