Good Suffering

Introduction

Video: The Good Stories

I don’t know about you, but I can relate to this tension between the story that I enjoy hearing and the story that I enjoy living. I am drawn into stories where someone overcomes against great odds, but when it comes to the story of my life I just want everything to come easy.

I think that is part of what drives some of the greatest story tellers to write their stories the way they do. Right now in our house we are enjoying reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s story “The Hobbit” before bed. And it is a great journey story where a wizard brings together a troupe of 12 Dwarfs and one Hobbit to journey back to the Ancestral home of the Dwarfs in hopes to vanquish the great Dragon that dwells there and take possession of the even greater treasure. Even before they get to the challenge of the Dragon, they encounter all kinds of other dark and sinister threats that could end their story right there - but it doesn’t.

They manage to escape wolf riding Goblins, the enchantment of Elves, and even Spiders that are the same size they are. (Some of us are out right there…No) and all of this is just on their way to fight the dragon.

The whole story is told from the perspective of the Hobbit who is struggling with this same tension that we are talking about here. There is a part of him that just wants to be back in his safe little Hobbit hole sitting next to the fire and enjoying a good pipe…but there is this other part of him, the adventurous part, that keeps being pulling him back into the excitement of it all - even thinking “What a good story this adventure will make”

Tension

And I love a good story like this, and that is probably why I am so enjoying our Eklessia series here from the book of Acts. When it comes to the genre of the books of the New Testament, The book of Acts stands alone as the one “Historical Narrative”. “Narrative” meaning that it is written as a story and “Historical” meaning that unlike the tale of the Hobbit, it happened in real life.

Still, we keep finding in this “real-life story” that the journey that the characters are on continues to bring them up against various obstacles over an over again, only to find on the other side of every new challenge a strange propelling forward of the story.

Jesus rose from the dead and was teaching and healing and then He ascended to heaven and they were alone…but when the Holy Spirit came the story was propelled forward as they miraculously proclaimed the Gospel in many languages, they were equipped to heal the sick and lame and many came to believe in Jesus.

But then…another obstacle...the religious leaders got annoyed and arrested the Apostles and put them on trial where they did not recant but boldly proclaimed the Gospel to the Council…but finding no way to condemn them the Apostles were warned and released and the journey was propelled forward as the believers were emboldened in public prayer and corporate generosity.

Then last week we read of an obstacle not from outside their community, but from inside. Satan has filled the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira in such a way that they tried to earn the praise of the people dishonestly, but God gave Peter supernatural insight to know what was happening and He rebuked them and they were divinely judged and they “breathed their last”. This shook everyone up and a great fear spread throughout the people. But this was not a debilitating “Fear” quite the opposite - this “fear” grew the people’s faith…as they could not wait to see what this holy and powerful God would be doing next.

All of these things are working together here to give us the “Good Story” of the early Church - an hopefully it will give us some encouragement that the author of our story is after the same kinds of adventures.

So open your Bibles with me to Acts Chapter 5, page 913 in the Bibles in the chairs and we will continue learn from this “real-life story” of the early Church and then explore how we might apply their journey to our own. While you are turning there I will pray.

Truth

So starting back in verse 10, Sapphira was carried out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. Then verse 12...

Acts 5:12–16 (ESV)

12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

This is an understandable response, right, I mean Peter just rebuked this couple and they fell down dead so the people were no longer “casually” approaching the Apostles. Our holy God was powerfully working through them as He had sent them out, which is what “Apostle” means. But even as they were giving the Apostles some “distance” physically, they were intently listening and watching them to see what God was going to do through them next.

14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Word is getting around that something big is happening at the Temple. Something powerful. Something spiritual…but it is not happening among those who held positions of power and spiritual leadership. So you can probably guess what happens next.

Acts 5:17–24 (ESV)

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.

Another obstacle in the story, but God’s story is a “Good Story” so it continues...

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 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.

Our first theme for the story this week is...

1. When we are persecuted for following Christ, God provides what we need (Acts 5:17–24).

Notice that the theme is not that “God provides everything we want” but that He provides “what we need”. Specifically “what we need” to continue to do what we were doing…in that we were following Christ. The Angel didn’t just open the doors as as if to say, “Here you go guys, sorry about all this - go on your way and thanks for following Jesus you earned a “get out of jail free “ card”.

