Sunday Morning Service

Acts 4:32-Acts 5:16 (Click title for audio access)

"The Hypocrisy Cleanse"  •  6.26.11  •  Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro

- The newborn church in Jerusalem has heard the reports of the persecution that had arisen against two of it's main leaders, Peter and John.

- The devil has attempted to attack the church from the outside, through the vehicle of religion. To this point, that strategy has failed.

- The Apostles instead of falling under the pressure of persecution have prayed that God would increase their strength and give them greater boldness to speak. If only Satan would take a hint!

- Unfortunately, our enemy is relentless and when one tactic fails, there is always another one following right behind it! Notice with me, the three movements of our section today.

I. Inspiration (v.32-35)

II. Illustration (v.36,37)

III. Imitation (5v.1-11)

Text

I. Inspiration (v.32-35)

•  Acts 4:32-35  :  "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.'"  : I mention that this section is an inspiration, because it very much is. This is an Edenic look at the early function of the church, who are marked positively for the wonderful life they shared.

- Luke paints a beautiful picture of the church for us.  They were marked first with unity. They shared the same heart and soul. A few of your translations will read, "heart and mind."

- They shared the same passion and thought along the same lines in agreement.

- Their passion was for the things that made them a church: The Apostle's doctrine, prayers, fellowship and the breaking of bread.

- Their theology was centered around sharing the gospel of the risen Christ.

- Biblically, in the mind of God, this is what church is all about! These are the essentials.

- It was essential to their spiritual lives and each of them lived for those tenets. If we are to be a church that God blesses, this must be our heartbeat as well!

- The second mark was their commonality. This may have been a form of communal living, but it's just as likely that the people did what we have seen happen several times here in our body.

- A need arises and someone or the entire group steps into the gap to meet that need. It's not necessary to believe that they sold everything and gave it to the Apostles to distribute.

- What is necessary to believe is that if that was what was necessary, then this group would have done it!

- The attitude was one that saw things or possessions, as instruments of blessing each other.

- There was a selflessness to the church and a desire to see each person's resource as a way to meet each other's needs.

- One man has remarked that when you have been forgiven of an eternal debt, the things of this earth become lighter in your hands! They belong to the Lord and are available to Him.

- The third mark of the church was great power in sharing the message of the person of Jesus.

- Literally, the church was endued with "mega power!" More than enough, an ample supply. I would suggest to you today that because God's agenda has not changed, that same power is yours!

- The Apostles were able to proclaim with great effectiveness the message of Christ's resurrection. Wherever they went, there was powerful effect.

- Remember that the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as well as subsequent fillings are primarily for the sake of clearly proclaiming the gospel of Christ.

- I pray that you might not just know that the Apostles and the early church had this power. I pray that you would experience it!

- The fourth mark was great grace, again, the literal rendering would be "mega grace."

- Favor from God was upon them all. There was a congenial atmosphere. The people were attractive and likable, not for their looks, but for their disposition toward one another.

 This was a real community of believers, going so far as to sell off additional properties for the needs of the church.

- When a need arose, there was an announcement and an almost simultaneous, practical response from the body.

- You can almost feel a sense of people trying to out bless other people! It feels as though there was a race to make sure that none of the people in the body had any lack.

- This cannot be worked up or manipulated, so what I say now should be taken with the knowledge that I want God's very best for you: Does this sound familiar to you?

- Are you experiencing these things? I would ask the Lord to change something in my life if something is missing!

II. Illustration (v.36,37)

•  Acts 4:36,37  :  "And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet."  :  One illustrative example that was in the church at that time was a man named Joses.

- His name means "exalted" and in a way, it was his action that lifted him up, not because of the value, but because the genuine nature that was displayed by the action.

- Joses was given a nickname by the Apostles who called him "Barnabas." It pointed to what he meant to the church. He had been an encourager.

- I would encourage you to take a concordance and do a word study on what is happening around him whenever he is mentioned. He is a consistent encourager.

- His name in Greek is in the same family as the word for the Holy Spirit. One could say that he was a comforter of God's people.

