The Triumphs of the Early Church (Part 1)

Good morning Church! Are you ready to get into the Word? I hope so!!!

I want to say how excited I am for VBS starting tonight!!! I also want to send a shout out to those who have come down this week and helped with getting everything decorated. At some point today, I encourage each of you to take a stroll throughout the church to see how much hard work had been put into getting things ready.

Would you be finding in your Bibles Acts 5:12?

Context

We are continuing through the Book of Acts today, and we are coming off of a pretty heavy text. We have just seen the first sin of the Church, and how ugly it was, as well as God’s punishment of the first sin of the Church. Two people conjured up a sinful plan, two people were caught, and two people died. Ananias and Sapphira paid the ultimate price for their sin. They paid with their lives.

We ended last week at vs. 11 which said:

Acts 5:11 NKJV

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

Amazingly, we will see today that this egregious sin did not slow the Church down at all. If anything, it ramped things up. We are about to see God at work through the apostles, but we are also going to see the devil at work as well. Let’s get into the text.

Content

The Prosperity of the Church (vs. 12-16)

The Persecution of the Church (vs. 17-18)

The Provision of the Church (vs. 19-25)

The Power of the Church (vs. 26)

The Problem of the Church (vs. 27-28)

The Purpose of the Church (vs. 29-32)

The Purity of the Church (vs. 34-40)

The Praise of the Church (vs. 41-42)

Commitment

Speak boldly without fear.

Take great consideration of our lives as we model Christianity to a lost and dying world.

Trust in the power of God to heal and sustain us as they did.

Be obedient to the Word of God as they did.

Live in the providence of God as they did.

Affect the community around us; gain their support; earn their trust; expand their ability to believe in God.