Application

Some of us think that is how this “following Jesus” thing works. If I do what Jesus commands then when I come against a hardship that is blocking my happiness then He will remove it. Not necessarily. He may have written that hardship into your story in order to interrupt your “happiness”. He may ben trying to get your attention because you “happiness” is no longer aimed at following Jesus. God is ultimately after our holiness not necessarily what we would call our “happiness”.

This messenger from God freed them from prison, but then he just refreshed the Commission they were given by Jesus: “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” There was no room to shrink back. They were not freed to avoid persecution, they were freed to continue in the mission to preach the “life-giving message of Jesus Christ”.

“ALL” of it, not just the politically correct parts. On top of that, their instructions were to return to the very place they were just arrested from.

Sometimes, for His purposes, the author of our story will lead us into hardship. It is a part of the adventure of the story, and our good God would not bring us to it without having His purposes for it on the other side.

I am reminded here of the “Good Story” of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego back in Daniel 3. They too were ordered by an earthly authority not to do what God had called them to do. But these three men faced a greater threat than prison walls, they were facing a blazing inferno. Remember what they said?

Daniel 3:16–18 (ESV)

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

And Nebuchadnezzar was furious with these men so that he ordered the furnace to be heated up 7x hotter so that even the men who threw in these three loyal Israelites died from the heat. But when the King looked in there he saw these three men walking around with a fourth man in the fire…you remember the story don’t you because it is a good story, one where the characters boldly stood their ground in faith, not knowing how the story will end but trusting in the goodness of the one who was writing it.

And just like King Nebuchadnezzar, these religious leaders were also given a supernatural sign that God was with these men.

Acts 5:21b-24

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. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.

“perplexed” and “wondering” leads us to our second theme...

2. Our obedience to Christ is often misunderstood by those who don’t follow Him (Acts 5:25–40).

Maybe even more “perplexing” than not finding the Apostles in their cell was where they eventually did find them…

Acts 5:25–32 (ESV)

25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and 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.

Wow if that doesn’t speak to the powerful influence the Gospel was having at this time. The very men who were typically commissioned to preside over the “stoning of heretics” were afraid that the people might turn on them and offer them the same treatment.

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.”

What was it that these religious leaders objected to? Was it their community life? How they helped the poor? How they healed the sick and lame? How they shared all things in common? No, it was none of that. They wanted to shut down their teaching, specifically the teaching that Jesus was more than just a man. That He was the promised Messiah, the Christ, the anointed One. But like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the Apostles had no need to defend themselves before these men.

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.”

If their teaching before was like lighting a fire, this was like pouring on the gasoline! For in the next verse we read...

Acts 5:33 (ESV)

33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

We have to understand how these religious leaders would have heard what the Apostles were saying here. They said that Jehovah God had exalted this Jesus to be the “leader...who gives forgiveness of sins to Israel”.

But wait a minute…that is their job. It was the responsibility of the religious leaders, and in particular the High Priest to offer the sacrifices of the people for the forgiveness of sin. But these guys are saying ...um…God has now exalted Jesus above all of you. You can see how they would be “enraged” over this.

And this is about so much more than “Job insecurity” it is a major theme that Luke unpacks throughout the book of Acts. Their are really two “Faith Systems” that are running parallel and side by side here.

1. In one lane is the second Temple system where the Spirit of Man is moving in manipulative and murderous ways

The hypocrisy of the religious class was well known among the people…and they have already murdered Jesus without cause - just as they now want to do to the Apostles.

2. But in the other lane is the Christian Church where the Spirit of God is moving in magnificent and miraculous ways

Among the Apostles, people are being miraculously healed, the community is supernaturally generous, the integrity of the community was protected by God Himself and the Apostles are walking right out locked prison doors.

You can see why the religious leaders’ jealosy turned into rage. The teaching of the Apostles, the message of the Gospel, is being divinely proclaimed and protected. There is too much happening here to think that this is just a “man-made movement”, but still they all refused to see what was right in front of their eyes…all except one of them that is.

While most of the religious leaders were entertaining thoughts of yet another murder, one Pharisee suggested they think twice about such rash behavior. They may not be understanding this situation correctly. Listen to the counsel of Gamaliel:

Acts 5:33–40 (ESV)

33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 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!”

By God’s grace, Gamaliel is able to see what the others could not see. There is more happening here than we have dealt with in the past. We have waited out other “man-made” rebellions and every time after their leader died and it always fizzled out…but we are not seeing this happen here. This seems...different, so let’s not be too hasty.

