1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,800 Now friends, let's hear the word of the Lord together. 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,280 Now the full number of those who believed were of 1 heart and 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,720 soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to 4 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,720 Him was his own. But they had everything in 5 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,120 common, and with great power the apostles were giving their 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,000 testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace 7 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,120 was upon them all. There was not a needy person 8 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,720 among them. For as many as were owners of 9 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,360 lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was 10 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,480 sold, and laid it at the apostles feet, and it was 11 00:00:33,480 --> 00:00:35,960 distributed to each as any had need. 12 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,800 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas, which 13 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,520 means son of encouragement A Levite, and a native a Cypress. 14 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,600 Barnabas sold a field that belonged to him and brought the 15 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,600 money and laid it at the apostles feet. 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:53,920 And this is the word of the Lord. 17 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,840 Thanks be to God, the flower fades, the grass Withers, but 18 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,720 the word of our Lord it stands forever. 19 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,320 Amen. Please be seated and grab your 20 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:04,840 Bibles. If you wouldn't turn to Acts 21 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:09,920 chapter 4, last section of Acts chapter 4 down at the bottom. 22 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:14,360 Some of you know that my early education experience was very 23 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,160 academically oriented towards the sciences. 24 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:22,280 So I studied biology, chemistry, physics, those kind of things 25 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,720 both in my undergraduate and the beginning of my graduate 26 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,720 studies. So I didn't really have a 27 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,000 philosophy class until much later in my studies. 28 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,160 My theological studies is where I first ran into a philosophy 29 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,400 class and not knowing anything about philosophy, I went to my 30 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,520 first class with certain fear and trembling. 31 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,080 So I show up at the class and right off the bat the Prof, 32 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,640 after introducing himself and setting up some classroom 33 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,880 agendas, etcetera, he then says, OK, what makes a thing a thing? 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,040 And I thought to myself, oh man, this is stupid. 35 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,760 And I thought, OK, it's early on, maybe he's just getting 36 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,760 going. This is we'll give him a little 37 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:00,480 mope. And then he says, that's the 38 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,480 question that we're going to study this semester. 39 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,800 What makes a thing a thing? I thought, Oh my gosh, what am I 40 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,360 got myself into? And I thought, this is going to 41 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,600 be the craziest class and most ridiculous thing in the world. 42 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,200 And I have to say that at the time I felt like that was a very 43 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,720 stupid question. What makes a thing a thing? 44 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,120 As a 30 years later, I now realize it's a very profound 45 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,760 question, which means one of two things. 46 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,240 Either I was really dumb back then and I've gotten wiser, or I 47 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,120 was wise back then and I've gotten Dumber. 48 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,160 So you guys can kind of decide which way that goes along those 49 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:35,880 lines. But the idea of what makes a 50 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:41,600 thing a thing is answered to some extent for the church here 51 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:43,160 in this passage. What we're going to look at in 52 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,680 this passage, I think does a great job of articulating what 53 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,520 makes a church a church, or at least it shows us some of the 54 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,480 marks, the key aspects of what makes a church a church. 55 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,240 And So what I want to do is I want to walk through this 56 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,800 passage together, try to identify what makes a church a 57 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,600 church. And then of course, two things 58 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,760 flow naturally from that assessment as we look at this 59 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:11,160 text together. The 1st is how is Hebron, Is 60 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,880 Hebron Church a church? In light of the challenge that 61 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,280 is put before us in this text, what makes a church a church? 62 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:20,920 Let's look at what that looks like. 63 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:23,520 And then let's be asking ourselves, does Hebron match up? 64 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,400 How does match up? And then not only that, but then 65 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:31,800 how do I as an individual, how do you as an individual fit in 66 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:34,840 with a church that makes a church? 67 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,800 How is it that you fit in well at Hebron here, pushing us 68 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,840 towards being faithful at being a church? 69 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,280 If you have trouble answering that question and asserting 70 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,480 yourself in that question in terms of this passage of 71 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:54,040 Scripture, then maybe we have some reflections to do as a 72 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,080 church itself. What makes a church a church? 