A Short-lived Victory

Acts 12[i]

Let me show you a few verses from the Bible:

Jeremiah 12:1

LORD, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you.  So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?

Job 21:7

Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful?

Ecclesiastes 8:14

And this is not all that is meaningless in our world.  In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good.  This is so meaningless!

Psalm 73:2-3

But as for me, I almost lost my footing.  My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

Why do the wicked prosper?

When troubles, hardships or persecutions come, we all have questions. Why is this happening? How can we make it?

With these questions comes the challenge of survival.  Can we make it or even continue to go on?  In the account of Acts 12, we find great hope.  This hope is for believers.  If you have not asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior, I hope that today’s study will encourage you to do so. 

First, some background as we set the stage for the story of Acts chapter 12.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus chose 12 apostles to be with him. Peter, James and John were the leaders of these 12. When the new Church started, Peter took the lead along with James. The leaders of the Jewish nation were jealous of the success of the early Church. Beginning with the stoning of Stephan, they persecuted the Church to try to stop its growth.  In the person of Saul, they found a champion, a fierce persecutor. However, their champion met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and was converted.  Saul the persecutor became Paul the evangelist.

As we come to the beginning of Acts 12, for some reason, Herod the king has decided to begin persecuting the Church.  The chapter starts by telling us that Herod had James put to death.  James was the brother of John.  Jesus had nicknamed James and John “Sons of Thunder.”  Before following Jesus, they were members of the political party known as “Zealots.”  The Zealots tried to move the Jewish nation to rebel against the Romans and drive them out by force of arms.  Thus, James and John were men of action and displayed this in their character earning themselves the title “Sons of Thunder.” 

Peter, James and his brother John were the inner circle of the Apostles.  These three were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and in the garden when Jesus prayed.  James was one of the main leaders of the early Church.  His death pleased the Jewish people.

Herod was a power-hungry, evil man.  When he saw that he could increase his influence and power with the Jews by persecuting the Church, he immediately went after the most notable Christian around, Peter.  The Church had lost one important leader, and now Peter was in jail.  To the Church, it must have seemed like the opposition was winning.  Persecution was quickly getting worse.

How do we respond to trials?  How do we respond when things are quickly getting worse?  At times, we can lose hope.

Initial success in persecution encouraged Herod to intensify his efforts.  It seemed to him that he was getting what he wanted, so he continued down that path. 

Suffering and trials tend to do this.  They tend to get worse before they get better.  Acts chapter 12 shows a pattern that persecution and troubles follow.  The pattern is 1) early success, 2) the Lord intervenes and 3) vanquishing.

“Early success” means success for the trouble or persecutor.  The Jewish leaders were encouraged at the stoning of Stephen and a vigorous persecution started that day.  In the same way, Herod was encouraged by killing James and so his intention to persecute the Church solidified.  Herod was serious.  He set four squads of four soldiers each to guard Peter.  He set the trial for the next day.  Since this was during the Passover feast, we can assume he wanted to execute Peter while the huge crowds of Passover were in Jerusalem.  This was an aggressive, politically-significant move.

The Church was troubled.  The text tells us they prayed very earnestly for Peter.  Acts chapter 12 verse five says, "But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.”  The words "very earnestly" mean to pray with intensity without letting up.  The opposition of the Jewish leaders was now joined with the opposition of the powerful Roman civil government.  There was cause for alarm.

Troubles, hardships and persecution teach us fervency in prayer.  Troubles, hardships and persecution force us to turn to the Lord for help.  Psalms 9:9 tells us, “The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

In Isaiah 62, the Lord says:

O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually.  Take no rest, all you who pray to the LORD. Give the LORD no rest until he completes his work, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.  Isaiah 62:6-7

Hebrews 5:7 says, "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.”  ESV[ii]

God wants us to pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  He instructs us to make our request known to Him.

