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SERMON SERIES: We’re continuing a sermon series through the book of Acts. Today we’ll read about the early church.
They Had Everything in Common
32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Ananias and Sapphira
5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you[a] sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
In this part of God’s Word we see the early church in action and doing some amazing things! Even so, not everyone is motivated by the right factors. Today, we’ll look at the difference between peoples’ motivations and realize:
1. God cares about our intentions
Prov. 16:2, 21:2, 1 Sam. 15:22, 16:7, Heb. 4:12, 1 Cor. 4:5, Ps. 139:23-24
- Bad intentions lead to severe consequences
Acts 5:4-5, Rom. 6:23, Matt. 7:21-23, 25:41-46
- Knowingly going along with bad intentions, also leads to severe consequences
Acts 5:8-10, Prov. 1:8-19, Ex. 23:1-3, Eph. 5:11, 1 Cor. 5:9-13
- Our bad intentions will negatively affect others
Acts 5:6, 10-11, Rom. 5:12, Prov. 10:1, Heb. 12:15
- The Lord’s will should be our ultimate motivator
Acts 4:36-37, Luke 22:42, James 4:13-16, Matt. 6:33
- Doing the Lord’s will positively affects others
Acts 4:32-33, Deut. 5:10, 7:9, Ex. 20:6, Rom. 12:14
- Doing the Lord’s will furthers His Kingdom
Acts 5:14, Col. 4:5-6, Rom. 14:17, Heb. 12:28
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Acts 4:32-5:11 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- What surprised you as we talked about it?
- As you reflect on this sermon series, what questions come to mind?
- What would you say are the top things that motivate you? Are those God-honoring motivators?
Diving In
1. God cares about what motivates us. What would you say are the top things that motivate you? Are those God-honoring motivators?
2. Think through the relationships in your life. Are you going along with anyone else’s sin? If so, how, and why have you gone along with it? What do you need to do to stop going along with their sin?
3. Spend some time prayerfully thinking through the legacy that you’re leaving. What kind of legacy are you leaving, and to whom are you leaving it to? Does the legacy that you’re leaving glorify God? What changes need to be made in your life?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?