Một Hội Thánh Hiệp Nhất Với Tầm Nhìn Nước Trời

We are living in a transitioning world and, particularly, a transitioning Nation. How do we, as followers of Jesus Christ, deal with this transition as individuals and as a church?

To answer this we need to look at the first church in the book of Acts because the world we are living in and will live in is becoming more like the world the early church lived in. We can learn from them and apply what we learn to our own lives and churches.

The early church was a melting pot of believers from every nation, tribe, tongue, gender and background. They had the wealthy and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, master’s and slaves. This growing body on earth will one day join all the saints of glory in worshiping the Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world. Revelation 5:9-10 “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

I. One Heart, One Mind: The first thing we see is the most important of all, “All the believers were one in heart and mind.” The word “heart” has the idea of feelings. They felt the same about who they were, what they were to do, the challenges they faced and the persecution they endured. They had the same mind as to how to deal with all the challenges they faced. There has to be unity for the church to be effective, there has to be unity for the church to impact their community. There has to be unity for real fellowship that will bind the body of Christ together and for the church to accomplish its purpose.

Satan has two basic purposes on earth, the first is to keep people from coming to faith in Jesus Christ and the second is to keep the body of Christ divided. When they are divided they cannot carry out the Great Commission, they become self-focused and judgmental of others. They spend their time fighting for power or money while becoming arrogant and prideful.

This wasn’t the case with the early church, in its innocence it was focused on four things:

1) absorbing the truth of Christ,

2) embracing those who are Christ’s,

3) proclaiming the good news of Christ and

4) ministering to the needs of those in the body of Christ.

II. They Shared Everything: Notice what has happened here… “No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.”

This selflessness was not dictated by the apostles or anyone else… it was a voluntary act of sharing; it was a demonstration of compassion, mercy and grace. The Holy Spirit worked in the hearts and minds of the believers who had re-prioritized their lives.

Sharing is not a natural behavior for us. Just put a group of two year olds in a room full of toys and watch what happens. The natural heart and mind of man begins to show. Greed, control, selfishness and anger begin to be revealed in their interaction with one another over the control and possession of the toys. That sin tendency doesn’t leave us just because we get older; it is enhanced to greater levels and involves bigger and more expensive toys.

Wars have been fought over boundary lines. Man wants more toys, more property, more money, more position and more control. Oh, someone may share in certain circumstances but when it comes down to actually making a personal sacrifice… well, let’s just say you don’t see it very often.

James deals with this in James 4:1-3 “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

That is what had grown in the church over time and still affects the church today. When there is division, quarrels and fighting among the brethren the church becomes weak and powerless.

I can’t figure out why the church has to fight over temporary earthly things when they could stay focused on Jesus and things that are eternal.

III. They Testified of the Resurrection: “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them.”

The power, of course, came from the Holy Spirit and the unity of the body of Christ helped to direct that power in the bold preaching of the resurrection.

The apostles didn’t have to concern themselves with problems in the church at this point so they could direct all their attention to prayer and the preaching of the resurrected Christ.

Some pastors today spend more of their time putting out fires among the brethren than they do the study and preaching of God’s Word.

Let me use the illustration of children again, when your kids and their friends are playing together and getting along you can get a lot done around your house. When they are at each other, fighting and arguing and blaming each other for every little thing that happens you can’t get anything done. It also wears you out and frustrates you. Those aren’t good days are they?

IV. They Sacrificed for the Needy: “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 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

This is important… first it shows the diversity of the early church. There were professional people and common laborers. There were slave and slave owners. There were political people and citizens all gathered together. Second, it wasn’t a mandatory sale of land or homes it was voluntary. “From time to time…” indicates that it didn’t happen all the time but was occasional. Third, it seemed to be based on the awareness of people in need. When there was a sense that some in the body were hurting the Holy Spirit urged those who had property and homes to sell them and entrust the income to the apostles who then, knowing the needs, would distribute it accordingly. Forth, the distribution was based on need. They didn’t just randomly give the money to anyone who wanted it but ensured that those who were in real need received it.

When a culture of sacrificial giving is present in a body of Christ needs are met. I pray we will always have that culture in our churches.

V. The Example of “The Encourager”: “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.”

The apostles had a nickname for him, Barnabas which means Son of Encouragement. This is a wonderful nickname to have borne out of his exceptional heart to encourage others. The Greek word means consolation or exhortation.

Two passages I want to draw your attention to, first Acts 9:26-28:

26When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

Second, Acts 11:22-26:

22News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

Barnabas was Paul’s companion through thick and thin. They were serving together in the church at Antioch when they were called out to take the gospel to other nations (Acts 13). Then in Acts 15:36ff Paul and Barnabas had a “sharp disagreement” concerning John Mark. Barnabas left with John Mark and Paul left with Salas to continue the work.

Here are some characteristics about Barnabas:

He was a generous man as we see here in Acts 4.

He was an encourager, when no one else would step up to help someone he would. He was a good man who saw the best in others he encouraged them to meet their potential in serving Christ.

He was a sacrificial man who thought of others before himself.

These are all characteristics we should all strive for. We are to be encouragers.

APPLICATION:

1. We can do much more together than we can individually. This applies to individuals as well as churches.

2. Our treasurers are in heaven not on earth. Jesus said in Matt. 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”

3. Meeting the needs of others glorifies Christ: 25:35-40

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

4. Sacrificing for others opens the door for the gospel to be shared. It is absolutely essential that we are churches that are united and have a Kingdom Focus if we are going to impact our communities, cities, nations and world for Jesus Christ.