In chapter 12, God sent an angel in response to the prayers of the Church. This angel led Peter out of the prison. At first, Peter thought it was a dream. He could hardly believe this was happening. He went and knocked on the door of the place where believers were gathered in prayer for him, and they also could hardly believe this was happening.

This is the second part of the pattern. God intervenes. Following the early success of the trouble and in response to the pleas of His people, God intervenes.  God is in control of all circumstances.  Isaiah 45:7 says, “I create the light and make the darkness.  I send good times and bad times.  I, the LORD, am the one who does these things.”  Since God is in control, all schemes against God and his Anointed will fail.  All persecution eventually fails. Romans 8:37 assures us, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  (ESV)

What Satan means to destroy us, only strengthens us. As Jesus hung on the cross, He said, “It is finished.” It certainly appeared as if Satan had won. However, Jesus’s words, “It is finished” signaled a complete victory.  Satan was not in control as Jesus went to the cross.  God’s purposes were being accomplished.  All our troubles, all our trials are used by God for our good.  Even the last and greatest persecution that we call “the tribulation” will fail. The seeming victory that Satan holds in the world today will certainly be short-lived. Ultimately, God wins a total victory, and He will set up His Kingdom here on Earth.

In Acts chapter 12, the story continues with the events immediately following the escape of Peter.  It tells the story of Herod's relationship with the people of Tyre. The people of Tyre and Sidon flattered Herod by calling him a god. Acts 12:23 tells us, “Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God.  So he was consumed with worms and died.”

Every empire that has persecuted the church has fallen or will fall. This was true of Herod. When he raised himself up against God, in the end, Herod was vanquished.  Herod enjoyed success at the start, but God intervened and Herod was defeated.

This pattern is so sure that James says:

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.  (James 1:2-4)

There are a couple truths here that we need to stress.  First, this is for those who know the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord causes all things to work together for the good of those that love him and are the called according to his purposes. (Romans 8:28)  Things did not work out well for Herod because he set himself up in opposition to God. 

Many people set themselves up against God.  Why would a person say, “If God sends people to hell, I do not want anything to do with Him?”  God gave His only son to save people from hell.  Why would a person say, “I cannot believe in a God who let my loved one die?”

Let’s talk about Stephen and James whom we mentioned earlier.  They were both put to death.  Did God not care?  Psalm 116:15 says, “The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die.” However, Stephen and James went to heaven to be in the presence of the Lord.  Paul said:

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.  But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ.  So I really don’t know which is better.  I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.  (Philippians 1:21-23)

Notice he says, “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.”  Stephen and James got that far-better result.  Their death was not a defeat for them, and although it seemed like a defeat for the Church, it ended with a victory.

My conclusion is “Call on the Name of the Lord.”  In trusting in the Lord, there can be no defeat.  I will repeat Romans 8:37, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  (ESV)

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[i]  Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

Prayer

Acts 9:36-43[i]

There are many examples of prayer in the Bible.  Men and women prayed to God from the earliest days recorded in Scripture.  The Prophet Daniel prayed three times a day, and was unwilling to change this habit even under the threat of being thrown into the lion’s den.  The Lord Jesus gave us an example of how to pray in what we call the Lord’s Prayer, and He, himself, spent many hours in prayer.

I have chosen an ambitious title by calling this blog “Prayer.”  I am looking at only one incident of prayer and its results, and will by no means cover the whole subject.  Prayer is simple enough that a young child can pray effectively, and at the same time, it is a broad subject with many examples and nuances worthy of much study and contemplation.  Many different thoughts and ideas are published concerning prayer, some of which are entirely unbiblical and based on speculation while others are basic truths on which we must rely as Christians.  Today, I wish to look at just a couple principles concerning prayer.  It is my hope that in doing so we will find encouragement and be strengthened in our prayers.

To do this, we are looking at Acts 9:36-43.  This passage tells the story of a woman named Tabitha.  Tabitha was a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ.  She was known for her good works and her acts of charity.  The text says she became ill and died.  The only other information about her is given in verse 39, where it says that the room in which her body lay was filled with widows who were weeping and showing the coats and clothes Tabitha had made for them.  This shows us both that she was loved and that she was industrious.  We do not know what her source of income was or how she had the resources to help others, but we do know that she did help others.

