Don't Let The Devil Stop You!
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And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that 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.
Topic: “Don’t Let The Devil Stop You!”
Intro:
Intro:
Theme:
WHATEVER GOD TELLS YOU TO DO, WHATEVER GOD HAS FOR YOU TO DO.......DON’T LET THE DEVIL STOP YOU.
Believer- applies to anything God tells you to do. The Devil is going to stop you. Devil is adversary, now we know that The Devil is Satan whose job is to come against the saints of God.
But upon further evaluation, there are times in which the word devil or diablo is written in the plural suggesting that there is more than one devil.
Matter of fact, a devil is anything that becomes an adversary to you. Anything or anybody that comes against you, especially when you are trying to do the will of God or you have an assignment from God that comes up against you can be classified as a devil.
When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
I find it interesting that at this point in the scripture, Satan has yet to entered Judas Iscariot but yet he calls him a devil.
Why? Because his heart was not right. He worked against Jesus. When did he work against Jesus?
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Because you have to understand how a devil can work sometimes.
Sometimes a devil can act religious, a devil can act like they are on your side, and the whole time be working against you.
Then when it is revealed, it can discourage you, it can make you feel like you want to give up and throw in the towel.
Make you feel like you are wasting your time.
But you cannot let the devil stop you! It might get you down, it might hurt you, it might disappoint you, and people who you thought had your back might surprise you. BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOING......DON’T LET THE DEVIL STOP YOU!!!
The Text:
The Text:
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
The Lord was blessing the church. Signs and wonders were performed amongst the people by the hands of the Apostles. The gospel was being preached, souls were being saved, The Church figuratively and literally meaning, more believers were being added to the church and the believers themselves were growing in faith.
They were meeting regularly at Solomon’s Colonnade the Bible says.
The scriptures declare as a result of the Apostle’s work, more and more people believed and were brought to the LORD, crowds of both men and women.
People were bring sick people into the streets on beds and mats so that at the least the shadow or Peter passing by might overshadow them.
The bible says in verse 16 that “Crowds came from villages around Jerusalem bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
The LORD was blessing the church, the LORD was moving in the church and moving and blessing amongst his people. It was bringing people together.
IMMA SAY THAT AGAIN.....IT WAS BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
But the Devil, does not want the church to be together. Because when the church is together it has the potential to do what some adversaries said in latter chapters (Acts 17:6) “These that have turned the world upside down.”
So anytime God is blessing, you can expect the Devil or devils (little d’s) to try and throw a wrench in the plan.
Verse 17 then says “Then the high priest rose up, and they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees) and were filled with indignation.
There was a leader and there were people who were following this so called leader, and the scriptures say that they were filled with indignation.
Now the word indignation doesn’t just mean they were mad, but suggest to us that they were filled with jealousy!
And you need to know and understand that sometimes when God is blessing your life, when God is moving and working, when God is blessing the church, or an individual sometimes you have outsiders.....AND YOU MIGHT HAVE INSIDERS THAT DON’T LIKE IT!
They tried to bound the Apostles, and the devil will try and bind you! Will try and stop you from doing the will of God.
Verse 18 says “And laid their hands on the apostles.” Now some devils won’t lay their hands but they will lay their mouths on you. Some will work behind the scenes to try and arrest what you are doing for the LORD.
You witness to someone and here that devil comes trying to undo the work that you’ve done.
You praise God and believe God for a miracle and here the devil comes to distract you and use the people around you to get your mind off of God.
Husband/wife/children/co-workers start working against you. Church members start working against you and it frustrates you so, that your flesh wants to give up pack your bags and move on. But you can’t let the devil STOP YOU!!!! YOU GOTTA KEEP GOING......BECAUSE GOD IS GETTING READY TO PERFORM A MIRACLE IN YOUR LIFE.
GOD IS GETTING READY TO BLESS, GOD IS GETTING READY TO BRING SOMEONE OUT. YOU BEEN BOUND BUT GOD SAYS I’M GETTING READY TO LOOSE YOU!!! THAT’S A PROPHETIC WORD FOR SOMEONE THIS MORNING TO GRASP A HOLD OF.
The opposition locked them up and put them in the common prison. It seemed like it was over.
Verse 19 then says:
“BUT AN ANGEL OF THE LORD CAME AT NIGHT, OPENED THE GATES OF THE JAIL, AND BROUGHT THEM OUT!”
I WANNA ENCOURAGE SOMEONE THIS MORNING THAT’S BEEN TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING BUT NOTHING IS WORKING, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE SOMEONE THAT FEELS LIKE THEY ARE TRAPPED, THAT FEELS LIKE THEY ARE BOUND......I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS GETTING READY TO BRING YOU OUT!!!