- I love that we really don't ever hear his real name again in scripture. We always just know him as Barnabas, the son of encouragement.

- Barnabas was a Levite, meaning that he came from the priestly line. He had been living in Cyprus, a small island off of modern day Turkey's mainland.

- He had likely been one of the converts from Peter's first sermon during the feast of Pentecost. But, there was something about Barnabas that was not right at that time.

- Barnabas was a land owner. As a Levite, he was set apart by God for priestly service and was thus not allowed to own land. Land was to be shared with them among all of the tribes.

- God was to be their inheritance, the place of worship was to be their main concern. This leaves us with two possible scenarios.

- First, because of the New Covenant, Barnabas the Levite found himself out of a job! Jesus had fulfilled the law and the prophets and now the temple and it's services were obsolete.

- That is a possibility, but I might lean in another direction. Owning land for a Levite was a variation on a theme. Matthew was a Levite who decided to work for the government!

- I wonder if Barnabas was a lukewarm Levite, who had turned in his priestly gig for a more lucrative position in life. That would not be outside of the realm of possibility.

- Perhaps Barnabas had concerned himself with land and the things of this earth, until God met him! I cannot prove it, but I believe that is why he sold it. It was a recommitment to him.

- God had genuinely moved upon his heart to do this and to bring what he had sold as a gift unto the Lord and the church. He brought all of the proceeds from this sale to the church leadership.

- This was a recommitment and a response to the need that was presented among the body. I wonder if that is how Joses actually got the name Barnabas!

- I imagine that the Apostles had given him the name and it stuck as people learned of the story. This was a beautiful example of a man that was genuinely touched by God.

III. Imitation (5v.1-11)

•  Acts 5:1,2  :  "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet."  : Things are going well, but unfortunately, there is always a "but!" In this case, two of them!

- On the heels of the genuine article comes the genuine imitation!

- The name "Ananias" means "God has graciously given." God had generously blessed this man and his wife Sapphira, whose name means "beautiful."

- This was ultimate power couple. They are the Brad and Angelina of their day!

- Understand the scene. Barnabas, a reforming priest, is given some amount of attention for this generous and charitable action that God prompted him to take.

- Here comes "Rich" and "Beautiful" and they assume that there is some prestige to be gained!

- Barnabas had gained prominence because of his spiritual gifting. These two wanted to work their financial gifting!

- Ananias came up with the plan, Sapphira went with it, to sell a possession, which seems to have been an estate. Barnabas, it seems, sold undeveloped property. This was a full estate.

- Barnabas had given all of the proceeds. Ananias and Sapphira had kept some of it back, but laid out an amount that they agreed to give to the Apostles, which was presented as the full price.

- The issue here is not with the amount that was given, but with the appearance. They were bringing what would have seemed to be the full amount, but left a certain amount out.

- The part that they brought to the Apostle's feet was what they were willing to part with.

•  Acts 5:3-6  :  "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.' Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him."  :  Peter saw right through this. Ananias had come alone to bring this to the Apostles.

- He presented it and instead of receiving an accolade, received a strange, quizzicle look from Peter. He calls him by name and reveals what he knows.

- Peter recognizes Satan's part in this activity. Satan had filled Ananias' heart full. This idea came straight from the pit, from Satan's heart.

- He could not intimidate the Apostles, but he could infiltrate from the rear ranks! This is an important spiritual lesson.

- Pray against attack that would come against me and the board of directors of this church, but never neglect to pray for those in our fellowship who are less visible!

- Satan may not be able to get at the shepherd, but certain sheep are vulnerable to attack! Ananias and Sapphira were willing participants.

- When Israel first came out of Egypt, the Amalkites came out against them, but did not attack the strong and healthy ones. They attacked from the rear, where the old and tired ones were!

- Ultimately, the idea was to lie to the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira would never have said that explicitly, but this was what they were trying to get away with practically.

- He was not lying to the church or the Apostles. He was attempting to deceive the Holy Spirit by making people believe that their generosity was in full.

