Can't Get No Respect! | Demanded Respect | Acts 5:1-11 | with Pastor Joshua Sanders

If you have ever been a teacher, worked in retail, or worked in healthcare, one thing that all of you have experienced is this... being disrespected. We all like to be respected. Nobody likes to be disrespected. There are t-shirts that say, “Don’t disrespect me, and there won’t be a problem.” On the internet there are videos of the disrespect that teachers face from students nowadays, and it is awful. Students cursing and getting into physical altercations with teachers is common practice now. Back in the day... that would have resulted in getting the paddle in school and facing the wrath of the parents at home. Not so much anymore... Research shows that disrespect in our culture is continuing to be on the rise. Our feeds are constantly filled with people verbally and physically disrespecting each other in stores, on the street, in politics, online and in our workplaces. And while we could get into many conversations as to what the root cause of all this disrespect is, many people will say that “Respect is earned.” You see, respect is not a trust we give easily and consistently unless we see qualities that are strong, pure, faithful, and serving. And when it comes to God, He has these qualities and more. He is the epitome of every good quality. And He deserves our respect. In this sermon today we dive into Acts 5:1-11. Last week and now this week, Luke (the author of Acts) has brought us inside the huddle of the early church to show us a glimpse of what life in the early church looked like. And it is very easy to look at the early church with rose colored glasses, but the truth is, they were far from perfect. Luke doesn’t ignore the faults of the early church. And in this sermon, we will read a story that shows that even in the most Spirit-filled congregations, the evil one is at work. We will see two people that did not respect the Lord, and we will see them pay the price for their actions. And what we will learn is that as we GET AFTER IT for the expanding of the Kingdom of God, we must have respect for God.