Unity Through Generosity - Acts 4:32-37
I’m sure most of you remember Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol?
Early in the story, two gentlemen come to Scrooge asking for a charitable donation for the poor. They explain that there are thousands of people who don't have even the basic necessities of life.
Scrooge asks them, “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?”
They tell him that those institutions are still operating, and ask him what he would like to contribute.
And he says, “Nothing!”
As I’m sure you all remember, Ebenezer Scrooge was a quite wealthy man. The problem isn’t that he doesn’t have anything to give, it’s that he doesn’t want to give anything away. He didn’t want to want to help someone in need.
A Christmas Carol might be one greatest short stories of all-time because Charles Dickens captures what a selfish heart looks like in Ebenezer Scrooge. Because it’s one thing to say, “I have nothing to give.” And another to say, “I have plenty, but I’m not going to give anything to you.”
The early church described here in Acts 4 would certainly challenge Ebenezer Scrooge, wouldn’t it? Because the early Christians never asked, “What do you want?” Instead they asked, “How can I help?”
Their possessions weren’t merely things to accumulate. They saw them as gifts from God that could be used for the good of their brothers and sisters.
In just these few verses, I just read, we see just how incredibly generous the early church was. First, their humility enabled their generosity (v. 32). Second, their generosity advanced the mission of the church (v. 33). And finally, their generosity cared for the needs of the church (vv. 34-35).
Last week, we looked at how the early church prayed for boldness, which is something that I’m sure all of us could all still pray for today. But now, Luke transitions to describing the ethos of the early church, in particular, how they cared for each other.
Humility Enables Generosity (v. 32)
Immediately in verse 32, we’re told, “Now the full number of those who believed were of one 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.”
It’s very similar to what Luke tells us in Acts 2. He said that, “...all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
So on two occasions in the first 4 chapters of the book of Acts, Luke tells us the early church community had everything in common. In other words, if there was someone struggling or in need the church took care of them. They were going out of their way to help each other out. And of course, this was really important because there were a lot of poor who were a part of the church. Not only that, some scholars think that those who had attached themselves to the early church were probably already facing some economic persecution from the Jewish community.
So there were lots of physical needs that had to be met. Folks in the church literally weren’t eating!
And yet, some point to what Luke describes here and claim that the early church was some sort of communist community. But the obvious counterpoint is no one was being forced to do anything against their will.
In a similar vein, there are some Christian communities that look at what Luke is describing as something every church community needs to replicate. And so, they move into communes and require everyone to pool all their resources together, because in their minds, what they’re doing is a more accurate reflection of the church. A lot of weird cults have started out like this.
This might come as a great surprise to some of you given my imposing size and stature, but I cannot compel you to be more generous than you currently are. I can dedicate a whole sermon series to tithing, but I can’t force anyone to do more.
Luke is describing something that none of us can force upon the church. He’s describing what is a work of the Holy Spirit. How an incredible spirit of generosity has surged throughout the church. People are helping those in need.
And so, the takeaway from Acts 4 isn’t that we need to form some sort of commune that pools resources, but instead we need to ask ourselves how do we view what we have? Do we look at our homes, bank accounts, and possessions and go, “look at all that I have?” Or do you have a posture of open hands with what God has blessed you with? If you saw someone hurting here in our congregation, would you look around and say, “someone needs to help this family?” Or would you go over to them and ask, “how can I help?” Would you be willing to let go of what you have to help those in need in church?
I came across a New York Post article from last year about how, “Most Americans aren’t making year-end charitable donations.” Most non-profits expect a rise in giving at the end of every year. But interestingly, fewer individuals are making charitable contributions but the overall dollar amount of annual charitable giving has increased. What that means is, wealthier people are making larger contributions while fewer and fewer ordinary, middle class type folks are making any contributions at all.
And to me, it highlights a pervasive thought whenever it comes to generosity: there’s a real temptation to believe, once I get to a certain income level, or get my feet under me financially then I’ll start being generous. In other words, I’ll be more charitable once I have some excess financial resources lying around. But I’m here to tell you this morning, the longer you wait to cultivate a spirit of generosity the harder it becomes. The more you’ll feel like you’re just throwing away what you’ve earned.
