Sunday, January 29, 2012

From Acts to Revelation: Part 14 - Apostles Persecution


From Acts to Revelation
Part 14 – Apostles Persecution
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

INTRODUCTION
By this time in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, they have been instructed by Christ before the ascension, obeyed His command and received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, healed the lame, arrested for preaching, released and warned not to preach or teach in the name of Jesus any more, and returned to doing what the Lord commanded them.

Now we will see that the persecution continues against them by the jealous leaders of the Sanhedrin. Sadducee and  Pharisees continue to squash the teachings of Jesus Christ, and punish any who preach in His name.

If you were arrested, imprisoned, whipped, and told not to say another word about Jesus, would you still share the Gospel?

How about if none of that stood in your way, would you share it then?

SCRIPTURE READING

Acts 5:17-42
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
 21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
   When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.
 25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
 27 Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
 33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.35 Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
 40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

I.       ARRESTED … AGAIN
1.      Arrested and put in jail by man
1.      Worldly things imprison us.
2.      Scripture tells us that sin is our master, and enslaves us.
3.      We are confined by our sin, forced to live within its grasp.
1.      Ask someone who is addicted, how free they really are.
2.      Ask someone who is imprisoned with chains of fear, anger, animosity, greed, selfishness, hatred, jealousy how free they are to live.

2.      Released and set free by God
1.      A ministering angel came to aid them.
2.      This is one of many angels who serve as ministering Spirits to Believer's.
3.      Hebrews 1:14  Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”
4.      This is probably where we get the term, “Guardian Angel.”
5.      This angel released the Apostles from prison without waking any of the guards.

3.      Instructed by the Angel of the Lord
1.      Remember, angel literally means, “Messenger of God.”
2.      After releasing the Apostles, this Messenger of God gave them instruction in verse 20, “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
3.      What message? The full message of this new life
1.      Where sin locks you in, the Lord opens the door
2.      Where you were once a slave, now you are a free man in Jesus Christ!
3.      You do not have to be trapped by your sin
1.      slave to alcohol
2.      slave to drugs
3.      slave to pornography
4.      slave to anger
5.      slave to hate
6.      You can be set free by the Lord today!

4.      They returned to preaching and teaching Jesus is the Messiah
1.      The Apostles obeyed the angels instruction.
2.      How did they know that this angel was sent by God and his message was from God?
1.      Because it passed the test.
2.      Not because they were set free from the cell...any man with a key could have done that.
3.      BUT, the instruction from the angel lined up with what Jesus had told the Apostles to do with His own mouth...preach and teach the people about Jesus the messiah.
3.      The angel did not tell the Apostles anything that God did not already tel them.
4.      So they returned to what Christ had originally instructed them to do.

II.    INTEROGATED AND EXAMINED
1.      The high-priest questioned them
1.      He asked them, did we not instruct you against this?

2.      Peter and the Apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than man.”

3.      Peter then continues to explain that what they preach and teach is the truth.
1.      30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

4.      When they heard this, they became furious, and wanted to put the Apostles all to death.
1.      These teachers of the law, who were supposed to know ad understand God's word, were nothing more than selfish, self-centered haters, whom Jesus called the church of Satan.
2.      He also called the Sanhedrin, the children of the devil.
3.      They follow their father, who was a liar and murderer from the beginning.

5.      But liars and murderers can see the truth, and chose to accept it!
1.      We see one man step up to defend truth among the Sanhedrin.
2.      Gamaliel stood and asked that the Apostles be removed from the court so he could address the Sanhedrin.

III. REASON, FLOGGED AND RELEASED
1.      Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, addressed the Sanhedrin.

2.      Men of Israel, consider carefully what you do to these men
1.      Some time ago, Theudas appeared and claimed to be something, and 400 rallied with him. He was killed and his followers dispersed, and it all came to nothing.
2.      After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census, and a band of people followed him in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers scattered.

3.      Gamaliel used some common sense here about uprisings, saying, “Look, Jesus too was killed, now wait and see what happens.”

4.      “Therefore, leave these men alone! Let them go!”
1.      Reasoning: “If what they do is of human origin (as in the two examples), then it too will fail. But, if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men, and you will only find yourself fighting against God!”
2.      Good Logic: This statement was made approximately 2,000 years ago...are there still followers of Jesus the Messiah?

5.      His speech persuaded them...somewhat.

6.      The Sanhedrin flogged the Apostles, warned them again about preaching in the name of Jesus, and let them go.


IV.  THE APOSTLES RESPONSE TO ALL OF THIS
1.      To the cowardly and unjust beatings they received
1.      The Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name.
2.      Have you ever suffered prison, beatings, any such thing for His name?
3.      What persecution do you actually face in this day and age?
4.      When you suffer that persecution because of your belief, do you rejoice?
5.      Do you allow that persecution to keep you from spreading the Gospel?

2.      To the ignorant and pointless instruction to stop preaching and teaching about Jesus the Messiah
1.      Verse 42 tells us, they returned to the Temple Court DAILY
2.      Boldly and properly disregarding their illegal judges command
3.      They continued to preach that Jesus was the Promised Messiah.

CLOSING
The Apostles had already been arrested a few times, put in jail, interrogated, flogged, or beaten with a whip or a rod, and instructed not to speak of Jesus again. However, they immediately returned to the temple courts, and going from house to house preaching and teaching that Jesus is the Messiah.

Would you speak the name of Jesus after this?

What about now? What are you facing that is so terrifying, that you do not share the Gospel of Salvation with people around you every day?

We need to evaluate ourselves, and ask the question in light of today's scripture.

Am I still imprisoned by my sin, enslaved, waiting to be released by an Angel?  Am I freed from my sin, but afraid of persecution, so I stay silent?  Or, am I free, and fearless in the strength of the Lord sharing the Truth of scripture with all, and rejoice when I am persecuted for His name!
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