Community: Acts 4:32-35

In our first online sermon since we have not been able to meet together in person, Pastor Kent Smith shares how the early church existed in COMMUNITY.

We know these days are hard and no online service can take the place of meeting together in person. But our prayer is that you see the love of Jesus and show the love of Jesus to those around you. Lord willing, we will be back together soon.

SERMON NOTES:

COMMUNITY ESSENTIALS

Text: Acts 4:3-35

UNITY

You cannot have COMMUNITY without UNITY

The church was called “the congregation of those who believed.”

To ‘congregate’ is to come together.

They were of “one heart and soul”

They had the same purpose.

They had the same goals.

They had the same beliefs.

They had the same concerns.

They held all things in COMMON

EVERYONE SHARED EVERYTHING

Not one of them (EVERYONE)

Claimed that anything (EVERYTHING)

Belonging to them was their own (SHARED)

ALL THINGS WERE COMMON PROPERTY TO THEM

Their testimony of the RESURRECTION

The Power of a Testimony

Telling what you have seen

Telling what you have experienced

The Power of the Resurrection

God brings the dead to life

Jesus was dead but He lives again

(God has the power to redeem ANY circumstance)

ABUNDANT GRACE for ALL

The GRACE of God was extended

Grace is the undeserved favor of God granted at His initiative

The measure of grace is ABUNDANT

God’s grace is not merely adequate

God’s grace is more than sufficient

God’s gives out ABUNDANT grace: MORE THAN ENOUGH

The target of His grace was EVERY BELIEVER

Every believer is saved by God’s great grace

The IMPACT of true COMMUNITY

No one was needy!

Those who had worldly goods shared them

Those who had more than needed sold their property

Those who sold property donated it to the church

The leaders distributed it according to need

(Why is this so rare today?)

Building COMMUNITY

1. Community requires compassion from us for others

2. Community requires unity in surrender to God’s purposes

3. Community requires detachment from personal possessions

4. Community requires grace to overcome our insecurities

5. Community requires faith to overcome our fears

6. Community requires love in action

Practicing COMMUNITY

Show Compassion and Concern

Pray with one another

Be generous

Serve others

Be positive: He has given abundant grace

YOU CANNOT HAVE COMMUNITY WITHOUT BOTH “U” and “I”