- This gift was not required of them. God did not put it on their hearts. The entire thing was for show. Peter tells him that he has lied to God.

- The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are each specifically referred to as God in scripture. You'll want to note that especially with those who only recognize one or two of the trinity.

- When Ananias heard this, immediately he died. Right on the spot. God killed Ananias. One might chalk it up to a heart attack that might have been triggered from Peter's words.

- Whatever the bodily dysfunction, it was God who made it happen. Why? So that the church would fear His holiness and that's what happened!

- The young men, likely apprentices or interns, took care of the body.

•  Acts 5:7-11  :  "Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, 'Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?' She said, 'Yes, for so much.' Then Peter said to her, 'How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.' Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things."  :  Let's think about this from the standpoint of the young men. It's hot in Jerusalem, much like it is here. They are digging, moving the body into place, covering it, wiping the sweat off.

- They come back into the place and Peter says, "We've got another one for you!"

- Sapphira came in from her tanning treatment, completely oblivious to what had taken place. There were no cell phones and there were no clues.

- Peter answered her, meaning that she was just beginning to wonder about what had happened with the transaction. Why were they not lauding her? Where's Ananias?

- Here is the final moment of mercy. Wherever she had been, it had been three more hours of merciful restraint on God's part. She had three hours left to decide how to answer this question.

- Should she tell the truth? I wonder if there was any moment where she thought about caving?

- Whatever had happened in that period of time, it went out the window in this moment.

- When Peter asked her to confirm the story, she defaulted to her fleshly response.

- I'm sure that Peter's tone was not one of accusation, but one of great hope. "Please tell me the truth! Please don't say what I think you will!" As the words left her mouth, Peter sighed.

- Sin is a horrible thing. There is never a joy in a believer's heart in being right!

- When Peter exposed her lied, he used the phrase, "How is that you agreed to test the Spirit."

- She was complicit in her involvement and now shares in her husband's judgement.

- The rich and the beautiful have garnered no favor with God because of their status. Both offended and both received their due penalty.

- God's response to their hypocrisy was swift and it brought a fresh sense of reverence to the church when they heard these things.

- This leaves us with so many questions. Did this ever happen in any other place? Paul told the Corinthians that their hypocrisy around the communion table was the cause of sickness and death.

- Does this mean that sickness comes to a believer because of sin? It may not always be the case, but it's wrong to assume that it is never the case!

- Let's go further: Were Ananias and Sapphira believers? I'm going to say yes. AH, but the word says that Satan filled their hearts! How can that be?

- Satan, the organization, is always trying to influence. A believer who does not run from sin opens the door to that influence. A believer who lives in sin allows that sin to run it's course.

- Sin, when it is fully grown can have only one affect upon a person. Sin brings death! The lesson is the same here: Hypocrisy brings death! But physical death? Maybe.

- In many ways, this death was even more gracious! The church could not further be infected by their hypocrisy. In fact, they were purified as a result.

- Additionally, the Lord acted graciously toward these believers who would not refuse that which was most dangerous to them. They kept walking toward fire and God said, "No more!"

- Acting as though you are something when you are really not will not work at all for you. God will not kill you, per se, but the work that He intends to do in, through and for you, will die!

- As a result, there will be an emptiness that you live with as you will feel as though nobody knows or cares about you.

- Annanias and Sapphira likely went through all of this to earn the favor of God's people, but neglected to understand that God's favor was enough for them!

Conclusion

- As we close today, I want to draw your attention to what can be yours. True fellowship with God, which results in true fellowship with His people. That necessitates an authentic life.

- Don't be a hypocrite! Be what God wants you to be. Live and give in the way that He has intended you to.

- If your living in some form of hypocrisy, end your stay in sin today! Consider this message a warning, not from me and not regarding life or death. Consider it a loving invitation to life from God!

Thursday Night Bible Study

Exodus 31-Exodus 32 (Click title for audio access)

"People..."  •  6.23.11  •  Calvary Christian Fellowship, Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro

- We have been talking the last several weeks about the Tabernacle and the worship that God prescribes for His people. That sounds innocuous enough. God and His people.

