THE GOSPEL & GRACIOUS LIVING
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on July 20, 2022 under AM Bible Study |
AM Bible Study Group: July 20, 2022 from Acts 4:32-37
Theme: An atmosphere of grace prevails in the church to the degree that the gospel of Jesus Christ is faithfully proclaimed by it.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
The portion of the Book of Acts that we’ve been studying lately is filled with drama. It tells us about the exciting ways that the church grew. It also tells us about how the church—at its very beginning—had to deal with challenges of opposition. These events were foundational to how the infant church would grow and take shape in its witness to this world; and there are lots of important lessons for us to learn from them.
But there are also lessons for us to learn from what we might call ‘the quiet moments’ of the church. And that’s what we come to in this morning’s passage. It gives us a ‘snapshot’ moment—a candid view of the early believers in daily life with one another.
Acts 4:32-37 says;
Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet (Acts 4:32-37).
This particular ‘snapshot’ view of the church is important for setting the context for what will follow. In Chapter 5, we’ll read the story of the first serious crisis of sin within the church; and that’s a story that is directly related to the atmosphere that was set by this one. But before we come to that later story in Chapter 5, let’s pause today and learn from the quiet story of daily life that we find here.
* * * * * * * * * *
Now; the picture that is given to us in this passage is an important one. It’s a story of something put into action that is commanded to us in 1 John 3:16-18—something that should be a natural outflow of the people of God being receptive to the love of God shown to us through Jesus Christ. 1 John 3:16-18 says;
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:16-18).
The apostle John was urging his readers to behave in such a way as to not simply ‘talk’ about loving one another, but to truly and actively do so. But no one needed to urge the early Christians to behave that way in Acts 4. They did so naturally and spontaneously.
And we won’t be thinking about this behavior on the part of the early church as we should unless we carefully notice an important element in it all. Right in the middle of the description of that sweet atmosphere of mutual care and sacrificial giving, we’re told that the church was proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We’re told that the apostles “gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus”; and they did so with “great power”. And you don’t need to urge a church to be generous when it is focused rightly on the gospel. It will do so automatically.
You see; it had only been a short while before this time that the apostles had been commanded by the rulers of Israel to stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. This had been because of the powerful evidence that they had given that He was alive. The apostles were proclaiming the whole of the gospel of Jesus Christ—of which the resurrection, at that particular time, was an immediately relevant cause for celebration and declaration on the part of the early believers. And with this proclamation, we also note that “grace was upon them all”.
And this teaches us a wonderful lesson to be learned from this ‘snapshot’ picture of the early church. In a church, there is a connection between the faithful proclamation of the gospel and the ongoing life of grace. This passage shows us that an atmosphere of grace prevails in the church to the degree that the gospel of Jesus Christ is faithfully proclaimed by it. When that gospel ceases to be celebrated and proclaimed within a church family, the gracious atmosphere becomes stifled. But when the good news of Jesus Christ holds the central place in a church family’s ministry and teaching, “great grace” is upon all.
* * * * * * * * * *
So; let’s look at the details of this passage—and what it tells us about this ‘snapshot’ view of the early church. First, we see …
1. THEIR UNITY OF HEART (v. 32a).
Luke writes in verse 32, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul …” There was an amazing singleness of inner motivation and outward celebration among these believers. And this is truly remarkable because, the church—in its first few days—had grown into a mega-church. The first sermon resulted in 3,000 believers being added to the church in one day. And only a few days later, another 2,000 men—and perhaps many more women and children—were added. As 2:47 tells us, “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved”. And yet, in spite of all the diversity of persons who were being saved, they were all “of one heart and one soul”.
This kind of unity happens when the focus on Jesus takes primary place in a church family. Paul wrote, in Romans 15:5-6;
Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6).
The greatest thing that a church can do to preserve a unity of heart and soul among the individual believers is to keep Jesus Christ and His gospel first in its ministry.
Second—and as a natural outflow of the first—we see …
2. THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARD THINGS (v. 32b).
We’re told in verse 32, “neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.”
It’s very important that we understand this correctly. This is not the same thing as the kind of system that we understand today as ‘communism’. Some folks have tried very hard to justify communism in its varying forms by making this passage out to be an example of it. But there are some very important differences:
- What we find in this passage is not something that was meant for secular society as a whole. Rather, this was clearly something that occurred within a spiritual and gospel-focused context. It was only for the church of believers who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and who were filled with the Holy Spirit.
