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Acts 4:32 - 5:42 Deception and Rejection Threaten the Church | Chris Brady
To access video of our morning together, click the Jumpshare link below.
https://jumpshare.com/share/jR5xrN4WrSDU4ZsaIw8n
Chris Brady
WOW Lecture Notes
November 19, 2025
Acts 4:32-5:42
Our passage is Acts 4:32 through 5:42, which covers two main action sequences
that are juxtaposed:
1) The sin of Ananias and Sapphira
2) The 2 nd arrest of Peter and the apostles
In each case there is a pattern:
A) “We are on a roll!”
B) And then bam! Sin attacks.
C) God takes supernatural action.
D) And then the church actually gets stronger as a result of the blows it
took.
What we see here is that God is nurturing the early church’s development
(turning blows into strengthening).
Sometimes supernaturally (as seen here), sometimes providentially (as is more
likely today), but always God’s will will be done, to His glory.
Satan can do his best, but God wins every time.
Genesis 50:20 – As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for
good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
The ultimate one of these was the cross!
But we see it in these passages we’re studying here, too.
“And we know that God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are called accordingly to His purpose.” (Romans
8:28)
God’s glory is always for our good.
In the death of Ananias and Sapphira, God has acted directly to bring
visible justice and protect his budding church.
The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection. They were therefore
behaving as if this life is all there is (like people do today). Look at what
willful blindness that leads to!
High Level Summary of this passage (Acts 4:32 – 5: 42)
Ananias and Sapphira vs. Peter and the Apostles
Counterfeit sacrifice Life-threatening
Fake suffering Real suffering
Leading to Death Leading to Joy
Application
1. Don’t play games with God.
2. Want what God wants.
3. Want what God wants on His terms, not ours.
4. Gamaliel at the end summarizes this: you can’t fight against God!
5. Be “considered worthy to suffer shame for His name”.
6. God’s will WILL be done.
7. Satan uses the same tactics today as he did back then (internal and
external).
8. We have the same resources and the same God today they had back then.
9. God continues to intercede for His purposes and His church.
View all episodes
By The Shepherd's ChurchTo access video of our morning together, click the Jumpshare link below.
https://jumpshare.com/share/jR5xrN4WrSDU4ZsaIw8n
Chris Brady
WOW Lecture Notes
November 19, 2025
Acts 4:32-5:42
Our passage is Acts 4:32 through 5:42, which covers two main action sequences
that are juxtaposed:
1) The sin of Ananias and Sapphira
2) The 2 nd arrest of Peter and the apostles
In each case there is a pattern:
A) “We are on a roll!”
B) And then bam! Sin attacks.
C) God takes supernatural action.
D) And then the church actually gets stronger as a result of the blows it
took.
What we see here is that God is nurturing the early church’s development
(turning blows into strengthening).
Sometimes supernaturally (as seen here), sometimes providentially (as is more
likely today), but always God’s will will be done, to His glory.
Satan can do his best, but God wins every time.
Genesis 50:20 – As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for
good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
The ultimate one of these was the cross!
But we see it in these passages we’re studying here, too.
“And we know that God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are called accordingly to His purpose.” (Romans
8:28)
God’s glory is always for our good.
In the death of Ananias and Sapphira, God has acted directly to bring
visible justice and protect his budding church.
The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection. They were therefore
behaving as if this life is all there is (like people do today). Look at what
willful blindness that leads to!
High Level Summary of this passage (Acts 4:32 – 5: 42)
Ananias and Sapphira vs. Peter and the Apostles
Counterfeit sacrifice Life-threatening
Fake suffering Real suffering
Leading to Death Leading to Joy
Application
1. Don’t play games with God.
2. Want what God wants.
3. Want what God wants on His terms, not ours.
4. Gamaliel at the end summarizes this: you can’t fight against God!
5. Be “considered worthy to suffer shame for His name”.
6. God’s will WILL be done.
7. Satan uses the same tactics today as he did back then (internal and
external).
8. We have the same resources and the same God today they had back then.
9. God continues to intercede for His purposes and His church.