- But there is a side issue involved with that. God's people must worship Him alongside other people! That subject is a predominant feature in these two chapters that we are studying tonight.

- For the sake of simplicity, I'll present two groups that are here for us to study. They are the constructive and the destructive.

- I pray that as we study, God will give us the wisdom to see ourselves in light of His Word.

Text

•  Exodus 31:1-5  :  "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ^'See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship."  : Generally chapter 31 introduces us to the constructive people...literally!

- After the Lord had given Moses the instructions for the Tabernacle, He let Him know that He was also preparing someone to do it.

- While He was instructing Moses, He was also working in the heart of this man "Betsalel." His name means "In God's Shadow," meaning that He was under God's protection.

- He is of the same tribe as the Lord Jesus, the grandson of Uri and the son of Hur. Hur helped to hold up Moses' arms when He stood on the mount in the battle against the Amalekites.

- Now, His son would be involved in the ministry in a wonderful way, in that he would be the one who would construct the place of worship!

- My Dad prayed for me once, that I would surpass him in spiritual things. Now, I pray that Caleb would surpass me. This was true with the case of Bezalel.

- God speaks of filling Bezalel with the Spirit of God, all for this task. God would give Him all that he needed to put this place of worship together. He filled him with vision and the talent to do it.

- God was gifting Bezalel in a way that He was not gifting Moses. Moses did not need to figure out how to design cherubim and then to mold gold! God gave that to another man.

- Another interesting aspect of this regards the provision of God being distributed in multiple directions.  The people would give donate and Bezalel would construct it.

- In every direction, God used people in their gifts, each gift being necessary for worship.

•  Exodus 31:6-11  :  "And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle— the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base— the garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.'"  :  God had an entire team in place who were gifted to make the furnishings of the tabernacle.

  - Aholiab, meaning "Father's Tent" as well as Ahismach, "My Brother Has Supported" were perfect matches to Bezalel. They would be in charge of the implements and clothing.

- These were men of detail and artistry that God had raised up in the face of need.

•  Exodus 31:12-15  :  "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ^'Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death."  : There is one danger that constructive people need to be warned about: Rest! 

- In the midst of talking about all of the construction needs, as well as the giftings of men, God reminds them of their obligation to rest.

- God knows the men that He has gifted. They love what they do for Him. They love to create, but the need to rest. They need to take a day off!

- They need to understand that this is a particular point of reference for them. They are not to identify themselves through what they do, but by what they are!

- The Sabbath, peculiar to the Jewish people, as a sign to them, that they were to rest in Him

- They were not to exchange resting in God for working for God!

- This was a sign to them. It is something that is done to keep a memory alive. What are they to remember? It's to remind them that He is their God.

- He is the One who set them apart, who made them a nation, whose promise they lived for.

- That Sabbath then would be holy to them, enforced by a strict death penalty! Why? Because the Sabbath, like all of the other things that God is specific about, speaks figuratively of Christ.

- Christ is our rest. He is the one that gives us permanently, spiritually, what the Sabbath gave temporally and physically to the people of Israel. Israel: Don't mess with the type!

•  Exodus 31:16-18  :  "Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God."  :  God cannot be more clear about the Sabbath. It's is between Himself and the people of Israel! Of the 10 commandments, keeping the Sabbath is the only one missing from the NT!  

- God tells them that when He rested, He was refreshed. He took a breather!

- He wants that for His people. It's interesting that Peter employs a similar expression when speaking of the Holy Spirit coming upon believers. He called it "times of refreshing."

- That's what God has always wanted for HIs people. When we rest in Jesus, and allow His Spirit to have free reign in our hearts and lives, we are refreshed as well.

- This brings this section to a close. God has finished speaking to Moses. From chapter 25 to this chapter, 40 days have elapsed. Now, we'll see another group of people.

•  Exodus 32:1-6  :  "Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, 'Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' And Aaron said to them, 'Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.' So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.' Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."  : Sometime during the 40 day absence of Moses, the people became restless in the delay. They became impatient. Impatience is the ground that every bad decision is founded on!

