Acts 4&5; Church Economics Part 2

Fighting for immorality in Houston, TX. 

Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, “HERO” 

Means people of gender confusion can use any gender public restrooms/locker room, etc. 

Houston citizens gathered a petition of 50k and it the city rejected if for technicalities.

A group of Christian filed a suit in response. 

So part of the prep for the case city issued subpoenas to 5 local pastors for notes on any of the following topics. 

Any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or Annise Parker

The goal: Prove that the petition is invalid if Pastors instructed the congregation to sign the petition. 

Right now the lost will use sleight of hand tricks to Force Christians to not obey God. 

Throw in a little smoke screen at first, to confuse.

Soon, they will not pretend. 

The constitution and the legal system will not protect us. 

Acts chapter 4 and 5 talk about the start of the Church.

People with material wealth were liquidating great portions of their assets and giving it to this church plant. 

Unwise people try to use the Bible to promote Socialism.  

However we must Let the Bible interpret the Bible. 

Then we let the Bible dictate to us how to live. 

Because the Bible is God’s Recorded will for us. 

To Love God is to obey Him. 

God’s Word clearly teaches Individual Responsibility = Freedom.

We are going to jump from Acts to Matt 25.  Jesus has three parables that we are going to look at a little closer. 

Socialism / Communism requires breaking two of God’s Ten Commandments. 

Coveting & Stealing. 

Creates poverty and slaves. 

Individual Responsibility = freedom.

Individual Responsibility

[2Th 3:10 ESV] For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

[2Th 3:11 ESV] For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.

[2Th 3:12 ESV] Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

What does Jesus say about our Individual Responsibility for Morals, Managing our Assets and Giving?

[Mat 25:1 ESV] "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

[Mat 25:2 ESV] Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

[Mat 25:3 ESV] For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

[Mat 25:4 ESV] but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

[Mat 25:5 ESV] As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

[Mat 25:6 ESV] But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

[Mat 25:7 ESV] Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

[Mat 25:8 ESV] And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

[Mat 25:9 ESV] But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'

[Mat 25:10 ESV] And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

[Mat 25:11 ESV] Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'

[Mat 25:12 ESV] But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

[Mat 25:13 ESV] Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The big idea; Be ready.  Know who Jesus is.  Serve like He is coming today. 

This lesson is built on the infrastructure of how we manage our resources. 

Did the wise share with the foolish? No

The wise instructed the foolish to go provide for themselves. 

Person Gauge; Time to reflect.  Do you think the foolish are victims and the wise are bad for not sharing?

If the wise shared, then all would have missed out. 

Should the wise have sacrificed themselves for the foolish? 

Investing your Assets 

[Mat 25:14 ESV] "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.

[Mat 25:15 ESV] To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

[Mat 25:16 ESV] He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.

[Mat 25:17 ESV] So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.

[Mat 25:18 ESV] But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.

[Mat 25:19 ESV] Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

[Mat 25:20 ESV] And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.'

[Mat 25:21 ESV] His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'

[Mat 25:22 ESV] And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.'

[Mat 25:23 ESV] His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'

[Mat 25:24 ESV] He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,

[Mat 25:25 ESV] so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'

[Mat 25:26 ESV] But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?

[Mat 25:27 ESV] Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

The Consequences: 

A: 

[Mat 25:28 ESV] So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

[Mat 25:29 ESV] For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Does that sound like socialism? 

B: 

[Mat 25:30 ESV] And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Does God want us to give?   Yes, but as individuals and we will be judged individually. 

[Mat 25:31 ESV] "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

[Mat 25:32 ESV] Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

[Mat 25:33 ESV] And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

[Mat 25:34 ESV] Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

[Mat 25:35 ESV] For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

[Mat 25:36 ESV] I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'

[Mat 25:37 ESV] Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

[Mat 25:38 ESV] And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

[Mat 25:39 ESV] And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'

[Mat 25:40 ESV] And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

[Mat 25:41 ESV] "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

[Mat 25:42 ESV] For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

[Mat 25:43 ESV] I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'

[Mat 25:44 ESV] Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?'

[Mat 25:45 ESV] Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

[Mat 25:46 ESV] And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

As individuals God will look at how we cared for people. 

When you let a government garnish your wages and do with it as they pleased, that is not giving as God intended. 

“I don’t have to help the poor, I support Government programs.

Your Understanding of God’s moral Law, will help you govern how you use the resources God has given you. 

But isn’t being rich bad?  That is what socialism teaches.  Rich people are bad people. 

Next week:  Is being rich bad?  (what is wealthy and how is wealthy?)  

[Mat 19:24 ESV] Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

[Mar 10:25 ESV] It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

[Luk 18:25 ESV] For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

[1Ti 6:9 ESV] But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

[1Ti 6:10 ESV] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Make sure you are finically managing all God has given you.

1. Sustainable

2. Growing

3. So you can give. 

We will be judged individually not corporately.

We will be judged on how responsible we were, with what God has given us. 

Materially and Theologically.  

The Love of Money.

10 Commandments

You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Honor your father and your mother,

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

Government social programs, “helps the poor”

“provides free. . . . .health care, food, shelter”  

Stealing their individual responsibility and make them slaves.  

However these slaves contribute nothing back as individuals and communities

They pull down on a community, socially, financially & morally. 

The individually responsible are robbed, financially, socially, morally threatened. 

 It’s an enabling model & it is financially unstainable. 

What is “wealth”?

Who is consider wealthy and who is not according to what standard?

Is being Wealthy bad?

So he was to “equalize” wealth. 

How? By taking from the wealthy and giving it to the poor. 

2 of the Ten Commandments are broken. 

Stealing

Coveting

What’s missing?  Individual Responsibility. 

If a government steals from the rich, they will find ways to protect their money. 

[Mar 12:41 ESV] And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.

[Mar 12:42 ESV] And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.

[Mar 12:43 ESV] And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.

[Mar 12:44 ESV] For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Acts 4 5 Early Church Economics part 2

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Acts 4 5 Early Church Economics part 2

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Acts 4 5 Early Church Economics part 2

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