Eating with Glad and Simple Hearts

Acts 2:46 February 20, 2022

I. Introduction:

A. I will never forget being at a concert many years ago with a Christian brother who

was a handsome man and always dressed to the nines

1. It was before the concert started and the auditorium was filled with people

sitting and talking, when this friend of mine stood up and pulled out his cell

phone and began to pretend he was talking to someone on the phone.

1. I said, “What are you doing?” His response to me was “it is all about seeing

and being seen!”

1. I was stunned but over time as I got to know this brother better, he was a

person who spent a lot of time, thought and money on appearances. I knew

him well but most people had no idea who the real him was – they only knew

the person he wanted them to think he was!

B. Let me give you another scenario where you ask a brother or sister in Christ a

direct question and expecting a simple straightforward answer. Instead you get the

run around as they dance all around what your question was with no clear answer

1. When they were done, you had no idea as to where they really were at and

feel that they were not being genuine or honest with you!

C. When it came to the early church these were not the kind of Christians you

encountered. Rather than being complicated and confusing people they were

simple people in the sense that they were who they really were with no pretenses

nor were any masks to wear and they very straightforward and honest with each

other.

D. That is another norm that is essential for MVC to get back to if we are going to be

a church that is vital in this area and revitalizing to those who are touched by the

people of MVC – people who are who they are and say what it really going on in

their hearts and minds.

1. We learned last week that for MVC to be the church God called it to be we

need to be gathering together regularly both in larger and smaller contexts

around the things of Jesus.

1. But v46 gives us a big window into what their relationships were like when

they gathered together.

• See if you can catch it as I read

II. Acts 2:46

A. Read v46

1. Did you catch it? – They ate with gladness and sincerity of heart.

2. Today I want to focus upon the second part where they met and ate with

sincere hearts.

1. Other translations use these words – generous hearts or simplicity of heart.

B. So I went to seven different Greek dictionaries to find out just what this word

means since it is used only one time in the New Testament, right here in v46.

1. It comes from a Greek word that means without a stone, free from rocks and

used in the sense of it being smooth or even ground so that you do not stub

your foot on a rock!

1. Six of those seven resources say that it is indicating a simplicity of heart.

Two talk of a singleness of heart.

1. Thus bottom line when they end up applying this Acts 2:46 says it was:

a) A humble simple heart and life

b) A humbleness associated with a sincerity and simplicity of life

c) A sincerity of heart

d) A simple and plain heart!

C. I think we see two ideas here that are connected to each other.

1. First, they were a people who were not distracted and unavailable because of

busyness with multiple things. Rather they were focused people who had a

single heart of devotion to the teaching of the apostles, the fellowship with

each other, communion and prayer!

a) For some of us that may mean we need to purge things out of our lives,

whether that be commitments or things in order to be people who can

live their lives focused upon the things of Jesus!

1. Secondly, they were genuine, real, honest and transparent people who did not

try to hide anything or to be someone they really were not!

a) They showed their true feelings/thoughts and expressed them in a simple

and honest way! Even when they were not pretty or broken!

D. Brothers and sisters, that was the norm in the relationships in the early church and

only those kind of relationships can make a church vital and revitalizing! They

were focused on Jesus and being real with one another in both life and

conversations!

III. How are you doing in that regard?

A. First and foremost, are you honest with yourself, even with all your brokenness

and flaws and living out the authentic you?

1. Do “you do you” no matter what others think or are you like my friend who

loved to put on a show in front of others to present an image of himself he

wanted others to see?

1. Do you speak the truth in love when it comes to expressing who you are to

others and where you are at today when others ask or do you repeat the most

used lie by Christians – “I am fine” when you are really hurting and dying

inside!

B. Do you have other believers in your life you can be totally yourself with, and

where you can be radically honest with when it comes to the good, the bad and

the ugly of your life?

1. I remember a number of years ago an older Christian man here at MVC asked

me “How you doing?” and I was really struggling at the time so rather than

doing the typical “I am fine” line, I decided to tell him exactly what was

going on in my life!

1. This man was shaken, he had no idea what to say, was sorry he ever asked

and got out of there as fast as he could!

1. Some cannot handle the truth and there are others with whom it is unwise to

share the truth. Those are the self-appointed Christian critics. They are more

concerned with confronting errors than making connections where they can

speak the truth in love to pour grace and wisdom into others!

C. Brothers and sisters if we are going to be a vital church of Jesus Christ in this area

and revitalized believers, it is going to take this kind of radical straightforward

humble and simple honest living and conversations with each other.

1. I love what Paul said about the way he lived in 2 Corinthians 1:12-13a

a) The way he lived his life, the way he conducted himself was not dictated

by the wisdom of the world and what the world likes or approves, but

rather it was full of godly sincerity and the grace of God

b) What he wrote to them was exactly what he meant to say. You did not

have to read between the lines and there were no hidden motives. What

he wrote was straightforward and exactly what he meant

1. Ephesians 4:15 tells us that the church grows up into Christ likeness and

becomes stable when we speak the truth in love. Read Ephesians 4:15

a) I believe in light of the context it is talking about a perfect blending of

truth and love both from our preaching up front and in our up-close

relationships with each other.

b) It has been said that truth without love is brutality, but love without truth

is hypocrisy.

c) Romans 12:9 says “let love be without hypocrisy.” That means our love

has no masks on and it is a representation of the real you!

IV. Application

A. I can honestly and repeatedly say that the deepest transformation points in my life

came not just from hearing the truth spoken in a sermon. But when someone who

knew me well and what was really going on in my life spoke the truth to me in

love – whether it be an instruction, encouragement, warning or rebuke.

1. I have had all of them, I needed all of them and my life was changed by all of

them.

1. I am so grateful for the people in my life with whom I can be honest and who

are honest with me so that as iron sharpens iron we can sharpen each other!

B. So where do we go from here? I thought I would have a brother here share with

us how that has worked for him. Meet my good brother Gilbert who is going to

share with us about a group he is in that seeks to be radically honest and genuine

with each other about their lives and walk with Jesus

1. Describe the purpose and nature of this group

2. What does a typical meeting look like

3. How has this group personally impacted your life and walk with Jesus

4. What would someone here at MVC need to do to start a group like this

V. Final word

A. Four questions –

1. Are you living your Christian life authentically so that who you are is what

other people see and come to know?

1. Do you have believers in your life who know who you really are and what

you really struggle with?

1. Do you have other believers in your life who are speaking the truth in love to

each other?

1. Do you give grace to other believers at their points of brokenness and radical

honesty or do you run from or avoid them. Do you brutalize them with truth

without love or do you love them without truth so as to be of no real help to

them?

B. Finally, we are going to do something that is not normal in churches or even here

at MVC.

1. With everyone seated, if you are in a place today where you are hurting or

struggling and can really use some other Christians with whom you can be

radically honest and would love their prayers or for them to speak into your

life would you raise your hand.

1. Brothers and sisters around them who know what brokenness and struggle is

like – would you take note of those who have their hands raised and would

you take a few extra minutes this morning after we dismiss by going to them,

listening and praying or speaking as God leads you to.

C. Gilbert closes us in prayer.