73 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,160 Well, I think that there's going to be 3 things that I'm going to 74 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,000 look at, three different things. There's a number of things in 75 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,560 this passage, but I'm going to look at three different things 76 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,160 that make a church a church. And the first one shows up right 77 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,960 off the bat in verse 32. So if you have your Scriptures 78 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,440 ahead of you, you can see verse 32. 79 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,680 Now the full number of those who believed were of 1 heart and 80 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,399 soul, so that no one had any things that belonged to him was 81 00:04:19,399 --> 00:04:21,800 his own, but they had everything in common. 82 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,760 The full number of those who believed were of 1 heart and 83 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,960 soul. My thought process here is that 84 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,840 what characterizes what makes a church a church is a radical 85 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,680 unity, a radical unity. Look at the what happens here is 86 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:39,640 that they were of 1 heart and soul. 87 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:44,400 Now my idea of this is what was to try to disturb discern what 88 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,680 why it is that those two different terms are used. 89 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:50,840 Why does he say heart and soul What what is being approached 90 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:52,640 here? What distinction is being set 91 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:53,800 up? And I really don't think there 92 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,320 is one exegetically, biblically. I think what's happening here is 93 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:01,360 that the author is trying to articulate a deep, radical type 94 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,120 of unity. That's why I call it a radical 95 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,960 unity, a unity that stretches to its roots. 96 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,480 This is not just that people are in agreement as to the color of 97 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,480 the carpet or the paint on the walls or the programs in which 98 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,840 we do. Rather, this is a deep abiding 99 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:20,680 unity that they are of 1 heart and one soul together. 100 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:23,240 This is not a very surfacey kind of an idea. 101 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,160 This is a deep, abiding kind of a thing. 102 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:30,480 And This is why I believe that the Scriptures use a marriage so 103 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,920 often as a metaphor for the church, a marriage. 104 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,720 For we know now so many of our marriages don't live up to the 105 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,680 model. But we have a picture of what 106 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,680 that marriage is supposed to be like in Scriptures where 2 107 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,400 become one flesh, where two separate, come together and 108 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,120 become one. And they don't lose their 109 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:50,840 identity. They don't morph into one 110 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,440 entity, rather the two remain together. 111 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,960 But there is a true unity that is expressed in that marriage, a 112 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,640 true oneness that comes about. And here in that same model, in 113 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,760 that same sense, I think that what we have here are the first 114 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:09,040 characteristic of a church. What makes a church is a radical 115 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:13,480 unity, a coming together, a oneness that is expressed like a 116 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:21,440 husband into a wife, like God to us as his children, this abiding 117 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:23,600 unity that comes together in this way. 118 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:30,120 How's Hebron along those lines? Now, I've been a part of your 119 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,600 fellowship here for 6-7 years. And I would say that while we 120 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,320 have our bumps and grinds, as all churches do, where not every 121 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,960 person agrees in in essence with everything that happens, by and 122 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:42,440 large, we're not a divisive group. 123 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,240 We're not a an argumentative body. 124 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,200 I've been involved in other churches where they have been 125 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,480 very aggressive in their separation and their frustration 126 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:54,680 with one another. I think Hebron by and large, 127 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,120 abides by that and identifies that. 128 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:02,080 But are we in a united in a way that the Scriptures identify a 129 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,000 united nature? Take a look, for instance, at 130 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,840 the last part of that sentence. Now the full number of those who 131 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:12,520 believed were of 1 heart and one soul, and no one said that 132 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,360 anything belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in 133 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:18,680 common. Now, do you hear the two parts 134 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:21,040 of that verse? The two parts of the verse? 135 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,640 The first part is this. They were all of 1 heart and 136 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,080 soul. The second part is that they 137 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,760 didn't count anything of their own, their own, but they wanted 138 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:30,520 to share it with all that were involved. 139 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:32,760 Now exegetically, you have a question. 140 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,600 Part of my job is to help you learn to read the scriptures 141 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,360 well, as I learned to read the scriptures well, to learn the 142 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,720 scriptures well. So you've got those two parts to 143 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:42,480 that verse. How are they connected? 