Acts 5: Will You Obey God?
Verse of the Day: (V29) “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
1. The Price (V1-11)
V2 “And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
Ananias and Sapphira his wife kept back part of the price of the land that they had promised to give to the church to help the poor and needy. They lied to God, and God spoke to apostle Peter who rebuked them for their lies and deceit, and both died before the church. Let us be honest and truthful, even though God may not take our lives, like the case of Ananias and Sapphira, but He shall surely discipline us for our lies and deceit.
V10 “Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.”
2. The Prison (V12-32)
V19 “But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,”
After the angel of God had miraculously opened the prison doors by night, and let Peter and the apostles out, they realised that God was indeed with them, and therefore, they must choose to obey God than man, and continue to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
V29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
3. The Pharisee (V33-42)
V34 “Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;”
God used a Pharisee named Gamaliel to refrain the people from arresting and casting Peter and the apostles into prison. Gamaliel explained to the people to let Peter and the apostles do their work in preaching God’s word, and if it was not God’s work, it would surely fail. However if it was indeed God’s work, it would be wise to leave them alone, because if they opposed their work, they were actually opposing and fighting against God.
V39 “But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to always be obedient to You and Your Word.
