acts 5:17-26

As the disciples continued their great work for the gospel the leaders in authority continued to stop them

In the passage today we will see everything from an angry government, a supportive following and a Spirit led miracle.

Before we look at today’s word I ask, how much do you trust Christs Lordship?

In asking that i want you to consider throughout this mornings message how faithful you truly are to the mission of the gospel.

Are you faithful enough to be imprisoned knowing that God has plan for you?

Are you faithful enough that even after something scary may enter your life you still share the word

Acts 5:17–26 KJV 1900

Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.

In today's word first item of business if the context of the situation we are viewing

The apostles who as we know by our time through Acts have been faithfully following the Holy Ghost and sharing the gospel

In the verses before if you will recall to a few weeks back Peter and the other apostles had been gathered at “Solomon's Porch” where the multitudes brought their loved ones to him hoping and praying they would be healed

After this great act that Peter and the other Apostles had been participating in it was natural that they would continue to draw the attention of the “religious leaders”

Acts 5 :17-18 brings us to the beginning of today's passage where the high priests followed that with action.

Acts 5:17–18 KJV 1900

Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

So here they were angered by the fact that the apostles were teaching the word of their God and causing what some would call an uproar by the miracles they were working.

So the high priests rose in anger and arrested the apostles.

This was not just an act of imprisonment but they were hoping this would be an act of humiliation for the apostles.

They believed that throwing them into the public prison would be an act that would cause their following to disrespect them

Could you imagine doing the work of the Lord and constantly their was someone behind you trying to humiliate and ruin you.

That was the mission of the high priests, to humiliate the apostles of Jesus Christ

Yet, our Lord would use this for good

Acts 5:19–20 KJV 1900

But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

So here we are with the spirit protecting the apostles through an angelic miracle

The angel however, did not simply release them but they were released with a spoken word

Go, and teach at the temple so that the people can hear the word

So these people hate you they imprisoned you go back and teach again.

Of course the Lords protection was upon them. After all they had just been imprisoned and then released by an angel

so the apostles of course carried this out in verse 21

Acts 5:21 KJV 1900

And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

This is the verse that i believe can really speak to us today.

The apostles went back

the apostles taught the word

why did they go back? Why did the angel expect them to go back?

If you recall I said the entire point of the religous leaders imprisoning the apostles was to humiliate them

Now when the apostles who faithfully teach the word of God are humiliated the gospel message is hurt

By returning the next day and teaching the word the apostles stood as a living testimony that the gospel could not be stopped by things of this earth.

Lets fast forward a bit and show you how much this act meant to the community

in the final verse we read verse 26 the religious leaders had just found out that the apostles had gotten out

Acts 5:26 KJV 1900

Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.

The religious leaders brought them back again to scold them. We will discuss the rest of that next Sunday but for today I want us to see what this verse specifies

The actions of faithfulness that the disciples displayed made the people committed to them and the teaching of the gospel

The religious leaders had to walk on egg shells because the crowds of people in support of them would have destroyed them.

What can we learn from this, the religious leaders could not thwart the gospel

We find ourselves today, slacking

We don’t faithfully commit to the advancement of the kingdom

Put yourself in the shoes of the apostles

would you carry this kind of trust in faithfulness

Imprisonment and then to go to share the gospel again.

I want to encourage us today in a couple areas

The gospel will not be stopped by anything, or anyone

and

Faithful believers who carry the word are protected and guided by the spirit of the Holy Ghost

Today church I ask, What kind of faithfulness are yous displaying?

How much trust do you have in the plan of our Lord?

We need to be faithfully sold out to this mission of redemption

The gospel will carry whether we join it or not but Christ has commanded of us commitment to the gospel

Let’s faithfully commit today just as the disciples had, knowing that the Holy Spirit is with us.