How To Confront Opponents
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Today we are picking back up in our study of the Book of Acts.
If you’re new to our church, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called Expository Preaching. What that means is we believe the best taught by taking books of the Bible and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what it means in our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written to tell the story of how the church was started and how God intends the church to function in order to accomplish the mission of reaching the entire world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to MCF.LIFE where you can listen to all the messages leading up to today.
As we come back to our study today, we are picking back up in chapter 5.
LAST WEEK
You may recall from last week, with the church growing and reaching more and more people Jesus, Luke reminded us of the reality of what happens to a church that is committed to telling people the truth, as for a second time the church was targeted for persecution by its opponents.
In this case the opponents were a religious sect known as the Sadducees. A group that isn’t so much religiously minded as they are politically minded. In fact, when it comes to their religious beliefs, they don’t even believe in life after death, and as a result much of their focus is on what they can build and attain in this life.
As a result, the Sadducees have an agreement with the occupying Roman government, that as long as they can keep the Jewish people in line, Rome will line their pockets and give them all of the power and authority they desire.
And herein lies the problem. Because the message of the church runs contrary to everything the Sadducees believe.
First, the church is teaching that Jesus is the promised redeemer of Israel and savior of mankind. And that if you put your faith in Jesus, you can not only have hope in this life, but in the life to come.
Second, because the church is teaching that Jesus is the redeemer, it’s a message that might encourage the people of Israel to rebel against Rome. And if that happens, the Sadducees are going to lose their power and influence.
So with the church growing and hope rising, the Sadducees are bent on putting a stop to this radical movement. And now their more adamant than ever. Because they’ve already warned the disciples once, and now their warning them again.
And we see the same thing happening in our culture today. The more the church steps up and tells people the truth, the more secular culture is going to push back as faith in Jesus threatens everything they hold dear.
And so now, with round 2 of persecution in process, their tactic was one of fear, intimidation, and humiliation as last week we saw them publically arrest the disciples. They’re hope. That with enough fear and intimidation they will be able to put a muzzle on the church.
And so now, with round 2 of persecution beginning, their tactic was one of fear, intimidation, and humiliation as they had the disciples publically arrested. They’re hope. That with enough fear and intimidation they will be able to put a muzzle on the church.
Luke records the arrest like this:
17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.
17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy
Acts 5:
Luke says the Sadducees are beyond upset at this point. They are filed with jealousy and hatred for what the church has become and the influence it has.
And to be honest, what was true then, is still true today as we see anybody who stands up for truth in our culture today often publically and verbally assaulted by those who oppose them. They’re hope. Through verbal threats, public lawsuits, and social media character assassinations, they will intimidate Christians enough to shut them up and shut them down.
Why do they do it? They do it because when the truth is proclaimed, lies are exposed. When the truth is proclaimed, people are set free. And when that happens, those who oppose the gospel lose their power and influence. And it makes them jealous.
But as we learned, the efforts of the Sadducees backfired on them. Because in the middle of the night, God sent an angel to set the disciples free. Luke writes:
19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,
Acts 5:
The fact of the matter is, for those who stand for truth, God stands with them. And because God stood with the apostles, not only could they get back up and continue preaching the truth, they could do so with confidence and courage. As a result, instead of backing down, the disciples geared back up and went back to speaking the truth. The angel said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life. And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.” (ESV)
Acts 5:
Because the fact of the matter is, for those who stand for truth, God stands with them. And because God stands with them, His army is bigger than their opponents army.
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.
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.
Because after freeing them, the angel told them to go back to speaking the truth. The angel said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life. And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.” (ESV)
Luke says the disciples picked up where they left off as they continued to preach truth regardless of the threats of their opponents.
25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”
Acts 5:
And again, what was true for the Christians then is true for Christians today. The fact is, if we are willing to stand for the truth regardless of the threats, we can be confident that God stands with us. And even if the enemy knocks us down, God stands ready to help us get back up.
And it’s with that understanding we should have the confidence and courage to get back up. It’s knowing that no matter what the enemy throws at us, the army with us is bigger than the army with them.
So, that’s where we were last week.
But here’s what we need to understand about standing back up. Even though God is with us, the enemy isn’t done fighting us. So, a good question might be, “When we get back up, how do we continue to speak the truth and overcome our opponents despite the ongoing threat of persecution?
