“Witness & Wealth”
Acts 4:32-37 April 23, 2006 Play audio
Spending Our Way Into Slavery
• financial shape a problem for many
• national deficit / farmers / pharmacists feel
money crunch
A Great and Gracious God...
• unnatural for people to share: tend to be greedy
instead
• apostles testified to resurrection with power (32)
• God’s authority and power of Jesus’ name theme in
chapters 2-4 (2:30ff; 3:16; 4:11f; 4:18f)
• when give selves to the Lord, experience Jesus’
grace making us rich (2Cor 8:5,9)
• make God our rock rather than set heart on money
(Ps 62:5f,10ff)
• keys to success: understand that God owns it all
(Ron Blue)
• company start-up: debt may deny God an opportunity
to work
...Inspires Caring Community
• filled with awe, believers shared possessions as
needed (2:43ff; 4:32ff)
• church met emergency need for special
post-Pentecost training camp
• voluntary, not compulsory: still belonged to
individuals (5:4)
• practical kindness gave credibility, powerful
witness
Deadly Selfishness
• Ananias & Sapphira kept back part for himself:
pretending, ‘poser’ (5:2)
• faith dead, no love of God if see need and say
words but don’t actually help (Jas 2:15f; 1Jn 3:16ff)
See...Hear
• eye-catching prizes in dream lottery contrasts
with appeal to help African hungry
• churches ought to be assisting local emergencies,
with discretion
• help for panhandler paid off, with gratitude
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