Chapter 5 is a wakeup call to the seriousness of God. God does not take the gospel lightly, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us. God does not take living out the gospel lightly. There is a lie told to the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira made a vow to God. Deuteronomy 23:21 “When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. 22But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. 23That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.” Let this thought sink in to our hearts and minds, this is not a game, nor some factious experiment to God. Christianity is very real, serious and eternal.
The second half of the chapter we find the Apostles being persecuted again. Persecution to the church is as normal as the sun coming up in the east. This is a paraphrased quote from a church pastor in a persecuted country. He went on to say something like this; “don’t give up in freedom what we will not give up in persecution.” It is time for the church to regain its voice.
The apostles filled Jerusalem with their doctrine. Verse 28.
The apostles stood on the position of believing God rather than man. Verse 29
The apostle preached Jesus in persecution, the message did not change. Verses 30-31
I love Gamaliel’s advice. It is really good advice. They had others teach differently and when their leader died the groups disbanded. The one thing Gamaliel forgot was, JESUS IS ALIVE! Read in verses 38 and 39, if it is of God you cannot stop it. Okay let’s see, Jesus died approximately 2000 years ago, I think it was a work of God. The Bible is the best seller every single year. The church continues to grow and win souls. Gamaliel, it is a work of God. Church, this is a work of God.
The apostles took their beating in verse 40 and kept on preaching.
The apostles where humbled and rejoice to be counted worthy to suffer for the gospel.
We need the church to be the church in these days of falsehood. Church, we need to not lose sight to the seriousness that the world needs salvation found only in Jesus. Do you believe the message?
Wow what power! Praying God gives us this revival found in the gospel of Jesus.
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