We must obey God...

Acts 5 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, ² and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” ⁵ And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. ⁶ The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

⁷ Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” ⁹ Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” ¹⁰ And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.

¹² At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. ¹³ But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. ¹⁴ And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, ¹⁵ to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. ¹⁶ Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

¹⁷ But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. ¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, ²⁰ “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.” ²¹ Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach…

²⁷ When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. ³¹ He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

³³ But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them…

 after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. ⁴¹ So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. ⁴² And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

The people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed. The church, Jesus disciples and followers were not having healing services. They were simply following Jesus instruction, they were being His witnesses to the world. They were loving, serving, sharing and fellowshipping with each other. Jesus said:      “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)   That  commandment was to Jesus disciples, it was about how they should relate to one another. The newly formed church in today’s text was living out that commandment. Acts 4:32-33 says:  And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.  And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.    That was the foundation of the early church, being faithful witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus and loving and sharing among the believers. It was from that foundation, that platform that the signs and wonders, the miracles, healings and deliverance were happening.

Some people believe that the miracles were for that time and are no longer active in the church today. I believe that the same power which was evident in the early church is still available today.  The text gives us some insight and some understanding of how we might regain the power of the early church.       Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.  He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.  And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”    In John 15:26-27 Jesus says:  “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.       The same Holy Spirit who the disciples said was a witness of Jesus is with and within every believer today for that same purpose.

There is another part of what the apostles said and understood. We must obey God rather than men…the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.      Perhaps it was because they still lived under the rule and authority of an oppressive government, perhaps it was because they were so recently set free from obedience to religious law, tradition and ritual, perhaps it was in part because of their experience which is recorded in the beginning of today’s text:  But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?  While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”  And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it…and the wife of Ananias as well: Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.”  And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.     Whatever the reason or combination of reasons, the early church knew the importance of obedience.

Perhaps we, the church today, have lived so long in the grace of Jesus that we take for granted the freedom we have. Perhaps it is because here, in the western church we don’t know what it means to live under an oppressive government, where obedience is not a choice but is required, whatever the reason or the combination of reasons surly the value of obedience to God has diminished in our day. If the church today would want the power and vibrant life that was present in the early church perhaps we should lay aside our programs and our agendas. We should return to obedience to God, we should return to joining the Holy Spirit as faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ. Too often the church today has made the means the end. We have made it our mission to love and serve, to provide for those inside and outside of the church. That should not be our mission. Rather, that should be the means to our mission. Loving, serving, embracing and showing grace to sinners is not what Jesus commissioned us to do. It is part of the way we are to be witnesses of Jesus. Our love, our acceptance, our grace, our service and our provision cannot save them. Only Christ, the cross and the resurrection, receiving the revelation that Jesus is the Christ can save them.  

The apostles kept their focus. The text says:   So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.  And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.      Every day; they lived to be witnesses, to teach and preach Jesus as the Christ.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ thank You for Your grace. It is only by Your grace, because You loved me even while I was still a sinner, that I am saved. But through the power of the Holy Spirit that You have given me, may I never take that grace for granted. In the freedom You have given me I choose to be obedient to You. In that obedience, I desire to be a faithful witness, to love and serve, to teach and preach, every day in all that I do may I be a witness of Jesus Christ.  Amen