“And great fear came upon the whole church; and upon all who heard of these things” (Acts 5:11).
A story is told of a lady touring Westminster Abbey whose tour guide repeatedly advised her of the significance of the people buried in the hallowed ground of that church. As the unimpressed lady walked past the graves of Britain’s most courageous prime ministers, learned playwrights and literary geniuses, she asked, “Has anyone been saved in this church lately?” Perhaps you should ask that question of the principals at your church.
God commands Christians to live their lives under the authority of an eternal standard. Christians practice a lifestyle reflecting an ethical and moral pattern exceeding the world’s standard (II Ti. 2:19). The social and economic commerce of the Christian is never ordinary, for it is never separated from his spiritual commitments to the lordship of Christ.
God desires a pure church unmixed with the world’s hypocritical models (I Cor. 5:5; 11:32). Nevertheless, many within the church are but temporaries enjoying the outward privileges of being churched though failing to possess title to an eternal pew. God shakes the church tree thereby identifying the temporaries.
God is going to test every person within the church. Why? “For God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin” (Ex. 20:20). When you are tested, does the outcome of your testing reveal:
• That you are a member of the eternal church as well as the temporal church?
• That your church membership is as well documented in heaven as it is on earth?
The account of Ananias and Sapphira was written as an example to instruct you in the ways of your Lord (I Cor. 10:6, 11). God intended on that occasion to bring the whole church to fear Him – He accomplished His purpose. The church fearing the Lord is a nursery for revival, a vehicle for lifestyle transformation and a mini-culture that schools its members on how heavenlings are to conduct themselves during their tenure on earth.
The church has experienced a Reformation (1500s), Great Awakenings (1720s – 1740s as well as in the early 1800s) and a Prayer Revival (1858-59). Nonetheless, these extraordinary outpourings of the Holy Spirit upon the people of God shall not occur again unless great fear comes upon the whole church.
Christians should be praying daily for their earthly interests to abate, for businessmen to be more willing to nurture their souls rather than their businesses and for the church to be awakened to the holiness of God, the reality of sin and the truth that at every moment every churchman stands coram Deo – before the face of God (II Cor. 7:1).
Perhaps the problem is that the church does not teach the fear of the Lord (Ps. 34:11). God says, “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? What God is there who can deliver you out of My hands?” (Jer. 23:24; Dan. 3:15).
If you enjoyed this offering, please consider sharing it!
