By Pastor Greg
The kid had swallowed a coin and it got stuck in his throat. Panicking, his mother ran out in the street yelling for help. A man passing by took the boy by his shoulders and hit him with a few strong strokes on the back, and he coughed the coin out. "I don't know how to thank you, doctor," his mother started. "I'm not a doctor," the man replied. "I'm from the IRS."
Seems we always make light of the IRS and their ability to squeeze every penny they can out of the American Taxpayer. Most Americans begrudgingly pay their taxes. Many try to find a way to honestly protect their wealth from the prying hands of the IRS. Some even cheat. But our government needs our money. It is quite busy not only protecting this country but caring for the needs of the people as well. There are a lot of people in crisis, and the government must step in and help. However, imagine how shocking it would be if a group of Americans saw a great need in this country and stepped in to help instead of asking the government to solve the problem. The people meet the need. They come to the aid of others instead of telling our government to step in and do something.
Something like this did happen once, a long time ago. There was a group who noticed that the government was not caring for the needs of the people. Some were too sick to pay for a doctor. Some were turned away at the Food Bank. Others were out of work because of emotional problems. The community in which they lived did nothing to help them. The local authorities ignored them, and the government didn’t even know they existed. But one group saw them. One group of people cared. The Church saw their need, and did what it could to help them in their need.
Long ago God planed for this. He revealed Himself to us through Christ Jesus. People came to God through this Messiah. They called Him Savior and Lord. Then those who were born again were called together and united as the church. And in the book of Acts we learn what God intended to accomplish through His church; this assembly of believers. Filled with the Spirit, this church proclaims Christ as Lord, they pray for courage, and their eyes are opened to the needs of those around them.
In this early Church we see genuine concern for others. Gone is the selfish “me” centered mentality. We see compassion and love being demonstrated by the church. Seeing the needs of others, this assembly of believers doesn’t wait for the government to step in and help. They take matters into their own hands. (Read Acts 4:32-37).
Don’t be confused by the events here. The point was not that they sold things to help others. The point is that they became a family; a community. Instead of being selfish or indifferent to the needs of others, they did whatever they could to help those in need.
This is a wonderful story about the early church. Not only did they care about the Spiritual needs of others, but they truly had become a family. But I want you to look specifically at verse 33. “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33). What do you suppose they were doing that testified about the resurrection? To answer this question, we need ask a question. Why did Luke feel it necessary to point out this attitude of community among the early church in the first place? Why were their attitudes and actions so significant? This answer can be found by looking at the attitudes and actions within the culture.
As we look back through the New Testament we get a glimpse into some of the common attitudes and actions of the people. We read about a Jewish lawyer who asked Jesus to define who his neighbor was (Luke 10:29). Apparently he wasn’t very neighborly, and wanted to justify his actions. We see selfishness from the crowd through the eyes of a cripple (John 5:7). No one would take the time to help this man. Everyone was more concerned about themselves. The helpless were left to fend for themselves (Acts 3:2). Even if they couldn’t heal this man, at least they could have raised some money to support him. But instead they carried him to this spot every day and dropped him there. Now I’m not saying every Jew in Israel had this attitude, but it sure seems Luke was lifting up the actions of the early church as highly unusual. Apparently people just didn’t care for one another in this way.
It’s possible that the witness Luke mentions here was not just in words but in deeds as well. In the early church there was community. A person was made to feel welcomed; that here was a place they could belong. Everyone made everyone feel like someone cared. No one was marginalized. No one was forgotten. And this becomes significant when you consider that this church of over 5000 people was filled with ex prostitutes, former cripples, Levites, Priests, fishermen, tax collectors, those freed from demons, political activist, and those formerly dead. They all felt like they belonged.
In this church, the people were so driven by a love for others that when they saw a need they said “I have an extra bed you can have”. “I have an extra car”. “I can pay your rent this month”. “Here’s a load of wood for your stove”. It is this depth of love and caring that becomes another powerful way to testify about Christ’s resurrection. Sure the apostles preached this, but the church lived this. And because of this love, the community of believers became a testimony to Jesus.
Somehow it seems this attitude of community has been forgotten. It seems the church has moved from “we” to “me”. You can sense it when people start using the word “I”. “I don’t like this” or “That’s not what I would do”. You can tell community is missing in a church when other worshipers are referred to as “them” or “they”. A church that is filled with this type of selfishness has lost its ability to testify about Jesus. No matter what that church says about Jesus, no one will believe because in that church there is no community.
Jesus said “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35). So if I am going to be a Christian then I must admit that indeed I am my brother’s keeper (Genesis 4:9). I know when he falls. I know when he is weak. I know when he is in need. And I willingly stretch out my hand and ask “What can I do to help.”
No one was beyond the grace of Jesus. No one was beyond His care. And because Jesus truly cared about others, we cannot call ourselves a follower of Christ and ignore those whom Christ has loved. We cannot turn a blind eye toward those we can help. If we do; if we truly become so self-focused that we no longer care even for one another, then we have truly lost the ability to testify about Jesus. If we don’t even care for one another the world will not believe that we care for them.
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