Now friends, let's hear the word of the Lord together.
Now the full number of those who believed were of 1 heart and
soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to
Him was his own. But they had everything in
common, and with great power the apostles were giving their
testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace
was upon them all. There was not a needy person
among them. For as many as were owners of
lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was
sold, and laid it at the apostles feet, and it was
distributed to each as any had need.
Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas, which
means son of encouragement A Levite, and a native a Cypress.
Barnabas sold a field that belonged to him and brought the
money and laid it at the apostles feet.
And this is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God, the flower fades, the grass Withers, but
the word of our Lord it stands forever.
Amen. Please be seated and grab your
Bibles. If you wouldn't turn to Acts
chapter 4, last section of Acts chapter 4 down at the bottom.
Some of you know that my early education experience was very
academically oriented towards the sciences.
So I studied biology, chemistry, physics, those kind of things
both in my undergraduate and the beginning of my graduate
studies. So I didn't really have a
philosophy class until much later in my studies.
My theological studies is where I first ran into a philosophy
class and not knowing anything about philosophy, I went to my
first class with certain fear and trembling.
So I show up at the class and right off the bat the Prof,
after introducing himself and setting up some classroom
agendas, etcetera, he then says, OK, what makes a thing a thing?
And I thought to myself, oh man, this is stupid.
And I thought, OK, it's early on, maybe he's just getting
going. This is we'll give him a little
mope. And then he says, that's the
question that we're going to study this semester.
What makes a thing a thing? I thought, Oh my gosh, what am I
got myself into? And I thought, this is going to
be the craziest class and most ridiculous thing in the world.
And I have to say that at the time I felt like that was a very
stupid question. What makes a thing a thing?
As a 30 years later, I now realize it's a very profound
question, which means one of two things.
Either I was really dumb back then and I've gotten wiser, or I
was wise back then and I've gotten Dumber.
So you guys can kind of decide which way that goes along those
lines. But the idea of what makes a
thing a thing is answered to some extent for the church here
in this passage. What we're going to look at in
this passage, I think does a great job of articulating what
makes a church a church, or at least it shows us some of the
marks, the key aspects of what makes a church a church.
And So what I want to do is I want to walk through this
passage together, try to identify what makes a church a
church. And then of course, two things
flow naturally from that assessment as we look at this
text together. The 1st is how is Hebron, Is
Hebron Church a church? In light of the challenge that
is put before us in this text, what makes a church a church?
Let's look at what that looks like.
And then let's be asking ourselves, does Hebron match up?
How does match up? And then not only that, but then
how do I as an individual, how do you as an individual fit in
with a church that makes a church?
How is it that you fit in well at Hebron here, pushing us
towards being faithful at being a church?
If you have trouble answering that question and asserting
yourself in that question in terms of this passage of
Scripture, then maybe we have some reflections to do as a
church itself. What makes a church a church?
Well, I think that there's going to be 3 things that I'm going to
look at, three different things. There's a number of things in
this passage, but I'm going to look at three different things
that make a church a church. And the first one shows up right
off the bat in verse 32. So if you have your Scriptures
ahead of you, you can see verse 32.
Now the full number of those who believed were of 1 heart and
soul, so that no one had any things that belonged to him was
his own, but they had everything in common.
The full number of those who believed were of 1 heart and
soul. My thought process here is that
what characterizes what makes a church a church is a radical
unity, a radical unity. Look at the what happens here is
that they were of 1 heart and soul.
Now my idea of this is what was to try to disturb discern what
why it is that those two different terms are used.
Why does he say heart and soul What what is being approached
here? What distinction is being set
up? And I really don't think there
is one exegetically, biblically. I think what's happening here is
that the author is trying to articulate a deep, radical type
of unity. That's why I call it a radical
unity, a unity that stretches to its roots.
This is not just that people are in agreement as to the color of
the carpet or the paint on the walls or the programs in which
we do. Rather, this is a deep abiding
unity that they are of 1 heart and one soul together.
This is not a very surfacey kind of an idea.
This is a deep, abiding kind of a thing.
And This is why I believe that the Scriptures use a marriage so
often as a metaphor for the church, a marriage.
For we know now so many of our marriages don't live up to the
model. But we have a picture of what
that marriage is supposed to be like in Scriptures where 2
become one flesh, where two separate, come together and
become one. And they don't lose their
identity. They don't morph into one
entity, rather the two remain together.
