Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Living in the MIraculous Pt.7

One thing is really a blessing as it pertains to the churches in Africa. We could have as many satellite churches as we had money to give them. You can buy a lot of support over there. That is not what we are doing. We turn down probably ten or fifteen churches a month that want to join up with us. What they really want is money. We are looking for people that have a heart for the kingdom, men that come up and don't say anything about money or support but say, "You guys live by the Word of God, and I want to learn how to do that." We say, "Well, we make no commitments. If you still want to, follow us. None of us started with any commitments, and we don't give any. If you're committed to God, we'll be committed to you." That is how we relate to people. A number have done that, and there is some good fruit. Continue to pray. We're believing that God will order our steps. We're not looking to add more churches. We have a big job in stabilizing those fellowships we already have, and it is being accomplished. A lot of great things are going on.

Good reports are coming back from Kakamega. David is doing a good job over there. Continue to pray for him. What a great representation he is of the body and of the faithfulness of God. How blessed is it for us to see a young man in college say, "God spoke to me and told me to step out." This is a young man (those of you that know David) who is diligent, wants to get the job done, and then go on and get ten more things done. He just stepped back out of summer school, out of classes, and said, "I want to go serve in the ministry." He pulled up, took off, and obeyed Father. What a blessing! We have more coming up. Those of you that were out for the baptism at the retreat property, what a great time we had as about forty or so people were baptized with the Sterling and Baltimore churches; and there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our young people on Thursday. Twelve young people were filled with the Spirit as they prayed, seeking God over a couple of hours, being led to pray for one another. Some that went to pray for others to receive received themselves as they were praying. That is how it works.

Just to encourage you young people, you don't have to go on a retreat. You know what you ought to do? Just determine to spend the same time here on a Friday night instead of going to eat pizza, and you will have the same results. It's not about being in the trees. It's about being in the presence of God. It's about hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Whatever we are seeking with all of our heart, that is what we find. We encourage you in that way. This is a great thing that God is doing in our midst. We are proud of the young people and the used-to-be-young-but-getting-older group.

I would like to take a minute to congratulate all of our college graduates. We had a big blowout for all of our high school graduates. Hear what I'm saying. I'm not minimizing you high schoolers, but there is a certain attrition between high school and college that we experience. These people are still among us after making it through college. Can you say "praise God" for that? If you can survive college, you can survive just about anything. We're proud of you.

I was with one of the young men last night, John David. He was showing us some of his graphic arts portfolio. It's phenomenal, as good as any I've seen. Thank God for the different gifts that are among us. We're proud of John. There is an interesting story in every one of our lives. John's story is a very interesting one, to see how God has been faithful through all this family has endured, and here is a man that stood faithfully. The requirement of a steward is that he be found--flashy?--faithful. Thank God for His work. John is not the only one. I know not everyone is here this morning, but I think we need to give that emphasis. I would like to have everyone who has finished your associate's or bachelor's degree to stand up this morning. We would like to recognize a job well done--John and a number of the others. Look, they're still standing up. Stand up! Praise God. Look around. Now you know, when you need some academic help (those of us that almost passed), who to go to. Let's thank God and honor those to whom honor is due. (Applause.) I think it would be good, Jeff, maybe during one of the Young Adult meetings to have something special for them, to recognize them, and let everybody else in the Young Adults have a good time of celebration. That is something to be thankful for, and we're proud of all of you for a job well done. We are believing now that the most important thing will be accomplished, that you will continue in the kingdom, be faithful until the Lord comes back, raise up a godly seed, be good helpmeets or good heads, and let Father be glorified in our midst.

Let's turn to Acts, Chapter 4. We want to pick up where we were. As I was reading through Acts, Chapter 4, I thought, "Lord, You're going to have to give me the grace to approach this in an expository manner." I mean, there are so many topics I wanted to go off on. In these few verses, you could spend forever on different topics such as unity, giving, liberality, faithfulness, and faith. I'm a topical-type person. I like to take a topic and exhaust it. I want to know everything there is to know about liberal giving. Then I want to study and know all there is to know about faith, cooperation, unity, and all of those different things. We're going to try to stay disciplined enough to go through these first fifteen or sixteen chapters of the book of Acts for the primary purpose of getting a feel of the heartbeat of a church that walks in the supernatural, because that is really what we've been talking about these last number of weeks. We have been talking about the fact that there is not a "first-century church" and a "twenty-first-century church," but just "the church," and that Jesus, the head of the church, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What they experienced, we should experience. The Word of God doesn't ever change. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My word will not pass away." The Word of God is truth, the truth that sets men free--free from the power of sin, free from the bondage of culture. This truth transcends culture. It transcends political/economic barriers. This message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and of His lordship can't in any way be diluted, added to, or subtracted from. This gospel message is the wisdom and the power of God. "I'm not ashamed of the gospel," the apostle said, "because it is the power of God to salvation."