- Notice that they were unified. They came together to Aaron. Not all unity is good! This group had had enough of this waiting stuff and came to Aaron, dictating what should be done.

- Aaron, lacking a little backbone in the face of what must have been a hostile crowd, caves!

- The gold that was to be given to the Lord, was given to the making of this calf. It's truly a waste when we take and give away resource to other gods in our lives, when it really belongs to Him!

- When whatever we have is given to the Lord for righteousness, it's an investment in His Kingdom. These people just threw away their material for a worthless idol!

- When he brought it out, He proclaimed the image of the calf to be representative of God! Verse 6 gives us a sense of how low they went.

- "They rose up to play." The NLT renders this verse, that they rose up to "pagan revelry." They acted like the idolatrous nation of Egypt, for that was their sole model.

•  Exodus 32:7-14  :  "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ And the Lord said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.'"  : God tells Moses, "Your people" have corrupted themselves. Literally, they have perverted or soiled themselves.

- What a perfect word for sin. It's a soiling of ourselves, a perverting of the image of God in us.

- Once impatience takes root, it isn't long before their is a departure from His way.

- God knows what has happened. He sees the reasoning and He sees the evil that has taken place and their sin was an offense to His holiness!

- He would wipe them off the face of the planet and start over with Moses. Never ever believe for a moment that sin doesn't matter to God! He is Holy!

•  Exodus 32:11-14  :  "Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: 'Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?' Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people."  : Moses returns the volley and pleaded with the Lord. The idea behind this word is that Moses sought to soothe the Lord from His righteous anger. He does so by pointing out His responsibility.

- It's funny that Moses puts the children of Israel back into God's corner. "No, they are YOUR people, who YOU brought out!" Moses was under no delusion. These were God's people, not His!

- They were His children, made in His image and were therefore His responsibility.

- Then, Moses reminds God of His reputation. Destroying the children of Israel would have caused His Name and character to be blasphemed in front of the Egyptians.

- Finally, Moses reminded God of His promises. You promised the forefathers that you would give their descendants land.

- God never forgets His promise. He never forgets who He is. However, God used this to test Moses and to bring out what was in him! Moses had really changed!

- When God first met with him, he was unconcerned about the people of Israel. Now, he stands between God and the people to intercede on their behalf. Moses was a great shepherd in this way.

•  Exodus 32:15-20  :  "And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, 'There is a noise of war in the camp.' But he said: 'It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear.' So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.'"  :  Joshua has not been given the news. He wonders what is going on. Moses goes with steely expression, bracing himself.

- When Moses saw it, it was too much for him to handle and he instinctively threw the tablets onto the ground.

- When we went through the 10 commandments, we mentioned that this was the case: You either keep the commandments or you break them.

- There is no inbetween and the people had broken the law of God. Moses made gold shakes for the people to drink, taking in the full bitterness of the experience.

•  Exodus 32:21-29  :  "And Moses said to Aaron, 'What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?' So Aaron said, 'Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.' Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, 'Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!' And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Then Moses said, 'Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.'"  :  Aaron's explanation was ridiculous! He led the blame away from himself and then he claimed not to have any responsibility in the formation of the calf!

- Aaron, the man that God allowed Moses to have has now become a helpless nuisance and a troublesome person to Moses.

- Aaron the High Priest had allowed the people to become unrestrained. The sense is that the people were now fully and completely out of control, in a pagan worship fest.

- It seems that there was blatant sexual activity that brough shame to their reputation as God's people. They had stripped themselves literally and figuratively.

- This led to this drastic action where the people who were engaging in these actions were given a choice to repent. They did not want to and had set themselves in mortal peril.

- Moses ordered the Levites to give themselves to the Lord. They were going to be used of the Lord. Theirs would be the arms that would bring God's judgment upon these rebels.

- That day, the Levites went and killed three thousand, who refused to turn from their idolatry.

- Like an aggressive surgeon hunting a cancer, God takes out the element that would have effected the entire community! God removed it.

