When I was a little boy my father hosted a youth group in our house. Sometimes he told the new teenagers that in order to join our youth group they had to go through a special ceremony. Then they would take the new students out of the room and blindfold them so they could not see. One at a time they would bring them into the room and announce that they were entering the royal court of King BoBo. They were asked to kneel before the king. Then they had to say, “Hail, hail, King BoBo.” Finally they were told to kiss the king’s royal ring. They would kiss the ring on my Dad’s hand. But at the same time one of his feet was barefoot and he had another ring on his foot. So immediately after they kissed the ring on his hand Dad would pull the hand back and put his bare foot with the ring on it in front of their face. And they would think they kissed the ring on his foot. When the blindfold came off they would often scream.
Feet. I’d like to begin by asking you a sort of unusual question: What do your feet look like? Our son Benji, now 13 years old, wears a size 29 (10 1/2). Some people have beautiful feet and other people, like me, have serious fungus problems with their feet. In the Bible one of Goiath’s relatives is said to have had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot (2 Samuel 21:20). The Guinness Book of Records says that two young boys in India each have 12 fingers and 13 toes. In some cultures if you touch another person with your foot or if you point with your foot that is considered very bad, very offensive. Romans 10:15 says “Beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.” That verse encourages me. Even I have beautiful feet. Why all this talk about feet? Turn in your Bible with me to Acts 4:32. The title of our message today is “At the Apostle’s Feet.”

1. MONEY AT THE APOSTLES’ FEET (4:32-37)
I am amazed at the strong language used in verses 32-37. It says, “NO ONE said that ANY of the things he possessed was his own” (4:32).“ALL who possessed houses or lands sold them and brought the proceeds to the apostles” (4:34-35). And they were not forced to do this. This was NOT done because controlling leaders made them do it. This was NOT done because the apostles preached messages on giving to make them feel guilty so they would give more. It was their choice. They wanted to give their possessions. (5:4).
How do you feel about your possessions? Your stuff? Do you hold your things tightly - “Don’t touch my stuff - that’s mine.” Doesn’t everything you have belong to God (Psalm 24:1)? Doesn’t it come from God (James 1:17)? Shouldn’t you use you possessions for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31)? This was the attitude the early church had.
Jesus had told His disciples, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). And now the unbelievers around them were saying, “Behold how they love one another!” It’s one thing to talk about loving one another but these guys sacrificially and unselfishly gave to help each other.
Verse 34 continues “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostle’s feet; and the distributed to each as anyone had need. This expression “put it at the apostle’s feet” comes from an old custom where if someone put his foot on a person or on an object it meant that he had conquered this; it belonged to him. When someone sat at the foot of another it meant that he was under his authority and training. Is your life and your stuff under the authority and control of Jesus Christ? Who is the king of your life and stuff?
Verses 36-37 introduces us to Joseph, whose nickname was Barnabas (meaning “son of encouragement”). He is a major character in the book of Acts, mentioned at least 25 times. He will soon be sent out as a missionary with Paul. But here he sold a field he owned and “laid the money at the apostles feet” (there is that phrase again) to give to those in need. And this short story here at the end of chapter 4 is in contrast to the next story in chapter 5.

2. ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA AT THE APOSTLES’ FEET (5:1-11)
It starts with the word “But.” Barnabas did one thing “BUT a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostle’s feet (there is that phrase again). Now the problem here, as we will see, is not that Ananias and Sapphira had to give all of their land. The problem was that they were being deceitful. They were acting like they were giving it all when really they were only giving part of it.
Verse 3, But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled (or controlled - Eph. 5:18) your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’ Now one thing this passage tells us is that the Holy Spirit is God. In verse 3 Peter says, “Ananias, you lied to the Holy Spirit.” And then in verse 4, “You have not lied to men but to God.” So lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. The Holy Spirit is God (cf. Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 13:13).
In verses 5-11 first Ananias then Sapphira fall down dead at Peter’s feet. And they were carried outside and buried in the ground. Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God.” Our relationship with Christ is not a game. It is not a show. It is not something just to make us feel good. It is a relationship with the living God. And this story shows us how serious it is to be honest with God, honest with yourself and honest with each other.
And twice in this passage it says, “So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.” Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” Do you have a holy fear of God? (pause a few seconds) Or do you fear your friends more? Do you fear God or do you fear man? Are you influenced more by what God thinks or by what man thinks?
Here it says, “great fear came upon all the church.” In Matthew 16:18 Jesus had said, “I will build My church” but here in Acts 5:11 is the first time the word “church” is used as existing.

