Acts 7:23-36

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23 Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. 25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, "Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?" 27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?" 29 Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons. 30 And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, 32 saying, "I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses trembled and dared not look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, "Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt." 35 This Moses whom they rejected, saying, "Who made you a ruler and a judge?" is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. ~ Acts 7:23-36

Today, we continue our study of Acts 7 where Stephen is giving to his listeners a rather elaborate history lesson on God's activity in the lives of the people of Israel. In today's passage, Stephen continues to remind us of the life of Moses whose life was segmented into three sections of 40 years. Moses was in Egypt till he was forty. He went to Midian and was there forty years until his calling. He then led Israel for forty years. Stephen presented this message about Moses because he had been falsely accused of speaking against Moses. Having previously given a presentation about Moses' training in v. 17-22, today we will consider Moses' exile.

In v.23-25 of today's passage we read, "23 Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. 25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand."

Moses had lived a life of luxury for 40 years in the home of the Pharaoh's daughter but overnight everything changed. One day, after realizing he was an Israelite, Moses witnessed an Israelite being oppressed by an Egyptian, and when he stepped in to intervene, he killed the Egyptian. Here, Stephen highlights Moses’ motive. At 40 years old, Moses understood enough about his calling that he was to play a role in Israel’s salvation, as is revealed in these verses. Moses had hoped that he would win the affection of his brethren by freeing this Israelite from his oppressor but there became a purposeful twist in the narrative.

In v.26-29 of today's passage we read, "26 And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?' 27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?' 29 Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons."

Instead of being thanked, Moses was rejected. The next day, two Israelites were arguing, and when Moses tried to play the moderator role, they rejected his help. Their jealousy undoubtedly drove their question: "Who made you judge and ruler over us?" They rejected Moses and to ensure he never bothered them again, they revealed they knew about the murder. This obviously freaked Moses out especially since the Pharaoh wanted him dead after learning about what happened. So, Moses fled to Midian, where he found a wife and had two sons.

Moses shepherded the flocks of his father-in-law for forty years, as can be deduced from Exodus 3:1. Many have seen this as a waste of time, but it was the will of God for Moses to make him a shepherd of people. Moses is one of the most well-known names in all of human history. Those forty years served him well. We are no different than Moses. The Lord longs to prepare us for the work He desires of us while on this earth.  For all who have ever placed their faith in Christ, our days left on this earth are best lived in connection to eternity. If we only accomplish that which is temporal what have we accomplished? So, in order to use us in an eternal way God sometimes has to take us to the desert for 40 years in order to inculcate His culture in us so that He can accomplish something great through us.

In v.30-32 of today's passage we read, "30 And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, 32 saying, "I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses trembled and dared not look."

Moses was not quite ready to lead Israel when he was in Egypt. Therefore, he went to Midian and spent forty years in obscurity. In this verse, we can see that the Lord appeared to him in a bush at Mount Sinai. After 40 years in exile and raising his family, Moses received from God a huge task. God’s passionate love was illustrated to Moses through the bush that didn't burn up. God's love is inexhaustible to us who know exhaustion all too well. Then, the voice of the Lord came from the bush and Moses listened. At Mount Sinai Moses saw a thorny bush that was on fire yet it did not burn up.

Later, it was there at Mount Sinai, where the law was given to Moses. In Romans 3:20 we read, "by the law comes the knowledge of sin." Then, in 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." The Law of Moses crushes sinners with all of its demands. In fact, the Law brings us to the end of ourselves. The Law brings us to the place where we are well prepared to cry out to the God of inexhaustible love. The bush anticipated the Christ who became our sin and yet instead of being consumed through the judgment on our sin, He has purified us from it. The Lord Jesus Christ embodies the law given at Sinai for us, having never sinned under it. From His perfection we know forgiveness.

In v.33-36 of today's passage we read, "33 Then the Lord said to him, 'Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.' 35 This Moses whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years."

Moses burning bush illustrates those moments in our lives that  are not part of our plans. They take us by surprise. They isolate us and give us the opportunity to turn to the Lord and to listen to Him. In order for God to elevate us He must first isolate us. This wilderness moment was designed to get Moses to focus solely on God to be defined by Him. It was a must for Moses to have an encounter with God in order for him to fulfill God's next call on his life. We are no different for the Christian life is a series of encounters with God. If Moses did not have this intense encounter with God, he would not have gone back to Egypt thinking it would be a suicide mission. But, God inculcated His future into Moses and he was a changed man.

Once the Lord had Moses' attention, He commanded him to remove his sandals because he stood on holy ground. It was holy due to the fact that God was there. In addition, in the Jewish culture when someone returned home they were to remove their shoes. They removed their shoes because they were home. God wanted Moses to know that even though he stood in the presence of the holy God, he was at home. He was safe in the presence of perfection even though he himself was not perfect. We are at home the most when we are in the presence of the One who redeemed us through His blood denoting that sin and death has been swallowed up by His life.

Acts 7:17-22

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17 But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18 till another king arose who did not know Joseph. 19 This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. 20 At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 21 But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds. ~ Acts 7:17-22

Today, we return to our study of Acts 7 where Stephen continues to provide for the religious leaders of first century Israel a history lesson of how God brought the Messiah to them. For 53 verses Stephen rehearsed the history of Israel from Abraham's call, to the giving of the law, to the patriarchal period, to Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and to the building of the temple. Many believe this was his attempt to provide a defense for the accusation of blasphemy that had been falsely brought against him. And, although that may be true, we cannot deny the fact that the Lord used Stephen to provide yet another opportunity for the hard-hearted religious leaders to be convicted of their sin and to repent and to turn to Him for salvation. 

I find it amazing that the religious leaders of Israel could be so close to heaven and yet be so very far from it. They missed it because they had so long been defined by their flesh or the evil desires within them. Their selfish pride obstructed their view from the true identity of the Lord Jesus as God's promised Messiah. I am so very glad that there is no night dark enough to hide us from God's pursuit. I am so grateful that there is no flight swift enough to carry us away from His love. It is God's love that causes Him to relentlessly pursue us. It is His love that causes Him to wait for us as the father of the prodigal waited for his wayward son to return home.

In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, "17 But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18 till another king arose who did not know Joseph."

