EXTREME UNITY (ALL THINGS IN COMMON)
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- PART 5
The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice
June 12, 2005
Trinity Fellowship
Raton,
Acts 4:32 – 5:16
ONE HEART / ONE SOUL (READ 4:32-35)
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF “EXTREME SPORTS?” WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT HERE IS “EXTREME UNITY.” WITH WHOM DO YOU HAVE UNITY WITH IN YOUR LIFE?
*SPOUSE
*CHILDREN
*PARENTS
*BOSS
*FRIENDS
*SPORTS TEAM
BUT WE HAVE UNITY WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE OF A DESIGNATED RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. IN THE CASE OF FAMILY, THERE’S AN IMPLIED OBLIGATION; THE SAME WITH YOUR WORK, AND YOUR BOSS.
BUT HERE, GOD IS TEACHING THROUGH THE APOSTLES THAT THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP THAT REQUIRES ANOTHER LEVEL OF UNITY: THAT OF THE CHURCH. AND FOR IT TO RELEASE ANY REAL POWER, CERTAIN THINGS HAVE TO BE IN PLAY:
* (32) “ONE HEART / ONE SOUL” – JESUS CHRIST WAS TO BE THEIR COMMON UNIFIER (ROMANS 15:5-6 “NOW MAY THE GOD OF PATIENCE AND COMFORT GRANT YOU TO BE LIKE MINDED TOWARD ONE ANTOHER ACCORDING THE CHRIST JESUS, THAT YOU MAY WITH ONE MIND AND ONE MOUTH GLORIFY THE GOD AND FATHER OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”) IN OTHER WORDS, THERE MUST BE WORSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE CHURCH. A BODY OF BELIEVERS, PROCLAIMING CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR, AND DOING IT EVERY TIME THEY GET TOGETHER
(NOTE: THE WORD “LORD” USED IN N.T. FOR JESUS IS “KYRIOS,” WHICH WAS USED IN THE GREEK OLD TESTAMENT FOR THE UNSPEAKABLE NAME OF GOD, “YAHWEH.” THEREFORE, ANYTIME YOU SEE IT, IT MEANS THAT JESUS IS BEING CALLED “GOD.”)
*(32-35) “ALL THINGS IN COMMON.” NO ONE’S POSSESSIONS ARE HIS OWN ANYMORE. WHEN JESUS WAS PROCLAIMED “LORD GOD” OVER THEIR LIVES, ALL POSSESSIONS ARE NO LONGER TO BE OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE TO YOU.
NOW THIS IS THE HARD ONE! AND IT’S THE THEME OF THIS SERMON: HOW TIED TO YOUR STUFF ARE YOU?
MY BROTHER AND I HAVE A RUNNING JOKE THROUGH OUR LIVES REGARDING OUR “STUFF.” WE BOTH SHARE A LOVE OF
IN THIS WORLD, WE ALL MEASURE OUR LIVES BY OUR STUFF! WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS BY IT! WE LOOK AT EACH OTHER’S CARS AND HOUSES AND CLOTHES AND BANK ACCOUNTS AND WE ELEVATE PEOPLE IN OUR EYES, BASED SOLELY ON HOW MUCH “STUFF” THEY’VE ACCUMULATED. BUT EXTREME UNITY SAYS THAT WHEN YOU ARE ONE HEART AND ONE SOUL, YOU UNDERSTAND AND DEVELOP THE PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARD THIS “STUFF.” JESUS SAYS, “MY FATHER IN HEAVEN IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.” THAT ALL THESE BLESSINGS ARE REALLY FROM HIM, AND SO THEREFORE ALL THIS “STUFF” REALLY BELONGS TO HIM? SO ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE IT BACK TO HIM WHEN HE ASKS FOR IT? BECAUSE IF WE’RE NOT WILLING, THAT SHOWS WHERE OUR HEART REALLY IS.
*(33) “WITH GREAT POWER…GIVE WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD “GOD” JESUS…AND GREAT GRACE WAS UPON THEM.”
THE THIRD CHARACTERISTIC OF EXTREME UNITY IS GIVING A GREAT WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION—WHICH THEN UNLEASHES GREAT GRACE. NOW OBVIOUSLY, THESE PEOPLE WERE TESTIFYING TO ACTUALLY WITNESSING WITH THEIR OWN EYES THE RISEN JESUS…WHO GOT UP OUT OF THE TOMB AND WALKED AMONGST THEM FOR FORTY DAYS. AND IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT THIS CONSTANTLY…BECAUSE ONCE THEY DIE, THERE WOULD BE NO OTHER HUMAN WITNESSES WHO HAD WALKED AND TALKED WITH JESUS IN BODILY FORM!
BUT WE ARE ALSO CALLED TO “TESTIFY” BOLDLY OF THE RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS CHRIST IN OUR LIVES. AND THIS ATTITUDE HELPS YIELD GOD’S GRACE (READ ROMANS 6:15-16; 22-23)
*(34) “NOR WAS THERE ANYONE AMONG THEM WHO LACKED.”