As the simplicity of this message was being brought here in the book of Acts, it began to shake nations. It immediately had a ripple effect back to Rome, one of the great empires of all time. The localized government was shaken. The local religions had to determine what to do with these people. We constantly see the church--I want you to see this--in conflict. The greatest distinction between the church then and in our day is that there is no longer conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, but a pursuit of cooperation, of acceptance, of amalgamation. If we are going to walk in the supernatural, we are going to walk in a way other than all that are in the natural.

We have been studying and seeing that the supernatural is not always spectacular, but the supernatural has its origin in God. What I'm doing, I'm doing for God and by God. It's not always spectacular, but it is supernatural. It doesn't trust in the natural wisdom. It doesn't trust in the arm of the flesh. It is not being done for the glory of man, but for the glory of God. A people that were truly bought out, purchased by the blood of Jesus, redeemed from the world's system. One of the things we will talk about this morning is this one heart and one soul that is the evidence of a people that have been regenerated. Listen to the power of that statement, "They were of one heart and one soul." Now, there are a lot of different clubs and religions that unify. Their unity is usually based upon a common dogma or a goal. There is unification based upon culture and upon natural blood relationships, but in the supernatural, the kingdom of God, there is unification (one heart and one soul) through the lordship of Jesus Christ.

As a people here, we have totally different origins. We come from different backgrounds. We exist even now in different social and political perspectives: whether you are more affluent or less, whether you're a Republican or the other guys. I like to tease. I don't have an affiliation one way or the other. The reason I don't is because of this firm belief that I'm sharing with you today. I'm a citizen of the kingdom of God. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat; I'm a Christian. If I was voting, I wouldn't vote based upon party. I would vote based upon the will of God: "Father, what is Your will for us?" It might be different than what you think. This might horrify some of you, but Clinton was God's will for us--because he was here. God is in charge. The democratic process does not thwart the will of God. The Supreme Court's judgments do not thwart the will of God. What we have in common (our one heart and one soul) is our common belief in the lordship of Jesus Christ, common citizenship in the eternal kingdom of light, the universal body of Christ of which we are all members in particular, put in the body as it pleases God. Therefore, if it pleases God, that does away with all personal ambition. When I know God has placed me in the body as it pleases Him, I don't have to--I cannot, in fact, it is sin for me to--become ambitious and try to be other than what God has made me in the body of Christ. This is totally contrary to the world's system and the way they operate, self-will and self-exaltation.

With that little bit of review, we pick up where we are here in the fourth chapter of the book of Acts, verse 32, "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus [that is what they had in common]: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need, And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas...a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet" (Acts 4:32-37).

We begin to look at this time period. One thing that we need to understand clearly is that they were of one heart and one soul. Over the years, some people have told us that to be totally sold out for God, we need to be of one purse. I want to tell you something. If you are of one heart, you are of one purse. You don't become of one heart by saying, "You know what we need to do? We all need to come into a commune somewhere, go out and live on the property out at the retreat area, hide from the world, and have everything in common." There could be a time for that, as there was here in the book of Acts. You'll see that as a famine hit the land later on, a part of the church was supported by the Macedonian branch, and other things were taking place. Commonly, we all live as separate families with one heart and with one soul. Commonly, we all own our own property. As you study antiquity, from the different patriarchs or heads of homes, the family farm would be passed on to the eldest sons. It has gone on for generations.

There is no need to unify materially. There is no need to commonly come and live at the same dwelling unless it is specifically needed for the preservation of the kingdom of God and the proclamation of the gospel. But we have to be willing. There has to be a readiness, a willingness. I don't know about you, but I can't think of anything I would like less than having to experience that--no offense to the rest of you. It is not that I don't want to live with you; it is that you don't want to live with me. But are you ready? Can you say that nothing you possess is your own? "Amen, brother. I tell you, I've made that purpose. Jesus is Lord. Everything I have belongs to God." Try to get it! If everything we have belongs to God, and if everything we have we say is not our own but for the good of the community, then why do we neglect the community to try to get more? If it is for the community, why do we neglect the community to try to get more, to acquire more? Catch the spirit that I'm talking about. We say that it's not about the stuff, it's not about the possessiveness, but as we have shared over and over again, the thing that will destroy us if we're not careful (Daniel spoke of it very clearly), is our prosperity.