Having read Acts 9, we know that when Peter prayed for Tabitha, she was raised up from the dead.  The first question I want to ask is if to receive an answer to prayer, does the person receiving the healing or blessing need to be particularly deserving?  In the case of Tabitha, did Tabitha particularly deserve to be raised from the dead?

I do not believe so.  To be sure, the fact that Tabitha was loved made those around her seek earnestly for help and to intercede for her.  However, for God’s part, we know that He says in both Romans 2:11 and in Acts 10:34 that He does not show favoritism.  Not one of us is deserving of the great grace that God pours out on us every day.  We are all saved by grace through no merit of our own. 

Jesus was speaking to the Jews of His hometown, when He said:

“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land.  Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them.  He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon.  (Luke 4:25-26)

In another place the Apostle Paul says:

Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not!  For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”  So it is God who decides to show mercy.  We can neither choose it nor work for it.  (Romans 9:14-16)

This is not to say Tabitha was not important.  The Lord Jesus assures us that not a sparrow falls to the ground except our Father knows about it, and we are of much greater value than many sparrows.  As valuable as Tabitha was, she was not more valuable than others. 

Why did God decide to raise her from the dead but not others?  What is more, as far as we know, she had to go through the whole dying thing a second time later on.

There is a significant fact about Tabitha given by the text.  She was a devoted follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The text tells us she was a disciple and did good works.  We know that God cares for His children.  We know that He causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him.  Stephen was loved just as much as Tabitha, but God chose to take Him home.  In both cases, we can have the confidence that what God is doing is for the good of His children. 

The principle of prayer that we can rely on is that God wants to bless His children.  We can rely on the fact that He is good.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD.  "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” 

Prayer is not dependent on the merit of the one prayed for.  Rather, it rests upon the unchanging goodness and love of our Almighty God and Father.  Whether it is a case of a Stephen who dies or a Tabitha who is raised from the dead, our confidence rests in the love of a God who gave His only Son to save us.

A second question this story raises for me is, “Was it because it was Peter who asked that the Lord raised Tabitha from the dead?”

 If it was not because Tabitha merited it, perhaps it was the fact that it was Peter who asked.

The text tells us that the believers heard that Peter was nearby and sent two men to beg him to come as soon as possible.  (Acts 9:38)  The two men walked 11 miles from Joppa to Lydda, spoke with Peter and then walked back.  We can assume this trip took 4 or 5 hours each way for a total of 8 to 10 hours. As a result, Tabitha would have been dead for most of a day by the time Peter arrived. 

Their plea was urgent.  They asked Peter to come as soon as possible.  The text does not indicate that they asked Peter to do anything besides come.  They may have wanted him there for comfort and encouragement, or they may have wanted Him to perform a miracle.  The text does not say.  However, it is clear that the believers looked to Peter as a leader and sought his presence with them during their time of crisis.

We, as human beings, tend to look to people for help and leadership.  This is natural.  If we have a medical question or issue, we look to medical professionals for answers and understanding.  If we have tax questions, we look to an accountant.  There is specialization in many different fields.  Along with this, there is the issue of giftedness.  One person may have the gift of faith where another does not.  Another person may have the gift of knowledge.  Because of these differences in giftedness, we may seek out different people at different times.  The Scriptures teach us that each believer is given a gift for the building up of the Body of Christ. 

Due to specialization and giftedness, some of us may be called upon to pray more often than others, but the question is, “Are our prayers somehow more effective?”

In answer to this, the New Testament says, “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!  Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.”  (James 5:17-18)

When Jesus prayed in the Garden, three times He asked, “My Father!  If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me.  Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."  (Matthew 26:39)

If the person asking is the determiner of the answer, then Jesus certainly trumps Peter, and here in this example Jesus’ request is dependent on the will of the Father.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”  (Matthew 6:10, KJV)

The principle here is that prayer is not so much about the person praying but about the One we are praying to. 

