Sermon Tone Analysis

The Most Heavenly Place on Earth

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - Aug. 4, 2013

*We used to go to Heavenly Ham a good bit.

And the ham was very good, but I wouldn't say it was heavenly.

On Friday I plugged the word "heavenly" into Google and got over 51 million hits.

You can go to the "Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort" in California, the "Heavenly Café" in Florida, and the "Heavenly Cupcake" store in San Diego.

Now, all of those places may be five star, first class establishments, but they're not really heavenly.

*Can we find at least a little bit of Heaven on earth?

-- The answer is yes, because the Lord's church is on earth.

And the most heavenly place on earth ought to be the church of the Lord Jesus Christ!

1.

The early church helps us see this truth here in the Word of God, and first we see that God wants His church to be united.

*As vs. 32 says, "The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul."

The early Christians were together in their hearts, together in their souls, together in their thoughts and in their feelings, together in their wishes, hopes and dreams.

*God wants us to have that kind of unity and harmony, but that can be hard because, well because we are people.

That's why Frederick the Great once said, "The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog." (1)

*We people can be difficult.

Think about it this way: Who is the person you love most in this world?

Men, if you are married, the correct answer is: "Your wife."

*But do you get along with your wife all the time?

Do you get along with the person you love the most all the time?

Probably not.

And if that is true, then how can you expect to get along with the rest of us all the time?

The answer is: we can’t.

*And by the beginning of Acts 6, there were already some problems in the early church.

But here is the truth: Christians ought to get along better than anyone else in the world!

That's because we have the mind of Christ, the love of Christ, and the Spirit of Jesus Christ living in us.

*Christians also ought to get along better than anyone else, because our love for one another is one of the greatest witnesses we have to this lost and dying world.

In John 13:34-35, the Lord expressed it this way on the night before the cross:

34.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

*The most heavenly place on earth ought to be the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's why God wants His church to be united.

2.

He also wants us to be unselfish.

*This truth is clear to us in the last part of vs. 32, which says: "Neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common."

*God wants His people to be unselfish.

We see this truth again in vs. 34-35:

34.

Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,

35.

and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

*There is no Biblical evidence that these drastic measures were taken in the other New Testament churches.

In fact, the other churches later took up collections for the church at Jerusalem.

But here you had a difficult and desperate situation.

These Jewish Christians had come to Jerusalem from many different nations.

They came for the Feast of Pentecost, and expected to soon go home.

But they got saved and stayed.

*On top of that, persecution was just around the corner.

In fact, the persecution had already started to a degree.

Even before the cross, John 9:22 tells us that the Jewish rulers had: "Agreed already that if anyone confessed that (Jesus) was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue."

*And John Gill explained that being put out of the synagogue at the extreme meant "that and he might neither hire, nor be hired; and the other people did not trade with him, nor did they employ him in any business, unless in very little, just to keep him alive.

Being put out also meant that his possessions could be confiscated."

(2)

*The situation was grave in Jerusalem.

And the principle for us is that as the Lord leads, we should generously help those who are in need.

God wants all believers to be generous givers: giving our time, giving our talents, giving our tithes and offerings for the glory of God.

*And if we are really growing spiritually, we will.

Melvin Newland put it this way:

-"If you’re grumbling and complaining, if you’re not joyful in the Lord, it is probably a strong indication that you are not growing in the Lord.

*On the other hand, growing Christians are excited about what the Lord is doing.

You know that He is coming again, and you’re excited about what He is going to do in His church between now and the time that He comes.

You’re also excited about what He is going to do in your life and in your home, because growing Christians are joyful Christians.

And growing Christians are willing Christians.

*The growing Christian says, 'Sure, I’ll be an usher.

Sure, I’ll help set up the chairs and tables.

I’ll help clean up the kitchen.

I’ll teach the class.

I’ll be glad to do whatever needs to be done.'

*And whenever the offering plate comes, they contribute, not because their arms have been twisted.

They give because they love God, and they’re growing in their faith.

They give with a happy feeling because they’re part of the most important work on the face of the earth.

(3)

*This past June we gave our VBS offering to Clara Linda Wilkes.

She was serving with the North American Mission Board in North Carolina.

We sent about $535 to help Clara Linda, and here is part of the thank-you letter she wrote:

*"Dear Pastor Crandall and beloved Grayson Baptist church family,

-Thank you so much for the gift of money.

It was and is an unbelievable offering of love and support, especially for a former church member.

I have donated $200.00 to Jackson Line Baptist Church, and $300.00 to S.W.A.R.M. (That is the Southwest Area Resort Ministry in North Carolina).

I kept the remainder for myself.

I had to buy a GPS system.

Finding my way in these mountains has been unbelievable!"

*Think how blessed she was by the generosity of our church family.

That's one reason why God wants His church to be unselfish.

3.

He also wants us to be unleashed.

*God doesn't want His church to be tied down by our fears and failures.

He wants us to be on offense for the Kingdom of Christ!

So vs. 33 says: "With great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

And great grace was upon them all."

[1] God wants His church to be unleashed.

This means He wants us to be bold in our witness.

*We need boldness like the apostles had in vs. 33.

There "with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. .

."

*Remember the opposition that the early church already faced.

Peter and John had just been hauled before the highest court in the land.

And they were threatened to stop telling people about Jesus.

*Please listen to this part of the story up in vs. 15-20:

15.

But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

16. saying, "What shall we do to these men?

For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

17.

But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.''

18.

And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

19.

But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.