God's Power in Obedience (Acts 5:17–32)

Introduction

Well, it’s been an interesting week. I’m one of those who waited until the last day to vote. On Tuesday, I brought my ballot to work and filled it out in my office. My wife and I left work on Tuesday and drove to the library in Chula Vista to drop off our ballot. I then came to the church, attended our elder meeting, and drove home. I had a real uneasy feeling about the election. Since the summer of this year, I remember just saying how I couldn’t wait for this election to be over.

I went to bed on Tuesday without a president announced, and woke up on Wednesday still without a president announced. On Wednesday, I noticed something about myself. I was feeling really anxious and stressed. It was affecting me. I had to check myself. I was becoming too affected by the politics of everything this year.

I was wondering why I was so affected, like probably some of you were? Maybe you are still affected by the politics of this week and this year? See, we want to put our hope in someone. We want to trust someone. Christians have survived for 2,000 years during times of peace and times of war. They have lived under rulers who were decent, and rulers who were harsh.

This week I confess I had to turn off the news and reorient myself. We pray for President Trump and President-elect Joe Biden. But our hope is not tied into a government figure. Both men are flawed. There is only one who is King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one whom we owe complete obedience to.

That obedience begins with loving our neighbor. There are Democrats in this church and there are Republicans in this church. But as Christians, there should be nothing that divides us. We are united in the Lord Jesus Christ, our true King and Lord of all.

We need to be reminded of where our true hope lies. It’s so easy to get caught up in all of the back and forth, so much so that we lose our sense of peace. We need the power of God in our lives, the power that brings peace. But there’s an interesting thing about God’s power. God works His power through those who are obedient to Him. If I want to be in the power of His peace, I need to be someone who is obedient to Him. How can I grow in my obedience to the Lord? This is so important.

We will be in Acts 5 today. Peter and the apostles were experiencing God’s power working through them. In chapter 5, we are told that people are getting healed. They are carrying their sick out to the apostles, those afflicted by unclean spirits, and people are getting healed. God’s power was working through the obedience of the disciples. Christ had called them to be witnesses, and God’s power was working through their obedience to be a witness for Jesus. Their influence for God was growing, and the Jewish leaders were getting jealous. That’s where we pick up in Acts 5, starting in verse 17.

Acts 5:17–32 NASB95

17 But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. 18 They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 20 “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.” 21 Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought. 22 But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported back, 23 saying, “We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this. 25 But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned). 27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and 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 up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

We called to obey God. These verses tell us some things about being obedient to God. First,

We must obey all of God’s commands.

The apostles had been obedient to be a witness for Jesus in Jerusalem. Jesus had commanded them to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). God’s power was working through their obedience. But some people were jealous of that power. The high priest and his associates, they didn’t like it. They were jealous. People were supposed to be following them, not some fishermen! They went and showed how “powerful” they were. They went and took these upstart followers of Jesus and threw them in a public prison. That showed them!

But that night, an angel of the Lord comes into that prison cell and opens the prison door. The angel of the Lord leads them out of that prison, and gives them a command from God.

Acts 5:20 NASB95

20 “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.”

Here is an interesting thing about the disciples. They obey God according to His command. God works His power through their obedience. They are careful to carry out the work according to how the Lord commands.

Think of what they could have done. They could have responded, “Are you sure, God? You know, I think I have a better idea. I can still speak the message like you said, but how about really far away, like somewhere away from the people that through us in prison?” But they don’t do that. They follow God according to His message. They go, stand and speak in the temple.

Jesus says something interesting in John 14:15.