3. THE SICK AT THE APOSTLE’S FEET (5:12-16)
Well, we have seen the early church bring money and lay it at the Apostle’s feet. We have seen Ananias and Sapphira fall down dead at the apostle’s feet. In Acts 5:12-16 we see that sick people were brought to the apostle’s feet.
Verse 12 begins, “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. Scripture seems to say that only the apostles had this gift of miracles and healing (Acts 2:43). These “signs and wonders” was God’s way of saying that these were His men and this was His work being done. God still does miracles today but when the apostle’s passed away the signs of the apostles (2 Corinthians 12:12) passed away with them. Even in the Old Testament when a prophet performed miracles but at the same time led people away from God’s word, they were considered a false prophet and killed (Deuteronomy 13). We now have the completed word of God and we test teachers by their message not by their miracles (1 John 2:18-29; 4:1-6).
And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the LORD, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. So they were bringing the sick on mats and laying them down along the road where Peter’s feet might pass by and they could be healed. So both death and healing happened at the apostle’s feet. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

4. THE APOSTLES STAND ON THEIR FEET (5:17-42)
So the early church laid money at the Apostle’s feet. Ananias and Sapphira fell down dead at the apostle’s feet. Sick people were brought to the apostle’s feet. And now in this last section of this passage the apostles stand on their feet. First ...
A. IN THE TEMPLE (5:17-25). Because of the signs the apostles were doing crowds of people were coming and listening to the apostle’s message. In verses 17-18 it says that the religious leaders didn’t like this. They got angry and had the apostles thrown in prison. Now on the night before Jesus was crucified, He had told His disciples; “Since they persecuted Me, naturally they will persecute you … the people of the world will hate you … For you will be expelled from the synagogues” (John 15:20-21; 16:2). In Acts this is the first of three jail miracles (cf. Peter, 12:6-10; Paul and Silas, 16:26-27).
In verses 19-20 and angel helps the apostles escape from prison. And he tells them to “‘Go, stand on your feet in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” And when they heard that they entered the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the religious leaders got up the next morning they didn’t know what had happened. They sent for the apostles to be brought from the prison before them. Verses 22-23 say, “But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, saying, ‘Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!’ Verse 25 says, “So one came and told them, saying, ‘Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing on their feet in the temple and teaching the people!’ So they were standing for God in the temple. Next we see them standing ...
B. BEFORE THE COUNCIL (5:26-39). Look at verse 26. Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. There is that contrast again. The religious leaders feared the people. The disciples feared God. Who do we fear? It was said of John Knox – “He feared God so much that he never feared the face of any man.”
Verse 27-28, And when they had brought them before the council, this is the Sanhedrin Council. And the high priest asked them, saying, ‘Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? The name of Jesus. And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!’
Verse 29 is a classic verse. It is a great verse to memorize. “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’”
Then Peter speaks directly to the religious leaders and he does blame them for the death of Christ. Look at verse 30, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.”
In verse 33 it says, “When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them.” But one very respected council member, Gamaliel, who was either the son or grandson of Hillel, the great Hebrew scholar who had been the head of a school for the training of Pharisees, made a suggestion. He suggested that they “put the apostles aside for a little while ... and then let them alone. It is interesting that what Gamaliel said in verses 38-39 actually became a prophesy. He said, “For if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it - lest you even be found to fight against God. Well the apostles stood on their feet in the temple and before the council and finally ...
C. IN EVERY HOUSE (5:40-42). In verse 40 it says that disciples were beaten, probably 39 times like they did Jesus before He was crucified. Then the religious leaders “commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.”
Notice the apostles response in verses 41-42. They had just been beaten very badly. But they were not discouraged. They were not angry at God for allowing this suffering to happen to them. Verse 41 says, “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name. In fact, this beating fulfilled Jesus’ words to His followers in Mark 13:9, “You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.” Verse 42 “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”
If you suffer for Jesus what would be your reaction? Would you rejoice that you were counted worthy to siffer like Jesus did? Do you stand up for Christ in church, in society and in the home? Will you?