Acts 5
God is at Work!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, July 8.
Is God at work in today’s world?
Acts 5 is filled with God’s direct activity in the church and through the Apostles. Acts 5:1-11 is the story of the “active wrath of God” against Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Apostles about a financial gift they were giving to the early church.
The result of such an active and direct work of God was tangible in the church. As Acts 5:11 states, “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.”
The church needs a healthy dose of the fear of the Lord today! To wake those who sleep and to focus those who are distracted.
Is God at work in the world? Absolutely!
But today, we experience God through the “passive wrath of God” (as explained clearly in Romans 1:18-32), where God gives people over to the consequences of their actions. Here are some examples from my experiences in today’s church world: (1) hearts harden (meaning people becomes even more stubbornly stuck in their ways of life and thinking) when they will not repent of their sin; (2) relationships are strained or broken causing strife in families and in churches when someone lies, steals, or cheats; and (3) the light of Christ’s glory is dimmed through people’s lives when hypocrisy (a double mindedness and divided loyalty of a person’s life) is allowed to exist and is fed by their daily life choices.
God is merciful in His justice, slow in His anger, and patient in His judgments. Do not misinterpret God’s grace for apathy (God is good and He cares!), withdrawal (God is with us and He knows!), or impotence (God is all powerful and He is at work!).
Is God at work in the world today? YES! Through His people…
Seize the moment and be the hands and feet of God’s work in today’s world.
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