If You Believe In It You Finance It

Acts 4:32
The Believers Share Their Possessions
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.

The church presented at the beginning of the book of Acts has been correctly referred to as the ideal church. A church that heeds the instructions of Jesus to pray until they receive the power of the Holy Spirit. A church that boldly preached to a world that questioned their sobriety. A church that did not flinch in the face of persecution. A church that was united without any discrimination like never before. This and much better is what God and the world still expect from the church even today.

The book is referred to as the Acts of the Apostles. What the Apostles did for Christ is recorded here. The bold preaching of Apostles. The problem solving of Apostles by creating deacons’ office so that they remain focused on preaching which is the main mission. “Apostles” today would not delegate sharing of food to the needy because they want to give it to their relatives and pocket some to grow rich. In this book we see Apostles gathering for the Jerusalem council to genuinely discuss a difference in opinion on matters affecting the church and all parties leaving satisfied that God’s will has been done, and not one group cleverly schemed to outwit the other. You and I are Apostles, what are our actions for the Lord Jesus if this book was to be written today? Are we on the same trajectory?

Our text today tells us that the believers in this ideal church gave all they had and shared everything equally. They invested in the mission of the church so as to empower each member to participate. They knew that if there was a disparity in material ability there would be a disparity in mission. They knew that mission required resources. They believed in the church and its mission and without coercion, they gave generously. If you believe in it you finance it!

They believed that if you give you will be blessed, so they gave. They believed that it will not profit anyone anything to own a lot in this world and have no passion for eternal life. They believed in the business of the church they belonged to. If you believe in it you finance it!

Their giving was not tokenism but generous giving. Tokenism is where you give symbolically. Tokenism is where you give for the record. Tokenism is where the main concern is not how much you gave but that you gave. Tokenism giving is not concerned about the mission and whether what you gave is enough to finance it. Tokenism is about the image of the giver. Tokenism is also dependent on promotions and reminders to give. Tokenism is hypocrisy at its best since it is giving without giving. You give little enough to be noted and appreciated but so little that it is of no effect on the work at hand.

Acts 4:34-35
(34) 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.

Tokenism giving will always have incomplete work over long periods of time. Tokenism giving will never satisfy the needy amongst us. In the early church, there was no tokenism and therefore there were no needy persons among them. There were no budget shortages. There were no programs that couldn’t be funded. The giving was so generous and the needs were fully satisfied. When Ananias and Sapphira tried to do tokenism in their giving, God killed them on the spot, see Acts chapter five.

The givers trusted the leaders with their giving. The leaders used the funds freely and no one felt that their money was misused. When the congregation complained about spending and sharing of the money, the Apostles openly addressed that matter as recorded in Acts chapter six and even delegated the matter so that it was above board. The problem was delegated to men full of the spirit and not men who are experts first, or relatives and friends. This kind of transparency is still expected in the church even today.

Acts 4:36-37
(36) Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), (37) sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Joseph was a Levite. As a Levite, he was supposed to be serving in the temple. As a Levite, he was supposed to be among Jews who oppose Christianity. As a Levite he was supposed to be pro-Jews who hate Christianity that accommodates gentiles. Yet when he was converted, he gave evidence of his conversion by his giving. He sold his own piece of land and gave the money to the church. The evidence of conversion is not just understanding the teachings of the church and active participation. The evidence of conversion must include a generous giving to support the mission of the church. You are not truly converted if you are reluctant to support the mission of the church you have joined. Your conversion is fake if your giving is tokenism. If you believe in it you finance it!

May God help us to be truly converted that it will be demonstrated in our understanding of church teachings, active participation, and above all else in our generous giving, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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