Upon this Rock

The First Days of the Church

Message 8

I Got Stuck on One Verse!

Acts 4:32

Me:

1. My Motivation

a. To see examples of how the church functioned

i. We live in some strange times

ii. Rock star preachers and churches

iii. The church today is nothing like this first church

iv. Cushioned chairs and pews. AC Technology

b. But some things don’t change

i. Jesus is the head of the church

ii. Jesus is the only way someone can be saved

iii. A person’s heart can be godly or evil.

iv. The human heart hasn’t changed much either.

v. Let me show you.

We:

Two of the effects of believing in Jesus.

(1) The heart is loosened in relationship to things

(2) The heart is tightened in its relationship to people

ii. You see this in verse 32

Acts 4:32 LEB

32 Now the group of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said anything of what belonged to him was his own, but all things were theirs in common.

iv. Underline those who believed

b. This is the key:

i. By believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord, we can trust him for all we need.

ii. Being satisfied with all that God has for you is found in our faith in Jesus

iii. Everything good comes from that.

The gospel flourishes

c. This is where our greatest battle will take place as a church

i. If I don’t get what I want – There will be hell to pay

ii. BTW this why we don’t vote on things

iii. It’s not about preference it’s about surrender – Make sense

d. Let’s look close at this verse and see what it says

God:

When Jesus is Lord

a. “One heart and soul”

i. Heart = Our inner self.

ii. Our personality, emotions, actions, thoughts. Our essence, our beings

iii. We are told to love God with, what?

Matthew 22:37 NIV

37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

b. The first effect of Jesus as Lord

i. 32a “Now the group of those who believed were one heart and soul,”

Believing in Jesus tightens the heart’s relationship to people—especially other Christians.

Philippians 2:3 NET

3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

Loving one another is far more important than your preferences

vi. You will never get your way all one hundred present of the time

vii. But you can love your fellow brother and sister in Christ 100% of the time.

viii. When you become united to Jesus by faith, you become united to people by love.

The second effect

i. “and no one said anything of what belonged to him was his own, but all things were theirs in common.”

ii. Do you see it?

The heart is loosened in its relationship to things.

iv. Faith in Christ creates a bond of love to people

v. And cuts the bond of love to things

Matthew 6:33 NIV

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

vii. Underline “things”

viii. “When people make God’s kingdom their primary object of desire, they find the ability to trust Him to meet their needs.”

You:

What would you do?

a. Ponder these questions

i. What are you willing to do to see God work in the lives of people in this church?

ii. What price are you willing to pay?

iii. What are you willing to say it’s not about me?

Are you willing to surrender your will and desires?

We:

I trust you!

a. If God puts something on your heart.

i. Follow God’s lead

ii. I will not stand in the way of that.

iii. I want you to go for it.

iv. 10 times a week I have to remind myself that even though it’s not what I want

v. It’s not about me.

vi. And it’s not about you either