“LYING, OUR ‘GO-TO’ REMEDY”
Acts 5:12-42
I. INTRODUCTION:
A. The damage inflicted by the fibs we tell:
1. The learned behavior of lying: (Pro. 6:16, 19; 26:28;
Col. 3:9; Eph. 4:25a)
2. The source and the consequences of lying:
(Jn. 8:44; Acts 5:3)
3. The local church leadership that addressed lying:
(Acts 5)
B. The impact of truthfulness on the local church:
Acts 5:11-16
C. The response of the Holy Spirit to truthfulness:
Acts 5:12-14
1. He keeps the local church unified: v. 12
2. He magnifies the local church: v. 13
3. He multiplies the local church: v. 14
II. FOUR CONTRASTING RESPONSES TO THE TRUTH:
A. The council attacked the truth: vv. 17-28
1. Three reasons for the arrest:
a. Peter and John were guilty of defying their laws:
b. The witness of the church refuted doctrines of
the Sadducees:
c. The religious leaders were driven by envy at the
success of “unlearned” men:
- God’s provision:
B. The apostles affirmed the truth: vv. 29-32
1. Never changed convictions, as ambassadors and not
diplomats: (Acts 4:19-20)
2. Never changed the message: vv. 30-32
C. Gamaliel avoided the truth: vv. 33-39
1. Classified Jesus with two rebels:
2. Will go away with time:
3. Failure means it wasn’t of God:
4. Fed his weakness of neutrality:
D. The local church announced the truth: vv. 40-42
1. They were not quitters: v. 42
2. They went to where the people were (temple):
3. Their witness included the way to God and the walk
with God:
4. They made the Lord Jesus Christ the center of the
Gospel: (II Cor. 4:5)
III. PRINCIPLES TO PERSONALLY APPLY:
(Together becoming “people of the Word” in principle AND in practice)
A. Lying will tell you much about your eternal destination.
(Pro. 19:9; Rev. 21:8; 22:15; Mt. 7:20) (children vs. parents,
leadership vs. congregants, seller vs. buyer, etc.)
B. You can’t teach the truth without practicing being
truthful. (Jn. 14:6) You act most like Satan when you lie.
C. The truth leaves no room for neutrality.
Sinners Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I was made by you and I was made for you, but
I have been living for myself. I am sorry for that self-rule you call sin.
I believe that Jesus Christ being my creator God, died, was buried,
and rose again to pay the insurmountable debt that my sin has
created. So right now, I am turning from a life of going my own way,
to by faith, place my trust in Jesus Christ, to pay the debt of all my
sin, and to get me to heaven, when I breath my last breath. Lord
Jesus, from today on, I am yours. Thanks for saving me, this very
moment, in Jesus name, Amen.
If you just made this life changing decision, we would love to draw
along side and help you grow now in Christ. Call Grace Evangelical
Free Church at (509) 684-5936. If get an answering service, we will
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news of the gospel to those who might have hesitated to visit this
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