144 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,280 Either the author is basically saying, boy, look at this 145 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,640 church, here's 2 characteristics, separate 146 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,240 characteristics. One, they've got great unity and 147 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:55,680 this other that they have this selflessness that are that is on 148 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:57,360 the side. And as the author, he says, here 149 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,600 are two different ideas that make up the church. 150 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:01,200 I don't think that's what's going on. 151 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:06,200 I think what we have here very much so, is the an illustration, 152 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,720 an example of the deep abiding unity. 153 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:10,800 What's the deep abiding unity here? 154 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:15,640 The radical unity is demonstrated by the selflessness 155 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,240 that comes about. Now notice the selflessness. 156 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,200 This is not a denial of proper private property. 157 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,720 This is not a rejection of private ownership as a matter. 158 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:26,960 In fact, private ownership is assumed in the question. 159 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:29,160 Look at the last half of that verse. 160 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,240 No one said that any of the things that belong to him, 161 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,720 things belong to people. There's private property here. 162 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,360 There's an understanding of that. 163 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,720 But what is what is identified here? 164 00:08:41,919 --> 00:08:46,760 No one said, no one claimed, no one held any of the things that 165 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,080 were theirs as belonging to them. 166 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:51,520 Why? Because they were so committed 167 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:57,560 to this selfless, this selflessness, selflessness that 168 00:08:57,560 --> 00:08:59,240 nothing of their own was their own. 169 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:04,480 Because they were so intent on an abiding unity, so intent on a 170 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,240 on a togetherness, A oneness that express themselves in the 171 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,360 church. So imagine this, the Church is 172 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:15,280 so connected to themselves. The people are so abiding in a 173 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,840 deeper unity with one another that they are so committed to 174 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:23,240 each other that they are not able to willing even to say that 175 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,440 the things that they own are their own, That it's not mine, 176 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,560 it's yours. It belongs to all of us. 177 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,200 That's the nature of the deep unity that connects everybody 178 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:34,720 together. My kids learned a phrase and 179 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,440 they learned at a camp, or they learned it at VBS or something 180 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,000 like this. Maybe you've heard it as well. 181 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:44,040 I'm third, I'm third. God first, other second. 182 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,400 I'm third. OK, now that's a cute phrase. 183 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,600 It makes the point, I we all see it, etcetera. 184 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:58,440 But do we live that my picture is that the 1st century church 185 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,280 actually, that Luke is really describing a reality here among 186 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,840 the people, that they are so deeply connected, wedded to one 187 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:11,280 another, that there is no sense here of selfishness. 188 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,840 There's no sense of mine when I am in this presence, presence of 189 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,560 this group. There's no sense of mine. 190 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,880 Your only sense of ours. Their only sense that everything 191 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,120 is mine belongs to you. Everything that is mine is ours 192 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,400 together. There's no sense of assault. 193 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:31,880 There's a selflessness that comes about by this deep, 194 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,400 abiding unity. Now, how's Hebron doing? 195 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:43,000 OK, I know a great many of you are incredibly selfless in the 196 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,800 way in which you go about living your lives. 197 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:50,720 But the sense of our community here is this group met together. 198 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,080 This group is largely the same group that gathers here every 199 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:58,000 week and, you know, give or take 50 people that come in and out 200 00:10:58,000 --> 00:10:59,840 the doors. This is the group that gathers 201 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:04,400 here. Do we feel this overwhelming 202 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:08,160 sense of selflessness when you're in this presence that, 203 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:15,200 hey, what is mine is yours? That's a function of this deep 204 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:19,680 radical unity that marks the character of the church. 205 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,680 They're of 1 heart and soul. They're of one mind. 206 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,200 They're of one purpose. And out of that purpose you can 207 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:31,520 tell because there's a selflessness that exists among 208 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:35,560 the people when you interact with each other on Sunday 209 00:11:35,560 --> 00:11:38,080 mornings, when you call each other through the week, when you 210 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,480 see each other in Bible studies, etcetera, etcetera. 211 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:44,800 Is there a sense of do you do you get that overwhelming sense 212 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:50,640 of selflessness of man? I, I so am committed to this 213 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,760 group. I'm so one with this group. 