Rejoice and Tremble - Acts 4:32-5:11
On Sunday, Benjamin preached on Acts 4:32-5:11, encouraging us to be a church that is united and generous, deeply rooted in the grace and fear of God.
In the end of Acts 4, we see that all the believers displayed great unity. They were all of one heart and soul (see Acts 4:32), and as they followed Jesus together, they displayed radical generosity, being extremely open-handed with their possessions. As Benjamin pointed out, their possessions did not enslave them; rather, the believers lived in freedom to give generously as need arose. Joseph, called Barnabas (meaning “son of encouragement”), was one example of a person who gladly gave for the benefit of others, selling a field and laying the money at the apostles’ feet.
This radical generosity, as Benjamin said, was not the result of social pressure, coercion, or manipulation. Rather, this generosity was evidence of hearts changed by the Holy Spirit. The believers were satisfied in the Lord, so they felt no need to grasp their possessions tightly. They would rather have met needs for one another than accumulated wealth for themselves. The Lord was their treasure.
This picture of unity and generosity can be contrasted with the actions of Ananias and Sapphira in the beginning of Acts 5. Ananias, with his wife Sapphira’s knowledge, sold a piece of property and kept some of the proceeds for himself, giving away only a part of what he had made. Peter made it clear that Ananias did not have to sell their field in the first place, and even after he did sell it, he did not have to give all the proceeds away. However, it seems likely that Ananias and Sapphira had made a commitment to the Lord to give the money away and had gone back on their commitment. They had intentionally sinned against God, and their deceptive act threatened the close community enjoyed by believers around them.
Recognizing what had happened, Peter confronted Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit. He said he had not lied to man but to God (see Acts 5:4). After being confronted for his sin, Ananias fell down and died. Only a few hours later, Peter had a similar interaction with Sapphira, who had no knowledge that her husband had just recently died. When given the chance to come clean, she continued in her deceit. Peter confronted her, and she also died and she was buried alongside her husband. Acts 5:11 captures the widespread response to these events, saying, “And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.” (ESV)
While we might at first find this story uncomfortable, it’s important for us to read it and experience its intended effect. God’s people are called to fear Him. Like Benjamin explained, this fear is not a paralyzing fear that one might experience under a capricious tyrant, but rather, a reverent, humble fear that draws one to take refuge in God. It is a fear that causes believers to tremble before God’s holiness and power, and cling tightly to Him. It is a fear that draws people to God, not away from Him.
Benjamin gave us three final takeaways from this passage. For one, in this passage we see that God is jealously protective over His church. He gives severe mercies to protect believers. Additionally, we should reflect on the truth that our sins are never just against one another; they are always primarily against God. People who take sin lightly take God lightly. Third, we should remember that we have each sinned and incurred God’s judgment, but we who trust in Christ have been completely saved from this judgment through Christ. We should rejoice and tremble before God, and turn from any sins of which we’re convicted.
Resources:
Fearless Fear - Paul Tripp
Generosity - Kent Hughes
Reflection Questions:
How does the early church’s unity and generosity encourage or challenge you?
Why is it right to fear God? What are some of the blessings of doing so?
Are you convicted of any sins in your life?