The Product Of Persecution

The Product Of Persecution

Book of Acts Chapter 8

With the death of Stephen, persecution increased for the church in Jerusalem. The religious rulers of Israel wanted to totally eliminate Christianity!

So what was the product of this persecution?

The Word of God began it's journey to the uttermost parts of this world!

No matter how things appear to us, it is God who who sits in control of this earth and the things that happen on this earth.

We should never forget this verse:

Rom 8:28 And we know that "all things" work together for good to them that love God, [to them who are the called according to his purpose].

The "Gospel" of Jesus Christ is much, much, more than an idea or some new religion that can be stopped!

The "Gospel" is the Power Of God!

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: [for "it is the power of God unto salvation"] to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The "Gospel" of Jesus Christ is the "Doctrine of Christianity" and those that believe and have faith in the "promises" that God makes to each believer shall be saved.

You see Satan is "forced" to remove his hold on those that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

2Ti 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that "oppose themselves"; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the "acknowledging of the truth";

2Ti 2:26 And that they may "recover themselves" out of the snare of the devil, [who are taken captive by him at his will].

Let's begin:

*****Act 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. [And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad] throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

The Church at Jerusalem had grown large by this time. It began with those 120 and in addition to those 3000 early converts we know of at Peters sermon we just recently studied over 5000 more were added and women and children were not even mentioned.

They were called a great multitude of believers who were in one heart and one soul.

It is said that they multiplied greatly "But" they were all staying in Jerusalem!

What had God commanded?

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

They had not even started to do this. So, we can see that God allowed some things to happen. We will soon see that they indeed began to scatter and they first stayed close again which was Samaria.

We can see that God's "will" will be done!

We can be willing participants or unwilling participants but God will see that His Word is fulfilled!

A church that is willing to send and support missionaries to wherever God sends them may grow and remain large enough to provide that support!

BUT, a church that is not willing and refuses to support those that are called of God and the Men, God has chosen, has little purpose for remaining in great numbers and if they will not even work in their local community there is little need in that church existing.

We can see what this leads to:

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Rev 3:17 [Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked]:

And we know that this is the direction that the church is headed in our day!

It is more efficient for the church and more Christ honoring, for members to be scattered and form new churches in other areas where they are more needed!

But is was not the right time for the Apostles to be scattered!

Here again we can see that God preferred the Apostles to stay in Jerusalem and protect the flock at this time.

The Bible teaches us:

1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, [but being ensamples to the flock].

*****Act 8:2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

Lamentation is an expression of sorrow, and is usually accompanied with cries of grief. We should have this expression every time a man of God is called home and Stephen had fulfilled his purpose set forth of God and "only his body" went into the ground awaiting the resurrection or what we call the "Rapture of the Church".

2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The soul of Stephen had departed out of this world. The interval between death and the resurrection, is a state of absence from the body, during which time the soul exists in a separate state "with the Lord" and the body in a state of inactivity and "sleep" waiting on the resurrection when "both will be reunited together again" but in a glorified body as that of the Lord.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are "asleep", that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, [even so them also which "sleep" in Jesus "will God bring with him"].

*****Act 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Saul was a young man full of zeal about his religion:

Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Gal 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that "beyond measure" I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

Gal 1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

Saul went into every dwelling where it was reported that a Christian lived and into every house where they gathered and physically dragged these believers out into the streets and then into the prisons.

It can be said that "making havoc" would be like treating these believers as "the filth of the world" especially of Jerusalem.

*****Act 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

And what were the results of this persecution?

It would still be wrong to believe that God caused this persecution but it could be said that God allowed this persecution to take place.

Our God is a righteous and a God who is also Holy!

AND, These believers that were scattered abroad went preaching the Word of God!

The Greek word "diasperio" used for the English word "scattered" means to "sow throughout".

These believers of the early Church in Jerusalem were "God's spiritual seed" and "persecution" was used of God to "plant this seed in new soil" so it could bear fruit!

It is in the best interest of every house of God to be sure to teach the entire truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which should also include all the Old Testament.

Because every child of God must be "rooted and grounded" in the entire truth of God's Word!

Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Col 2:7 "Rooted" and built up in him, and "stablished" in the faith, as ye have been taught, "abounding" therein with thanksgiving.

*****Act 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

Philip's glad reception in Samaria is proof of all these truths!

Most of these Samaritans, [with no disrespect], were a half-breed people, a mixture of Jew and Gentile. This was brought about many years earlier when the Assyrians had captured the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel.

In 732 BC many of these of Israel were deported into foreign lands and many Gentiles were imported who then inter-married with the Jews that were left behind.

These Samaritans openly opposed the Jews!

It is interesting to note that Israel, gained possession of Jerusalem and most of the old remnant of Samaria during the Six Day War of 1967, which at that time the nation of Jordan "had claimed but were not a part of".

The nation of Jordan was never the owner of these lands as they belonged to "Israel".

It should also be noted that Jordan, no longer had any power of this region which we now call the "West Bank", but they ceded that land "that they never owned but just claimed" to the Palestinian Liberation Organization or the PLO. This happened at two times in 1988 part A and 1994 part B.

Jordan had no authority to do these things and the PLO had and has no right to claim these lands!

The true owners, "Israel" had regained their land in 1967!

Let's continue:

Philip was one the seven chosen men and what we now call a Deacon but after the death of Stephen and this persecution, he fled to Samaria probably in fear of his own life.

Here Philip preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That word "Christ" means In Greek, "The Anointed One or "The Messiah".

It seems even many of the Church of today reject that Jesus is the "Christ" or Jesus is the "Messiah", God in the flesh!

The "lost" cannot be saved if they reject this truth!

*****Act 8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

When God calls someone to go to a specific place of ministry, God will also soften the hearts of those in that place He is sending that person. We will see this over and over again in our study of the Book of Acts.

We can also see that God had given Philip some of those powers that only the Apostles had. All these powers and gifts of these sort, disappeared at the death of the Apostles and only God Himself uses these powers today and most of them go unnoticed.

Salvation did not then nor will it ever come from a miracle or a wonder!

Salvation can only come from the heart of that once lost person!

*****Act 8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

Act 8:8 And there was great joy in that city.

Nobody can ever be saved simply because of some miracle!

These people paid more attention to the Word of God that Philip was preaching than they did the miracles that came about through him!

When Philip mentioned that he had left Jerusalem "because the hatred showed to him", he was probably received with open arms in Samaria and his message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ brought great joy to these people.

Maybe not all of them had forgotten that day Jesus had stropped by and converted that woman at Jacob's well.

Joh 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

While the church in Jerusalem was suffering misery because of persecution, Samaria was having great joy!

*****Act 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

We have skipped many verses to stay with the theme of this lesson but that does not mean they are not very important.

Peter and John "had been sent" to confirm Philip's work.

This would be the first steps in removing the walls of separation between the Jew and the Samaritan!

We see that Peter and John had been sent as messengers of the Gospel and not in any function as a ruler.

Not one Apostle was regarded or elevated above any of the other Apostles!

