ACTS 4:32-35
A summary of the early church
Transcript available at www.nathankeen.id.au
3 interpretations
The Hutterites (like the Amish)
1.
•
Communists and Socialists
2.
•
3.
We should separate from the world
We should pool our resources
Barnabas
• We should proclaim Jesus
• We should demonstrate Jesus, through sacrificial love
Home life: making own clothes
Work life: farming;
manufacturing
A Hutterite commune
Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16
The believers separate?
and they began selling their property and possessions and
distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.
Every day they continued to
gather together by common
consent in the temple courts,
breaking bread from house to
house, sharing their food with glad
and humble hearts
Acts 2:46
Separation – from Christians
not to associate with
sexually immoral people. In no
way did I mean the immoral
people of this world, or the greedy
and swindlers and idolaters, since you
would then have to go out of the
world.
I wrote you in my letter
1 Corinthians 5:9-11
Separation – from Christians
But now I am writing to you not
to
associate with anyone who
calls himself a Christian who is
sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally
abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with
such a person.
1 Corinthians 5:9-11
Separate, yet evangelising
Matthew 5:14-15
Sacrificial giving points to
The sacrifice of Jesus
Good works point to Jesus
For there was no one needy among them,
because those who were owners of
land or houses were selling them
and bringing the proceeds from the sales
and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The
proceeds were distributed to each, as
anyone had need.
Acts 4:32-33
Good works point to Jesus
a man lame from birth was being carried up,
who was placed at the temple gate … every
day so he could beg for money from those
going into the temple courts. … But Peter
said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do
have I give you. In the name of Jesus
Christ the Nazarene, stand up
and walk!”
Acts 3-4
Good works point to Jesus
The group of those who believed were of one heart and
mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his
With
great power the apostles were
giving testimony to the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus, and great grace
was on them all.
own, but everything was held in common.
Acts 4:33
Good works point to Jesus
You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot
People do not light a lamp
and put it under a basket but on a
be hidden.
lampstand, and it gives light to all in the
house.
Matthew 5:14-15
The church is a blessing to all
You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that
God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘
And
in your descendants all the
nations of the earth will be
blessed.’ God raised up his servant and sent him
first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you
from your [wicked ways - NIV].”
Acts 3:25-26
The church is a blessing to all
With great power the
apostles were
giving testimony to the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and
great grace was on them all.
Acts 4:33
The church is a blessing to all
Every day they continued to gather together by
common consent in the temple courts, breaking
bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad
and humble hearts, praising God and having
the
good will of all the people. And the Lord
was adding to their number every day
those who were being saved.
Acts 2:46-47
Before pointing at Hutterites,
pluck the log out of your eye
Before pointing at Hutterites, pluck the log
out of your eye
How many non-Christians do you know?
2. How many of them do you regularly catch up with?
3. Do you know what they’re talking about and interested
in?
4. Can you relate their world to the Christian worldview, or
the Gospel?
1.
Practically…
Government sharing is
different
Government sharing is different
• New law: in the interests of fairness and the community,
no one can have more than 5 pairs of shoes.
• Penalty: $100/day
Government sharing is different
• New law: Christians should not own anything, because
wealth is evil
• Penalty: Rejection, excommunication
Selling everything is not the point
So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by
the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of
encouragement”),
sold a field that belonged
to him and brought the money and placed it at the
apostles’ feet.
Acts 4:36-37
Selling everything is not the point
Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his
wife,
sold a piece of property. He
kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his
wife’s knowledge; he brought only part of it and
placed it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 5:1
Selling everything is not the point
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your
heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for
yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of the
land? Before it was sold, did it not
belong to you? And
when it was
sold, was the money not at
your disposal? How have you thought
up this deed in your heart? You have not lied to
people but to God!”
Acts 5:4
Selling everything is not the point
Every day they continued to gather together by common
breaking bread
from house to house, sharing their food
consent in the temple courts,
with glad and humble hearts, praising God and
having the good will of all the people. And the Lord
was adding to their number every day those who were
being saved.
Acts 2:46
Selling everything is not the point
The believers had a healthy view of
possessions:
your possessions are not yours,
they are given to you by God to
do as He wants.
Our motive for giving? To love God
and love others.
Barnabas: sacrificial love
Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles
Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite
church leader, a native of Cyprus Kangaroo
Island, sold a field farm that belonged to him and
brought the money cheque for $300,000 and
placed it at the apostles’ feet gave it to the
church relief fund.
Acts 4:36-37 (NAV)
Practically…
3 interpretations
The Hutterites (like the Amish)
1.
•
We should separate from the world
•
•
Result: not proclaiming Jesus
Result: not demonstrating Jesus
Communists and Socialists
2.
•
We should pool our resources
•
•
Result: not proclaiming Jesus
Result: not demonstrating Jesus
Barnabas
3.
•
•
We should proclaim Jesus
We should demonstrate Jesus, through sacrificial love