God made a promise to Abraham that his descendants would dwell in Egypt as slaves but that He would grow them while there and that He would deliver them to return to the Promised Land. The exponential growth of the people of Israel in Egypt underscores the mighty power of the God of the Bible. Even more, God was all the while working in the life and heart of Joseph who had been sold into slavery and sent to Egypt. Had Joseph sulked and fed his flesh he would not have been used of God as he was. Since Joseph walked with God he was positioned to deliver His people from the bonds of Egypt. Like Joseph, we have the decision to turn from our way to that of God. The man who yields to God discovers how big He truly is. It was William Booth who once said, "The greatness of the man's power is the measure of his surrender."

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live."

Stephen reminded his hearers that the next Pharaoh made life hard on their people. And then, he connected it with the fact that this Pharaoh did not know Joseph. If he had known Joseph, he would have not been alarmed as he was. He was alarmed by their size of up to 3 million. Then, the Pharaoh arranged to have Israel's babies killed in an attempt to control their growth. This action from the Pharaoh was strategic in the exodus of the people from Egypt. Interestingly, the second book of the Bible, the book of Exodus is about the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob becoming a nation. And not just any nation, but a people whom God called into a personal relationship with Himself. He called them into privilege and forgiveness and intimacy with Himself. Intimacy is far greater when we view it through the lens of our pain. Through suffering God grows us, including our hearts' ability to see Him.

In v.20-22 of today's passage we read, "20 At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 21 But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds."

The word translated "time" here describes "an opportune moment." Stephen spoke this way in order to reveal that God, in His permissive will, allowed these events to play out as they did so that at the most opportune moment the Exodus would happen. It, along with all the other history mentioned by Stephen, happened according to God's promise to Abraham hundreds of years earlier. It was at that fitting moment that Moses was born. Interestingly, Moses literally means "drawn out." His name draws a picture of being drawn out of the Nile River where the Pharaoh required the Jewish women to put their babies so that they would die there. Through his unique story, Moses was a type of the coming Messiah who would save all willing enough to be delivered from the penalty, the power and eventually, the presence of sin.

For the people of Israel there was a tremendous amount of good that God brought into their lives. And, there was a lot of bad. This is life in a place with people who have rejected God's definitions of things. We are often disappointed in life. There are times when it seems that God is so far away. We often feel as if He hides His face from us when we face our deepest hurts and needs. As we look back over our lives we often find that those times when we experienced disappointments, we were really being trained by the truth and by wisdom and mercy of God. I find that the lyrics of a Phil Keaggy song resonate in these moments. "Disappointment, His appointment, change one letter, then I see that the thwarting of my purpose is God’s better choice for me. His appointment must be blessing though it may come in disguise. For the end from the beginning, open to His wisdom lies."

Acts 7:8-16

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8 Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs. 9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. 16 And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. ~ Acts 7:8-16

Today, we return to our study of Acts 7 where one of the early converts to the first century church, a man named Stephen, is in the middle of providing a history lesson for those who falsely accused him of blasphemy against God, Moses, the Law of Moses, and the Temple. This sermon that Stephen delivered that day was yet another opportunity given to the religious leaders of Israel to repent of the self-life and trust in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. It has been said that there is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man but to those who have owned up to their unattractiveness the gospel is a thing of beauty. For those who are afflicted by their sin the gospel comforts and for those who are comfortable in their sin the gospel afflicts.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs."

Stephen had just detailed the history of Abraham, from his call out of Mesopotamia to his arrival in the Promised Land. With that, God made an unconditional promise to him that He would bring his descendants out of bondage in Egypt to serve Him in the Promised Land. It was with this history in mind that Stephen drew the religious leaders' attention to the covenant of circumcision. God instructed Abraham to circumcise on the eighth day because He knew it took eight days for the coagulant potassium to build up in the newborns bloodstream to prevent him from hemorrhaging when circumcised. But, this wasn't the point of the circumcision. The point was the promise. After their circumcision, every time Abraham or Isaac went to the bathroom they were reminded of God's unconditional love for them. Circumcision didn't make the Jews any better than anyone else, it was just a reminder of God's heart toward them. Abraham was obedient to the covenant which positioned Him to see God better with his heart.

One of the charges made against Stephen was that he somehow quoted the Lord Jesus to have said He would "change the customs which Moses delivered." By mentioning the story of the circumcision, Stephen underscored this was not the case. The law of Moses required circumcision on the eighth day in Leviticus 12:3 in order for Abraham to see the Father heart of God. Those who falsely accused Stephen said that he said that circumcision was no longer a requirement for the Jew. By the way, Stephen's speech laid the groundwork for Paul’s argument for justification by faith alone in Galatians 3:17 which reads, "And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect." The Jewish religious leaders did not understand that circumcision was given to remind all those of faith in the God of the Bible that He was first for them. 

In v.9-13 of today's passage we read, "9 And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh."

Stephen’s speech to the unbelieving religious leaders of Israel quickly moved from Abraham to Isaac, to Jacob, and then to the twelve patriarchs. Of Jacob's twelve sons, Stephen noted that they were "envious." They were envious of Joseph's favored status with their father. Stephen's point became more clear as He spoke of the favor of God and that it is only accessed by faith in Him. The envy of the eleven sons manifested itself against Joseph as they sold him into slavery. The eleven sons represented the people of Israel who descended from them. As the eleven sons undermined God, so the religious leaders of Stephen's day undermined Him as well. 

Joseph is an Old Testament type of Christ and even though Stephen did not draw out any actual connection between the sin of Joseph's brothers to the religious leaders rejection of the Lord Jesus, the parallel is unmistakable. Stephen continued to draw forth the idea that everything happened within the permissive will of God. In the end, according to God's mercy and grace, Joseph rose to power which benefitted all of the people of God. As Stephen continued with his history lesson of how God worked on the behalf of the Jewish people, he guided the attention of his hearers to the main topic of the Bible: God's forgiveness of sinful man through the promised Messiah. In the very same way that Joseph forgave his brothers, God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ forgives us.

In v.14-16 of today's passage we read, "14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. 16 And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem."