And by this time of this verse, Peter and John had returned to Jerusalem and shared, with enthusiasm, the good news that God also would save those that were lost in Samaria.

The Bible says that the truth is:

Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that "whosoever" shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But while revival was going on in Samaria, Philip was called of God for a more important task.

There was a single individual on his way home that was under conviction by the Word of God and needed to be shown how to make application of God's Word.

We must realize that no angel has ever experienced God's "Grace" therefore, they can never bear witness of what it takes to be "Saved"!

1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; [which things the angels desire to look into].

The angels desire to know the salvation that "Grace" provides and also the feeling of the "indwelling" of the Spirit but they will never know these things on a personal level.

But they do have great joy for everyone of God's creation that does when they see the pleasure on God's face.

Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise [joy shall be in heaven] over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Gaza was the southern most city "of Israel" and a route between Syria and Egypt. This road was well traveled by visitors to Jerusalem.

*****Act 8:27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

Act 8:28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

As we witness for the Lord we should also realize that God will direct us to the right person at the exact right time.

This eunuch was a man of great authority and that word "Ethiopia" is given to us to tell us that this was a black man.

This is one of the places where God shows us that the Gospel is for "whosoever" and through this man the "Gospel" would be spread to this area of the Gentile world as well as all others.

That word "Whosoever" means exactly what it says!

Not only was this man black but being a eunuch for whatever reason, which could have been his own choice but probably not, he could have "never" been accepted into Judaism and though he was allowed to worship in Jerusalem, he would never have been accepted into the family of God "by the standards of the Law".

AND, it would be hard to question a man's love of God who had traveled more than 200 miles alone to worship Him.

In "type" this man represents all people who are religious, and read the Bible, and seek the truth "but do not know the saving faith in Jesus Christ".

Philip had been among the first to go to Samaria and now he was of the first of Jerusalem to witness to the outside world!

*****Act 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

It had been an angel of the Lord who had directed Philip to this location in Gaza but now the Holy Spirit was giving Him direction to lead this man to Jesus.

Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, [he shall testify of me]:

It is the Holy Spirit that leads every believer to where God sends!

It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is to be preached upon arrival to that place!

It is the Holy Spirit of God that brings conviction to that one that hears the Word of God!

It is "faith" in God's Word that brings Salvation!

The Word of God is already in this chariot with this man and he is reading from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. "There was no New Testament at this time!"

*****Act 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest

thou what thou readest?

Act 8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

This Ethiopian was reading the Word of God out loud and God had already prepared this man's heart to receive a Christian witness and God had specifically sent Philip!

When we obey the leading of the Holy Spirit we can be sure that God has gone on before us to prepare the way!

This man was reading this passage:

Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the

slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

*****Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

All the Old Testament scriptures relate to Jesus one way or another!

The Bible says of our Lord:

Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

This Book of God had been written in Heaven long before it was given to men by the Holy Spirit!

Psa 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

Again:

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1Pe 1:20 [Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world], but was manifest in these last times for you,

Christ Jesus came into this world specifically to do the will of God!

And what is the will of God?

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world [through him] "might be saved".

Isaiah 53 describes our Lord as the willing Sacrifice for all sinners even to the point of "loosing all His human rights"!

And it takes the Holy Spirit to open our minds to this truth!

*****Act 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

This verse clearly shows that baptism is to take place only after the "saving faith" of the believer.

It is not enough for a lost person to desire salvation!

Everyone must understand God's plan of salvation!

AND, It must come from the heart!

Jesus said:

Mat 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, [and understandeth it]; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Jesus Christ is the "fulfillment" of the prophesies of the Bible!

And then:

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and "hearing by the word of God".

And then:

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God

hath raised him from the dead, "thou shalt be saved".

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

*****Act 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and "they went down both into the water", both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

It is obvious that these verses refer to a "complete immersion" into the water used for this baptism!

If we recall the time of Noah we know that the world was repopulated by his three sons, Ham, Shem and Japheth.

God has now reached out to the descendants of Shem which is the Jews.

God has now reached out to the descendants of Ham, this Ethiopian and those with him.

God in our next chapters God will reach out to the descendants of Japheth, the Gentiles, through the Apostle Peter and then the Apostle Paul.

ALL, These things began to happen because of the persecution of the early Church!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Preaching Of A Deacon

The Preaching Of A Deacon

Book of Acts Chapters 6-7

The word "deacon" from the Greek word "diakonos" means "minister" or "servant".

Jesus said:

"whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister"

Again Jesus said:

"If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all"

Jesus said these that choose to serve can be my deacons.

The Church has adopted the office of "Deacon" and this office originates from the passage we will study today. It was the "deacon" that allowed the Apostles to devote their time to "prayer" and "the ministry" that the Lord Jesus had given to them.

We should see that the office of "Deacon" is to be inferior to and assisting to the Pastor, the Elder of a Church. It is the function of the Pastor, the Elder, to preach and to teach the congregation and the function of the deacon to assist to and to see that the material needs of the congregation are cared for.

Another thing we should see is that the Church does not tell the Pastor what to do and the Pastor does not tell the Church what to do they must both work together to find the will of God for everyone BUT the Pastor must be the leader of that local assembly.

The qualifications of the "deacon" are given in 1Timothy:

1Ti 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

1Ti 3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

1Ti 3:10 And "let these also first be proved"; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

1Ti 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

1Ti 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

1Ti 3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The Church as the "Body Of Christ" is a living organism and compared in scripture with the human body BUT the head of the Church must always remain "Jesus Christ"!

It is the Pastor, the Elder that is to feed the flock until the Chief Shepherd reappears.

1Pe 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

God is a God of order so there should never changes in God's Church nor God's Word!

Oh, and when we see those words "not given to much wine" it means that these men have been proved to be in "absolute denial of the use of wine", just as the Elder!

There is no place for alcoholic beverage in the House of God and this includes wine!

Pro 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Pro 23:31 [Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright].

Pro 23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

If we are not even to look upon wine, then we surely are not to drink of it!

Let's begin:

*****Act 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

We might ask ourselves when were "those days"?

The last verse in Chapter 5 tells us the answer:

Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

It is the preaching of Jesus Christ that had allowed the Church to grow!

We know that the first church had grown from 120 when 3000 were added and now 5000 more were added and we know that more were added daily.

The church had been at one time, all in one accord but there had been some defection from this. Ananias and Sapphira had tried to deceive the Church and this was handled by the Holy Spirit, God Himself.

Now we see the Church experiencing growing pains!

What is murmuring? Murmuring is complaining. Murmuring is grumbling. Murmuring is sinful.

In Chapter 4 we found that some of these local Jews had sold their possessions and had given the proceeds to the Apostles to distribute to all those that had need:

Act 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold

them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Act 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

But as always we find that there were some that were being neglected and not always purposely.

These Grecians were not Greeks nor Gentiles but rather Jews who had been raised outside of Palestine and spoke the Greek language.

These Hebrews were Jews of Palestine and they held themselves superior to these foreign Jews.

This murmuring did not come from among these widows but because of them!

It was probably because the Hebrew followers that had been assigned to distribute to the needy, and these widows from outside of Jerusalem could very well have been overlooked.