That’s a great question, and is our focus today as Peter and John not only continue to preach the word, but are once again confronted by their opponents.
Karate Kid Introduction:
So, in order to set up where we are going today, I want to take a few moments and build some framework for our passage. And to do that, once again I want to reference an 80’s film series.
Last week I referenced the Rocky film series. And today I want to reference another popular movies series from the 80’s that fits with our passage today.
How many of you are familiar with or have seen the original Karate Kid movie? And when I say that, I’m not talking about the wanna be Karate Kid movie with Jayden Smith. I’m talking about the original Karate Kid movie from 1984 starring Ralph Machio.
If you’re not familiar with the movie, the story centers around a character named Daniel Larruso who has just moved with his mother from New Jersey to Southern California.
And as you can imagine, in a transition like that, Daniel struggles to fit in to his new environment, and in the midst of trying to fit in, becomes the target of a group of boys at the high school who are part of a local karate dojo called Cobra Kai. A dojo that isn’t the most friendly karate dojo in town. In fact the motto for the Cobra Kai karate dojo is: Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy.
In fact, just so you don’t forget it, I thought I’d give you a visual this morning.
As a result, Daniel spends most of his days experiencing this motto as he is harassed and beat up on a continual basis.
But thankfully, Daniel meets a savior so too speak. An older man named Mr. Miyagi. And through a series of unorthodox training sessions, Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel his version of karate.
The difference though is, Mr. Miyagi’s approach to karate and Cobra Kai’s approach are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
You see what Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel is that karate isn’t to be used as an offensive weapon, but instead as a defensive weapon. In other words, it’s not something you use to attack and go after people, but instead something you use to defend yourself when they come after you.
The point being, while karate is a weapon, it’s a weapon that should be used to overcome your opponent through defensive measures versus offensive measures.
And in the end, that’s exactly what Daniel does as he overcomes his opponents through a defensive approach versus an offensive approach to karate.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, that’s great. But what in the world does that have to do with sharing the gospel and our passage today. Where are you going with this?”
Here’s where I’m going with this. The fact of the matter is, when the world attacks Christians, it comes at us with a Cobra Kai mentality. The world’s approach to dealing with Christians is to Strike first, Strike Hard, and show No mercy. The world attacks with the objective to take us out.
But that’s not how God wants us to approach the world. Because our goal isn’t to punch out or take the world out. That’s not our job. Our job is to lead people to Jesus. And you can’t do that if you adopt the same type of approach as the world. You’re not going to win anybody to Jesus if your approach is Strike first, strike hard, no mercy.
So, what should our approach be? That’s what we are going to learn today as our Mr Miyagi, God’s Word, teaches us how to respond. So, with that as our basis, I have three goals this morning:
First, we’re going to read through the passage so we can get the context for this next encounter.
Second, we’re going to go back through the passage and discover what our motto of defense should be.
Finally, we are going to close by determining how this approach applies in our lives.
With that said, let’s pick back up as Peter and John face their opponents once again. Beginning in verse 26 Luke writes:
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.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
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.
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.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
So, what’s going on here? What’s going on is that Peter and John are responding to this attack in the way Jesus taught them to.
Now, at first glance it would appear that the
So, to help us see what Jesus’s version or response is, I want to give you a new motto this morning. Three statements to be exact. Three statements that I believe Peter and John had adopted. A motto that if we as a church are willing to adopt, will allow us to not only stand up against our opponents, but allow us to overcome them and lead more people to Jesus.
Accusatory because when questioned Peter basically says, “You are the ones that murdered Jesus. You crucified God’s Son. You’re the evil ones, not us.”
Harsh, because it doesn’t seem like Peter is showing much mercy or grace here. He’s going after the jugular. He’s not holding anything back.
But what I want to suggest to you this morning, is that nothing could be further from the truth. What I want to suggest is, that if we dig a little deeper into this passage, that Peter’s approach is quite the opposite of the Cobra Kai mentality. That like Daniel Larruso, while Peter is forcefully engaging his opponents, he’s engaging them from a defensive stance versus an offensive stance. A defensive stance that is going to allow him to decisively overcome his opponents, and in the end lead more people to Jesus.