In Stephen's brief presentation of the life of Joseph, he really presented the Lord Jesus as the Messiah or as the Greeks say, "the Christ." As the story of Joseph pictured and reinforced the gospel of the Lord Jesus, the main point to the religious leaders of Israel was to return to the Father. As Joseph called to his people so the Lord Jesus calls out to us to repent and return to Him. The evidence was overwhelming. The religious leaders of Israel could see this but they lacked a heart that was willing to repent from their ways. You see, what saves us is our belief in the faithfulness of God, his belief that God is faithful to His promises. And the greatest promise was brought to fruition through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 7:1-7

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1 The high priest said to Stephen, “Are these things true?” 2 Stephen answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to Abraham, our ancestor, in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran. 3 God said to Abraham, 'Leave your country and your relatives, and go to the land I will show you.' 4 So Abraham left the country of Chaldea and went to live in Haran. After Abraham’s father died, God sent him to this place where you now live. 5 God did not give Abraham any of this land, not even a foot of it. But God promised that he would give this land to him and his descendants, even before Abraham had a child. 6 This is what God said to him: 'Your descendants will be strangers in a land they don’t own. The people there will make them slaves and will mistreat them for four hundred years. 7 But I will punish the nation where they are slaves. Then your descendants will leave that land and will worship me in this place.'" ~ Acts 7:1-7

Today, we begin our study of Acts 7 where the religious leaders of first century Israel were questioning Stephen who had been raised up by God to tend to the practical needs of those whom God was adding to the Church daily. Due to Stephen's determination to obey God and thus be defined by Him, God showed him favor by granting him the filling of the Holy Spirit and of His wisdom. As a result, the unbelieving Jews were envious of Stephen and they wanted to keep him from being successful at leading others to the Lord Jesus. So, a group came together and falsely accused him of blasphemy. It is into this part of the narrative that we re-enter today.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "The high priest said to Stephen, 'Are these things true?'"

Acts 6 ended with Stephen being charged with blasphemy. In fact, he was charge with four kinds of blasphemy; blasphemy against God, against Moses, against the law, and against the temple. And, as he heard this verdict, Stephen stood confidently with his face reflecting the very peace of God. Stephen had nothing to fear because the truth was on his side, even if he was falsely accused. And even if the false accusations prevailed, they could not prevail over his security in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Acts 7 opens with the high priest who asked Stephen a simple question, anticipating a plea of guilt or innocence. To which Stephen spoke in his own defense. In fact, his defense covers 52 verses, none of which directly answers the high priest’s question. Instead, Stephen offered a history of Israel’s continued rejection of the Lord Jesus. This is the longest sermon in the book of Acts. It's the longest chapter in the book of Acts. Stephen preached a sermon longer than Peter, Paul, or anybody else. It was through Stephen’s words that God was offering the religious leaders of Israel yet another opportunity to repent and receive His free gift of forgiveness for themselves. While Stephen could have defended himself against the false charges, his response served a greater purpose.

In v.2-5 of today's passage we read, "2 Stephen answered, 'Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to Abraham, our ancestor, in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran. 3 God said to Abraham, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and go to the land I will show you.’ 4 So Abraham left the country of Chaldea and went to live in Haran. After Abraham’s father died, God sent him to this place where you now live. 5 God did not give Abraham any of this land, not even a foot of it. But God promised that he would give this land to him and his descendants, even before Abraham had a child. 

Stephen highlighted Abraham who clearly was a man of faith in the God of the Bible. Abraham, who was intercepted by God, chose to follow and obey God. He left his country and even his father's house and went out into a land he had never seen before. There, though he never owned a foot of ground in the land, he believed that God would do what he had said. Though he had no child he believed that God would give him descendants. God, of course, honored that promise and eventually gave him a child, Isaac, and in time, fulfilled all His promises to Abraham. Stephen gave the religious leaders of first century Israel a clear contrast. Abraham, the father of the Jews, was a man of faith who dared to make changes in obedience to God. Throughout his message, Stephen established that he believed in the very same God who called father Abraham who never made it to the promised land. 

In v.6-7 of today's passage we read, "6 This is what God said to him: ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a land they don’t own. The people there will make them slaves and will mistreat them for four hundred years. 7 But I will punish the nation where they are slaves. Then your descendants will leave that land and will worship me in this place.'"

Here, Stephen reminded his hearers of what God did in the lives of the Patriarchs of Israel, Abraham, Isaac and Joseph. His point was that the destiny of Israel was in the faithful hands of God just as ours are. With all of the Scripture that he quotes here, it is obvious that Stephen knew the Old Testament. He also obviously understood what it meant. And he obviously understood that all of the Old Testament point all who read it to its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. That's what Stephen revealed throughout this sermon. 

Interestingly, as we work through this chapter, we will realize that it opens with the God of glory and it ends with the glory of God. Like Stephen, when our lives are surrendered to the God of glory, we will see the glory of God. This is what sustained Stephen and this is what keeps us filled with the Spirit and with the wisdom of God. When he could have preached a sermon defending Himself, Stephen chose to bring glory to God. Stephen understood the key to all of life is bringing glory to God. In fact, he understood that we all long for the glory of God, not for the glory of ourselves. No one goes to the Swiss Alps to increase their self-esteem. No, we go to the Swiss Alps because there is greater healing for the soul in beholding the splendor of God's creation than there is in beholding ourselves. This is what made Stephen the man he was, a man filled with the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of God.

Acts 6:8-15

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8 Stephen was richly blessed by God who gave him the power to do great miracles and signs among the people. 9 But some people were against him. They belonged to the synagogue of Free Men (as it was called), which included people from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia. They all came and argued with Stephen. 10 But the Spirit was helping him to speak with wisdom, and his words were so strong that they could not argue with him. 11 So they secretly urged some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak against Moses and against God.” 12 This upset the people, the elders, and the teachers of the law. They came and grabbed Stephen and brought him to a meeting of the leaders. 13 They brought in some people to tell lies about Stephen, saying, “This man is always speaking against this holy place and the law of Moses. 14 We heard him say that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and that Jesus will change the customs Moses gave us.” 15 All the people in the meeting were watching Stephen closely and saw that his face looked like the face of an angel. ~ Acts 6:8-15

Today, we conclude our study of Acts 6 where we have been following the growth of the first century church. As with any meaningful undertaking, there will always be adversity because we live in such a fallen world. Given the case, the Lord has always been able to use this tool of adversity for the growth of our faith in the God of the Bible. I have discovered that God is the master at using today’s difficulties to strengthen us for tomorrow's victories. There are always those times when He seems to be absent during our adversity only to discover that He caused or allowed that adversity for our growth in Him. It is almost always that when we find ourselves on the edge of disbelief that our adversity gives God the platform to prove to us that He is bigger than any problem we encounter.

In v.8-10 of today's passage we read, "8 Stephen was richly blessed by God who gave him the power to do great miracles and signs among the people. 9 But some people were against him. They belonged to the synagogue of Free Men (as it was called), which included people from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia. They all came and argued with Stephen. 10 But the Spirit was helping him to speak with wisdom, and his words were so strong that they could not argue with him."

