On a Mission from God

July 7, 2013 · Acts

Series · Acts · Week 6 of 120

Scripture referenced 9 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Acts 5:12-42 the primary passage read and expounded throughout the sermon

12 By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
13 None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them.
14 More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.
15 They even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some of them.
16 The multitude also came together from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick people, and those who were tormented by unclean spirits: and they were all healed.
17 But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy,
18 and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public custody.
19 But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out, and said,
20 “Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”
21 When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and those who were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But the officers who came didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported,
23 “We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”
24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this.
25 One came and told them, “Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people.”
26 Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.
27 When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them,
28 saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.
31 God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.
32 We are His witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and were determined to kill them.
34 But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the apostles out for a little while.
35 He said to them, “You men of Israel, be careful concerning these men, what you are about to do.
36 For before these days Theudas rose up, making himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nothing.
37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad.
38 Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown.
39 But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!”
40 They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’ name.
42 Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ.

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Acts 1:8

Jesus' promise that the disciples would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

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Joel (unspecified verses)

Peter cited it at Pentecost to explain that God would pour out His Spirit

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Psalms 106

listed as one of the oblique references behind Peter's speech to the council

1 Praise Yahweh! Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

2 Who can utter the mighty acts of Yahweh, or fully declare all his praise?

3 Blessed are those who keep justice. Blessed is one who does what is right at all times.

4 Remember me, Yahweh, with the favor that you show to your people. Visit me with your salvation,

5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.

6 We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly.

7 Our fathers didn’t understand your wonders in Egypt. They didn’t remember the multitude of your loving kindnesses, but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.

8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power known.

9 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up; so he led them through the depths, as through a desert.

10 He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11 The waters covered their adversaries. There was not one of them left.

12 Then they believed his words. They sang his praise.

13 They soon forgot his works. They didn’t wait for his counsel,

14 but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland.

15 He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.

16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, Yahweh’s saint.

17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

18 A fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked.

19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped a molten image.

20 Thus they exchanged their glory for an image of a bull that eats grass.

21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,

22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red Sea.

23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them.

24 Yes, they despised the pleasant land. They didn’t believe his word,

25 but murmured in their tents, and didn’t listen to Yahweh’s voice.

26 Therefore he swore to them that he would overthrow them in the wilderness,

27 that he would overthrow their offspring among the nations, and scatter them in the lands.

28 They joined themselves also to Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their deeds. The plague broke in on them.

30 Then Phinehas stood up, and executed judgment, so the plague was stopped.

31 That was credited to him for righteousness, for all generations to come.

32 They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled for their sakes;

33 because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips.

34 They didn’t destroy the peoples, as Yahweh commanded them,

35 but mixed themselves with the nations, and learned their works.

36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them.

37 Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.

38 They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood.

39 Thus were they defiled with their works, and prostituted themselves in their deeds.

40 Therefore Yahweh burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance.

41 He gave them into the hand of the nations. Those who hated them ruled over them.

42 Their enemies also oppressed them. They were brought into subjection under their hand.

43 He rescued them many times, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low in their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry.

45 He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

46 He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captive.

47 Save us, Yahweh, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise!

48 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise Yah!

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Psalms 118

listed as one of the oblique references behind Peter's speech to the council

1 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

2 Let Israel now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

3 Let the house of Aaron now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

4 Now let those who fear Yahweh say that his loving kindness endures forever.

5 Out of my distress, I called on Yah. Yah answered me with freedom.

6 Yahweh is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

7 Yahweh is on my side among those who help me. Therefore I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in man.

9 It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in princes.

10 All the nations surrounded me, but in Yahweh’s name, I cut them off.

11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me. In Yahweh’s name I indeed cut them off.

12 They surrounded me like bees. They are quenched like the burning thorns. In Yahweh’s name I cut them off.

13 You pushed me back hard, to make me fall, but Yahweh helped me.

14 Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.

15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. “The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.

16 The right hand of Yahweh is exalted! The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly!”

17 I will not die, but live, and declare Yah’s works.

18 Yah has punished me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to Yah.

20 This is the gate of Yahweh; the righteous will enter into it.

21 I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation.

22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

23 This is Yahweh’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that Yahweh has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!

