Passage: Acts 4:32-5:2 Speaker: Pastor Lukus Counterman Series: The Book of Acts: Neighbors & Nations
Speaker: Lukus Counterman - At the end of Acts 4, the believers experienced sweet community. People were caring for one another and pursuing the good of the church. That is until a deceitful couple named Ananias and Sapphira put God to the test. They thought their fake spirituality would sneak under the radar. Surely, they could be selfish inside and put on a spiritual show outside. Nope. God judged them and displayed the importance of holiness and integrity in the church. The community responded in the fear of the Lord and more and more believers were added to the assembly. This church growth irked the religious leaders of the day, and they turned up the heat of persecution in Acts 5. They arrested, beat, and threatened the apostles. But these Christians were resolved to obey God rather than man. They went on preaching Jesus in Jerusalem and beyond. May the Lord give us hearts of integrity in worship and courage in witness.