242- Acts 5 :1-16
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Chp. 1-4
Chp. 1-4
God is doing a great work in the church. There is great power, great grace, great care, and great love. This is what characterized the early church
Chapter 5
we see that great fear of God is now added to the church through the story of Ananias and Saphira.
Ananias and Saphira’s sin was hypocrisy , a deceitful heart. Pretending to be someone that they were not.
it is possible that they were trying to present a false spiritual representation of themselves. Trying to make people think they were more spiritual or more committed than they actually were.
the word “hypokrite” in greek - speaks of an actor, or a performer acting under a mask, a two face person.... “whose profession does not match their practice”.
this is really a danger in the church body and a danger in a believer. When the outward actions do not match the inward man . There is a disconnect between the inward man and the outward man.
Jesus addresses this danger in…
And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.
Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?
In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
Danger of Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is a great sin that corrupts the whole body like leaven or like cancer. Lance described how sin acts like cancer to the body. It spreads throughout the body, it weakens the body and eventually it destroys the body.
So God had to deal with this sin immediately .
God’s Desire
God desires to reach a world that has been captive and has yielded to a world and to Satan.
In order for God to reach them, He will need to use people that have not lost spiritual power in their lives due to being captive to the flesh because of yielding to the flesh.
God’s Requirement/ Source of Power
Power and Purity are linked together
a person loses spiritual power in their lives when they lose purity of heart.
the churches source of power lies in it’s purity and it’s sanctification from the world.
the moment the church loses its purity and is no longer sanctified from the world but has introduced the worlds mentality and practices into its midst, it has lost it’s power and effectiveness
God’s Actions
In order for God to be able to move in power through the church, He had to purify the Church.
Story in Joshua 6,7 and 8- Achan steals the loot from Jericho that belonged to the Lord. Sin in the camp caused failure in battling and conquering new land.
in order for God to accomplish Acts 1:8 and reach Judea, Samaria and the outer most parts of the world..... He had to purify His church. There had to be an understanding of how Holy God was and how serious He viewed sin in the church.
This applies to our lives as well. God at times may need to purify us, He may need to remove things that are not pleasing to Him. And this can be painful at times yet it is needful if God is going to be able to work in me and through me.
Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
The Church Continues in Great Power (v12-16)
the church was....
Lead by the Spirit
Filled with grace
Living in the Fear of God
As a result ....
The Church
Intensified
God continued to move in power by many great signs and miracles through the disciples.
The Miracles
A. Were to confirm the calling and the message of the Apostles
B. Was a fulfilment of Jesus’ Promise
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Jesus’ Model in Miracles
A. Displays the heart of God- compassion
B. Put the Diety of Jesus on Display
C. He would tie truth into the miracle
2. The Church was Unified (v. 12 )
3. The Church Multiplied (v.14)
the physical healings were meant to draw people into spiritual healing, into salvation
