SUNDAY - APRIL 13, 2025 “Awe Struck” Acts 5:12-16

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If you have your Bibles, this morning we'll be in Acts, chapter 5.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Acts, chapter 5.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

We're going to start reading today in verse 12.

I don't know if you remember back in 1988, a guy named Rich Mullins released a song called Awesome God.

It was a great song.

We still sing it sometimes today and you know I remember as a student in our student ministry singing that song.

And so often we just focus on the, on the chorus of that song.

Our God is an awesome God.

He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love.

Our God is an awesome God.

But that song, as we sing that and if we just focus there, we think, oh, awesome, like cool.

Yeah, awesome song wasn't written in the 70s, though it was written in the 80s.

He's not talking about cool, awesome.

What rich mullins is talking about is how we need to be awestruck by god.

Listen, listen to the, listen to the chorus, not the chorus.

Listen to the, to the verses of this song, not singing.

When he rolls up his sleeves, he ain't just putting on the ritz.

There is thunder in his footsteps and lightning in his fists, and the Lord wasn't joking when he kicked him out of Eden.

It wasn't for no reason that he shed his blood.

His return is very close, so you better be believing.

Our God is an awesome God, verse 2,.

And when the sky was starless, in the void of the night, he spoke into the darkness.

He spoke into the darkness and created the light.

Judgment and wrath he poured out on Sodom.

Mercy and grace he gave us at the cross.

I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten our God is an awesome God.

What Rich Mullins is calling us to is to be awestruck by God, is calling us to is to be awestruck by God.

As we come to Acts, chapter 5, the apostles and the early church were awestruck.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

They were in awe of what God was doing.

I'm amazed as we encounter with Scripture the rollercoaster nature, the emotional rollercoaster that God takes us on.

That we saw.

We saw back at the end of Acts, chapter 4, and the church experienced at the end of chapter 4 this great high of how God was blessing, god had added to the congregation and how they were big, but how they had come together as a community and they recognized that everything that they had was God's, and so they openly shared with each other.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

And we saw them band around this sharing and band around one another and we see this high.

And then we come to Acts, chapter 5, and we find in Acts chapter 5, the great low of Ananias and Sapphira, how they lied to the Holy Spirit and they were.

Acts 5 · chapter mention Acts 5 · chapter mention

They died.

We talked about how last week, we talked about how we should have a very healthy fear of God, and now we come back to Acts, chapter 5, verse 12, and we come back to Acts, chapter 5, verse 12, and we come back to this high.

Acts 5:12 Acts 5:12

It's the high of the awesomeness and how the church was awestruck by God.

In Acts chapter 5, what we're going to see is the people in the church and the people around the church.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

They were filled with awe at the work of Christ through the apostles, through their healing and through their teaching, and God added to their numbers.

The reminder for us is that God's work, and God's working today, should bring us to a place of awe as we enter into His presence.

The challenge for us, then, is to ponder the workings of God through scripture and be amazed by him.

So the question that we want to answer is this why were they filled with awe?

Why were they filled with awe?

So let's read this morning, if you are able.

I invite you to stand with us as we turn to Acts, chapter 5, and read verses 12 through 16.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Now, many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles, and they were all together in Solomon's portico.

None of the rest dared join them, but people held them in high esteem and, more than ever, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats that, as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Let's pray together, god.

We thank you for your word.

God help us this morning as we ponder your goodness, as we ponder your grace, as we ponder your sovereignty.

God help us to be awestruck by you this morning, jesus.

It's in your name we pray.

Amen, be seated.

So the question we're asking is why?

Why were they filled with awe as they were?

Well, the first thing that really jumps off the page at us, that jumps us to us, is they were filled with awe.

They were amazed at the signs and wonders that the apostles were doing.

Look in verse 12, in the first part of verse 12.

Now, many signs and wonders were regularly done among the peoples by the hands of the apostles, and then go down to verse 15.

So that they carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats as Peter came by.

At least his shadow might fall on some of them.

The people also gathered from towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were healed.

They were amazed by the signs that were being done.

And so there's some things that we need to see here about these signs.

First of all, I think we need to see that these were signs.

They were not just miracles.

What is the difference?

Why do we point that out?

Well, here's why Signs were done to signal something.

Signs were done to show us something.

Jesus talked about it back in John, in John chapter 10, he talked about the signs that he did in verses 37.

John 10 · chapter mention

In John 10, verse 37, let me get there, verse 38,.

John 10:37

He says this If I am not doing the works of the Father, then do not believe me, but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works that you may understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.

Jesus says look the works that I'm doing, the things that I'm doing.

They are not just miracles just for the sake of miracles.

I am doing these works so that you may see and that you may know that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.

Jesus said I am doing these works so that we may know that he is the Christ, that he is the Son of God.

