The Word This Week
Acts 5:12…
After confronting rather than overlooking the hypocrisy evidenced by Ananias and Sapphira - in dealing with the purity of the fledgling Church – we now see the power of God continue to flow in His Church.
We remember the prayer of the apostles and disciples following their being threatened not to teach in the name of Jesus Christ – and then being released because the healing they had performed on the man lame since birth was regarded by all to be miraculous. Their prayer was two-fold: for God to continue to work signs and wonders to draw the multitudes, and then for them to have the boldness to preach the Gospel to all those gathered to see the signs and wonders.
God answered their prayer.
Of course they were faithful to preach, and multitudes were added to their numbers. Even those too afraid to publicly risk excommunication from Judaism respected them. There was too much happening to deny the reality of Jesus’ power working with them and then speaking through them.
But hadn’t they just been warned by the Sanhedrin to never speak the Gospel of Jesus Christ ever again?
So they were arrested again, and once again they were placed in prison overnight – anticipating an appearance before the Sanhedrin the next day. But God intervened, sending an angel to release them from prison and instructing them to go right back where they had stood in the Temple, and to continue teaching the people in the name of Jesus Christ. And so they did.
The next morning, when the Sanhedrin sent the guard to release the prisoners for their appearance before them – lo, and behold the prisoners were not in their cell, even though the cell remained locked and the guard remained present. Whoa! What was this!? Where could they be?
They were right back where the angel told them to be. Preaching the Gospel in the Temple!
And once again the disciples were arrested, and once again they were hauled before the Sanhedrin where they confronted the assembled panel of judges over their complicity in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, (which they thought and hoped they had escaped all notice of.)
When you are party to putting the Lord Jesus Christ to death, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, the notice of the crime and the punishment for it remains with you eternally – unless you repent. No amount of bravado or earthly power can overcome that guilt of unbelief which remains.
Pastor Bill
After confronting rather than overlooking the hypocrisy evidenced by Ananias and Sapphira - in dealing with the purity of the fledgling Church – we now see the power of God continue to flow in His Church.
We remember the prayer of the apostles and disciples following their being threatened not to teach in the name of Jesus Christ – and then being released because the healing they had performed on the man lame since birth was regarded by all to be miraculous. Their prayer was two-fold: for God to continue to work signs and wonders to draw the multitudes, and then for them to have the boldness to preach the Gospel to all those gathered to see the signs and wonders.
God answered their prayer.
Of course they were faithful to preach, and multitudes were added to their numbers. Even those too afraid to publicly risk excommunication from Judaism respected them. There was too much happening to deny the reality of Jesus’ power working with them and then speaking through them.
But hadn’t they just been warned by the Sanhedrin to never speak the Gospel of Jesus Christ ever again?
So they were arrested again, and once again they were placed in prison overnight – anticipating an appearance before the Sanhedrin the next day. But God intervened, sending an angel to release them from prison and instructing them to go right back where they had stood in the Temple, and to continue teaching the people in the name of Jesus Christ. And so they did.
The next morning, when the Sanhedrin sent the guard to release the prisoners for their appearance before them – lo, and behold the prisoners were not in their cell, even though the cell remained locked and the guard remained present. Whoa! What was this!? Where could they be?
They were right back where the angel told them to be. Preaching the Gospel in the Temple!
And once again the disciples were arrested, and once again they were hauled before the Sanhedrin where they confronted the assembled panel of judges over their complicity in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, (which they thought and hoped they had escaped all notice of.)
When you are party to putting the Lord Jesus Christ to death, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, the notice of the crime and the punishment for it remains with you eternally – unless you repent. No amount of bravado or earthly power can overcome that guilt of unbelief which remains.
Pastor Bill