Now, the spirit of covetousness, the spirit of discontentment, the spirit of fear that comes from the perspective of self-preservation, the pride that drives us to acquire more than everybody else (and this will be the declaration that I am slightly better), is in every man. We are being called to a common worth in our rejection of that philosophy and to using our energy and gifts to become more Christlike, individually and as a community. No, not for what we possess, but for Who possesses us. You will see that here.

As the utterance came forth, men left their wealth. Whether it was a Matthew, a Zacchaeus, or whoever it was, men left their wealth. The apostle Peter, a very prosperous man, as we said in our last session, had the boldness to say what a lot of people think: "Lord, we forsook everything and followed You. What's in it for us?" He said, "No man has left father, mother, houses, or lands for My name's sake, for the kingdom of God, but they'll receive one hundredfold in this life and in the life to come, eternal life." What are we living for? Do we really believe that?

If we have all things in common, philosophically and sometimes even literally, what is the motivation for it? Is it because of our strong love for one another? That is not sufficient, because people have believed in socialism and communism to the point that they were willing to die for it and divest personal interest for the good of the whole. It is not that we are communistic; we hold a common faith in the lordship of Jesus. We don't do it for the good of the brother; we do it for the glory of God. What is motivating us? Most organizations are motivated for man; they are humanistic ("Because this is my best friend" or "Because this is my family"). You will see in a moment that this is what the Holy Spirit is speaking toward. What do we have? They were of one heart and one soul based upon "one Lord, one baptism, one spirit."

Most of us here would say, "We are here because God brought us here. We accept and have one heart and one mind as it pertains to the vision and the doctrine. Our commitment is to the lordship of Jesus. Our commitment is to the truth," and I want to tell you something. I've heard thousands of people say that and then leave this place because their friends left. That shows where their allegiance was. It shows the power of deception. It shows the false commitment of Jonathan's armor bearer.

What we are trying to do here is to say, "Here's what the church is committed to: the kingdom of God, the lordship of Jesus, and the willingness to forsake all (houses, lands, mothers, fathers, wives, children) and follow Him." With that kind of a commitment, there was an environment for the Holy Spirit to come and visit. You can see even by what the kids experienced the other night, when there is even a small move in that direction, God will visit us. Where are the visitations? Is there a contentment in our unity? We have unity. Thank God for the love that we have. Thank God for the family that we have, but let's not fall so much in love with one another that we lose sight of Who enabled us to do that and Who that love, unity, and cooperation is for.

He goes on and he makes this comment: "They were of one heart and one soul." That is powerful. What does it mean to be of one soul? What is the soulical realm? Emotion, intellect, and will. They were a people of one heart, one spirit, and one soul (emotion, intellect, and will). It is interesting that these people flowed as one. God is enabling us to do that to a degree. We want to see it operate even more efficiently. It is operating in our midst, and we thank God for it. Because of that, great power was manifested as the witness of the resurrection came forth, and they were willing to give.

Let me see if we can make a little more ground this morning. What we see taking place here are a couple of common things. Here's the way a typical church works, and the way the real church works. The typical church, the visible church, the established church in America, works this way: fund raising and bake sales. The average fundamentalist, the guy that says he believes in the Bible, the average fundamentalist believer gives about four hundred dollars a year to the ministry. We as a fellowship believe that the least you can do is tithe, because that is the Law. Jesus came and fulfilled the Law. The Law is the starting place, the reference point. If you are not doing at least that, you're back under the Law. In fact, we all give as we purpose in our hearts. It should be more than ten percent. As a people, we basically do that. The majority of us here are givers, and we give at least ten percent plus our offerings, etcetera. We've got that pretty good.