So we see the early church was not free of hypocrites and they were not always clear of feuds and contentions.

This is how Satan gets into the Church to try to gain a foothold!

The Apostles wisely began a process to deal with these things.

We should see that when the Church faces a serious problem it is a time to come together and not to grow apart.

The Pastor and the members must seek solutions.

It is not time to divide as this only allows Satan to win!

We must regularly examine the ministries of our Churches to see if they are according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and meeting the needs in our lives and every members life.

*****Act 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we

should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Act 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Act 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

The Apostles accepted that they were to blame. They had not only tried to be obedient to the Word of God and to meet the spiritual needs but they had tried to meet the day by day physical needs of the flock.

They realized that they could not do both!

They could not allow the preaching of the Word of God and the needed ministry of prayer to suffer or the Church would suffer!

The words "ministration" and "serve" are where we get the word "deacon". The men that are chosen at this time are not called deacons at this time but the office of "deacon" came from this activity of the early church.

Every Church needs qualified leaders to handle some of the things of the Church so the Pastors can devote more of their time to the study and the presenting of God's Word and to prayer.

These seven that were chosen did also engage themselves in spiritual and worldly needs of the members.

The Church was instructed to search out these that met certain qualifications and then it was the Apostles that appointed them and gave them direction.

This is basically the same approach we use here at Gethsemane!

*****Act 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

We should notice that all seven of these men had Greek names. This indicates that they would serve the Hellenist of the early Church or those that came from places other than Jerusalem which had been neglected.

One man Nicolas was a proselyte and was probably the only Gentile among these seven and there was probably a particular reason that he was chosen.

A proselyte was a Gentile who had been converted to Judaism and now Nicolas was a Born Again Christian.

Of these seven only Stephen and Philip are mentioned elsewhere in scripture but this does not mean these others did not serve their purpose.

Stephen was destined to become the first Christian martyr unless we include John the Baptist and it is "OK" to include him as he certainly knew who his Savior was!

We also will find that Philip became a great and powerful Evangelist and "tradition" says that the other five did also.

*****Act 6:6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Again we can see that any problem in the Church can be solved when the congregation can come together!

The next thing we should see is that there is no great mystery in the "laying on of the hands"!

This the first time that the "laying on of the hands" was used in the early church.

There is "no great transfer of spiritual power" through the "laying on of hands" this was a "symbolic" gesture only!

In fact it was more "a symbolic sign of prayer" that God would provide these men with the necessary gifts they would need to perform these duties.

These men had already been filled with the Holy Ghost when they were saved as noted in [verse 3].

So what is this meaning?

In the Book of Leviticus, the sinner would place his hand on the animal to be sacrificed. This meant that this animal was to be sacrificed in their place.

When these Apostles put their hands on the heads of these that would be deacons it meant that these men would be partners with them in the ministry of the Church.

This method of ordination is still used in most churches today and most Pastors go through this ordination.

It meant that these men had been set aside for this office of the early Church!

This was a social service within the assembly in Jerusalem.

This church tried to meet the needs of it's own members and every house of God should use this as an example.


*****Act 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

I believe we can see that there were still many sincere and godly priests in Jerusalem at this time and by witnessing that the veil had been rent, and the conversion of Nicodemus, the lame man, and many other signs and wonders and they would be well aware of the teachings of Jesus.

With the truth of the resurrection of Christ Jesus they began to understand the Word of God they had been so zealous for.

These were once the true descendants of Levi but now had turned to the Lord.

It could be said that it was the preaching of Stephen, as we will find out in verse 14, that caused more an more of these Jewish priest to convert from Judaism to Christianity. If so, then we can also see how this caused such turmoil with Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin court.

These actions by the early church allowed the Word of God to increase and the Church to grow.

Church growth cannot and should not always be measured by numbers, this Church in Jerusalem was also growing "Spiritually"!

It is sad that the world does not see this spirit of harmony in our places of worship today and to be honest there is much to much turmoil even in our Baptist Churches to the point where many are ashamed to call them selves Baptist.

I consider myself "a Christian first" and then I attend this Baptist Church here at Gethsemane because I believe the "Apostle's Doctrine" is followed here. If that changes then I will seek one that teaches the "Apostle's Doctrine" in some other place and could even be some other denomination.

I love our church here and we must strive to always be in harmony and for the most part we are.

Being "obedient to the faith" means "faith in the work of Jesus Christ Our Savior"!

Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or

else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the

faith of the gospel;

Php 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

*****Act 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Stephen is the first preacher/teacher who was not an apostle whose work is mentioned.

Stephen not only did the work of a servant but he sought diligently to lead people to Christ Jesus. We can see that God truly did give Stephen some powers.

God used Stephen to bear witness to the religious leaders of Israel and it is after this time of Stephen that the "gospel" began to spread to the Samaritans.

*****Act 6:9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

These Libertines were "freedmen" who were formerly slaves of Rome and had been freed by their masters.

All of these groups were Jewish immigrants to Jerusalem from other lands.

It is said in research that there were a great number of synagogues in Jerusalem that were for the use of foreign Jews who were visiting.

The Cyrenians were from upper Libya.

The Alexandrians of Egypt probably made up the largest group of these foreign Jews.

Those of Cilicia in Asia Minor would include Saul of Tarsus and those from Asia would be of Asia Minor near the Aegean Sea.

All these were very legalistic and very zealous of the Mosaic traditions, especially involving the Temple worship!

*****Act 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

None of these including Saul, could match or resist Stephen's wisdom and power!

Jesus had promised this:

Luk 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

These groups could only see one alternative, they knew they would have to destroy Stephen!

*****Act 6:11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

Most of these Jews were wealthy and they had no problem using their wealth to bribe some false witnesses.

That word "suborned" actually means to employ type of "secret agent" to take one of their place, and to instigate or secretly instruct him on what to say in a court of law.

And we just thought that secret agents were a modern thing.

*****Act 6:12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught

him, and brought him to the council,

Act 6:13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

This is similar to the way the Jewish leaders had treated Jesus.

These Jews were jealous over their law and did not want to believe that Christ Jesus had come to fulfill those laws!

They were extremely proud of the Temple that Herod had restored and refused to believe that God would allow it to be destroyed.

This verse is not part of our lesson today but let's look anyhow:

Act 7:42 [Then God turned, and gave them up to worship] the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

These Jews along with the world we live in now and certainly including America do not believe that God will give them up to worship as they please but they are wrong!

America is trying to remove the one true God from everything and from everywhere, trying to boot Him out of this nation!

This verse says that God will just allow a people such as these to worship as they wish.

When this happens Satan takes control and evil abounds throughout the land. We see this happening before our very eyes just as it happened in Israel:

Amo 5:27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

and it is happening in America and everywhere where Christ Jesus is rejected:

Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:

Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

and we know that God has a purpose for everything He does:

Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

And we also have no right to question anything that God does or has done or what He allows to be done:

Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

We must only believe:

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Jesus preached that it was His body that is the Temple of God, and these Jews had indeed destroyed that Temple!

These Jews were not about to allow Jesus into their false religious beliefs!

