WORDS OF LIFE

Acts Chapter 5

Sermon of the Week #200711 – March 11, 2007

In the fifth chapter of the book of Acts, the Apostles had been put in jail for the crime of preaching Jesus and the resurrection. An angel of the Lord had brought them out and told them, “Go ye, and stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” That is the best program for the church today, standing and speaking to the people all the words of this life. Now STAND is one of the great words of life. With that program, the church was on a roll. Like a steamroller everything fell before it; 3,000 added to the infant church, then the number came to 5,000. They made a STAND, and then something happened, “BUT a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the Apostles’ feet.” BUT is the word the Devil uses to counter the STAND of the Apostles.

Since Jesus referred to the sinners on His left hand as goats on the Day of Judgment, the Devil must be the Big Billy Goat, and there is nothing the Big Billy goat likes to do any more than BUT the Lord’s church.

Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead because of their hypocrisy, and great fear came upon the whole church and all that heard these things. And the Big Billy Goat is still at it butting the church. Go ye, and STAND and preach. Some churches can say, “The members of our church really like to hear the Word of God preached; BUT! Very few ever read the Word they love to hear.” The Big Billy Goat loves to BUT especially the billfold of the church. Our church really is concerned about supporting missionary work all over the world. Our people are rich. Just look at the cars they drive, the homes they live in, the big screen television, and the telephones. BUT! Our average giving per capita is the same as the national average of all the churches; namely two percent. Our church is filled with members who really depend on prayer, BUT! Very few pray more than the one-minute prayer they pray at bedtime as fire insurance in case something happens during the night. Our church has a thousand members, BUT! We are lucky to have a third present for any service.

Our church observes the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, as was the practice in Acts 20:7, “And upon the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread...”. The big Billy Goat says, “BUT, don’t you think such a practice becomes too commonplace? With teaching like that, would it not be more effective if you observed the Lord’s Supper just once a month?” According to that, actually preaching, singing, and taking the offering every Sunday is too commonplace. Go ye, and stand, and speak to the people in the temple all the words of this life.

The next word is FEAR. Ananias and Sapphira both dropped dead for lying about what they gave, and great fear came upon the whole Church, and all that heard these things.

There are many cases of the mercy of God, and His forgiveness on page after page of the Word of God, but here is a case for the Christian to have good reason to fear God as well as trust Him. Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 12 give us fair warning, “Fear God and keep His commandments.” Then again remember Hebrews 10:33, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

After you become a Christian, it is wise to proceed on your way to Heaven with fear and trembling. It ought to make a Christian tremble as he slips a porno tape in the VCR. His hand ought to shake a little when he lights up a cigar. While they were filled with fear, it was not fear of people; it was fear of the Lord. Today Christians are man fearing, and not God-fearing. Members are afraid that their friends will be insulted by hearing doctrines different than their own. The Lord Jesus had spoken to that point when He said, “Be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.” There is a statement in Acts 9:31 that puts fear of God and trust in perspective, “So the church throughout Judea and Galilee, and Samaria had peace, walking in the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit was multiplied.”

Fear of the Lord is truly one of the words of life. Go ye, and stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. The next word is SHADOW! Multitudes were added to the Church, both men and women, insomuch that they carried their sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some of them.

The shadow of Simon Peter ought to fall across the pulpit as the gospel is proclaimed, and we retell the message he preached. When Peter told of the miracles, wonders, and signs, which Jesus did; and how He was delivered up to lawless men, who did crucify and slay, whom God raised up, and how He ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God, and declared to be both Lord and Christ.

But the shadow of Peter reminds us of another shadow. David said, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.” The reason He will be with us is because of the prophecy regarding the reason Jesus came into the world in Luke 1:79, “Whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us, to shine upon them that sit in the darkness and the shadow of death.”

The shadow of death is all around us. You cannot drive down the highway very far without passing by a cemetery, and the shadow of death falls upon us as we pass by. However we are reminded in James 1:17, because of the perfect gift of God’s Son, “There is no variation or shadow that is cast by turning.” Victory without a shadow is one of the words of life. Go ye, and stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

The next word is GO! Go ye, and stand in the temple. He told them to go to the high-profileest place of all. Go and stand in the temple. It seems to us that it might take a lot of guts to go into the temple of all places. But that is where they were told to go, and stand. Many of our preachers don’t stand for anything. One woman told me of her preacher. He came to visit them. These folk had several questions to ask. If they said, “What do you think about speaking in tongues?” the preacher said, “Oh, that’s all right.” If they questioned him about different forms of baptism, he said, “Oh, that’s all right.” If they asked about the Lord’s Supper three or four times a year, the preacher said, “Oh, that’s all right.” I suppose if they had asked him about Hell, he would have said, “Oh, that’s all right.” What do you think of the Devil? “Oh, he’s all right.” They could not get a straight answer from him about anything. They said when they heard him preach, that he preached a job-holding sermon. You have heard it before, those who stand for nothing will fall for anything. The Apostles stood in the place of danger, and they stood in the place of privilege. A person who preaches the gospel is performing a work that has been denied to angels.