•  Exodus 32:30-35  :  "Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, 'You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.' Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, 'Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.' And the Lord said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.' So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made."  : Moses confronted the people in their sin. He told them that they had committed a great sin. But then he stood in the gap for them.

- I will bring you before the Lord! I will go before Him that you might have your sin forgiven!

- When Moses came before God, he pled for them and offered, out of love to be removed from His promise. This is reminiscent of Paul's words in Romans regarding the Jews.

- He said that he would have been accursed if it were for the sake of the salvation of God's people. Yes, the people that had hunted him and become a grief to him in every city.

- But this is the power of a changed and prophetic leader, who is a type of Christ in Moses and a reflection of Him in Paul!

- Thankfully, God said no and promised His Angel to go with them.

- Additionally, because of their sin, there was a dire consequence of a plague. Sin might be forgiven, but there are plagues that come because of them!

Conclusion

- Two kinds of people: Gifted ones that use their gifts for His glory and ones that are impatient, taking things into their own hands!

- Additionally, there are two kinds of leaders. There are pathetic ones that give in and prophectic ones that correct!

- I pray that we'll be constructive, prophetic leaders, who fear the Lord!

Sunday Morning Service

Acts 4:5-31 (Click title for audio access)

"Boldness!"  •  6.19.11  •  Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro

- I want to begin our session this morning with a quote from the Lord Jesus Himself. This was spoken a short time before His short bout with death.

• Mark 13:9-11  :  "But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit." 

- Peter and John have been detained for a formal inquiry into their suspicous activities. Jesus said that this would happen. It is the beginning of the world's opposition to Christ.

- To all true believers, there is a sense in which this story begins a story that you are very familiar with, as you have faced similar opposition, not to you, but to Jesus in and through you.

- I pray that you would find fellowship and instruction as we go through this passage.

Text

•  Acts 4:5,6  :  "And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem."  :  These names are familiar to us from Matthew's gospel as many were the same men who condemned Jesus to death. They are about to sit in judgment upon Peter and John as well.

- To be men who had the power to exonerate and exalt Jesus only to reject Him was bad enough. Now, in the mercy of God, these men again have the opportunity to surrender to Jesus.

- Of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are found in Galatians 5, and are characteristics of the Holy Spirit seen in believers, one of the first is patience, or longsuffering.

- The world may believe that it is judging Christians, but the reality is that God is presenting them with an opportunity to repent at the sight of them.

- Please note something here: The first opposition that came was religious in nature, from people that would claim to know God. It comes in all shapes and sizes, but this was the first source.

- These important men would have been very intimidating to stand before. The Jew of that day might consider them in the same light as one would consider the Supreme Court today.

- And given the knowledge that these disciples had of the illegal trial of the Lord, they would have had more reason to be intimidated, though we'll find that they were not.

- Luke notes that Annas was the High Priest. He was the Jewish high priest.

- Caiaphas was Annas' son-in-law and was the Roman High Priest. It's difficult to say exactly who John and Alexander were.

- It's fine to assume that these were members of the family, perhaps even sons, as well as the others that had gathered for this moment.

•  Acts 4:7-10  :  "And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, 'By what power or by what name have you done this?' Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, 'Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole."  :  The question that came to the forefront regarded the source of the miracle that was performed. This was their crisis.

- "Clarify this for us: How did this take place! Who gave you the authority to do this?"

- "What power" or "name" would indicate source and were synonymous, as the name would define the power and the power would define the name. One is the cause, the other is the character

- They had asked the same thing of Jesus in Matthew 21. This was an official inquiry and requirment of the Sanhedrin according to Deuteronomy 13, which adjures them to test the spirits.

- If a person came with miracle working powers, they were to investigate it's source, which is what they are doing here.

- Luke writes that Peter, filled with the Spirit answered. Too often, men make the mistake of answering with no thought to the fact that are indeed filled!

- The Holy Spirit gives Peter supernatural boldness in the face of this group of murderous men.

- Peter did not respond in the power of his flesh. That is not the story of the book. He responded, filled, wholly possesed of the Spirit.

