SUNDAY - MARCH 30, 2025 “Kingdom Devotion” Acts 4:32-37

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Okay, everybody, this morning we're going to be in Acts, chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

We're going to end the fourth chapter this morning as you turn there.

When I was in college there was a cowboy movie that was very popular at the time.

Notice, I said cowboy, not western, because it really wasn't a western.

It was a movie about a guy named Lane Frost who was a rodeo cowboy.

The movie was eight seconds and in this movie Lane traveled the country with two of his buddies, tuff and Cody, and went to rodeo every weekend and Tuff was really hard on Lane, gave him a hard time, gave him a tough time that's dad joke, you're welcome, but gave him a hard time.

And one day in one rodeo Lane got stepped on by a bull and he was in the first aid tent there with Tuff and Lane began to talk about how he might quit and just thinking about just giving up the dream of being a road bull rider.

And Tuff said yeah, just go ahead and quit.

Just go ahead and quit.

And later, when you're sitting on your rocking chair and your grandkids come up, you can tell them how you were the greatest bull rider ever.

But you quit.

And Lane said the greatest, you're always telling me how I'm the worst.

He said well, if you believe everything, lane, you're dumber than I thought.

He said I got two words for you, cowboy up.

At those two words, lane sat up and looked at himself in the mirror.

Then he got up and he went and rode a bull and actually won the rodeo, even despite the injury.

Today, those two words reminded Lane Frost, reminded him of sacrifices that were made so he could ride bulls.

It reminded him of sacrifices that were made so he could ride bulls.

It reminded him of hard work and dedication that he had put into his sport.

But it also reminded him of devotion.

Today, as we come to Acts, chapter 4, we're going to see some devotion of the first century church.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

We've seen this already.

And back in Acts, chapter 2, verse 42, we saw that the church, century church We've seen this already.

Acts 2:42

And back in Acts, chapter 2, verse 42, we saw that the church was devoted.

Acts 2:42

It says in Acts 2, 42, and they, that's the church, devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship and to the breaking of bread that is, the community, and to the prayers.

We saw back in Acts, chapter 2 that they were devoted to some things and today we're going to see their devotion, some more Basically, the same thing that we saw in Acts, chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention Acts 2 · chapter mention

The church devoted themselves to the fellowship, to the community of one another, and they devoted themselves to the apostles' teachings.

You know, in 2025, sometimes, not necessarily we as DeSoto Hills, but we as the church in large we struggle with our devotion, with the things that we are devoted to, and hopefully, today, in our passage, we can understand that we must, as the first century church was, we must be devoted to the kingdom of God.

We must devote ourselves entirely, more than anything else, to the kingdom of God.

So the challenge today for us is to do that.

To do just that To recognize and find that love and devotion that we have to one another and then also to the word of God.

So today, the question that we want to seek to and that we seek to answer is this how then, if they were devoted these things, how were they devoted to these things?

So let's read this morning from Acts, chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

We're going to start in verse 32.

If you are read this morning from Acts, chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

We're going to start in verse 32.

If you are able this morning to stand with me as we give honor to the reading of God's Word Acts, chapter 4,.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

We're going to start in verse 32.

Now, the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul.

No one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common and, with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

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 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Thus, joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas, which means son of encouragement, a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Let's pray together, god.

We are so thankful for today and we are thankful for this opportunity that we have to open your word, god.

We pray that through reading your word, through studying your word, through engaging with your word, you will change us for all eternity, because studying your word, through engaging with your word, you will change us for all eternity.

Because of your word, god, move here in this place today, jesus.

It's in your name we pray.

Amen, you may be seated.

So, again, the question that we want to ask this morning is how did they devote themselves?

We really see four ways that they do this right in those first two verses, in verses 32 and 33, when he says 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, and, with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them.

So we see four things this morning in ways that they devoted themselves to the fellowship, to each other, and then also to the apostles' teaching, to the Word of God.

The first thing we see here is that they now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.

Now, the full number of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.

They were of one heart and one soul.

That saying, though, just saying one heart and one soul, brings about three questions to me that I think we need to answer.

The first is this what was the full number?

