IT’S GOOD TO SHARE
Text: Acts 4:32-37
Introduction
1. Illustration: When we pray together and work together in fellowship there is a strengthening bond that forms. There is strength in numbers. Vance Havner said: “Snowflakes are frail, but if enough of them get together they can stop traffic.” If we are all praying together and working together nothing can stop the fellowship and unity of the Lord’s church.
2. I am convinced that there is no more powerful thing on earth than a unified church. When the church is united in heart and mind the Holy Spirit rests on that church, and his power is seen there in unimaginable ways.
3. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the early church.
4. Read Acts 4:32-37
Proposition: A unified church works together to make a difference in their community.
Transition: The first thing we see about a unified church is…
I. Unified Church is a Sharing Church (32).
A. United in Heart and Mind
1. The early church in Jerusalem was growing rapidly, and a big part of the reason for this was their unity.
2. This powerful spiritual unity was not only causing them to grow, but it was also causing them to do things that were uncommon and even unheard of in any society.
3. Luke tells us in v. 32, “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.”
a. First, they were united in heart, which means to “be in tune,” or “in sync” with one another. They were all going the same direction spiritually.
b. Second, they were united in mind, and in the original Greek this means “to breathe,” or “to breathe spiritually” (SFLSB, 1391).
c. “As John Wesley put it, “Their loves, their hopes, their passions joined.”
d. What joined them was not simply a common affiliation to the church.
e. There was a spiritual unity and a unity of passionate commitment to a mission” (Ajith Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary, 179).
4. They were all together and they were all rowing in the same direction.
a. As a result, “they felt that what they owned was not their own, they shared everything they had.”
b. Some might say, “well isn’t that communism?” The answer to that question is “no.” There are several reasons why.
c. First, it was completely voluntary; no one told them they had to do it, they did it because they wanted to do it.
d. Second, private ownership continued in the church.
e. In other words, this was not a commune, it was just people who loved God and loved each other sharing what they had with those in need.
5. The major point here is unity. The point is that without unity the church cannot survive.
a. This unity results from a love for God, his Word, and each other.
b. It was this sense of unity that encouraged the early church to take care of one another.
c. They shared everything they had because they felt a sense of community within the church. A sense of family, that we are all in this together.
B. Fellowship Together in the Spirit
1. Illustration: Unity is a heart condition of a regenerated believer that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and bears the fruit of kindness, compassion, peace-making, forgiveness, humbling ourselves and esteeming others more highly than ourselves.
2. The unity of the Holy Spirit causes us to work, love, and care for one another.
a. Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (Phil. 2:1-4)
b. Paul talks about the “fellowship together in the Spirit.”
c. That word “fellowship” means “to share in something.”
d. It can also be translated “partnership.”
e. A church that is unified in the Spirit cares about one another.
f. A church that is unified in the Spirit works together to accomplish their goals.
g. A church that is unified in the Spirit sees one of their members in need and they do whatever they have to do to meet that need.
h. A church that is unified in the Spirit is more than a church group, more than a denomination, it is a family!
Transition: Next, a…
II. Unified Church is a Witnessing Church (33).
A. Testified Powerfully
1. There’s more to being a NT church than simply taking care of those in need physically. We also need to see to their spiritual needs.
2. The greatest spiritual need that everyone has is the need-to-know Jesus.
3. Look at what Luke says in v. 33, “The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all.”
a. Now, I’m sure that some of you are thinking, “O, good Lord, he’s going to harp on going out and telling people about Jesus again!”
b. Well, yes, yes, I am! The reason I’m going to keep preaching to you about the need to go out and tell people about Jesus is because the Book of Acts keeps talking about it!
c. “Every chapter of Acts (except ch. 27) says something about evangelism. This first church history textbook is essentially a history of evangelism. (Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary, 181).
d. Church, there was a reason that the early church kept growing, and it was because they kept telling people about Jesus!
e. Now, I know we all want to see the church grow. I mean, I really don’t believe we are an “us four and no more” kind of church.
f. However, this church is never going to grow if we aren’t out there telling people about Jesus.
g. It’s about more than people coming to church. It’s about people getting saved and coming to church because they want to praise the One they’ve given their heart to.
h. And I want us to see what happens when we go out and tell people about Jesus: God blesses the church!
i. Luke tells us that “God’s blessing was on them all.” Why was God blessing on the church? Because they were being obedient to his commands.
j. It is a theme that runs throughout the entire Bible that obedience brings blessing. Jesus has commanded us as his disciples to go out and share the Gospel.
k. “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” (Mk 16:15).
