Fear of the Lord in Acts...

The result of the preaching was truly amazing. The church grew from 120 to over 3,000. The apostles continued their teaching and also did many wonders and miraculous signs.

The new converts didn’t merely add Christianity to their already busy lives, but devoted themselves to their Christian experience. V 42 is a compact description of Christian discipleship.

Then in v43 the preaching and the response it generated, which had an ongoing effect in Jerusalem. “Then fear came upon every soul”

Everyone came under fear, or awe. The surrounding area was conscious that God was at work in their midst.

Then in Chapter 5 we that an unfortunate example of selling possessions by this husband and wife named Ananias and Sapphira.

4 That their sin was not the keeping of money, but the lie, is clear from Peter’s questions. (read v4)

8 It also seems from Sapphira’s behavior that the lie was something that they had planned out together ahead of time. (read v8).

11 The severity of the couple’s judgment is as disturbing to us as it was to their contemporaries (5). (Read v5,11).

The judgment was not Peter’s or the church’s doing in the first instance, but is rather God’s judgment.

We must note the main point, which is not that God demands our financial accounts be in order, but rather

that God hates hypocrisy of any kind,

how much more that which is deliberate and designed to test the Spirit of the Lord (9). (read v9).

We need to remind ourselves of how easy it is to play the hypocrite. Like this couple we see that it is possible to deny ourselves in one area, but it’s really to serve ourselves in another.

To take on a mere profession of Christianity but actually mock God and deceive others.

Let us take heed. We cannot serve God with a divided heart. — 2 Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars.

Yet we know that we have divided hearts from time to time.

Let’s turn to

The Apostle’s like Ananias before them, found it difficult to believe that Paul was saved.

It was not until Barnabas (‘the Son of Encouragement’), took responsibility for him

that the disciples were prepared to accept this former persecutor of the church.

— 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.

So Paul’s opponents soon tried to kill him, and for his own protection (30 says…) the brothers sent him away to his own country.

So then Luke ends the account of a general summary in

— 31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

This company of believers had grown from a small group in an upper room to the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria.

The church was edified (strengthened meaning that it was ‘being built up’) in terms of size and maturity. Remember too, that God was the agent, and that this was an ongoing divine activity.

Then an they were ‘walking’to stress that believers were living or continuing in the fear of the Lord (cf. 10:2, 22, 35; 13:16, 26).

The concluding clause summarizes all this by saying that ‘in the comfort (or encouragement) of the Holy Spirit, (the church) was being multiplied’.

Growth in numbers and in the godliness of believers resulted from the work of the Holy Spirit,

enabling leaders and people to minister to each other and

to live in a way that expressed fear of God rather than fear of their persecutors (cf. ; ).

Turn to . Here in v1-22 we read of Paul’s ministry to the Ephesian church for the space of three years.

The focus is especially on the theme of spiritual warfare and the gospel triumphing over it all (v11-20).

In v13-16 some Jewish itinerant exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits (v13).

But this particular evil spirit didn’t need that info. Because he had already heard of both Jesus and Paul (v15), but not the sons of Sceva!

Then that spirit beats them up (v16) so that they ran.

— 17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

With such events going on at Ephesus, it is little wonder that the people were in awe and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor “magnified”.

The burning of magical scrolls and public confession of sorcerers! Man o man, revival his this place!

Pray that the preaching and teaching ministry here would catapult us into an people.

Pray that the surrounding area would know that God is working in our midst.

Pray that God would remove all forms of hypocrisy from our lives as His people.

Pray that’s we’d not just have a form or godliness but lives filled with God’s power to effect transformation and draw souls to Him!!

Pray that we too would be “built up” and walk in the fear of the Lord and as we’re encouraged by the Holy Spirit, we would multiply (make disciples)!

Pray that we labor for the Lord in such a way that, the demonic world and our world would notice and be transformed.

All of that so that the name of the Lord Jesus be magnified.