The Generosity Factor
Read the Text: Acts 4
Memorize the Text: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)
Consider the Text: Acts 4:32-37
Followers of Christ ought to be generous people. The generosity flows from the unity in the body, and the focus centers on the common good of the community of faith. As a result, proper generosity occurs when we abandon the self and focus on supporting the unity and work of the local body of believers. In Acts 4:32-37, Luke described the generous nature of the first-century church as they lived in a manner of having all things in common.
Luke described the giving heart comes from a great sense of UNITY. Luke described the church as having one mind, heart, and mission. The significance centers on the oneness and togetherness of the early church. With one heart, the church lived in a manner that demonstrated genuine love and passion for one another. Such a heart came from a renewed heart that had become new because of the work of Christ. Today, we need to seek to live with an authentic love for one another that extends from a renewed heart.
The early church demonstrated how to live with one mind. The presence of a renewed mind because of Christ led to the ability to link together toward one common goal. The goal sets the target by which the mind focuses to live for. At the same time, the one mind demonstrated how they thought about life through a common Christian worldview. Today, the church must overcome the temptation of individualism and understand what it means to live in one mind.
The existence of one heart and mind allowed the church to focus on one mission. The mission centered on the Great Commission of living in disciple-making. They sought to obey the truth taught by the apostles and desired to be the hands and feet of Jesus that impacted the world. So today, there must be a common mission with other believers to live out the Great Commission.
Luke noted the early church lived FILLED with generosity. The church experienced generosity because of the presence of the gospel. God demonstrates generosity by extending the gift of eternal life through the message of the gospel and the response to that message in faith. Thus, believers become filled with the desire to be generous with the gospel and to be generous in helping meet the needs of others. The early church's attitude demonstrated sacrifice instead of selfishness and concerned herself with others instead of the self. Today, believers need to live filled with generosity because of the presence of the gospel and the desire to impact the lives of others because of the gospel.
Luke drew a link between generosity and generous GIVING. The ability to give generously occurs when recognizing God’s generosity occurs. God demonstrated generosity first and set the model for how to live in that manner. When the early church recognized God’s generosity, they were motivated to follow his lead and give generously to his work. They recognize that God would never be outgiven. Likewise, we give not because God expects it but because we respond to the great generosity of God.
The church today needs to understand the PRACTICAL side of generosity. The early church modeled three important reminders concerning the practical nature of giving. First, the early church challenges us to meet the needs of others and the church through sacrificial giving. The members of the first-century church gave sacrificially because of their unity and desire to see the kingdom of God expanded. Second, the early church modeled the importance of unity over individualism. We see the impact of abandoning our desires and wants for the sake of the cross and the overall movement of the church. Third, the early church found giving together to increase the expansion of the gospel. The same exists today. When we practice stewardship together, we provide needed support for the work of the Lord. As you think about the early church model, what characteristics of generosity are you practicing, and what do you need to grow in?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