So, what’s going on here? What’s going on here is that Peter is responding with his own version of Christian Karate. So, to help us see what his version is composed of, I want to give you a new motto this morning. Three statements to be exact. Three statements that I believe Peter has adopted. A motto that if we as a church are willing to adopt, will allow us to not only stand up against our opponents, but allow us to overcome them and lead more people to Jesus.
Well, to help us see it this, I want to give you a new motto this morning. Three statements to be exact. Three statements that I believe Peter has adopted. A motto that if we as a church are willing to adopt, will allow us to not only stand up against our opponents, but allow us to overcome them by leading more people to Jesus.
Because at the end of the day, that’s the win. The win is more people coming to Jesus. And I think that’s what we often forget. Because in our minds, the win is walking away unscathed. The win is you and I avoiding persecution or harm. But that’s not the win. The win is, regardless of what happens to us, people come to know Jesus. Because if that happens, we’ve won.
So, what’s the motto? From the passage, here’s the first statement in our motto when facing our opponents. When attacked:
Respond Defensivley
Notice what Luke says happened after the disciples escaped from jail and started sharing their faith once again. Luke writes:
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.
Speak The Truth
Listen to how the Sadduccees respond when they hear the disciples have not only escaped the jail, but are back in the temple teaching the people:
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.
26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
Couple things I want you to notice about what Luke says here.
First, following the miraculous escape from prison, the religious leaders are now the ones who are afraid. Why are they afraid? They’re afraid because their plan to publically humiliate the disciples has failed, and now the people are even more committed to the disciples and the church.
And as a result, they now fear if they go too far in mistreating the disciples, they could have a PR nightmare on their hands. In fact, they’re worried if they don’t handle this correctly, they might be the ones on the chopping block, not the disciples.
Second, because their afraid, look at their new approach. Instead of taking them by force, apparently they ask the disciples to come with them.
Luke writes , “…they went and brought them, but not by force...” a (ESV)
Luke 5:
As a result, the approach of the religous leaders has gone from force to a request. Luke writes , “…they went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.” (ESV)
And this is where the first part of our motto comes in. Because at this point, the disciples have a choice. And the choice is, they can go with them or not go with them. And the two choices result in two different outcomes.
So, let’s start with choice 1, by asking this question, “What would happen if they didn’t go with them?”
Well, it’s pretty obvious, right? I mean right now, if they don’t go with them, they have the advantage. In fact, this is their opportunity to strike hard. The people are now on their side. At this point it wouldn’t take much to work the people up and oust the religious leaders and their influence.
And to be honest, I think that’s what most Christians would probably choose to do. Kick them while their down. Because now it’s our turn. It’s our turn to strike first and humiliate them for what they did to us. And now we have the upper hand.
Second, we’re going to go back through the passage and discover what it looks like to take the fight to our opponents.
But that’s not what Peter and John do. They don’t choose choice #1. Instead, they choose choice #2, and they go with them.
Finally, we are going to close by determining how this direct approach applies in our lives.
So, why would they do that? Why would they not take advantage of an opportunity to strike first and strike hard?
With that said, let’s pick back up as Peter and John take the fight to their opponents. Beginning in verse 27 Luke writes:
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.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Acts 5:27-
At first glance, you might think, “Wow, the disciples aren’t pulling any punches. They’re really going after these religious leaders.” And you’re right, they are. But before we get to what they said, I want to take a few moments and look at how Peter and John approached this entire encounter.
Because while they are being pointed and aggressive, the reason they engage with this hostile group and the attitude in which they defend themselves is critical for us to understand.
So, to help us get a better idea of what’s going on here, let me explain it like this:
The movie begins as Daniel and his mom have just moved to California where through a series of negative encounters, Daniel struggles to fit in, and in the midst of trying to fit in, becomes the target of a group of boys who are part of a local karate club called Cobra Kai. A club that isn’t the most friendly karate club in town. In fact the motto for the Cobra Kai is: Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy.
As a result, Daniel spends most of his days getting harassed and beat up by these boys.
So, before we dig to deep into the passage, there are a couple of things I want to point out first about their approach.
But thankfully, Daniel meets someone. An older man named Mr. Miyagi. And through a series of unorthodox training sessions, Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel karate.