Because he says in verse 32, now the full number of those who believed.

What was that full number?

Well, let's just look, even in the book of Acts, at what we find here.

If you go back to Acts, chapter 2, verse 41, that's when Jesus not Jesus, peter stood up on the day of Pentecost and proclaimed Jesus to those who were in the room and those who were around the room that they were in.

Acts 2:41

And what we find in Acts, chapter 2, verses 41, that 3,000 souls, 3,000 souls, believed.

Acts 2:41

And then, if you go even a little bit further, down to verse 47, it tells us that God added to their numbers, day by day, those who believed.

And then, if you go over to Acts chapter 4, remember what happens in Acts chapter 3.

Acts 4 · chapter mention Acts 3 · chapter mention

In Acts chapter 3, peter and John they heal this lame man at the beautiful gate and then they go to Solomon's portico and Peter preaches again.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

And what it tells us in acts chapter four from that sermon that peter preached, that 5 000 men believed.

So even just just taking those, those two numbers, you're looking at about 8 000 people.

Now, if we can assume that any of those people, because in in acts chapter four it just says 5 000 men.

If any of them were married or had family, listen, we're looking at easily over 10,000 people.

You may say, grant, what's the big deal about that?

It's just numbers.

Okay, I get it.

But listen, I hear this excuse all the time.

Grant, it was easy for the first century church to have one heart and one soul because it was just a small number, it was just a few of them.

No, it wasn't.

It wasn't a small number.

We're looking at a large crowd, a significant crowd, a significant number of people who had one heart and one soul, because it tells us all who believed, because it tells us all who believed.

So the second question, then, is this what does it mean when he said they had one heart and one soul?

Well, tony Morita, if you read his commentary, he says this that the focus of this one heart and one soul is on unity, not uniformity.

They were unified.

They didn't become uniform, they were unified.

But think about this If you go back to Acts, chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, in verses 9 and 10 of Acts chapter 2, it tells us all the regions from the people who were in there that heard the message on Pentecost.

Acts 2 · chapter mention Acts 2 · chapter mention

There were people from basically the whole known world at that time who heard the gospel.

Listen.

It would be impossible for people, for so many cultures, to become uniform, to become just the same.

It's not what he's talking about.

Our call is not to be uniform.

God made me, god made you.

He didn't make you to be me and he didn't make me to be you.

He made you to be you and me to be me.

We're not called to be uniform, but we are called to be united, and when he says that they were of one heart and one soul, he is talking about unity.

So, 10 000 people here that were unified, that had this unity.

Well then, how, what?

What was this unity?

How did they maintain this unity?

Because, he understand, this unity was not something that this group created.

I'm convinced of this, that we don't create unity.

I believe unity is a gift given to us from God.

We're not called to create it, we are called to maintain it.

He has given us that gift.

So how, then, did they maintain this unity?

Well, I think they maintain this unity, and I think we can maintain a unity given to us by god through this, keeping our focus on the right thing.

Listen, if we as a church, if we focus on the gospel, if we focus on the right thing Listen if we as a church, if we focus on the gospel, if we focus on the fact that Jesus Christ came, that he lived, that he died, that he arose and we can all have a relationship with God only because of him, if we keep our focus there, I think we gain a sense, we maintain this unity that has been given to us.

So what the apostles did if you go down and look in verse 33 and we're going to talk later about their devotion to this but it says, and with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to hear, listen, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

They were focused on Jesus and that he lived, that he died and that he arose.

There is power in that resurrection.

There is enough power in the resurrection of Jesus to maintain this unity that God has given us.

And when we keep our focus on the resurrection of Jesus and on the gospel of Jesus Christ, it doesn't bring us into uniformity, but it brings us into unity.

We need to keep our focus there.

Listen, I've talked about it here.

I've talked about it here from this pulpit, back when we were in the gospel of John.

How, theologically listen, we can all believe the same things theologically but not have unity.

Listen, but theologically we've got to understand.

We have to order what we believe.

We talked about how there's a first order of belief.

There are these things that we believe that make us Christians altogether.

Then there's a second order that comes and it's things that don't make us Christians altogether.