Jesus had also warned them that their physical Temple would also be destroyed and that happened in just a few short years in 70 AD.

As I have already pointed out, the enemies of Jesus Christ will continue to attempt to undermine the Christian faith, by using distortions of the Word of God.

They cannot use facts because all true facts of Scripture, all true science and all true history supports biblical Christianity!

*****Act 6:14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

This enemy of the Church came upon Stephen suddenly and arrested Him while he was preaching.

They took Stephen before the same court that had tried Jesus.

They took him before the same court that had tried to stop Peter and John.

*****Act 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

They saw something marvelous in his face. This man came closer to being an angel than any man before him.

It was not even necessary for Stephen to speak because the glow of his face told everyone on this council that this was a true servant of God!

These Jews knew all about the shining face of Moses. Stephen was not against Moses because he was like Moses and God was pointing that out to them!

*****Act 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Stephen had just reviewed the entire history of Israel along with the contributions made by the honored patriarchs.

Stephen had proved with their own scriptures that the Jewish nation was guilty of worse sins than those they had accused him of committing.

They had not understood their spiritual roots.

They had rejected the prophets sent from God.

They had disobeyed their own laws and made up some new laws that they honored even more than God's laws.

They were stubbornly resisting their God and His truth!

There was a reason that Jesus had come at this time:

Gal 4:4 But when "the fulness of the time" was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

I believe the answer is also given to us:

Eph 1:10 That "in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ", both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

God is gathering "in one" all things of Jesus Christ.

This is the time we live in now and is known as the "Church Age" and it will soon be coming to an end and God will again deal with the Jews!

When these Jews heard these things they were cut to the heart!

These upper class Jews of Israel became a hungry pack of wolves and Stephen knew it meant his death!

*****Act 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Since God is a spirit then there can be no actual "right hand of God"!

This phrase indicates The Place Of Prominence and The Place Of Honor!

The FACT that Jesus is at the right hand of God teaches us that His saving work is finished but it does not mean He is not still working on our behalf!

Every born again child of God needs to take note here!

Our Lord Jesus stood up just to receive His child Stephen into Heaven.

Jesus is waiting on us all with open arms and He stands up to receive all His children especially those that have took their stand on His Gospel.

This world may not want God's children but when our work is done on this Earth, we have a Father in Heaven who is tickled to death that we are coming home!

*****Act 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Jesus had used this phrase "Son of man" at least 80 times but this is the first time one of His disciples used this title.

Jesus had told this same mockery of a trial where they could find Him:

Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living

God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Stephen said, "I see Him", He is right where He said He would be.

Normally Jesus is often presented as sitting at the right hand of God acting as our "Intercessor" and our "Advocate".

Normally a defense counsel remains seated in the presence of "The Judge", rising only to make an objection when His client comes under sever attack.

Stephen said "I see my Lord standing" and "I am going on home"!

How long will He stand?

Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

*****Act 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

This pack of angry wolves could stand it no more they became what they were:

Jesus had described them earlier!

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

*****Act 7:58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Saul and Stephen meet for the only time they would be together. They were enemies and stood on opposite sides of the cross at this time.

This gives us an idea of just how far Saul had to come but we also know Saul never forgot this day.

Act 22:19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

Act 22:20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

*****Act 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

John the Baptist had died for preaching the truth. It was God the Father that had sent John.

The Lord Jesus Christ had died because He is the truth. It was God the Son sent to save us.

Now Stephen died for preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was God the Holy Ghost who had filled him with His Spirit.

Through this act against the Church the "Gospel" would now spread next to Samaria and then throughout the world.

*****Act 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, [lay not this sin to their charge]. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen fell asleep in peace and in grace while still loving the sinner but not the sin!

When a Christian dies they fall asleep:

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

That old unsaved flesh sleeps while the spirit goes on to be with the Lord:

2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

When Jesus returns He will bring back those spirits of those that are asleep to be reunited in glory:

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, [even so them also which sleep in Jesus "will God bring with him"].

1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

When our loved ones that know the Lord die we do not weep in hopelessness for we know we shall meet them again when we die or when the Lord returns.

We need to realize that when the "Gospel" is preached powerful forces are at work on each one that hears it.

The Book of Acts will now turn its attention to Saul of Tarsus and the Gospel extending to the Gentiles.

If we believe in prayer and we must, then the Apostle Paul was the result of the prayer of Stephen!

Questions?

Let's Pray

The Prescription For A Pure Church

The Prescription For A Pure Church

Book of Acts Chapter 5

Before we begin we found at the end of chapter 4 these words written about Barnabas.

Act 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

Act 4:37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

We will meet Barnabas many times as we continue our study of the Book of Acts as he was one of the saints of the early church. We can see that Barnabas gave himself totally into the hands of the Lord.

Some will say that a Levite could not own land but that is not entirely true. God told Jeremiah to buy a piece of land and it was done according to the Law.

Jer 32:11 So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open:

So, Barnabas had made a generous contribution to the early church and no doubt there was much talk of it.

And, Barnabas had a clear understanding of the words of Jesus:

Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

This act of Barnabas was deliberate and voluntary. One evidence of this early "Spirit Filled" church was the way they sacrificed and shared with one another.

We can see that giving was a blessing and not a burden!

So today we get to see a lesson in "hypocrisy".

The Lord Jesus Christ personally used the word "hypocrites" 17 times in the Gospels.

And, The Lord Jesus pronounced "severe judgment" on the hypocrite including the "7 woes"!

So let's begin:

*****Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

Act 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at he apostles' feet.

We should be aware that it is not hypocrisy to set high goals for ourselves even though we may never reach them.

Failure to reach a "Spiritual Goal" does not make us hypocrites!

It Is The "Deliberate" Deception That Is Hypocrisy!

A hypocrite is a "pretender"!

Every "actor" plays the hypocrite!

When we try to be more spiritual than we really are we are hypocrites!

The name Ananias means "God is gracious". He learned that God was not only gracious but God is first "Holy".

The name Sapphira means "beautiful" but in her heart Sapphira was ugly as sin and full of it.

I believe we can see that these two intended to get the same admiration that had been given to Barnabas.

We know of many things that are an abomination to the Lord and a "hypocrite" full of pride is one also one of them:

Pro 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

*****Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart [to lie to the Holy Ghost], and to keep back part of the price of the land?

The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was not greed. They did give a substantial gift to the Church. Their sin was "Pride" that came because of "Covetousness"!

They desired the praise of others in the Church!

They lied in order to gain prestige in the Church!

And they had committed this sin against the Body of Christ, God's Church!

This may not seem such a crime that required death but we must remember that the punishment came from God and not from the Apostle Peter!

God simply would not allow "hypocrisy" to gain a foot hold in the early Church!

This is not the first time we see this from Our God, when He has begun a new period of salvation history.

Remember Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron who died for presenting "false fire" in the Tabernacle.

Remember Achan who took of the accursed thing when Israel first entered the Promised Land.

What we see in these two people is the working of Satan trying to hinder the early Church!

Satan had failed to stop the Church from the outside and he would now begin his attack on the inside of the Church.