The first principle we learned was, “God wants to bless His children.”  The second principle we learned was, “Prayer is about the One we are praying to.

There is a third principle that arises from the events in Acts 9.

When Peter arrived they took Him immediately to the room where Tabitha was lying.  The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and clothing that Tabitha had made.  The text tells us that Peter asked them all to leave the room.  When he prayed, he was alone.

Jesus told us to practice our prayers in private.  In Matthew 6:6, He says, “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.  Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

If Peter had wanted to make a show, he could have let everyone remain in the room.  The transaction or interaction was between God and Peter at that point.  Peter needed to know God’s will.  Peter needed to be alone with God to deal with the situation.

Pride would have wanted to make a display of the whole process.

Somewhere in the time of prayer, God must have made His will clear to Peter, because he turned to the body and said, “Get up, Tabitha.”  (Acts 9:40) 

The principle in all this is expressed in Philippians 4:6:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Prayer is between you and God.  There is a time and place for public prayer.  The Bible has examples of prayers offered in public.  However, God has commanded us all to pray, and not in a public way.  All our concerns, all our burdens and cares are to be brought to the Lord.

Let’s review the principles we have looked at.

First, God wants to bless His children.  Do not miss a blessing because you failed to ask.

Second, prayer is about the One being asked more than the one asking.  Do not let your own unworthiness stop you from asking.  Remember that because of Jesus you can come boldly before God to ask anything.

Third, prayer is between you and God.  You need to get alone and talk with God, daily. 

There is so much more that can be said about prayer, but if you will remember these three principles, and let the Bible guide you in your prayers, I am convinced you can enjoy a very rich and rewarding prayer life.  God still works miracles.  Just because Peter is not here does not mean that God cannot raise the dead. 

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

Opposition

Acts 9:1-20

In the days and weeks immediately following the resurrection, the news of the resurrection and its meaning spread like wildfire.  The Good News, the message of life, changed more people every day.  Every day new followers joined what was called the Way.  In other words, they believed in Jesus and became a part of His Body, the Church.

However, explosive growth and growing popularity also meant growing opposition and alarm among the religious leaders, starting with the High Priest.

The opposition was serious.  A righteous and good man, Stephen, was killed.  Stephen was stoned for His testimony for Christ, becoming the first person to give His life for the name of Jesus.

Stephen’s death was a turning point.  From that day on, intense persecution broke out against the followers of the Way in Jerusalem.  As a result, the Way, or Christianity, quickly spread throughout the region as those who believed in Jesus fled Jerusalem.  

In Jerusalem, there was a man who was particularly zealous in persecuting believers.  His name was Saul.  Acts 8:3 tells us, “But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church.  He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.”

The opposition did not stop the spread of the message of life.  It hastened the spread of the message of life.  Therefore, the persecution intensified.  Acts 9:1 tells us, “Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.”  We see the intensity of the opposition as Saul was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.  Furthermore, this was not limited to Jerusalem, and it was not limited to Saul.  Saul sought and received the High Priest’s endorsement or authorization to pursue the Lord’s followers to Damascus.  This means he desired to travel 135 miles to pursue and imprison believers, and the High Priest approved.  

This opposition to the message of life existed from the beginning.  The High Priest that gave the letters to Saul was the same High Priest that was part of crucifying Jesus.  Furthermore, this opposition has not let off or abated from that day to the present.  Geographically, it has shifted to different parts of the globe. At the present, we do not face persecution here in the United States.  However, our brothers and sisters in the Middle East are being slaughtered.  Our brothers and sisters in North Korea are being imprisoned.  Open Doors, a ministry to the persecuted church says:

“According to The Pew Research Center, over 75% of the world's population lives in areas with severe religious restrictions (and many of these people are Christians).  Also, according to the United States Department of State, Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or surrounding neighbors simply because of their belief in Jesus Christ.  (Open Doors, https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/#where).”