The typical church, as opposed to the biblical church, thinks this--and we're talking about traditionalism, American Christianity--because as Americans, we're rugged individuals; we believe that we have rights. In the body of Christ, we don't have any rights but to obey the Word of God. That is our privilege. We don't have votes because we have a dictator, Jesus. The greatest form of government is absolute dictatorship if you have a good dictator, and we have the best. Here is the head of the church, Jesus, the dictator, and He says, "This is how you do it, no compromise. You don't have anything to say about it. If you want to relate to Me, if you want to be of one of My citizens, you do it this way. If not, you're out." That is pure love, because His way is the best way. His way is the only way that will bring you life. He has demanded that for your good. Any decisions you make on your own, you're going to kill yourself. That is why life as a Christian is easy in the church. We have one heart. We have one mind. We're not all coming up with different ideas. We all say, "Jesus is Lord. Whatever the Word says, that is what we're doing." The world looks at us and says, "Can't you think for yourself?" Say, "Yeah, but every time I thought for myself, I got myself in trouble; so I will let Jesus think for me. I will let the Word of God be my source." One heart, one soul. Sounds over-simplified, doesn't it?

The world will look at us and go, "You guys are a bunch of idiots!" We win. We are invincible. We have eternal life. We are at peace. How are you doing? I know who I am. Are you still searching? I have the answer to life. Do you? I'm content. How are you doing? I'm happy. I have the joy of the Lord. When I die, I'm going to heaven. How are you doing? We live in that simplicity of one heart, one soul, a commonness, because the Word is true and we surrender to the lordship of Jesus.

Now, watch what he goes on to say. It is one thing to have that commonness in doctrine. It is another thing to have it practically. James says it this way. You can't say, "Be warmed and filled" and go your way when you have the wherewithal to meet a brother's need. There will be times that come up when God speaks to us and says, "I want what you have for this purpose." Are you ready? You see, it was brought and laid at the apostles' feet. The church of today wants to dictate it; we want to designate. Years ago, there was a man in the church, probably one of the biggest givers at that time. He came up to me and said, "Brother Scott, I have quite a large sum of money that I'd like to give to the ministry. But I've been listening to your teaching, and usually, I am able to designate where the money goes. Am I able to do that?" I said, "No." "Well, you know, in the past...." I said, "We're not living in the past. If it's yours, keep it. We don't need it. If it's yours to where you think you want to direct it, then keep it; we don't need it. If it is God's, put it here in the common pot and we will use it for the glory of God where it is best needed. If not, keep it."

Isn't that what Peter goes on to say in the next chapter with Ananias and Sapphira? Before you sold it, was it not yours? After you sold it, and you had the money in your hand, wasn't it yours to do with whatever you wanted? Why would you come and lie to the Holy Ghost and say, "I'm totally committed to God. I trust God. I'm part of the community. Here it is. Whatever needs to be done, do it"? Now, what I want to address this morning is not the literalness, because most of us have been around long enough to know that we don't designate and say where stuff is going. But what is your heart saying? How does your heart handle that? We are talking about the spirit and moving in the supernatural. Do you think you know better? Would you like to? This is the wisdom of God: one heart and one soul. It's God's methodology.

What we will see over the next couple of chapters is the example of Ananias and Sapphira and the murmuring that was taking place in the church between the Hebrews and the Greeks. In distribution, the Hebrews were getting preferential treatment while the Gentiles, the Greeks, were kind of getting what was left over. The prominent believers were Hebrew, and the Gentiles said, "We're not being treated properly." The wisdom of God said, "Choose out among you men full of the Holy Ghost, people that can be set in this particular office of deacon that can handle these matters, represent the needs of the people to the apostles, declare the wisdom of the apostles and the wisdom of God back to the people. Because we, the apostles [they went on to say], can't be caught up in all these matters. We need to give ourselves to the Word and to prayer. We need to understand the direction, the wisdom of God. We will speak toward this administering of the needs, but it will be taken care of on this basis, by wisdom, by the power of God."

We will see as we go on in the study too that the biblical deacon is not the typical deacon of the American church. You want to know who the deacons of most churches today are? They are the wealthy businessmen, because most churches are run like businesses. You want to know who the deacons are supposed to be? They are supposed to be men like Stephen, men full of power, men full of the Holy Ghost, men that do signs and wonders. The deacon should have the same character and same gifts as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. They are just not placed there because of God's wisdom and how He has administered it. If you will look at the character, the demonstration of power, and the spirituality of the deacons, they were just as spiritual and just as powerful as the eldership, the pastors, the evangelists. They just weren't placed there by God. They were placed in a subordinate role. They were placed in a role that they ministered at a different level for the care of the body of Christ, but no lesser calling, no lesser gifting.