When your name comes up in the rooms you’re not in do you think people say, “those are some incredibly generous folks. They’ll give you the shirt off their back.” Or do they, “you can’t count on them. If you need something, don’t even waste your time calling them.”
The early church embodied what Paul wrote in Philippians 2: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
In this way, they reflected their Savior who was so humble he was generous with everything. What a testimony!
Generosity Advances the Mission (vv. 33)
Notice how Luke ties the church’s generosity directly to the overall mission of the church. In Luke’s mind the material needs and the spiritual needs of the church go together.
Look at what we’re told in verse 33: “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”
Despite the fact that there were deep physical and material needs within the church, the proclamation of the gospel continued to move forward. In fact, it moved forward with “great power.” Usually when we hear “great power,” we think of supernatural miracles. But here, it seems that Luke has something a little different in mind—he’s talking about the boldness and confidence of their preaching. The Holy Spirit had empowered them to preach boldly and without fear about Christ’s resurrection.
And because of this, “great grace was upon them all.” At first, it might seem like Luke is simply talking about God’s grace being upon the apostles—and of course, that’s true. But I think the context suggests something more. Luke is also describing the favor and goodwill they received from the people around them in Jerusalem. In other words, their gospel proclamation and the way they lived together earned them a favorable hearing among those who were watching them.
In other words, the way the church was living supported the message they proclaimed!
The people in Jerusalem would see the way the early church cared for one another and then hear the gospel message and see the consistency and integrity by which they lived. In a very literal way, they practiced what they preached.
They preached a gospel about a Savior who had given Himself for His people, and so it only makes sense that they would give themselves for one another.
And I think that's a challenge for us because it’s so tempting to completely segment our lives. We have our work lives. We have our home lives. We have our social lives. And then we have our church lives.
And if we’re not careful, our church life can feel like just another segment. We come here on Sunday. We sing. We listen to the Word. We fellowship with one another. And then we go home and get back to the rest of our lives.
The gospel is supposed to spill over into every area of our lives.
It changes the way you work. It changes the way you spend your money. It changes the way you treat your spouse. It changes the way you raise your children. It changes the way you treat your neighbors. It changes the way you use your possessions.
And it changes the way you view your generosity. Maybe you noticed this, but the primary targets of the early church’s generosity weren't strangers. Nor was it the homeless. The people they were the most generous with were the people sitting the pew (or in our case, the brown chairs) right next to them.
It’s easy to think that the people who really need help are people “out there.” But the truth is, there may be more needs in this room than you realize. And if you learned something would you be willing to step in?
That’s a testimony to Christ’s work among his people! Especially when you’re willing to help those in the church whose personalities, passions, hobbies, and interests are totally different from yours. Because in the church there are countless people who, on paper, you have nothing in common with.
But if you’re both trusting in Christ, you actually have everything in common that ultimately matters.
You have the same Savior and you’ve both been adopted into the same family. You have the same eternal hope.
And that means something.
Because far too often people within the church are willing to fight over the most petty things. We’ve all heard stories. And I’m not talking about breaking fellowship over heresy. I’m talking about people leaving the church because someone moved a table. That’s a true story.
Everything that happens in the church body communicates something to the outside world. When the church spends all its time on petty arguments the world finds out about that. They hear the stories and it damages the church’s witness.
Which is why it’s so important for all of you, especially those of you who are members at Providence, to look at those people who you think you have nothing in common with—and see them differently.
See them as people Jesus has had compassion on. And here’s another little tidbit. The more you get to know someone the more compassion you’ll have for them too.
You may not have chosen one another as friends, but Jesus chose both of you.
This was the mindset of the early church. They took to heart the words of Jesus when he said, “...everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
That’s what fueled their generosity. That’s what fueled their kindness. That’s what fueled their support for one another. They didn’t look at someone in the church who was struggling and thought, “That's their problem.”
Instead they thought, “That's my brother in Christ. That's my sister in Christ. And we're adopted into the same family.”