The difference though is, Mr. Miyagi’s approach to karate and Cobra Kai’s approach are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
You see what Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel is that karate isn’t to be used as an offensive weapon, but instead as a defensive weapon. In other words, it’s not something you use to go after people, but instead something you use to defend yourself when they come after you.
The point being, if used properly karate can be a weapon, but a weapon you use to overcome your opponent without being the one who attacks.
And in the end, that’s exactly what Daniel does. He overcomes his opponents through a defensive approach versus an offensive approach.
Same thing here. Because in a way, the world comes at us with a Cobra Kai mentality. Strike first, Strike Hard, No mercy. The world attacks with the objective to take us out.
But that’s not how God wants us to approach the world. Because our goal isn’t to punch out or take the world out. That’s not our job. Our job is to lead people to Jesus. And you can’t do that if your approach is Strike first, strike hard, no mercy.
That being said, here’s the first thing I want you to notice about Peter and John’s approach to their opponents.
If you want to lead people to Jesus, you have to face them
Number 1, while Peter and John don’t have to go before their opponents, they willingly agree to go before them. In other words, their defense isn’t to run away. Their defense involves facing the problem.
So, a great question would be , “Why would they do that?” I mean if their opponents are afraid of them now, and they fear what the people might do, why are Peter and John wasting their time meeting with this hostile group?
Peter actually tells us why, but not in this passage. Because if you remember, Peter didn’t get his training from the Cobra Kai dojo. Peter got his training from a man who taught him an unconventional way to fight. No, it wasn’t Mr. Miyagi. Peter was trained by Jesus. So, listen to how Peter explains the defensive approach that Jesus taught him. Concerning sharing your faith, in , Peter writes:
“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you...” (ESV)
In this passage, Peter says, “Listen, when somebody comes to you, and they have questions about your faith, or they want to engage with you about what you believe, be prepared and willing to do that.” In fact, Peter says, “Do it for anyone who asks.” Peter says, “Live your faith out in a defensive stance.”
How do we know we should even share our faith with those who oppose? Because Peter says
What that means then is, if somebody, who you know is opposed to what you believe, asks for you to give an explanation for what you believe, Peter says the right thing to do is to give them the opportunity to hear the truth. In fact, he says its Christ honoring.
Why do we need to understand this? We need to understand because often times its those people we want to either avoid or attack. So, as a result, we either stand back or we stand in a fighting position.
That’s true right? Because the truth is, nobody likes conflict. Nobody likes to be put in a position where we may have to go toe to toe with someone who opposes us. Nobody wants to feel like they have to defend themselves. In fact, it’s much easier if we can drop a bomb on them from a distance or we can hit them hard when they’re not looking. It’s much easier if in some way we could just nuke them.
But for the Christian, that’s not an option. Why? Because that’s an offensive move. And what we have to understand about God is that He has called us to fight defensively. Why?
Because defending our faith creates opportunities. Opportunities according to Peter, to share the reason for our hope. An opportunity to show somebody the love of Christ. An opportunity to tell somebody the truth. An opportunity to bring light into darkness. An opportunity to honor Jesus as we life Him up. And you can’t do that if you nuke them first.
You see, our job isn’t to strike first, strike hard, and show no mercy to our enemy. Our job is to lead them to Jesus. And you can’t do that if you’re not willing to stand before your oponent and defend what you believe.
All that to say, while Peter and John could raise a public stink, they go with the officials, because they understand this is an opportunity to share Christ with people who need to hear the truth. And we should be willing to do the same, especially if they want to engage with us.
The truth is, some of you have people in your life that you’d like to nuke. People who have hurt you, made fun of you, and harassed you. And the temptation when you see them is to strike first, strike hard, and show no mercy. And you can do that. But it won’t lead them to Jesus. And if you really are about leading people to Jesus, then you have to put your Cobra Kai ways aside and embrace a new motto. And the new motto starts with Defending your faith not attacking those who come against you.
Here’s the bottom line. You will never lead people to Jesus in an attack mode. And to be honest, I see a lot of Christians who like to fight offensively. Like to voice their opinion and get people riled up. Like to avoid dealing directly with those who oppose them. Let me give you a couple examples of what I’m talking about.
