Our Mission and the Sovereignty of God
Acts 5:21b-41
Introduction: Have you been
watching any of the World Cup this week? It’s hard for many of us Americans to
grasp how big this is for most of the planet. Except for parents who have kids
playing soccer, for most of us in the United States this might be the one time
when we begin to give some attention to the most popular game in the
world. The World Cup presents perhaps
the biggest, most watched contest in the world of sports. In Brazil, when their
team is playing, everything stops, banks close, streets are deserted, even
hospitals run on a skeleton staff (no elective procedures!). If you’ve watched
the news reports or seen any of the games, when they show the people in the
stands, you see people crying, cheering wildly, dancing, or even fighting,
depending upon what is happening on the field at the moment. They are engaged
in a battle! I am right there with them, aren’t you? But it’s all for fun,
right? Well, a far more important battle
is contested daily for the hearts of humans. An aspect of the battle is
described in the rhetorical question that begins Psalm 2, “Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of
the earth take their stand against the Lord, and against His Messiah…” The fact is, that we are not neutral from a
spiritual perspective before coming to Christ, and the resistance of humans to the reign of Christ is one of the dominant themes in the book of Acts.
The Context: We are in a section of the book of Acts where the
overarching theme is that Jesus is building His church, even through times of
testing. In the immediate context, the apostles had been arrested for the
second time after persisting in preaching Christ after having been arrested and
warned to stop in chapter 4. As we saw last week they are arrested again in
Acts 5, but God had more work for them to do, so He sent an angel in the night
who brought them out of the prison, and immediately they followed orders and got
back on task.
The Big Idea
is a major theme in Acts: Though
God’s Mission will always encounter opposition we can trust in His presence and
rest in His power as we speak the truth in love.
I. The Wrath of Men and the Grace of God (21b-24).
“Now
when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together
the council and all the senate 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.
The
conflict between fallen humans who don’t know the Lord and God’s kingdom is
evident throughout the book of Acts. Jesus defeated death, and through His
followers that good news is being preached. Yet those who have not yet believed
are not simply “neutral” spiritually. They
are enemies of God fighting against his Rule. It struck me this week as I
looked at this part of the story, how God’s grace is evident in His work
in this scene. The disciples had been arrested for a second time, and
imprisoned. God sent an angel to
liberate them. Yet rather than sending them off to another place, or having
them go underground, they were sent to the most public place possible, to the
Temple, where they would surely be found. Why? It seems to me that God is
graciously allowing the religious leaders, along with the nation, the chosen
nation who had been entrusted with the oracles of God and through whom the
Messiah had come, to have further opportunity to repent and believe. What a study
in contrast, the wrath (and rebellion) of unregenerate humans, and the grace of
God!
The
Leadership that opposed the followers of Jesus thought they were in
control. They intended to bring the
disciples to be judged, “but” (v.22) God had another plan for the moment. As we
continue through Acts it will be evident that God does not keep His followers
from experiencing hardship or injustice in this life. Read Paul’s resume in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28,
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus
one. 25 Three times I was
beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and
a day I have been in the deep; 26
in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my
own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in
the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in
sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness -- 28 besides the
other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
Well
that would cause you to want to sign right up wouldn’t it? But for Paul, and
for every Christ follower, the promise is that we are never alone, our days are
in His hands, we have eternal life, and “The sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared to the
glory that shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
There is a remarkable contrast here between the anger
and intentions of the leaders who don’t know Christ, and God’s gracious
intervention. The striking truth is that
humans are in rebellion against God, and yet God in His mercy and grace
preserves the church and sends the gospel to the lost. The scene here is
reminiscent of the soldiers coming to arrest Jesus in the Garden. They
announced their intentions then, and Jesus said, “I AM,” and they fell down
helpless on the ground. They couldn’t
touch him unless he allowed it. In this case they go to get the disciples, and
they just aren’t there! They are left perplexed about what had happened. We are reminded that God is in control, but
notice that He didn’t send the angel to rescue the apostles and to warn them to
get out of town. The Gospel of Christ is still going to the Jew first, starting
in Jerusalem. [By the way, there is an interesting parallel between Jerusalem
at the feast times and Boothbay in the summer! Remember how the crowds at
Pentecost had such a mix of Jews and proselytes from all over the known world.
