Acts4:32~37 All the be lievers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. (32)

♬ Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #210 Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (#245 in previous version)

What was the greatest hardship faced by the members of the Early Church? The powerful nation of Rome and the formidable Jewish religion falsely accused them of being a heresy and cut them off from society. The biggest problem they faced as a result was financial problems. However, the Early Church did not crumble because of this problem; rather, they conquered Judea, Macedonia, and even Rome with the Gospel. We must find the mystery of how the Early Church triumphed.

1. You must make it your own

You can only enjoy specific answers when you go beyond simply hearing the Word of the covenant and personalize it and make it your own. However, many believers are losing hold of this. We must make all the blessings of the Early Church our own. Because man cannot save himself, God sent the unique solution, Christ, and solved all of life’s problems. When you make the covenant of Christ your own, answers realistically begin. When you make the blessing of Christ your own, the kingdom of God starts to come upon you and you will be given power along with the filling of the Holy Spirit. This fact must become your own.

2. The answer that comes when this becomes yours

Each individual of the Early Church made the mystery of Christ, the kingdom of God, and the filling of the Holy Spirit his or her own and enjoyed it. With that answer, they were more than able to overcome all situations, including financial problems. From this moment on, God attached believers with financial means who were scattered in 15 different nations to the Early Church. In addition, when they gathered the strength of oneness in the Gospel, the forces of darkness crumbled and financial problems were solved. The Early Church tasted this answer.

3. Financial restoration within evangelism, missions, and the future

In today’s passage, a man named Barnabas gave over his property and the church’s financial problem was solved. How was he able to freely give all of his possessions as offering? It was because the Early Church believers and disciples knew that there were finances set apart for evangelism, missions, and the future within the Gospel. They knew that such offering and devotion would become an eternal blessing.

Forum Topic

First and foremost, meditate within prayer how you can personalize the covenant of the Gospel that you have heard and have been trained in until now. And then, confess yourself to God sincerely and ask for His grace.

Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 1st Service / 2013.6.16