AND WHEN GOD BRINGS YOU OUT......YOU NEED TO GO AND TELL SOMEBODY!!!! That’s what they did in the next verse.
So at daybreak, the Apostles went back to the Temple and immediately began teaching!
DON’T LET THE DEVIL STOP YOU!!! KEEP PRAYING, KEEP FASTING, KEEP BELIEVING, KEEP PRAYING, KEEP PRAISING, KEEP SHOUTING, KEEP DANCING, KEEP MARCHING, KEEP WORSHIPPING, KEEP TESTIFYING, KEEP WITNESSING, KEEP PREACHING, KEEP SINGING, KEEP PLAYING, KEEP SERVING.......DON’T YOU LET THE DEVIL STOP YOU!!!!
AH but it wasn’t over.
The temple guards arrested the apostles again, but without violence because they were afraid that the people might stone them.
They told the apostles, we told you never to teach or preach in this name (the name of Jesus). Instead you have filled all Jerusalem, everywhere you went, you’ve talked about this Jesus and now you are making us responsible for his death.
But Peter said “We ought to obey God rather than men.” And Peter right there in front of them started preaching Jesus!
Peter told them “You killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead and God exalted him with his right hand (now that statement means that God has made Jesus equal with Him) and they had to say this, because they treated Jesus like a common criminal, they rejected Jesus, they despised Jesus, but yet, God highly exalted him.
And there are gonna be some people that don’t like you and the devil he don’t like you neither. But the scriptures says that “God resists the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” and again the scripture says “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
You can take the ridicule, you can take the lies, you can take the hurt........just don’t give up......don’t let the devil stop you. Because in due time......GOD IS GOING TO EXALT YOU!!!!
IN OTHER-WORDS.....GOD IS GOING TO TAKE YOU HIGHER!!!! GOD IS GOING TO MAKE YOU STRONGER FOR THE WORK!!!!
GOD IS GOING TO EQUIP YOU FOR THE CALLING!!!! IT MAY HURT NOW......BUT PETER SAID “AFTER YE HAVE SUFFERED AWHILE, MAKE YOU PERFECT, STABLISH, STRENGTHEN AND SETTLE YOU.
MAKE YOU PERFECT means HE WILL RESTORE!
ESTABLISH means HE WILL SUPPORT!
STRENGTH means just that GOD IS GOING TO STRENGTHEN YOU!
SETTLE means that your not going to be unstable, but that God is GOING TO PLACE YOU ON A FIRM FOUNDATION!!!
AND SAINTS OF GOD THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED!
Close:
When Peter finished preaching, they were ready to kill all the Apostles. But Gamaiel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people had a private meeting with some of the council.
By the grace of God, he was able to persuade them not to kill the Apostles and they needed to be careful.
He told them, that if this is the work of man then it won’t last.
But if it be the work of God, YOU WON’T OVERTHROW IT.....YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF FIGHTING AGAINST GOD!
SO IF GOD TELLS YOU TO DO IT......AND IT IS GOD.....AND PEOPLE COME AGAINST YOU.....DON’T WORRY....GOD SAID I GOT THIS.....THEY NOT FIGHTING YOU....THEY FIGHTING ME!
So they decided to flog the Apostles......39 stripes (doesn’t say that, but that is the most stripes that they are allowed to minister according to Jewish Law). Now when the Gentiles/Romans flogged Jesus.....there was no law.....they could hit him as many times as they wanted.
WATCH THIS.....41.......”THEY DEPARTED FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE COUNCIL, REJOICING!”
HOW CAN YOU REJOICE WHEN YOU’VE JUST TAKEN A BEATING. A COUPLE OF REASONS:
IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE SUFFERED GOD HAS OUR BACK.
GOD COUNTED US WORTHY TO SUFFER DISGRACE FOR THE NAME OF JESUS. THAT MEANS WE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!!! DEVIL NOT GONNA ATTACK YOU UNLESS HE DEEMS YOU TO BE A THREAT!
What happens then?
And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
WHATEVER GOD TELLS YOU TO DO, WHATEVER GOD HAS FOR YOU TO DO.......DON’T LET THE DEVIL STOP YOU.
Altar Call:
To those of you who are not saved, don’t let the devil stop you from being saved (elborate). (invitation to discipleship)
To those of you who are saved but you are discouraged, you are weak, you need more patience, more love, you need forgiveness from God, whatever you need from God.......don’t let the devil stop you.....come to the altar and ask God for whatever it is that you need.