Opposition to the message of life takes many forms.  Persecution is not limited to imprisonment and death.  There is economic persecution.  Let’s face it, wherever God is at work there is opposition.  It may be emotional, economic or physical.  However, it is always spiritual.

We are talking about opposition, but we have not mentioned the opponent.

When Jesus confronted Saul, He said, “Saul!  Saul!  Why are you persecuting me?”  (Acts 9:4)  Jesus did not say, “Why are you opposing my message?” This is because the opposition was personal.  The opposition was against a person, Jesus Christ.  In the same way, the opponent is personal.  It is not Saul.  It is not the High Priest.  Saul, himself, later wrote, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”  (Ephesians 6:12)  The Apostle Peter put it in these words, “Stay alert!  Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”  (1 Peter 5:8)

Whenever God works in our lives, we will face opposition.  We have a great enemy, our opponent, who is also God’s opponent.  We are involved in a great war.  We did not start it.  It was happening before we were born.  However, the war is already won.

Look at how easily Jesus won in Saul’s case.  The Church’s greatest persecutor became her greatest evangelist.  We do not even know him by the name Saul, but rather by his Greek name, Paul.  His life was transformed by Jesus.  In spite of all the opposition of the opponent, Saul was completely changed.

When Stephen died, the enemy did not win.  We do not understand why God takes some home and leaves others here.  However, we do know, “that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  (Romans 8:28)

When Saul met with Jesus on the road to Damascus, it was meant for Saul.  The others who were with Saul heard the voice but they did not see anything.  However, Saul, himself, fell to the ground.  He was given basic instructions, but when Jesus left, Saul was blind.  He had to be led by the hand the rest of the way to Damascus where he waited for 3 days.  The others saw nothing and were not blinded.

 

We are told that Paul was praying while he waited.  From what Jesus told Ananias, Saul also had a vision during these days of waiting.  

God spoke to a man named Ananias, and told him to go and pray for Saul.  Notice Ananias’ reaction.  He said, “But Lord, I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!  And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”  (Acts 9:13-14)

In spite of every human indication, Saul was God’s chosen instrument.  In spite of all the opposition that the opponent had put in Saul’s heart, God had a plan.  Listen to what God said to Ananias:

But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.  And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”  (Acts 9:15-16)

There are several things that we can learn about how God works to overcome the opposition in our lives.

First, He chooses us individually.  Just as the meeting on the Damascus Road was meant for Saul, we all have moments and times meant just for us.  In fact, God warns us, "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled."  (Hebrews 3:15)  I am not aware of Jesus appearing to any other person on the road to Damascus.  Each person’s experience is unique.  You may not believe your experience is as dramatic as Saul’s, but remember who it is that is speaking to you.  It is Jesus, the Creator, the God of the Universe.  Instead of thinking about the drama, think about the significance of Who it is that is speaking and do not harden your heart.

The next thing we learn about how God works to overcome the opposition in our lives is He gives us new vision.  Saul first lost his vision.  Everything He thought he understood and saw in his world changed, both physically and spiritually.  Physically he was blind, but he also understood his spiritual blindness.  Up to the point he met Jesus, Saul thought he saw things spiritually.  This is why he persecuted the followers of Jesus.  He thought they were poisoning the true faith.  He thought they were blaspheming heretics.  This is essentially why believers are persecuted today, and it is essentially why we oppose the work of God in our lives.  It is unbelief and it is spiritual blindness.  Saul was spiritually blind and he became physically blind.  God gave him new vision in both realms.  God may not take away our physical vision, but He will certainly make us aware of our spiritual blindness.  This is part of overcoming the opposition.  2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us:

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.  They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News.  They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

The third thing we learn about how God works to overcome opposition in our lives is that He requires us to wait on Him.

