Steve Lindsley
Acts 2: 42-47 (Selected Verses)
Something big was happening in that early church community – something miraculous and a little strange.
You know the saying: context is everything. And so, to fully grasp what’s unfolding in our passage today from the latter part of the second chapter of Acts, we need to take a quick look at what’s come before. And when we do that, here’s what we find: we find that Jesus has recently ascended into heaven, leaving the disciples confused and unsure as to what comes next. We find that, in classic Presbyterian fashion, they’ve appointed Matthias to fill Judas’s place on the Disciples Team. We find that, when they’ve all gathered together, the Holy Spirit makes its grand entrance, displaying God’s power in dramatic fashion and giving the disciples a clear mission to continue Jesus’s work; punctuated by the powerful sermon Peter delivers that leads to the baptism of around 3,000 people!
Now that’s a lot happening in a relatively short span, isn’t it? Amazing how they transform from a leaderless, uncertain group into a vibrant, purposeful community with thousands of new followers on fire for the faith.
All of which sets the stage for what we encounter today. I mean, it must’ve been the talk of the town back then—and honestly, it’d be all the buzz today, don’t you think; this community doing things, shall we say, a little differently?
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, we’re told. Interesting, isn’t it, that this is the first thing mentioned; that they intentionally took part in learning, growing, and being with one another.
They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread and prayers. Sure, everyone loves a good meal with friends, but these folks kicked it up a few notches. They spent a lot of time at the table. And they also prayed – like, a lot.
They sold their possessions and goods and distributed the proceeds to any who had need. How about that? It’s one thing to help the poor, but selling your own stuff to do it? That’s next level.
Then comes the part that must have gotten everyone talking: All who believed held all things in common. Which is exactly what it sounds like. There didn’t appear to be room in this community for lone rangers. Everyone was intimately reliant and dependent on everyone else.
What’s going on with these people? Surely their neighbors were asking that, weren’t they? Isn’t that what we should be asking, too?
Clearly, something significant had changed for these people in just a chapter and a half—something meaningful, something deeply spiritual. You don’t overhaul your entire lifestyle just because you’re bored. These people were transformed from the inside out. What was it, we wonder, that drove them to live their lives so radically different?
I bring this up because, as you know, today marks the start of our Generosity Season – what we’ve previously called “Stewardship.” We’ve chosen a different name this year because we’re intentionally going deeper, seeing our giving to God’s church as a spiritual practice – because that’s exactly what it is. Our giving to God’s church is not a transaction – it is an act of faith. Another way to say it is that generosity is not something God wants from us, as much as it is something God wants for us. Let me say that again: generosity is not something God wants from us; it is something God wants for us.
And we find this so vividly illustrated in the remarkable community of today’s passage. The earliest followers of Jesus stood out for their radical way of living, rejecting individualism in favor of caring for the entire community. Everyone’s needs and concerns were shared by all. And what made this possible was their generosity and a deep understanding that God wanted this generosity for them, not from them. It was this sense of generosity that freed them to embody Jesus’ command to care for each other, to support one another, to share burdens.
For the early church, generosity wasn’t just a one-time act; it was a way of life. It was how the people in that community said yes to each other. All of which is beautifully captured in the word for “community” we find in this passage. Koinonia is a Greek word that literally means “sharing all things in common.” It was koinonia that was ignited by the arrival of the Holy Spirit; a fellowship that transcended ordinary friendship. And it was koinonia that inspired the first Christians to radically shift their perspective of ownership in such a way that their possessions no longer possessed them.
Which stands in stark contrast to how we typically experience things, doesn’t it?
In his book Sharing Possessions, New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson suggests that we often link our identity to what we own. Our land, property, wealth—these things become extensions of ourselves. We begin to value our worth, and the worth of others, on things like our zip code, our square footage, our bank balance.
But the early Christians did it very differently. They brought all they had and invested it in their community—a community where they saw God at work every single day. And because of that, they gave more than just their possessions; they gave their very selves to the koinonia community that God was creating through the Spirit.
