Please turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 5. Acts chapter 5. We'll be reading verses 1 through 16 and focus this evening on the sermon of verses 12 through 16. Before we do, let's ask for the Lord's blessing. Our Father in Heaven, as we consider again this evening how You are at work to grow the church, We pray that we would be clearly instructed as to how you do it and that we would be clearly called to respond to what we hear, that we might participate in this work, that we as your church would wisely and truly participate in this great work that you have begun so long ago and yet continue here in our midst today. We long for these things, Lord, that You would be glorified and that Christ would be more fully known. In His name we ask. Amen. Acts 5, beginning with verse 1. Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land. Didn't it belong to you before it was sold and after it was sold? Wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men, but to God. When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young man came forward, wrapped up his body and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land? Yes, she said, that is the price. Peter said to her, how could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also. At that moment, she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people, and all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by the evil spirits, and all of them were healed. So far, the reading of God's Word. The book of Acts tells us the story of how God grows the church. And it's with this theme that we've developed a little bit of a sermon series. Beginning a few weeks ago with Acts 2, noticing how the church is built according to the fundamental and most basic work of the Holy Spirit, who uses the Holy Gospel and the Holy Sacraments to call sinners to faith and new life in Christ. And we noticed last week how the Holy Spirit uses these humble, ordinary means of grace to call humble, ordinary people like us into a sacrificial community of believers. And at the end of Acts 4, we see how Barnabas, who later becomes Paul's buddy and co-missionary to the nations, We see how Barnabas is held up as an example of that kind of sacrificial living and giving. But we find this evening that all is not perfect in the church. Well, on the one hand, you have the example of Barnabas. On the other hand, we are told about Ananias and Sapphira. They didn't have to sell their land. And having sold their land, they didn't have to bring the proceeds as an offering to the church. But we read that in doing so, they lied. Not only to the apostles, but we're told that they lied to God and put the Holy Spirit to the test. What proceeds in this story, and by the way, in reading it, I was reminded of how some of my earliest memories of reading the Bible were of this story. and just so stunned at how God's Word came with such fearful power through the new church. And we get a sense of that weightiness in reading the story. What might have seemed like an innocent mistake is demonstrated to be a grievous sin and the actions that follow are judgment. God works through Peter to reveal His holiness to the people. And in doing so, He reminds them that though the church is founded and grounded in grace and is abundant and overflowing with grace, nevertheless, God remains holy in our midst. And that as those who believe and have been united to Jesus Christ, we are to be holy as He is holy. This sign of God's judgment is powerfully, profoundly displayed to the people. And we read in Acts 5, verse 11, that great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. This wasn't a unique occurrence. It wasn't a unique expression of miraculous power at that time. We read on in verse 12 that the apostles, It was the apostles who performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. There was fear. There was trembling. Nevertheless, verse 14 says that more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. The Lord continues to grow the church. As Peter was walking down the streets, the scene must have been remarkable as people are bringing their sick out so that maybe even at least maybe his shadow might fall upon them and their hopes were not left unanswered. Verse 16 says that the crowds were gathering from towns even around Jerusalem bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits and all of them were healed. Wow, what a scene. This evening we want to take a look at that scene. This evening we want to look more specifically at the signs and wonders that accompanied the ministry of the apostles. And what we'll see is that these signs and wonders are not unique to chapter 5. They're not unique to Acts. They're not unique to even the New Testament. But God uses signs and wonders at just the right time through just the right people at just the right place. And it's so important that we step back this evening and understand this message. Because as you well know, there's great confusion about signs and wonders today. In fact, it was just over a hundred years ago that the Pentecostal movement took off with great effect. What began a very humble, ordinary expression of Christianity is today the fastest growing expression of Christianity in the world. I believe one statistic I saw this week was over 500 million and growing fast. A Pentecostal movement that defines itself with the expectation of an experience defined by miraculous signs and wonders. So brothers and sisters, we owe it to ourselves to take a moment and to focus upon what this word has to say to us this evening because it wasn't significant simply then. it remains significant for us today. Even after Sunday school this morning, Dr. Godfrey was talking about Jesus' signs and wonders and a number of great questions came up afterwards. How are we to understand the miraculous activity of the Bible and the similar stories we hear about today? So let's do that this evening. Briefly looking at this idea, this message of signs and wonders in the Bible, considering how God uses them at just the right time with just the right people and at just the right place. Just the right time. God knows it. He chooses it. Not some random period, but rather what God Himself identifies within