Book of Acts - Ch. 4, Vs. 15-Ch. 5, Vs. 5 (01/26/2003)

Park Meadows Church

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in the book of Acts, chapter 4, verse 15. But when they had commanded them to go outside of the council, they conferred among themselves.

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What's going on here, Dennis? All right, they're trying to figure out how they did it.

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Here. David, were they disputing, talking about the

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Pharisees now, or those sitting in judgment of them, were they disputing the fact that the lame man was cured?

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They would have if they could. But they saw it. There's 1 ,000 people saw it, saw the effects of it.

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He was above 40 years of age. He had lain there every day, except in his babyhood.

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And so they all knew him. Those that did not know him knew of him.

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And here he is walking. What happened to the lame man? Well, they're in the council now.

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And when they had told the disciples to go out, now we want to confer among ourselves, we find that they did go out.

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And we're back inside with the council saying, what shall we do with these men?

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For that indeed, a notable miracle has been done by them.

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This manifests to all them that dwell in Jerusalem. And we cannot deny it.

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They were in a very, very tough spot. 415

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Bill, Acts. There is no means by which such a self -evident fact could be displayed, disputed.

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So they've got to do something. At least they think they have to do something.

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517, but that it spread no further among the people. Let us straightly threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

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Greg, in this name, what were they? All right, in the name of Jesus.

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I don't know how good they thought that would do. But it eased their conscience a little they had done something.

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But that it spread no further. Now, not the healing of the man, but the preaching of the men in the name of Jesus.

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These men fear that soon they will have no enemies but themselves,

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I think. God and his truth are still the same.

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Is that true, Greg? It's always been, never changed.

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Even though the world was shaken, the foundations of the world were shaken, his word remains true.

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Yes, that's right.

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They can close all of the schools, lock all the churches.

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You cannot take away the devotion of the heart. God will supply what is necessary.

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He always has and always will. So they threatened the men and told them, now don't teach in this name anymore.

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Again, I repeat, I don't know how good they thought that would do. Now, they would not even say the name of Jesus.

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I found to be true that when the great Southern Baptist Church of today will not permit their teachers to use the

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Bible, they're threatened. They're threatening the same thing.

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They'll not let their teachers use the Bible or Jesus, speak the name of Jesus any longer.

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They might as well face it, it's here. 18, and they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

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They call Peter and John back in. They give them their ultimatum. And they threatened them very sternly and said, you cannot teach in this name any longer.

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Any other doctrine, any other name, scribes, hypocrites, infidels will hear.

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But the doctrine which you're teaching, you're proclaiming salvation through the blood of Christ and him crucified, they won't hear that.

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They wouldn't hear it then, they won't hear it now. If the doctrine were not the truth of God, it would not be so unpopular.

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There is no such, there is such an enmity in human nature against all that is true and good that whatever comes from God is rejected by wicked men.

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Do you ever think about it? If it's from God and it's true from God, the wicked man will reject it.

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People in our churches today that are not of the seed of God are wicked men. We can't say, well, he's pretty good.

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He's a wicked man. There's only two kinds of people, remember, saints and apes.

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19, but Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto

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God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

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The times come in when we will have to take a stand. Is it right to obey men instead of God?

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It's never right. I pray that we always know the difference. When he commands us to speak, do we dare keep silent?

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We better not. We will be guilty of sin if we should suppress the testimony.

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Consult duty, not events. The word of God is not our word.

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Therefore, we cannot abandon it. It is no fault of ours if the master create confusion among others.

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I cannot prevent the word of God from becoming a stumbling block to other men.

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21, so when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them because of the people.

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For all men glorified God for that which was done.

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So we find that it was a political decision, wasn't it, for the fear of the people.

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Or, as the Cordex says, not finding a cause why they should punish them.

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What? Tell me again.

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That's right. Yes, we know that looking back.

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They didn't know that at the time they were doing what they were ordained to do.

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Converts now are so numerous that the Sanhedrin was fearful to continue to more extreme punishment.

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The urge that Peter had to speak was not of himself. It was by the

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Holy Spirit. You believe that, Greg? Do we today speak by the

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Holy Spirit? Too many times preachers today talk and talk and talk and talk, just as well as they like to talk and talk.

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This is using our religion to benefit ourselves. Too many speak before they hear.

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I remember one time years ago, I needed to have a document notarized.

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It was on a weekend. I called my boss at home, and I said, is there a notary public at work?

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Meaning, when I go in Monday, I'd like to get something notarized, if there's one there.

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And he said, no, there better not be this time of week. He spoke before he heard.

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There wasn't anything down there. Too many speak before they hear.

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If the pure word were taught today, the

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Christian would know his gift and would be practicing it to the honor of God.

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We teach the word here. 22, for the man was above 40 years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shown.

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At this time in history, the Jewish child was under the responsibility of their parents until they were what age?

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Greg, what age,

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Bill? Not like it is today, but it was 30 years of age.

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And he was about 40. Being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

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And when they heard that, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord and said,

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Lord, thou art God, which hath made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them.

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Greg, turn to Hebrews 4 .3, if you will, please, and read for me. 3 and then 5.

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5. We find here and many other places, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world,

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David, what does that mean? It would be impossible to enter into rest one had not unrest.

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Who by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things?

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Now, have you ever wondered why so many wrong people seem to benefit so richly here on earth?

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Dennis, have you ever wondered that? Why is it?

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And they will benefit from it. You know, let me use a personal example.

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When I was a small child at home and mother would bake a cake with frosting,

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I'd eat all but the frosting first. Then I would eat the good stuff last.

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Also, I had it figured out that all of these people that were so rich and never went to church were in reality eating their frosting first.

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26. The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the

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Lord and against the Christ, against his Christ, for of a truth against thy holy child

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Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both

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Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

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Folks, there's no escaping. Now, we have to decide, and we work.