Stephen was richly blessed by God because he was yielded to the Holy Spirit who filled him with the wisdom of God. The concept of being "filled with the Spirit" is not a command to empty Christians who haven't been born again. Each born-again believer in Christ has the Holy Spirit from the moment we believe. The goal, according to Ephesians 5:18, is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit who Himself does not push the will of God upon us. The experience of "being filled with the Spirit" is not an experience we initiate. This command was written in the passive voice which means that we receive the action from the Holy Spirit. 

To "be filled with the Spirit" delivers the idea of pressure from the blowing wind. In the spiritual realm, this concept depicts the Holy Spirit providing the thrust to move the believer down the pathway of obedience to God. A Spirit-filled Christian isn't motivated by his own desires or his own will or his own obedience. Instead, he is yielded to the Holy Spirit who leads him in the proper direction of obedience to God for the moment. The idea is that we are giving control over our lives to the Holy Spirit and this is done through our obedience to God's Word.

It is most often in the context of adversity that we see best the control of the Holy Spirit over our lives. How we respond to the adversity will echo more profoundly in the lives of others than any good we can produce for the moment. It was Brennan Manning who said, "The temptation of the age is to look good without being good."  Our greatest life lessons come out of our deepest wounds. Stephen found this to be true as he had such a deep walk with the Lord that he was known to be a man who was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a passive thing. It is through our determination to obey God's Word that we are prepared to receive the filling of the Holy Spirit. Stephen was a man of faith, thus the Holy Spirit filled Him. It really isn't that we get more of the Spirit, it is that He is getting more of us. If we lack faith and obedience, we will not receive the filling of the Spirit. When we live our lives in accord with the Word of God, in a state of being opened up to God, then we will be filled by His Spirit. The more opened we are to God's control, the more we will be filled by His Spirit's control. God deepens us most often through our adversities.

In v.11-14 of today's passage we read, "11 So they secretly urged some men to say, 'We heard Stephen speak against Moses and against God.' 12 This upset the people, the elders, and the teachers of the law. They came and grabbed Stephen and brought him to a meeting of the leaders. 13 They brought in some people to tell lies about Stephen, saying, 'This man is always speaking against this holy place and the law of Moses. 14 We heard him say that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and that Jesus will change the customs Moses gave us.'"

Those of the Synagogue of the Freedmen were not able to resist the wisdom of Stephen. This led to them being filled with jealousy. The word translated "secretly urged" is only found here in the Bible. It literally means "to cast down." It provides a picture of a carpet under one’s feet. Hence, the idea of putting one person in place of another. These deceivers brought a false accusation against Stephen, replacing the true intent of his words with a different meaning. 

In order to make a charge of blasphemy against another, the words that are claimed to have been said must be presented and proven. Further, according to the Law of Moses, there had to be at least two witnesses in order for the words to be accepted as true. Even though these false witnesses combined their voices into one accusation, their attempts failed because everything Stephen said was the truth, even the statement that the Lord Jesus said He would destroy the temple. Of course, in 70 AD the temple was destroyed by Titus and the Romans. It wasn't that the Lord had not told Israel in Jeremiah 26 that this would happen. In response, the people who were not even in a personal relationship with God wanted to stone Stephen. The flesh was winning the day.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "All the people in the meeting were watching Stephen closely and saw that his face looked like the face of an angel."

The religious leaders of Israel sat there staring at the accused Stephen as if he were a content angel who had the perspective of time from the view of eternity. Due to having been filled by the Spirit Stephen had confidence, peace, and wisdom from God. Since God was in control of Stephen, he was in control of his emotions and his disposition. According to Acts 7:55, moments before Stephen was stoned to death, as the Jewish leaders were grinding their teeth and shaking their fists in rage, we are told these words: "Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Without even speaking a word, Stephen’s countenance gave witness that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the key to being effective for God in this world and this was the key to Stephen's life and death.

Acts 6:1-7

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1 The number of followers was growing. But during this same time, the Greek-speaking followers had an argument with the other followers. The Greek-speaking widows were not getting their share of the food that was given out every day. 2 The twelve apostles called the whole group of followers together and said, “It is not right for us to stop our work of teaching God’s word in order to serve tables. 3 So, brothers and sisters, choose seven of your own men who are good, full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. We will put them in charge of this work. 4 Then we can continue to pray and to teach the word of God.” 5 The whole group liked the idea, so they chose these seven men: Stephen (a man with great faith and full of the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (a man from Antioch who had become a follower of the Jewish religion). 6 Then they put these men before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 The word of God was continuing to spread. The group of followers in Jerusalem increased, and a great number of the Jewish priests believed and obeyed. ~ Acts 6:1-7

Today, we transition into Acts 6 where the growth of the early church was due to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though He was not physically present, He via those who were His followers were spreading the truth and God added to their numbers daily. The church is made up of people and even though each born again believer is on their way to heaven they have spent a lot of time being influenced by Hell. And, we do not change over night. Many are bothered by the word "church" because in the church there are those who are not of the church. They are not of the church because they are not of God. To be of God one must come to the place where he is no longer trying to garner his salvation for himself and turn to the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of his sin.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "The number of followers was growing. But during this same time, the Greek-speaking followers had an argument with the other followers. The Greek-speaking widows were not getting their share of the food that was given out every day."

Anytime a group of people come together whether they are followers the Lord Jesus or not, there will be friction. Even though our sin has been forgiven, we still struggle with sin. This was the case in the early days while the church was being formed. The problem rose up in the church between the Hebrew speaking Jews and the Greek-speaking Jews. The problem was that the Greek speaking widows were not receiving their share of the food that was daily distributed. Being overlooked would not be unexpected in such a situation. A person who didn’t speak the language and who was alone and without anyone to speak for her, would have a difficult time communicating. The Hebrew widows were receiving what they needed, but the Greek-speaking widows were being habitually overlooked.

In v.2-4 of today's passage we read, "2 The twelve apostles called the whole group of followers together and said, 'It is not right for us to stop our work of teaching God’s word in order to serve tables. 3 So, brothers and sisters, choose seven of your own men who are good, full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. We will put them in charge of this work. 4 Then we can continue to pray and to teach the word of God.'"