25 Save us now, we beg you, Yahweh! Yahweh, we beg you, send prosperity now.

26 Blessed is he who comes in Yahweh’s name! We have blessed you out of Yahweh’s house.

27 Yahweh is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you. You are my God, I will exalt you.

29 Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

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Isaiah 63

listed as one of the oblique references behind Peter's speech to the council

1 Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? Who this who is glorious in his clothing, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

2 Why is your clothing red, and your garments like him who treads in the wine vat?

3 “I have trodden the wine press alone; and of the peoples, no one was with me: Yes, I trod them in my anger, and trampled them in my wrath. Their lifeblood is sprinkled on my garments, and I have stained all my clothing.

4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come.

5 I looked, and there was no one to help; and I wondered that there was no one to uphold: therefore my own arm brought salvation to me; and my own wrath upheld me.

6 I trod down the peoples in my anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

7 I will tell of the loving kindnesses of Yahweh and the praises of Yahweh, according to all that Yahweh has given to us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he has given to them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

8 For he said, “Surely, they are my people, children who will not deal falsely;” so he became their Savior.

9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them. He bore them, and carried them all the days of old.

10 But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit. Therefore he turned and became their enemy, and he himself fought against them.

11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, “Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put his Holy Spirit among them?”

12 Who caused his glorious arm to be at Moses’ right hand? Who divided the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name?

13 Who led them through the depths, like a horse in the wilderness, so that they didn’t stumble?

14 As the livestock that go down into the valley, Yahweh’s Spirit caused them to rest. So you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name.

15 Look down from heaven, and see from the habitation of your holiness and of your glory. Where are your zeal and your mighty acts? The yearning of your heart and your compassion is restrained toward me.

16 For you are our Father, though Abraham doesn’t know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh, are our Father. Our Redeemer from everlasting is your name.

17 O Yahweh, why do you make us wander from your ways, and harden our heart from your fear? Return for your servants’ sake, the tribes of your inheritance.

18 Your holy people possessed it but a little while. Our adversaries have trodden down your sanctuary.

19 We have become like those over whom you never ruled, like those who were not called by your name.

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Jeremiah (unspecified verses)

listed as one of the oblique references behind Peter's speech to the council

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Judges (unspecified verses)

listed as one of the oblique references behind Peter's speech to the council

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John 16 (unspecified verses)

Jesus guarantees that believers will encounter opposition

1 “I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble.

2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.

3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

4 But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

6 But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

8 When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;

9 about sin, because they don’t believe in me;

10 about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more;

11 about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.

12 “I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.

13 However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.

14 He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you.

15 All things whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine, and will declare it to you.

16 A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.”

17 Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;’ and, ‘Because I go to the Father’?”

18 They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”

19 Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’

20 Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

21 A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world.

22 Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

23 “In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

24 Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.

25 I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you, that I will pray to the Father for you,

27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God.

28 I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

29 His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly, and using no figures of speech.

30 Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”

31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

32 Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

33 I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor Mark opened Acts 5:12-42 by tracing a pattern he sees repeated across the early chapters of Acts: God moves with power, His word interprets what is happening, opposition arises, and the witness advances. He used the Blues Brothers as a lighthearted illustration of that same basic shape, men convinced they are on a mission, facing absurd obstacles, and seeing it through, before grounding the real thing in the text.

What was said

The section opens with the apostles performing signs and wonders in Solomon's Colonnade. People held them in high regard but kept their distance, and Pastor Mark tied that directly to what had just happened: Ananias and Sapphira had been struck dead. The fear around the church was real. At the same time, crowds were streaming in from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, and he noted that this is the first appearance of Judea in the story, the second ring of the circle Jesus had described in Acts 1:8.

The Sadducees had the apostles arrested, but an angel opened the jail, told them to go back to the temple and keep teaching, and apparently locked the door again behind them. When the authorities arrived the next morning to question the prisoners, they found the jail secure and the apostles already back at work. Pastor Mark described the scene as something close to the Keystone Cops, the council scrambling to catch up with what God was already doing.