Then there's a second order that comes and it's things that don't make us Christians, but it's little things that we can believe differently.

That make denominations.

People ask me all the time well, why are there denominations?

Well, because I believe a little bit different than the Methodists believe.

I believe different than the Presbyterians believe, so while I believe they are Christians, listen, there are things that when I'm going to worship I want to believe the same.

That's why we have denominations.

And then there's third order, listen, that means that even in our congregation here, there can be differences, but we can still find unity among those things.

And then finally and be careful for these, because these are so often the most dangerous there's opinions.

Listen, you have an opinion, I have opinion, all God's people have opinions.

Make sure to keep your opinions, opinions and not first order theological doctrines, but also don't be tempted to let your first order theological doctrines become opinions.

Listen, when we hold these things and when we keep the gospel in focus like this, we become united Not uniform, but united.

We have one heart and one soul.

The second thing that we see that they have here is at the end of verse 32, when he says and he ends it with this phrase they had everything in common.

They had everything in common.

They had everything in common.

Now, this is an interesting concept.

What does he mean by the fact that they had everything in common?

Now, if you read some commentaries, they're going to say what the first century church did is they came and they just threw everything in one pot together and distributed as needed.

I don't think that's what he's saying here.

One of the commentaries that I read John Polehill.

He says this he says there's three things here that help us understand that that's not what he's talking about.

First, we see this and we're going to see this that ownership of property is not transferred.

They sold their property as needs arose in the church.

Here's an example that we're going to look at in just a moment, but Barnabas Barnabas is provided as a good example of what to do If everybody was supposed to sell their property and give it in.

Why is he this stellar example?

Because that's just what everybody was supposed to do.

Third reason we're going to see and we're not going to spend a lot of time here today, but we'll be there next week is this couple named anna and safira.

They brought their gift and they lied to the holy spirit about their gift, and and peter is going to challenge them and say why did you lie?

Was it, was it not yours?

What he's talking about here is not that you just all come and you have have one pot, that everything is going in, but it's this when needs arise, the church takes care of each other.

He's talking about sharing and listen.

The reason that they were able to share what they have is because they had the right attitude.

Listen to what he says right there in verse 32.

Right before he says they had everything in common, he says this and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own.

See, they understood that whatever they had was a gift from God.

God had given them that and he had blessed them with that, and because it was really God's in the first place, they could do what they needed to to take care of one another as needs arose.

They were going to take care of one another because all their belongings were not theirs anyway, it was God's, so they were going to use that, use the gifts that they had been given to take care of one another.

Listen, and we do this.

I mean, I don't want you to feel just totally beat up today.

We do this.

If there's conviction, let there be conviction, but at the same time, find some encouragement.

Next week we're going to take up the Annie Armstrong Easter offering.

It is an offering that goes goes and guess what Supports missionaries who are spreading the gospel, and many of you will come and you will take from the gifts that God has given you and you will give towards that offering to support those missionaries, and it's not just financially either.

It's time.

Today David prayed for the Gaskins who had planted this church in Provo, utah.

This week is the week of prayer for North American missions surrounding Annie Armstrong.

What we're going to have each day of the week for you that you can participate in and give us just a little bit of your time, because, if you don't understand, this time is God's too.

It's not your time, it's God's time and he has gifted you with it.

So what we're going to do is, each day, either on our Facebook page or on our YouTube page, we're going to have a short video, kind of like what we had this morning, and one of your staff people will lead you in prayer, praying for a missionary.

Hear this needs as needs arise.

Listen, don't be encouraged that we are doing this in a sense, but listen, if there is conviction that we need to do this more, don't shy away from that conviction.

It is the Holy Spirit speaking to you.

So listen, what did they do?

How did they devote themselves?

They had one heart and one soul.

They had everything in common.

Third is this they devoted themselves to the testimony about the resurrection.

Hear verse 33.

And with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, with great power.

Understand what is just happening to the apostles.

Peter and John, at the beginning of this chapter, were arrested, not just for preaching Jesus, but because they were preaching about the resurrection.

Go back and look.

Go back and look at verse 2 of chapter 4, or verse 1 and 2.