In the age of social media, it’s become increasingly easy to attack people who oppose us.
For example, we see somebody post something on Facebook concerning pro abortion or we hear something on the news about it, and we’re all over that. Now’s our chance to publically crucify those who would support it by firing back at them.
For example, we see somebody post something on Facebook concerning pro abortion, and we’re all over that. Now’s our chance to publically crucify them for their stance.
Or we see somebody post something pro gay, and we’re all over that. Now’s our chance to speak our mind and pull other people onto our side as we publically nuke their stance. Now’s our opportunity to get people riled up.
I also see this as Christians just simply avoid people they know don’t agree with them. People who are maybe of a different belief system or have hurt them. People we see as the enemy and somebody that needs to be nuked.
To be honest, I think this is how some Christians view Muslims. We see them as an enemy. Somebody we need to take out from a distance versus engaging up close.
I think it’s true denominationally. To be honest, it’s easy to attack another church or belief system from a distance. Easy to publically blast what somebody believes. And unfortunately, Christians do it all the time. If I’m honest, I struggle with this.
So, while Peter and John could have struck hard, instead they readily go and defend their faith.
And please hear me, I’m not saying we shouldn’t address unbiblical living or false teaching. But publically attacking in order to take them down isn’t going to win them to Jesus. I’m sorry, but when you use a platform like facebook to attack, or you attack from a distance, all you do is bring a greater divide between you and your opponent. And in doing so miss the opportunity to have a conversation that may have led them to Jesus.
And that’s true of any issue of faith, morals, or ethics. You don’t win the battle through attack, public humiliation or avoidance. That’s the cowards way. You win the battle by facing your opponent and having a civil conversation.
That’s why Peter and John went with the officials. While they could have publically struck hard, they responded defensively. Which leads us to the next part of the motto.
Because not only should we be prepared to respond defensively. We need to be prepared to:
2. Respond Respectively
Listen to what Peter goes on to say in :
“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...” (ESV)
Peter says not only should we be prepared to defend, we should be prepared to respond in a way that is gentle and respectful. In other words, our goal in confronting them isn’t to flex our spiritual muscles or knock them out.
The truth is, Peter and John could have gone to this meeting with an arrogant and haughty attitude.
Because after all, God is on their side. After all, an angel just delivered them from the jail. Meaning, these religious leaders don’t stand a chance against them.
But they don’t go to this encounter with an arrogant or haughty attitude. How do we know? Again, because that’s now what Peter was taught by his master. Peter says when you defend your faith, defend it with gentleness and respect.
]=
In other words, don’t be a jerk about it. Don’t come across like a know it all. Instead, be courteous, be kind, and be humble.
Now, let’s be honest, that’s not how most of us were taught to win a fight or overcome an opponent. Most of us were taught you win and overcome through force and intimidation.
But again, that kind of approach won’t win people to Jesus. And in the end, it will make the Christian look bad. And Peter understands that. In fact, Peter knows if he approaches this with the right attitude, he won’t be the one who has egg on his face. Listen to what he goes on to say:
18 Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Solomon says pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit precedes a fall. The fact is, pride and arrogance won’t if you want to represent Jesus well, then we need to act Christ like when we share our faith. Because in the end, it’s that kind of attitude and spirit that wins the day. Listen to how Peter puts it:
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Peter says if we defend our faith with the right attitude, we won’t be the ones who look like fools in the end. And I can tell you from experience that’s true.
Illustration:
You win th
A few weeks ago I shared with you in our first year at MCF my wife and I were met with some heavy resistance. Unfortunately, there was a small group of people in the church who didn’t like the new direction the church was going in. And I don’t say that paint them as bad people. They just weren’t on board with some of the changes that needed to take place in order to reach our community with the gospel.
Respond Respectively
And so they decided the best way to stop us was to get rid of us, and so they adopted a strike first, strike hard, no mercy approach towards us.
Speak The Truth
Acts 5:27-
It started as they spread rumors that weren’t true, conducted secret meetings with church members, and tried to rile people up against us. Honestly, it took me off guard and I couldn’t belive it was happening. So, at that point, I had a choice.
I could return fire, or I could respond defensively.
