Our Partnership with an Unstoppable God
Notes
Transcript
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Introduction
Introduction
It has been a couple of weeks since we’ve been together in the book of Acts
But we’ve seen the birth and growth of the early church
Two weeks ago, we saw Peter and John heal a lame man (of 40 years) and use it as an opportunity to share the truth of Jesus
Because of that, they were arrested by the religious leaders
So where we pick up today, John and Peter are standing before the religious leaders being interrogated
And today we are going to cover a lot — All of Acts chapter 4 and 5
And we aren’t going to read all of it (because it would take like 10 minutes) but we are going to look at an overview and see what this means for us today
The Title of my message is: Our Partnership with an Unstoppable God
Can you just say: “Our God is Unstoppable”
Do you actually believe that?
In Acts 4 and 5 we see that God and his people move forward despite all of the challenges, obstacles, and threats thrown their way
Specifically we see:
Threats of Suffering
Threats from Religious/Political Leaders
Threats from Within
And despite all of these threats, God and his people are not scared, but they press forward
We see:
An increase in boldness
An increase in growth and miracles
An increase in their willingness to suffer
So today we are going to look at these threats, and these areas of growth, and finish looking at what this means for us
The Threats
The Threats
Before we talk about the threats the early church face… we have to remember that we have a true enemy
The enemy of the church are not people, but spiritual beings
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
As God’s people we have a real, spiritual enemy who wants us dead, defeated, hopeless, and compromised
Satan hates us, He hates you, hates what Jesus has done for us, and seeks to scare, distract, and keep us from Jesus
So whether we see enemies of God’s people 2,000 years ago in Acts, or we face real enemies here in our lives today, Satan is at work behind the scenes
People are not our enemies—Satan is
And this allows us to see our ‘enemies’ with compassion and actually love them like Jesus did
“Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”
But with that being said, our enemy isn’t just this spiritual attack on us—but Satan influences and uses real people to oppose God and his people
Threats of Suffering
Threats of Suffering
18 So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
21 After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done.
27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked, 28 “Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
40 After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.
There was a real and present danger in following Jesus
Physical beatings, imprisonment, and threats of their safety
And at any point the apostles could have been intimidated and stepped down, but they were not moved
They looked at the suffering and saw it as essential to following Jesus
Jesus was threatened, beaten, and mocked, and so would they
And I think for us, we sometimes expect following Jesus means no problems, no uncomfortablity, no threats
And while we might not face threats of beatings or imprisonment, that isn’t the case around the world
Millions of Christians are living in direct persecution where following Jesus can cost them their lives
Middle East//China//North Korea//Nigeria
And the crazy thing is that these areas are where the Church is growing the most
While we pray and talk about revival in our own communities, it is happening around the world—specifically where there is a cost for following Jesus
We often don’t think about it, but we are so blessed to be able to freely proclaim Jesus and worship him without threats of violence against us—We are like spoiled children that don’t know how much we have
So let’s not let our lack of persecution lead us to indifference
but it’s not only threats of violence…
Threats from Religious/Political Leaders
Threats from Religious/Political Leaders
1 While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them, 2 because they were annoyed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 So they seized them and took them into custody until the next day since it was already evening.
16 In addition, a multitude came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
17 Then the high priest rose up. He and all who were with him, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 So they arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
Now while threats of suffering are one thing, threats from people with political and religious power are another
It’s not about physical consequences—but its about conforming to the expectations that are set
Following Jesus means standing up against the pull of culture and those who dictate it
Any dead fish can float downstream//It takes a strong willed fish to go upstream
For the early Church it was more than just beatings and imprisonments
They were cutting themselves off from their culture—they were taking a stand for Jesus over their traditions
They were willing to stand out for Jesus
And for each of us… we face the threats of conforming to this world
Whether its teachers, classmates, friends, or family—we are tempted to give up the way of Jesus and accept the ways of this world
The ways we speak
The things we desire
The habits we form
The way we treat others
Here the religious leaders were telling the apostles… “What you are doing is not acceptable for a Jewish man”
You are standing out too much
Please stop talking about Jesus
Please stop with all of this commotion
But the disciples response is beautiful:
20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people.
And each of us will face these pressures:
Do we speak of Jesus because we are witnesses of his work in our lives — Or do we give in under the pressures to not stand out
We see these threats did not phase the early Church
Threats from Within
Threats from Within
Not only were there threats from outside—but we also see that Satan attacks the church from within
Acts 5:2-4 (NLT)
New Living Translation Chapter 5
But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
Now there is a lot we can get into in this story, but I want us to simply see that Satan tries to undermine the church from within
Peter says that by this mans greed he has “let Satan fill his heart”
And we shouldn’t be on a witch-hunt seeking to expose people in the church left and right… but we also should not be ignorant that some people might say they are Christians but there is no substance to their faith
Maybe they ‘go to church’ only because they grew up in the faith
Maybe they only profess Jesus because they think it means wealth and health in this life
Maybe they follow Jesus because it makes them feel better about themselves
But we see, even sabotage from the inside doesn’t lead to the downfall of the Church
Although there are threats from every direction… the church moves forward in boldness and confidence
The church is not afraid
They have complete confidence that they are on the side of God—and that he will not let them down
So despite all of these dangers we continually see:
The Growth
The Growth
Increase in Boldness
Increase in Boldness
29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.