But there is a true unity that is expressed in that marriage, a
true oneness that comes about. And here in that same model, in
that same sense, I think that what we have here are the first
characteristic of a church. What makes a church is a radical
unity, a coming together, a oneness that is expressed like a
husband into a wife, like God to us as his children, this abiding
unity that comes together in this way.
How's Hebron along those lines? Now, I've been a part of your
fellowship here for 6-7 years. And I would say that while we
have our bumps and grinds, as all churches do, where not every
person agrees in in essence with everything that happens, by and
large, we're not a divisive group.
We're not a an argumentative body.
I've been involved in other churches where they have been
very aggressive in their separation and their frustration
with one another. I think Hebron by and large,
abides by that and identifies that.
But are we in a united in a way that the Scriptures identify a
united nature? Take a look, for instance, at
the last part of that sentence. Now the full number of those who
believed were of 1 heart and one soul, and no one said that
anything belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in
common. Now, do you hear the two parts
of that verse? The two parts of the verse?
The first part is this. They were all of 1 heart and
soul. The second part is that they
didn't count anything of their own, their own, but they wanted
to share it with all that were involved.
Now exegetically, you have a question.
Part of my job is to help you learn to read the scriptures
well, as I learned to read the scriptures well, to learn the
scriptures well. So you've got those two parts to
that verse. How are they connected?
Either the author is basically saying, boy, look at this
church, here's 2 characteristics, separate
characteristics. One, they've got great unity and
this other that they have this selflessness that are that is on
the side. And as the author, he says, here
are two different ideas that make up the church.
I don't think that's what's going on.
I think what we have here very much so, is the an illustration,
an example of the deep abiding unity.
What's the deep abiding unity here?
The radical unity is demonstrated by the selflessness
that comes about. Now notice the selflessness.
This is not a denial of proper private property.
This is not a rejection of private ownership as a matter.
In fact, private ownership is assumed in the question.
Look at the last half of that verse.
No one said that any of the things that belong to him,
things belong to people. There's private property here.
There's an understanding of that.
But what is what is identified here?
No one said, no one claimed, no one held any of the things that
were theirs as belonging to them.
Why? Because they were so committed
to this selfless, this selflessness, selflessness that
nothing of their own was their own.
Because they were so intent on an abiding unity, so intent on a
on a togetherness, A oneness that express themselves in the
church. So imagine this, the Church is
so connected to themselves. The people are so abiding in a
deeper unity with one another that they are so committed to
each other that they are not able to willing even to say that
the things that they own are their own, That it's not mine,
it's yours. It belongs to all of us.
That's the nature of the deep unity that connects everybody
together. My kids learned a phrase and
they learned at a camp, or they learned it at VBS or something
like this. Maybe you've heard it as well.
I'm third, I'm third. God first, other second.
I'm third. OK, now that's a cute phrase.
It makes the point, I we all see it, etcetera.
But do we live that my picture is that the 1st century church
actually, that Luke is really describing a reality here among
the people, that they are so deeply connected, wedded to one
another, that there is no sense here of selfishness.
There's no sense of mine when I am in this presence, presence of
this group. There's no sense of mine.
Your only sense of ours. Their only sense that everything
is mine belongs to you. Everything that is mine is ours
together. There's no sense of assault.
There's a selflessness that comes about by this deep,
abiding unity. Now, how's Hebron doing?
OK, I know a great many of you are incredibly selfless in the
way in which you go about living your lives.
But the sense of our community here is this group met together.
This group is largely the same group that gathers here every
week and, you know, give or take 50 people that come in and out
the doors. This is the group that gathers
here. Do we feel this overwhelming
sense of selflessness when you're in this presence that,
hey, what is mine is yours? That's a function of this deep
radical unity that marks the character of the church.
They're of 1 heart and soul. They're of one mind.
They're of one purpose. And out of that purpose you can
tell because there's a selflessness that exists among
the people when you interact with each other on Sunday
mornings, when you call each other through the week, when you
see each other in Bible studies, etcetera, etcetera.
Is there a sense of do you do you get that overwhelming sense
of selflessness of man? I, I so am committed to this
group. I'm so one with this group.
