It is good to be with you this morning, and we're going to look this morning at three stories from the early church, each of which enlightens us to God's desire for the church today and our church today. When we read about the early church in the Book of Acts, we yearn for the authenticity and the vitality that the early believers experienced. Now it's tempting to think that the reason for that vitality was the frequent sign gifts, the healings and the prison escapes. that we miss most today, but more so than the sign gifts, we lack the fellowship these believers had, the passion, the boldness, and the love they had. So Colin read this morning a story of the lame beggar's healing. His healing is not one of the three scenes that we're looking at from the early church, but it's the background of the first two. The healing of the lame beggar was an attention grabber. All the people ran together to them in the porch, which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed, and that crowd was all that Peter needed to launch into a great gospel sermon. That's recorded in chapter three, verses 12 through 26. The people who heard Peter's sermon, they were greatly removed. 5,000 were converted that day, according to verse four in chapter four. But not everybody was thrilled with Peter's message. The religious leaders were not. And this is where we pick up our first scene today. So I'm gonna read starting at Acts chapter four, verse one. I'll read down through verse 22. Now as they, Peter and John, spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about 5,000. 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. 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 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. Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, they 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 should we do with 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. 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 40 years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. Our first scene is a story of passion. The apostles were in hot water with the religious leaders. In fact, they were thrown into jail. The apostles of Jesus were often persecuted by the persons who purported to be the true followers of God. They were not, of course, though likely they felt sure that they were. The apostles however, refused to back down from the religious leaders, not even a bit. And they didn't back down because they were driven by passion. Passion always has an object, and ultimately the object of the apostles' passion was Jesus Christ himself. But we can break that down into several subdivisions. First of all, they had a passion for people. like the beggar. It's not possible to love God without a love for people. That's the message of Mark 12, 30 and 31. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. They're like each other, they come in a pair. They can't be separated. Peter and John stopped at the beautiful gate of the temple to address a man who is mostly an annoyance to people. You know the kind. People with hand-scrawled messages. Need money for food, you know. Wait out the traffic light for it to turn red. Yeah, come out. Hold their sign right in front of you. Really, how many people stop to talk to beggars? Peter said, look up, mister. Probably the only invitation the beggar received to actually talk to somebody maybe that week. Then Peter took him by the hand and lifted him up. You know, how many people had taken this man by the hand in the past month? Peter and John saw the beggar for who he was, a child of God needing forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. The apostle stood with the man. He got up, he walked with him into the temple. and seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, verse 14, a patient for people. Peter and John treated the man with dignity. It didn't matter to them that they were thrown into jail because of him, because of healing him. a passion for people, but not just a desire to help needy people, but a passion for the gospel. 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. And when we read the sermons of Peter in Acts, or we read the sermons of Paul, You realize the name of Jesus is always held out as the hope the hope for humanity It's the high priest and wanted to know by what power by what name have you done this? Certainly said Peter I'll tell you it's by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth That's where the power is that's where the the authority is but I But how often do you say the name of Jesus? Not counting hymns, we sing, not counting reading scripture out loud. How often have you said out loud the name Jesus in the last month? So just over a week ago, our agency, Christian Counseling Agency, had our retreat. And at the retreat, there was a time given for reflection. And I was listening. To the people talking many good Christians there many friends there and there was a lot of talk about The Bible there was talk about God's love there was talk a lot of talk about kind of love Generically there was talk about prayer. There was talk about faith But no one said the name of Jesus I One friend said Christ, so I'll give her partial credit there. So I thought, somebody can say his name. Somebody can say his name out loud. And so I did, several times. How often do we say the name of Jesus? It's by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that we stand here healed today, spiritually speaking. If we had the same passion the apostles had for the gospel, who knows what revival we might have. Well, what was the gospel message of Peter first? It was his crucifixion. Whom you crucified, verse 10. The disciples here, they were undaunted. These priests and religious leaders, they had been resourceful enough to have Jesus, an innocent man, condemned and crucified around about two months earlier. Peter and John now stood in front of them, accused them of Jesus' death, right to their faces. It would have been expected for the apostles to be intimidated. In fact, this was the intent of the council. The entire council, that is the Sanhedrin, was 71 members, all the big wigs and sages in the Jewish religion. I don't know if they were all there. Probably a lot of them. A few of the names are given. 6, Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest." Now, they're named there because they were dignitaries. Luke mentioned these names because his readers would have all, oh, yeah, yeah, Caiaphas and Annas, you know, oh, yeah. Now, being thrown in jail is intimidating, too. And now they're brought from from jail to the council, which is probably held in the temple, and they are put in the middle of all these men in their ornate robes. It was an ostentatious show meant to put Peter and John in their place, and instead, Peter and John stood and said, you're guilty of murder. This Jesus is the stone which was rejected by you builders. which has become the chief cornerstone, verse 11. You, the supposed dignitaries of the Jewish faith, rejected the Lord of that very faith. Well, why were Peter and John so adamant about tying the religious leaders to the death of Jesus? Well, because there has to be repentance before there can be salvation. The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel, Mark 1 15. Even in their accusation against the religious leaders, Peter and John were advocating for the only path to salvation, which was to confess that they were wrong about Jesus. Well, then the resurrection, whom God raised from the dead. Everywhere the early Christians went, they talked about the resurrection of Jesus. How could a dead man save anyone? The power of God was The power of God to save was demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus. And this is what Peter said about the resurrection back in chapter two. He said, men of Israel, here are these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, You have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death, whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. It was the plan of God to deliver Jesus to death, knowing death could never hold Jesus. Death was only ever temporary for Jesus. And in that, Temporary space of time, Jesus carried the sins of the world so that those willing to repent of their sins could be free from the penalty of sin, Jesus having taken in his body that penalty. Jesus died taking our place, and the resurrection was God's demonstration that our sins are atoned for. They're covered. Death has lost its power. Jesus is the victor over death and the devil. Without a living Redeemer, there is no hope for us to avoid death and hell. There is no other way, which is the next point, His exclusivity. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. That's a message we need to repeat continually today. Outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no hope for salvation. There's no way to earn salvation through works. There's no other person, no other religion that can save anyone. And that is the message from the Holy Spirit. Verse 8, then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them these things. No one who is filled with the Holy Spirit will ever suggest that all roads lead to heaven. Or that there is some means of reconciliation with God apart from Jesus. Anybody says that? They're demonstrating they're not filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter and John were passionate about the gospel, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as the only means of salvation, and they were passionate about obedience. But so that it spreads no further among the people, The council said, let us severely threaten them that from now on they speak no to no man in this name. 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. The highest religious authorities in the land threatened the apostles severely and commanded the apostles not to teach in Jesus' name. It didn't matter. Peter and John paid no heed to the religious authorities. They paid no heed to the commandments of men because they were passionate about obedience to God. The name of Jesus had to be preached and nothing would stop them, not jail, not persecution, not the threat of death. The early church stands as an example of the passion that we are to have for the name of Jesus, for obedience to him, for spreading the gospel to sinners who need the message of salvation. So we ask ourselves, How passionate are we? How passionate are we, really? All right, we now turn to a story of prayer. We're at verse 23 now. 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 a 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. 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. 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." Now, let's note some things that Luke included in regard to this prayer. These are not in your notes, but I have seven quick notes. First, it was with their companions. And being let go, they went to their own companions. See, the believers had a great fondness for each other, and they depended on one another. And this is, I believe, a big concern in the 2024 church in America. We're so busy, we're so scattered. We lack the time to have close relationships like the early church did. Peter and John, when they were released, it wasn't like, oh, what do we do here? No, they went immediately to their companions, to their friends, to their fellow Christians. Second, their prayer was united, verse 24. When they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord. The Bible gives many examples of individuals who prayed. Elijah prayed that it wouldn't rain, then he prayed that it would rain. Daniel prayed alone for 21 days. Hannah prayed in the temple for a child. But there are also many examples of corporate prayer. The Israelites during their times of feasts and festivals had corporate prayer. Ezra called for corporate prayer before he and his pilgrims left Babylon to repatriate Jerusalem and Jesus endorsed Corporate prayer Matthew 18 19 and 20 again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask it will be done for them by my father in heaven For where two or three are gathered together in my name. I am there in the midst of them. I So this Saturday will be an opportunity for men to pray together. The women have a prayer meeting established. But let me ask, let me ask you this. Do you have difficulty coordinating your personal prayer life in the way that you aspire? That's a rhetorical question. But if you were to answer, we'd have a nearly unanimous yes, right? Given that's the case, we need corporate prayer. God built corporate prayer into the church because he knows we need it. Third, their prayer included praise. Lord, you are God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them. The disciples knew who they prayed to, the creator and the sustainer of the universe who holds all power. And then their prayer was biblical. 