214 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:55,920 These are so my brothers and sisters is this is my family 215 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:00,080 that I can't help but want to say what's mine is yours. 216 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:06,240 Now where does that come from? Where does that come from? 217 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,920 Please don't miss the very beginning of this verse because 218 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,200 otherwise this this sounds like a harangue. 219 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,760 Maybe it sounds like a harangue. Anyway, it's not a meant to 220 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:18,000 sound like a harangue. This is meant to sound as a 221 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:22,800 challenge to the reality that we have, not to something we should 222 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:24,880 shoot for. What should we shoot for? 223 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:26,480 Well, let's shoot for this great unity. 224 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:27,960 Let's shoot for this selflessness. 225 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,240 I'm not suggesting that because I know the heart of man. 226 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,080 I know the heart of my own. I know my own heart and I know 227 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,360 the status that is here. There's no way, that try as we 228 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,640 want, we could ever be unified at that deep emotional level. 229 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:45,280 There's no way that on my own, at the deepness of my heart, 230 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,640 that I could be selfless towards you in that kind of a way. 231 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,120 I just can't, and I know that I can't. 232 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,400 That's not what this text is calling for. 233 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:55,120 Look at the beginning of this verse. 234 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:01,920 Now the full number of those who believed were of 1 heart and one 235 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:03,800 soul. What's the abiding 236 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:06,000 characteristic? What is it that holds the 237 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,080 oneness together? What defines this radical unity 238 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:13,200 out of which we are supposed to be so selfless of all that we 239 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:19,200 have? It is a belief in Jesus Christ. 240 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,960 And when the Scriptures make it crystal clear that that belief 241 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:26,960 is a gift from God Himself, what is it that holds us together? 242 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:31,240 We are united, body and soul. We are united like one. 243 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:33,360 We are united like a marriage together. 244 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:38,240 That's the reality for what what it exists for within us, because 245 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,880 that reality is ours because of the work of the Holy Spirit on 246 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:44,720 our behalf. The Holy Spirit fills us, 247 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:50,880 enables us to have this abiding oneness, this radical unity, and 248 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:54,280 that radical unity then shows itself in a selflessness. 249 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,200 The question is, are we enabling? 250 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:59,440 Are we allowing? Are we living within the radical 251 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,160 unity that God himself has brought into our lives? 252 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,160 When we look at the people in this room, are we thinking to 253 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,520 ourselves, this is who I am radically connected to. 254 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,680 This is what God has brought and made made possible in my life? 255 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,080 Because that's absolutely what this text is directing us and 256 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:17,880 understanding. But that's not the only thing. 257 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:21,600 A radical unity. Then look down at verse 34. 258 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,880 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were 259 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,000 owners of lands and houses sold them and brought their proceeds 260 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,560 of what was sold and laid it at the apostles feet, and it was 261 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:38,040 distributed to any as had need. Once again, this is not a spot 262 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,040 to do biblical economics. There are places where we can 263 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:42,640 go. We can look at the scriptures 264 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,640 and say, what kind of economic principles should I be living my 265 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:47,480 life? By what economic principles 266 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,600 should our country be living? Should our world be functioning? 267 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:54,760 Under what biblical economic principles should I personally 268 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,280 be operating under our church? This is not the time to do that. 269 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:00,120 This is not what this passage is saying. 270 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:04,920 Once again, this passage is identifying a deep abiding 271 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:09,560 generosity and a generous spirit that marks the church. 272 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:13,080 If a radical unity marks the church, the other thing is in a 273 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:18,560 generosity, A generous spirit that overflows to the people. 274 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:21,560 And notice how this generosity is overflowing. 275 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:28,480 It is not legalistic. It is not guilt based. 