So, on a cold night in February, I called for an emergency board meeting and I confronted the ring leader in order to defend myself. And going into the meeting I knew regardless of whether I stayed at MCR or left, the only way I win is if I remain respectful and Christlike. And so, that’s what I did. But my accuser did not.
Through the course of the meeting, my accuser lost control, lost his temper, and said things that were outrageous. And in the end, totally he discredited himself in front of people who had been his friends for years. To be honest, it broke my heart to watch it happen.
And because he lost control and I didn’t, it became very clear to everybody in the room who was in the wrong.
And I can tell you this. Had I gone into that meeting with a hostile and haughty attitude, and attacked him, I wouldn’t be your pastor today, and MCF wouldn’t be the church it is. Not because I’m somebody. But because you don’t win people to Jesus by striking hard and showing no mercy. You win by remaining Christ like. You win by displaying Jesus. You win as you show them the love and grace of Christ.
Think of it like this. You don’t fight fire with fire. You fight it by pouring water on it. And that’s what Peter and John did. They walked into that encounter with water, not fire. They kept their cool. They didn’t act like they were better than the Sadducees. They displayed the same attitude Jesus did when he stood before his opponents.
Now, imagine what would happen if we adopted that approach. What if instead of attacking the pro-abortionist, we respectively engaged with them. What if we showed them the love and grace of Jesus.
What if instead of degrading the homosexual lifestyle, we respectively engaged those who live in it and show them the love and grace of Jesus. What if we fought fire by pouring water on it?
Now, when I say that, some might say, “Well pastor, if we do that, aren’t we condoning it? Aren’t we making them feel ok about what they believe and how they are living?”
Absolutely not! Because being kind doesn’t mean your condoning their lifestyle.
The fact is, you don’t have to be a jerk in order to oppose something.
You see, that’s what makes the Christian different. Our goal isn’t to force our faith down somebody’s throat. That will never work. Our goal is to show them what our faith represents. And our faith is based on a savior. A savior who gave his life for us. A savior who has extended an unbelievable amount of love and grace to us. That’s what we want them to see. That’s what is going to draw them to Jesus.
All that to say, regardless of whether we are sharing our faith with a friend or an enemy, the approach must be one of respect, mercy, and love. That’s the only way you’re going to give them an accurate picture of who Jesus is.
Which leads us to the final statement in our motto. Because while we need to respond defensively, while we need to respond respectively, we also need to be prepared to:
3. Respond Truthfully
Standing in a defensive position of love and respect doesn’t mean you don’t tell people the truth. Listen to what Peter says to his opponents:
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.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Couple things I want you to notice.
First, as Peter and John stand before the Sanhedrin, they are once again questioned and once again threatened to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.
Second, the threats are coming from a place of guilt. Because the Sadducees are the ones primarily responsible for the death of Jesus. And they think the disciples teaching is painting them as the bad guys. That’s why they say, “…You intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
So, how do the disciples defend themselves? By responding truthfully. In other words, as they respond to their opponents attack, they don’t hold anything back as they defend themselves with truth.
So, what are the truths they deliver? There are three of them:
Truth #1 - God has commissioned us to talk, not be silent.
Luke writes:
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
You see what the sanhedrin wants is for Peter and John to stop talking and stop telling people about Jesus. Because that will stop the Jesus problem.
But for Peter and John that’s not an option. In fact, it’s not an option for any Christian. Because Jesus has commissioned us to preach the gospel. In other words, he has ordered us to be His witnesses. That’s part of following Him. And to not do that would be an act of disobedience. That’s why Peter says, “We must obey God rather than men.”
In other words, ‘Guys, we answer to a higher power than you. Our message comes from God and we are obligated to share it.”
You see, what we have to remember is our job isn’t to tell people what they want to hear or avoid telling them what they don’t want to hear. Our job is to proclaim the truth. It’s our primary objective. Why? Because it’s the only way people are going to hear about Jesus. The apostle Paul puts it like this in :
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Paul says, “People can’t know the truth if somebody isn’t willing to tell them the truth.”
So, here’s what this is saying. The way you defend against those who want to silence you is for you to keep talking. To keep telling the truth. To keep proclaiming Jesus. To not back down from the mission that God has given you. To boldly declare that Jesus is Lord.
Now, you might be thinking, “But pastor, won’t that make them angrier?” Well, if that doesn’t, the next truth will.
