Acts 4 - What a Good Church Looks Like!

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The Believers Share Their Possessions

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
After Peter and John healed the man begging at the temple gate, they continued to preach the gospel, which this chapter summarizes as, "The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of Jesus".  As they preached this "pure gospel", many came to believe and it caused quite a stir among the Jewish leaders.  After all they thought, "Didn't we get rid of Jesus?"  The apostles were doing the same things that Jesus did, and many thousands of people began to follow and believe in the gospel of Jesus. 
So the rulers brought Peter and John in to interrogate them.  But under the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter stood his ground and challenged the leaders back.  After all what would they arrest them for, healing a man who had been lame for 40 years.  They realized they could do nothing or else face a riot, so they let Peter and John go.  As they went back to the believers and recounted what God done, the gathered church rejoiced in prayer, and the meeting place was shaken it was so filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  The other night we had a 4.5 magnitude earthquake and my house shook pretty good.  But this was more of a "spirit-quake".  
Finally, we see in the above passage the community of the first church.  They were of one mind and spirit.  They united around the preaching of Jesus crucified on Good Friday, and raised from the dead on Easter morning. As a sign of their unity everyone gave to those in need and everyone had enough.  One believer, later named Barnabas, sold his land and laid it at the feet of the apostles.  Later this would be Paul's missionary partner.  He obviously had a heart for the gospel. 
So we see how the church started, how they were empowered and emboldened by the Holy Spirit, and how God's provision and protection for everyone.   
So the question for today is...does our church look anything like this?  

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