history as the right time to come and bring special revelation about His power. What we find is that God gives miraculous spiritual abilities or spiritual gifts when He makes a covenant and when His covenant is grievously broken. So if we step back from our text and look at the Scriptures more broadly, what we find is that God does this kind of miraculous activity when He makes a covenant and when His people grievously break that covenant. So, what are some examples of Scripture? If we think about God's miraculous activity and covenant making, we could think back to the miraculous activity surrounding God's work of creation and the covenant of works that He establishes in Genesis 2. Or we could think about the miraculous activity of Genesis 9 and Noah and the flood and the covenant that God establishes after the flood. Miraculous activity attached to God's making of a covenant. Or we can think of some examples of miraculous activity surrounding grievous breaking of the covenant. Think of Elijah and what God did through his ministry. Or think of Elisha as God likewise worked through him and their prophetic role of bringing about judgment upon the grievous sin and rebellion of God's people. There are those examples, but maybe the most specific and most helpful for our consideration of Acts is the example of Moses and the miraculous activity that God worked through His life in making a covenant with His people Israel. If you have your Bibles, you might turn back to Exodus 7. We'll look just briefly at how God there has called Moses and having called Moses, he gives him a responsibility to do. He gives him a ministry. And he says to Moses that I want you to go, this is actually chapter 6, verse 29, he says, I am the Lord and I want you to go tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I tell you. And so what we see in calling Moses, God gives him a responsibility to be a minister of his word. Moses was to do one thing as minister and that was to speak the word of God. Now, Moses is an insightful guy and he knew the court of Pharaoh and he could imagine what would happen if he strolls in to that regal setting and brings about a word of judgment against the king. He says, well, why in the world would Pharaoh listen to me? Verse 30. Well, God says almost as if to say you've got a point. He probably won't listen to you. In fact, I don't think He's going to listen to you. His heart is going to be hard. But I will confirm My Word, chapter 7, verse 3, by multiplying My miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt. What we find in the ministry of Moses is that God calls him to speak His Word and then promises to confirm His Word through miraculous signs and wonders. And now you can tell the story from there, right? It starts to play out as Moses goes to carry out his ministry to Pharaoh and then the plagues proceed upon Egypt and Pharaoh finally relents and lets the people go and God continues this incredible working of signs and wonders by parting the Red Sea. Later, He brings water out of a rock. Manna from heaven quails to feed and meet the needs of His people. Indeed, the power of signs and wonders through the life and ministry of Moses are truly profound as God brings His Word and establishes covenant with his people. And what we find is that as Moses passes, some of that ability to speak the Word and to confirm the Word with power is passed on to Joshua. And yet, as further time passes, so does that kind of power. You can test me on that. When God is making the covenant through His ministers, there is great power to bear witness to the divinity and the authority and the authenticity of what is happening. And once God is satisfied that a sure and firm foundation has been established, the power passes. It's interesting to note, I believe it's towards the end of Moses' ministry, Deuteronomy 18.18, that God speaks to that time and place and says that there's another time coming. In Deuteronomy 18.18, God prophesies through Moses that there would be another prophet to come like Moses. We could say that God tells of a day or a time that would come where a new Moses would be called by the Lord. A new Moses, does that mean a new covenant? And that's in fact what we find in Jeremiah 31. He picks up and develops that prophecy and talks about the days that are coming when the Lord will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. And in Ezekiel 37, we hear that in that covenant, God will send His Spirit into His people and bring them new life by His power. Deuteronomy 18 anticipates it. Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 37, another time where a new Moses and a new covenant would be established. Joel 2, in Joel 2, we find that that time is called the last days, when the Spirit of God would be poured out upon His people, and they would do amazing things. In light of this use in idea of time, Galatians 4 is very significant. In Galatians 4, verse 4, we read that when the fullness of time had finally come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Jesus Christ, the New Testament makes crystal clear that Jesus Christ is the new Moses who came about to establish the new covenant that was testified to. And in having come in the flesh, the Son of God is not simply a new Moses. but far greater than Moses. Not simply giving a law, but himself bearing the law. Not simply commanding, but doing what is commanded. So that his people could have assurance that this new covenant that God makes isn't one of fire and thunder and fear, but one of grace and abounding in grace. The good news of Jesus Christ is that God in the flesh has come to do what we could never do and thereby establishing us a new relationship, a new covenant of new life for throughout eternity. But who would listen? Jesus shows up on the scene and He pronounces the good news. The Word of God Himself in the flesh. But who would listen? So what does God do? But He confirms the Word of Christ with signs and wonders. That's what Dr. Godfrey was talking about in Sunday school this morning. How Jesus' ministry, very much like Moses' ministry, was accompanied with great miraculous power of signs and wonders. John says in his Gospel, too many to even record in a book. as Jesus feeds His people miraculously, manna