And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events.Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things.And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things.
3 sermons cite this verse
… and found her dead. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and all who heard these things. I love verse 11. It's like great fear filled the church. Like, yeah, no kidding. Two funerals before the 1115 service let out. I think there would be some fear. I'm also like, could you imagine the Netflix documentary that get made from that? Like pastor kills two members of the church for not giving enough money. I'd go viral. But the question that we have to wrestle with is like, why would God do that? This is the new Testament. This is after the resurrection. We're in the period of grace. Like what's going on? And first and foremost, we have to look at the context of what I mentioned earlier. We are literally standing in the very start of the church, the delivery room of the church, this new age that Christ is the bedrock of. And if you know your scripture well, you know that oftentimes at the beginning of something brand new, God has a pattern of making his holiness undeniable. …
What is that about? Luke doesn't include every single story about the early church. Why did he choose to include this one? If there was any one that you were going to leave out, this would be the one not to include. Therefore, preachers 2,000 years ago wouldn't have to deal with it. Why would Luke include this? He's already shown struggles in the church, struggles from persecution outside the church, and he's shown how the victory has been given to the church. In Acts chapter 4, you actually come to the end of that and they've experienced persecution and they're having victory over that persecution. It's a triumphant moment. Why do we come to Acts chapter 5? Here's why I think Luke included this passage. The greatest hindrance to the advancement of the gospel will never be opposition from outside the church. The greatest hindrance to the advancement of the gospel will always be sin inside the church. And so Luke highlights this story for us to show us why we must guard against the impurity of the world and the church. …
12. But how soon did “the mystery of iniquity” work again, and obscure the glorious prospect! It began to work (not openly indeed, but covertly) in two of the Christians, Ananias and Sapphira. “They sold their possession,” like the rest, and probably for the same motive; but afterwards, giving place to the devil, and reasoning with flesh and blood, they “kept back part of the price.” See the first Christians, that “made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience;” the first that “drew back to perdition;” instead of continuing to “believe to the” final “salvation of the soul!” Mark the first plague which infected the Christian Church; namely, the love of money! And will it not be the grand plague in all generations, whenever God shall revive the same work? O ye believers in Christ, take warning! Whether you are yet but little children, or young men that are strong in the faith, see the snare; your snare in particular, — that which you will be peculiarly exposed to after you have escaped from gross pollutions. “Love not the world, neither the things of the world! If any man love the world,” whatever he was in times past, “the love of the Father is not” now “in him!” 13. However, this plague was stayed in the first Christian Church, by instantly cutting off the infected persons. By that signal judgment of God on the first offenders, “great fear came upon all;” (Acts 5:11; ) so that, for the present at least, not one dared to follow their example. Meantime believers, men full of faith and love, who rejoiced to have all things in common, “were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” (Acts 5:14.) …