Within any operation there are many tasks to be accomplished and the church is no different. The problem that had come about in the early church had to be addressed but it was not incumbent upon the apostles to be bogged down in the minutia of the everyday happenings because if they had the teaching of the Word of God would have been neglected. As a result the apostles directed the adults to pick the first seven deacons of the first century church. These seven men were to be servants to the needs of the people in their gathering. The word translated "serve" literally means "to kick up the dust." The picture is that these guys were busy helping to meet the needs of others. 

The qualifications for these early deacons included that they had to have a good reputation, full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. This meant they had to have a good witness in the congregation. They were to be men of good character who could be trusted, men who had already won the confidence of others. They were also to be spiritual men, that it they had to be men who had the reputation of being led by the Holy Spirit. And then, these men had to have the gift of wisdom which is the ability to read the Scriptures and understand it to the point of being able to see how the discovered truth is to be applied. 

In v.5-7 of today's passage we read, "5 The whole group liked the idea, so they chose these seven men: Stephen (a man with great faith and full of the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (a man from Antioch who had become a follower of the Jewish religion). 6 Then they put these men before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 The word of God was continuing to spread. The group of followers in Jerusalem increased, and a great number of the Jewish priests believed and obeyed."

All of these names are Greek names. That means they were probably chosen from among the complaining party, the Greek-speaking Jews. When the far larger majority of Hebrew-speaking Christians were asked to choose men they chose them from the very group that was issuing the complaint. That ended the dissension because this decision created a context where it was easier to trust. As soon as they chose these men there was no longer any dissension. They entrusted them with the responsibility to work it out within their own ranks, and thus they indicated their trust of them and of their ability to solve this problem.

As a result, "the Word of God continued to spread" because the apostles didn’t get caught up doing something other than preaching the Word of God. They understood that the Bible is the truth of God. We live in a world ruled by illusion and fantasy where people are confused and deceived. As the Word of God spread, disciples multiplied. The people wanted to know what was right and real, what was honest and genuine. These priests who were the ones who had to kill the animals that were offered as sacrifices on the altars of the temple, as they heard the gospel from the Apostles, the truth about the Lord Jesus, they believed. The priests began to be obedient to the truth as they heard and saw the application of these sacrifices to themselves.

As the Word of God spread, the number of the followers of the Lord Jesus continued to increase greatly. When the Word of God is taught and its influence spreads, people get convicted of their sin and then they believe on the Lord Jesus as their Savior. This led to, not a few, but a great many of priests became followers of the Lord Jesus. Literally, Luke wrote concerning these priests: "The priests had faith in the faith." And, of course, when we believe something strongly enough, we will be defined by it when we obey it. These priests came to understand that the truth is that falsehoods enslave us. They shackle us to beliefs, biases, and inaccuracies that limit our ability to thrive. If we are sharing falsehoods, we become trapped in the lie that must be perpetuated but will ultimately come to light. If we are accepting falsehoods by looking the other way or allowing ourselves to be deceived, we are ensnared in someone’s web of deceit that will also eventually reveal itself. This, for many years, was the story of these priests. But, when the Holy Spirit had His way in their hearts, they could not resist the truth.

Acts 5:40-42

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40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. ~ Acts 5:40-42

Today, we complete our study of Acts 5 which began with the tragic story about Ananias and Sapphire who died due to their deceit. Their sin was not that they didn't give all of their money from the sale of some of their land, their sin was they made it appear that they gave all of the money but they held back some of it for themselves. From that tragic story our attention was turned to the opposition of the religious leaders of Israel to the gospel of the Lord Jesus and His apostles abilities to heal. Their opposition was so great the religious leaders wanted to disobey God's Word and murder the apostles. After an angel freed the apostles from prison, Gamaliel admonished his colleagues to leave the apostles alone for if their message was not of God they would come to nothing.

In v.40 of today's passage we read, "And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go."

The religious leaders of Israel agreed with Gamaliel to leave the apostles alone based upon the assumption that if their movement was simply the work of man, it would die out. But, they still could not let the apostles go away without a demonstration of their authority. Hence, they beat the apostles with rods. In Deuteronomy 25:1-3 which reads, "If there is a dispute between men, and they come to court, that the judges may judge them, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, 2 then it shall be, if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, that the judge will cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence, according to his guilt, with a certain number of blows. 3 Forty blows he may give him and no more, lest he should exceed this and beat him with many blows above these, and your brother be humiliated in your sight."

Along with their beating, the apostles were also given the charge to not speak in the name of the Lord Jesus again. This was the same command the religious leaders had previously given to Peter and John. Unlike their charge in Acts 4, this time the directive of the religious leaders of first century Israel came with a beating in order to hopefully ensure the compliance of the apostles. In addition, the apostles were shamed and humiliated. As they endured that humiliation the apostles no doubt  pondered the greatest humility ever to be put on display, the humility of Christ as He hung on His cross.

In v.41 of today's passage we read, "So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name."

The apostles had been beaten but not for wrongdoing. Even though they had been disgraced through the beatings, the apostles went away joyful. They had been undeservedly beaten and yet the truth of the gospel was valued and held high. This incident informed Peter's later writing in 1 Peter 3:15-17 which reads, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

The apostles rejoiced because they knew the truth which had been substantiated by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. As a result they had set apart the Lord to be the God of their hearts. They fulfilled the command the Lord Jesus had left them in Acts 1:8 which reads, "When the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world."

The apostles counted it worthy to suffer shame for the Lord. The word "counted" means that had concluded precisely after careful calculation. It was the resurrection of the Lord Jesus that enabled them to conclude as they did. Given the reality of the resurrection, the value system of the disciples had been altered. Before the resurrection death was the end. After the resurrection death is now the beginning. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus makes sense out of His cross. I love the words of Max Lucado who said, "Never were those arms opened so wide as they were on the Roman cross. One arm extending back into history and the other reaching into the future. An embrace of forgiveness offered for anyone who’ll come."

The word "worthy" is a contraction of two Greek words meaning "to deem entirely deserving." The root word for this Greek word is the word from which we get our English word "axis" which connects us to the concept of balancing a scale. The greatest axis ever was provided at a place they called "the skull" where the Lord Jesus Christ was humiliated and crucified. The God of the Bible is the only One who has ever given Himself up for His creation. It is He who forgives His enemies. It is He who makes strength out of weakness, who brings life out of death. 