This leads us to truth #2:
Truth #2 - You are guilty, like it or not.
Peter goes on to say:
30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.
Acts 5:
Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, that sounds like an offensive statement.” Well, it is. It’s meant to be. Because what you have to understand is the Sanhedrin doesn’t think they’ve done anything wrong. For them, Jesus had been a threat to Israel. Jesus was going to cause an insurrection against Rome. Jesus had to be taken out. So quit talking about Him! Quit trying to put his blood on us.
But Peter says, “No, I’m not going to quit talking about Him. I’m not going to let you off the hook. Because the truth is, you killed God’s deliverer. You refused to see Him as your savior. You murdered God’s Son. You’re the ones who are guilty.”
You see what Peter is pointing out is something we all need to understand. That prior to our faith in Jesus, we are the guilty ones. We are the ones who have abandoned God. We are the ones who have refused to obey. We are the ones who need to acknowledge our sin. We are the ones who need to be saved. We are guilty.
And until we are willing to admit that, we can’t be saved. And that’s why we have to tell our opponents the truth. Truth is the only thing that can save them. So, yes, while it might be offensive to tell someone they are living wrong, acting wrong, or have believed wrong, without the truth nothing in their life will change.
You have to be willing to tell them, “You ‘re guilty.” Which leads us to the third truth:
Truth #3 - Jesus is the answer to our guilt problem.
Peter continues:
31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 5:31
Peter now points to what Jesus has done for us. That through faith in Jesus the sin problem can be taken care of. That if a person is willing to admit they are a sinner in need of a savior, that God has provided a way for them to be saved.
And to back it up, Peter says:
32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
In other words, “If your struggling to believe what we are saying, then just look around. Look at how God is working. Look at the healings. Look at the miracles Look at the changed lives. Look at the evidence. Look at the difference the message of Jesus is making in people lives. And then you tell me it’s not from God.”
You see what Peter is doing is he’s challenging them to look at the result. And the results are undeniable.
And that has to be our stance as well. To be willing to not only point people to the truth, but to challenge them to look at the results. To challenge them to explain the supernatural difference Jesus is making in somebody’s life.
To be honest, that’s one of the best ways to defend your faith. To simply ask your opponent this question, “Then you explain to me how I was delivered from addiction. You explain to me how that marriage was miraculously healed. You explain to me how that person is no longer living in the gutter. You explain to me how Jesus had nothing to do with that.”
You see, part of your defense is to help people connect the dots. To not only tell them the truth, but show them how the truth is playing out in your life and in the lives of others.
So, what happened next? How did their approach play out for them? Well, ultimately it results in victory, and we’re going to look at that in more detail next week.
Now, at this point I’d like to tell you that taking this stance will always lead to a positive outcome. But it doesn’t. Because unfortunately even when we respectively respond with truth, people continue to fight the truth. Listen to how Luke says Peter and John’s opponents responded:
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.
Not what we were hoping for, right? Luke says the religious leaders were “enraged”. It’s the idea that they were “sawn in two”. In other words, they were spitting mad. And as a result, they wanted to kill them.
And that shouldn't’ surprise us. Because that’s how sin responds to truth. It tries to snuff it out.
Now, at this point you might be thinking, “Pastor, I’m not sure this defensive tactic works. I mean all it seems to have done is ticked them off further. All it seems to have done is put the disciples at greater risk. It doesn’t seem like their approach worked.”
Actually, their approach will lead to ultimate victory. And we’re going to look at how that played out next week. Because the crane kick is coming. But for today, as we close, I want to take a few moments to challenge you on this approach. Because the truth is, unless we are willing to approach our opponents with a respectful defensive response, we will never win them to Jesus.
Acts 5:
But for now, and as we close, i want to talk about how this applies in our lives. And to do that, my question simply for you is this, “What approach do you use when your faith is challenged?” In other words, when people make fun of you, challenge you, or persecute you for your faith, how do you respond?
So, as we close, my question simply for you is, “What approach do you use when your faith is challenge?”
Because the way I see it, there are 1 of 3 responses to choose from. And only one works.
Response #1 - Avoid the conflict. In other words, don’t say anything. Back down. Don’t get back up. Allow the world to continue to beat you down.
