Would our neighbors notice if our church disappeared?
Neighborhood Church is continuing our series Sparking the Flame, a walk through the book of Acts.
Acts is the history of what Jesus did to get his church started after his resurrection. So far, we have seen the apostles healing people, preaching boldly, and facing pushback from religious leaders. Now the story turns from the leaders to the everyday believers. What was happening back home in the community while the leaders were under pressure? The answer is beautiful but then it gets serious very quickly.
One heart and one soul
While the apostles were being threatened and beaten for speaking about Jesus, the believers around them were growing closer together.
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 all. Acts 4:32-33 (ESV)
Being of one heart and soul does not mean everyone dressed alike or agreed on everything. It means they were in this together. If you needed a meal, you could eat at someone else's table. If you had a need, you told people, and they met it. Dr. Luke (the author of Acts) tells us there was not a needy person among them. People who owned extra land or houses sold them and brought the money to the apostles so it could be given to anyone in need.
The church was never meant to be a popularity contest for famous leaders. It was meant to be a family where ordinary people care for one another. Notice too that Jesus grew this unity in the everyday believers at the very moment he was putting their leaders through the fire.
Would our neighbors notice?
Earlier in Acts, Luke says this new community was “having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:47). What God was doing among believers was visible to outsiders. People who were not yet following Jesus could see something unusual and admirable about how these people cared for one another and stayed true to what they were taught.
That raises a question worth sitting with. If Neighborhood Church closed tomorrow, would our neighbors notice? Would anyone feel like something was missing from the community? This is not just a theory. Churches do close, and when they do, real people lose a place of care and truth.
Our faith in Jesus is personal, but it is never private. The way we love Jesus and love each other is on display for everyone around us. Jesus said he came for the sick, not for those who already think they are well. When we follow him, he sends us to the people we have gotten used to seeing as part of the scenery of our lives.
Do we realize Jesus died for them?
Do we care enough to tell them?
That does not require a grand speech. The apostles simply told what they had seen — they were witnesses of Jesus life. What have you experienced with Jesus that someone in your life needs to hear about?
A man called the son of encouragement
Dr. Luke gives us one example of what this generosity looked like. A man named Joseph sold a field he owned and laid the money at the apostles' feet. The apostles gave him a nickname, Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” He would later become an important leader in the church, but at this moment he was just Joe.
Leadership often grows out of quiet faithfulness. Joe was practicing the kind of character you would want in any spiritual leader, and he was doing it in a humble, ordinary way. It is worth asking ourselves the same question. Are we practicing the kind of character we hope to see in the leaders of our church?
When the heart is exposed
The next story is hard to read, but it matters. A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property. They brought part of the money to the apostles, but told everyone they were giving all of it.
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” Acts 5:3-4 (ESV)
It is easy to read this and think God was upset that they did not give enough. That is not the problem. Peter said the land and the money were theirs to do with as they pleased. Nobody required them to give a certain amount.
The problem was the lie.
They wanted the reputation of being generous without actually being generous. Ananias died on the spot, and Sapphira died shortly after when she repeated the same lie.
Several things stand out.
First, the church faces attacks from the outside, like the religious leaders, and also from the inside.
Second, lying to the Holy Spirit is the same as lying to God, because the Holy Spirit is fully God.
Third, it is far harder to run a public relations campaign about your character than to simply have good character.
And fourth, hidden sin always costs more than we expect. Scripture does not say where Ananias and Sapphira ended up in eternity, but it is clear they paid a serious consequence for hiding their sin and their secret affected the whole community.
There is also grace here. Every chance to tell the truth is a chance to repent. Jesus owes us no chances, yet he gives us many. If you have an opportunity to tell the truth today, take it today.
Performing or living for God?
The temptation for anyone who attends church is to perform for each other instead of living for God. That can show up in how we handle money, but it also shows up in how we talk about our time and energy. Are we really as busy as we say? Are we willing to offer a neighbor a ride to a medical appointment and share what Jesus is doing in our lives along the way? Are older believers spending time with younger people, offering the wisdom the internet cannot give them? Who is the Lord of your wallet, your calendar, and your bedroom?
Even after this frightening event, the community kept watching.
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Acts 5:12-13 (ESV), emphasis added.
The cost of following Jesus was clearer than ever, and yet people still respected what they saw. The Holy Spirit will always show the truth of what is in our hearts, and that is not something to fear. It is an invitation to live honestly in the light of Jesus.
Keep exploring
If you are local to Ocala and would like to talk through any of this, we would love to hear from you. Email us at ocala@weareneighborhood.church or text 352-236-2211. We would be glad to connect and keep the conversation going.
If you live outside the Ocala area, we would encourage you to find a local church near you where you can keep asking these questions and walk through them together with others
Editor note: This blog summary was generated from a sermon transcript processed by AI and reviewed by a human editor. It is provided for convenience and engagement but may not fully reflect all of the original sermon emphases or explanation. The original writing and delivery of the sermon were done without the input of AI. Please refer to the full message and more importantly the Scripture for complete context and teaching.