When the apostles were brought before the council, Peter's response became the second movement in the pattern: God's word interpreting God's action. Peter did not simply defend himself. He preached, drawing on the God of their ancestors, the crucifixion on a tree, the resurrection, and the call to repentance. Pastor Mark quoted John Stott on this point, that when a human authority commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands, the Christian's duty is to obey God rather than men.

Opposition arising is the third movement, and Pastor Mark walked through both the Sadducees' jealousy and the council's fury, noting that the Greek behind "furious" carried the sense of being sawn apart. What thwarted them was Gamaliel, a Pharisee respected by everyone, who counseled the council to leave the apostles alone. If the movement is merely human, he said, it will collapse on its own. If it is from God, fighting it means fighting God. Pastor Mark said Gamaliel was not wrong, but he did not go far enough. A man who genuinely believed it was from God should have said the council ought to join.

The fourth movement is the witness advancing, and Pastor Mark said his favorite verse in Acts is 42: "And every day in the temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: Jesus is the Messiah." He pointed to the Greek verb form, which carries the sense of continuous, ongoing action, and said this is what sustained obedience looks like. The apostles left having been flogged, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus, and went straight back to teaching.

The application followed the same four movements. God has already moved with power, most decisively in the resurrection. The question he put to the congregation was where each person stands on that progression: Have you seen God move? Are you letting His word interpret what He would have you do? Are you prepared to hold your ground when opposition comes? The witness advances, he said, through the sustained obedience of people who have seen God move in their own lives.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

The pastor described a repeating pattern in Acts where God moves with power, His word interprets what is happening, opposition arises, and then the witness advances. Where have you seen that pattern play out, either in your own life or in the life of the church?
Peter told the high council 'we must obey God rather than any human authority.' John Stott is quoted as saying that when an authority commands what God forbids, or forbids what God commands, the Christian's duty is to disobey the human authority in order to obey God. How do you think about that tension in your own life, and how do you know when you have reached that line?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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0:03 Speaker 1Well, is this thing important? Yeah. Okay. Blew that one. Think of a man set free from bondage and captivity by almighty God.

0:21 He's released. He's given a chance to grow, given a second chance, but it's not really by his choice. He doesn't know God. This man revisits all that he ever knew God, and he finds it unsatisfied. It's just dead religion.

0:37 But an old friend speaks truth into his life so reluctantly opens himself up to God's direction. Then God moves with great power. It surprises him. It surprises everybody around him. He's so totally convinced that God is and that he has moved with great power and that he has given him a mission.

0:58 His eyes are open as God expands his understanding of himself. He's so totally convinced that he commences his brother that this is their shared mission and with singular focus they set about accomplishing the mission. Worldly philosophies rise against them, authorities rise against them in opposition and they make the mission seem impossible. It's not gonna happen, there's no way. But they're resolute, no doubt about it.

1:24 They have their direction, they're gonna take it. They encounter unbelievable opposition yet the mission is clear and God provides miraculously for them day by day by day to see his mission accomplished. In the end, that great personal cost to them with much effort expended, inspired and supplied by God, they actually do accomplish the mission they set out to do. Now what I just described is kind of a plot, a general plot. What I was thinking of is that.

1:52 That's what I was thinking of. The Blues Brothers, Jake Melvin. Jake gets out of prison. He wasn't really looking for God. He went back and visited the penguin.

2:03 This is a this movie, the TBS version is better. It needs to be edited. Trust me. But these guys and act really line up together. I can't help but think of this when I think of that.

2:16 They are convinced of their mission. They know what's going on and that's their answer. And you might think blasphemy. Loretha Franklin did the movie and she said, don't you blasphemy in here. To these guys when they said we're on mission from God.

2:41 But it was not blasphemy. It was the truth. These guys knew that they had a mission from God. I know it's a movie. It's one of my favorite movies but I know that it doesn't have a whole lot.

2:53 It doesn't seem like it has a whole lot to do with Acts. If you watch it, watch the edited version. Don't blame it on me because it's not pristine, especially before they know God. But Acts five twelve three forty eight through two demonstrates a very familiar pattern. It's the pattern that's seen in that movie.