In v.42 of today's passage we read, "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

This chapter closes with the apostles keeping their resolve to obey God rather than men. Convinced of its utter truthfulness, the apostles kept preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ everywhere they went. In the end, they signed their resolve with their own blood. They loved sharing the gospel more than they hated getting a beating for it. There is no greater validation of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus than the fact that all but one of the apostles were martyred for their faith. And the one who wasn't, he is known as the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Acts 5:33-39

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33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. 34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” ~ Acts 5:33-39

Today, we return to Acts 5 where the Apostles of the Lord Jesus have been thrown into jail by the religious leaders of first century Israel. But, during the night the Lord send an angel who miraculously freed them from the jail, all the while the doors remained locked and the guards stood guard. It was a metaphor for the much deeper work the Lord was doing in the lives of all who came to believe that He was the long promised Messiah of Israel.

In v.33 of today's passage we read, "When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them."

These so-called "spiritual leaders" searched the Scriptures for something other than God. Otherwise, they would have loved people for when we seek God through His Word, He always gives us His heart which is for all mankind. The Lord Jesus said in John 5:39, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me." Somewhere along the way the religious leaders stopped seeking the Lord, so much so that they missed Him when He came. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Living Word of whom the written word speaks.  

When the religious leaders of Israel heard the words of Peter that they were responsible for the death of the Messiah, they were so angry they planned how they might murder the apostles. Again, these "religious leaders" knew the Old Testament like the backs of their hands, and yet, they lack an encounter with the One who wrote it. The irony in this narrative is that these "religious leaders" were willing to violate the very law they had dedicated their lives to protect. 

The word "furious" is a compound of two word meaning "sawn in two." This is what the Word of God does to us, it cuts into us deeply resulting in us either embracing God through it or we are found running from Him. Not one word we read in the Bible is dead. It is energized by the Holy Spirit and is alive. The very One who spoke the worlds into existence longs to speak the truth into our souls. It was A.W. Tozer who once said, "The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring us to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that we may enter into Him, that we might delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of our hearts."

In v.34-39 of today's passage we read, "34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God."

Undoubtedly, Gamaliel heard the grumblings of the other religious leaders and knew that their words were contrary to both reason and the Law of Moses. He knew their violence had led to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, and now His followers were standing before the council with the same type of anger being cast towards them. As a Pharisee, Gamaliel accepted the biblical teaching of the resurrection and angels. As a result, he was tempted to actually accept that the apostles had been released from the prison by an angel. Thus, Gamaliel reasoned with the council. By the way, this was the same Gamaliel under whom the Apostle Paul studied before he became a believer in the Lord Jesus. 

It was then that Gamaliel used the examples of Theudas and Judas of Galilee who both claimed to be the messiah. They were both seen by the Romans as insurrectionists. Theudas and Judas were both false fads which soon died out with their deaths. Given the fate of these two false messiahs, Gamaliel advised the council to let this Jesus thing run its course. Gamaliel's advice was brilliant since if the Lord Jesus was just another false messiah, His work would come to nothing.

Gamaliel's last words reveals that he thought this Jesus movement could have been of God. Though there is no evidence that he ever came to faith in the Lord Jesus, the words of Gamaliel seem to indicate that he thought that the message of the apostles was possibly true. His words demonstrate the thoughts of a person who was carefully watching the unfolding events before him to see if the Lord Jesus was actually the promised Messiah. Sadly Gamaliel sought to be spiritual most of his life and he missed a real encounter with God. It was Mike Yaconelli who said, "Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws but because we let go of seeking perfection and, instead, seek God, the one who is present in the tangles of our lives."

Acts 5:22-32

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22 But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23 saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “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!” 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” ~ Acts 5:22-32

Today, we continue our study of Acts 5 where the religious leaders of first century Israel have jailed the apostles for preaching about the Lord Jesus Christ at the Temple in Jerusalem. Unbeknown to them, the apostles had been set free from the prison by an angel of the Lord. This is the picture of the gospel when believed upon by the sinful human heart. It is set free from the clutches of sin and death and it now sees anew. Oh, it doesn't see completely and perfectly anew. But, having been made alive to God by His indwelling Holy Spirit, the believer in Christ has now been set on a path that is lit by the truth of God.

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23 saying, 'Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!'"

When the officers arrived at the prison they discovered it was, as always locked up tight. They found the guards on duty keeping their watch over their subjects. But, when they entered the bowels of the prison, they discovered the apostles were not there. Not only had every physical measure remained secure, the guards were completely unaware of any change in the status of the apostles in the cell. The apostles had been taken into the cell, the guards had been posted, and they remained stationed all night just where they were posted. And yet, the apostles were not inside. The utter impossibility of getting out of such a place, especially in just a few hours, did not even seem a possibility. And yet, the dungeon where they had been was empty. This means that the apostles had been supernaturally transported out of the prison. 

In v.24-28 of today's passage we read, "24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, saying, 'Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!' 26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, '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!'"

While the religious leaders had been home safely sleeping all night, the apostles had been brought out of a locked and guarded cell. And instead of running home or fleeing to Galilee, the apostles stood in the temple that the religious leaders were responsible for. Luke’s narrative of these events is certainly precise, but it was almost like a comedy. These were the leaders of the religious life of the people of Israel. They had the authority of the law of Moses behind them. And yet, they were completely unaware of what was happening and ineffective in controlling what was going on. 

As a result, the religious leaders were at their wits end at the news that the apostles could not be found in the prison. Deep in their hearts they knew they would not be able to stop the advancement of the gospel. Their every effort to stop the apostles and their message had failed. In Matthew 16 the Lord Jesus Himself reminded us: "Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." Gates are known to provide a defense for the encroaching armies. Every unbelieving heart has a gate guarding their heart of unbelief. Even though there will be many who will resist the precious truth of the Gospel, there will be many who will willingly lower the gate so that their heart can go from unbelief to belief.

After the sun had risen, the religious leaders learned that the apostles were "standing in the temple." The word "standing" paints a picture of fearlessness. It was Zig Ziglar who once said, "FEAR can be either: 'Forget Everything And Run' or 'Face Everything And Rise.' We must choose." Interestingly, the apostles did not run for safety. No, they like their Savior they rose to the occasion. They could not deny the joy of obeying the One who laid down His life for them. It was then that cooler heads prevailed for the moment. Even though the religious leaders were ready to rip the apostles apart limb from limb, they put a lid on their violence. The only reason they weren’t violent was because they knew the people were listening to the apostles, and they could imagine them stoning them. 

