In Search of Accord

Where can we go in the book of Acts to find Christians who are of one heart and soul, who are of one accord? One place is Acts chapter 4, when the Christians were living together in community.

32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. 33 With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. 34 For there was no one needy among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds from the sales 35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds were distributed to each, as anyone had need. (Acts 4:32-34.)

This is not a lifestyle of poverty. Selling possessions and putting money at the apostles' feet was done to prevent poverty. In the Bible, generosity is more important than poverty. There was not a needy person among them. In Biblical times, Israel would have been like Africa or Asia would be today. It seemed remarkable that there were no poor people among them. The sharing of possessions relieved poverty. It prevented anybody going without. The idea of poverty being a godly or virtuous thing came from medieval monks. St. Francis of Assissi was reprimanded for begging in the street. He then gave back all the jewellery he had been given and all the clothes. To be a Franciscan monk meant not only the renouncing of personal property but the renouncing of pleasure. Either property or pleasure could get ahold of someone's soul and lead them away from God. Man has tried to make himself Godly by loosing these soul ties. This is not in the Bible and the Bible always encouraged generosity with money, not austerity for austerity's sake. As the standard of living in this country is falling we may find ourselves living in community because it relieves poverty. The cheapest flats in Sheffield city centre are £550 a month. A person under 35 is only entitled to £270 a month in housing benefit. That is only half the cost of a one bedroom flat. Sharing a house with someone else is becoming an economic necessity, simply to have somewhere to live. In the future, we may find that the only way we can afford to go on holiday or to run a car is to live together. Or perhaps the only way we can afford to pay the bills is to live together. One of Liz' friends had just got a job and said that she only had £5 to live on until the end of the month when she got paid. We sent her £20 in an envelope. The DSS used to give you 2 weeks benefits in the middle of the month while you were waiting for your first wages. They don't anymore. Under Universal Credit benefits are paid monthly. Living together is a good way that we can support eachother financially. There is nothing holy about living in poverty.

Community is not all about money. If it simply becomes a system of economic distribution it will become very brutal. In the Bruderhof community in the 1930s, Heinrich Arnold was on a ship to Guatemala with a man who had sold his motorbike and given the money to the church. Heinrich pointed out that many babies and young children had died in Guatemala. The other man said that that was to be expected. You have to make sacrifices. Heinrich was very angry. There was no way that the death of babies and children should simply be regarded as a price worth paying. Some members of our church have lived in communist countries and recall them as frightening places, not peaceful societies that were motivated by social justice. In one communist country a Christian was asked if he thought that Jesus was the first communist. He said, 'For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.' (Romans 14:17.) Community is not all about money, it is all about love. 'If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.' (1Corinthians 13:3.)

Living in community is not the only place in the book of Acts where the Christians were of one accord, of one heart and soul with eachother. They were of one accord when they had meetings together. The first Christians had regular meetings in the temple. The King James Bible says, 'And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,' (Acts 2:46.) The Easy to Read Version says, 'The believers shared a common purpose, and every day they spent much of their time together in the Temple area. They also ate together in their homes. They were happy to share their food and ate with joyful hearts. 47 The believers praised God and were respected by all the people. More and more people were being saved every day, and the Lord was adding them to their group.' (Acts 2:46,47.) When the Christians are glad and of single heart the church will begin to grow. Colin Urquhart complained about Christians who thought of their home as being their own. Don't let people from the church into my house, they might damage things, they might steal things. But Christianity is a lifestyle of generosity, gladness and singleness of heart. We should open up our homes.

The Christians were of one accord when they were praying together on the day of Pentecost. They were in the upper room of the house where the disciples lived together. 'These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.' (Acts 1:14.) When Peter and John had healed the lame man at the temple, they spent the night in prison and came back to the house. They told everybody what had happened. 'And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord.' (Acts 4:24.) The Christians prayed together with one accord, with one heart and mind, with common purpose, with gladness and singleness of heart. They said, “Master, you are the one who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in the world. 25 Our ancestor David was your servant. With the help of the Holy Spirit he wrote these words:
‘Why are the nations shouting?
    Why are the people planning such useless things?
26
‘The kings of the earth prepare themselves to fight,
    and the rulers all come together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’
27 That’s what actually happened when Herod, Pontius Pilate, the other nations, and the people of Israel all came together against Jesus here in Jerusalem. He is your holy Servant, the one you made to be the Messiah. 28 These people who came together against Jesus made your plan happen. It was done because of your power and your will. 29 And now, Lord, listen to what they are saying. They are trying to make us afraid. We are your servants. Help us to say what you want us to say without fear. 30 Help us to be brave by showing us your power. Make sick people well. Cause miraculous signs and wonders to happen by the authority of Jesus, your holy servant.”
31 After the believers prayed, the place where they were meeting shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak God’s message without fear.' So Christians praying with one accord is very powerful. The place where they were meeting was shaken. The apostles were given the power to preach the gospel with greater courage and boldness.