Acts 2:42-47 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” This has commonly been misunderstood that the early Christian Church were Communists. However it is not true that they lived together in one very big commune, but rather that they sold their possessions to meet the needs of the body of Christ. One thing we must remember is that when a person comes to the Lord, they are newly born again and are in great need of being taught the ways of the Lord. They get born again and then they wonder “Okay, what now?” They, like all of us had, have a need to be discipled. After Peter’s sermon and the subsequent birth of three thousand new converts, they all needed discipling. Many of them were there with the intention of a short stay for the Holy Day. If they were to stay longer, many would need supplies to do so. This could have been why the Christians were selling possessions, so that they could help these new converts. Also they could have been helping the needs of their neighbors. Nothing in these verses indicates that they lived together, but rather that they sold their good to meet the needs of others. Jon Courson points out that they had everything in common by stating that they were “Commonists” and not “Communists.” The big difference is that communism says “what’s yours is mine.” Commonism states “What’s mine is yours.” Don’t be misled, the early church were not Communists.
The heart is the difference between them establishing a subculture of communism and them moving as the Lord led them from the love of God in their hearts. Pastor Courson shared this little story: The story is told that a number of years ago in London’s Hyde Park, where free speech is the order of the day, a Communist took the podium, pointed to an impoverished elderly gentleman in the crowd, and said ‘When the Communists are in charge, they will put a new suit on that old man!” A pastor in the audience responded, ‘When Christ is in charge, He’ll put a new man in that old suit.’”
Family, it is always about the heart! These Believers did not have their hearts on their possessions, but rather on Jesus and the Kingdom of God. With the Holy Spirit within them, their hearts were changed, and being continually changed, so that the love for and of God ruled. The loved God and that being so, they loved and cared for each other.
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” These people met in the temple courts. Some think that they met and participated in the sacrifices. However, that seems unlikely since Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice for all sins (Hebrews 7:27, 9:26, 10:2, 10:10). However, they may have met at the temple and were present at the ceremonies, though not themselves were not giving for the sacrifice. They certainly were there witnessing, including healings and exorcisms, to the people who were there (Acts 3, 12:12-16, 17-21).
They continued with sincere and glad hearts to meet together, to share meals together and to encourage each other. They loved each other and blessed each other. Family, the fact that Jesus was now in control of their lives was manifest for all to see. The love of God within them was fully on display to all.
“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” With their hearts bent on obeying the Lord, with His love flowing through them, the number of them was increased…daily. Are our churches “daily” growing? See, their numbers grew because of their love and obedience. They were zealous to share Jesus and they loved meeting together. They loved their Brothers and Sisters in Christ more than their possessions. Family, we all should examine ourselves, can we say our hearts and minds are truly like that of the early church. If we truly want to see people come to the Lord, we must first truly yield. That is the Biblical example of church growth. Again, it’s all about the heart. A heart that is yielded and compliant. A mind after the Word and will of God. If we can be so, the world around us will be very different. Please allow me to boldly say that, starting with me, we fall very short.
Let’s us praise God and be fully yielded to Him. After all, Jesus gave all, shouldn’t we?
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.