It says and as they were speaking, that's Peter and John to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them greatly annoyed because they were teaching people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

They were proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead, that he arose and he gave us life and, as dead, one day he will give us real life and we will arise and there will be a resurrection.

They're proclaiming the resurrection and they were arrested for that.

And remember they were taken before the Sanhedrin and the Sanhedrin questioned them about how they were able to heal this guy.

And in verse 10 it says Let it be known to all of you that all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom you crucified, listen, whom God raised from the dead With great power, they proclaimed the resurrection.

Listen, it is the resurrection that separates Christianity from every other religion.

It is the resurrection.

No other religion has a Savior who is alive today.

Listen, and we've talked about this.

If they could have just proven that the resurrection was false, christianity was dead in the first century and they tried.

Remember back in Matthew, when Jesus arose.

Remember they had guards who were guarding the tomb.

There were guards there who were guarding the tomb.

And Jesus arose and the guards went back to the high priest and they said listen, there was an earthquake.

We passed out.

We woke up, he was gone and they said here, take this money and just go tell everybody that his disciples stole the body.

If the governor finds out, if he comes to you, we'll handle that.

We'll pay him off too.

It's going to be OK.

So they did.

They went and spread that rumor.

But listen, a little insider baseball here on Easter we're not going to be in Acts, we're going to be in first Corinthians, chapter 15.

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

Let me read a little bit to you from first Corinthians, chapter 15, where we're going to be on Easter Sunday morning, what it tells us about the resurrection says in verse 3 for I delivered to you as a first importance, what I also received that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with scripture.

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

That he was, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with Scriptures, that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Then listen to verse 6.

Then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep At one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

Jesus appeared after the resurrection To over 500 people.

They can't disprove the resurrection Because he was seen by too many people.

If they could have, it would have been over.

But with great power, with great devotion, they preached Jesus, that he was crucified, that he was buried and that he now lives.

And he is alive today, lives and he is alive today.

Listen, in church we need to be devoting ourselves to him and to his resurrection.

But then, finally, what we see this morning they devoted themselves to being one heart and one soul.

They devoted themselves to having everything in common, to taking care of one soul.

They devoted themselves to having everything in common to taking care of one another.

They devoted themselves to the testimony about the resurrection and they devoted themselves to living in grace.

Listen, if you read Acts, chapter 4 too quickly, if you read verse 33 too quickly, you'll pass over that last little phrase.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

And great grace was upon them all.

Don't miss that.

Don't miss that.

Listen.

I'm sure that in that first century church there are members of that church who are doing things that they never thought that they would do, members of that church who are doing things that they never thought that they would do.

I'm sure that there were excuses like God, you don't know what I've done.

Yeah well, I trust you and I can be a follower.

You don't want me telling people about you, because people know.

I guarantee you that there were probably some people in the first century church that says God, you don't want me doing that, I'm not Jewish enough.

You don't want me to tell and bear witness, I'm not Jewish enough.

Then there were possibly some others who said God, you don't want me doing that, I'm too Jewish.

Listen, excuse after excuse after excuse, I'm sure abounded in the first century church.

Do you know why?

I believe that Because they were people just like we are, and you know what happens in churches all around our world today.

There is excuse after excuse after excuse after excuse of why we can't be devoted to scripture and devoted to one another.

There is excuse after excuse after excuse of why we don't bear testimony about jesus christ.

There's excuse after excuse after excuse about why we are not proclaiming the resurrection of jesus christ to the world around us.

And I'm sure the same was true in the first century church.

But hear me, they were not called to be witnesses because of who they were.

They were not called to be witnesses because they were great people.

They were not called to be witnesses because of what they had done.

They were called to be witnesses by the grace of Almighty God and he was going to give them what they need.

On Wednesday mornings I lead a Bible study down at the Golton Assisted Living facility, right down here down Getwell Road.

We have been going through the book of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah is a great little book.

I've sat through classes, a lot of classes, on Nehemiah, talking about what a great leader Nehemiah is.

And don't misunderstand me, he is a great leader.

I've sat through seminary classes looking at the leadership model that Nehemiah used and how we can model our leadership after Nehemiah.

Great classes, valuable lessons to learn.