3:12 God moves with power. He does. His word interprets what's going on. It explains what's happening and then opposition arises. And what's great about that is the opposition arises and then it's toward it.

3:26 And then the witness advances. That's what we're gonna talk about today. We're gonna look through Acts five twelve through 42. And you all notice these are big chunks of scripture. You could probably pick a verse or two here and there and use the mix of Jesus and pull it out but I think narrative lends itself to just taking big chunks so we're gonna go through that in a minute.

3:46 This is ridiculous. My professor William Larkin he wrote the book that I'm using as guideline for the study of Acts, he had us memorizing Greek class a chart that was about 40 columns long and about 30 columns deep and he taught it the grammar and the head chart. He wanted for us when we looked at Greek words to know or prepositions or participles he wanted us to know these things it was only a 100 you know who knows how many. He also made this chart. I want you to see that this pattern in acts one through five is repeated several times and it's I think he's talking to Theophilus.

4:22 Luke is talking to Theophilus and he's saying this is the way things happen in the kingdom of God. This is a normal pattern of events. This is the way the church got started and this is something that we can expect in our normal lives. In chapter two, God moves with power at Pentecost and then Peter stands up and says, oh God told us this was gonna happen in Joel, he points back to Psalms, he points back to Deuteronomy, opposition arises, these guys are just drunk. But Peter answers no it's just 09:00 in the morning listen this is what's happening he answered and then the witness advances that talks about the believers getting together daily and taking care of one each other's needs, each other's needs, prayer, breaking of bread that sort of thing.

5:03 Chapter three we saw over the past several weeks it was exactly the same thing. This week it's the same too and we're going go into that in a bit but first we're going to talk about well, let me just get to the scripture first. Let me show all of this. The apostles performed in many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all believed were meeting regularly at the temple in the area known as Solomon's Garden, but no one else dared to join them even though all the people had high regard for them.

5:35 That sounds weird. No one dared to join them even though all the people had high regard for them. What just happened immediately before this last week's the last time of the sermon last week, Ananias and Sapphire were struck dead. In the church where the lame walked, the liars died. There was reason for fear among the people.

5:56 But when the apostles were performing signs and wonders, then no one else dared to join them. They were kind of standoffish from this because they recognized that something crazy was going on here. Even though people had a higher yard for them, yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord. The people who knew what was going on from a periphery that were just kind of outside looking in around the temple, they kind of were scared of what was going on. But if you'll see the crowds of both men and women, as a result of the apostles' work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mass so that Peter's shadow might even fall across some of them as they went by.

6:35 Maybe a little bit of superstition going on there. Crowds came from villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. Where are the villages around Jerusalem? Where would those be? Judea.

6:50 Jerusalem was a city in the midst of kind of a geopolitical region known as Judea, the land of the Jews. So Jerusalem's here, Judea is outlying areas. In Acts one eight, Jesus said, you will be my witnesses. You will be my witnesses to Jerusalem And so far, that's all we've seen. Judea.

7:09 So Judea is coming in now. Samaria in the uttermost parts. We're gonna see that ever expanding circle throughout that. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem out of Biju, bringing their sickness possessed by evil spirits, and they were all good. The high priest and his officials who were sad to see were filled with jealousy.

7:29 They arrested the they arrested the apostles and put them in a public jail. Now what? How many times have they been in jail so far? This is the second time in Acts we see them caught put in jail. But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out.

7:44 Then he told them, go to the temple and give the people this message of life. So at daybreak, the apostles entered the temple as they were told. You can't do that when angels tell you to do something. And immediately began teaching, and when the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council, Wondering where it would all land. Isn't that a great line?

8:33 Wondering where this all land. Oh, we thought we got rid of that guy. He's coming back up. Then someone arrived with startling news. The men you put in jail are standing in the temple teaching the people.

8:47 This is kinda like the Keystone Cops, isn't it? They're fumbling around trying to figure out what's going on. The captain went with the temple guards and arrested the apostles but without violence, where they were afraid the people would stone them. Then they brought the apostles before the high council where the high priest confronted them. Didn't he tell you never again to teach in this man's name, he demanded?