Back in Acts 4 the religious leaders had made their first charge against the apostles which was they were not to speak in the name of the Lord Jesus anymore. In today's passage, they made their second charge that the apostles accused them of the death of Christ. The religious leaders delivered not even one question about the miracle of the apostles' escape. They didn’t dare mention it, because the apostles would have told them the details and they didn’t want to hear about it. The religious leaders were sick of the miracles of the Lord Jesus. This is what unresolved guilt and shame does to us. The religious leaders had created religious practices that looked holy but undermined God’s Word. Their sacrifices served their image, their system, and their flesh, but not the heart of God. It was the Lord Jesus who said their worship was in vain because they elevated man-made practices over obedience to God.

In v.29-32 of today's passage we read, "29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: 'We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.'"

The apostles’ appeal was to the higher authority. Once we have come to realize there is much more to this life than the temporal, we can't help but invest in the eternal. Instead of focusing on the fact that the people had just two months before demanded Pilate crucify the Lord Jesus, the Apostle Peter turns their attention to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. If there was no proof of the resurrection, the teachings of the apostles would have been laughed at and ignored. This is where our power to turn from our will to God's comes into the picture. There is no forgiveness apart from repentance. We would never be saved until we had turned from our sin. That doesn’t mean we become sinless; it means we have turned away from the self-life. And now that we have the very life of God in our lives, we live with Him as our primary audience.

Acts 5:17-21

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17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” 21 And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. ~ Acts 5:17-21

Today, we return to our study of Acts 5 where God continues to show His power through the yielded lives of His apostles. After Pentecost many who had been brought to the apostles with ailments and who had been demon possessed were all healed and delivered. They were delivered from the temporal effects of sin and death and they were delivered into a personal relationship with God who healed them in response to their faith in Him. To God, faith is the most important thing about us because it makes our heart vulnerable to Him. God brings our attention to faith at least 850 times in the Bible. In addition, He draws our attention to our hearts more than 1,000 times! "Faith" and "heart" go hand in hand to provide you and me with the fuel that attracts the attention of God to our lives.

In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, "17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison."

Since the people were increasingly believing in the message of the apostles, the religious leaders grew in their jealousy of them. In fact, they were jealously angry at them. As a result, they put the apostles in a common jail. Oddly, the religious leaders had seen the healings and they had seen the multitudes praising God for the healings. In this, their jealousy at their own inability to have the same effect on the people led them to stop the apostles by throwing them deeper and deeper into jail. This was one of six imprisonments of the apostles mentioned Acts, three of which involved the Apostle Peter. 

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 'Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.'"

In order to get the apostles out of jail, God sent the angel of the Lord. He didn’t use an earthquake as He did at another time. No, this time He sent an angel because the Sadducees, a sect of the Jewish religious community, didn't believe in angels. The very being the Sadducees did not believe existed, God mercifully used to release the apostles. All of this just highlights the fact that the Gospel is unjailable and God is willing to go to the greatest lengths to draw sinners to Himself.

With each arrest the apostles went further and further into deeper custody. By the time they were released they were in a dungeon, the place of darkest bondage. Initially, they were put in public custody. Then, they were put into bonds. And, the angel of the Lord didn’t just walk into a public custody and usher them out, he loosed them from their bonds, delivered them from the guards, and didn’t stop to sign them out at the front desk. 

After being delivered out of the jail, the disciples obeyed God's call on their lives to share the gospel with whomever would listen. The apostles' faith had emboldened their hearts to the point of obedience to God which led to their lives being at risk. Their message was filled with the words of life which reminded their hearers that the Lord Jesus came into this world to give life to those who had all of their lives lived condemned by their dead spiritual state before God. 

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought."

One would think opposition would have stopped the apostles from sharing the gospel with the crowd who showed up everyday, but it delivered the opposite effect. These once scared out of their pants followers of the Lord Jesus were now quick to risk their lives for the Lord. Ironically, it was persecution that caused the church to grow. All of this just underscores the fact that nothing can stop the advancement of the gospel which is God’s power for salvation for everyone who believes.

Like the Jewish religious leaders, people resist the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News that He came to this earth to awaken us to the Father after redeeming us on His cross. Sadly, the religious leaders of first century Israel missed Him when He came because they trusted in themselves more than they did the truth of God. It is not until we have come to the end of ourselves that we will even consider the Lord Jesus to be our Savior. Once we do, with a growing and greater understanding of what life is really all about, the more we will be invested in that truth. Our investment in the truth is best seen in our obedience to it and our sharing of it with others, even at the risk of being thrown into the lowest jail. 

Acts 5:12-16

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12 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. 13 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, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. ~ Acts 5:12-16

Today, we return to our study of Acts 5 where the very first church is being built by the Lord. Most think of a building when we hear the word "church" but the church is made up of people who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and have entered into a personal relationship with God through Him. The word "church" means "people who have been called out of the world." Of course, having called us out of the world, the Lord has called us to Himself to be taught by Him His culture. As newborn believers, we are now learning to be defined by the Lord as He teaches us His culture through His Word, the Bible.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "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."

As a result of having been given authority and power by the Lord Jesus Himself, the apostles did "many signs and wonders." These signs and wonders authenticated them so the people would trust the truth of the Gospel. As a result, the signs and wonders were provided by the Lord in order to convince and convict unbelievers of the truth about the Lord Jesus. 

The phrase, "they were all in one accord" means all those who saw the signs and wonders and believed the Gospel were unified. The emphasis here is on the unity they all experienced. This is what the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ produces among us, harmony. When we unite around the Gospel we will avoid the danger of separating over secondary and non-essential issues. 

The Lord Jesus still performs signs and wonders today, but their purpose isn't to authenticate any man or a group of men. No, they are provided by the Lord to authenticate the truth. There are no longer any apostles of the Lord Jesus today who need this authority. God has given us His word, the Bible, in order to walk in the truth. The Bible testifies to what God did through the early church. It is that testimony which testifies to the power of the Lord working through them. God has given us the Bible which contains the authenticity of the apostles and the message they delivered. Therefore, the Bible is sufficient to meet every need that every believer in Christ has in order to make God-informed decisions. 

In v.13-15 of today's passage we read, "13 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, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them."

The phrase "None of the rest," here refers to those who chose not to believe in the Lord Jesus that day. There will always be those who reject the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. I rejected it for years until the death of my dad which caused me to consider the more important things in life, the most important being where I would spend my eternity. Atheists, as they were trying to disprove God and the Bible have been known to come to faith in the Lord. C.S. Lewis, before he became a believer in Christ was an atheist. Through discussions with Christian friends such as J.R.R. Tolkien, he gradually became convinced of the rational and moral coherence of Christianity.