John 14:15 NASB95

15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

A Christian life is one that obeys the Lord according to His commandments, His message. So many people don’t approach God that way. I’ve had a number of conversations with people about God. What’s interesting is how similar they are. There is something within the person that wants a god, but they don’t want a god that they will be accountable to. What they do is shape and twist a picture of God that they like. They say, “I don’t think God would do that. I like this other thing, so yeah, God does that, but I don’t think he would really do this other thing.” They shape and twist a picture of God, taking from here and there, until they finally come to a shape of a god that they are comfortable with. They take this idea of god in their mind and keep it in a nice little box. This keep this idea of god in their mind that makes them comfortable, that’s okay with their sin, that is kind of soft and fluffy, and that they can take out and make appear as they rub the genie lamp of their god. The problem is, the god that makes them comfortable is what the Bible calls an idol. It is not the God that exists in reality. It is an idol that in the end will keep them from knowing the one true God in Jesus Christ.

A Christian is a Christ-follower. We don’t follow anything or anyone else. We have one true Pastor, one true Chief-Shepherd that we follow. We follow Jesus. But you have to be careful. Some people attempt to create a Jesus that they like. There is only one Jesus, the man who walked the dusty roads of Israel, the man who preached, healed, raised the dead, went to the cross and rose again. Jesus, the Son of God. I need to follow Him according to His message. I need to follow what He has said, and do what He would have me do. Jesus says, “If you love Me, you will follow My commandments.” If you trust in Jesus this morning, you will trust in His plan for your life. Jesus has called us to love God with all our heart, to love our neighbor, to forgive our enemies, to be a light to those around us.

Obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ is according to His message. Second,

We must obey God immediately.

We see an interesting thing here in the apostles. The Bible says that the apostles heard the command of God and went. In verse 21, it says “upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach.”

Acts 5:21 NASB95

21 Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought.

This is an amazing thing. The apostles could have had any number of excuses not to go right away. Think about what has just happened. They were thrown in prison, and were about to be set up in front of the people who sent Jesus to the cross. Just when they thought they were done, an angel of the Lord opens the gate and lets them out of prison. What would you have done? “Great, alright, we’ve escaped prison. Now, lets get as far away from here as possible. Angel, can you take me away from here? Maybe Hawaii?”

But is that what they do? Why not? Because God had commanded that they go, stand and teach the message of life in the temple. This was like escaping from the police station at night time, and then standing right in front of it the next morning to preach. Think of how close they are. In verse 25, someone has enough time to run over to the Jewish leaders, let them know that these apostles were preaching at the temple.

Acts 5:25 NASB95

25 But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

They were close enough that the captain and the officers were able to go there, and walk them back to stand in front of the Council. That is faith. There was no hesitation. It was more important to obey the Lord in delivering the message of Life in the temple than it was to escape. When God says go, it’s time to go. The apostles obeyed the Lord no matter what the cost. Their obedience to the Lord was immediate, because they trusted they Lord. They trusted the Lord’s power. They trusted the Lord’s timing. God’s power worked through them because they were obedient.

When my kids were younger, I used to love to read Dr. Seuss books to my kids. My favorite book to read to them was a book called, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” There was this spot in the book where Dr. Seuss calls, “The Waiting Place.”

You can get so confused

that you'll start in to race

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace

and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,

headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or the waiting around for a Yes or No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

You know, when it comes to obedience to the Lord, some of us are in the “Waiting Place.” We say, “You know, I know I should forgive this person, but I’m just not ready… I know I should show spend more time with my wife and kids, but I’m just too busy… I know I should be a part of the kids ministry, or be in the music team, but I don’t have time right now… I should disciple someone in the church, but I don’t know how… I know I should start this ministry or give of my resources, but I’m waiting...” See, God’s power works through obedience. If God has prepared you for something, God will give you the power to do it. Obedience to the Lord needs to be immediate. He doesn’t want you in the waiting place. He wants you to trust Him, and see His power work through your obedience.

Obedience to the Lord is according to His message. Obedience to the Lord is immediate. Third,

We must obey God above all.