Very frankly--and this is one of the reasons that we changed years and years ago the way we operated here in this fellowship--that is why we have no eldership that doesn't live from the gospel. I'll tell it to you the way I told one of the head elders at that time. I said, "You want to know what the problem is? You want to know why we're in conflict? I'm living from the gospel, and you have it as a hobby. You want me to tell you why your perspective is different? Let me give you some advice here. Sell your business, liquidate, give everything to the ministry, and come and live by faith. Then I'll listen to what you have to say as it pertains to some of these decisions. But you can't dabble in this. You can't have it as a hobby. If you're going to preach the gospel, you need to live from the gospel." This was a long time ago. I said, "I'll tell you what. You sell everything you have, give it, and we will start you off with fifty thousand a year. (That was a long time ago. You all remember, that was some good money!) Let's see if God keeps the money coming in, because this year you may make fifty thousand, but next year you may make five thousand. It is by faith." This was back when the board used to run things. They came in one day and said, "We don't think Steve needs a raise. He doesn't have a family. He doesn't need anything." I said, "The Bible doesn't talk about family. The Bible says that the laborer is worthy of his hire." "Well, we don't think he needs an increase." I gave him mine. After a little while they said, "Well, you know, we don't want to see you giving yours. We wanted to see you increase a little bit." I said, "I don't need any more. I'm blessed." Neither Steve nor any of the men have ever gotten what they are worth to this body. Can you say "amen" to that? They also get more than they're worth, because none of us deserves anything.

I'm trying to show you how the common twenty-first-century church is so different from the biblical church, how history, time, and experience have eroded the purity of faith in the supernatural to where even people like ourselves that have lived under this doctrine for so long still have these roots and these thought processes that we have to contend with, because they are common to natural man. They came from the heart of natural man. We have to constantly pull those things down, or we gravitate back that way in our thought processes. The Word of God constantly wars against the wisdom of natural mind.

Here they are, and everything was brought and laid at the apostles' feet. The apostles made sure that everybody's needs were taken care of. We were at the baptism the other night. I was standing there. People were wandering all around there in the field and along the riverbank. I was standing there and I was looking around. Greer said, "What are you looking for?" I said, "Nothing. This is what shepherds do. They watch their flocks." I was checking everybody out, making sure nobody was falling in the river, seeing who was there. I was looking and saying (as I do here in the congregation), "Lord, is there anybody here that has a need? Do I need to speak to somebody? Is there something that You would have me share at this time?" I was looking to see and ready to be prompted by the Holy Spirit if there was any word for anybody that might come. One heart and one soul, God's provision to take care of every need.

Chapter 5 goes into the Ananias and Sapphira aspect, and we talked about that a little bit. Here's the basic principle of Acts 5 that we need to get into our hearts: Don't try to put yourself off as being more than you are; don't lie to the Holy Ghost. Peter made it very clear--you're not lying to man, you're lying to the Holy Ghost. The whole premise was this: We are of one heart and one soul, none of us believes that anything we have is our own. It is all for the good of the body as the Holy Spirit would prompt us, not compulsions, but as the need presented. In our day, it would be something like this. We would stand up and say, "Some people here among us are in need. We need some ministry. We need twenty thousand dollars to take care of some of these needs." As the Holy Spirit would prompt your heart, you would say, "You know what? I have this piece of land that I'd like to sell and give it."

It is exactly what God spoke to my heart when I sold that property that we had in North Carolina and gave it to Africa. This is what we're talking about. Primo, man! This land was nice, right on the signature hole of a golf course. Million-dollar homes were being built down there. We made some good money on that land. I thought I was buying it to maybe have a retirement home later on. I didn't know I was buying it for Africa. I wonder what your investments are made for. I wonder if only the preacher is supposed to do that. And they all said, "Amen." Turn to the guy next to you and say, "I think he's talking to you." Turn back to them and say, "No, he was talking to you."

We have that spirit here. I have no doubt. That spirit is here. The one thing that is on my heart--and I keep coming back to this. I want to say again. It is not because of each other; it is because of God. It is for the glory of God, because you know what? People have come and gone. How many people that you thought would never leave are gone? How many people that your life was interwoven with are gone? When they left, it tore your heart out. As they left, you were that much knit with them, and they're gone. Then what was their commitment to? You know what? Some of us got our feelings hurt and we felt like we were deserted. You weren't deserted, God was deserted. One heart, one soul, one Lord, one baptism.