These are so my brothers and sisters is this is my family
that I can't help but want to say what's mine is yours.
Now where does that come from? Where does that come from?
Please don't miss the very beginning of this verse because
otherwise this this sounds like a harangue.
Maybe it sounds like a harangue. Anyway, it's not a meant to
sound like a harangue. This is meant to sound as a
challenge to the reality that we have, not to something we should
shoot for. What should we shoot for?
Well, let's shoot for this great unity.
Let's shoot for this selflessness.
I'm not suggesting that because I know the heart of man.
I know the heart of my own. I know my own heart and I know
the status that is here. There's no way, that try as we
want, we could ever be unified at that deep emotional level.
There's no way that on my own, at the deepness of my heart,
that I could be selfless towards you in that kind of a way.
I just can't, and I know that I can't.
That's not what this text is calling for.
Look at the beginning of this verse.
Now the full number of those who believed were of 1 heart and one
soul. What's the abiding
characteristic? What is it that holds the
oneness together? What defines this radical unity
out of which we are supposed to be so selfless of all that we
have? It is a belief in Jesus Christ.
And when the Scriptures make it crystal clear that that belief
is a gift from God Himself, what is it that holds us together?
We are united, body and soul. We are united like one.
We are united like a marriage together.
That's the reality for what what it exists for within us, because
that reality is ours because of the work of the Holy Spirit on
our behalf. The Holy Spirit fills us,
enables us to have this abiding oneness, this radical unity, and
that radical unity then shows itself in a selflessness.
The question is, are we enabling?
Are we allowing? Are we living within the radical
unity that God himself has brought into our lives?
When we look at the people in this room, are we thinking to
ourselves, this is who I am radically connected to.
This is what God has brought and made made possible in my life?
Because that's absolutely what this text is directing us and
understanding. But that's not the only thing.
A radical unity. Then look down at verse 34.
There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were
owners of lands and houses sold them and brought their proceeds
of what was sold and laid it at the apostles feet, and it was
distributed to any as had need. Once again, this is not a spot
to do biblical economics. There are places where we can
go. We can look at the scriptures
and say, what kind of economic principles should I be living my
life? By what economic principles
should our country be living? Should our world be functioning?
Under what biblical economic principles should I personally
be operating under our church? This is not the time to do that.
This is not what this passage is saying.
Once again, this passage is identifying a deep abiding
generosity and a generous spirit that marks the church.
If a radical unity marks the church, the other thing is in a
generosity, A generous spirit that overflows to the people.
And notice how this generosity is overflowing.
It is not legalistic. It is not guilt based.
It is not shame based. What is it?
It is targeting the goal that is before us.
What's the goal? So that there would be no needy
person among them. So that there would be no needy
person among them. Now, how does Heaven Church do?
I will tell you this again. Knowing most of you, knowing
many of you, I can confidently say this, that if I came up to
you and I said, looks, listen, there's somebody in the church
and they desperately need $100. Can you help me with that?
I, I can guarantee you take comfort with this from one
another. I guarantee you that 90% of you
would do everything you possibly could to get me that $100 and do
it right away. I know that's the case.
I believe that this group that we have gathered together
matches a hurdle where we do not want anybody who to express need
where we are not meeting that need.
But that's not what the text says.
We live in a world, unfortunately, where people are
gun shy or hesitant to express need they're unwilling to
express. They say, hey, look, I need
$100. We're unwilling to.
We live in a world where that's just tentative, where people are
hesitant to do that, in part because we have other social
services that help step into the gap.
We have other ways of meeting that gap, but here the church is
called to meet that gap. The church is called to do that.
Not that we are supposed to meet those who express their need,
but so that there is no need among us.
My friends, you've got to be blind if you don't realize that
there are people in our midst here who have great need, who
have need. There are people that have that
need. We are not matching what is
being stated right here by identifying the fact that there
is no need among us. Now, am I saying that you should
go out and sell your house and do a maybe, maybe.
I doubt it. I don't think that's probably
what God is calling us to. But how can we not take
possible, take seriously the possibility that God is calling
you to go overseas? That God is calling you to live
a life of poverty, voluntary poverty for the blessings of
others? That God is not calling you to
downsize radically so that others might be blessed.
That God is not calling you to give up your savings accounts
for others to to flourish. The scriptures here make it
clear not that there is no people that express their need,
but there was no needy people here.