The story of Ananias and Sapphira teaches us today, that God means business in dealing with the purity of His Church. Go ye, and stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

The next word is HEART. Why hast Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? The Devil filled his heart. Did the Devil ever fill your heart with anything? In Matthew 12 Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” So if profanity comes out of the mouth that is what is in the heart. If he tells a dirty joke, and you laugh at it, that is in your heart. By thy words thou shall be justified, and by they words thou shall be condemned. And that is not all; in Matthew 15, the Lord said, “Out of the heart comes forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, railings; these are the things that defile the man.” It is evident from most television shows and movies the Devil has put a great many evil things in the hearts of most Americans; actually where did Judas get the idea to betray Jesus? In John 13, just before Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles, John writes, “And during supper the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son to betray Him.” It was the Devil’s idea, and he put it into the heart of Judas.

It appears the Devil is busier now than he has ever been before. However, there is a defense against the program of the Devil in filling our hearts. We do have an alternative in Hebrews 8:10. There, God says, “I will put My laws into their minds, and on their hearts also I will write them.” So let God fill your hearts with His Word. The only problem is how can God fill your hearts with His Word if you don’t read it? You can have it at home on the table, and unless it is read on a regular basis, it will not fill your heart by osmosis. The problem is, in this busy life, we just don’t have time to write on our hearts the Word of God. But the Devil will take that time to fill your heart as you look at television, see the movies, and just look around you. A heart filled with the Word of God is one of the words of life. Go ye, and stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

The next word is MUST! When the Apostles were charged with ignoring the gag order of the council, it was not only Peter, but also all the Apostles that said, “We must obey God rather than men.” Many things are important for us to do, but there is one thing that we must do; we must be faithful unto death. Jesus said, “Ye must be born again.” Paul tells us that we must appear before the Judgment seat of Christ. He did not say, “It would be a good idea”, he said, “We must appear.” Saul was told to go into Damascus and it would be told what he must do. What he was told he must do is also what we must do. We must obey God rather than men. Go ye, and stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

The next word is the word BLOOD! After the Apostles were apprehended again, they were brought before the council; the high priest charged them with a terrible crime. He said, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name: and behold ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

These same people who accused the Apostles for bringing this man’s blood upon them were the very same people who at the crucifixion said in Mathew 26:25, “His blood be on us and on our children.” They asked for it, and when they got it, they didn’t like it.

Peter and the other Apostles had a choice to make. Annas the high priest said, “Don’t teach in the name of Jesus”, and the angel said, “Speak to the people in the temple all the ways of this life.” Would they obey Annas, or the angel? Peter gave the only answer that can be made by any preacher of the gospel when he said, “We must obey God rather than men.”

Actually His blood is on the hands of anyone who hears the gospel, and rejects it. Paul preached in the synagogue at Corinth in Acts 18, “And when they blasphemed, he shook out his raiment and said, your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean.” Again he reminded the elders of Ephesus in Acts 20. Listen to this, preachers, “I am pure from the blood of all men, for I shrank not from unto declaring you the whole counsel of God.”

In Revelation 7, “John saw the heavenly host of the redeemed from all nations, tongues, and tribes, and people standing before the throne arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands, and they were identified as those who had come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The blood of the Lamb is a great word. Go ye, and stand, in the temple and speak unto the people all the words of this life. And that reminds us of another great word of life the word REMISSION. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” Just how does remission of sins take place? When Jesus gave the Great Commission according to Luke 24, He said repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name unto all the nations beginning from Jerusalem.

It was at Jerusalem that the gospel was first preached on the Day of Pentecost. And it was at Jerusalem where Peter, at the conclusion of the first sermon on the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, said, “Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Since Jesus said the preaching of the gospel must begin at Jerusalem, and since Peter first said it at Jerusalem, that must be God’s answer as to how the remission of sins comes by the shedding of blood. Truly the words remission of sins is one of the words of life. Go ye, and stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

The next word is REJOICE! The conclusion of the chapter informs us that they were beaten and charged again not to speak in the name of Jesus. They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. They rejoiced over their beatings. Perhaps John looked at James and said, “James, how come you have three big knots on your head and I only have two. I am just as worthy as you. How come you got so lucky?” Maybe Peter said to Andrew, “How come you are bleeding more from your beating than I? I am as worthy as you.” They went out to have a celebration over the beating party. Are you listening?

Sounds like a pretty miserable life style, until we remember what the Lord told the Apostles in Luke 10:20, “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Many consider it a great honor to have their name in the Hall of Fame, or on the list of Who’s Who in America, but the Hall of fame, and Who’s Who, is nothing compared to having your name in the Lamb’s book of life, when you consider Revelation 20:15 where it is written, “And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.” No wonder Paul said in Philippians three “Rejoice always and again I say rejoice”, and in First Thessalonians five, “Rejoice always.”

Rejoice is a great word to dwell on when you think of the charge of the angel to the Apostles, “Go ye, and stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

And now the last word is CEASED! They not only rejoiced that they suffered dishonor for the name, but in defiance of the council, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ. That statement is a defiant conclusion and benediction to the message on the wonderful words of life found in Acts five.

They ceased not to preach in spite of beatings, and threats of more beatings. It is a sad commentary that in many Churches that wear the name of Christ, they have ceased to preach the message of the Apostles. Go ye and stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.