Even though there were unbelievers, the Lord added to the Church daily. These made it their habit of bringing the sick to the Apostle Peter who when his shadow came over them, they were healed. The point was not that Peter was the only one who healed the people, but that the focus of the narrative was on him. Peter's shadow provided a point of contact for those who were in need to demonstrate their faith in the Lord Jesus. Much like the woman who touched the hem of the Lord Jesus' garment. She wasn't healed due to some magical garment, she believed the Lord Jesus could heal her and He did.

This is the rationale behind pouring oil or putting oil on somebody who is sick. The Bible tells the elders of the church to lay hands on them. There's nothing magical about the elders hands or about oil. The laying on of hands, the pouring on of oil, releases our faith. And we do that in obedience to what God tells us to do.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed."

Despite the opposition, the people came and they kept on coming. At this point, the ministry was limited to Jerusalem. This was still the beginning of the command of the Lord in Acts 1:8 to the Apostles, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Since the apostles were not going into the surrounding cities, the surrounding cities were coming to them in Jerusalem. Those brought to the apostles were sick and tormented by demons were all healed.

The Lord told those early followers they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and then, into all of the world. This demonstrates just how powerful the message of the gospel is as it goes out into ever widening circles. When we became believers in the Lord Jesus, we all experienced this effect of coming to know Him for ourselves. It started with us getting saved, then we told our families, our friends, and then the circle widened ever so much more.

Once born again each believer has the potential to experience the power of God in such a way that we will be able to point others to the Gospel. We limit the power of God in and through us when we slip back into independence. As long as we are aware that we need the Lord, His power will be demonstrated in our lives. The problem we face with God's power is that it isn't always what we expect it to be. 

When we live our lives as if everything depends on us, we will miss the power of God. This is when the Lord has to raise our quality of faith to the level where we will stand only upon what He says. Our victory was won at the cross and that victory is that the Lord Jesus has overcome sin and death on our behalf. He enables us to overcome by strengthening us with the power of His Spirit within us. This happens when we are convinced a little bit more each day that He is the source of any victory we enjoy. The normal Christian life is lived when we tap into God's divine ability. The surrendered life is realized when we daily die to self-life. When we are willing to die to our own agendas, God’s power is unleashed in and through our lives.

Back in v.14 we read, "And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women." Before we are added to the Church, we are added to the Lord. When we get this out of place, that is where we go wrong. No, it is daily coming to the Lord, daily listening and praying to the Lord. It is daily coming to the Lord that is the key. This is what enables us to be useful to the Lord. This is what enables us to be effective at sharing the gospel with the lost.

Acts 5:7-11

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7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 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.” 10 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. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. ~ Acts 5:7-11

Today, we return to our study of Acts 5 where a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphire has pretended to be something they were not. In context, the people in the early church responded to the great power and grace of God with unbelievable generosity. It is the grace of God that perfects our freedom in Christ by helping us to overcome the restricting power of the flesh, the one true obstacle to our freedom. God's grace both amazes and offends. It amazes the part of us where hopelessness has set in, the place of brokenness. It offends the part of us that is religious, the part where we can't bring ourselves to believe in the total freedom Christ earned for us on His cross.

When Ananias and Sapphire sold some land, they made it appear that they gave all of the money from the sale to the Apostles which is not what happened. This was the first case of dealing with sin in the early church. Just after Ananias presented the money to the Apostles, Peter confronted him and then all of a sudden he died. The word "great" is used three times in Acts 5 describing God's, great power, His great grace, and the people's great fear. 

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened." 

The wife of Ananias had not been present with her husband when he presented their gift to the Apostles. In fact, three hours after her husband died she returned to discover that he had already been buried. When she returned, she had a conversation with the one who had denied knowing the Lord Jesus just two months before, Peter. This object of the grace of God engaged Sapphire in a conversation in hopes that she would embrace the brokenness that awaited her.

What we do with our brokenness is the key to our existence. When we dig in our heels and protect at all cost the deceit that is the root cause of our gifted brokenness, we prevent an incredible work from being done in our souls. God's grace is most amazing, it is a grace that is indiscriminately compassionate. It works without asking anything of us. It's not cheap but it's free! God's grace is sufficient even though we try with all our might to find someone that it cannot cover, even ourselves.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "And Peter answered her, 'Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?' She said, 'Yes, for so much.'"

The wife of Ananias was complicit in the lie concerning the money obtained from the sale of their land. The issue was they pretended to give all of the money to the Apostles for the sale of their property. The money was still there where it had been left as a witness to the deceit of Ananias. The arrival of Sapphira was like its own discourse to open the matter up for a resolution. As such, Peter answered by asking his question. The evidence was either openly present, or the amount was asked by Peter. Either way, the amount was made known and Peter inquired why they lied. The question from Peter was not, "Is this the amount you and your husband decided to present to us?" Rather, it was whether the land was sold for the amount presented. As such, her answer was deceitful. Sapphire's deceit sealed her from the work of God through her brokenness.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "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.'"

The words "agreed together" can be translated "symphony." This one Greek word originally described a harmony of voices. Peter questioned why Sapphire and Ananias had together in harmony tested the Spirit of the Lord. When we resist God's definition of our lives we actively give ourselves to the father of lies. Peter knew of which he had spoken. He had given himself to the devil himself when he denied knowing the Lord Jesus three times. His failure had served him well. In 1 Peter 4:17 we read, "Judgment must begin at the house of God."  This is where judgment must begin if we are to have an effective testimony for the Lord. This is crucial because the eternal destiny of many depends upon it.

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 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. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things."

The very place where the money had been left by Ananias, at the apostles’ feet was the very same place where Sapphire collapsed. The spot where the money testified against her was the same spot where she laid dead. Sapphire became an immediate object lesson to any who would dare to be deceitful. Oh, we will never be sinless this side of heaven, but deceit is in a category all by itself. In this tragic story of Ananias and Sapphire, they had neglected to respond to the Lord out of their brokenness. It appears they never embraced their brokenness. It appears they never embraced God. They were pretenders. 

As a result, Ananias and Sapphire provided a stern example of what feeding the flesh renders in our lives. Although their example was not the norm, we do well to learn that the enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy us. Our Father in heaven sent His Son to this world not to condemn us. No, He sent Him to save us from our sin which had already broken and condemned us. Those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior have already been judged guilty, because they have not believed in the One and Only Begotten Son of God. That which we truly believe in at the end of the day will define us. Once we believe in Him, we are declared by Him as co-heirs with Him.