This passage provides a picture of a great church.
• We see the unity of the people, a passion for God’s Kingdom, the courage to preach His Word, the power of God manifesting in miracles, and on and on.
• This is what we are striving for as a church. These are our prayers for the church today, that we may have the same unity, passion, courage, zeal, and God’s power and glory displaying.
They were up against the same world as we are. They were victorious, so can we.
• They were small yet they did overcome the challenges, so can we. They were different, people coming from all over, yet they were of one heart and mind, so can we.
• They prayed passionately and so must we. We serve the same God, proclaim the same Gospel and will experience the same power of Christ.
We love to see the church grow and be strong. How?
• How can we be as victorious as this church in Acts 4?
• See verse 33: With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
• It’s a reliance on the power and grace of Jesus Christ.
We saw in the passage before this, shared in last ES, that the people were together with one voice, praying for the courage to preach on (in the midst of persecution) and for more miracles.
• God gave them a shaking – and pour out a greater measure of His Spirit. That’s the key. It happened in Acts 2 and now in Acts 4.
• We cannot STOP praying. That’s the key to refuelling our engines, firing up our passion for the Lord and His work.
• If there is any hope of a real, genuine ministry that can come out of a church, we know it cannot come from the natural realm. It is the supernatural presence of God that makes it happen.
True revival comes because God is present, because the people met God.
• The Holy Spirit fills the place, or more precisely, fills them!
• True revival will not happen because there is a good programme, lots of money, good facilities, etc. This is just playing church.
• The first church, and therefore our church today, must depend on the power and grace of God.
Any real ministry that come out of a church – if it cannot be achieve in the natural realm – must be birthed out of fervent passionate prayer.
• We must be DEPENDENT upon God. Our weapon is not of the flesh.
• Eph 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
• Eph 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
That’s a church that is victorious – one that is dependent upon God, one that prays with ONE voice.
• There is no room for self-centredness, no room for pride. No room for confidence in self. God is exalted and glorified.
• This oneness is amazing, in the first few chapters of Acts.
Acts 1:14 - They all joined together constantly in prayer.
Acts 2:1 - When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Acts 2:46 - Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
Acts 4:24 - When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.
Acts 4:32 - All the believers were one in heart and mind.
They were committed – committed to the call of God, to the cause of Christ, to prayer, to building the church together.
• Do we sense that today? Do we have that today? Can we say that’s my desire too? That’s my burden.
• Can we say, we love unity, we love the fellowship, and we love being together and praying together?
And what is the result of that, where God is present?
• Needs were met. Verse 32: No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
• Verse 34: There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
• People are asking, what are the things God has given me that others do not have. What is the thing I have, that others do not have, and God wants me to share it.
• There was this profound commitment to one another, to make sure that no one among them suffers.
The people were moved by the presence of God in that place. They were moved by the love of God to love those whom God loves.
• This was not some kind of communism enforced by the state, where citizens are forced to share their wealth.
• It was not something enforced by the church, where the leaders tell the rich to share with the poor. It wasn’t compulsory.
• It was ‘from time to time’, that people gave, out of the desire of their heart.
• It was voluntary. It was freewill. It was spiritual. It was a gift of love.
The people saw the needs themselves. They were moved by what they saw.
• They were the Good Samaritan man in Jesus’ parable, who would do all that it takes (pays the innkeeper) to nurse the injured man to complete health.
• These were acts motivated by love – love for God and His people.
• That’s what Jesus says in the parable – go and do likewise. It is not about how spiritual you are – like the priest or Levite – it is about how practical you are.
• If you love God, you love people. If you are spiritual, you help people. Faith without works is dead, it’s useless.
Where there is true love, there is sacrificial giving. People give because they love.
• It is not easy to get people to sell lands or houses and offer up the money.
• These offerings were not just tokens, they were sacrifices. They did not offer something that cost them nothing.
• And they did this not out of compulsion, not because they were told to.
Where the presence of the Lord is, there is love.
• It was an expression of their love for God. This is the love of Christ. Matt 9:36 “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” (NKJV)
• Love God and give. Love His church and give. Love God’s people and give.
• Lives are blessed because we give.
Saw this poem entitled LEFTOVERS.
Leftovers are such humble things,
We would not serve to a guest,
And yet we serve them to our Lord
Who deserve the very best.
We give to Him leftover time,
Stray minutes here and there.
Leftover cash we give to Him,
Such few coins as we can spare.
We give our youth unto the world,
To hatred, lust and strife;
Then in declining years we give
To him the remnant of our life.
- Source unknown
Why were they able to give so radically?
• I believe they were able to do that because they realise that
(1) everything belongs to God (by His grace they were blessed with these) and
(2) they trust God will continue to meet their needs.
Prov 3:9-10 “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”
• It’s surprising to know that once you’ve given, you will find yourself having more.
• God overflows His blessings upon you. He is the MORE THAN ENOUGH God. He rewards you more than what you’ve given out.
Prov 11:25 “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
HOW MUCH I OWE HIM
A well-to-do man gives weekly a sizable sum of money to his church. A poor widow was a member of the same church. She worked hard to support herself and her 6 children. Her income was small, yet she was giving regularly out of her little earnings.
One day the man said to the pastor: “The poor widow ought not to give anything to the church. What she gives represents great sacrifice. I will increase my weekly contributions, adding the amount the widow has been giving on every Lord’s day.”
The minister told the widow what the wealthy member had said he would do. Tears came to her eyes. She said, “Does he want to take from me the comfort I experience in giving to the Lord’s work? Think how much I owe Him! My health is good. My children keep well. I receive so many blessings that I feel I couldn’t live if I did not give my offering to Jesus each week!”
...Taken from Knight’s Treasury of Illustrations, p.142.
POEM: Not what I get, but what I give.
This be the gauge by which I live.
Not merely joys that come my way,
But the help I give to those astray.
Not the rewards of money and fame,
But the loads I lift in Jesus’ Name.
This be the pay at the end of the day,
Not what I keep, but give away.
Let us love God by loving those who are in need.
In closing, like to share with you this clip I saw recently, entitled Chicken A La Carte – a true story. It serves as a reminder, that there are many very poor and needy people around us. Let us touch them with the love of God, and with the abundance God has given us.
• According to the film maker, this film is about the hunger and poverty brought about by Globalization. There are 10,000 people dying everyday due to hunger and malnutrition. This short film shows a forgotten portion of the society - the people who live on the refuse of men to survive. (Written, photographed and directed by Ferdinand Dimadura.)
• It won the Most Popular Short Film award in 2006 Berlin International Film Festival.