What a mix of people come to this mission field in the summer! This is our
Jerusalem, our first mission field]. Though
God’s Mission will always encounter opposition we can trust in His presence as
we speak the truth in love.
II. Spiritual Blindness and the Grace of
God (25-28).
“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. 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.’
You might think that the unexplained
disappearance of the disciples from the jail would have evoked questions and an
investigation. The doors were locked, they were under guard, and yet they got
out? How? But it seems that the leaders are so set in their minds that they
were perplexed, but maybe don’t want to know what had happened. As soon as word
came as to where the disciples were and what they were doing, they must have
been shocked, but rather than considering what this meant, they sent for them,
and their intentions were not good. They were blind to the spiritual
implications of their miraculous disappearance from the jail and seem to go
right back to their plan to suppress and extinguish the followers of Jesus.
What a picture of spiritual blindness!
We have stories of miraculous healings
done by Jesus in the gospels, including stories of those who are blind receiving
their sight. One of the most detailed accounts is back in John 9, where we see
Jesus healing a man who was born blind. The part of the story that I want to
note here is that the man doesn’t start out seeking Jesus or asking for healing.
Jesus, after speaking to His disciples, goes to him and intervenes. The healed
man receives his physical sight, but also, as the story progresses, his
spiritual eyes are opened as He comes to recognize Jesus as messiah. It’s like the song Amazing Grace, “I once was
lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see.” By the end of the story the religios leaders
ask mockingly, “Are we blind too?” And
the clear answer is yes you are! God’s
intervention is not earned or deserved, it’s all mercy, it’s all of Him, for
His purpose, according to grace.
When I got saved as a young adult, I
suddenly understood the depth of my need and got at least a glimpse of God’s
grace. It made sense. My eyes were suddenly opened to understand the gospel. What
I didn’t understand was that it might not make sense to everyone else! I thought that I had never heard the message
before, it’s more likely that I had heard but simply didn’t understand! I was blind, by His grace, my eyes were
opened and now I see! Might I remind you
as you seek to share the lifesaving message of Jesus, those you are seeking to
see rescued are blind. They can’t see, they are unable to understand (I Cor
2:14). Yet God has chosen through the
foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
There is something supernatural going on as we seek to be a witness for
the Lord. God is still opening the eyes of the blind! So be encouraged, though God’s Mission will
always encounter opposition, we can trust in His presence as we speak the truth
in love.
III. Obedience, the Holy Spirit, and
Preaching the Grace of God (29-32).
“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.’"
In chapter 4 the disciples had asked
“You tell us, is it right for us to obey
you or God?” Here they simply state
the same idea, “We must obey God rather
than men.” Obedience to God was not an option, it was a decision that they
had already set in their hearts. Notice
that v.29 ends, talking about obedience, and v.32 returns to that subject. The
paragraph focuses on the truth that the
Holy Spirit is working in those who obey Him.
Verse 30 presents as about as abrupt
a contrast as you could imagine. To paraphrase: “God raised Jesus, you killed
Him. Your action was the complete opposite, the exact antithesis of what God
had done.” Peter is not very subtle in
his presentation, he gets right to the point. This is what God did, after you
did your part! And the way He was
killed, “hanging on a tree,” was only for the cursed.
You made him a curse by hanging him on a tree, but v.31, “God exalted
Him at his right hand (the place of blessing and preeminence) as leader and
Savior (what grace! Not Judge first of all, but Savior) to grant repentance to
Israel, and forgiveness of sins. The message of Jesus continued to be preached
to the Jews to give the people, including their leaders, time and opportunity
to repent—to change their mind about Him.
The disciples said, “We are witnesses to these things…” To what things? To his mockery of a trial, to
his death and resurrection, and to the pouring out of the Spirit on those who
obey. The age of the Spirit had come, God present with us and in us. The
baptism of the Holy Spirit is not something that applied only to a few or the
elite or to then and there, it is normative positional truth for all who
believe and are born again. So, though God’s Mission will always encounter
opposition we can trust in His presence as we speak the truth in love.