B. Make Disciples
1. Illustration: A few years ago, George Barna reported some amazing facts. Most Americans, including professing Christians, believe that people are inherently good and that their primary purpose is to enjoy life as much as possible.
a. a). 38% believe that it doesn’t matter what religious faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons.
b. b). 44% believed that all people will experience the same outcome after death, regardless of their religious beliefs.
c. c). 55% believed that if a person is generally good or does enough good things for others during their life, they will earn a place in heaven.
d. There is a need for evangelism!
2. The biggest area in which we need to be united is to lead people to Christ.
a. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20).
b. This text is referred to as “The Great Commission.” But in too many churches it can be called “The Great Omission,” because not enough of us are taking it to heart.
c. This is not an option; it is a prerequisite!
d. We are called to make disciples. Going is not the command here because Jesus assumed we would go. The command is to make disciples.
e. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to make more disciples.
f. The task begins by us telling people about the Gospel.
g. But that is just the beginning. After leading people to Christ, we then need to teach them how to follow him.
h. Just wanting the church to grow is not enough, we must be willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Transition: So, a unified church is a sharing church, a witnessing church, and a…
III. Unified Church is a Selfless Church (34-37).
A. No Needy People Among Them
1. After talking about the need for evangelism, Luke returns to meeting the needs of those in the church. In vv. 34-35 Luke tells us, “There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.”
a. The generosity of the believers in Jerusalem eliminated poverty within the church.
b. Luke says there was no one who was in need among them.
c. They were so generous, and so unselfish, that there was no one in need.
d. Have you ever heard someone say, “don’t you wish we could do away with poverty?”
e. Well, they did do away with poverty, at least in the church. And it wasn’t a one-time thing. The tense of the verbs being used in the Greek text in these two verses shows that it was a continuous action in the past (Fernando, 181).
f. In other words, there were doing this continually. It was a way of life for them.
g. Whenever there was a need, they would ask the Lord if they should sell their land to supply the need, and if he told them yes, they would sell the land and give the money to the apostles.
2. Now, look at v. 36-37, “For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.”
a. One of the believers who sold land to help others was a man named Joseph, who the apostles gave the nickname “Barnabas,” which means “son of encouragement.”
b. What a great nickname. To be known as someone who so continually encouraged others as to be known by that name.
c. He was so encouraging to others that he sold a field he owned in another land.
d. The reason I say it was in another land was because he was a Levite, and the Levites were forbidden to own land in Israel.
e. So, being from Cyprus, he must have sold a piece of land he owned there and brought the money and gave it to the apostles to meet the need in the church.
B. Share Each Other’s Burdens
1. Illustration: When Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea was building its prayer mountain, they struggled in raising the funds for its construction. Pastor David Cho challenged the people again and again and still they could not raise the funds they needed for the project. Then, an elderly woman went to Pastor Cho. She gave him her bowl and chopsticks, her only earthly possessions. She told him that he can sell those and give the money for the prayer mountain. That selfless act touched the entire church. Donations flooded in until the prayer mountain became a reality. Now, that church is the biggest evangelical church in the whole world. Our selfless act of unwrapping and using our spiritual gifts to serve people can trigger such a powerful impact. Brothers and sisters, it is great when the church is working right. We should rightly assess ourselves and we should responsibly access our gifts.
2. As God’s family, we are all in this together, and we are to see to the needs of each other.
a. “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2).
b. We are called by God to take care of one another.
c. When one of us is in need it is our responsibility to meet the need.
d. Whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual, we need to do whatever we can to meet that need.
e. If one of us hurts, we all hurt.
f. If one of us is facing a hardship, we are all facing hardship.
g. We need to be like Barnabas and be “sons or daughters of encouragement.”
Conclusion
1. A unified church is…
a. Sharing
b. Witnessing
c. Selfless
2. What’s the point preacher? Let’s be like the early church and take care of one another.
