ONLINE ACTS LESSON 10 – THE UNSTOPPABLE MESSAGE OF LIFE

Acts 5:17-20, 2 Corinthians 2:15,16 – Talks about us being the aroma of life. To
those who believe – the sweet smell of life – to unbelievers – the smell of death.

GETTING STARTED:
● The church is growing and gaining standing in the community and it is
filling the religious leaders with a jealous rage. They want to shut it down
and stop the Good News. But they find themselves fighting against God.
● I want to point out 3 overcoming attitudes that are revealed in this passage – 2 through the apostles and 1 through Gamaliel – the leading Jewish scholar of that time. Paul was his star pupil. That’s another story.

WE MUST OBEY GOD. Look at Acts 5:21-32.
● The disciples follow the instructions of the angel who opened the gates of
the jail. So would you. They obediently and passionately preach Jesus.
● The disciples did not live out their faith in secrecy – they were out in the
open – standing up for the Lord. Teaching the people about Jesus.
● When confronted for their behavior they testify for Jesus. Look at 29-32.

YOU CANNOT STOP THE MOVE OF GOD. Acts 5:33-39
● Gamaliel makes this observation – human led movements burn out and go
away. You don’t have to stop them – they just end on their own.
● He also points out – IF it is from God – you cannot stop it – you might even
find yourself fighting against God.
● Interestingly – He was right and yet he was wrong about the disciples. He
thought they would go away on their own – but they were not on their own –
they were filled with the Spirit of the Living God. So are you. What God is
doing in your life cannot be stopped by this world.

REJOICE WHEN LIFE CONFRONTS YOUR WITNESS. Acts 5:40-42
● The religious leaders don’t kill the disciples – they beat them and order
them to stop preaching the Good News.
● The apostles rejoice – genuinely rejoice – that they are counted worthy to
suffer for the name of Jesus. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER
OF REJOICING FOR YOUR LIFE. It leads to overcoming.
● No surprise here: They continue to teach and preach Jesus. CONTINUE
ON IN YOUR FAITH TODAY – IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

ONLINE ACTS LESSON 9 – THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEIR MIDST

Acts 5:1-11
GETTING STARTED:
● There is a picture of the culture at the end of chapter 4 that will lead into what will
happen at the beginning of chapter 5. Let’s read Acts 4:32-37.
● A man named Joseph – who was called Barnabas generously gave a significant
gift as he was directed by the Holy Spirit. He did not do this for the attention that
he received – but he was compelled by love and directed by the Holy Spirit.
● Now we will see a great contrast. A couple driven by jealousy, a desire for
attention, and their hearts filled by Satan. Will attempt an act of great deception
that will be stopped by God. LET’S READ IT TOGETHER. Acts 5:1-11

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF THE CHURCH.
● In verses 3&4 – it states that they lied to the Holy Spirit and then – You weren’t
lying to us – but to God.
● Here – early in the church’s story – there is an attempt to steal the glory from God and to practice what Satan practices – deception.
● God puts a stop to it. Now – just because they lose their physical life – does not
mean that they lost their spiritual life. The truth is – we don’t know. That kind of
judgment rests with God.
● The clear message to all is this. This will not be a human personality church –
this will be a Spirit led – Christ glorifying church. No one will be allowed to lift up
their ego or to practice deception.

THE SIN IS DECEPTION – IT IS PROMPTED BY THE FATHER OF LIES.
● Peter asked Ananias – why have you let Satan fill your heart? He will later give
Sapphira an opportunity to confess and she will continue the deception.
● The sin was not holding back part of the money – listen to what Peter said in
verse 4 – the property was yours to sell or not sell, the money was also yours to
give away.
● Listen to what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7 – You must each decide in your
heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.
For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. There was no pressure from the
church on Ananias and Sapphira – they were driven by a need for attention.

THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS AND BRINGS HEALING AND GROWTH. Acts 5:12-16
● 2 things are true at the same time when the Spirit is doing the supernatural.
People on the outside have a deep reverence for what God is doing that causes
them to pause and step back.
● But they are also drawn to what is real – what is life changing – to a culture that is
led by the Holy Spirit. So the church continues to grow.
● Signs and wonders continue – great miracles – people were bringing the sick and
those possessed by evil spirits – AND THEY WERE ALL HEALED.