- Peter begins by saying, "I'm glad that things are going so well in Jerusalem that you have the time to investigate this good deed done to this helpless man!" Why would they be bothered by this?

- He is clear and even restates things: If you are asking me what changed this man, it's simple: It's Jesus Christ of Nazareth! You know, the one YOU crucified, that God raised from the dead!

- We have mentioned this before, but the word "Christ" is not Jesus' last name. It's His title. Christ is the Greek word for the Jewish term "Messiah." Jesus is your Messiah Sanhedrin!

- You will notice that there are zero objections. Not one person from the Sanhedrin stood up and said, "No. Jesus didn't rise from the dead!" If it were untrue, they would have quelched it there!

- It is by the risen Jesus that this man stood there completely fit and whole.

•  Acts 4:11,12  :  "This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.'"  : Peter anticipates their question. If He is the Messiah, then why would we reject Him? 

- Jesus is the fulfillment of what King David wrote in Psalm 118:22. The allusion is that the builders of the nation of Israel sought to build the nation on the stone of their own righteousness.

- They looked at Jesus and said, "That one does not fit our vision." As a result, they cast Him aside. They killed Jesus and rid themselves of Him, but God did not honor their decision.

- God looked at Jesus and said, "He is the foundation stone which will set the other stones in their place!"

- In architecture, the choosing of the cornerstone is vital to the building of the building. In ancient times, if it is not exactly perfect, the rest of the building will be crooked.

- God chose Jesus to be the foundation of the building that He was building, namely the church that would bring glory and honor to His name!

- Now, Peter makes a profound statement that continues to ring in our ears these 2,000 years after the fact. He is foundation stone and He is the vehicle that brings about salvation.

- Note the exclusivity. There is neither power to heal, nor is there salvation in any other!

- Salvation is what the miracle pointed to. Because Jesus was able to heal this man, the claim was verified that Jesus was able to bring this man salvation, but it's only by Him.

- I pray that this will deal with some inaccuracies that can easily pass through our lips.

- It would, for example, be inaccurate to say that Jesus is simply one way to salvation, as though there were others.

- Or, it would be a fallacy to report that Jesus is my personal way, as though He succeeded to save me and He might work for you as well!

- Jesus is the only way that any man or woman who has ever lived can have any hope of receiving the gift of eternal life, here called salvation!

- His is the only name under heaven that is given. The word can be translated "extended" or "administered" to. God has extended the hands of His Son to bring men to salvation.

- He is the one door. He is the sole access point. His is the only name that brings salvation.

•  Acts 4:13-17  :  "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, 'What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.'"  :  It was plain to see the boldness of Peter and John by what they said.

- The word for "boldness" speaks not to their bravado in action. Boldness, as defined by this Greek term refers to the clarity of their speech.

- The word carries with it these words that define it: "freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech, without ambiguity or circumlocution, without the use of figures and comparisons."

- My favorite: "free and fearless confidence." Remember, these were men filled with the Holy Spirit who now showed their association to Him by how they talked!

- The boldness that they saw was extraordinary, given the men that they were: The were uneducated and untrained.

- Literally, they were illiterate and idiots, meaning they were not from the rabbinic schools, the seminaries of their time and they were unskilled, untrained lay workers.

- As much training and with as much prestige as the Sadducees had, they were blind to things spiritually! It's better to be a fisherman with the Holy Spirit than to be a Doctor of Theology without!

- Finally, they noted that which is the greatest compliment that can be given to any person in the faith: They had been with Jesus! It's how they spoke and acted.

- It's true that when a person spends significant time with one another they take on the personality traits of the other person. In the case of marriage, they often dress and look alike!

- They were men that other men could see Jesus in! Can that be said of you? Is your fellowship with Jesus such that people in your life, hear and see Jesus oozing out of your life?

- These men who stood in judgment over Peter and John knew where these guys had been hanging out! What could they do?

- Their counsel was to scare these men into not speaking of Jesus again. They wanted to silence them from speaking.

