Mission-Driven Community (Acts 4:32–37)

This is Acts chapter 4, verses 32 through 37:

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.

Well, I would title this study from Acts 4, “Mission-Driven Community.” Acts records for us the intensity of community that was shared by these early followers of Jesus. There are five characteristics of this community.

First, it was mutual; it was sacrificial; it was voluntary; it was unified; and it was loving. Mutual, sacrificial, voluntary, unified, and loving. And I would just ask you, is there anywhere in your life, right here, right now, where you experience this kind of community? But what marked out this community was not self-interest. I think, often, our joy in community is that we are around cool people who like us, and we get a buzz from that. And, you know, it is the joy of just being around people who get you and with whom you can have fun. And surely, they had those kinds of experiences.

But what drove this community was something deeper and more profound. That’s why I called it “A missional kind of community.” These believers had a sense of the mission that they had been redeemed to be part of, and that mission needed to be funded. And so, they shared everything in common and held nothing back. They made sure that no one was left needy so that they could give themselves to the proclamation of the gospel of the resurrection and victory of Jesus Christ.

And as I was studying this passage, it left me with these questions: “Where would I be willing to go? What would I be willing to do? How much would I be willing to sacrifice to do what God has called for me to do?” I was confronted with the fact that I like my private life; I like my protected spaces; I like the stuff that belongs to me. Part of that is how I define “the good life,” and where would I be if God would ask me to give away all of that to make hard, life-altering, personal sacrifices so that his will could be done through me and in the lives of others?

I mean, let’s be honest. We get upset at the sacrifices we have to make in our marriages (you know, “Who was your servant last week?”), in our friendships, in our parenting. We often get irritated when our churches or ministries lay out their financial needs too often and seem to ask us to give a little bit more. And so, this community puts in front of us this question, “Am I willing to give to my Lord whatever he asks of me?”

The purpose of this passage being recorded for us is not that we would replicate this kind of community. There’s a way in which this community was unique and needed because of the needs of the early church. But the principle of willing sacrifice so that I can be part of what God is doing still stands. The passage reminds us of something important (Acts 4:33). It says that “great grace was upon them all.” As Philippians 2:12-13 says, “. . . for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure,” so that you both desire and have the ability to do what he has called for you to do!

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion

1. When you read passages like this one from Acts 4, what draws you to it and makes you want to rejoice? What irritates you and makes you want to recoil? Why do you think you react the way you do, whether positively or negatively?

2. Keeping in mind that this isn’t necessarily meant to be prescriptive for all modern Christians, what specific sacrifices might God be calling you to make so that the body of Christ around you benefits from it? If you knew God was calling you, where would you be willing to go? What would you be willing to do? How much would you be willing to sacrifice to do what God has called for you to do?

3. Take some time to pray through those potential God-calling questions you just read and be willing to write down specific answers to them. This could be a little scary, but remember that the One who calls you is faithful, loving, trustworthy, and good. His calling on your life is always what is best for you.

4. What kind of Christian community are you involved with in your local church? Is there a specific ministry at your church that God might want you to join, one that goes deeper than surface-level questions and short answers that never help you really know others or be known yourself? If you aren’t involved, what is your plan for plugging in and making yourself known and vulnerable to the other believers you’re connecting with?

Conversation Prompts to Use with Children

For Younger Children:

• What is community? Why do you think God wants us as Christians to be involved in community? Why is Christian community different than other kinds of community, and how can we make that a part of our normal lives?
• What does it mean to personally sacrifice? Can you give me an example of someone who has sacrificed for the good of others? Why do you think God wants us to live lives of sacrifice?
• What do you think it would be like to live in community while also living a life of sacrifice within that community? Can you think of some ways that we can do that?

For Older Children:

• What do you think it would be like to live in a community that was dedicated to self-sacrificial love? What could be a few examples of self-sacrificial love in the context of community?
• Why do you think God wants us to live in community with other Christians as we walk with him? Why is community always better than isolation (being alone all the time)?
• In what ways can you and I live in self-sacrificial community with other people in our church? Where might God be calling us to plug in in ways we don’t currently experience with other Christians?