John tells us, as we just finished up the Gospel of John at the end of last year, almost every week I told you why John wrote his Gospel In John, chapter 20, verses 30 and 31,.

John 20:30

He said this and Jesus did many other hear this.

Not miracles.

And Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book.

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The signs they're signs that point us to something.

Well, what do they point us to?

Jesus' signs and his wonders point us to the fact that he was the Christ.

John wrote about the signs that Jesus did to point us to the fact that Jesus is the Christ, that Jesus is the Christ.

But now, as we come to Acts, it's not signs done by the hands of Christ, but it's signs done by the hands of the apostles.

So what are we signaling?

What are we pointing to by knowing that these are the hands of the apostles?

Peter tells us back in chapter 3, when they had healed a man who was lame.

When they healed him at the beautiful gate, there, people stood in amazement.

And Peter tells us in verse 12, he says and when Peter saw it, he addressed the public, men of Israel.

Why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety, we have made him walk?

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant, jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release him.

But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you and you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead.

To this we are witnesses, verse 16, and his name.

By faith in his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given this man perfect health.

In the presence of you all, the apostles are healing to point that they are continuing the ministry that Jesus had done.

Notice, this was not a church where everyone was healing everybody.

This was a church where the apostles were healing, so there was significance in that it was the apostles healing.

The apostles were healing because Jesus had given them the words of life, and they were to go and write down and teach the teachings of Jesus.

So they were doing these signs so that people would look at them and say, hey, that's what Jesus did.

We should have listened to Jesus.

They're doing what Jesus did.

They must be.

They've been with Jesus.

They must be carrying out the ministry of Jesus.

So, because we didn't listen to Jesus, let's listen to them, though, and they are pointing people to Jesus, and they have given us his words in Scripture.

So now, the signs that they were performing, we don't need them anymore, because we have seen the signs that the disciples did, the apostles did, and they gave us Jesus' words and teachings.

So this is what we believe the signs were signaling to us.

We also know that they saw the signs as divine workings.

In verse 15, it tells us that they brought the sick out, even to and laid them on cots and mats in the road so that, hopefully, as Peter walked by, his shadow would fall on them.

Listen, scripture doesn't tell us if people were actually healed by Peter and his shadow falling on them, but it does remind me.

It reminds me of a story back in Matthew 9.

In Matthew 9, verses 20 through 22, matthew wrote this and behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment.

Matthew 9:20–22

For, she said to herself, if I only touch his garment, I will be made well.

Jesus turned and seeing her, he said Take heart, daughter, your faith has made made.

Well.

Jesus turned and seeing her, he said Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.

See, that woman knew that there was something different about Jesus and she thought if she could only just touch the hem of his garment, she would be made well.

She knew that Jesus had to be from God.

And the people as they saw this, the fact that they brought people out to show that Peter's shadow would fall on them.

What it tells us is they knew there was something different going on here.

They knew that there was a divine workening happen.

Now we know that Peter's not Jesus and we know that they may not have been healed because Peter's shadow fell on them, because Peter was not Jesus.

But the people knew.

And the people understood then that there was something divine going on and they needed to listen to Peter.

They knew that God was at work and they listened.

Listen and many came he tells us there in verse 16, and people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were healed.

They stood in awe because God was at work in a mighty way.

They stood in awe because the apostles were signaling that the ministry of Jesus was continuing on.

They were teaching the words of Jesus.

Because of that, people stood in awe.

So not only were they were amazed by the signs and wonders, but they were also amazed by the teaching of the apostles.

Now, in these verses it doesn't explicitly say the apostles were teaching, but we can infer that from these verses.

It doesn't explicitly say the apostles were teaching, but we can infer that from these verses.

The inference comes right there in verse 12 when it says at the end of verse 12, and it says they were all together in Solomon's portico.

We've seen Solomon's portico before.

We just talked about in Acts, chapter 3, how Peter, after they healed this lame man, he stood up and he preached, tells us where he was when he did that Solomon's portico.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

We've also seen back in the Gospel of John, in chapter 10,.

Jesus was teaching his followers in the Temple Mount.

And guess where he was?

Solomon's portico.

If you go to John, it says Solomon's colonnade, same place.

So it would seem that this was a place that the early believers and the early followers of Christ gathered together to hear the teachings first of Jesus and then to hear the teachings of the apostles, and they were amazed by them.

He goes on in verse 13, though, and he says none of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

Many of the commentators that you read will say that when it says none of the rest dared to join them, that Luke is referencing unbelievers, that they didn't dare join the believers.

Now we're not exactly sure why, but I think it probably has something to do with what happened in chapter 5.

At the beginning of chapter 5.

Remember, last week, ananias and Sapphira stood and they brought their gift before God and they lied to the Holy Spirit and they were struck down.

