Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19970907.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part IX: God's Empowering His Church By Its Seeing God As Its Source For Success
(Acts 4:32-5:16)
  1. Introduction
    1. Much is being written and reported today on what local assemblies should do for blessing in their outreach. One of the big emphases is on funds and fund-raising in the Lord's work, and its suggested importanc e.
    2. Should funds play a central, basic role in a Church's ministry, or is there something else that takes priority?
    3. The events of Acts 4:32-5:16 answer this question rather effectively.
  2. God's Empowering His Church By Its Seeing God As Its Source For Success, Acts 4:32-5:16.
    1. The Early Church was blessed by big-hearted donors who filled the Church treasuries, Acts 4:32, 34-37.
      1. There existed great unity in the Early Church, and with this brotherhood came the sharing of material blessings with the wealthy giving of their goods to help the less-advantaged believers, 4:32.
      2. This free-will sharing practice caused there to be no material lack in the body, Acts 4:34-35.
      3. A notable contribution was made by Joseph, a Levite who had land on Cyprus. He sold the property and brought the proceeds of the entire estate and laid it at the Apostles' feet for distribution to needy brethren, Acts 4:36-37. His name became Barnabas, meaning "Son of Encouragement" in Aramaic for what such a contribution meant to the needy in the group, Acts 4:36.
    2. As a result of this ministry, the apostles could give great witness of the resurrection of Christ with great power, and God's rich grace and approval were on the entire group:
      1. Sandwiched in between references to the ministry of material sharing in Acts 4:32 and 4:33-37 is the reference in Acts 4:33 to the apostolic ministry being powerful with God's great blessing.
      2. The implication is that the contributions made for good relations in the body and equipped the Church with an effective testimony and God's grace that made preaching a blessing for the apostles.
    3. However, two donors, Ananias and Sapphira, sold property and kept back some of its proceeds for themselves while pretending to give all to the Lord, a sin of hypocrisy, Acts 5:1-2.
    4. This act created a challenge of faith for the apostles: would they accept the money as God had used funds for great blessing in the ministry, or chance loosing future donations by exercising discipline with the possible result that others would fear to give and thus possibly curtail ministry effectiveness?
    5. Peter chose to see God the Holy Spirit as the Cause of ministry blessing, and addressed the sin in the couple in sheer dependence upon the Lord, Acts 5:3-11, 13:
      1. Without hesitation, Peter corrected Ananias on the spot when God had revealed to him his hypocrisy, and declared that the sin was lying not to him or the body, but to God the Holy Spirit, Acts 5:3-4.
      2. As a result, Ananias first and later his wife, Sapphira who had collaborated with her husband on the deed were slain of the Lord in discipline, Acts 5:5-10 with 1 John 5:16.
      3. Consequently, great fear came upon all the church, and on all the outsiders who heard of this spiritual act of discipline so that nobody else wanted to join the body, Acts 5:11, 13.
    6. However, since Peter had correctly named God the Holy Spirit as the Lord Whose power was directing affairs in the ministry, the Holy Spirit took up the slack and actually advanced the ministry at this point:
      1. Though people were afraid to join the group now that a discipline unto death by the Lord had happened, they still were added to the body as many kept coming to Christ, Acts 5:14.
      2. This was apparently in response to the Spirit's continued expression of power in the apostles who were not only preaching effectively, but performing many authenticating signs in the Temple area, Acts 5:12.
      3. In fact, though Peter had been used as the agent of capital punishment with Ananias and Sapphira, God made him a chief vehicle of physically healing many when even his shadow passed over them, 5:15-16!
      4. Accordingly, the Holy Spirit took up the slack that one might have thought the drop in donations would have created due to the fearful discipline administered through Peter!
Lesson: Since the true spiritual and numerical growth of the true Church is not dependent upon human financial donations or human prowess, but upon God Himself, leaders or men in the pew do not need to dread facing and dealing with realities such a s sin in the Body as though it would ruin Church growth. Indeed, such situations offer opportunity for truly DIVINE involvement in its growth!