This boldness/confidence wasn’t in their own ability or strength—but they grew in their trust that God is in control—no matter what might happen
EX. Basketball—Best on your team
We have no need to be afraid because we know how the story ends
EX. The Odyssey
The church knew their ending so they were not afraid of any of the threats along the way
So we too can be bold in the face of threats and trials
When everything seems to be going wrong—and we are attacked from every angle—We know that the worst that could happen to us, will never be the end of the story
This is the truth and power of the gospel
but it also wasn’t just inner boldness, there was:
Increase in Growth and Miracles
Increase in Growth and Miracles
32 Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. 33 With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.
12 Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared to join them, but the people spoke well of them. 14 Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers—multitudes of both men and women. 15 As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 In addition, a multitude came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Their boldness and confidence—it was contagious
More and more people were coming to know Jesus through their confidence
People standing up for Jesus is contagious
How many of you know Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
His movie/biography is so inspiring
It wasn’t just boldness for the sake of being loud or self-confident
It was boldness to be like Jesus to those around them
Boldness to share with those in need
Boldness to heal the broken
Boldness to become like Jesus
I think in our day and age—we don’t have a shortage of ‘bold’ Christians
So many Christians are loud and confident
But here we see the true growth wasn’t platforms, speeches, and numbers—it was character
People’s lives were being fundamentally transformed and Jesus was at work
So when we talk about the growing boldness in the church—it has to be tied to growing Christlikeness in our ways and words
And that despite all threats—the church wasn’t cowering in fear… they were growing both in numbers and in their character
and one of the greatest marker of Christlikeness is a willingness to suffer…
Increase in Willingness to Suffer
Increase in Willingness to Suffer
40 After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name. 42 Every day in the temple, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
NLT: “rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus”
The threats and sufferings that the early church faced—only increased their tolerance to suffer
The religious leaders thought that their threats would scare and shut up the church—but it only made them more bold and resilient
How many of you have little siblings?
When they seek to annoy you—they only get more annoying the more you try to shut them up
This is scary… but what if we were like the early church?
Rejoicing that God had counted us worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus
This is the way of Jesus
And it is because suffering is neccesary for glory
13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.
We often try to avoid suffering and hardship as much as possible
It’s the world we live in
Hungry-eat
Headache-pill
But what if hardship and suffering were signs that we are on the right path
We can expect suffering while following Jesus
Friendship drama
Being taken advantage of
Sickness
Being misunderstood
We fear suffering so much… and want to avoid it at all costs
But we have nothing to fear
No amount of hardship or suffering can separate us from God or his plans for us
The Church was and still is unstoppable
It’s not that we are perfect—there are tons of broken people who have brought so much pain and defaced the reputation of the church
But the true church—is not going anywhere
No one or no thing can stop God’s plan for us
He is relentless—and he is not going to be defeated
The early Church saw this—and this fueled their ministry
They were partnering with an unstoppable God
And we serve and worship the same God today
So as we wrap up… I want us to think…
Conclusion
Conclusion
What does it mean to partner with an unstoppable God?
God will accomplish what he started in us as individuals
6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
New Living Translation Chapter 12
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Ex. Walking away from God in college
You’re never to far off
2. God will see that every wrong is brought to justice and every good deed done in his name rewarded
19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.
3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
We often get caught up because life isn’t fair
Unjust suffering — How many of you have experienced this?
Good deeds unnoticed — How many of you experienced this?
God notices everything—nothing goes under the radar
While we suffer for Christ—it does not go unnoticed
God sees you, and will reward your faithfulness
While we do good deeds—we don’t do it to be seen— it does not go unnoticed
God sees you and will reward your faithfulness
3. We have nothing to fear
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We can move forward in life with boldness
Guys nothing can stop our God
He is bigger than our problems, our sins, our hardships
He’s never caught off guard when things go wrong
and my prayer for you all, going through this week is that you know: God is in your corner, and he is relentless
He will never give up on you—even if you give up on yourself
He will keep you and strengthen you through any hardship you will walk through
Small Group Questions
Small Group Questions
Icebreaker: Who is your favorite sports athlete? OR Who is your favorite actor/actress?
What are threats to your faith that you face?
(Anxiety, Temptations to fit in, Moral compromise, etc.)
Where do you see a need for boldness in your life?
How do we remind ourselves that God is for us—and he is in control?