It says there at the end, in verse 11,.

It says and great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard these things the all who heard these things are probably unbelievers outside of the church who heard about this and great fear fell upon them.

They were awed.

They were awed at the teachings of the apostles, and so as they came through the temple and they saw the believers gathered together in Solomon's portico hearing the message and hearing what the apostles were teaching, it tells us that they stood back in awe.

John Pohlheel, he makes a comment of this and he says he says this the power of the miracles attracts.

So as Jesus performed miracles, even as the apostles performed their miracles that were not just miracles, remember, they were signs, as people saw these miracles.

It attracted people, attracted people.

But listen, he goes on to say the awesome power of the spirit that judges also demands commitment and responsibility.

Before that power, the crowd kept its distance, with healthy respect, unless they were willing to fully submit to the power and make a commitment.

Listen.

They stood back in awe and and a healthy fear of what was taking place.

They knew something major was taking place.

They could see something major was taking place.

They could see something major was taking place, but they also heard the commitment that the apostles were teaching of how they were to commit to Christ.

And they also saw those who halfway committed, ananias and Sapphira.

What happened to them?

So it says that they stood back but held those that gathered together in high esteem.

But this is what I am amazed by Verse 14.

And more than ever, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, while they stood back in awe of this God.

Yet God drew them to Himself.

I need you to hear.

People were not added to this congregation because of the programs the apostles had.

The apostles were calling them to lay down their lives.

The apostles were being arrested.

The apostles were being kicked out of the synagogues.

The apostles were giving up everything.

The call was not this great program, come and join this program and find a happy life.

They were not being gathered together because of the great programs of the apostles.

Honestly, they were not being gathered together by the lives and the teachings of the apostles.

Remember it's just a few months earlier that Peter stood and denied Jesus three times the same Peter.

That now is that people are being laid out in the road so hopefully his shadow would fall on him Just a few months back.

He's denying jesus.

It's not the great lives of the apostles.

That's not why people are coming.

They are coming because god himself is drawing them and the apostles are making much of god and the Savior that he sent, jesus Christ, and they were in awe Church.

I pray that today, desoto Hills, I pray that we will be filled with the awe of God.

I pray that we will stop and we will ponder and we will look into Scripture and we will see how God has worked and we will stand in the awesome presence of God, struck by His awesomeness.

I pray that, while we want good programs and we do, we strive to give good programs and good Sunday school classes we want that.

I want you to know today that people in the world around us is not going to be drawn to DeSoto Hills because of the programs that we have.

I want us to have good music, but that's not what draws people to God.

God draws people to God when they stand and they hear of the awesome presence of God.

So what we need to do, church, is make much of God and the Savior that he sent.

We need to point people to Him.

Listen, as we come to our time of invitation today, I need you to hear this If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, to hear the words of this song again and be challenged.

If you've never trusted Christ, that never trusted that, christ came and he lived and he died and he arose to take your place, to take the punishment that you deserve.

Hear the words of this song again.

When he rolls up his sleeves, he ain't just putting on the ritz, there is thunder in his footsteps and there is lightning in his fist.

The Lord wasn't joking when he kicked him out of Eden, because sin is a real thing and we deserve punishment because of our sin.

It wasn't for no reason that he shed his blood.

His return is very close.

So you need to be believing.

Our God is an awesome God.

Pray, if you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, that you will feel the awesome presence of God here today and you will give your life to him.

But if you have, if you have trusted in Christ as your Savior.

Hear the second verse.

And when the sky was starless, in the void of the night, he spoke into the darkness and created the light.

Judgment and wrath he poured out on sodom, but mercy and grace he gave us at the cross.

I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten that our god is an awesome god.

This morning, if you are struggling with life, you've trusted Him as your Savior, but you are struggling with life.

I pray that this morning you will remember that judgment and wrath he poured out on Sodom, but, hey, mercy and grace he gave us, he gave you, he gave me at the cross.

Let's not too quickly forget that our God is an awesome God and he deserves our praise and our worship.

He deserves our very lives, every part.

We're going to pray and we're going to sing.

As we sing, we're going to invite you to stand and if you need to trust Christ as your Savior, we invite you to come forward.

If you need to repent and come and bow in the awesome presence of God, look, we'll be here to pray for you.

These steps will be open.

You can come and pray and do business with God.

Whatever God is leading you to.

I pray that today you are struck by the awesomeness of God and you listen and follow His call.

Let me pray for us, god.

You are good.

We thank you for today and we thank you for all you've done for us, god.

I pray that, as you are here and moving and working today, father, I pray that you overwhelm us with your presence and all we can do is stand or bow or fall on our faces because of you.

We love you, Jesus.

It's in your name we pray, amen.

Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.

If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at desotohillscom.