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. 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!” So they took his advice,
Unfortunately, that’s what a lot of Christians do. We talked extensively about that last week. But all that approach does is allow the darkness to grow. The truth is, Christians have been silent for too long. If we want to lead people to Jesus, we have to get back on our feet.
Which leads to another possible response:
Response #2 - Get up and Knock them out. In other words, adopt a strike first, strike hard no mercy mentality. Go for the jugular. But as we’ve discussed, that approach isn’t going to win anybody to Jesus. In fact, it will only push them further away. It will only create a greater divide.
Which leads to our final response what we’ve talked about this morning:
Response #3 - Respectively Defend your faith. In other words, be willing to face your opponent in a respectful way as you lovingly tell them the truth and speak the truth in love. Do what Peter encourages us to do:
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
So, what has your approach been? Do you avoid telling people the truth? Do you try and cram the truth down peoples throat? Are you a Cobra Kai Christian? Or do you lovingly and respectfully share your faith with others, with the hope that they will see the truth in you and put their faith in Jesus.
I ask you to consider this because if you are serious about leading people to Jesus, this is where it starts. You have to adopt the right response. And it’s a response that will require you to be courageous, drop your pride, and approach people in a way you’ve maybe never approached them before.
Because facing your opponent defensively isn’t you taking the fight to them. It’s not you trying to win a word battle. It’s you opening yourself to an opportunity to tell them the truth about Jesus, their need for Him, and what Jesus wants to do in their life.
And to be honest, that’s all God is asking you to do. That’s it. To Lovingly and respectively tell people about His Son. Tell them about what he’s done in your life. Invite them to know Him. And then leave the rest to Him.
And as we’re going to see next week, if we’re willing to do that, the victory is going to be greater than we could possibly imagine.
So, this morning, my challenge is for you to choose the third option. Because in all reality, the first two are not options. You can’t just sit back and you can’t nuke people. You have to adopt a christ like approach and be willing to patiently, respectfully, and lovingly lead people to Jesus by telling them the truth.
Let’s Pray
Apparently Gamaliel is willing to consider what they have said. So instead of killing them, he proposes a test. And the test is, “Let’s see where this goes. Let’s see how long this lasts. Let’s let time determine the truth of what they are saying.”
Now, why would Gamaliel propose such a test? He proposes it because Jesus and his disciples aren’t the first ones to make messianic claims. We know this because Gamaliel points to want to be Messiahs from the past. Men who rose up and claimed to be deliverers. He refers to a man named Theudas who claimed to be somebody, had 400 followers, but then they were all killed and it came to nothing.
He refers to a man named Judas the Galilean who rose up about the time Jesus was born, claimed to be someone, and then came to nothing.
So he says, “Hey, if this Jesus movement isn’t really from God, then it will end up like all the other movements. It will eventually die out, and the Jesus problem will go away.”
But it didn’t go away. Christianity passed the test. Because Christianity didn’t die off after a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. No. From that day forward It continued to flourish, grow and continued to expand. And over 2000 years later, it has become a world wide movement that stretches the globe with millions upon millions of people having put their faith in Jesus.
And guess what. Christianity passed the test. Because Christianity didn’t die off after a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. No. From that day forward It continued to grow and continued to expand and after 2000 years it has become a world wide movement that stretches the globe with millions upon millions of people having put their faith in Jesus.
You see, the disciples approach worked. Their defensive stance for Jesus led to victory.
Now, did it lead to them not facing a penalty? No. They still suffered some abuse for their stance. Luke writes:
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.
Luke says after listening to Gamalie, the council still wanted to send the disciples a message, so they beat them before they released them.
Acts 5:
Now, again, that almost sounds like a defeat, but that’s not how the disciples saw it. Luke writes:
41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
Acts 5:
Luke says the disciples saw the entire encounter as a victory. In fact, they rejoiced about it. Why did they rejoice? They rejoiced because they had suffered like Jesus. They rejoiced because they had been treated like Jesus had been treated. They rejoiced because they were following in the footsteps of their master. And as a result, it emboldened them to teach and preach more.
Here’s what Luke is trying to show us. The win isn’t you and I avoiding persecution. The win isn’t the avoidance of physical harm. The win