Acts 4:32-37 How to Find Grace to Give Nov 25, 2007
Fourth in a Series of Four: Generous Living
How many of you saw the local news story this week about David Donald, the baseball coach at J.L Mann High School? He had waited five years for a kidney transplant and last week it all came through for him. Fox News carried a similar story on May, 6 of this year. After ten years of marriage, Cindy and Chip Altemos were in the long process of getting a divorce. They separated and even agreed to date other people. However, as they were into the painful separation, Chip was admitted into the hospital with kidney failure. With his health deteriorating rapidly, his soon-to-be ex-wife came to his aid. Chip was already in another relationship at the time, but Cindy decided, "He was still my husband. There was no way I could walk around with two kidneys, and he had none," Cindy told the press. "It was the right thing to do." She agreed to donate a kidney, telling Chip there were no strings attached. The transplant took place on February 21, 2007, and a funny thing happened as they both recovered in the hospital: they fell back in love. Chip thought to himself, Why would I want to date someone else, when I have a woman who would give part of herself so I can keep living? He put an end to his other relationship and asked Cindy to come back home with him. The two celebrated being married 17 years in October.
Can you imagine such generous living and loving? Do you ever wish you could be a more giving person and maybe less of a selfish person? Acts chapter four gives us some clues how we can become more generous living people. This passage shows us some believers who in their love for one another realized that they had enough in Jesus Christ and decided to share with everyone else. Out of that generous living, they experienced great power and even greater love. Would you like to experience greater power and feel more love in your life? This morning, I am completing a four week series on Generous Living. The most important thing we can learn as we finish this series is that abundant generosity comes out of love. As Cindy did for her husband, when we love much, we will give much.
How does such a love begin within us? It begins when we are born again into the family of God. When we enter into relationship with Christ, we are born again into the family of God. And God’s family is a generous family. Our elder brother, Jesus Christ, lived with an extravagant generosity in all that he did. His life was marked by love and giving himself away. This is the basic reality of God. God so loved the world that He gave. And the family of God is also generous people.
When Charlie was born, numerous people said, “Oh, he looks just like you. Or he looks just like his mom.” I thought to myself, “No he doesn’t. He is just a baby.” But in a certain way he did resemble us. There was a family resemblance. There is something special about the physical resemblance that identifies the oneness of the family. The child is identified with his father or his mother. And as the child grows, he comes to look more and more like family. Similarly, God is pleased when God sees a family resemblance in us though our actions and our attitudes. When we are part of the family of God, we should take on a family likeness of loving and giving. So how can we do that?
Step one: Begin with prayer. Acts 4:33 says that the Apostles were filled with great power. That power came to them beginning back in chapter two when they spent ten days in prayer after Jesus had physically left them. On the tenth day, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they were filled with a new power. If we want the power to live generous lives, then we begin in serious prayer. Get honest with God in careful-listening prayer and God will honor you with divine guidance. In prayer, God will guide you in where and how He wants you to give of yourself. Pray to God and listen for God’s guidance. Generous living starts in prayer. How can you start of more authentic prayer life? Well, one great step would be to attend the revival weekend that our church will host on the weekend of Feb 29-Mar 2. That whole weekend, we will have guest teachers from the Upper Room Ministries who are going to lead us in learning to pray. The weekend is called “Lord, Teach Us to Pray” and will start Friday night, run all day Saturday, and conclude in worship on Sunday morning. Listen, if you are serious about prayer or would like to get serious about prayer, then you must come to this weekend. If you want to move beyond your own selfish living and take on the generous living of God, then you start on your knees in prayer.
Step two: Vs. 32 says that all the believers were of one heart and soul. A generous life happens as we become more connected to those around us. As we become one with others in heart and soul, we just naturally live a more generous life with those people. As we love others more, we will give more of ourselves to others. Think for a moment about the people whom you love the most. I bet those are the people to whom you give the most of yourself in time, money, thoughts, energy. So how much are you giving of yourself to the body of Christ, to the people of God, to the Church? The more we are connected and in love with the family of God, the more we will give of ourselves. But the opposite is also true. The more we invest and become involved in the life of the Church, the more we will fall in love. Listen. Too many of us are waiting until we feel like giving. We live by our emotions and when we feel moved, then we give some money, commit some time, or help with a church project. But you can change how your emotions. If you will invest your life in the work of God, when you get involved and stop sitting on the side lines, then you will feel differently about God and His work. How many of you saw the Clemson-Carolina game last night? What a finish as Clemson literally won the game in the last second with a field goal. People will be talking about that kicker for some time to come. But do you think many people will be talking about the referees? No. The referees do not play in the game. They make no investment of themselves. The referees are the people who stand around and pass judgment on what the players are doing. Listen. The Church of Jesus Christ today has too many referees: people standing around, not really involved but judging what others are doing. You must get involved to really feel the love of God. No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee.
Spend some time in prayer to seek what God wants you to do. Connect more with the Body of Christ, the Church. Finally step three is crucial: Make a public commitment to live generously. We are told in Vs 34-35 and again in vs. 37 that these people brought what they had and laid it at the Apostles feet. They did not make a private commitment. They publicly came forward and gave of themselves. Why is that? When we make something public, we bind ourselves to keep the commitment. Sometimes, people ask me why they need to join the church in a public ceremony. “Can’t I just keep coming?” they will say. I ask them if they loved their husband or wife before they got married. Inevitably they respond, “Of course.” “Why did you get married, then?” I’ll ask. “What is gained in the wedding ceremony?” The answer is simple. The public commitment seals the bond before God and the congregation. It is instructive that not once, but twice in this brief passage we are told that they brought what they had and “laid it at the apostles’ feet.” They made a public commitment to live generously. We are to do the same. Those who come to unite with our Church as members are asked “will you faithfully participate in the ministries of this church by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service?” If you are a member here today, then at some point you have responded to some such question. This morning, I want to ask you that question again. Will you faithfully participate in the ministries of this church by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service? As you listen in prayer, God is guiding you. If you have a love for God and His people, then you are called to action. This morning, I invite you to make a public commitment. As we sing our final hymn, I would invite you to this altar to answer that question before God and your fellow brothers and sisters. Will you faithfully participate in the ministries of this church by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service? As we sing hymn 405 and then 399, I invite you to come and make a commitment. Come alone or come as a family. Pray together here and tell God that you are committed to live a generous life of service and giving. Amen.