from heaven, as it were, feeding the poor, healing the sick, raising the dead, even having power over the forces and dominion of Satan, shattering the gates of hell, and even overcoming death itself. Was there ever a time in this world where such signs and wonders have been beheld in the ministry? And in the time of Jesus. And yet even in Jesus' ministry, Joel's prophecy of last days had not yet come. As profound as Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was, he says, it's better if I go. He says to his disciples, Better for you if I go because the Father will send a helper. And it's that helper who comes at the same time of the forming of this new covenant that we read about in Acts 2, Pentecost. The fulfillment of Joel's prophecy so long ago as God comes to pour out His Spirit in the last days. So what we find so far in our longest point this evening is that God doesn't bring miraculous signs and wonders into the world at some random occurrence. But rather, He brings this kind of power to accompany His Word while forming a covenant. In the Old Testament, the covenant He makes with Israel through Moses. In the New Testament, the new covenant He makes with Jesus confirming that Word with signs and wonders that He shares with His people. God brings the power at just the right time for just the right people. God chooses the time and God chooses the people. These miraculous spiritual gifts are giving to those specific individuals that God calls to confirm the covenant and the Word of God that defines it. Again, think back of those Old Testament examples. Sometimes we think that God just did all kinds of miracles back then, right? Always doing some signs and wonders among the people, but it's not true. Even back then, We don't find some random expression of power. We don't even find it freely offered to the covenant community. In fact, as you search through the Old Testament, the number of individuals that God empowers to do miraculous activities is very small. We talked about Elijah and Elisha. We talked about Moses. In fact, if you look at the Psalms, the only individual, the only name tied to signs and wonders is who? Moses. The only individual highlighted in all the Psalter is Moses. And the only group of people identified with signs and wonders along with Moses are the prophets. Through Moses, God establishes a covenant and through the prophets, He brings about prophetic word of judgment. Of course, there are others who at least are alluded to having miraculous power. We might think of the priests in Pharaoh's court who at least to begin with replicated the very miracles that Moses himself displayed. There are others who demonstrate miraculous power and ability, but we should be warned of them because those are not of the Lord. In the New Testament, there are examples of miraculous signs and wonders as well. We, of course, spoke of Jesus, but along with Jesus are the disciples. In Luke 9, we read of how Jesus gave to the disciples the power to work miracles, to heal the sick, and to cast out demons. And then in Acts, that remarkable day of Pentecost, what Jesus just gave a taste of is poured out in all its fullness. As those apostles picked up the full power of the Holy Spirit and having by faith been united to Christ, were given that spiritual union with Christ and the power to bring about the same kinds of signs and wonders of Christ, like Him bearing witness to the Word of God and the new covenant that has been established. So we see in Pentecost, God giving Christ to His apostles through a Spirit-wrought union. And along with the Spirit, He gives spiritual gifts. You see, spiritual gifts are not disconnected from the union that is shared by faith with Jesus Christ. That union that is vivified, that is realized through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. All of us have the gift of the Spirit. The apostles were given those unique spiritual gifts of tongues, of prophecy, of healing, of power over Satan. And that's what we see playing out in our text this evening. In Acts 5, it's not just some random time period. It's not some random group of people. It's not even something freely exercised by the covenant community. It's Peter who brings about that fearful sign of God's holiness in Acts 5. And we're told in Acts 5, verse 12, that it's the apostles who are performing many miracles. There's much that we could say and time runs past us this evening. There's much that we could say, but in establishing these categories for you, the right time and the right people, let me conclude the second point by observing in 2 Corinthians 12. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul makes crystal clear how they are to know apostles. It's not that apostles were identified simply by the Word of God that they spoke. because many knew the Gospel of Jesus Christ and many bore witness about His life, death, and resurrection. But apostles themselves, we are told, in 2 Corinthians 12, verse 12, are marked uniquely by signs, wonders, and miracles. The unique mark of an apostle was the ability to, like Christ, perform signs, wonders, and miracles. God chooses the time. He chooses the right place. And as time passes, as time passes from the apostolic period, so also passes that kind of apostolic power. So that it appears God has been satisfied that His Word has been properly confirmed and the new covenant sufficiently grounded. God is laying a foundation through the preaching of His Word with the accompanying miraculous power of spiritual gifts. God chooses the time. We find in our study that God chooses the people. And finally, and very briefly, we see that God chooses the place. It's nicely summed up for us in Acts 1. Acts 1. In Acts 1, verse 4, Jesus says to the disciples, You are not to leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. And they say, Lord, are you now at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? And Jesus says, oh, it's not for you to know the times or the dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive, you, my disciples, will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the ends of the earth. God chooses the time. He chooses the people. He chooses the place. Stay in Jerusalem. And once you receive the power