- Please understand that: The vehicle the enemy most wants to silence is the mouth of His witnesses! If I can just keep them from speaking!

- Why is our speaking in the name of Jesus the central concern? It is through speaking that the specific instruction regarding salvation comes! Our example is not enough.

- You can attribute good deeds to anything! Speaking of Jesus give specificity to our actions!

•  Acts 4:18-22  :  "So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.' So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed."  :  They commanded them. "Stop! In the name of the law!" Good luck with that! Spirit filled men look for what God is pleased with!

- Peter and John answered simply: Who should we obey? God or you?

- Who are we to obey? Who are we to fear? The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord. Fearing the Lord is to fear, respect, honor Him above and beyond any other agency!

- They commanded them, they threatened them, likely with reminders of what happened to Jesus, but the answer was already clear: They would obey God!

- This reminds me of the biblical account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who were offered the second chance at bowing at the statue in the plain of Dura, after failing to bow at first.

- There reply is very similar to what the Apostles answered here.

•  Daniel 3:16-18  :  "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

- What can be done about a person like this? There is nothing else that can be done. They are compelled to tell what they had seen and heard. This is an important concept!

- Being a witness involves exactly this. It's not about apologetic theories and questions, though over time, one finds answers to those difficult questions if he asks God and reads his bible!

- Witnessing begins with what you have personally seen and heard! I have SEEN Jesus change my life and I have HEARD Him speak to me!

- The religious leaders could do nothing about this. They had no way to threaten them, as they showed that they could not make them fear them and they themselves were fearful of the people!

- The people did what the Sanhedrin did not do! They glorified God for what they had seen. The Sanhedrin sought to cover it up by all means. They should have been leading the parade!

- Their motivating interest was not God's glory. It was their own glory and prestige.

•  Acts 4:23-26  :  "And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: 'Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.'"  :  Speaking of what God had done and the response of the religious leaders resulted in a spontaneous praise service.

- Essentially, they recognize God's sovereignty in their situation. The praised the Lord with an understanding that they were living Psalm 2.

- The chief priests were not fighting against the Apostles. They were fighting against God and the Lord Jesus! They were opposing the God they claimed to serve and His Christ.

- They were engaged in a futile campaign that could never end in victory for them because they were fighting against the Sovereign Creator of all things!

- The frustration of your family, your teachers, your peers, your neighbors, is useless wasted energy. God will win each and every time, prayerfully through willing surrender now on Earth!

•  Acts 4:27-30  :  "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.'"  :  Jesus was treated by his enemies, the Gentiles or Romans, as well as the people of Israel, all according to the plan of God!

- They took comfort in understanding that God's sovereignty included suffering, even the suffering of the Messiah that brought salvation to them!

˚  "Because they saw their circumstances in light of God’s Word, they could recognize that the wrath of man never operated outside of the sphere of God’s control; these enemies of Jesus could only do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done."   David Guzik

- Notice the thought process: God, these nations, these rulers are all fighting against you. You have allowed Messiah's suffering to bring salvation. What is their prayer for themselves?

- "Lord, don't let us suffer!" "Lord, don't let us go through persecution!" No, Lord give us all boldness to continue to speak Your Word!

- The Lord's prayer for His disciples and for those who would believe through the disciples, was not for relief, but for resolve!

- They would not simply muster up the courage or fire themselves up. They prayed that the Lord would grant them boldness.

- They prayed that God would continue to extend His hand to heal and that He would continue to perform signs and wonders through the name of Jesus.

•  Acts 4:31  :  "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."  : There is no explanation for this. The Spirit had come with a physical manifestation. The whole place shook like it had been hit with a wave.

- More to the point, the Lord answered their prayer for boldness by filling them with the Holy Spirit. They did not work up the Holy Spirit. They received the Holy Spirit.

- What was the result? They spoke the word with boldness. Clarity. Openess.

Conclusion

- Final thoughts as we close. Opposition to Christ is normal, par for the course. Don't pray against it. Accept it as an opportunity to be bold in your speech, understanding that that is what God's Spirit will give you when the need arises.