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Man helps man by man. But it's all decided.

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It's all planned ahead of time. They plotted together to do evil, and indeed had ended up doing exactly your will,

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God, which you had predetermined to be done by them.

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Seems so strange that the evil was determined.

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Now, we must read this verse over and over. Let me read it again. I'm having trouble with my pages this morning.

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For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both

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Herod, Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

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Joy in that, brother, amazing. Well, this is predestination in its most pure form.

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And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servant that with all boldness they may speak thy word.

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When you pray against your enemies of the church, do not pray against the people, but rather against their plotting, their threatening.

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Greg, turn to Ephesians 6 .12, please.

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Acts 30, by stretching forth thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child

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Jesus. Now, they're praying here, and rightly so.

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We have other scripture to back it up. Now, Lord, behold the threatening.

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David, what one thing did they not pray for? No place in that do you find.

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God, take this away. Relieve me of this burden. That's important.

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And when they had prayed, the place was shaken. Oh, what's that mean,

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Greg? What?

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And when they had prayed, the place was shaken. The place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the

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Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

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You know, we come Sundays. We meet here. It's not hard to be a

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Christian here. It's not hard to speak the word here.

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What about outside of here? Always stand up for Christ.

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At any time when the Holy Spirit is at work in your life, it not only gives you the power to accomplish that for the immediate, but at the same time prepares you for the next time he's working.

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If this were not true, you would have only one time use of his power.

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We can use it over and over and over, and we do not dictate when we use it.

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He does. As a consequence of all being filled with the

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Holy Spirit, that spoke with one mind and one boldness, they were not still depending on the

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Pentecostal experience. They weren't depending on yesterday. If they had, more than likely, they would still be in despair by now.

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You cannot gain ground on past experiences. We must daily seek the

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Lord. And the multitude of them, 32, and the multitude of them that believed, were of one heart, one soul.

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Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common.

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Now, there were at least 6 ,000 by then, and there appeared to be but one heart.

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6 ,000 people with one heart. Think about it.

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And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

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Neither was there any among them that had any lack, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet.

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David, why did they lay them at their feet? That's what it was.

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This shows that I no longer own this. And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

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It showed that you completely trust the person whose feet you have honored to lay the things.

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You trust them to let the Holy Spirit distribute. 36.

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That's true. Well, it certainly is not first.

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It may be an important item, but you're willing to give it to the work of God and whatever he sees.

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Well, we find that they selected deacons later on, and the reason why.

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That's right. Yes. We pray for them, and we do little else.

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And Jose, who by the apostles were surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the son of consolation, a

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Levite, and of the country of Cyprus. Now, we had this earlier in the study, and Bill brought up the fact that this man was a

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Levite. I tried to look it up, Bill, and so far I haven't found.

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But David, could the Levites own property, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet?

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Something slipped between the original and where we are now in history.

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This man had some land. It may have been deeded to him, may have been bought, but it's an interesting thought.

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They could, could not. It was customary with the

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Jews to call the poor together to eat of the sacrifices, but the priests were aggravated against Christ and the believers, which put a stop to that.

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But a certain man, chapter 5, verse 1, a certain man named

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Annas and Sapphira, his wife, sold the possession.

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Now, these unhappy people, do we hear about them later on?

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What? Yeah. And they kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain amount and laid it at the apostles' feet.

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Now, they're doing what Barnabas just done, and they think he's so great, received lots of applause.

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I don't mean clapping of hands, but these people did not trust totally to God's providence as the others did.

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They pretended to bring all the money, just as the others had, perhaps thinking that since it all belonged to them, they could do whatever they desired.

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And they could, up to the point where they acted as though they brought it all.

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They were under no obligation to sell any of their possessions. While they pretended to act under the influence of the

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Holy Spirit, they were lying. And you cannot lie to the

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Holy Spirit. But, but,

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Peter. David, this man, Peter, had to be under the influence of the

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Holy Spirit, because he wouldn't know this. And he asks

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Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the

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Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land? They believe that when a man did evil, he was excited by the influence of an evil spirit.

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I believe the same today. If, therefore, if there be no devil, as some wish there was, then

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Peter would not have expressed himself in this fashion. Whilst it remained, was it not thine own?

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And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conveyed this thing in thy name?

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Thou hast not lied unto men, but lied unto God. Now, did

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Peter know the value of the land? Chances are he didn't.

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Did he know how much money they had brought? In verse 3,

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Peter says that he lied against the Holy Spirit. In verse 4, he said the

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Holy Spirit was and is God. Now, let's find that.

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In verse 3, Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the

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Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit? No, no.

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The point I want to make is that in verse 3, why have you lied to the

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Holy Spirit? In verse 4, you have not lied to men, but to God.

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The Holy Spirit and God are one and the same. So, here's a man that sold.

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He and his wife decided to sell the property, and we find out in a minute that it was public property, which made it worse.

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The verb used here is by the Greek writers to signify perlonin, part of the public money.

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So we find the sale was made of public property, which makes our sin even greater.

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In the eyes of man, when it was wrong to keep back part of this money, did

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David cause his death? Did Peter cause his death, Greg? And Ananias, hearing these words, had a heart attack, fell down dead, gave up the ghost, and great fear came on all of them that heard these things.

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Now, why did God do this, Dennis? Yes, all right, all right.

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That doesn't really, really answer the question. Why did...

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What? Well, that's certainly...

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That's certainly what happened. But what if God did the same thing today? That's right.

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So does he have it in his church today, David? Well, study it for next week, and we'll come back to this same part again.

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Is there anything else from anybody on this or anything else? That's right.

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He was looking for the wrong thing. Someone else tried to say something.

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That's right. So this week, be very careful.