For Saul, this meant praying and fasting for three days in Damascus. He was blind, and not having been blind before, he was helpless.  All he could do was wait.  He did not know what to do next, so he sought God.  God then gave him a vision of Ananias coming and praying for him.  So, he waited.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture says:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  (Isaiah 40:31, KJV)

Waiting on the Lord is not necessarily inactivity, but sometimes it is.  It just means trusting Him and obeying Him.  Saul was told to wait, but he continued in prayer and seeking the Lord.  Praying is more than just asking God for things to make our lives easier.  It is more than letting God know what we want.  I can hardly pray without my Bible open in front of me, because it is how I interact with God.  The Psalms are rich with prayers and praises.  The epistles are full of instruction and encouragement.  The Gospels show me Jesus.  The Bible is certainly part of waiting on the Lord, and so is obedience, doing what we are told.  The one thing God requires of us is faith.  He says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”  (Acts 16:31)  Also, Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.  Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith.

The fourth thing we learn about how God works to overcome opposition in our lives is that he gives purpose and meaning.

For Saul, this meant that he would suffer for the name of Jesus.  This might not seem thrilling to you and me, but Saul is the one who from jail wrote, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  (Philippians 1:21)  He is also the one who said:

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.  I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!  (Philippians 3:10-11)

When God works to transform us, there is always opposition.  The truth is the opponent is behind it, but rejoice because God has overcome the opponent.  The opposition can be others or it can be our own reluctance to obey and believe.  I want to close with the words of a song, “Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

The Message of Life

Acts 5:12-42[i]

After the resurrection, Jesus met with the Apostles and His followers at different times and in different settings over a period of forty days.  1 Corinthians 15:6 tells us that on one occasion He met with five hundred of his followers at one time.  At the end of this forty day period Jesus ascended into heaven.  In chapter 28:18-20, Matthew tells us that Jesus shared the following with His disciples:

¹⁸Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  ¹⁹Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  ²⁰Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The early chapters of Acts tell us how Jesus’ disciples started to fulfill this mission.

For example, Acts 2 tells how Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, filling them with the power of God.  Immediately, the Apostles began boldly preaching that Jesus was the Messiah.  Seven weeks earlier, the Apostles hid in a room with the doors locked, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, they became as bold as lions.  What is more, their ministry was effective.  The first day of preaching saw 3,000 people converted.

A side note here, 2.2 billion people call themselves Christian in the world today.  If we go with 2000 years since the first days of the church, 2,000 years would be approximately 730,500 days.  2.2 billion divided by 730,500 days is roughly 3,011 Christians per day.  This does not account for all the Christians who have died and gone to be with the Lord.  Nor, does it account for those who say they are Christian but do not know Christ.  I only point this out to say that the Holy Spirit is still active, still working and still bringing people to the knowledge of Christ.

Back to the Apostles, they continued daily in the temple speaking to the people about Jesus.  This, of course, got the attention of those who had killed Jesus.  Acts 4:2 tells us, “These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.”

Therefore, they took Peter and John before the Council and threatened them, warning them of the dire consequences of continuing to teach in Jesus name.

Then Peter, who had denied He even knew Jesus for fear of these men, said, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?  We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”  (Acts 4:19-20)

Acts chapter 5 finds the Apostles continuing in their ministry.  Not only were they telling people about Jesus, they were also healing the sick.  People were crowding to hear the message and to be freed of their afflictions.

The Lord still works the same way today.  All over the world, Christians are crowding into churches, buildings, rooms and homes to hear the message and to praise the name of Jesus.  Some face the prospect of terrible persecution, even death.  Others just face the prospect of having to get the family out of bed and moving on their one day off.  We do not line the streets with the mattresses of those who are sick.  However, there are hospitals around the world ministering in the name of Christ.

We need to trust the Holy Spirit to both empower and lead our ministry.  He has done this from the start and He will continue to do it until Jesus returns.  This is part of Jesus’s promise to be with us until the end of the age.

The Apostles’ ministry raised the jealousy of the Sanhedrin.  Acts 5:17 tells us, “The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.”  These were the wrong people to make jealous.  They had the Apostles arrested and thrown into jail. 