There is no need to try to profess that you're more than you are. Things that you possess are yours in the sense that they are under your control. Nobody will come and arrest you and take it from you. We are not going to trespass and say, "Well, there's a need, so here goes your barbecue pit! We're going to sell that thing on eBay. We appreciate your contribution" (the steak is still on it). Like some churches today, we don't send out bills to people: You owe this much. We preach the Word and say, "Here's what God requires. What are you going to do?" Don't say you love Him and not keep His commandments. Isn't it yours to do with what you want?

Now, what he is contrasting here are a people that have become of one heart and one mind. Don't say you're part of it if you're not. Just say, "Hey, what's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine." That is how some people think. I don't see any indication that Peter and the apostles were going to put any requirements on these people or look down on them, but you know what I do see? I see another principle. If everything you have is not in common, then when the need arises, don't think that you will get equal distribution--if you haven't sown in, if you haven't been a participant. The children's bread is not to be given to dogs. That is a harsh statement, but this is what the Master Himself said. We've shared that here. We will try to help everybody that is a part, even those that come regularly but may not be a complete "one heart, one soul," if we have the wherewithal. But first of all, the needs of the children will be met. If there are crumbs left over, you will get those (if you're not of one heart and one soul). That is the principle. It doesn't mean the others can't be here and participate.

A very interesting thing began to happen. As they lied to the Holy Ghost, saying they were a part and weren't, the visitation of the Spirit came, and Ananias died. Then Sapphira came in. The apostles said, "Did you and your husband sell some land?" "Yeah." "Did you sell it for this much?" "Yeah." "And you gave everything?" "Yeah." "Why did Satan put it in your hearts to lie to the Holy Ghost? The same guy that carried your husband off is coming in here to carry you off." And she dies.

A lot of people around here already think we're weird. What if that started happening? You want me to tell you what would take place? The same thing that took place here. Nobody was real quick to join them, but the Lord added to them such as should be saved. Amen? What it really goes on to say is that type of people didn't come, but a pure people came. Do you see it there? Look at verse 13 of Chapter 5. "And of the rest [of that type of people] durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers [the real deal] were the more added to the Lord, [multiplying] both of men and women. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one." They were known as a people that lived in the supernatural. I want to be that, don't you? I want this to be a place where people say, "God's up there. Don't go up there and play around." We're already known for that somewhat.

A number of years ago, I met with the pastor of one of the largest churches in this area. He is not actually even pastoring there anymore. I sat down with him, and we were having lunch together. He made the statement, "Well, you know, we're a good middle-of-the-road church, but when people really get serious, they go to your church." I thought, "How could you say that?" Then I thought (but didn't say), "Yeah, and when people backslide here, they go to yours." That is really the truth. What do we want for our reputation?

The church we just read about had a reputation that you didn't just go up there and mess around. "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them." Maybe it's not real bad to have a reputation as the slowest-growing church in the area. It wasn't the religious people, but it says, "the people magnified them." A lot of people who have not made the decision yet to bow their knee to Jesus can tell the difference. They know what's right and what's wrong. They haven't bowed their knees because of their pride or their selfish personal lordship, but they know the difference. Nothing drives them crazier than hypocrisy. I'll tell you one thing. A lot of people don't like what we stand for and what we do, but they don't call us hypocrites, because we do what we say we're going to do. We do what the Word of God tells us to do.

"Why did you agree to tempt the Spirit of God? Why has Satan put it in your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?" Verse 12 says that after the purification of Ananias and Sapphira took place--you know, Ananias and Sapphira were like Achan's wedge of gold and Babylonish garment that were hidden in the camp so that Israel couldn't prevail. There is a biblical principle that you see here with Ananias and Sapphira and with Achan's wedge of gold. Periodically, God will come into our midst and purge us so that He can move in our midst. It is a common process. I believe God is moving mightily in our midst right now, which means there is going to be a purging. Can I ask you a question this morning? How will you stand in the fire? Will you be consumed and purified, or destroyed? Many of our lives will experience that refiner's fire. Will it consume you ultimately, or just consume the dross and the sin? I believe that we are at this place and that God is going to move in our midst--is moving in our midst. As the purging took place, verse 12 says, "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people." We are asking God to move in our midst. There are people here in our midst that need the visitation of God. We need some miracles here in people's lives and in people's bodies. I believe Father is preparing us for that.