from on high, then you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and unto the world. You see, when establishing the New Covenant, God empowers the apostles to establish a geographical beachhead, we could say. God empowers the apostles to establish a geographical beachhead, a firm foundation upon which He would work to bring the good news of Jesus Christ unto all the world. You see the place. He chooses the time. he chooses the people and he chooses the place from which he will work to grow his church. The Apostle Paul becomes the chief missionary to extend this work. Paul was so passionate to work through Asia Minor, modern day Israel and Syria and Turkey and Greece, all the way through to Rome, Because he knew a foundation needed to be laid for the work of the gospel unto all the nations of the world. And he knew that his unique role as an apostle was passing. He knew that God had chosen that time and him and those people in order to establish a foundation for the gospel in that place so that he could continue to grow the church and the kingdom of Christ for the next thousand plus years. And that's exactly what has happened, isn't it? God empowered the apostles to do exactly what was needed in Israel, in Syria, in Turkey, in Greece, unto Italy and Rome. And here we are today upon such a firm foundation. Well, we've considered how God chooses just the right time, the right place, the right people and the right place to work signs and wonders. And we see how He does that in order to confirm His Word and in particular to establish a covenant. The old covenant through Moses, the new covenant through Jesus Christ, confirming that through the ministry of the apostles until that time has passed. and along with them, that kind of power. So what of today? I'll close very briefly with just a few things. Brothers and sisters, we need to beware of claims to miraculous spiritual power. And I say that we need to beware because the Scriptures themselves tell us to beware. Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew, warns His disciples that time would come when others would demonstrate power through signs and wonders. But they would not be of God. And the book of Revelation, in a number of different chapters, including chapter 19, says the same thing. whether it be the beast or the dragon will work signs and wonders and if possible even lead the elect astray by the profound display of their power. The Word of God warns us to beware of those who claim to work miraculous spiritual power. Now there's a lot of stories out there, aren't there? And they're hard to confirm. I have dear friends I met while in a class called Perspectives on World Missions. A number of dear friends who've seen some amazing things and they bear witness to something that I personally can't respond to other than with what the Word says, which is beware of others who will come who exercise and claim miraculous spiritual power. The next thing we need to beware of, though, is that we don't underestimate the almighty power of God to continue to do the inexplicable. We must not limit God any more than His Word itself limits Him. What we must beware of is individuals who claim that they possess the power to exercise miracles. But never are we to limit the Almighty God and therefore we come to Him in prayer for Him to exercise His will and bring healing to our diseases and whatever else might burden us as His church. And the next to last place, we need to be assured that we too are spiritually gifted. When we take part in the sacrament of baptism, when we take part in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, what is being declared unto us is that by faith, the Spirit of Almighty God unites us to Christ. That spiritual union is the most profound of spiritual gifts that we could ever hope to have. We have Christ. And we are so united to Him that we're called His body. And each and every day we live, we live as those who have been engrafted into Him and are vivified by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. The Holy God is in our midst. We are spiritually gifted. In fact, one very helpful pastor and teacher says this. Spiritual gifts comprise all the ways in which God, by the power of His Spirit, uses Christians as instruments in His service. Biblically speaking, charismatic and Christian are synonymous. The Christian life in its totality is to be a charismatic life. Christ's church as a whole is the charismatic movement. I love that. Because we are spirit-filled Christians. Let no one ever hang over us that there's something greater to be had by the Spirit than what we have through faith in Christ and our union with Him. And we should love it because it's just true. It's what the Bible says. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and we'll close with this, Paul says, Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And he goes on to say that there are many gifts that God has given. There are many gifts that each of us can or could have, but he says that we are to eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now let me show you that more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men, chapter 13, if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. and he concludes by saying that these three remain faith, hope, and love but the greatest of these is love brothers and sisters as those who have been spiritually gifted with Christ himself let us pray that God would continue to do amazing, profound things in and through us as He strengthens our faith, encourages our hope, and empowers our love as a people and unto the world. Amen. Our Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we give thanks for Your Word and praise You that You have chosen us to be a part of such a great cloud of witnesses, to be joined with Christ, to be filled by your Spirit, and to have the spiritual demonstration of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, And all of these things that are mysterious to the world around us and yet so lovely. Lord, may our witness by Your Word and Spirit and through the fruits of our lives may it be used by You to extend the good news of Christ beyond us to our community and throughout the world. We pray in His name. Amen. Thank you.