Satan knows our weaknesses and for this reason God told us all to wear His Armor:

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

*****Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? [thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God].

There are too many people of the church today that deny that the Holy Spirit is God. We have proof in these verses that The Holy Spirit and God are synonymous because they are the same!

Satan will always attack with his lies!

The Church is God's Temple in which He dwells!

Satan wants to move in but he cannot move into a Holy Ghost filled Church.

A Holy Ghost filled Church will preach the true Gospel and follow the Apostle's Doctrine.

1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God "which is the church of the living God, [the pillar and ground of the truth]".

God will judge His people and that judgment will begin with His Church!

Ananias and Sapphira had it in their own power to know right from wrong and they chose to be unrighteous!

*****Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

Act 5:6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

We should not get confused, this was not church discipline. This was the Judgment of God!

Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

Heb 10:31 [It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God].

To be quiet honest, I believe this happens today more often than we think.

We are to judge our own actions by the Word of God!

1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

When we knowingly refuse to judge our own actions then we place ourselves in the hands of the Holy and Almighty God!

We sometimes bring God down to our level or put God in a box, thinking we can release Him at will.

But God is God and It is He that sits on His Throne of this universe!

2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, [let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness "in the fear of God"].

God does not need our permission to act upon His Own Word!

Verse 6 again shows us that at death that Jewish person was wrapped in linen cloth and spices:

Joh 19:40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

*****Act 5:7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

Act 5:8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

We can be sure that Satan always keeps his servants in the dark of sin and it's consequences!

But, God always gives His servants the truth:

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall "make" you free.

Sapphira may have come into the Temple expecting her husband to be exalted but what she found out was that none of us can defy God, none of us can dare God to act on His Word and not suffer for it!

Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God".

Their sin was not in robbing God of some money!

Their sin was lying to God and robbing Him of His Glory!

They were not required to sell their land!

And having sold that land it was not required that they give any of it to the Church!

It was their "lust for recognition" that brought on this terrible sin and the results of this sin!

Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Jas 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

*****Act 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

Act 5:10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

We need to realize that God would not allow a lie such as these two were committing to exist in the early Church.

God expected "Holiness" to reign in His Church. These things have not changed as God still expects His Church to be Holy!

1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, [Be ye holy; for I am holy].

We must realize that there is still sin that brings death to the believer:

1Jn 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. "There is a sin unto death": I do not say that he shall pray for it.

1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

This kind of sin was not allowed to exist in the early church!

The act of "giving" is the will of God!

Act 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, [It is more blessed to give than to receive].

God requires absolute honesty in our relationship with Him and Jesus spoke harsh words about "hypocrites"!

Every hypocrite casts a dark shadow on the work of the Body of Christ wherever God's people are located!

So what were the results of this incident?

*****Act 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Again we see the word "Church" this is the second time we see it in this Book of Acts.

The Greek word "ecclesia" used here for "Church" is used 117 times in the New Testament.

Up until this incident the early church had all things in common. We can see that sin takes this away!

Great fear came on all the Church and many have been saved who witnessed the "Power of God".

There is the great "Power" of the Holy Spirit to form the Church.

There is the great "Grace" of God to keep His Church.

There is now the great "Fear" of God to maintain the Church and this was brought on when sin entered the Church.

The Bible says:

Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Heb 12:29 [For our God is a consuming fire].

*****Act 5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

It is very important for us to realize that the office of "Apostle" was limited to the eleven that remained after Judas died and the Apostle Paul.

The Apostle Paul's situation was unique as he said himself, he was untimely born:

1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

The Bible also states that the Church must be built on upon the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets but Jesus Christ Is The Chief Cornerstone!

Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

We now have the complete written Word of God which contains the "Apostle's Doctrine" given to them by Jesus Christ and led by the Holy Spirit in the believer.

Therefore the office of the Apostle has ceased.

It is these 12 men who were given great powers and authority and these powers also have ceased and not given to any other men!

To be an Apostle, a man had to have seen the risen Christ!

During the time of the early Church the wonders performed by these Apostles were the fulfillment of the Lord's promise to them!

It is now in the power of the pastors, the teachers and the evangelist to build on to the Church but only if they use the "Apostle's Doctrine".

The most important thing today is not miracles but whether the message we hear is the true Word of God!

*****Act 5:13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.

Act 5:14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

We can see that no more hypocrites tried to enter the Church at this time and it was the Apostles that were magnified.

We can see that true believers were added because all the unbelievers kept their distance in the "fear

of God"!

Today the world has lost this fear of God and this in itself is a sign of the end times!

*****Act 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

Act 5:16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

We can see that people would crowd these Apostles as they walked down the streets and even had the

superstitious belief that was healing in the "shadow" of the Apostle Peter!

The Bible does not say anyone was healed by lying in Peter's shadow these people only supposed it might!

Verse 16 does not say that these that were healed were healed by faith but only that they were all healed.

Modern day "so called" faith healers are never able to heal never heal all that come to them or they could empty the hospitals.

The gift of healing by the Apostles did not require some super faith by the receiver!

We can also see that some people were sick and some people were vexed with evil spirits.

These were two different groups of people!

None of these people went without a cure. This confirmed the Gospel preached by the Apostles and it irritated and provoked the enemies of God!

The Sadducees led the persecution of the early Church!

AND, Here is how John the Baptist described this ultra religious group:

Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

*****Act 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

The purpose of this lesson is to show us that God takes "hypocrisy" seriously!

Jesus said we must worship in spirit and in truth:

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

These Jewish religious leaders along with the governmental leaders of Israel had decided to kill all these Apostles to stop the early Church but God had a better plan.

God used Gamaliel a well respected Pharisee to give this evil council the truth.

Act 5:38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

Act 5:39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

We live today in a world that refuses to deal with disagreements on the basis of principle and truth. When understanding fails people usually resort to violence!

We can see that the Apostles did what was required of the Lord, "They Rejoiced"!

They were beaten and warned by the government of that day and by false religion but yet they still rejoiced!

Their ministry went on without ceasing!

This opposition of men meant the approval of God!

When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we accept the fact that we will suffer in His Name!

We simply cannot cease to teach and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ Our Lord!

God will simply not allow His Word to stop until He is ready!

To follow in the foot steps of the Apostles is to be obedient to God's Word!

Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

We are not to go about arguing religion or condemning the establish religions of this world, we are simply to tell the people about Jesus Christ!

2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves,[but Christ Jesus the Lord]; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

And that message is:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Pride is the gateway to sin. Pride will lead to lies we saw today where pride can cost us our physical lives.

Spiritual matters are matters of life and death and we must be honest with ourselves and God at all times!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Praying Of The Persecuted Church

The Praying Of The Persecuted Church

Book of Acts 4:15-37

What does the word "Prayer" mean?

If we reduce prayer to it's most fundamental element then prayer is "talking to God" on a personal level!

Prayer is all forms of communication with the God of Heaven!

There are basically five categories of prayer:

Praise, petition, supplication, imprecation and intercession.

Today, for the most part, we will see the power of a "petition" in prayer and prayer that offers "praise".

