What happened to the believers at Jerusalem who sold everything and shared a common purse?
The believers in Jerusalem sold their lands, houses, and possessions, placed the proceeds into a common fund, and shared everything so no one lacked. Over time, however, that common purse ran out, leaving them destitute. Because Israel rejected the kingdom, the expected utopia did not come, and Gentile believers later gave offerings for the poor saints.
Les explains that early in Acts the Jerusalem believers sold their lands, houses, and whatever else they had, put all the money into a common kitty, and everybody lived on it. Acts chapter 2 and Acts chapter 3 record that they had all things common, and no one lacked. But Les points out that you cannot just keep handing it out, hand it out, hand it out, until you run out. That is exactly what happened to those believers at Jerusalem: they had sold everything, put it into a common kitty, and all lived on it, but then their kitty ran out and they became destitute. Had Israel accepted the kingdom, they would not have needed houses and lands, because everything would have been the utopia everyone is still looking for. But Israel rejected the kingdom, the kingdom did not come in, and so their common purse ran out. God in His sovereignty continued to watch over them by laying it upon the hearts of the Gentile believers of Paul's gospel to give offerings for the poor saints at Jerusalem.