This Is How God Builds His Church

Acts 5:12–16 is presented as a concentrated portrait of how God builds his church: not by human marketing or strategy, but by sovereign, visible action that both purifies and multiplies. The community begins with a painful purification—Ananias and Sapphira are struck down for lying—showing that holiness is the foundation of the movement. That removal of poison is not merely punitive but protective: God safeguards the fledgling body so that genuine faith can take root. From that purification follows a steady demonstration of divine power—miracles and healings become ordinary, signaling that Jesus’ authority continues through his people by the Spirit.

This power is public and relational; believers gather regularly in Solomon’s Colonnade and minister openly in the temple courtyard, refusing to go underground when threatened. Such visible unity underscores that authentic faith is meant to be lived together and shown to the world, not tucked away as a private practice. Public witness also clarifies cost: the high standard of holiness and total surrender required by Christ repels many who admire from a distance but will not commit. Yet the paradox remains—despite the cost, multitudes are converted. Genuine conversion, the preacher argues, is the engine of multiplication: God draws those in darkness into light, heals bodies and souls, and brings them into the community.

Manifestation of God’s presence—illustrated by people believing Peter’s shadow might heal them—reinforces that the church is a display of the kingdom in action. Healing and deliverance serve as tangible proof that the new reign has arrived and that the gospel is life-changing. The passage culminates in a theological pattern: God purifies, demonstrates, unites, clarifies cost, multiplies, manifests presence, and proclaims his kingdom. The practical challenge is clear: the church today is called to holiness, public witness, and faithful obedience, trusting God to produce fruit through ordinary faithfulness rather than human tactics. Obedience and authenticity invite the Spirit to do the converting work; the church’s role is to be faithful instruments so God can put his work on display.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Holiness precedes church growth God removes what corrupts the body before expansion so the church remains a plausible witness. Purification is not vindictiveness but surgical care: God protects the community so that fruit is real, not cosmetic. The call is to ongoing sanctification, not performative purity—authentic repentance readies soil for genuine multiplication. [27:39]
• 2. God's power is demonstrably present Miracles in Acts are regular, not sporadic, because God intends his presence to be seen through people. Power that once rested in Jesus now flows through the Spirit to ordinary followers, making the extraordinary ordinary. That presence validates the gospel’s claims and undergirds faith with evidence that touches both soul and body. [30:45]
• 3. Faith lived publicly unites believers The early church met openly in the temple, showing unity through shared, visible worship and service. Public practice creates common identity: people who confess the same rescue story can stand together amid opposition. Unity is both witness and spiritual formation—it shapes believers into a community that bears the gospel coherently. [33:47]
• 4. Discipleship carries a real cost The narrative clarifies that following Christ demands total surrender and exposes hypocrisy; many admire from afar but will not commit. True discipleship refuses a privatized faith and accepts potential loss of comfort, reputation, or safety. Counting the cost is not fatalism; it’s sober commitment that trusts God’s purposes beyond immediate gain. [37:09]
• 5. Conversion and healing prove kingdom Multiplication happens when people are drawn from darkness into light and experience both spiritual and physical restoration. Public healings and deliverances function as kingdom credentials: they show that God’s reign changes reality, not just ideas. The church’s task is faithful obedience; God’s task is conversion, and together they reveal the kingdom’s arrival. [50:09]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [21:34] - Opening anecdotes and scene
• [22:37] - Series: Acts 5 focus
• [23:29] - The pattern: six (seven) steps
• [26:12] - Ananias and Sapphira explained
• [30:45] - Demonstration of divine power
• [33:47] - Public unity at Solomon's Colonnade
• [37:09] - The cost of discipleship clarified
• [41:41] - Multiplication through conversion
• [50:09] - Manifestation and proclamation of kingdom
• [56:02] - Final charge: trust and obedience