Every prayer should begin with "praising" Our Father in Heaven!

"Praise" is honoring and glorifying Our Creator and Our Maker!

A "petition" prayer is a formal request of Our Father in Heaven and it cannot be made in a general, or vague or a careless manner!

This prayer is begging God to do what only He can do!

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. "The effectual fervent prayer "of a righteous man" availeth much".

The first need for "answered" prayer is for God's people to be doing what is right.

The Bible is very specific here:

Psa 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, "the Lord will not hear me":

Unconfessed sin still stop a prayer before it can begin!

Let's begin:

*****Act 4:15  But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
Act 4:16  Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

We can see that these that sat in council that day were not moved by the preaching of Peter. They were only in a dilemma!

They could not deny the miracle of the healing of that once lame man because, that once crippled and once lame man was standing before them with these Apostles.

They could not explain how simple fishermen from Galilee could perform such a miracle whose only fame was that they had been with Jesus of Nazareth.

It is important for us to keep these things in context:

This miracle was not proof of the "Resurrection" of Jesus!

This miracle was not proof that Peter's message was even true!

Even Satan can perform miracles:

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And false prophets can also perform wonders:

Deu 13:1  If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
Deu 13:2  And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

The truth of Peter's message is that  The Lord Jesus Christ is "ALIVE"!

That Jesus was working in "His Church" through the "Power" of the Holy Spirit!

Peter preached from the Old Testament to show the truth of the "New Testament Gospel" to these that were Jews.

BUT, Miracles Are Not A Substitute For The Word Of God!

This council of the Sanhedrin court were not seeking the truth, They Were Seeking A Way To Avoid The Truth!

Sounds a whole lot like our courts of today!

They had no interest in the truth of the evidence "that was in their presence" this day!

It had been some of these same men that had tried to trap Jesus in His words!

We can see the proof that "a miracle", in itself, "cannot bring conviction" to the lost!

It is only by the "Power" of the Holy Spirit that conviction can come to those that are lost!

The problem was not of their mind, the problem was in their heart!

The Bible says:

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

*****Act 4:17  But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
Act 4:18  And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

They now came to the conclusion that like all false doctrine that had come before this, that this was a new fad and would die a natural death in a short period of time.

They Were Very Wrong!

This religious group forbade the preaching of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

AND, The entire religious world is trying to do this same thing today!

Satan has been trying to silence God's people ever since the time of Adam and Eve!

Sadly even today many of us have become "silent" Christians and even our own governments are
being caught up  and swayed by these things of false religion!

We know that this is a sign of the end-times because in the Book of Revelation we find a Religious Babylon and also Secular Babylon.

Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon "is fallen", "is fallen", that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

1.) We have the apostate Church, the "Harlot".

2.) We have the spiritual Sodom, "The Unholy Worldly Alliance".

This council did not want the Gospel Message to spread!

BUT, Satan's attempts to silence the Church only leads to a stronger witness of the Lord!

When the world is trying to silence the truth of the Gospel, this only lends to the truth of God's Word!

*****Act 4:19  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

Who or what should we obey?

Peter said judge this your self!

After all these men did claim Our Creator as their own God. These men had placed themselves above the Word of God and had even made their own laws and added them to the Word of God.

When "we are sure" that we have a "clear" understanding of the teaching of God's Word then we "may" one day have to defy our own governments BUT we are "always" suppose to deny the teaching of every false religion!

God has given us the Great Commandment:

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

This commandment must not cannot be denied!

We can see this throughout the Bible:

Exo 1:17  But the midwives feared God, and "did not as the king of Egypt commanded them", but saved the men children alive.

It is always wrong to murder anyone and that includes babies!

On the average 3700 babies are aborted in America every day.

Heb 11:23  By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; "and they were not afraid of the king's commandment".

Moses's parents also knew this truth!

Dan 1:8  But Daniel purposed in his heart "that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank": therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

It is always wrong to eat food that has been offered to Idols!

Dan 3:17  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Dan 3:18  But if not, be it known unto thee, "O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up".

In other words O king, "do what you have got to do, we are not going to give in to you"!

There are many biblical principles that we must adhere to rather than what our governments write into some laws!

Peter, John and every other believer are under the orders of God to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ until the end of our lives or the Rapture of the Church or whichever comes first!

We must remain in good conscience toward God no matter the suffering!

1Pe 2:19  For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

*****Act 4:20  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

The Bible teaches us:

Heb 2:3  [How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation]; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Jesus teaches us all, that a righteous protest against injustice will always bring sacrifice and suffering but we cannot and should not, conduct a "holy war" just because of our frustrations!

*****Act 4:23  And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

Peter and John when they were released did not go somewhere and hide. They went back to where the Body of Christ was located. They immediately assembled together and reported their good news.

*****Act 4:24  And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
Act 4:25  Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

The greatest concentration of "power" in Jerusalem that day was in this "prayer meeting" with the New Church.

Peter and John had come in from their first battle with Satan and the Body of Christ was meeting to over come that enemy of the Church and all our battles need to always begin with prayer!

These first Christians firmly believed in a personal "omnipotent" Creator, who had now become man in the person of Jesus Christ.

It is Jesus Christ who has been rejected by the religious leaders and by the government of Israel and by the World!

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that God our Creator had made all things according to His written word!

And there was no doubt that this same Creator had come down from "His place in Heaven" and taken on the "body of a human" just for the purpose of saving His creation!

The early Church was glad to suffer persecution for His name's sake!

BUT, it seems most Christians today are silent and tend to hide from persecution.

The early Church gave praise for the opportunity to preach the Gospel "at all costs"!

Today, it seems that many of the Church question our Creator and His "written record" of our creation in the Book of Genesis.

We cannot be saved unless we believe "with all our heart" that Christ Jesus is also Our Creator!

This reference to the "heathen" which means the "Gentiles" was meant to apply to Herod, and Pilate and the other Gentiles who persecuted Christ Jesus.

The term "Heathen" denotes the "nations" that are not of the Jews, and "rage" denotes an assembly such as an unruly "mob".

This reference to the "people" refers to the Jewish mob, the Jewish religious leaders and the Jewish government who were also guilty of the same crime.

This a picture of the many nations that plan to unite in rebellion against God that we see today as we get nearer the end of the Church Age!

The Apostle Paul best describes the phrase "vain things".

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; [but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened].

All these Jews had said that they knew God but they did nor know Him at all because they did not believe His Word.

This Is The First Act Of Knowing Him!

Paul also added:

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Our own worldly wisdom will always make us foolish when compared to the Word of God!

The Bible adds:

Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Though the world we live in has lost it's fear of God all that does is make them all truly "foolish"!

*****Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

Today as we live in America there is a thing called the United Nations who are counseling together to seek a humanistic world government and departing from the Word of God.

We can see the outcome of these things in the Book of Revelation:

Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, [to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty].

For the Apostle Peter to make reference to [Psalm 2] indicates that he knew that the secular world would not accept the Church of the Living God!

The early Church felt the urgency to pray about these things yet the Church in our day does not have that same urgency and is not as strong as it could be!

