Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 1st March 2009
Acts 5v1-11
Intro:
Last week we saw the picture of the early church all united and sharing and witnessing.
It was a powerful picture of how things can be by Gods grace. Gods Mega Grace.
Yet all was not plain sailing. We have already seen that persecution is beginning to start and this week we will see further difficulties; this time internal problems with the church.
Context: Chp4v36-5v11 set the scene:
Barnabas is contrasted with Ananias and Sapphira.
1) the terrifying God!
God working in this way is terrifying!
That his wrath is shown so quickly seems hard to take!
Yet, this was really a mercy to the church at the time. How?
Sin was trying to gain a foothold in the Body, and like cancer it could kill.
In dealing in this way with A&S God was taking out the poison and preserving the level of holiness that the church enjoyed at that time.
Note: the biblical cases of God dealing with sin in such immediate ways are very few but very significant. Achan’s sin in Joshua 7, was of the same order as here, Achan stole and lied with regard to possessions that should have been given to the Lord! (7v11) Because of Achans actions Israel suffered the loss of some 36 men in a battle they should have won.
Also Leviticus 10 tells the story of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron. They were struck down immediately for their sin because they did not respect the holiness of God and disobeyed his strict sanctuary worship rules.
This is how God must deal with sin! The sin must be punished by death!
· In all these instances we have a picture of how God has dealt with our sin, that is by putting Christ to death in our place!
Jesus on the cross was being killed for the sins that we committed. God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus for our sins!
App
a)God is not to be messed with. We are not to put him to the test.
b) to hold a biblical picture of God we must have this awesome view of his hatred towards sin. We are not to dabble with sin for even a moment.
We are certainly not to set out to deceive as A&S did!
God’s holiness means that we must deal decisively with sin – give it no room to breathe.
c) God disciplines. When dealing with his children the Lord disciplines those he loves!
2) How then should we live in the face of such a God?
A) Honestly: Barnabas. Ch4v36-37.
His honesty led to praise!
He was called Joses/Joseph but the Apostles called him Barnabas: Son of encouragement.
App:
a) Our use of money. Barnabas gave it to the apostles to use as they saw fit.
In our giving we often want to stay in control of how it is used.
But in giving to the church we need to give trusting that the leadership will be responsible for its wise use.
B) not Dishonestly: Ananias and Sapphira. 5v1-11
Their dishonesty led to punishment!
What characters they were. Perhaps a bit jealous of the praise Barnabas was getting.
They want some of that glory for themselves!
They are described as lying to God v4 and testing the Spirit of the Lord v9!
In a spiritually charged environment they took their actions too lightly!
They thought they could lie and cheat, get the glory without the cost!
God was having none of it and they were struck down dead!
Their crime? V2 “kept back” lit ‘embezzlement’!
How did it come about? V3 Satan had filled their hearts! This led to their lying and testing!
App:
a) our actions really do count.
- seeking Gods glory in our actions is the way to do it.
A&S sought the praise of ‘man’ not the praise of God!
b) the way we treat the Church is equivalent to the way we treat God.
“you have not lied to men but to God” v4.
Saul persecuted the church, but Jesus said “why do you persecute me” Acts 9v4.
c) be careful in our battle against temptation. A&S gave in an so came under the influence of the Devil. That is what explains their actions!
Especially beware of jealousy of others!
d) seek great wisdom in your use of money and be wary of its power!
sunday evening 1st March 2009
Rom 8v29-30
Intro: last week we saw the great encouraging truth that God works in us for our salvation.
Yes we are those who long and groan for salvation, we work it out, but as we do so God also works: the Spirit helps us in our weakness, the Father helps us in response to the Spirits prayer for us; God works all things together for our good!
What great encouragement that is as we seek to work hard at our faith.
Moving on this week we see what Gods purpose is in so working for us.
1) God wants to make us beautiful people! V29
Gods ultimate aim is to make us into astonishing, and wondrously beautiful people.
a) Who does God want to make into such people?
“those he foreknew” : those he has chosen, from all eternity.
To foreknow is to know beforehand. God already knows those who will become such people. Foreknowing though is more than just knowledge!
Knowing in the Hebrew mind meant a living relationship!
App:
Gods foreknowledge is mentioned here for the believers comfort.
We can rest in the fact that the Lord of all Creation knows all things.
We can have no confidence in a god for whom there is unknown knowledge.
Our God is worthy to be worship; he knows all things.
Further his knowledge is personal, relational, not cold and distant!
A person in our world takes great pleasure if she is known by someone famous!
We are known by God! Our salvation is no accident!
b) how can we be sure God will carry out this glorious work?
“he also predestined”
God has predestined our beautification! That is he does not simply just know, who will become beautiful, He has also specifically predetermined it!
That is He has actively set in motion the work.
App:
Again the focus is on God and what he is doing; again then we can take great comfort here.
God is at work! It does not depend on us, He is responsible!
c) what does our beautification consist of?
“conformity to the image of His Son”. We will be made like Jesus!
Conformity – is literally sharing the same nature!
Sharing in His love, his joy, his peace, his happiness etc.
Jesus Christ is the most beautiful and glorious person ever to have lived and we are to be made like him! Not only in terms of his beautiful character, but also in his glorious physical appearance! We will be given resurrection bodies like his!
We have already been made in the image of God, however, that image is now tainted by sin, but God is working to overcome that!
App:
This has great implications for human dignity and how we treat one another and value one another. God is working on us making us into masterpieces!
d) how many such beautiful people can we expect to see when Gods work is over?
“many brethren” or as in the vision of revelation; “a great multitude that no man can number” rev7v9.
APP
God is no miser! His work is not for a few only! Gods greatest disappointment at the end of time will be the lost sheep who never returned.
e) why all this work to make beautiful people?
For the praise of thee Glorious One – “that He might be the firstborn among many brothers”
Our salvation, our being made beautiful is for the praise of Jesus.
App:
This draws it all again back to God. God is working for the glory of Christ. That Christ may be the all in all. The first in everything and the Head over everything.
2) the process involved in making us beautiful v30.
We have already seen the first two parts of the process: God foreknows and predestines.
a) further He “called”
that is God has spoken to each individual who will be brought into this work.
The call is personal to the individual – God calls by name!
He has called ; this is the glorious message of the Gospel. Where do we get the calling?
In the gospel. Who is the gospel for? everyone who wants it.
App
That God calls us by name displays more of his Greatness. That he can get down to the level of knowing us by name! You are precious in Gods sight. He knows all about you – even the hairs on your head are numbered.
b) then He “justified”
knowing our name, calling us by our personal name the next step is justification:
that is to make us beautiful God has made us righteous in his sight. How?
The whole work of the cross was to deal with our sin; Christ died for our sin, and we received his righteousness. Thus in Christ we have been made right before God, justified.
App
This fact alone provides us with the confidence and boldness we need to come before him in prayer. We have been justified, we have then every right to approach his great holiness!
c) then he “glorified”
he knows us by name, he makes us perfect in his sight; there is only one thing left to do:
this is the final step in making us beautiful. Sharing in the glory that is God.
Our salvation is so sure, because of all that God has done and is doing, Paul can speak in terms of us already being glorified!
There is simply no doubt about it: the process of salvation has started and nothing is going to stop Gods work.
Note: the whole process of salvation started way back in the past, in Gods Foreknowledge, and it will finish way into the future in Gods Glorification!
Though so sure that we can consider it already a done deal!
App
Take great hope. Where God has begun a work He will not give up until all is done and there is fullness of life and glory. Until we have truly become beautiful people.