Why? Because of this overwhelming
generous spirit. But please, please notice,
because otherwise, otherwise you're hearing the exact wrong
thing when you hear this, please notice this is not legalistic.
This is not shame based. This is not an accusatory wag of
the finger saying why aren't you doing this?
This is an outgrowth of what powers this church, what powers
every church, what powers your life.
Look at the verse immediately before this verse 33.
The end of verse 33 reads this way.
And great grace was upon them all.
Hence there was number needy person at all.
Why? Because there is great grace
that has filled us. Grace works in two different
ways. One, we respond to the great
grace that God has given to us. God has overwhelmed us with His
blessing and His grace. And therefore there is but one
natural response for us and that is to be gracious to other
people. And that's the outgoing part of
grace. So the grace that we received
from the Lord and then the grace in which we demonstrate out to
other people, this is the great why, Why grace?
Grace is receiving things that you don't deserve.
The people that are needy, that are here in our midst don't
deserve it. That's not why you're giving
them good things because somehow they deserve it.
You're giving them out of grace because that's what you've
received without deserving it. God nevertheless has given you
this great blessing. And so now without their
deserving it, we are giving this great blessing to others around
us so that there would be no needy, so that there would be no
need out present, so that we would have this generous spirit
that would overwhelm within this church boundaries.
Is it possible for us to get there where there would be no
needy among us? I think there is, because again,
this is the work of the Spirit who already indwells us, already
fills us, already makes us who we are.
And again, you can see this most clearly in the third
characteristic. First, the radical unity.
Second, this generous spirit. Third, this powerful witness.
Look at verse 33. And with great power the
apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus Christ. With great power they were
giving their testimony. Now what does that look like?
I would assume that there's something like this, that there
were miracles that were happening all over the place.
Maybe the speaker was very dynamic.
The apostles were very dynamic in their speaking.
They were very passionate in what they were talking about.
They never stumbled over their words or had the same hand
gestures and stuff like that. You know that that somehow they
were just fabulous and maybe, but I don't think so.
What does that great power? Remember, we've been studying
the book of Acts. Now in the book of Acts, what is
the great power that comes upon the disciples, the blessing of
the Holy Spirit? That's what happens here.
What's manifested in their testimony, just like was
manifested in Terry sharing earlier, is the power of the
Holy Spirit. That's what happens when the
church is providing the witness the way that it's supposed to.
That's what happens when the church is radical in its unity,
is generous in its giving and of its loving of one another.
That there's this witness, a testimony that is undeniable to
the world, and it's attractive for all those around us.
Here we have the Spirit, the church, and the world, our main
themes of the book of Acts, all coming together to help define
exactly what the church is supposed to be.
Out of the power of the Holy Spirit, the church has this
radical unity that shows itself in a selflessness, A selfless
generosity, and is manifested to the world in a way that is
overwhelmingly powerful so that no one can deny the existence,
the presence of the Lord. How is Hebron church?
I've heard the witness of this church over the seven years that
I've been here, and we do a fabulous job in some ways of
communicating the strength of the gospel message.
Do we do it with power, in reliance upon the Holy Spirit,
or are we trusting in our own gifts?
Because again, don't miss the last part of that sentence, last
part of the sentence in verse 33.
And with great power the apostles were giving their
testimony to the resurrection, and great grace was upon them
all. Grace, the unmerited favor of
our Lord that pours itself out upon heaven.
Church so that we can have a unity that is just not a surface
unity, but is a unity that connects us together like a
husband and wife are connected together.
Where we have this generous A selflessness that shows itself
in a generosity so that before people ask, we are helping one
another in what their need is. And so that our witness into the
world is powerful and built around the gospel of Jesus
Christ. That's what the Lord is calling
us to. That's what the Lord blesses us
with. That's what we need consistently
to be praying for. So let's do so at this time.
Lord God, we do ask for your blessing to fall upon us.
That grace upon grace, that great grace, Lord, so that we
would be so impacted by the transformation that has taken
place in our lives that we would turn and then demonstrate that
abiding unity, that deep radical unity, that selfless generosity,
and this powerful witness that has marked the early church and
should mark Hebron as well. Lord, help us to live faithfully
according to that calling, the calling that you have given to
us in Jesus Christ, in whom we pray, Amen.