Outreach Opportunity December 11 Always Winter Never Christmas What is wrong with the world? December 18 The Coming of Spring How Christ came to make things right.

Avoiding Spiritual Derailment Acts 4:32 – 6:7 Grace Community Church 11/13/2005

Pitfalls to Avoid Moral Compromise Acts 5:1-11 Fear & Intimidation Acts 5:17-42 Distraction & Burnout Acts 6:1-7

Tactic #1 – Moral Compromise Acts 5:1-11 1Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2With 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. 3Then 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? 4Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?

Analyzing Moral Compromise Acts 5:1-11 Problem – Deceit and Hypocrisy… Consequences… People Get Hurt… Joshua 7 God’s Name Is Tarnished… Romans 2:24 Solution – Walk in the light… 1 John 1:5-9

Tactic #2 – Intimidation Acts 5:17-20 17Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20“Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”

Tactic #2 – Intimidation Acts 5:27-30 27Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.

Tactic #2 – Intimidation Acts 5:31-33 31God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death…

Analyzing Intimidation Acts 5:40-42 Strategy Behind Intimidation – If you obey God you will suffer… Fear of Physical Harm Fear of Social Rejection Solution – Keep focused on the end of the story… Romans 8:28-29 and Acts 4:23-30

Tactic #3 – Distraction Acts 6:1-2 1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.

Tactic #3 – Distraction Acts 6:1-7 3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

Tactic #3 – Distraction Acts 6:1-7 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Analyzing Distraction Acts 6:1-7 Problem – Church looses focus… Corporate focus becomes inward… Feed them! Individual focus becomes inward… Feed me! Solution – Mobilizing the church to minister… Acts 6:7 7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.