Acts 5: 12-21

The Jealousy of the Sadducees(The Sin of Jealousy)

April 17, 2016First Baptist ChurchJackson, Mississippi

USA

What’s the number one thing?

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1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

April Memory Verse

Ephesians 4:32 ESV32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

References

•Kendall, R.T. Jealousy: The Sin No One Talks About (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2010).

• Jeremiah, David. Slaying The Giants In Your Life(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2001).• Book and Study Guide

• ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008)

Introduction to Acts 5:12-21a

• It has been only 3 years, at the most, since the Resurrection of Jesus.

• The early church is loosely organized with the apostles still preaching and teaching mainly in Jerusalem.

• The Jewish world would still be coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Festivals.

• The mission was conversion of the Jews at this time.

Acts 5:12 ESV

12 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.

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done …• God had answered their prayers in Acts 4:29-30

• Acts 4:29-3029 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

• Signs & wonders provided validation of the power and presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Solomon’s Portico (Colonnade)

•A covered walkway inside the Temple walls (eastern side).

• The area where teaching was allowed and Jesus and the apostles taught there.

Solomon’s Portico (Colonnade)

Acts 5:12b-13 ESV

12b And they were all together in Solomon’s portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

•Unclear if they and them refers to “the whole church” or just “the apostles” or both. •New converts were fearful of persecution.

Acts 5:14-15 ESV

14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 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.

Peter’s shadow of healing

Acts 5:16 ESV

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

Summary of Acts 5:12-16

• Luke, the writer of Acts, has set the stage for the next section of scripture.

• Apostles performing signs and wonders (healing the sick, casting out demons, displaying the power of the Holy Spirit of Jesus).

• People were coming from far and wide to Jerusalem for healing and also accepting Jesus as Messiah.

Acts 5:17-18 ESV

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

Acts 5:19-21a ESV

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." 21a And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

…filled with jealousy, they arrested the apostles and put them in public prison.

•An example of bullying – repeated aggressive behavior where a person or group in power intimidates or abuses another with the intention to hurt someone physically or emotionally.

•Characteristics of bullying:1. Repeated.2. Intentional.3. Power imbalance – stronger bullies the weaker.

Who were the Sadducees?

• The wealthy aristocrats who held the majority of seats in the Sanhedrin (Jewish supreme court).

• The high priest and the chief priests were Sadducees.

•Usually agreed with Romans to keep the peace.

•Denied the resurrection of Jesus.

•Did not believe in any afterlife.

•Denied the existence of a spiritual world.

Why were the Sadducees jealous of the apostles and Christians?

• The Apostles were healing people.

•People were deserting Judaism for Christianity.

•Apostles were openly condemning the Priests.

•Christianity opposed Jewish beliefs.

•Apostles were more popular among the people.

•Power was shifting away from the Temple priests.

…they were filled with jealousy…

What is jealousy?

• David Jeremiah – To be jealous means to strike out at what somebody else is or what somebody else has.

• Shakespeare – “It is a green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”

• God – “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall nor covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

A Closer Look at the Definition of Jealousy.

•Greek “zelos” – excitement of the mind.

•Positive “zelos” – zeal, enthusiasm in embracing, pursuing, defending (Describes God & man).

•Negative “zelos” – An envious and contentious rivalry, Jealousy (Describes Satan & man).

Differences between Envy & Jealousy.

Envy

• Focusing on other person’s things.

• Coveting what others have.

• Natural.

• Passive.

• Envy is the temptation.

Jealousy

• Animosity toward the person who has what you want.

• Fear of losing what you have.

• Vengeful.

• Acting on your feelings of envy.

• Jealousy is the sin.

Envy or Jealousy?

Jealousy

• Jealousy is the envy you did not keep under control.

• Envy wants another person’s gift, but jealousy wants that person to lose their gift.

• Jealousy is envy manifested.

• Jealousy is when the temptation of envy crosses the line and the thought becomes an obsession or action.

• Jealousy and envy make you feel inadequate.

Jealousy involves the 10st and 1st

Commandments.

•10th Commandment – Do not covet. •Wanting something at someone else’s expense.•Coveting is confusing your wants vs. needs.•Coveting shows a lack of faith for God to provide.

•1st Commandment – No other Gods before me.• Idolatry is ANYTHING that takes first place instead of God

in your life.

The Original Sin

• The first sign of jealousy was Lucifer’s (Satan’s) fall from heaven.• Isaiah 14:14

14 “I will make myself like the Most High”.

• Satan used jealousy to tempt Adam & Eve to sin.• “…you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”• Tempting man was Satan’s first effort to seek revenge

against God.• Eve coveted what she did not have.

