All Things In Common, Acts 2:38-47
Introduction
It happened at the noonday luncheon of the local Rotary. The dishes had been cleared away, and the meeting had been called to order. After the reception of new members and the introduction of visitors, the chairman asked who of those present represented the oldest company in the community.
A young man in the back of the room hesitated a moment, then arose and said: “I believe I do, sir. I am a minister of the gospel. The company I represent was founded some 1,900 years ago. And I am happy to say that it is still flourishing.” His announcement was greeted with applause, for none of those present was inclined to contradict him. He did, indeed, represent “the oldest company” in the community.
It was 19 centuries ago that the Founder of this “company” had said: “Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). How true the intervening centuries have proved His startling prediction to be! On every continent and on the islands of the seven seas, from East to West, from North to South, the company of Christ’s redeemed have carried the message of salvation.
It was that “company” that the young minister represented — indeed, the oldest, grandest, and the largest to be represented at the meeting, a “company” that you can belong to by simple faith in Christ the Savior. We are “fellow” citizens with the saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone.
Exposition
This morning I, like the young minister in the story, want to talk to you about this grand old company – the Church of Jesus Christ! I do not, however, want to talk about the Church as though it were merely another of the world’s organizations.
Rather, I let us focus on the company – the friendships – of the family of the household of God. This morning let us focus on what we learn from those earliest of believers who held al things in common.
Throughout the centuries there have been those who have suggested that the statement about the early believers having “all things in common” is either a mandate for us or that it is completely irrelevant for us.
There are those who would tell us that these early believers sold all of their goods and held all things in common largely as a result of the persecution that they faced. You see, at this time in the early history of the church to be a follower of Jesus Christ meant that you were a criminal.
The first mass persecution of Christians occurred under the Roman Emperor Nero in A.D. 67 when he set the city of Rome to flame and then summarily blamed the entire thing on local Christians.
In regard to this persecution, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs says, “This monarch reigned for the space of five years, with tolerable credit to himself, but then gave way to the greatest extravagancy of temper, and to the most atrocious barbarities.
Among other diabolical whims, he ordered that the city of Rome should be set on fire, which order was executed by his officers, guards, and servants. While the imperial city was in flames, he went up to the tower of Macaenas, played upon his harp, sung the song of the burning of Troy, and openly declared that ’he wished the ruin of all things before his death.
This dreadful conflagration (inferno) continued nine days; when Nero, finding that his conduct was greatly blamed, and a severe odium (hatred) cast upon him, determined to lay the whole upon the Christians, at once to excuse himself, and have an opportunity of glutting his sight with new cruelties.”
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs records no less than nine other major persecution periods in the life of the primitive or early Church. The early Church knew persecution and it was that very persecution – the greatest obstacle to the growth of the Church – which provided the iron to sharpen the sword of God’s Church.
The early church father, Turtullian, said that, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The very thing which sought to destroy the early Church was the catalyst which made it grow.
I have often said that it is when times get tough, when persecution or hardship comes our way; it is then that you see the depth or lack of depth of a person or a groups character and devotion.
In the face of terrible persecution the early Church not only survived but flourished! They grew in the face of suffering. Their lives were a testimony to the provision of God in the face of trails.
As we focus on what we learn from the early Church in regard to life together as the people of God, let us remember that God is in the business of redeeming suffering. When we trust God with our trials, He is freed to work in our lives.
Illustration
Some time ago we noticed that a tree planted at the sunny end of a house had large and beautiful blossoms. It was a feast to the eyes; but what an amazing difference in some of the branches trained round the corner of the house where they got much less sun. The blossoms were starved and drooping, and there was little promise of fruit. They had the same root and stem in common, but while one part of the tree was in the full glorious light, the other branches were in the shade.
Our character is affected in the same way by insufficient enlightenment. The dark places produce unfruitful branches: strange weaknesses, distortions, immaturities, indirection, failures in practical life and conduct.
Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (NKJV)
If we are to bear all manner of precious fruit, each in its rightful season, we must trustfully and joyfully lay open our whole soul to the full expanse of God’s light shining in the face of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes the light of Christ shines into our lives even in our pain and our suffering. God is at work redeeming the trials of this life and using them to strengthen us and shape us into fruit bearing trees – just like the early Church.
Our pain is neither trivial nor is it a sign that we have lost God’s blessing. While we should not go out of our way to look for trouble; we live in a fallen world where trouble often finds us.
God is always at work transforming our sorrow, our suffering, and our struggles into a depth of character that can not easily be shaken. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (NKJV)
That is what happens to us if we allow it – just as it happened to the early Church.
Illustration
I love to cook. The only problem is that many of the things I like to cook are things that my wife does not particularly care to eat. I like to cook things in a crock pot or in a pressure cooker.
One of my favorite things to cook is ham hocks and beans. My dad taught me to cook it and we used to cook it all the time! In fact, we developed our own recipe which included the ham hocks, the beans, onions, freshly sliced garlic, salt, and the final ingredient – mustard!
I really have no idea if mustard is a common ingredient found in ham hocks and beans but somehow we thought of it once and it became the final touch in our recipe. It’s really something though, once all of the heat and pressure begins to work on the food, the mustard will disappear.
And if you apply enough heat and pressure, all of the other ingredients start to dissolve as well. After a half a day or so in the pressure cooker all of the ingredients stop being ingredients and they become something altogether different.
They take on the attributes of the other ingredients; the colors, the textures, the smells, and the flavors.
In Luke 14:34-35 Jesus says, “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” (NKJV)
The early Church knew what it meant to be salty. The intense pressures of persecution did not destroy the Church! It worked just like the pressure cooker in my ham hocks and beans.
The heat and pressure of persecution made all of the ingredients – the early Christians – come together until it was very difficult to make out the individual ingredients because they had become one.
So it is with us. We have been called to allow the pressures and trials of this life draw us closer to one another until the flavors of faith and of our lives blend together and we become one body unified in one faith in Christ.
In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”(NKJV)
Conclusion
The story is told of a horse-pull in Canada. One horse pulled 9,000 pounds, another 8,000. Together you would expect them to pull 17,000 pounds. Not so! When teamed together, they pulled 30,000 pounds.
The principle is called synergism. By definition, the simultaneous action of separate agents working together has a greater total effect than the sum of their individual efforts. More can be done in a team effort than can be accomplished solo. In order for the principle of synergism to work like it should, there has to be teamwork.
Everything we do takes teamwork and trust. Every person in the local church is valuable and needed. The church is a team, and together we can build for the Lord.
As we examine the life of the early Church we see that they held all things together. They lived together, they ate together, and they survived seeming endless persecution – together.
Today, let us be reminded that if we allow God to redeem the pressures of this life then just like the early Church, those pressures can work to draw us closer to God even as we grow closer together.
Amen.
