Acts 5; Stay and Preach

Acts 5:  We are Staying & Preaching

[Act 5:12 ESV] 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.

When in Good Standing, Two Groups

[Act 5:13 ESV] None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

[Act 5:14 ESV] And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

Constant Miraculous Signs. 

[Act 5:15 ESV] 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.

[Act 5:16 ESV] The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

A Group of Religious people became Jealous

[Act 5:17 ESV] But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy

[Act 5:18 ESV] they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

An Interesting Escape

[Act 5:19 ESV] But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,

[Act 5:20 ESV] "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life."

[Act 5:21 ESV] And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. 

A Miraculous Escape

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.

[Act 5:22 ESV] But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,

[Act 5:23 ESV] "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside."

Oh, there they are!

[Act 5:24 ESV] 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.

[Act 5:25 ESV] And someone came and told them, "Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people."

[Act 5:26 ESV] Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

The Name of Jesus

[Act 5:27 ESV] And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,

[Act 5:28 ESV] 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."

Obey God

[Act 5:29 ESV] But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

[Act 5:30 ESV] The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

[Act 5:31 ESV] God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Let’s unpack the Gospel Message: Means Good News. 

You do not want God to judge you according to your works. 

Everyone human being is basically bad, not basically good. 

We all broke God’s moral law.  

Lying, Stealing, 

Blasphemy, 

Hating, 

[1Jo 3:15 ESV] Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Idolatry.  Making up our own god, who likes our sin and expects nothing of us.  

[1Co 6:9 ESV] Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

[1Co 6:10 ESV] nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

[1Co 6:11 ESV] And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

If God is Good & Loving, then He is Must punish Evil. 

God is Just. 

So now we have a problem.

A Just God is going to be completely FAIR and punish evil, but oh oh, I am evil according to His moral code. 

I can never repay my debt to God. 

God sent Jesus. 

Jesus lived a perfect life and never did anything evil. 

God put Jesus on a cross as punished Him as an evil doer. 

Jesus is a substitute for you and me. 

Now that God’s Justice is satisfied, He can now legally declare you and me, “not guilty”. 

Benefits:

You are allowed Heaven despite your inability to be perfect

God sends to the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower you. 

Your whole world view will explode with meaning and purpose. 

Everything will start to make sense. 

Hope and Joy. 

But you have to let God give you new glasses so you can see what is really going on. 

We need to ask Jesus to rescue us from our inability to be perfect. 

We need to ask Jesus to save of from God’s righteous judgment. 

We need to trust our lives to Jesus as our leader.

It’s not religion,

It’s not this church

It’s Jesus

[Act 5:32 ESV] And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

Violent Reaction

[Act 5:33 ESV] When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

What about the miracles?

No one in the religious leadership said the miracles were fake.

What about the response of the people?

[Act 5:34 ESV] 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.

[Act 5:35 ESV] And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.

[Act 5:36 ESV] 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.

What are the religious leaders afraid of?

Drawing unwanted attention from the Romans

Disruption of the Jewish religion 

Being exposed as the bad guys who killed Jesus

[Act 5:37 ESV] 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.

A momentary light of Wisdom. 

[Act 5:38 ESV] 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;

[Act 5:39 ESV] 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,

So instead of killing them, a beating. 

[Act 5:40 ESV] 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.

Reaction of Christians:   Worship!

[Act 5:41 ESV] Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

[Act 5:42 ESV] And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

To not stop speaking the name of Jesus Christ. 

Maybe we need to start?