The young man and the judgments of the Holy Spirit

The young man and the judgments of the Holy Spirit – Bible study

Preaching Outline on Acts 5:6-11 Bible Study – Then the young men got up, covered the dead man, and carried him out and buried him. And when about three hours had passed, his wife also came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter said to her, “Tell me, did you sell that estate for so much? And she said, “Yes, for so much. Then Peter said to her, “Why have you taken it upon yourselves to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold at the door the feet of those who buried your husband, and they will take you also. Then she fell at his feet and expired. When the young men came in, they found her dead and buried her with her husband. And there was great fear in all the church and in all who heard these things.

Introduction

ATMOSPHERE OF FULL COMMUNION IN THE CHURCH – (4:32)

All things were common to them because everyone in the church had equal rights and access to the same blessings. The men, the maidservants, the children received blessings and so did the young people. There was no difference, because everyone was involved in full communion within the church. Everyone participated equally.

ABUNDANT GRACE IN THE CHURCH – (4:33)

There was grace from the Lord in what they did, because they did everything in the Lord’s direction. It wasn’t just the work of the adults that bore fruit, but also that of the young people, teenagers and children. And it was all pleasing to God, because there was abundant grace from the Lord in everything they did and everything they did prospered. The Lord’s grace was upon everyone in the church.

A PROOF OF DEDICATION TO THE LORD – (4:34-37)

It was the first test the Lord asked of the church. A test from the Lord to the church, asking for proof of exclusive dedication to the Lord. A judgment that the Lord set for the church, to see if its heart and soul really belonged to the Lord alone.

1ST TEST: (4:36-37)

Joseph Barnabas: faithfulness is a blessing – detachment from an earthly inheritance

1.1) He was a Levite: of the tribe from which the priests were chosen, who had no earthly inheritance, they lived off the inheritance of the Lord.

1.2) The name: “son of consolation”: the same as heir of salvation.

1.3) He valued the Lord’s blessing more (laying the price at the apostles’ feet). Than a material inheritance, in other words: the value of this life here. Example: a courtship at the Lord’s feet. That’s a blessing. The joy of material blessings is not because of their value, but because they come from the Lord.

1.4) When spiritual blessing is valued, man’s communion is direct with God. It is in the Spirit.

2ND TEST: (5:1-4)

Ananias and Sapphira: Infidelity is a curse – the heart divided between the material (earthly) inheritance and the eternal one.

2.1) He withheld part of the price: we can’t withhold the price of our lives, because that price is our salvation. Salvation is about total dedication to the Lord. We don’t share it with anyone, not even ourselves. Does half belong to the spirit and half to the flesh? NO.

2.2) (5:3) “Has Satan filled your heart?”: the heart was divided because it was filled with what was of the world, for the world is set on the evil one.

2.3) (5:5) EXPIRE: to end one’s life, to lose one’s life. A lie expires immediately.

2.4) When material things are valued, man’s communion is with man himself (generic sense): the flesh. A MARRIAGE in communion with infidelity. This communion is always in the flesh. Communion with the Lord is a TRUTH, but communion with man is a LIE, a deception, for “deceitful is the heart of man”.

YOUNG PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION IN THE JUDGMENTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1) – CONCERNING ANANIAS – (5:6)

a) – “The young men stood up”: in front of Ananias’ fallen body, the young men stood up, in other words, they stood firm before the Lord, regarding what was dead inside the church. They didn’t agree with what were signs of death in the “body”.

b) – “They covered the dead man”: It was a matter to be dealt with in isolation. Don’t generalize. Do not publicize or comment on it. It doesn’t serve as an example. Not to be imitated.

c) – “They carried it outside”: the place of lies, deceit and sin is outside the church. Inside the church there is LIFE, but what is dead remains outside.

d) – “Buried”: It was a matter to be forgotten.

Never to be mentioned again. Such a negative experience should never be repeated within the church. Never to be mentioned as a parameter for committing another such failure in the life of the church.

There are those who like to dig up the dead.

2) – REGARDING THE SAPPHIRE – (9:10)

LESSONS THEY HAVE LEARNED:

She had even agreed with her husband on the price of lying: (5:8) for those who are in league with lies, the value of salvation is always the same. The reward is also the same: death.

A marriage (communion) for death. Those who support it and those who agree with it will also die.

“Stand at the door”: (5:9b) This was the position the young people had taken: to stand at the door. Jesus is the door:

To enter through it is to value salvation and enjoy the blessings of communion with the Lord and with the church. To go out through it is to take out all the impurity and dead works that belong outside the church. This is SANCTIFICATION.

“The feet of the young men”: their walk was now firm in the Lord, because by then they had understood from their first experience with Ananias that the things of the Lord are serious. “…for the place where you stand is holy”.

“They will also take you away: The same way the young people did with Ananias: they covered the body, carried it outside and buried it. The young people were determined to cooperate in the same way every time this happened in the church.

4) – THE EXPRESSION: “At the apostles’ feet”: It was equivalent to: “at the Lord’s feet”, because the apostles were there in the Lord’s will.

Laying part of the price at the Lord’s feet, in other words: the fruit of deceit, lies and sin, meant losing the right to the blessing of an eternal inheritance.

Ananias did this and Sapphira insisted on the same thing.

Laying a gesture of faithfulness to the Lord at the apostles’ feet WAS LIFE, but falling at the apostles’ feet in a gesture of unfaithfulness to the Lord WAS DEATH.

That was a judgment.

Acts 5:6-11 Bible Study – Then the young men got up, covered the dead man, and carried him out and buried him. And when about three hours had passed, his wife also came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter said to her, “Tell me, did you sell that estate for so much?