Most of us Christians are just too comfortable in our walk with God. Shame, Shame, Shame on us all!

*****Act 4:27  For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28  For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

Though the world gathers against the Body of Christ, the fact remains that it is God who is in control!

That phrase "determined before" is the same in the Greek as "predestined"!

God has told us that these things will happen.

AND, There is nothing that we humans can do to catch God off guard!

We have the complete Word of God and praise the Lord we are on "The Winning Side"!

AND, We should have a clear understanding the more we are active servants of the Lord, the more spiteful will be the agents of Satan!

The Bible teaches us:

Pro 19:21  There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

*****Act 4:29  And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: [and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word],
Act 4:30  By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done "by the name of thy holy child Jesus".

This is the prayer that was  made.

They did not pray for the persecution to cease.

They prayed for the power to speak the Word of God with even more boldness!

They did not pray for an easy Christian life.

They prayed for the courage to endure all persecution!

These are some of the things that we need to do today in order to get back the strength that the early Church had!

The early church clearly understood that God had a plan for all His believing children!

And they all were in one accord and knew "the work of the Church" is to glorify The Lord Jesus Christ.

For without Him we are "nothing"!

*****Act 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Now we can see a second time the early church was filled with the Holy Ghost.

The filling of the Holy Spirit is not a once in a lifetime event!

The filling of the Holy Spirit must be often, even daily and comes through "earnest prayer"!

We can see that there was no "languages" or "tongues" involved with this filling but only the "Power To Speak Boldly"!

AND,  also for a joyful and godly Christian life.

What is the will of God?

Eph 5:17  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding "what the will of the Lord is".
Eph 5:18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Eph 5:19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and "spiritual songs", singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Eph 5:20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Eph 5:21  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

The filling of the Holy Spirit is necessary for our maturity in the Word of God!

We cannot walk the Christian walk without the Holy Spirit!

The filling of the Holy Spirit is essential for every child of God to be that useful and that available servant to the Lord!

The Bible "does not" command the believer to be indwelt or sealed with the Holy Spirit because this is the "gift" of God!

The Bible "does" command each believer "to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit" in order to to be of use to Our Lord!

In order for this to take place then we must not "grieve" the Holy Spirit!

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

When we "grieve the Holy Spirit we can also quench the Holy Spirit!

1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit.

We can quench the Holy Spirit when we despise the  preaching of God's Word!

How do we grieve the Holy Spirit?

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

How do we not grieve the Holy Spirit?

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

*****Act 4:32  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

According to the Bible the "Heart" is the center of spiritual activity and controls all the actions of the human life.

The "heart" is the seat of our "conscience"!

The "soul"  can be said to be that life breath that is given by God!  It is the "soul" that retains the knowledge of God in every individual and it is the "soul" that is saved by the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Our Savior!

That word "common" simply means "ordinary". Some believers were "well to do" but most "became poor" because of the circumstances caused by the unbelieving Jews.

The early Church considered their personal possessions  as just "common goods" which could easily be given up.

This was not an early example of socialism!

This was not an early example of communism!These things were "entirely voluntary"!

These things were not planned!

Nor were these things enforced nor caused by the Church!

They only gave their possessions "as were needed" and were "very" willing to do this.

We of the Church should always be willing to share "as the needs" of our Brothers and Sisters arise!

BUT, this does not mean we are to turn over all our possessions to the Church leaders.

God does not command more than the "Tithe" and all other things are "free will" offerings.

It is that "free will" offering that gains God's Blessings, not the "Tithe"!

To neglect the "Tithe" is to ROB GOD!

*****Act 4:33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Even the Apostles needed to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit but they had one thing we do not have today.

They had that personal, eyewitness, knowledge and irrefutable evidence that Jesus Christ had certainly raised from the dead!

This is the crowning proof of Christianity!

Only God Himself can defeat death!

Jesus had demonstrated that He was and is God when He walked out of the grave!

It is this knowledge that gave boldness to Peter, And Paul, And John and all the Apostles!

It is this same knowledge that gives every believer the right into God's Heaven!

Jesus said to doubting Thomas:

Joh 20:27  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Joh 20:29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: [blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed].

Questions?

Let's Pray! 

The Persecution Of A Hostile World

The Persecution Of A Hostile World

Book of Acts Chapter 4: 1-14

Many people always ask why do we suffer from persecution and we really should have only one answer even though there may be some other reasons.

Jesus teaches us these words:

Mat 10:22 And "ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake": but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

It is a fact that most all true Christians do good in this world we live in "But" even that good that is done is looked upon as evil in most of the world today.

Even in this latest tragic hurricane in our north our own president put down the good of the churches and asked people to work through the Red Cross. The Red Cross does a good work for the most part but they cannot put people on the ground as quick and as efficient as the local church.

BUT, It is a fact that any demonstration of the power of God makes this lost world uneasy!

The preaching of Peter had caused many lost souls to come to know the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But this same preaching that had brought many to salvation had inflamed the priestly authorities of Judaism in Israel.

The Sadducee were the ruling party at that time and they absolutely rejected resurrection in any form and especially any resurrection of a Messiah.

It is also a fact that this world's religions reject the truth of God coming to Earth in the form of a human.

Most all religions believe that any Messiah will be some resurrected human from the past.

So, They could not allow the disciples of Jesus Christ to go unpunished.

Remember what Jesus had said:

Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: "I came not to send peace, but a sword".

Mat 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Mat 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Of course that sword is the Living Word of God!

At this time the high priest and his followers were answerable to the Roman authorities for anything that even sounded like a disturbance.

Any gathering of people that might suddenly erupt into a riot or a revolution could take away their limited power and prestige given to them by Rome!

Their answer to this problem was to try to stop the preaching of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

As we left off last week the Temple Police and the religious leaders were just about to lay their hands on Peter and John.

Let's continue where we left off!

*****Act 4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,

Act 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

It should be very obvious to us all that it was not only a ruling government that led to the persecution of the Lord Jesus but it was the religious rulers of that day. These were the enemies of Jesus Christ when he walked on this earth and these were the enemies of the apostles as the early church began to grow and then we can add on to that the ruling governments.

These authorities tried in every way to stop the spread of the Christian faith just as they still do today!

Many lost souls were being saved by the preaching of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

The church could have been stopped dead in its tracks if the world could only have produced the dead body of Christ.

We can be sure that they made great effort in trying to find the body of Jesus.

They could not find the "physical" body of Christ so they took steps to eliminate the "spiritual" body of Christ!

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

These apostles had witnessed the Lord Jesus ascending into Heaven. They had spent 40 days walking and talking with the resurrected Lord.

They knew for a fact that no one would be able to find the body of Christ because it was not on this earth!

This gave them the boldness to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND This was also one of those infallible proofs that Luke writes to us about.

This enemy would surely have produced that body of Jesus if it were possible for them to do so.

Christianity would have never even got started!

The apostle Paul put it this way:

1Co 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

1Co 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

If you believe that Jesus did not raise from the dead, then you are still on the threshhold of hell if you are still alive and everyone that has gone before you is in Hell already!