There are those in our world who are imprisoned, tortured and even killed for their testimony.  When Paul was imprisoned for telling people about Jesus he said, “I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador.  So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”  (Ephesians 6:20)

There are many ways in which we are silenced.  Here in the United States, we are not silenced by prison, but we are silenced by other pressures and attacks.  Please notice with me that in the verse above, Paul says, “. . . as I should.”  Peter and John had responded to the threats of the nation’s leaders with, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?”  (Acts 4:19)  It was Peter and John’s understanding that they were obligated to tell others what they had seen and heard.  Pressures to silence us come in all forms and sizes.  However, we must never forget that this is our job.  We must tell others about Jesus.

Here we need to go back to the story in Acts 5.  There is a key point that we must not miss or mistake.  The message is the words of life.

The high priest and his officials put the Apostles in the public jail, but in the middle of the night, an angel of the Lord came and let the Apostles out of jail.  Then the angel said, “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”  (Acts 5:20)  This is a key point.  The resistance was to this message. 

The counsel convened in the morning and sent to the jail to have the Apostles brought before them.  The jail was locked, but the Apostles were not there.  Then it was reported to the council that the men they had put in prison were in the temple teaching.  They immediately went and once again arrested the Apostles.  What they accused the Apostles of is important.  It is the key to our understanding.  The high priest said, “Didn’t we tell you to never again teach in this man’s name?”  (Acts 5:28)

Here is the conflict.  The angel, speaking for God, said, “Give the people this message of life!” However, the human authorities said, “Never again teach in this man’s name.” This conflict is a battle.  It is fought in our hearts and minds every time we have an opportunity to speak.  It is fought in prisons and police stations around the world as human authorities still forbid believers to teach in His name.

There are huge issues facing us in our culture here in the United States.  Should we talk about economics and taxation?  Should we talk about protecting the unborn?  Should we talk about marriage and what it is and is not?  Should we talk about race and politics?  Do not get me wrong, we should and do take positions on these issues.  However, these are secondary issues.  These issues are not as important as the message of life.  The Apostles were willing to give their lives to spread this message, and all of them except John died for their testimony.

We see in Peter and the Apostles’ reply to the high priest the importance they placed on the message.  Pay close attention because not only do they answer, they give a synopsis of what the message is.  Peter said:

We must obey God rather than any human authority.  ³⁰The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross.  ³¹Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior.  He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.  ³²We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.  (Acts 5:29-32)

Consider these words with me.

We must obey God.  After the resurrection and in numerous places, our Lord told us to speak the message of life.

Peter sums up the message of life.  Jesus was crucified.  God raised Him from the dead.  God put Jesus in the place of honor at His right hand as Prince and Savior.  He did this so that people would repent and be forgiven.  We are witnesses of these truths and so is the Holy Spirit.

Has Jesus made a difference in your life?

Do you talk about it?  You do not need to be a theologian or an apologist.  You are the authority on your life.  You know better than anybody else what Jesus has done for you.  There is no need to talk about things you do not understand, because you are a living, breathing, walking, talking testimony to the power of God to transform lives.  Whether your story is plain and simple or spectacular and dramatic, God brings into your life those who need to hear your story, your testimony.  

The Jewish leaders were furious at Peter and the Apostles’ assertion that they would not stop talking, and decided to kill them.  This is when the reasonable voice of Gamaliel won the day.  He told them, “So my advice is, leave these men alone.  Let them go.  If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown.  But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them.  You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”  (Acts 5:38-39)

This is exactly what has happened.  The thing that started after the resurrection when Jesus said, “All authority is given unto me,” is definitely from God.  Those who have opposed the spread of the Gospel have found themselves fighting against God.  However, those who give testimony to the message of life find themselves cooperating with God.  The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.  He guides us, empowers us and brings fruit.

We are all under obligation to share the message of life, to tell what Jesus has done for us.

Is there anything stopping us from speaking the message of life?

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.