In this passage we see the dogged tenacity of the apostles to continue to preach and teach about Jesus in spite of fierce persecution. What an incredible example for us today!

Teaching Notes:

Preaching That Can’t Be Silenced!

Acts 5:17-42

Intro: 

The central idea of this passage is the dogged tenacity of the apostles in their preaching and teaching concerning Jesus. The word speak occurs 2 times; teach or a derivate of it occurs 5 times; preaching occurs once. Thus, references to the preaching/teaching of the apostles occurs 8 times in this brief section! However, the emphasis is not merely on the fact that the apostles preached, but that they continued to preach and teach in the face of great opposition, doggedly determined to obey Jesus Christ no matter what it cost.  

            This morning I want to help you meditate on this Preaching That Couldn’t Be Silenced by focusing on 3 things:  The Opposition To The Apostles’ Preaching  /  The Content Of The Apostles’ Preaching / The Tenacity Of The Apostles’ Preaching. 

1.   The Opposition To The Apostle’s Preaching:  (5:17-28)

But:  what is being contrasted here? 5:12-16 describe the incredible power of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they healed and cast out demons, and the incredible growth of the early church as a result. According to Luke’s account, everything has been going great! But – now Luke shows the hostile reaction of the religious leaders.

High Priest and Sadduccees:  the Sadducces didn’t believe in miracles, angels, or resurrection. The apostles constantly preached that Jesus was risen, and performed miracles. It’s no wonder they reacted violently.  What motivated them to put them in prison? Jealousy. This is the same thing that caused them to crucify Jesus. All the multitudes were following the apostles as they observed the miracles they were performing. 

Angel of the Lord opened the prison doors:  this is very interesting. Sometimes God delivers His people from danger, as when He sent an angel to deliver Peter before his execution, and delivered Paul from a poisonous snake bite. But other times He does not deliver them (James and Stephen were beheaded and stoned). Why are some delivered and others not? I don’t know. But I do know that we are invincible until our purpose on earth is accomplished. If God still has something He wants to use us to do, He will protect and deliver us. 

“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” The angel delivered the word of the Lord. Who are the apostles to obey – God or man? They chose to obey God, knowing it would bring harsh punishment upon them. This Life: I love that! Their message concerned Life – the very life of God given us through Jesus Christ. Indeed, the Christian life is a passing from spiritual death to spiritual life through the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit. Not only were they to speak to the people about receiving the Life of Jesus, they were also to speak about living a new kind of life, in obedience to Jesus in the power of the Spirit. 

They entered the temple at daybreak:  I like that. They were preaching and teaching at daybreak! They lost no time in obeying the angel’s command, even though they knew it would mean suffering and persecution. It has been said that the greatest nation on earth is Procrasti-nation. We are disobedient when the Lord has commanded us to do something, and we promise to get around to it some day. When our children were little we tried to teach them First Time Obedience. When we told them to do something, we expected them to do it the first time we told them, and to do it immediately. That is what God expects. Is there something the Lord has told you to do that you are putting off? Maybe it is humbling yourself before someone you have sinned against, witnessing to a neighbor or co-worker, or starting each day with Jesus. Start obeying today! 

“Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”  This scene is comical! Here these great religious leaders all gather. The high priest gives the order to have the prisoners brought before them. The officers return sheepishly, and report that the prison doors were locked and the guards standing at the doors, but there was no one inside! As everyone is scratching their heads in confusion, someone runs up and says, “The guys you are looking for are preaching in the Temple!” I guess these religious leaders are not so powerful after all! They can’t even keep their prisoners locked up. 

This name…this man’s blood:  notice that they won’t even pronounce the name of Jesus.

You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching:  what a great compliment! These apostles, without sound systems, church buildings, telephones, computers, TVs, radios, or internet, had filled Jerusalem with the teaching of Jesus. May God help us to do the same in our city!

You intend to bring this man’s blood upon us:  this is a reference to Peter’s irritating and constant reminder that they had killed God’s Messiah. Notice 2:36; 3:14-15; 4:10-11. Peter is about to do it again! 5:30. However, this should not have bothered them. They were the ones who said, “His blood be on us and on our children!” (Mt.27:25). 

Application for us at The Bridge:  Our very name describes our mission – we are to be agents of reconciliation between man and God. If we obey this mission, we should expect opposition from the world.  It will come. People won’t like it, not matter how much we love those we speak to, and how gentle and meek we are. Of course no one will object if we go around saying, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”  But if you remind people that 1) God is the Sovereign Creator who made them, and therefore they are accountable to Him for all their words, thoughts and actions; 2) that all men are so thoroughly depraved that they will not and can not please Him; 3) that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God who bore in His own body on the tree that full measure of God’s wrath against sin; and 4) that God commands all men everywhere to repent and trust in Jesus Christ, meaning they must lay down their weapons and surrender to King Jesus, willing to do whatever He commands, and that if they continue in their rebellion they will face His wrath in hell. When we start proclaiming the truth, we will face opposition. We will be called narrow-minded, intolerant, and bigots.  When that happens, what will we do? Will we turn tail and run, or will we continue to faithfully proclaim the truth? 

2.   The Content Of The Apostles’ Preaching: (5:29-32)

Obey:  this word is at the beginning and the end of Peter’s mini-message. No wonder they reacted in rage! Peter was insinuating that the religious leaders were not obeying God, while the apostles were. They were also insisting that they possessed the Holy Spirit, while the religious leaders did not!

