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- Mature believers often receive the church’s admiration, but it is never their motivation.

- The desire for recognition, stems from weak faith.

- Ananias and Sapphira were spiritual posers; they wanted to be seen as devoted when they were not.

Three things to learn and why God has this account in Acts:

1. God reminds us, that Satan hates the witness of a Spirit filled church, and he will always seek to dilute its integrity.

2. God is passionate about protecting the purity of his church.

3. The sin of pretence is never far from us, and if we pursue it, something within us will die.

- Freedom and power as believers, does not grow out of pretended affection, it comes from honest submission.

- Balcony people cheer us on and fuel our courage by gracious affirmation and actions.

- The church today needs more “balcony” people.

- Barnabas’ nickname tells us that balcony people aren’t born, they are made by the Holy Spirit.

- Barnabas character was the fruit of God’s Spirit in his life.

· The reality is the Holy Spirit is your best friend in the world. Counselor, Comforter, Helper, or Advocate.

· The extent to which we encourage others, reveals the extent of our submission to God.

· Encouragers always build people up, they never tear people down.

· Encouragers are generous with their resources.

· Encouragers get excited about other people’s progress and they protect unity.

· Encouragers are humble.

· Encouragers give others a second chance.

- Ecclesia simply means: “called out people”.

- Scripture makes it clear that is a 2 directional calling.

a. It is an assembly of people called out of unbelief.

b. It is an assembly of people called together, in unity, in order to know Jesus, and continue His mission in the world.

- The church has its beginning in belief in Jesus, as revealed in Scripture, not in Jesus as we reinvent him.

- While authentic church life begins with belief, it must not stop there.

- Authentic belief in Jesus aligns his followers in: Identity, Affections, and Purpose.

- We are told to protect the unity that his Spirit alone can create.

- Because of the Holy Spirit in them, those early church believers were free.

- Because the church acted and lived what they believed, they ministered with great power and grace.

- When we live our message, we become our message, and cannot be silenced.

Bold disciples offer Hope to the World.

Timid disciples Withhold Hope.

· The word “bold” means “telling it all”.

· Boldness is the conviction and declaration of undeniable truth.

· Truth by its very nature is exclusive.

1. The Resurrection is the Foundation for Bold Faith.

· Because the resurrection affirms Christ's identity.

· The resurrection is the essential reason for our boldness.

· The resurrection is distinctive to Christianity.

2. The Resurrection Fuels our Boldness by affirming our Liberty from Death.

· To live is Christ, and to die is gain, because our existence doesn't end at death.

3. Christ’s Presence produces Boldness.

4. Miracles Strengthen our Faith.

· The greatest miracle is the conversion of the heart.

5. Scripture Sustains Boldness.

6. The Filling of the Holy Spirit Kindles Boldness.

7. The Exclusive nature of Christ Creates a sense of

Urgency that fosters Boldness.

· Love demands we tell others where salvation can be found.

8. Prayer that Focuses on the Sovereignty of God makes us Bold.

· The world around us needs us to be bold.

- The issue was: The subsequent preaching of the resurrection, the authority of Jesus, and response of the crowd, that resulted in their arrest and their trial.

- After Jesus rose from the grave, ascended into heaven, when his church began to declare his resurrection, everything shifts.

- Note two totally different world views. You are Living, right now, in Acts chapter 4.

The Sadducees, embraced a philosophy.

Peter and John, embraced God’s presence.

The Sadducees, had a philosophy of life.

Peter and John, had the presence of God.

The Sadducees, had an argument,

Peter and John, had God with them.

- Truth isn’t determined by counting hands, or consultative processes, or impact statement writers. Truth is declared by God.

- “They were recognised as having been with Jesus”.

- Our opportunity is not in debate, but in living.

- We need to stop being a phantom people, and be a present people.

- A Spirit-controlled believer, a Spirit-controlled church can never be silenced.

- Our Lives are simply the continuing Legacy of all our Choices.

- In matters of Faith, a wrong choice can have Eternal consequences – unless Grace Intervenes.

- The message of God’s Grace loses all Meaning where there is No Recognition of Sin.

- The Hinges of Choice can swing the Opposite direction where Grace is Announced.

- Christianity isn’t a system of Ethical Teachings.

- Christianity is a Relationship with the Creator God based on the Life, Character, and Identity of Jesus Christ.

- The Bible says only those whose Eyes have been Opened by the Spirit of God, who Know Jesus, are Spiritual people,

- Choosing Jesus is Life, Choosing anything else is Death.

- God still works Miracles today.

- Miracles don’t Automatically produce Faith.

1. The Greatest Miracles, are those that Unite Human Hearts.

· The Spirit was given to Make them One.

· The Holy Spirit had been at Work in both Peter & John.

· God-ordained Differences, are Not Incentives for Division.

They are Invitations to Wisdom, to Community, and to more Effective Ministry.

· I see no Correlation between Gifts and Personality and Spirituality.

2. There is the Other Miracle.

· A man was Miraculously able to Walk.

· The Miracle took place in the Crowded area of the Temple.

· Our Affections Drive our Discernments.

Our Affections Bribe our Discernments.

· Mature faith doesn’t Count on the world’s Applause.

· Mature faith doesn’t Cringe in the Face of the world’s Antagonism.

3. The Greatest Miracle is a Changed Life.

- The power of the Holy Spirit, has a 2 fold purpose:

1. It’s for the purity of the Church.

2. And for the paralysis of the world.

1. God gives us a Picture of Human Need.

The 1st symbol was the gate called “Beautiful”.

The 2nd symbol was the beggar himself.

2. The Search for a Crutch.

All of the crutches in our lives will not fill the needs that only God can fill in our lives.

The Holy Spirit draws us to “chapter 3” living by means of heightened sensitivity to needs.

3. The Discovery of the Cure.

Peter’s response to the man reaffirmed the nature of our mission as the church.

The message of the church is not a “get by” message. It is a “get up” message.

The gospel is not coping. The gospel is conversion.

We don’t need a crutch. We do need a cross.

· You cannot separate your Character from Spirit-fullness.

· You cannot separate your Character from your Witness.

· Everything God has placed in our hands, was given for the good of others, not just ourselves.

· Jesus calls us to embrace a renewed understanding of possessions.

· “God owns all things”.

· “We are called to manage his assets as the Spirit directs”.

· God blesses us, and he calls us to generosity and to giving.

· Proportionate Giving is God’s Standard.

· He is generous, and you too will become generous,

and derive far greater joy from giving,

than from hording, protecting, and worrying.