Grow
Protect the Root

Deal with setbacks that hinder your progress

Sunday July 31, 2022 - Pastor Wungreiso Valui

Acts 5

Do not compromise the root. When the root is compromised, it may die quickly or stay in an unhealthy state for a long time.

THE MESSAGE

Protect The Root - Deal with setbacks that hinder your progress. Acts 5

Summary

1. Peter rebuked Ananias and Sapphira for lying against God
2. God protected the young church from the danger within
3. Many believers were added to the Lord Jesus
4. The Apostles were arrested by the Sadducees
5. The Angel of the Lord opened the prison door
6. The Apostles continue to spread the Good news.

THE SCRIPTURE: ACTS 5

Key Verse And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women Acts 5:12-3

Protect Yourself Against The Temptation of Possession

And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it -v2

1. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to copy the generosity of Barnabas Acts 4:36-37
2. Kept Back: Do not embezzle and misappropriate money for your own use
3. Achan's theft: Ananias and Sapphira's action reminded us of Achan who coveted money/wealth Joshua 7:21
4. Lied: God hates lying lips (Proverbs 12:22). Lying reveals the hypocrisy of our hearts.

Everyday Life Application

1. Spiritual Gifts: Use spiritual gifts to grow in your everyday life. Peter used the word of knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8) to rebuke Ananias and Sapphira
2. Your own control: Do not use money to inflate your spiritual image

Protect Yourself Against The Temptation of Popularity

Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God...Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? vs 4,9

1. "Yes, for so much.": Guard yourself against the appearance of generosity. Do not covet public praise for generosity
2. You have agreed: Seeking popularity for your own glory is a sin of greed and sin of pride and it is a Deadly sin.
3. Test the Spirit: Do not exaggerate spiritual accomplishments. Do not exaggerate the image of spirituality without the reality of spiritual life.
4. Satan cannot do the sinning for you but he can influence you to sin.

Everyday Life Application

1. It is not your business to pronounce anyone dead- Peter simply confronted their sins.
2. Seeking public praise for one's own good will be exposed publicly
3. Public sins dealt with publicly
4. Pride corrupts you, the church more quickly than anything else.
5. Most of the harm done to the church is from within not by opposition from without.

Protect Yourself Against The Temptation of Performance

So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women Acts 5:11-14

1. Great Fear: Revival and refining of believers go hand in hand. Revival is refining, it is not a spectacular performance
2. Church: This is the first use of the word church in the Book of Acts. Christ is bringing His people as one body
3. Signs and wonders: Prayers were answered and God continues to perform signs and wonders.
4. Hands of the apostles: God chose wisely the hands that were part of the miracles
5. One Accord: Unity is a display of the power of the Holy Spirit.
6. Esteemed: The Christian community was esteemed highly and the church kept growing
7. To The Lord: Men and women were added to the Lord, not to the church.
8. The beginning of the work of God outside Jerusalem

Everyday Life Application

1. Be an example of the power and reality of God
2. God blessed you just as He blessed the early church with spiritual power.
3. Take action on your faith
4. Selfish hearts and stubborn minds can be harder to move than any mountain.

Your Daily Actions To Grow

Pursue obedience

1. The disciples were persecuted for the truth. They had reliable testimonies because they were the eyewitnesses of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
2. Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" v24-25

Pursue boldness

1. The religious leaders feared the people, but they did not fear God. The disciples feared God, not the people.
2. "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men vs 28-29