In Acts 5, obedience to the Lord put the apostles in a tough spot. The captain of the temple guard and the officers found the apostles out teaching in the temple, and they were brought right to the Council. They were in front of the very people that sent Jesus to the cross. It had to cross Peter’s mind that his obedience to the Lord could be bringing him to his death.

The high priest starts questioning Peter and the apostles, and reminds them of what he had told them before. In verse 28, we read the following.

Acts 5:28 NASB95

28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

These were tough words. The high priest had warned them before not to preach any more in the name of Jesus. This was in the first time Peter was in front of this group. In Acts 4:18, we read.

Acts 4:18 NASB95

18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Well, in 5:28 we have the high priest telling them again. This is not good! Peter and the apostles didn’t just leave and go tell a few people. No, the high priest said they had filled Jerusalem with their teaching about Jesus. God’s power was working through their obedience, and the message of Jesus was spreading like a wild fire in Jerusalem. The high priest knew that this message meant that he was guilty, and he didn’t like it.

Peter and the apostles knew that this could be their end. But they trusted someone bigger. Look at what it says in verse 29.

Acts 5:29 NASB95

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

They knew who was the true authority. “We must obey God rather than men.” They were at a point of conflict, where they were being asked to either trust the high priest or trust Jesus. There was no comparison. No matter what, they were going to trust Jesus. They knew who He was. They knew who their God was. They were going to trust Jesus.

There is an old hymn that I used to sing in Sunday school. The hymn was called Trust and Obey.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

I think of Peter and what he must have been thinking in front of the high priest. He knows that he serves someone higher. He has experience the power of God through his obedience. He knows the joy of the Lord in seeing someone healed because of obedience. God wants you to experience His joy. But it only comes when you trust and obey Him. Do you want to experience a new joy in your life? Do you want victory in your life? Obedience to the Lord is required above all. You must trust and obey Jesus.

Obedience to the Lord must be according to His message. It should be immediate. Obedience is required above all. Finally,

We must obey God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter and the apostles end with a strong message to the high priest. In Acts 5, starting in verse 30, he says

Acts 5:30–32 NASB95

30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Did you catch that last part? Don’t miss that. The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus, “whom God has given to those who obey Him.” This is an interesting thing about the Christian life. In many ways it’s about the real fact of the real resurrected Jesus and who He is. Yet, it is also experiential. The Holy Spirit works in your life to change you and mold you into the person He wants you to be, which is a person who follows the Lord Jesus Christ.

John wrote about this in His letter. In 1 John 2:3-6 we read the following.

1 John 2:3–6 NASB95

3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Jesus lived a perfect life, a life that was submitted to the Father, and was empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was there at the birth of Jesus and at His baptism. The Spirit empowered Jesus as He went into the wilderness at His temptation. Jesus read in the synagogue that “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (Luke 4:18).

If we are people who walk in the same manner as Jesus walked, that means that we are people empowered by the Holy Spirit. Peter says that the Spirit testifies of Jesus and is given to those who obey Him. Obedience to God begins with faith. It begins with trusting in Jesus Christ.

We read in Acts 5 that God exalted Jesus as Savior, to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. That repentance is for Israel and for you. Jesus is the forgiveness of sins for all who put their faith and trust in Him. He took on a price that was too heavy for us to pay.

Conclusion

Jesus came for imperfect people, of whom I am one. He takes imperfect people and begins to shape and mold them to be obedient people. Obedience to God has to be done according to His message. He has a message for you in Jesus Christ that is perfect. God wants you to walk as Jesus walked, to live as a new person in Jesus.

But don’t wait. God wants the obedience of your faith to be right now. God’s timing is always perfect. He has a perfect plan for your life, and wants you to trust Him. Obedience is required above all. If you are putting something before God, you need to obey God and follow Him first. Obedience to God is too important.

Obedience to God is not a lonely journey. God has equipped you for the journey He is taking you on. Obedience to God is empowered by the Spirit of God. God works His power through those who are obedient to Him. Trust and obey Jesus. Trust God today.