A STUDY IN THE BOOK OF ACTS

PART 6

THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH IN ACTION

 

Let’s conclude out study in Acts 5. Last week we discussed the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. The sin of lying over money. Their death had to occur for the well being of the church. This was the phenomenal growth period for the new church. Sin should not flourish among God’s people. Allowing them to live would have allowed others to see that there were no consequences for their actions.

 

The Bible tells us in Galatians 6:7: 7.  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

 

We reap what we sow. If we sow lies not only do we reap that sin but it also spreads. This is why it was so important for the Holy Spirit to deal with this sin. As we said last week, if Ananias and Sapphira had been given a “slap on the wrist” than the devil would have been successful in attacking the church from the inside and it would not have been the spiritually strong church it was.

The result of their death was spiritual growth not spiritual decline. The fear of the Lord increased, and many miracles were preformed.

 

Acts 5:11-16: 11.  So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. 12.  And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch.  13. Yet none  the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.  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.

 

There was a great time of reverence for the Lord and miracles of healing and deliverance from demons and unclean spirits.

It also led to more religious opposition from the Jewish leaders.

 

Acts 5:17-18: 17.  Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18.  and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.

 

Notice it says the leaders were filled with indignation, some translations say violent jealousy.  But also anger, as what they did to Jesus was being “spotlighted”.

 

Matthew 27:18: For he (speaking of Pilot) knew that because of envy they (religious leaders) had delivered Him (Jesus).

 

The religious leaders did not want what they had done to be highlighted. If you remember in Matthew 27: 24-25: 24.  When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.''  25.  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children.''

 

This statement is about innocent blood and the shedding of innocent blood.

Numbers 35: 33-34: 33.  `So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.  34.  `Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.' ''

 

This is the curse of the shedding of innocent blood and the Jewish leaders verbalized acceptance of that curse with the statement, "His blood be on us and on our children.''.

What a horrible thing to do because of anger and jealousy. It is something that God knew would happen, it would open the door to the salvation of the Gentiles yet is was heartbreaking because God’s people were rejecting  His son, whom He sent to save them.

Yet the preaching of the word is so hateful to the Jewish leaders and their fear of the people finding out what they had done that they would stop at nothing to silence the Apostles.

 

The only way for deliverance for them now is as mentioned in Zechariah.

Zechariah 12: 10: "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

 

The Jewish nation is under this curse for the shedding of innocent blood and the only way to get away from it is the acceptance of Jesus as their Savior, Lord and King

 

Acts 5:17-19-21; Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18.  and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.  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.''  21.  And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

 

We see here the divine intervention of God. He sent an angel to lead the Apostles out of Prison. It does not give names, just says the Apostles, so we can assume that all 12 of the Apostles were imprisoned.

 

Note that the angel of the Lord gave them specific instructions to go and speak the “words of life” in the temple and the Apostles did not hesitate to obey. They were there first thing in the morning teaching. This is where the Temple Guards found them.

 

I am going to summarize this section; you can read it on your own.

The guards go to the prison to get the Apostles, the prison is locked up, guards in place but the Apostles are gone. And of course, they find them teaching in the Temple, again.

 

Can you imagine the frustration of the religious leaders, no matter what they do, they cannot stop the spreading of the Gospel?  This had to infuriate them. They have the Temple guard bring them out of the temple, as quietly as possible fearing the multitude. They did not want to be stoned. The Apostles are brought before the leaders who really do not know what to do with them.

 

Acts 5: 27-29: 27.  And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28.  saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!''  29.  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.

 

Once again, the answer is simple, "We ought to obey God rather than men.”

That is both simple and eloquent. Obey God rather than men. Simple but truthful. It does carry consequences, not obeying men can lead to more persecution, but knowing that Jesus had already told them in John 15 that persecution would come.

 

John 15: 18-31: 18.  "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  19.  "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  20.  "Remember the word that I said to you, `A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  21.  "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  

 

So, the Apostles were ready for whatever came.

 

We see next the speech by the Pharisee, Gamaliel who spoke a word of wisdom to the leaders. Gamaliel was one of a select group of Palestinian masters of the Jewish Oral Law, and a teacher twice mentioned in the New Testament. Later rabbis praised him for his knowledge, but he may be better known for his most famous pupil—another Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus, who later became the apostle Paul. It was under the teaching of Gamaliel that Paul developed an expert knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures. Paul’s educational and professional credentials allowed him to preach in the synagogues wherever he traveled as we will see in Acts 17.  Also, his grasp of Old Testament history and law aided his presentation of Jesus Christ as the One who had fulfilled the Law.

 

So, Gamaliel gives the leaders very good advice, from the Holy Spirit. Basically, saying leave them alone, if this movement is of man, it will die a natural death, but if it is of God nothing you do will stop it. How true these words were.

The Temple leaders discuss it among themselves and agree to “just” beat the Apostles and then let them go, instructing them not to preach in the Name of Jesus again.

Can you imagine how frustrating it was for them? Having had for years the obedience and fear of the people for the Apostles to virtually ignore them and their rules. Because the Apostles loyalty was to God and preaching the Gospel. Nothing else. In fact, after they were beaten,

 

Acts 5 tells us they “rejoiced that they were worthy to suffer for Christ.”

 

Acts 5: 41-42: 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.

 

I can not imagine anything more humiliating then to have someone flogged in my presence, thinking “now they will learn”. And them getting up and rejoicing for the beating in my presence. It would, to me, incite more anger, resentment and jealousy. They, because of their love of Christ and the power of the Holy spirit are able to be beaten, leave my presence rejoicing and then go and teach in the temple again. No fear, no second guessing their choices, just joyful obedience. I also believe that they were rejoicing in, yet another thing Jesus had foretold had come true. They would be persecuted for His name sake. They considered this to be a wonderful thing.

 

Let me ask you, my friends. Do you consider it wonderful to be persecuted for Jesus? I see all this news of the murders of Christians in Nigeria and I cannot but think how would we react? I think about the burning of the churches in Louisiana. Both are straight from the pits of Hell, yet we must know they are coming. The News ignores one and makes the other about race. I believe that it is about race, because hate if of the devil and he uses whatever method had has for the furtherance of that goal. If he needs to clothe it is racial hatred to destroy the church and its witness, then he will. It is up to us, to rail against it while we can in this country, because the time will come when we will not be able to speak against such things. What is a convoluted and sad thing it is. If they catch the perpetrators they will be charged with hate crimes for the church burnings.

It will not be recognized as Anti-Christian, but anti-black. When it is both.

 

We must continue to pray for this nation, the church and other believers. We need to pray for them to stand strong in the face of persecution. To be fully persuaded that they indeed will be present with the Lord upon death. That this was foretold by Jesus and we all should be ready at any time to be called to suffer for the Lord. Are you ready? I pray that I am.