The Surrendered Life- Part 1

Introduction- Acts 5:17-42

A couple of weeks ago we considered the earlier part of this chapter where Ananias and Sapphira met their end because of their hypocrisy.

They pretended to surrender all to the Lord when in reality they had “kept back part” for themselves.

This was a powerful object lesson for the followers of Jesus Christ concerning surrender.

Today we will continue in this theme with a look at a small group of believers who were genuinely surrendered to the Lord.

There is much that you and I can learn from the lives of these believers.

It is a tragic reality that much of Christianity today bears little resemblance to that which is found in the New Testament scriptures in it level of commitment and surrender.

A Demonstration of Genuine Surrender (Vs. 17-21a)

This passage opens with the disciples ministry in a period of expansion as many signs and wonders were wrought by the apostles.

At this time more and more people were beginning to come under the influence of the disciples of Christ.

This of course was perceived by the religious leaders as a threat to their own influence and authority.

When they heard the reports of the growing ministry of the disciples the high priest rose up and those who were with him (especially the sect of the Sadducees) and as the scripture states it “were filled with indignation (jealous anger).”

They came and took the apostles by force and committed them to a nearby prison.

Yet in the night, the Lord sent an angel who opened the prison doors and brought them forth out of the prison.

The angel also gave them simple instruction as to what they were to do now—commanding them to “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

It is important to recognize that this was precisely what they were doing which had landed them in prison in the first place.

They surely knew that to do what the angel had commanded would almost certainly bring further persecution and conflict with the religious leaders.

This is where their faith and obedience were put to the test—would they be willing to do as God had said even though it would likely lead to persecution and hardship?

Early the following morning, these disciples entered into the temple and began to teach the people.

This was clearly a demonstration of the fact that they were genuinely surrendered to the Lord.

They were intent upon obeying the Lord whatever the cost.

This is what true surrender looks like—doing the will of the Lord even when it may involve suffering, persecution, or difficulty.

These early believers were deeply committed to serving the Lord and obeying His Word.

Surrender Is Not Always Smooth Sailing (Vs. 21b-28)

There are many today who imagine that surrender to the Lord brings prosperity and comfort, but this is not a principle which comes from the scripture.

In fact in many cases those who surrendered to the Lord would face suffering and persecution as a direct result of their obedience to Him.

This was true in the case of these disciples—they did exactly what God had told them to do and yet they became the target of further persecution.

After returning to the temple and resuming their preaching and teaching ministry—almost immediately the religious leaders returned and again arrested them without incident.

They were set before the council and questioned about their continued ministry in the name of Jesus.

They had been commanded to cease from preaching and teaching in Jesus name and yet they continued to the point that the religious leaders actually accused them of “filling Jerusalem” with their doctrine.

It is evident that this group of believers were truly surrendered to the Lord and no amount of persecution or suffering would cause them to disobey His commands.

Sadly the majority of believers today are not deeply committed to the Lord and it takes only a slight inconvenience or a small amount of difficulty to cause many to disobey the Lord’s commands.

Even though their obedience led to further persecution, these believers were committed to continuing to serve the Lord.

Too many have bought into the lie that surrendering to the Lord means that you will never suffer or face hardships or trials.

In reality surrendering to the Lord may well bring new challenges and difficulties, but you will not face them alone and you can know that you face them for a worthy cause.

At this point Peter and the other apostles answer their persecutors with a bold but simple statement—we ought to obey God rather than men.

This was a statement of confident defiance and at the same time an expression of their deep devotion to Christ and His Word.

These early believers understood that there was nothing of greater importance than obedience to God.

Even knowing that their obedience would likely be met with opposition and harsh persecution, they determined it was better to obey God rather than to yield to the threats of the religious leaders.

Those Who Are Surrendered Cannot Be Stopped (Vs. 30-42)

Shockingly in this moment Peter and the apostles begin to boldly declare the gospel to their persecutors.

They witness of Christ’s resurrection this time not to the people in the temple but to the religious leaders themselves—what boldness and courage they displayed under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

The religious leaders were taken aback by their declaration and began to converse among themselves—formulating a plot by which they could put these bold believers to death.

Yet just as they were beginning to work out how they might slay them, a respected leader of the Pharisees stood and began to speak.

He encouraged restraint and reminded the other how that they had seen many movements gain momentum and then ultimately fade in time.

It would be wrong to imagine that Gamaliel believed that these Christians were acting at God’s direction.

It is likely that he believed that this “Christian” movement would not last, and that in time it would simply fade just like so many others before it.

He rightly concludes that if their ministry and movement is of men it will come to nought—he also rightly points out that if it is of God there is nothing they can do to stop it because to fight against it would be to fight against God Himself.

His reasoning evidently found a receptive audience among the religious leaders who then decided that the best course of action was not to kill them but rather to beat and threaten them in the hope that this would be enough to convince them to cease from speaking in Jesus name.

If these believers were acting in their own interest this would certainly have been an effective means of silencing their witness—however because they were surrendered to God and were acting in obedience to His Word—their threats and punishment failed to stop them.

Amazingly this chapter closes with a couple of verses which serve to reinforce the fact that these believers were absolutely surrendered to God.

Instead of grumbling and complaining about their circumstances and the persecution they had endured, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus.

There is no other explanation for this response than that they were entirely devoted to the cause of Christ.

Not only did they rejoice in their suffering, but they also returned to the temple and even began to go to every house in order to teach and preach Jesus Christ to the people.

These believers are a wonderful example of the surrendered life!

Conclusion

In the closing verse of Acts 4, we saw a group of believers who had genuinely surrendered to the Lord and were willing to give all that they were and all that they had in service to Christ.

In the opening of Acts 5, we saw a couple who pretended to surrender but who in reality were not willing to give all but instead kept back part.

In the rest of Acts 5 we again find a group of believers who were genuinely surrendered to the Lord and who were willing to sacrifice and to suffer for the cause of Christ.

These believers demonstrated their devotion to Christ by obeying even when they knew that their obedience would likely lead to suffering and persecution.

These believers understood that surrendering themselves to God wouldn’t guarantee for them a life of comfort and ease.

They were willing to endure suffering, trials, and hardships in order to obey their Lord.

They rightly concluded that it was better to obey God rather than men and they were willing to obey God whatever the cost.

Ultimately they learned that those who are surrendered cannot be stopped—those who fight against them are in reality found to be fighting against God.

Outside of trusting Jesus Christ as Savior, the greatest decision that any individual can make is to surrender him/herself to God!

Will you truly surrender your life to Him today? Will you determine to obey His Word and to do His will whatever the cost?

Will you move today beyond mere casual Christianity and become a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ?

Just think about the impact and influence this handful of committed disciples had upon the world simply because they determined that obedience to God was more important than anything else.