Christ Church - West Campus
"Trouble Inside and Outside the Church"
“Trouble Inside and Outside the Church”
Acts 5:1-6; 27-32; 41-42
We cannot allow our faith to become toxic
Acts 5:1-6
But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
“To name the name of Jesus, and to invoke the Holy Spirit, is to claim to be the temple of the living God, and that is bound to have consequences.” N.T. Wright
Acts 5:27-32
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Act 5:41-42
41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
“When leaders die to pushing their own agendas and realize that leadership is the act of dying to self, those around them are profoundly transformed. Selfless leadership opens a space for God to flow into. All Jonah could do was to repent and surrender. He could not even heroically throw himself overboard. All he could do was to give up the illusion of control and autonomy in the face of God’s storm and surrender himself to the crew who would do the throwing.”-Facing Leviathan
“Would we be willing to believe that God chooses how far and wide our influence goes? Are we happy to allow God to be our PR agent even if it means a life of unrecognized service?” Facing Leviathan
“I love how Anne Lamott said that it is okay to realize you’re very crazy and very damaged, because all of the best people are. I love this because it is in seeing and owning that we are crazy and damaged, it is in crying ‘uncle’ to our failed self-reformation projects, it is in recognizing that we are most certainly “so unlike our Christ” that Christ begins to change us. It is when we become tired of ourselves, weary of our own failed efforts, that Jesus meets us with hope.” –Scott Sauls