276 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:32,280 It is not shame based. What is it? 277 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,080 It is targeting the goal that is before us. 278 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,360 What's the goal? So that there would be no needy 279 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:41,680 person among them. So that there would be no needy 280 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,200 person among them. Now, how does Heaven Church do? 281 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,680 I will tell you this again. Knowing most of you, knowing 282 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,600 many of you, I can confidently say this, that if I came up to 283 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,200 you and I said, looks, listen, there's somebody in the church 284 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:57,800 and they desperately need $100. Can you help me with that? 285 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:02,080 I, I can guarantee you take comfort with this from one 286 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,720 another. I guarantee you that 90% of you 287 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,400 would do everything you possibly could to get me that $100 and do 288 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:10,520 it right away. I know that's the case. 289 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,800 I believe that this group that we have gathered together 290 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:20,160 matches a hurdle where we do not want anybody who to express need 291 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,120 where we are not meeting that need. 292 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:25,800 But that's not what the text says. 293 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,800 We live in a world, unfortunately, where people are 294 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,960 gun shy or hesitant to express need they're unwilling to 295 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:34,960 express. They say, hey, look, I need 296 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:36,880 $100. We're unwilling to. 297 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:41,720 We live in a world where that's just tentative, where people are 298 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,400 hesitant to do that, in part because we have other social 299 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,360 services that help step into the gap. 300 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:51,240 We have other ways of meeting that gap, but here the church is 301 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:54,440 called to meet that gap. The church is called to do that. 302 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:57,680 Not that we are supposed to meet those who express their need, 303 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,200 but so that there is no need among us. 304 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,400 My friends, you've got to be blind if you don't realize that 305 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:09,560 there are people in our midst here who have great need, who 306 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,920 have need. There are people that have that 307 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:14,800 need. We are not matching what is 308 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,280 being stated right here by identifying the fact that there 309 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,960 is no need among us. Now, am I saying that you should 310 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:26,920 go out and sell your house and do a maybe, maybe. 311 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:30,840 I doubt it. I don't think that's probably 312 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,400 what God is calling us to. But how can we not take 313 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:38,280 possible, take seriously the possibility that God is calling 314 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:43,040 you to go overseas? That God is calling you to live 315 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,640 a life of poverty, voluntary poverty for the blessings of 316 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,200 others? That God is not calling you to 317 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:52,280 downsize radically so that others might be blessed. 318 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:56,000 That God is not calling you to give up your savings accounts 319 00:17:56,040 --> 00:18:00,120 for others to to flourish. The scriptures here make it 320 00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:03,840 clear not that there is no people that express their need, 321 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:06,560 but there was no needy people here. 322 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,280 Why? Because of this overwhelming 323 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,560 generous spirit. But please, please notice, 324 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,640 because otherwise, otherwise you're hearing the exact wrong 325 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:24,000 thing when you hear this, please notice this is not legalistic. 326 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:29,320 This is not shame based. This is not an accusatory wag of 327 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:31,800 the finger saying why aren't you doing this? 328 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:38,920 This is an outgrowth of what powers this church, what powers 329 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,200 every church, what powers your life. 330 00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:44,200 Look at the verse immediately before this verse 33. 331 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,480 The end of verse 33 reads this way. 332 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,560 And great grace was upon them all. 333 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,200 Hence there was number needy person at all. 334 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:56,720 Why? Because there is great grace 335 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,720 that has filled us. Grace works in two different 336 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,120 ways. One, we respond to the great 337 00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:04,840 grace that God has given to us. God has overwhelmed us with His 338 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:07,320 blessing and His grace. And therefore there is but one 339 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,520 natural response for us and that is to be gracious to other 340 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:12,680 people. And that's the outgoing part of 341 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:14,560 grace. So the grace that we received 342 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,240 from the Lord and then the grace in which we demonstrate out to 343 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,520 other people, this is the great why, Why grace? 344 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:24,840 Grace is receiving things that you don't deserve. 345 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:29,200 The people that are needy, that are here in our midst don't 346 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,400 deserve it. That's not why you're giving 347 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,320 them good things because somehow they deserve it. 348 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,600 You're giving them out of grace because that's what you've 349 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:44,200 received without deserving it. God nevertheless has given you 350 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,760 this great blessing. And so now without their 351 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,480 deserving it, we are giving this great blessing to others around 352 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,760 us so that there would be no needy, so that there would be no 353 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,960 need out present, so that we would have this generous spirit 354 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,560 that would overwhelm within this church boundaries. 