We Win When We Are All In

       

What is all this touching in church? I used to come to church and leave untouched. Now I have to be nervous about what is expected of me. I have to worry about responding to the person sitting next to me. Oh, I wish it could be the way it used to be; I could just ask the person next to me, "How are you?" And the person could answer, "Oh, just fine." And we would both go home strangers who have known each other for 20 years.

But now the minister asks us to look at each other. I am worried about that hurt look I saw in that woman’s eyes. The lady next to me cried and then apologized and said it was because I was so kind and that she needed a friend right now. Now I have to be more than a person coming to observe a service. That man last week told me I had never known how much I had touched his life. All I did was smile and tell him I understood what it was to be lonely.

Lord, I am not big enough to touch and be touched. The stretching scares me. What if I disappoint somebody? What if I am too pushy? What if I cling too much? What if somebody ignores me? O Lord, be here beside me. You touch me, Lord, so that I can touch and be touched; So that I can care and be cared for; So that I can share my life with all those others that belong to you. All this touching in church, Lord, it is changing me! (Ed Vasiek, 2005).

Acts 4:32-37 we read “all the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.

For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

This brief text is a snapshot summary of how the early church functioned. To “believe” means “to be firmly persuaded, to rely on and to trust in”. Believers in the first Church were firmly persuaded that Jesus was their Savior and Lord. They knew they could trust him for all they needed. Believing in Jesus has two effects: it tightens the heart's relationship to people especially other Christians and loosens its relationship to things.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. The Holy Spirit had united them into one life. At the very deepest level of their lives they belonged to each other. They had harmony in thought, affection and action.  Because they believed in one Lord and had one Spirit indwelling each of them (1 Cor. 12:4-11), they were one with each other. If you have not yet believed in Christ you don’t yet belong to His church. 

Unity of heart and mind was an answer to the prayer of Jesus found in John 17:21. He prayed “that they may all be one... so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The early church exhibited oneness from the very beginning; they were in one accord (Acts 1:14; Acts 2:1).When a group of people acts single-mindedly, unanimously, in harmony, in unity, and without dissent, they are operating in one accord.

A church should be marked by a loving unity. That is what is lacking today, and what the early church so wonderfully possessed. It is quite possible to come to church and sit together in the pews, united in a physical presence with other Christians, to sing the same hymns and listen to the same message, but to have no sense of belonging to one another. You may belong to God and relate to God individually, but you don't belong to each other.

In the early church no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own. The believer’s attitude was "nothing that I possess is for my exclusive use, but it is available to anyone who needs it."  Faith in the promises of God's fatherly care produces freedom from the love of material things. Authentic faith in Jesus creates a bond of love to people and cuts the bond of love to things.

Believers had two priorities that Jesus had given them; get together and reach the world.  They were preoccupied with loving each other and with winning the world. They cared less about their own glory, their own self-esteem and their own satisfaction. How rich and how sweet their fellowship must have been. They were one; the watching world knew it and many believed in Jesus because of that.

This was not only a loving community, it was a witnessing community. The early church was marked by a powerful witness for Christ. Acts 4:31 tells us: “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” The apostles were doing great signs and wonders in the community. But the focus here is not on amazing signs but rather on the simple sharing of the gospel.

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. That is just what they got in trouble for doing back in chapter 4, verse 2. They were commanded not to talk about the resurrection of Jesus, they were even threatened, but they did not stop. It’s a fantastic thing to realize that they never suppressed their message because it offended or diluted the doctrine to please people. They chose to obey men rather than God. 

With this strong preaching going on, “great grace was upon them all.” The grace was unloaded on them. The favor of all the people was on them, people could not resist them. Everybody loves somebody who believes in a cause and who gives his life for it. And then to see people who loved each other like this, who could they resist that? And they also had the favor of God.

God pours out His favor on a church that has two characteristics- loving unity and evangelistic zeal. Great grace is reserved for the church that is one, and the church that is out after the world for Jesus Christ. The believers were witnessing in power because they had the provision of the grace of God.   The "great grace" that rested upon these Christians was the divine enablement that God granted them to speak and to live as they did.

The Christians were witnessing with their works (vv. 32, 34-35) as well as with their words (v. 33). They received great power to witness to the resurrection because they were filled with the Spirit and because they were consecrated in life. No one could and no one can refute the testimony of witnesses like that. Christ was manifestly living in them. They were living epistles.

As important as loving unity is to church community, if that unity does not result in powerful witness to others, then the church will grow inward. We are not meant to be a community just for ourselves. We exist for God’s glory and to bring others into community with us. Jesus told the disciples: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need..” This is similar to Deuteronomy 15:4 where we read “There should be no poor among you.” This is an amazing description of the early church. There were no needy persons among them because of the sacrificial giving of others.

The unity of the believers extended beyond spiritual matters to physical, material matters. This was not an example of absolute equality among church members but rather a voluntary, sacrificial giving to help others in their time of need. The gospel is more than a message of good news of eternal salvation.  It is also a new way of living with each other, right now. When unity of heart mind is the root; the sharing of our possessions is the fruit.

Four out of the seven gifts listed in Romans 12:6-8 (serving, encouraging, giving, showing mercy) deal with caring for people. How many churches can stand up and say that “nobody around here has any needs, because the money’s all coming in so fast.” 1 John 3:17 says “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?”  Proverbs 21:13 says “whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered”.

The Bible not only gives us exhortations to obey; we’re also given examples to emulate.  Among the thousands of believers in the new church, there’s a man named Joseph who stands out. Joseph sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet ”(Acts 4:36-37). Joseph was "a Levite". The tribe of Levi did not receive a portion of the Promised Land (Num. 3:35; 18:20; Deut. 10:9). Joseph giving was a real sacrifice and God noted that.

 He was the only one mentioned by name even though many others gave (Acts 4:34-35). Barnabas had no idea his name would be recorded in God’s Holy Bible. He had no idea that he would be remembered and held up as an example for all the generations of people yet to come. The unnamed givers did not serve in vain for when they rested their deeds followed them (Rev.14:13). They have to wait until the Jesus comes again with the rewards (Rev 22:12).  

Meanwhile 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 says “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly... Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:“they have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion…This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them …And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.