Acts 5

v1-11: It looked like all was well in the church.  However, among them were hypocrites whose hearts were not right with God.  "There is a mixture of bad with the good in the best communities this side of heaven; weeds grow among the wheat until harvest."

v12-16: The church increased in numbers as multitudes both of men and women became believers.  There is still room for others to be added, "added to the number of those who are united to [Christ]" and to His body, the church.  These "additions will continue to be made until... the number of the chosen ones is completed."

v17-26: Christ will not desert His people.  He will stand by them and support them, and if He so chooses, He can bring them out of the darkest and strongest prison.  When the apostles were miraculously set free, it was not "so that they could save their lives by escaping out of the hands of their enemies.  No, it was so that they could continue with their work with even more boldness."  This teaches us that "recovery from sickness, release from trouble, are given us, and are to be looked on by us as given, not so that we may enjoy the comforts of our life, but so that God may be honoured with the service of our life."

v27-42: "All who are sincerely on God’s side, who wholeheartedly look to his will as their rule and to his glory as their purpose, may take comfort in knowing that whatever comes from God cannot be overthrown totally and finally, even though it may be vigorously opposed; it may be attacked, but it cannot be defeated."