9:09 Instead, you have filled all the crucial with your teaching about it and you wanna make us responsible for his death. Who's responsible for Christ's death? They were and we all were. They all they were and we all are. But you wanna make us responsible for his death.

9:27 But Peter and the apostles replied, we must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on the cross. Then God put him in a place of honor at his right hand as prince and savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.

9:49 We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit who is given by God to those who obey. And when they heard this, the high council was furious. Literally furious right there means they were sawn apart, slid into, cut, and decided to kill them. But one member, a pharisee named Gomelian, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people stood up in order that the men be sent outside the chamber, the council chamber for a while. Then he said to his colleagues, men of Israel, take care what you plan to do with these men.

10:26 Some time ago, there was that fellow Theodos who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed too, and his followers were scattered.

10:47 So my advice is, this is a guy they all respect. Leave these men alone. Let them go. If they're planning on doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them.

11:02 You may even find yourselves fighting against God. The other accepted his advice, they called in the apostles and added them to love. It always cracks me up. The apostles left high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day in the temple and from house to house, they continue to teach and preach this message, Jesus is the Messiah.

11:45 I'm gonna go back now to the slides. Larry, if you could go back to the slides towards the end but let's pray that God will just illuminate what he's trying to teach this morning. God, would you do just that? Would you show us exactly what you have for us? We wanna apply the scripture to our life, Lord.

12:03 We know that you have moved with great power. We know that you want for us to pay attention to what it is that you're doing. And God, I pray that you would use us, that we would stand up, that we would interpret your word, that we do so correctly, rightly dividing the word of truth, Lord. And I pray that if and when opposition does arise, Lord, from the world, from outside influence, from, from my own interior, from sin, Lord, when that opposition arrives that you would be the one that flirts it, Lord. You get it behind us.

12:36 Thank God that your kingdom witness would advance. It's in Jesus' name we pray, Lord. Amen. So God moves with power. In that story, you can see a couple of different places where he does that.

12:51 Verses 12 to 16 jump out at me. It's impossible to perform many miraculous signs and wonders. I'll find the title of the other night. He said, I keep expecting you to say that acts as a transitional book. It's between the Old Testament and the New Testament and it is a place where things happen that we're really uncomfortable with.

13:09 My way of saying that is in the first few terms, said Acts is an uncomfortable book to study because we see things happen in Acts that we don't normally see happening at first Peter. I don't like to get into the study of miracles and have it ceased and not because God is bigger than that. He is able to do what he wants to do and I've seen some unusual things in the mission field at different times when necessary, God shows up. He just does. So but in this particular place, Acts is a transitional book.

13:43 I'll say it. It is one of those places where we see apostles doing things that seem to be not their will but we know that their wills are closely aligned with God's. All of them were together in one place and they were in one accord, they were in one heart, one mind, one soul. We've seen that and the heart, mind, soul was all joined together by one spirit as Paul says one baptism. They were all brought in together as one.

14:08 As all believers are meeting regularly at the temple in that Solomon's Colony, they were teaching but what they were they were preaching more than they were teaching. There's a difference in kerygma and daddash. Kerygma is the proclamation of the gospel. And Peter does it over and over and over in his book and so do the other apostles. So God moves with power verses 12 to 16, yes he has done this miraculous thing.

14:32 He does it again in this later section when an angel opens the jail that the guys are in. When he opens pops the clink on them and lets them out and closes the door apparently back and locks it back up because it's securely locked in that day when they get there. God moves with power. He does this at his own prerogative. He does it when he chooses to do it.

14:52 I do not think that we can twist God's arms. Do I not think that we can give a little seed money so that we can get God to do what we want. I don't think that fasting makes God do what we want. I don't think that we're in control of God's mighty movements of the spirit. So I don't think it's scriptural to believe that that's true.

15:11 It's his prerogative. When he moves with power, it is up to us to that and we do that with his word. That's what we do. That's why we have the Bible. We had forecasted beforehand all of this prophecy.

15:26 Peter knew his Bible and so he was able to stand up on the day of Pentecost and say, this is what Joel was talking about, that God was gonna pour out his spirit on us, that that old man and young man dream dreams, have vision, all of that. He knew that because he knew the word. So God's word interprets. If you look at verses 29 through 32 in this current story study, Peter and the apostles replied, we must obey God rather than any human authority. When he said that, I was looking for references in there and the references honestly are a little bit oblique but there are some.