ONLINE ACTS LESSON 8

GO TO GOD FIRST

Acts 4:23,24
GETTING STARTED:
● Earlier in this chapter – Peter and John stared down the religious leaders – led by
Anas the high priest. These were the same leaders who organized the trials that
led to Pilate sentencing Jesus to the Cross. Peter doesn’t blink – there will be no
other name under heaven whereby people can be saved – only through Jesus.
● This council of religious leaders – take note that they have been with Jesus – they
then threaten them not to speak in Jesus name anymore. By the way – this was
more about doing miracles in Jesus name than it was preaching the gospel.
● Peter and John – answer directly. We will obey God – not man. And they go back
and report the threat – and then the first response of the church is amazing – they
pray. We want to look at that prayer and the result.

1. THE PRAYER OF THE THREATENED CHURCH. Acts 4:24-30.
   ● They acknowledge that God is moving by His Spirit and that what is happening
   was foretold by David and is in agreement with God’s will. In other words – Jesus
   was not crucified because of evil men – He gave his life on Calvary as a sacrifice
   for our sin. It was a plan God had before He created this earth.
   ● They also acknowledge the threats. It has the feel of a Jehoshophat standing
   before the people – crying out to God has they are under the threat of
   surrounding nations – the Moabites – Ammonites – and some Meunites. The Lord
   answered him clearly – the battle is not yours – it is God’s
   ● The early church asked for boldness – not just boldness – GREAT BOLDNESS
   TO PREACH THE WORD.
   ● They also asked for more miracles – by the way – that’s what got them in this
   predicament. Let’s read again verses 29 & 30.

2. THE LORD HEARD THEIR PRAYER AND ANSWERED. Acts 4:31
   ● They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. A fresh outpouring for the challenge
   ahead. As Ephesians 5:18 teaches – Being filled with the Spirit is an ongoing
   experience. BE being filled.
   ● The place was shaken – they were all filled – they preached the word of God with
   boldness.
   ● We know that as they go forward -the miracles and the healings also continue.
   SO – GOD ANSWERED THEIR PRAYER.

THE LESSON: TAKE IT TO GOD FIRST. LOOK FOR THE ANSWER FROM HEAVEN – DON’T MAKE PRAYER A LAST RESORT – BUT A FIRST RESPONSE.

ONLINE ACTS – LESSON 7

THEN PETER – FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Acts 4:1-12
GETTING STARTED:
● The miracle of the lame man’s healing just keeps on giving. We read that
the number of believers is expanding rapidly. 5000 men – not counting
women and children. Sound familiar – the feeding of the 5000.
● Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. So they are
offended by the preaching that God raised Jesus from the dead. They
should have been pierced to the heart that they crucified God’s Messiah.
● Peter and John are arrested late in the day and spend the night in jail.
Peter will now deliver a powerful bold declaration of God’s truth for all time
to those who oversaw the illegal trials of Jesus.

1. IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT – PETER ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
   ● They ask in verse 7 – By what power or in whose name, have you done
   this?
   ● Think about this – the one who answers – Peter – is the same person who
   could not stand up to a servant girl by a fire at night. Now in the light of
   day – before the religious leaders of his day – Peter boldly declares the
   powerful truth of Jesus.
   ● The stone you rejected is the cornerstone – He is the messiah. Just
   because he does not fit your concept – does not change this reality. God
   will not send another Savior – salvation will only come through the name of
   Jesus. AND THAT’S WHOSE NAME AND WHOSE POWER WE
   REPRESENT.

THE OBVIOUS LESSON: Let’s stand up for Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit
and tell the world the good news about Jesus. We must not be deceived in these
last days – God has sent His only son – there will not be another Savior.

2. DO NOT LET THIS WORLD DEFINE WHO YOU ARE. Acts 4:13-22
   ● These leaders saw the disciples as ordinary with no special training. But
   God saw them as faithful disciples trained for 3 years by Jesus and filled
   with the power of the Holy Spirit. THE WORLD HAS NO IDEA WHO YOU
   ARE IN JESUS. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE AND LET THEM KNOW.
   ● Finally – they thought that they could control them with threats and that
   they could shut the gospel down. THEY COULD NOT. NO ONE HAS
   EVER SHUT THE GOSPEL DOWN. EVER! One of the great themes of the
   book of Acts is – the unhindered gospel. Be unhindered today!