Praying through Acts- Chapter 5

Intro:

Acts 5:41–42 NKJV

41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

We’ve been praying through the book of Acts. Tonight, we will study and pray through Acts 5.

So far, we’ve seen Jesus’ fulfill His promise to the New Testament Church:

Acts 1- promise of power

Acts 2- received power

Acts 3- exercised power

Acts 4- prayed for more power

God continued to grow the New Testament church through the Apostles. They demonstrated God’s supernatural power, which literally means, potential for functioning in some way, power, might, strength, force, capability.

Through the Holy Spirit, the early church accomplished what was humanly impossible. They spoke in tongues, the healed the sick, and they won people for Christ.

As we read their story thousands of years later, we read of the highlights of what God did. We study the good events of God’s faithfulness.

But the early church endured intense persecution and attacks from the enemy. However, they did not stop walking in their spiritual authority.

Acts 5 takes a turn for the church. Up until this point, every attack of the enemy came from outside of the church. For the first time, division threatened the church as Satan infiltrated some people.

I want us to see how strategic the enemy can be, but how powerful prayer remains, even in the face of spiritual warfare.

Often the enemy will attack us from outside sources, but the attacks always hurt worse when they come from someone closer to us.

We have to remember, the closer we get to God and the more diligent we become in prayer, the greater the enemy will attack. But prayer always works.

So let’s look at three areas where the Holy Spirit works, [God Works Through Generosity], [God Works Through Grief], and [God Works Through Godliness].

Let’s begin

1. God Works Through Generosity

Acts 4:32–35 NKJV

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

When Luke wrote the book of Acts under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he set up the events in Acts 5 by first sharing what happened in the church.

As persecution came from the Jewish leaders, the church banded together. The persecution was more than someone saying something unkind or the occasional arrest.

When people came to Jesus, they lost everything. The Jewish elite controlled everything in Jerusalem. Many of them lost their jobs and contact with many of their family members.

Therefore, the church banded together to help and support each other. A spirit of generosity broke out in the church so much that some began to sell their homes and land to support each other.

As a result, every need was met for every person.

God is a generous God, therefore His followers must be generous people.

Let’s look at generosity for a moment. No where in scripture does it tell them to sell their land or homes. Instead, the Holy Spirit prompted them to do that.

When it comes to generosity, the most important aspect is sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. If we will listen to Him, He will instruct and confirm within us what we are to do.

I am thankful for the generosity of our church. Each time there is a need, people always help! Each week, God continues to bless us financially!

God wants to continue to use us as encouragers through our generous heart. God works through generosity. When we give above our tithe, which we owe to God, we enter a realm of giving in faith.

And God ALWAYS honors those who pay their TITHES and give their offering.

2. God Works through Grief

Acts 5:1–3 NKJV

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

Remember, when God does something good, the enemy will try to steal, kill, and destroy. The more persecution came against the church from outside sources, the church grew stronger.

Therefore, he came into the church through two willing participants. Everyone in the was thankful for Barnabas and his generosity.

Ananias and Sapphira got together and decided they too wanted a good reputation, however, they did not have a truly generous heart.

They chose to lie about the amount they gave, which doesn’t make much sense. Not ONCE did the apostles require them to give their property. This was their decision.

But they chose to lie, not to Peter, but to the Holy Spirit. God does not take kindly when we lie to Him. Therefore, judgment came and Ananias died.

As they removed his body, his wife comes in the room telling the same lie. She too died and word spread quickly. But notice what happened.

Acts 5:11 NKJV

11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

The word fear also means awe, reverence, or respect. People learned the value of honoring God and being honest in their relationship with the Lord.

God allowed them to learn an invaluable lesson. Through this grief, God had a plan. Those in the church became more committed to Him.

Sometimes God allows us to go through a difficult season to help us become more committed to Him.

In times of hardship and grief, we must seek God and ask Him what He wants us to learn. The church, and the apostles, passed a major test.

Wealth or notoriety was not work lying or attempting to manipulate the Holy Spirit.

God worked through their generosity, and their grief. Then...

3. God Works Through Godliness

Acts 5:14–16 NKJV

14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Though Satan attempted to destroy the church from within, he did not succeed. In fact, the leaders and the people went deeper in Godliness.

Godliness is defined, godly conduct, especially means the reality and power of a vital union with God.

The grief caused them to depend on the power of God even more. In fact Peter, got so close to God, they would lay the sick in the streets so that his shadow could go over them.

I do not think that Peter asked God for this type of manifestation of His Spirit. No, I believe that Peter was just that close to God. Through prayer, fasting, intercession, and seeking God, the Lord got close to him.

There is a realm in God we can go, and I have not been there yet. I’d love to see us live such a Godly life that His personality rubs off on us.

God works through Godliness, but Satan does not like that. So he tried to divide the church from within, now he wanted to do it again from without.

The high priest ordered the apostles arrested. He wanted to shut down preaching in Jesus’ name, but God answers people who pray!

Acts 5:19–20 NKJV

19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”

Now God sent an angel who allowed them to leave in the middle of the night. But God didn’t tell them to go and hide, but to go back to the Temple and declare the power of Jesus.

The next morning the High Priest’s guards found the cell empty, but the door was still locked. They couldn’t find the apostles until someone mentioned they were back in the Temple preaching about Jesus.

When Godliness really gets its grip on us, we will include God in EVERY area of our lives! And God protects those who live for him, even from the most unlikely sources.

The religious leaders conspired to kill the apostles, until one man stood to speak. His name was Gamaliel, and everyone respected him.

He reminded them of two different men in recent times who got a following but died and their following left. He then explained:

Acts 5:38–42 NKJV

38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” 40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

He told them to be very careful coming against the church. If God is on their side, you cannot stop them no matter how hard you try. Everyone listened to Gamaliel.

His words remind me of:

Proverbs 16:7 NKJV

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

When we live a Godly life, nothing can stop us.

The apostles show us this and they went forward praising God that He ALLOWED them to suffer for His name.

How could they possess such a positive attitude?

They knew the importance of walking close to God in prayer. As long as they depended on God, He would never leave them or fail them!

God works through Godliness.

Close:

Knowing the book of Acts, having much of it committed to memory, I wondered how I would handle Acts 5. That is the chapter where two people died for lying.

In fact, this week I had to get up in the middle of the night, and in the walk from and to the bed, I thought, how will I handle Acts 5?

But something I notice, God is there in the good times, but He is also there in the bad times!

And often, times of grief, which are followed by generosity, can help us live a Godly life.

So as we pray, we must ask and trust God to help us become more like Him!

Pray for Generosity

Jesus is generous, so we must be generous.

Pray in Grief

Jesus was acquainted with grief, so we can trust God in grief.

Pray for Godliness

Jesus was the fullness of the Godhead bodily, therefore, we can mirror Him and live a life of Godliness.