16:05 When he's interpreting the word Psalms 106, Psalms 118, Isaiah 63, Jeremiah, Joel, Judges, he's coming up from all these places. What's interesting when he's talking about we must obey God rather than man is he immediately goes to the God of our ancestors. Now he's in a group of people who disagree with him. He's in a group of people that he knows don't believe in the resurrection and he knows the resurrection has happened in Jesus. So when he's talking to him, he he throws it out there.

16:40 We must obey God rather than men and then he asked him basically to join him. He says, the God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on the cross. On a tree is a literal translation and that goes back to the prophecies that he would be common tree and curse. A little note right here for today, for all time actually, John Scott said something I thought was a great quote I ran across this week commenting on this verse, he said if the authority concerned, whatever authority that may be, if the authority concerned misuses its God given power to command what he forbids, to command what God forbids, or to forbid what God commands, then the Christian's duty is to disobey the human authority in order to obey gods. That's a difficult place when we're told to be humble and we're told to to we don't want to be known for what we're against but when the authority tells us we have to do something that we cannot do as Christians, we need to be able to say, we cannot do that.

17:51 We must obey God rather than man. That's a middle sermon application point there. I think it's great Peter preaches the gospel. At that point, when they're up against him, he lets the word interpret and he opens it up. He almost preaches and gives an invitation to him.

18:07 He says, come on and do it. Come on down. It's our spiritual responsibility to allow the word of God to interpret God's movement. Opposition arises in this orb. Point three, almost to four.

18:25 There are a couple of different places where you can see this. I mean we see it all over the place in general with the Sadducees especially 17 and 18. The high priest and his officials who were Sadducees. Y'all remember me saying sadducees and pharisees were two completely different groups. The sadducees were extremely far left, very far left.

18:44 They believed in human goings on, not divine goings on. They believed that humans made decisions. That was all that mattered. Politically, sadducees were all that. They did not really believe in the resurrection at all.

18:59 They thought it was figurative language. They did not believe that was the name of the resurrection. They didn't believe in angels or spirits. They believed in human humanity only. The pharisees were on the other side, but the high priest and his officials who were sadducees were filled with jealousy.

19:19 This is probably from a good place because they thought that they were doing right. They were filled with zeal. This kind of, I can't believe they're doing this again. That sort of thing. So they arrested the apostles and put them in jail.

19:38 That's opposition arising right there. God moves with power again and that he unlocks the door to that jail. 21 to 26 says, when the high priestess officials arrived, they convened the high council, full assembly of the elders of Israel. They sent for them to come in and as they were gonna question, they find us out. That's opposition arising.

20:04 Thirty eight and forty also goes into Gamaliel and his response. And I want to want to go into Gamaliel's response. So Gamaliel is a Pharisee. He most of us got upset and sees he's a Pharisee but he's a guy that everybody respects. Everybody thinks he's got a good head on his shoulders and he's somebody that we ought to listen to.

20:28 He tells them all about the men of Israel that have stood up and one of them pretending to be the Messiah, another one want to be zealous and overthrow the government. But he says, my advice is leave these men alone, let them go. If they're planning on doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it's from God, you'll not be able to overthrow and you may even find yourself fighting against God. This has been variously interpreted over the years.

20:55 One way is that Gamaliel was a believer or he was beginning to be a believer and so he was just trying to get the apostles out of trouble with the officials. The other is that he's just a pragmatist and he just recognizes that listen, you got a bunch of people around right now who love them but it's gonna come to nothing. If it's not of God, so he's putting his trust in God. I don't know exactly where to come down on that, but I do know this, Gamaliel did not go far enough. I will say this to you, it's not within our ability to control how opposition will rise against us.

21:31 There's nothing we can do about that. We cannot control how opposition will arise against us. We also cannot control how it's thwarted. God got them out of this situation with one of the guys that was against them speaking up. So it's not within our ability to control that.

