July 16, 2023
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. 32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. 36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 37 and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4:31–37 (NASB1995)
The Idea:
You are a transformed community of radical generosity
A Community of Radical Generosity
I. What Was So Unique About It?
34 “For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales
35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. “
Acts 4:34-35 (NASB1995)
II. What Caused The Effect?
31 “And when they had prayed … they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
33 … and abundant grace was upon them all. “
Acts 4:31–33 (NASB1995)
Cause #1: They lost their fear.
Vs 31 - “filled with the Holy Spirit and became bold”
Cause #2: Abundant grace was on them
Vs 33 - “and abundant grace was upon them all”
III. What Effect Did It Have?
“And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number,”
Acts 5:14 (NASB1995)
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