- There was no human compulsion in what we find in this passage. It was not something that was made mandatory for all; but was something that was always kept completely voluntary and free. In Acts 5:4, it’s made clear that this was all done with what people knew to be their own property; and that their property remained under their own control to do with as they wished.
- There’s no indication that this whole matter of ‘having of all things in common’ was something that was made into a permanent, ongoing policy or structure. Rather, it appears to be something that only occurred within the church family according to the specific needs of specific individuals; and only according to the circumstances of the abundance of some at that time.
- There’s no indication in any respect that this was something that was enforced by law, or that in any way involved the mandatory acquisition of anyone’s private property. Rather, it was clearly something that was done willingly by each individual as they were motivated to do so by the love of Christ.
- And finally, this was not something that found its motivation in any economic theory or in any philosophy of human origin. Rather, it’s something that was clearly motivated by the loving sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. It was done as the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:5, by believers who “first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God”.
Whenever someone tries to turn the conduct of these early believers into a secular policy of ‘justice’ for all people, sinful human nature quickly takes over—and covetousness quickly becomes the main operational principle. Judas Iscariot is the prime example. He rebuked what he said was the wasteful, ‘uncharitable’ conduct of someone else—ostensibly because the money could have been given to the poor. But we’re told that it was “not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it” (John 12:6).
The reason why these early believers said that none of their possessions were their own, and that they held all things in common, was not because of any human philosophy or secular principle. Rather, it was because they had been impacted by the love of Jesus who had given His all for them. The love of Jesus—as He is presented in the gospel—had changed their perspective on ‘things’, and redirected their focus toward the needs of one another.
That leads us to notice, thirdly …
3. THEIR CENTRAL MESSAGE (v. 33a).
As we’re told in verse 33, “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” The Bible teaches us that the church has been built by God
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).
And here, we’re shown that those apostles—those unique messengers who had been appointed by the Lord to bear witness of Him in this world—were making the good news of Jesus’ resurrection central to the church’s ministry. The resurrection is an essential part of the whole gospel—which was what they preached. And God was confirming their message “with great power”. The church had prayed in verse 30 that God would stretch out His hand to heal, and that signs and wonders would be done through Jesus’ name. And God was answering that prayer through the witness of the apostles. As Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5;
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).
And so finally, in this ‘snapshot’ view of early church life, notice …
4. THEIR GENEROSITY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER (vv. 33b-37).
Notice first that we’re told, in verse 33, “And great grace was upon them all.” According to a standard New Testament Greek lexicon, the word that is here translated “grace” (charis) refers to “a beneficent disposition toward someone”. It’s describing to us the spirit of mutual care and goodwill that prevailed in the early church. What a wonderful thing to be able to say about a church family! May it be said of our church that “great grace was upon all”. (It will be, if we keep the gospel message first in our church life.)
Then, we’re told in verses 33-35 what sprang forth from this gracious atmosphere; “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.” This isn’t the first time that we’re told about this characteristic of the early believers. We see this same sort of thing back in Acts 2:44-45; where we’re told,
Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need (Acts 2:44-45).
Clearly, this ready willingness to give was something that was beginning to characterize the gospel-focused church of Jerusalem. It may have been motivated by the fact that this early church ended up suffering times of severe persecution—requiring that the more capable believers within the church family come to the aid of those who had suffered the confiscation of their property. As the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 10:32-34;
But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven (Hebrews 10:32-34).
We’re even given an example of someone whose readiness to give was representative of the church as a whole—and who perhaps had served as an inspiration to the rest. Verses 36-37 tell us; “And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” It may have been that his property on the island of Cyprus was worth a considerable sum—which would have involved a tremendous sacrifice to meet the needs of others. This is how we’re introduced to a man who became a key figure in the Book of Acts, and who was later a traveling missionary with the apostle Paul in spreading the gospel of Jesus. He truly lived up to his nickname.
* * * * * * * * * *
It’s heart-warming, and encouraging, and instructive to read about this snapshot of the early church in action. But let’s not let the great lesson of it all slip past us. The church behaved in this way because of what was central to its life—and that’s the faithful declaration of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let’s strive in our own church family to keep our Bibles open and keep Jesus Christ and His gospel central to all that we do. For to the degree that a church does so, to that degree an atmosphere of “great grace” will prevail in it.
AE