355 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,560 Is it possible for us to get there where there would be no 356 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,440 needy among us? I think there is, because again, 357 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:13,960 this is the work of the Spirit who already indwells us, already 358 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,680 fills us, already makes us who we are. 359 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:19,880 And again, you can see this most clearly in the third 360 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,720 characteristic. First, the radical unity. 361 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:27,320 Second, this generous spirit. Third, this powerful witness. 362 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,320 Look at verse 33. And with great power the 363 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:33,840 apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of 364 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,200 the Lord Jesus Christ. With great power they were 365 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:38,800 giving their testimony. Now what does that look like? 366 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,040 I would assume that there's something like this, that there 367 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,440 were miracles that were happening all over the place. 368 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,600 Maybe the speaker was very dynamic. 369 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:49,960 The apostles were very dynamic in their speaking. 370 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,280 They were very passionate in what they were talking about. 371 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,120 They never stumbled over their words or had the same hand 372 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:58,440 gestures and stuff like that. You know that that somehow they 373 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:02,560 were just fabulous and maybe, but I don't think so. 374 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,440 What does that great power? Remember, we've been studying 375 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:08,160 the book of Acts. Now in the book of Acts, what is 376 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,840 the great power that comes upon the disciples, the blessing of 377 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:15,680 the Holy Spirit? That's what happens here. 378 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,680 What's manifested in their testimony, just like was 379 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:22,320 manifested in Terry sharing earlier, is the power of the 380 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,000 Holy Spirit. That's what happens when the 381 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,840 church is providing the witness the way that it's supposed to. 382 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:31,280 That's what happens when the church is radical in its unity, 383 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:35,320 is generous in its giving and of its loving of one another. 384 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:39,160 That there's this witness, a testimony that is undeniable to 385 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,760 the world, and it's attractive for all those around us. 386 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,840 Here we have the Spirit, the church, and the world, our main 387 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:49,680 themes of the book of Acts, all coming together to help define 388 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:51,440 exactly what the church is supposed to be. 389 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:56,120 Out of the power of the Holy Spirit, the church has this 390 00:21:56,120 --> 00:22:00,680 radical unity that shows itself in a selflessness, A selfless 391 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:04,920 generosity, and is manifested to the world in a way that is 392 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:09,520 overwhelmingly powerful so that no one can deny the existence, 393 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:12,880 the presence of the Lord. How is Hebron church? 394 00:22:15,120 --> 00:22:18,000 I've heard the witness of this church over the seven years that 395 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,840 I've been here, and we do a fabulous job in some ways of 396 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,160 communicating the strength of the gospel message. 397 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:30,800 Do we do it with power, in reliance upon the Holy Spirit, 398 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:33,600 or are we trusting in our own gifts? 399 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:37,880 Because again, don't miss the last part of that sentence, last 400 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:39,760 part of the sentence in verse 33. 401 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,040 And with great power the apostles were giving their 402 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:46,840 testimony to the resurrection, and great grace was upon them 403 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:52,080 all. Grace, the unmerited favor of 404 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,040 our Lord that pours itself out upon heaven. 405 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,240 Church so that we can have a unity that is just not a surface 406 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,560 unity, but is a unity that connects us together like a 407 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:04,520 husband and wife are connected together. 408 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:09,360 Where we have this generous A selflessness that shows itself 409 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:14,840 in a generosity so that before people ask, we are helping one 410 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:19,200 another in what their need is. And so that our witness into the 411 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,480 world is powerful and built around the gospel of Jesus 412 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:24,480 Christ. That's what the Lord is calling 413 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:26,440 us to. That's what the Lord blesses us 414 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,960 with. That's what we need consistently 415 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,960 to be praying for. So let's do so at this time. 416 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:41,240 Lord God, we do ask for your blessing to fall upon us. 417 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:46,200 That grace upon grace, that great grace, Lord, so that we 418 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,640 would be so impacted by the transformation that has taken 419 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,680 place in our lives that we would turn and then demonstrate that 420 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:59,800 abiding unity, that deep radical unity, that selfless generosity, 421 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:05,400 and this powerful witness that has marked the early church and 422 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:09,880 should mark Hebron as well. Lord, help us to live faithfully 423 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:12,640 according to that calling, the calling that you have given to 424 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,360 us in Jesus Christ, in whom we pray, Amen.