We don't just preach that Jesus saves sinners. We show what His saving grace does when those sinners become one family.
And the world sees this.
Because that's what the gospel does. It takes people who might otherwise have nothing to do with one another and makes them brothers and sisters in Christ.
And when we live that way, the unity of the church becomes visible. The world gets a glimpse of what the gospel actually does. Jesus commanded that we, “Love one another, and that through our love “everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Generosity Cares for the Body (vv. 34-35)
Christ not only changes the way you view those around you, but He also changes the way you view your material possessions.
In verses 34-35 we learn, “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 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”
Again, it’s worth noting that no one was being forced to do anything. Nor was there an oppressive expectation that they should sell everything. Instead, the early church saw people in their congregation in need and simply thought to themselves, “what can I do to help? Is there something that I could sell to help people in the church?”
It’s literally what John the Baptist talked about in Luke 3, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
The point being, the people in the church didn’t view their material possessions as something to hang on to. They didn’t view them as something they earned and could never let go of.
I came across an article that asked this simple question: Is the American Dream Becoming Too Materialistic?
It’s a good question, right? Because husbands and fathers have a responsibility to provide. You should take care of your family. But there’s a temptation that we all deal with where our desire for provision slides into carnal desire for material wealth. There’s a reason why we’re warned about loving money.
When wealth and materialism become the end themselves when we find ourselves in dangerous sinful territory. We want to drive nicer cars, build bigger houses, and go on more extravagant vacations, for no other reason than because we can.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the fruits of your labor, but I hope you can understand my point: if you’re not careful it can become entirely self-absorbed. It’s just about what you want and when you want it.
It’s the complete opposite of the early church’s mindset.
They viewed themselves as stewards of the gifts that God had given them. They understood that what they possessed ultimately belonged to God. And if God had given them something, they were willing to use it for God’s purposes—even when that meant giving it away to meet the needs of someone else.
That changes everything, doesn’t it?
Because if I believe that everything I have belongs to me, then I have to protect it. I have to accumulate it. I have to hold on to it.
But if I understand that everything I have ultimately belongs to God, then I can hold it with an open hand.
I can enjoy what God has given me without worshiping it. I can provide for my family without making material prosperity the goal of my life. And I can give generously because I know that my security isn't ultimately found in what I possess.
The question isn't, “How much can I get?” The question is, “How can I faithfully use what God has given me?”
That’s the mindset of the early church.
Because when you become a Christian, Christ forces you to see the world differently. No longer are “your possessions” actually your possessions. It’s all on loan to you from God. It’s all His to begin with.
Look, I’m not taking anything away from you. You worked hard. You sacrificed. You made wise decisions. You put in the hours. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that.
But where did your ability to work come from? Where did your strength come from? Where did your intelligence come from? Where did your opportunities come from? Who gave you the breath in your lungs this morning?
Ultimately, everything we have is a gift from God. And that changes the way we think about everything.
You can enjoy what God has given you. You can be thankful for those things. You can work hard to provide for your family. But you don't have to worship those things, because you know where they came from.
You are not the owner. You are the steward. And a steward doesn't ask, “How much of this can I keep for myself?”
A steward asks, “How does my Master want me to use what He has entrusted to me?” That's the mindset we see in Acts 4.
These Christians weren't generous because they had suddenly become less responsible. They weren't generous because they had discovered some new economic system. They were generous because Jesus Christ had changed their hearts.
They understood that they belonged to Him.
And when you begin to understand that, suddenly a life of generosity doesn’t feel like you’re giving your stuff away.
In a small way when you and I are able to loosen our grip on our material possessions that’s when we begin to reflect our Savior. Because Jesus didn’t hold anything back from you.
He left the glory of heaven. He took on human flesh. He humbled Himself. He became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.
Jesus gave you everything because He gave you himself.
The Savior who gave Himself completely for us now calls us to give ourselves—and what He has entrusted to us—for the good of others.
It’s so much easier to be generous when you realize that it’s His to begin with.
Amen. Let’s pray together.