But you know, in Nehemiah chapter 2, I think Nehemiah gives us the key to his success and it is not his leadership abilities.

Nehemiah 2 · chapter mention

Here's what he says in Nehemiah 2, chapter 8.

And the king granted me what I asked.

Hear this, for the good hand of God was upon me.

You know why Nehemiah was a great leader?

Because God called him to do something he obeyed, and God took care of the details.

Hear me, church.

Our success as DeSoto Hills Baptist Church.

Our success, as DeSoto Hills Baptist Church and as the Christian church, our success is not dependent upon us.

God has called us.

We need to obey and he's going to handle the rest.

It's what he's going to handle.

The rest.

It's what he's doing in Acts, chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

He called them, they obeyed.

Remember what it says in 247?

.

And God added to their number daily Because the good hand of God was upon them.

Listen, I don't know where you are today If you've never trusted Christ as your Savior.

Hear me, hear me.

Jesus came and he died for you.

He came and he walked upon this earth and he lived a perfect life and he died on the cross to take the punishment that you and I deserve.

He was crucified and he was buried, but three days later he arose and now, because of that resurrection, we can have life.

And if you're sitting here this morning and you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, I'm going to tell you what Paul calls you and Ephesians 2,.

He calls you dead in your trespasses and sins, but God can make you alive.

You simply need to trust in him.

You alive, you simply need to trust in him.

And if you've never done that, I invite you today to trust and give your life to christ.

In just a moment, we're going to have a hymn of invitation and we're going to stand.

I'm going to pray for us, and we're going to stand and sing as we sing.

If you've never trusted christ, we would be down here to receive you.

We would love to share with you, we'd love to pray with you.

There are counselors who will take you out and share with you how you can trust Christ and the power of his resurrection.

But listen, church, if you have, I'm going to ask you to do something this morning.

I'm going to ask you to do something this morning.

I'm going to ask you to check your devotion.

Are you devoted to the kingdom of God?

Are you devoted to the kingdom of God through the fellowship, having one heart and soul?

Because, hear me, it is impossible to have unity.

It is impossible let me rephrase it it is impossible to maintain the gift of unity that God has given us.

When you have something against somebody, when there is that little thing in your heart that makes you go ugh, when there is that little thing in your heart that makes you go, oh, maybe this morning, during our invitation, you don't need to walk down front.

Maybe you need to go find somebody and seek reconciliation.

How devoted are you to the kingdom of God?

Are you devoted to the fellowship, to having one heart and soul?

If not, I pray that this morning.

If you need to come and confess before God, come and confess before God.

If you need to go and repent to somebody in this congregation, go repent to somebody in this congregation.

If you need to go to somebody outside of these walls, go to somebody outside of these walls and seek repentance with them and reconciliation to them.

Because, listen, we are called to maintain the unity and we need to do that.

We are called also to share what we have.

Are you doing that?

Maybe this morning you need to come and repent of that.

Are you devoted to the power of the resurrection and proclaiming the resurrection to those around you?

Maybe you need to come and repent of that this morning as well.

But, most importantly, are you living under the grace of God, recognizing that, while you don't have the strength to do these things on your own, when you live in obedience to God, he gives you exactly what you need?

As we sing in just a moment, if you have a decision to make, we invite you to make it.

If you need to trust Christ for the first time, do that.

If God's moving you in some other way, do that If God's moving you to unite with us here at DeSoto Hills, we would love to have you here.

Listen, we're not perfect.

We're full of people, but we are seeking and we are striving to devote ourselves to the kingdom of God and we invite you to join us.

Let me pray for us, god.

You are so good and we love you, god.

I pray that, as we enter this time of invitation, god, we believe and we trust that the good hand of God is upon us.

The good hand of God is upon us, god.

I pray that.

The grace that we need, the faith that we need to trust you, to obey you, to do what you are calling us to do this morning, god, I pray that you will give that to us.

God, I pray that you will work in our lives, as only you can Help us be devoted to your kingdom through your word and through our fellowship with one another.

God, we love you and praise you.

Jesus, it's your name.

We pray Amen.

Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.

If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at desotohillscom.

You you.