Acts 4:32 - 5:11 | Harmonious Community: Displayed and Disrupted

Do you ever look at the early church and get jealous of all the things they were able to experience? There is no doubt that they saw God do incredible things! They even went through incredible growth and unity early on. However, it is precisely because of their incredible growth and unity that Satan had a target on their back. When the earth is being filled with worshipers, Satan becomes increasingly active. When we examine Acts 4:32 - 5:11, we notice that it's very possible for us to mirror the efforts of the early church. We can still come to a supernatural unity by looking away from ourselves and focusing on Jesus. It's also very possible for Christians to lose focus, to give into the ensnarings of Satan and our flesh, and for division to arise. This week, we will explore the portrait of a harmonious community that Luke gives us. In these passages of Scripture, Luke paints a beautiful picture of what the church can be. This diverse group of people lived in community with one another while displaying a beautiful harmony with one another. We also see two examples of people living out this reality. Barnabas embodied everything Luke challenges us to be. However, Ananias and Sapphira smeared this picture through greed and deception. What can we learn from these two examples? Join us tomorrow to find out!