APPLICATION

I think there is an important application in this little part of the story. Gamaliel played a significant role in the life of the early Christian Church. Along with his counsel here, he also trained a young Pharisee named Saul, who eventually would come to be known as the Apostle Paul.

If you like to “geek out” on this kind of thing, then you too might find it interesting that in the ancient teachings that we still have from Gamaliel, there are several parallels between some of what he taught and what we learn from the teachings of the Apostle Paul. There is even one one place in the Gospels where Jesus himself quoted a teaching from this Pharisee. You can look those things up on your own or see me later if you are interested in what I have found…

But the big idea is that there is nothing but wishful thinking that tells us that Gamaliel ever became a Christian…and yet God used him to accomplish his purposes in the early Church. God is not limited to those who subject themselves to Him. He can work through whoever He wants.

And I find that this is important for me to remember when I stop to pray for the decision makers in our lives. Of course I want them to know Jesus, but even if they openly reject Him…all truth is God’s truth…so we can pray for these men an women that they would be people who are given to the critical thinking, reasoning and rational dialogue that God makes available for every person.

Gamaliel offered a reasonable and rational response...

So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, (they released them with their apologies? Nope!) they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

Well, I guess that is better than their first plan of killing them, but still they didn’t do anything wrong…however listen to how the Apostles respond:

Acts 5:41–42 (ESV)

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.

This brings us to our last theme for the week...

3. Being persecuted for Christ should strengthen our resolve to serve Him (Acts 5:41–42).

Certainly we see this represented here. Not only did they rejoice over getting beaten, they kicked things back into high gear in both the Temple and in different houses, both teaching and preaching the message that Jesus is the Christ.

If we are honest, it is a little hard to get behind the idea of being excited over having been beaten - but it might help to remember the perspective of the Apostles. The death of Jesus on the cross was still fresh in their minds…just as fresh as their abandoning Him. They kept to the shadows while they watched Jesus being beaten, tortured even and then crucified. And then He rose from the dead, forgave their sins and commissed these very men who had once abandoned him to go into the world and carry on his movement.

Can you imagine how often they must have dreamed of having the opportunity to “do it all over again”. To stand up for Jesus instead of run away? Now, they have been given that second chance and this time, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they did not hide but stood strong.

Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever missed and opportunity, even looking back and then being like, “What was I thinking?! that would have been a perfect time to stand up for my faith. Jesus offers you that same forgiveness, and hopefully that will strengthen your resolve next time to stand up for Him.

It is certainly a “counter-cultural” idea: that being opposed could possibly mean that you are on the right track, we will take a look at that in our table talke groups after the service. I wonder how many other things that the world would tell us means failure, we could read as success because it propels the “Good Story” forward, gives us an opportunity to stand up for Jesus and increases the Kingdom of God.

Gospel Application

And isn’t that exactly the “good story” of Jesus. We’re just a couple weeks out from starting our Christmas series where we can see that right from birth, powerful people were opposing Jesus…trying to kill him even. And it continued on throughout his life and ministry as he was constantly harassed and threatened by the Religious Leaders and the Roman Government. And then in the darkest days of “This Good Story” He was wrongly tried, falsely convicted, tortured and murdered on a cross. Throughout His experience here on earth, Jesus met with obstacle after obstacle, suffering and sacrifice… but every one propelled the “Good Story” forward to the next chapter until we see our hero being exalted to the right Hand of the Father to give repentance and forgiveness of sins.

And that is why we to follow the example of the Apostles and “every day” whether we are gathered here or in our many houses, we must never stop teaching and preaching that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior of the World.

Landing

To be willing to suffer for Christ is not to abandon all natural fear of pain, humiliation or especially death, it is just to desire to please God over everything else. To say along with Jesus before He faced the cross “Not my will but yours be done”. As long as we know our decisions are serving to lift up the name of Jesus Christ, we will rejoice.

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 (ESV)

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

You know Gamaliel’s attitude toward the Gospel was a “wait and see” approach, but time is not on our side here. Jesus is coming back soon - I don’t exactly know when but I know that “soon” doesn’t leave much room for the “wait and see” approach.

If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then your eternity is in jeopardy. Don’t wait. Today is a great day to begin this new chapter of your “Good Story”.

If that is you then please come talk to me after the service. I would love to answer any questions that your might have or pray with you if you like. Right now I will invite the worship team forward and we will close the message time in prayer.