And that, friends, that is what we hope to do as we kick off a new Generosity season. We’re doing things a little differently this time around. We’re not just rebranding; we’re rethinking how we plan for the future. Our Session has set some bold goals for the new year—goals that we can reach together through your generous support. You’re going to be hearing a lot about these goals in the coming weeks. Our goals for 2025 are:
- Making children/youth/families a high priority
- Renewing our Emphasis on Fellowship and Community Gatherings
- Building a Staff Team for 2025 and beyond
- Engaging in Buildings & Grounds Improvements to Support our Ministry and Mission
Four goals for our church for the new year. And we’ve crafted a focus statement that undergirds our theme for this Generosity Season. It’s in your bulletin under the sermon title. Let’s read it together:
Generosity makes our world larger,
deepens our gratitude,
brings joy to life,
and more intimately connects us to God and each other.
I want to invite you to commit this to memory over the next few weeks. Because beloved, this is the very essence of not just our Generosity Season but everything we do as the church of Jesus Christ. For when we give to God’s church, we are doing so much more than simply helping the church pay its bills, or funding various ministries, or repairing buildings. When we give, we offer ourselves—a voluntary surrender of part of who we are. And in that act of giving, something sacred happens—a mystical exchange that connects the giver to the entire community. Which is why generosity transforms both the entire community and every person in it. Or, put another way, giving impacts both the receiver and the giver.
Take Richard Watts, for example. Richard is a middle-class father of three who began volunteering at a local homeless shelter after his children had grown up. Although he lived an otherwise comfortable life, he came to realize that giving his time and resources to those in need brought him a sense of purpose he had not experienced before. This led him to eventually establish The Lifeline Project, an initiative that provides meals and support services for homeless individuals in his community. Through this good work, Richard found that helping others strengthened his own emotional well-being, deepening his sense of empathy and connection.
Giving impacts both the receiver and the giver.
Like Betty Lou DeCroce. A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Betty became sporadically involved in some local nonprofit organizations that support children and families. One day, kind of on a whim, she decided to fundraise for a school program that lacked the needed resources. Much to her surprise and joy, the effort was wildly successful. Not only was a great need met, but so many people were excited and eager to be part of helping meet that need. Through organizing charity events like this, Betty found that her work helping children in the community brought about a renewed sense of joy and fulfillment in her own life.
Giving impacts both the receiver and the giver.
Like David MacLeod. David was a mid-level corporate manager who, after a month-long trip to a national park, discovered a passion for environmental conservation. This passion led him to support local conservation efforts and organize tree-planting events in his community. Though not particularly wealthy, David committed a portion of his income and personal time to preserving green spaces. And over the years, he saw the tangible way his efforts helped make his community better and transform local environments.
Richard, Betty, David – in their own way they were reminded of what was mentioned earlier – that generosity is not what God wants from us but what God wants for us. And this invites us to reconsider our understanding of and approach to generosity—not an obligation, but a pathway to transformation. Because we give – our time, our talents, our resources – when we give, we engage in something greater than ourselves.
And because of this we’re compelled to ask ourselves: how might our own acts of giving build connections and transform both ourselves and those around us? In what ways have we experienced the community-building that generosity creates? And how, in this season of generosity and beyond, might we embrace a giving spirit in such a way that the world outside us and the world within us are changed?
Eight-year-old Sarah had always been known in her neighborhood for her bright smile, her big heart, and her unwillingness to sit still for very long. And so in the dead of summer one year, no one was surprised in the least to see the neighborhood lemonade stand set up at the end of her driveway, nor the crayon-made sign taped to the cardboard table that read, “All proceeds – p-r-o-s-e-e-d-s – to help hungry kids.” Word spread quickly, and soon neighbors, friends, and even strangers were stopping by, eager to support her cause. When all was said and done, Sarah raised over $500, which she proudly donated to a local food bank.
But here’s the thing – Sarah’s generosity did more than raise money. It inspired others to live differently. One of the stand’s patrons had dropped a $20 bill into her jar and asked Sarah why she was doing this. And without skipping a beat she said, “Because everyone deserves to be cared for.” Those words stuck with him, and they would lead him to volunteer at the same food bank, even eventually serving on their board.
Friends, this is what our generosity can do when we choose to be part of the community God has created for us. A community where we we learn, grow, and fellowship together. A community where our possessions do not possess us. A community where our compassion for each other and our world comes out of our sense of generosity as a deeply spiritual reality in our lives. And a community where we know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that generosity at its best changes both the receiver and the giver. May we, as followers of Jesus, never cease in our efforts to make this kind of community our reality
In the name of the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, thanks be to God – and may all of God’s people say, AMEN!
* Because sermons are meant to be preached and are therefore prepared with the emphasis on verbal presentation, the written accounts occasionally stray from proper grammar and punctuation.