Acts 5:17-42
Notes
Transcript
RECAP:
Jesus rose from the dead, spent 40 days with the disciples and then ascended into heaven promising to send the Holy Spirit
The apostles waited and the Holy Spirit came to them and they received miraculous gifting
The gospel was preached miracles were being done and thousands began to believe
Peter and John got arrested tried and released
We saw how the early church lived closely together in community
AND last week Pastor Calvin talked about the first major Sin issues in the church and the importance of Holiness to the witness of the church
12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Acts 5:17–42 (ESV)
17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy
The apostles were gaining influence and positive notoriety. The human fleshly response to that is to feel threatened. To feel jealous.
Wanna do a little bit of a side quest on the topic of envy/ jealousy here so bear with me:
envy is extremely human, but it is anti-God . We who call Jesus as our Lord and Savior should not be characterized by jealousy or envy.
A jealous person does not love
A jealous person does not love
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
A jealous person is not humble
A jealous person is not humble
The humble man feels no jealousy or envy. He can praise God when others are preferred and blessed before him. He can bear to hear others praised while he is forgotten because … he has received the spirit of Jesus, who pleased not Himself, and who sought not His own honor.
Therefore, in putting on the Lord Jesus Christ he has put on the heart of compassion, kindness, meekness, longsuffering, and humility.
—Andrew Murray
bio.AndrewMurray.1
A jealous person does not trust God
A jealous person does not trust God
“my god shall supply all my needs”
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
68 You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.
18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.
They arrested Errbody not Just Peter and John
We tried just arresting their top leaders, now we are bringing in the whole leadership
Once again, they get put into the overnight holding cell essentially
19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
The getting arrested for preaching thing has happened before. The Angel intervention makes this different from last time
This is an answer to their prayer for God to empower their bold proclamation
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
This is a demonstration of God being more powerful than earthly rulers
Important to note:
He miraculously delivers them from a circumstance they got into by being obedient to him.
He does not deliver them from the consequences of acting the fool
God Does not ALWAYS deliver the people from prison
It's already been seen in the profits. We've seen it in John the Baptist, and in the death of Jesus, and very soon in the book of acts, we're going to see people give up their life for the sake of the gospel.
God does always put them where they need to be
The angels message reflects that:
1. Stay in Jerusalem. These men we're not from here so they may have considered just going home.
2. Keep on doing exactly what you're doing exactly where you're doing it. preaching the whole message of Jesus and the new life found in him.
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
They came in with a whole idea of how this day was going to go
10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
They gather together and come up with a plan and then there is this waiting period
(Luke includes this because it’s funny! it shows the futility of their planning without God)
22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.
They are blind to the obvious work of God
They didnt NEED God, WE have a plan. WE know what to do.
God was not doing what they thought God should do. God might be working and revealing himself but they are blind to it because they are not looking for the right god
25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”
the Bible does not tell us who this was but I picture this as a janitor
26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
This is not the CHURCH they are worried about, its the jewish people
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
It is interesting to me that they do not even want to say the name.
28
They are afraid because they are guilty
The gospel is mercy not retribution
Justice without vengeance
17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
guilt over sin is not enough.
Guilt + humility is
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Peters reply
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
We are going to obey God not man (Like all jewish people SHOULD and HAVE wanted to do)
30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.
Our God, YOUR God raised him from the dead. You tried to thwart him and he said NO, now you are trying to thwart him again
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Jesus (validated and exalted by YOUR GOD) is savior and leader. Provides real salvation and real leadership. You WERE following the true God but you are now out of line
32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
If you don’t believe me just watch.
People are being healed, thousands are believing, You can’t deny the divine power at work
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.
Just like with Jesus, they are in a sticky situation
If they just take matters into their own hands and kill them, they are going to be in trouble with the Romans
If they “go through proper channels” and go to the Romans to accuse them of being rabble rousing rebels, the Jewish people will turn on them
34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.
34
Side note that this is Paul (currently Saul’s) mentor Acts 22:3
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.
Historically well known
Respected
35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”
This is wise counsel. We have strong evidence that this man was far from being a believer in Jesus
With the leader gone they will fade away.
What he does not understand is that the leader is not gone. Acts 5:31
31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
2 then if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with a number of stripes in proportion to his offense. 3 Forty stripes may be given him, but not more, lest, if one should go on to beat him with more stripes than these, your brother be degraded in your sight.
IF THE MAN IS GUILTY
41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
Worthy to be seen as worthless
Honorable enough to be dishonored
9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
Proclamation of the good news was of utmost importance
owning the religious leaders was not important
Winning the court case was not important
being spared the death penalty was not important
So What?
Following Jesus Leads to Going Against the Grain
Following Jesus Leads to Going Against the Grain
Not disobeying to make a point
Not being obstinent
Not being antagonistic
BUT RADICALY, remarkably and uncomfortably different
Branston Skating the wrong way
English Standard Version Chapter 8
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
nothing CAN separate us but Paul mentions all those things because they WANT to separate you from the Love of Christ
Following Jesus Leads to Suffering
Following Jesus Leads to Suffering
Suffering will happen
The result of sin on our part
The result of the sin of our fellow believers
the result of sin’s effect in the world
the result of spiritual warfare (earthly and supernatural)
Leaders will suffer the most
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
This is talking about God but the same is true on an earthly level
If you are suffering alone, question the suffering
God CAN protect you, but he ALWAYS has you
Branston and I in the canoe
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
IN all of those things
Following Jesus Leads to Joy
Following Jesus Leads to Joy
Beatitudes
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Joy is not found in self
Joy is not found in comfort
Joy is IS found in a heart that is transformed by the gospel
The transcendent truth
Fruit of the holy spirit
Joy is only possible when being obedient to God
Well i am a christian but I am not experiencing Joy.
Then you are not living a life of submission to Jesus.