IV. The Hearts of Men and the Grace of
God (5:33-42).
“When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.”
They were
enraged, “cut to the quick,” and wanted to lash out in their anger and kill the
disciples. In the entire Bible this word
occurs only here and in Acts 7:54, after the speech of Stephen. You know how
that story ends! It indicates the
conviction of the Spirit that is the objective exposing of the guilt of an unrepentant
heart. There is no pretense toward tolerance or consideration, and certainly no
openness to consider the implications of what was happening. Peter’s words were
like fingernails scraping against a blackboard, they couldn’t stand hearing it
any more. Their sin was exposed, their guilt was in the
light, so their first reaction is to try to put out the light.
34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in
honor by all the people, stood up… 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, 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. 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 Jesus as the Christ.
Murder was on the hearts of the
leadership, they had had enough. “But…”
God intervened. Not directly as He had done in sending the angel to open the
prison door, but subtlety, turning the heart of one of the leaders, perhaps the
most influential and most universally respected among them, a man named
Gamaliel. That name might sound
familiar. He was the teacher of Saul of Tarsus, and one of the most prominent
rabbis of his time. He was so respected that one historian said that “When
Rabban Gamaliel died, virtue departed from Israel.” V.34 says he was held in honor, respected, by
all the people. He stood up and spoke, and they listened. And it seems that God allowed the rabbi’s
heart to be softened, so that his testimony could avert the premature cutting
off of the apostolic witness. But was
his counsel correct?
1. Certainly, in an ultimate sense,
no one wants to be in the position of fighting against God! It is surely correct that human opposition is
not going to block the progress of what God is doing and ultimately God will defeat
every false religion.
2. On the other hand, it is true
that false religions can flourish, even for a very long time. Ultimately they
will be destroyed but that may not happen until the final judgment! Islam,
pseudo-Christian cults, even humanism which is another form of idolatry are
lies opposed to God and His truth, but they are still spreading around the
world. Ultimately God will cut off all
the idolatries of humans, but they can spread for decades, even centuries, in
this present evil age. Remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are
perishing, 4 whose minds the
god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel
of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” This underscores the desperate need of the
world, the masses that are perishing in their ignorance. And it also highlights
the importance of our mission to rescue the perishing, to bring the only
message that brings life to those around us.
What is God
saying to me in this passage? Though
God’s Mission will always encounter opposition we can trust in His presence as
we speak the truth in love.
What would God have me to do in
response to this passage? One of the
themes that carries through this passage, is the grace of God in allowing
humans to hear the message of Jesus. Humans are in rebellion against God apart
from Christ, “The nations roar and the
people devise a vain thing against the Lord and against His Anointed…” Yet
God sends the message of the gospel to the lost. Much as the church in the Book
of Acts, God has gathered together here a body of believers. Diverse gifts, but
a unified mission, to declare the message of His grace to the world, starting
right here in our Jerusalem. Summer is
an exciting time in Boothbay since the world comes to us. Visitors,
vacationers, seasonal residents, seasonal workers from all over the world. How
can we most effectively be the “rescue station” God wants us to be?
1. Remember, it’s not about you. God will
ultimately be glorified through the preaching of the Gospel. His Word will not
return void, it will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent. We want
people to like us, we want them to be our friends, but we have to love them enough
to risk them not liking us. We need to love them enough to point them to Jesus.
Not with pride or arrogance, but one beggar showing another beggar where to
find bread.
2. Remember you are not alone! God’s
presence is promised to those who know Him. “I am with you always.” I was kind
of afraid of the dark when I was a kid. But when my father was there, no
problem, no fear, tranquil. He was bigger than anything I might face, and
whatever came up, he could handle it! We
are the King’s kids, we call Him “Abba, Daddy.” And Jesus himself has promised,
“I will never leave you…”
3. Let’s determine to allow God to use us
as He would this year, let’s make His priority ours. At the end of chapter 9 of
Matthew Jesus said, “The harvest is
plentiful and the workers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He
send forth workers into the harvest…” In chapter 10, he sent the disciples!
That should be our prayer: Father, the need is great, the fields are white,
send forth workers. And here, in our Jerusalem, we are part of the answer. AMEN.
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