21:49 So the first one is God's prerogative. The second one is our responsibility. The third one is not within our ability to control, but it gets us to this point. The witness advancing. When Ephesians told him that others accepted his advice, they called in apostles out of blood, then they ordered him never again to speak in the name of Jesus and then go out and go.

22:14 And this part, acts forty one and forty two. 42 is probably my favorite verse in acts. It's something I think about all the time is that we ought to be doing this all the time. It's about sustained obedience. Acts 41 says the apostles left the high council rejoicing after they had been flocked.

22:31 Rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. But 42 says, and every day in the temple and from house to house, they continue to teach and preach this message. Jesus is the Messiah. Verse 16, alongside Jesus' promise in Acts one eight is interesting too. I told you about about Jerusalem being in Judea, and so now it's spreading from Jerusalem.

23:02 It's getting to be a wider circle out into Judea. Forty one and forty two are those summary statements about how the word spread. And I wanna tell you that the witness advancing is about our obedience, not just our obedience. 42 says that they continued, actually the Greek version of progressive action verb that says they continually were preaching. They were always teaching and preaching that Jesus is the Christ.

23:30 That was the center of their message. If you look at the apostles teaching and preaching in the New Testament, it's almost always about the Christ, almost always about Jesus. It's not necessarily like the epistles that are teaching us how we can live together, how to live together and in the world. The apostles preaching in the early days of Christianity during those times of exponential growth was centered upon the cross of Christ. Emmanuel's pragmatic report or his pragmatic advice that he gave him was really just to see this problem kind of go away.

24:11 He didn't go far enough. If he really believed that it was from God, then he should have said, and we should join. That's where it should have been. The witness advance advances. So application.

24:31 God moves with power. He has moved with power. He did that in the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Jesus lived a perfect life. He lived a sacrificial death.

24:44 He had a sacrificial death and declared innocent repeatedly. Seven times declared innocent, yet they still crucified him in the grave and on the third day he rose again. God that's God moving with power right there. God raised Jesus from the dead. Historical fact is actually did happen.

25:01 It actually does matter. So the first point, God is the prime mover. He's in charge. He has moved with power already. So where are you on this progression?

25:15 This is an application point. Have you seen God move with power? He has done it, but have you seen it? I hate to call back Jake. Jake Melwood.

25:25 But Jake, absolutely, It's an illustration. But that happens. That happens in people's lives still today. It happened in my life, happened in your life, happened in a lot of your lives. Has God moved with power?

25:57 Yes. Have you seen him move with power? Yes. Praise God. If the answer is no, I'm asking you to take a leap of faith today, step of faith and come out.

26:08 Let one of us know. Let somebody in this room know before you leave that God is speaking to you today, please. If he has shown himself, if you have seen him move with power, are you letting his word interpret for you what you're to do in your life? Has he showed you through his word or through your friends or through your circumstances what he would have you do. I would say, I want you to take a leap of faith and do it.

26:34 You will encounter an opposition. Jesus guarantees that in John 16 but it's still worth it. Looking to God in the midst of opposition, trusting in him, and proclaiming his word, that's how his kingdom advances. It is by sustained obedience by people who have seen him move with power in their own lives. We're gonna go into a time of communion here.

27:02 Carl, don't give the band come back up and we're gonna do the first song that he's gonna do the kind of invitation. The altar is open up here. If you find yourself anywhere along this continuum and feel like you need to do business today with Jesus and just kind of make a decision that you've been putting off or if you felt this nagging kind of feeling, the spirit is moving and you've not been responding. And I'd ask you please, you can come up front and pray, you can stand where you are and pray, but open yourself up to God. Allow him to work through you in you, with you today.

27:36 We're gonna sing that first song and then we're gonna prepare for communion. Fella, Elder, if you would come forward towards the end of the song when we close and we'll go right into the town.

27:46 Speaker 2We're gonna remain seated here and again, this is preparing us for communion and it's

27:55 Speaker 1a time to to be

27:57 Speaker 2reverent, time to listen, time to talk to God in your heart. And just ask that you would focus on on the lyrics of the song

32:33 Speaker 1this time. Amen.

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Miracles In Acts Obeying God Over Government Opposition To Faith Sharing Your Faith Suffering For Jesus

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