Following this, the Scripture goes on and says, "Then the high priest rose up, and all that were with him [of political influence, ecclesiastical or church influence, religious influence] (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation." The religious people always get mad when people are really committed to God. Why? It makes them look bad. They're compromising; they're hypocrites. Here's a group of people that say, "We will not compromise. We will do it according to the Word of God." It reveals them for who they are, and they get angry. They'll make all kinds of accusations, and they'll move to destroy and silence one way or another, whether politically or through slander.

The Scripture says here in verse 18, "And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison." Look how many times the angels provided jailbreaks here in just these few chapters. If God is for us, nobody can be against us. There is a time of opposition coming. There will be a time when we will become such an offense that you may not immediately be put in prison, incarcerated, but you will begin to experience some persecutions. Many of us, because of our testimonies for Jesus, our witnessing, and our unwillingness to bow our knees, will have to say, "You answer me. Is it better to obey God or men?" Already there are laws on the books that say you can't talk about Jesus on the job. Are you, or aren't you? Already pastors have been arrested in this nation for saying what the Bible says about homosexuality. Are you going to change the Word of God or not?

If we are going to live in the supernatural, what we have to understand is this: We will receive opposition, but God will send His angels. He will open the prison doors. He will shut the lions' mouths. The question I'm asking this morning is, Are we preparing ourselves and believing for that now? What are we doing to prepare? "Well, you know, yeah, I guess it might come." It's here! It is not that it might come--it is here; we just haven't experienced it yet.

We're talking about preparing ourselves for the supernatural. "And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said [Here's what I love, and we will end with this for this morning. Here's the admonition of the messengers of God, the angels.], Go, stand and speak in the temple [not some obscure place] all the words of this life." They had just ministered in the temple and then were threatened, "Don't you be speaking anymore in this name, don't be teaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and don't come up to the temple and cause these problems." They came right back at the admonition of the angel, "Go, stand and speak in the temple all the words of this life." I love that phrase. When you are out on the job tomorrow, are you speaking "all the words of this life"? We can't help but speak the things that we have seen and heard. "Let me tell you what Jesus did in my life. Let me tell you what God is doing in our midst. Do you understand there's a people that live by the Word of God? Did you realize that the church of Jesus Christ isn't just a club that meets on Sunday mornings, but meets every day, house to house, breaking bread, having fellowship with one another, and adhering to the apostles' doctrine, with one heart and one soul? That is the church, not that little club you're going to. You might as well join the Kiwanis club." Are we out sharing this life with the religious people? Most of them don't want anything different, but some of them, a remnant, don't even know there is something different.

The Scripture says, "And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught." The guys were in prison. The high priests went out and did whatever--went out to the nicest restaurant that evening, had a party, and talked about how they had finally put a rest to this thing. "These guys are in jail. We finally smashed this thing!" They came back the next day and said, "Okay, we're going to bring these guys in, give them the final word here, and let them know the restraints that are put upon them." When the council came together and called for them, the officers came back and said, "Uh, we have a technical problem. The prison was still shut with all safety, the guards were standing out in front of the doors, but there was nobody in there" (verse 23). Sounds like the resurrection, doesn't it? "Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard [this], they doubted of them whereunto this would grow." If only they knew, the gates of hell will not prevail.

Another guy comes in and says, "I found them!" "Really? Where are they hiding?" "Well, they're not exactly hiding. The guys you put in prison are standing in the temple teaching the people." "Then went the captains with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? [We're going to end with this for this morning and pick it up tonight.] and behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine" (verses 26-28). I think we need to go fill Washington, D.C., with His doctrine, but who are we? We're the church of Jesus Christ, and the gates of hell will not prevail.

Father, we thank You for your Word this morning. Who knows where this thing will go if a people could move in the power of the Holy Spirit, if our appetite would be for the presence of God--not church growth, not new buildings, not a reputation among men, but a hunger for the presence of God, a belief that Your grace will preserve us. "Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us [intending to say that we are guilty, intending to say that we're living below the standard]" (verse 28). "That's right, you are." Do we boast? Are we self-righteous? No. Nothing we have is because of ourselves; it is the grace of God. Only when we are weak can we experience His strength. We know that He has chosen the weak, foolish, and base things to confound the things that are strong and mighty. We just want to be used of Your Spirit, Father, we ask in Jesus' name, amen. Let's stand before the Lord. Father, we do thank You for Your goodness, for Your power, and for Your grace, in Jesus' name, amen. Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "Let's fill this place with His doctrine." Go in peace. God's love go with you.

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