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. They quoted here from Psalm 2, 1 and 2. And notice how scripture shed light, Old Testament scripture shed light on what happened to Jesus in his trial, in his condemnation, in his death. The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ, exactly what happened in Jerusalem and at Calvary. And so their prayer was biblically literate. This was not a case of a, a bunch of guys getting together just saying whatever came to their mind. Now, there's some of that, but they knew scripture. and we must as well if our prayers are to be as effective as we would like them to be. Their prayer recognized God's sovereignty, verses 27 and eight, 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. God's plan and purpose was never threatened by Pilate's court or by the cross of Calvary. The events during Passion Week, his death, his resurrection, moved forward according to God's plan as they do today. And so the disciples prayed as victors, not as victims. We are victors, never victims. In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us, Romans 8, 37. And then their prayer was for boldness and power. 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. See, there was no prayer for protection from their enemies. Now, I think had I been praying, I think I would have been praying for protection. I wouldn't be killed or thrown into jail by these hostile religious leaders. Now, I don't suggest that would have been wrong for them to pray. Maybe they did pray for that too. But it seems that they were so endued with confidence that God was with them that praying for protection was not primary on their minds. They did pray for signs and wonders, but the reason for that was so that their witness for Jesus would be more vital. And their prayer received God's confirmation. 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. So there was a visible response to the prayer, the shaking of the timbers where they met. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, meaning they were filled with the influence and power of the Holy Spirit. It's best to think of the Holy Spirit as a person. And so when we talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit, this is not a case of, oh, they were two-thirds filled with the Spirit, and when they prayed, the other third came and joined, no, it's speaking of the power and the influence of the Spirit. They were filled with the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. The result was they spoke the word of God with boldness. What if we were so filled with the power and influence of the Holy Spirit that we didn't have to try to be bold. Wouldn't that be something? What if being afraid to witness was a phenomena that we never dealt with? Wouldn't that be nice? The early church, it seems, was voided fear after they prayed together. I'd love to be a void of fear, and I know that you would love that as well. The early church was filled with passion, it was filled with prayer, and now we move to the third story, which we find in Acts 4, starting at verse 32, and then moving on into chapter 5. 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. And Joseph, who is also called Barnabas by the apostles, which is translated son of encouragement, a Levite in the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. Now chapter five, verse one. 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. 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 after it was sold? Was it not in your 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 man arose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. 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. And so the narrative in chapter five turned from things grand and glorious to the sinister plan of Ananias and Sapphira. This is a story of purging. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is one that stands in conflict with people who want to make the New Testament about a god of love. And the Old Testament, oh, you know, he was a severe god. Let's take a look at this scene, looking first at the backdrop, which is that we read at the end of Chapter 4. Great self-sacrifice. Barnabas. a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. He was a, Barnabas was a man of great tenderness, son of encouragement. That's the nickname they gave him. In fact, if you were interested in Catholic saints, and I'm not, but if you were, you would know that Barnabas is called the patron saint of second chances. Because of him desiring to give John Mark a second chance as a missionary. That story told later in the book of Acts. Now there were many needy people in the early church, probably because of out-of-towners in Jerusalem. Pentecost having happened during the great feast of weeks. And that brought tens of thousands of people. But because of the elation of being part of the new church, many of those people didn't want to leave town right away, but they lacked sustenance. And there were some wealthy people in the church, like Barnabas, who gladly sold his possessions to share with other believers. He was a man of great self-sacrifice. But with the self-sacrifice, perhaps, maybe there came a little bit of notoriety. Barnabas didn't care about the notoriety. But some people did. Enter Ananias and Sapphira into this story. Now let's look at what we know about the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira. First, there was a plan. There was a plan. He kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostle's feet. The evidence is that Ananias and Sapphira desired the reputation that came from selfless generosity. They wanted the reputation of selflessness without selflessness. We also know the plan was satanic. Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? Satan was the source of their temptation and Ananias and Sapphira allowed Satan to fill their hearts with this. We know that Ananias and Sapphira conspired to lie to the Holy Spirit. Not that the Holy Spirit can be fooled, and I don't think, I don't believe that Ananias and Sapphira thought they could fool the Holy Spirit, but they thought they could fool the Holy Spirit's church. They thought they could fool Peter. One of the roles the Holy Spirit plays in the church is unifying the church, Ephesians 3, or 4, 3, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling. To the extent that Ananias and Sapphira lied to the church, deceived the church, they lied and deceived the Holy Spirit. The greed and hypocrisy shown by Ananias and Sapphira would have been a cancer in the church, but God cut the cancer out. We also know the sin of Ananias and Sapphira was not keeping some of the money. Verse four, while it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your control? The sin was in the deceit of their hearts. Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. Further, we know that Ananias and Sapphira tested the Spirit of God. And Peter said to her, how is it that you have agreed together to test, test the Spirit of God? They challenged the Spirit of God. They defied the Spirit of God. They dared, they dared the Spirit of God. And we know the death of Ananias and Sapphira caused great fear in the church, as recorded in both verses five and 11. God purged his church. He purged those who put self-interest above holiness. Great self-interest on the part of Ananias and Sapphira. They placed their interests over the interests of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was interested in the unity and purity of the church. Ananias and Sapphira were interested in their ego and in their reputation. It didn't matter to them if their reputation was forged legitimately or by a lie. They wanted adoration. They were driven by pride. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, James 4.6. All right, now let's address a question that is probably in some people's minds. Why was the treatment of Ananias and Sapphira so severe compared to what we see today? Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for what appears to be a one-time sin, though I doubt if it really would have worked out that way. God knows what's in the heart. He knows what's in the future. Chances are if they had been one or two days away from legitimate confession and repentance, they probably would have lasted. Recently, a high-profile pastor from Texas was revealed to have had a five-year affair with a woman one-third his age. During that five years, he was busy pretending from the pulpit preaching righteousness, discussing the dangers of hidden sin. But when we ask the question, why were Ananias and Sapphira treated so severely compared to Christians today, what we demonstrate is that we only see from our human perspective How do I know that Ananias' discipline was more severe than what will happen to the pastor from Texas? How do I know that? It may have been God's mercy that took out Ananias and Sapphira before they became ensconced in this long pattern of sin. In fact, I think it probably was his mercy. Who knows what consequence lies in wait for the pastor from Texas? Just because the church fails to discipline sinning members doesn't mean God isn't judging. The death of Ananias and Sapphira was meant to demonstrate that sin must be purged from the church. At the time of Ananias and Sapphira's death, The church had not been given instructions on church polity. So all those instructions about elders and deacons hadn't been given yet. All the instruction about church discipline had not been given yet. The Holy Spirit was in direct command in the church. The Holy Spirit said, purge out the evil. Now, when instructions were given for church discipline, for example, 1 Corinthians 5, Galatians 6, Book of 1 Timothy. It became the church's responsibility to purge evil from the church. When we ignore evil in the church, it doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit is ignoring evil. And we would be wise to ask ourselves, is there any area in my life where I am sinning willfully and knowingly? And if the answer is yes, we ought to confess it immediately and get right with God. If we don't, if we insist on continuing in that sin, we are inflicted with self-interest and we're daring the Holy Spirit. or daring the Holy Spirit. We should not think that our ultimate fate will be better than Ananias and Sapphira, even if we're not struck dead. It doesn't mean that our ultimate fate is going to be better. This life is short. Eternity is long. The early church was a place of passion, of prayer, of purity, and to the extent that we have passion, prayer, and purity, we will have power. We'll have power like the early church did, but we have to have passion, we have to have prayer, we have to have purity. I know that's what you desire, and that's what I desire for us as well. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come to you asking that you would strengthen and purify our church. Give us power, give us boldness like the early disciples had. Help us, Father, to be about your work, to be obedient, to have a true love for people so that we get the gospel to them. Now we ask that you would be with us as we continue to worship this morning in song and in study. And we thank you for allowing us to come together this morning. We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.