THE NEXT CHARACTERISTIC OF EXTREME UNITY IS THAT THE BODY OF BELIEVERS DOES NOT NEED ANYTHING. WHY? BECAUSE THEY LOOK AND ACT LIKE JESUS. DID JESUS LACK FOR ANYTHING? GO BACK AND READ THE GOSPELS. WHEN HE WAS HUNGRY, HE FOUND FOOD TO EAT. OR BOUGHT IT, OR WAS GIVEN FOOD. GOD SUPPLIED HIS NEED. GOD’S GRACE WAS SUFFICIENT AND HE LIVED HIS LIFE SATURATED IN GOD’S GRACE.
“WELL, YEAH PASTOR, BUT HE WAS THE SON OF GOD. HE WAS PERFECT.”
BUT WE’RE BEING TAUGHT RIGHT HERE THAT THAT IS THE SAME GOAL WE SHOULD HAVE, AND THAT IT’S ATTAINABLE! THE EARLY CHURCH IS MODELING THIS FOR US. THEY GAVE UP THEIR “STUFF” FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF MEETING THE NEEDS OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST. AND I WANT TO PAUSE HERE AND CAUTION THAT THE EXTREME UNITY WE’RE STUDYING HERE INVOLVES FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST. ELSEWHERE IN SCRIPTURE WE’RE INSTRUCTED TO FEED THE POOR AND VISIT THOSE IN PRISON, BUT THIS TEACHING HERE IS FOR HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER IN THE CHURCH. DID YOU KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WE TREAT NONBELIEVERS BETTER THAN OUR OWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST?
I CALL IT THE “WASHING THE HANDS” SYNDROME; LIKE WHEN PILATE TRIED TO WASH HIS HANDS OF THE RESPONSIBILITY OF KILLING JESUS. WHEN THE OFFERING PLATE IS PASSED, SOMETIMES WE THROW OUR MONEY IN THERE TO “WASH OUR HANDS” OF THE RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, I’VE KNOWN PEOPLE WHO HAD A SPARE VEHICLE, AND THEN SAW THAT SOMEONE NEEDED A CAR, AND THE LORD INSTRUCTED THEM TO GIVE THAT FAMILY THEIR CAR! TALK ABOUT EXTREME.
“BUT, WHY DON’T I JUST SELL THAT EXTRA CAR AND GIVE SOME MONEY TO THEM, OR TO THE CHURCH. ISN’T THAT THE SAME? “
NOT IF GOD DIDN’T TELL YOU TO DO IT THAT WAY.
“I PUT A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY IN THAT CAR. I DESERVE SOME IT BACK IN PROFITS!”
OH REALLY? LET’S READ ON…
LYING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT (READ 36-37; 5:1-5)
BARNABAS VS ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA
THIS INTRODUCES US TO TWO TYPES OF BELIEVERS:
· ONE WHO HEARS GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS AND OBEYS IMMEDIATELY
· ONE WHO HEARS GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS AND RATIONALIZES
“WELL, SURELY GOD WON’T STRIKE US DEAD LIKE THAT.”
OH REALLY? THAT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT SATAN SAID IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. “SURELY YOU WON’T DIE?” AND THEY DIDN’T DIE, NOT PHYSICALL, NOT RIGHT AWAY. BUT THERE WAS SPIRITUAL DEATH. SEPARATION FROM THE POWER AND FELLOWSHIP OF GOD.
DON’T YOU WONDER SOMETIMES WHY THERE’S NO POWER IN YOUR LIFE? MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SOME SORT OF SPIRITUAL DEATH AND SEPARATION FOR GOD’S POWER.
(READ 12-16) “…THEY WERE IN ONE ACCORD…ESTEEMED HIGHLY…BELIEVERS WERE INCREASINGLY ADDED TO THE LORD…AND THEY WERE ALL HEALED.”
WHEN YOU ENTER INTO EXTREME UNITY WITH THE LORD GOD THE FATHER…THE LORD GOD JESUS…THE LORD GOD HOLY SPIRIT…YOU GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO “STUFF”…YOU WORSHIP THE LORD READILY AND CONSTANTLY…YOU OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE NEEDS OF YOUR BROTHER AND SISTER BELIEVERS…YOU WITNESS BOLDLY TO THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST IN YOUR LIFE…AND THE GRACE AND POWER OF GOD’S SPIRIT IS UNLEASHED IN YOUR LIFE AND THERE IS HEALING FOR ALL TO SEE. HEALING OF THE PHYSICAL, THE EMOTIONAL, THE SPIRITUAL TORMENTS THAT THE ENEMY TRIES TO POUR INTO OUR LIVES.
WE USE THE TERM “FILLED” TO DENOTE BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. YOU KNOW WHAT THE TERM “FILLED” MEANS? IT MEANS “TO BE CONTROLLED BY.” YOU WANT TO BE CONTROLLED BY THE ENEMY OR CONTROLLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THERE’S NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE.
©2005, Richard C. Trice and TriceTunes , All Rights Reserved.
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