Raised…Exalted…Gives Repentance:  Peter’s message boils down to 3 points:  God raised Jesus from the dead. Then God exalted Him to His right hand as the King over all God’s creation as the Sovereign Savior, the Royal Ruler, the Lord and Savior. And from this exalted sovereign position, Jesus now gives repentance and forgiveness of sins. Lest we think Jesus only gives repentance to Israel, Luke will tell us later in Acts 11:18 “then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” Jesus is reigning to save. He upholds the universe by the word of His power. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him. He is building His church.

Application for us at The Bridge: 

Jesus not only Accomplishes Salvation, He Applies it too!  In His crucifixion, He was a Suffering Savior. In His resurrection and ascension He is a Sovereign Savior. In His death, He accomplished Redemption. In His resurrection, He applies it. How so? By pouring out the Holy Spirit who regenerates all His elect. From heaven He directs His Spirit in applying the redemption He purchased with His blood.  We like to talk of Christ’s finished work. That’s true in one sense – His earthly work is finished. But His heavenly work continues. Jesus is still ruling over all creation to bring about the Father’s purposes, and the salvation of all His chosen ones. He is still interceding that the worth of His righteous life and substitutionary death will be applied to those the Father has given Him.

Jesus is not only Savior, He is also Lord: that comes out in the titles “Leader and Savior”. The word “leader” can also be translated “prince.” It refers to someone with royal authority, one who rules and reigns. One of the greatest doctrinal errors in our day is the teaching that Jesus can be your Savior without being your Lord. It has resulted in “cheap grace” where a person is told they can be forgiven of their sins while continuing in their rebellion to God. This teaching promises sinners that they will be eternally saved if they only “accept Jesus as their Savior; or ask Him into their heart” whether or not they repent and experience a transformed life. You can’t slice up Jesus into several pieces, like a pie, and then just take the piece you want. If you take Jesus, you have to take all of Him. When you receive Him, you not only receive the Savior part of Him, you also get the Lord part of Him. This needs to be made clear to those we preach the gospel to. True faith includes repentance. Faith is a turning to God. Well, you can’t turn to God unless you turn away from sin. A faith without repentance is not saving faith! It is the kind of faith that says, “Lord, lord, didn’t we…” But the Lord will say, “depart from me you workers of lawlessness. I never knew you.” 

Jesus not only requires repentance; He also gives it:  Repentance is not your contribution to your salvation. It is a gift of grace that comes from Jesus, Himself. He is under no obligation to give repentance to any, and does not give it to everyone. Notice 2Tim.2:25-26. Notice that God may “perhaps” grant repentance. Jesus is not a weak, frustrated Savior, weeping because so few people will let Him save them. He’s not wringing His hands in despair, wishing more people would use their free will to take advantage of the salvation He accomplished. No, He saves as a Sovereign Savior. Jesus is not in the sinner’s hands to do with Him as he pleases. No, the sinner is in Christ’s hands to do with him what He pleases. Since only Jesus can save, pray and ask Him to do it! Pray, pray, pray. Pray like crazy. Let’s be in constant prayer that He will save through our feeble efforts here at The Bridge! 

3.   The Tenacity of the Apostles’ Preaching:  (5:33-42).

Gamaliel: he was the grandson of the famous Jewish rabbi, Hillel. When everyone else was furious and wanted to kill the apostles, Gamaliel retained a cool, level head. His advice seems wise, but in fact is only the wisdom of an unsaved man. The truth is that many cults which are not of God have multiplied greatly. The fact that they took his advice reveals how venerated this rabbi was.

They beat them:  this is the usual word for flogging, probably the dreaded 39 lashes. The first wave of persecution in chapter 4 included a prohibition and a warning. The apostles’ response? Prayed to the Sovereign Lord for boldness to go on preaching.  The 2^nd wave of persecution here included a prohibition and a beating. Apostles’ response? Praised God for the honor of suffering for Christ. 

Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name:  this is awesome! What do you do with these guys? If you bring them before the Council, they preach to you. If you threaten them, they hold a prayer meeting for more boldness, and then continue preaching. If you imprison them again, an angel delivers them! When they are brought before the Council again, they preach again! And when you beat them, they rejoice for the honor of suffering for Jesus’ name! There is nothing you can do to stop people like this.  Notice is what is implied in this statement. They revered and valued the Name of Jesus so highly, that anything they endured for that Name was an honor.

Every day…they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ: they were constantly and continually teaching and preaching. They filled Jerusalem with this teaching. What tenacity, what doggedness, what determination, what zeal!

Application for us at The Bridge: How highly do we revere Jesus’ name?  This is what will take any cross, trial, or suffering and turn it into a privilege and an honor. Oh God, cause us to see the matchless beauty and glory in Jesus’ Name! Oh, Lord give is just a fraction of the zeal of the apostles in filling Rancho Cordova with Your teaching.  We made a good start last Friday night by passing out tracts in Folsom. Let’s continue. We would also like to try riding the Lightrail Train and using spiritual belief surveys as a means to discuss the gospel with people. Let’s refuse to give up in spreading the gospel. Let’s pray every day for opportunities to speak of His Name to others. And when we face opposition and pain for doing so, let’s tenaciously hold to our task!

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