Jealousy is found in predictable circles of life.

1. Jealousy Travels in Power Circles – People love power and influence over others.

2. Jealousy Travels in Performance Circles – People love to be the center of attention.

3. Jealousy Travels in Professional Circles – Selfish ambition is alive and well in every work place.

4. Jealousy Travels in Personal Circles –Sibling rivalry can create family dysfunction (Parents are not perfect!).

What are the results of jealousy?

1. Jealousy destroys others – reputations, prosecution, marriages, family, suicide.

2. Jealousy destroys us – guilt, reputations, anger, distrust of God, self-consuming, unforgiveness.

Jealousy in the Bible.

•Cain and Abel – 1st jealousy amongst humans.

• Sarah toward Hagar – Jealousy of not having children.

• Jacob and Esau – Sibling jealousy.

• Joseph and brothers – Sibling rivalry/petty jealousy.

• Leah toward Rachael – Rachael had Jacob’s love.

•King Saul – Jealousy of David led to Saul’s insanity.

Jealousy in the Bible that led to murder.

•King Herod killed babies in trying to kill newborn Jesus.

• John the Baptist was killed by Herod Antipas because of wife’s jealousy of step-daughter’s dancing.

The Jealousy of God – (pursuing, defending)

Exodus 20:3-6 3 "You shall have no other gods before me.

4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

The Jealousy of God – Positive “zelos”

•God the creator is worthy of all of our praise.

•Mankind is functioning properly only when they give God the honor and worship He deserves.

•God’s jealousy is His zeal for the well-being of His creation.

•God’s jealousy is His intolerance for any rival.

The Jealousy of God – Positive “zelos”

• God’s jealousy for His creation proves His love for us.

• God loves your company and is doing what He can to get your attention.

• John 3:16-1716 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Jealousy in Man – Can exhibit either or both

•Positive “zelos” – from Holy Spirit - The desire for someone to know Christ as Savior; anger over injustice and unrighteousness; wanting the Gospel to be preserved; feeling God’s pain without being personally involved.

•Negative “zelos” – From Satan - Envious, contentious, selfish, idolatry, distrust, faithless.

R. T. Kendall & David Jeremiah

Practical Steps To Overcoming Jealousy

Overcoming Jealousy

1. Admit it to yourself• It is not a personality or genetic disorder.• It is not “just the way your are…”.• It is part of our sin nature to envy (covet).• Galatians 5:19-20

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions.

Overcoming Jealousy

2. Confess it to God•Renounce your jealousy as sin.•Remember your rival in prayer.•1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Overcoming Jealousy

3. Practice Total Forgiveness (R. T. Kendall)• You don’t tell anybody what they did to you.• You won’t let them be fearful of you.• You don’t want them to feel guilty.• You let them save face.• You protect them from their darkest secret.

Comments on Jealousy by R. T. Kendall

• “When an enemy is motivated by jealousy, you cannot make them like you or convince them of their jealousy.”• “Coping with another’s jealousy helps us deal with our

own.”• “Do not take persecution personally. It is not you

they hate; it is Christ in you. It is God they hate.”• “Total forgiveness overcomes jealousy.”

Overcoming Jealousy

4. Choose God’s praise of you over the compliments of people.

• John 5:4444 "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?• Live for the glory of God and not the praises of

man.

Overcoming Jealousy

5. Reaffirm God’s goodness to you.• Jealousy implies that God has not given you everything

that you think you need.• Do a blessings inventory.• Gratitude transforms your attitude!• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Overcoming Jealousy

6. Anticipate your reward at the judgment seat of Christ.

•Keep your focus on Jesus.•Have something to live for that is greater than the

things of this world.•God did not promise perfect happiness for you in

this world.• The best is yet to come!!

Overcoming Jealousy

7. Accept your calling.•Do not compare yourself or your life with others.•Come to terms with what God has called you to do.• The Holy Spirit will call you to your level of

competency (God equips the called).•Worldly view is “The Peter Principal” by Laurence J.

Peters– You get promoted to your level of incompetence

Closing Scriptures on Jealousy

• Proverbs 14:30 30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.

• 1 Peter 2:1-2 1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

John 3:16 NKJV16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 14:6 NKJV6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

Romans 3:23 NKJV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23a NKJV23a For the wages of sin is death,

• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life to pay

the penalty for our sins. • The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second death explained in

Revelation 21:8.

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

Revelation 21:8 NKJV8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Romans 5:8 NKJV8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

Romans 6:23b NKJV23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Revelation 21:7 NKJV7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be an overcomer.

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13 NKJV13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/