*****Act 4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

Peter and John were placed in jail that day for simply preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

It had only been 3 hours since God had used Peter in the healing of that lame man and had preached a sermon that would cause these to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!

Peter and John and entered the Temple in time for the three o'clock prayer time and it was now evening time probably six o'clock.

*****Act 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

If anyone that calls himself a preacher needs an outline for a sermon they need to take advantage of this one preached by the apostle Peter. At least 5000 souls were saved that day. These were true converts.

These were Jews who had recognized that the fulfillment of Judaism is in fact, Christianity.

*****Act 4:5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

Act 4:6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

We see this time that there was no midnight court for these Apostles and this is because of those 5000 new Christians and "one miracle receiving man" who had spent 40 years being lame.

You know it is just as great a miracle for even one lost soul to be adopted into the family of God.

This court was essentially composed of the family of the High Priest. The Jewish religious system had become so corrupt that the offices were passed from one relative to another without regard or the Word of God.

None of these men were not descendents of the tribe of Levi.

In fact history tells us that Annas was deposed from the High Priesthood by Rome and he was not about to allow that to happen to those of his family! Caiaphas his son-in-law was next appointed High Priest and at least five of Annas's sons held the office of High Priest at one time or another.

In 1994 near a hidden valley in Jerusalem the stone burial ossuary of Caiaphas was actually found in the tomb of Annas.

These were real people and at a real-time at this time of the apostles and the beginning of the early church and not some made up story by these apostles!

*****Act 4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, [have ye done this]?

The first thing we should notice here is that these religious leaders had acknowledged this as a miracle even though they tried to make it seem a minor thing at this time! (this thing)

The second thing we should notice is that these religious leaders had acknowledged that this miracle was done by Peter and John, the Apostles of Jesus Christ! (ye or you people)

In other words, "who do you think you people are to come into the Temple with this stuff"

The view of Judaism at that time was that all illnesses and afflictions were caused by demons!

In their view it would take an exorcism to remove those demons and this could only be accomplished by qualified spiritual leaders or else by a follower of the devil as we know that Jesus had been accused of.

Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

This Sanhedrin council realized that these two Apostles were only fishermen and could certainly not have any such power.

*****Act 4:8 Then Peter, "filled with the Holy Ghost", said unto them, [Ye rulers of the people], and [elders of Israel],

The power of regeneration can come only by the Holy Spirit and only through the Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

To question the work of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ is "Blasphemy" and this riled the Holy Spirit within Peter!

And Christ Jesus fulfilled one of His promises to His Apostles which was:

Mat 10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

We must realize the more we go about the work of God, the more spiteful will be the servants of Satan!

If we take our stand on the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will empower us!

Notice the eloquence of Peter at this time that is shown to the national leaders of Israel. This shows the wisdom of God that is given to the Christian!

*****Act 4:9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

Keep in mind that Peter and John were only fishermen and not educated and trained lawyers.

The Word of God teaches us:

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

And also:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, [to stand].

Peter's first emphasis was that they were being questioned "for a good deed".

Peter and John had done nothing bad, nothing evil nor anything immoral and it was not a Sabbath's Day.

They had been used by the Holy Spirit to bring life to a man that had been lame for 40 years. This man had been a beggar all his life and to God's glory he had been preserved until this very day of his healing.

There can be no doubt that in those 40 years these same elders and the same rulers had seen this man many times and had probably provided an "alms" to him.

Peter then said if you want to know by what means this good deed was done then let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

There can be no doubt that these words pierced the heart of these non-believers.

They had thought that they were finished with the prophet from Nazareth but now these fishermen were telling everybody that Jesus of Nazareth was still alive.

Since the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead then Peter's statement was almost a declaration of war to them.

Peter made it known that it was these religious leaders and these elders of Israel that had caused Jesus to be crucified, but it was God who had raised him from the dead!

It was that same power of resurrection that had brought new life to this lame man!

*****Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Here again we see that Peter knew that Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism and not some new religion but this is still rejected by the practicing Jew!

We should also remember that this same Peter had once been so fearful in his life that he had denied Christ Jesus three times.

It had taken a major transformation which was the fact that Peter knew beyond any question that Jesus had triumphed over death and had now energized him by His indwelling spirit.

Peter quoted the same Scripture that Jesus had earlier:

Psa 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

Psa 118:23 This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

This "image of the stone" was not new to these men who were experts in the Old Testament scriptures. They knew that the "rock" was a symbol of God.

Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

The Sadducees used only the five books of Moses but the Pharisees used most all the Old Testament of that time.

We know that the Jews still stumble over this "Rock"!

Rom 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

This is the stumbling stone that God has laid at the feet of the Jew and also at the feet of the world.

You see for Jesus was not just any Stone, "He is the Corner Stone of the Church" just as He is also the Savior of the Church and This World!

*****Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

This is one of the clearest statements that can be found anywhere in the Bible that sets forth the only way of salvation!

Only Christ Jesus can save!

It is Christ Jesus that created and sustains all things!

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Jesus had made this very plain Himself!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

We can see that these Apostles "clearly believed" the gospel of Jesus Christ!

We know that this truth may be offensive to non-Christians but we must continually and consistently make it clear in our witness to them in an act of love for them.

For without Christ Jesus we are lost and bound for an eternal Hell!

*****Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Many, if not all of these same men on this council had been at the false trial of Jesus. Remember this day of Peter and John was probably not much than two months since Jesus was crucified.

They had seen the witness of Jesus and sitting before them this day they were seeing men that resembled the Lord Jesus Christ in many ways including their boldness!

Being with Jesus will yield a greater wisdom and courage than this world offers!

There are many things the Holy Spirit provides to every believer:

Isa 11:2 And the "spirit of the LORD" shall rest upon him, "the spirit of wisdom" and "understanding", "the spirit of counsel" and "might", "the spirit of knowledge" and "of the fear of the LORD";

We that believe, can live happier and more productive lives with the knowledge of Jesus than we could have ever lived with any great wealth of this world or with the education that this world provides.

These men that were accusing these Apostles of Jesus Christ were of the most educated and certainly of the most wealthy in Israel.

But they had been silenced by God's people!

Suddenly the accused had become the accuser!

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

It should be to all of us "our goal" for people to see Jesus in us!

These religious rulers of Israel had thought that they had gotten rid of Jesus but they could see Jesus in these Apostles and in all who believed with all their heart!

Jesus said:

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

*****Act 4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

All this time they could see this once lame man standing with Peter and John with personal knowledge that they had witnessed a miracle!

All arguments are silenced when there is a direct evidence of the power of the Gospel!

What Peter's speech could not do the witness of this once lame man accomplished!

All this time this council had not been seeking the truth.

They were seeking a way to avoid the truth! No matter what God does in this world we live in, some people simply will not learn or accept!

What they did think is if they just left thing alone, Christianity would soon pass away from the scene but it did not because the truth "is always the truth".

Christianity exploded from this day onward!

The name of Jesus was in the minds of everyone in Israel and would be scattered around the world by persecution!

This world can only do what God allows it to do to God's people!

And what God allows will further prove His Word is True!

Questions?

Then let us pray with them!

Amen