How Shall Christians Live (1 Peter 3:13-17)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, June 30, 2024

This Thursday, we celebrate Independence Day. Today, we celebrate Independence Day in our worship service.

I love history! I am a student of history. I love American history. Recently, I watched the Apple TV series “Masters of the Air.” It is a mini-series about the men who flew B-17s during WW II. It was an insightful show that gave me even more insight into what our soldiers endured. Of course, I read a lot of history as well. Watching that show made me even more proud to be an American. To be sure, America is not God’s chosen nation. We can and should be proud and good citizens. This is true whether the country shares our values or not. How do we live when the nation does not share our values? Well, how do we live either way?

Regardlss, of what nation we liveiand of whether or not the nation shares our values, Jesus is Lord.

I expect the world to be the world. We, as Christians, must take our faith seriously; why? Persecution is coming, and we are called upon to represent Christ.

I want to talk about 1 Peter 3:13-17 and show you that Peter gives his readers instructions on how to live as Christians when the country does not share their values.

If you brought a Bible, please turn to 1 Peter 3:13-17

Let’s read:

1 Peter 3:13–17 (ESV)

¹³ Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

1. Be zealous to do good:
   1. In verses 13-14 and 16-17, Peter encourages them to be zealous to be good.
   2. Let me say a few words about the situation in 1 Peter: This was written around AD 62-63, probably from Rome.
   3. There was sporadic persecution.
   4. Later, Peter was martyred, likely crucified, and maybe upside down. Legend is that he watched his wife crucified first, saying something like, “Remember our Lord.”
   5. There is a lot about persecution in 1 Peter (word “suffering” in 1 Peter: 1 Peter: 1:6–7; 2:12, 19–21; 4:12–19; 5:9–10).
   6. Now, the NIV says to be eager to be good. I like the NASB’s use of the word “Zealous” better. In verse 13, Peter communicates with a question: “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?”
   7. Answer the question: honestly, how often do we face trouble for doing good? Not often. Certainly, there are occasions, specifically with children, when they are laughed at and made fun of for doing the right thing.
   8. Unfortunately, this is on the rise among adults as well. A few years ago, I spoke with another pastor, who said that our culture is becoming one that glorifies sin. That is so true.
   9. Peter does not deny that there are occasions when we will face trouble for doing good. Verse 14 acknowledges that, and we will come back to that in a moment.
   10. First, let’s acknowledge that Peter talks about being eager or zealous to do good. This is not simply doing the right thing by helping someone carry their groceries to their car. This is looking for opportunities to do good. At the time of Christ, the name “zealots” was applied to a party among the Jews, half religious and half political, founded by Judas the Galilean (Acts 5:37). These undertook to punish without trial those guilty of violating Jewish practices, under which pretext they themselves committed the greatest excesses of crime.^[1] These people were intense, and that is the word Peter uses to describe our good behavior.
   11. Now, look at verse 14: even if we suffer for doing good, we are blessed.
   12. Peter uses the term righteousness: If we suffer for righteousness, we will be blessed. To be righteous means to be “just,” to be “right.” To be righteous is the character that God requires of man. What God requires is grounded in what God is. God is righteous.
   13. Matt 5:10: Jesus says blessed are those persecuted for righteousness
   14. In verse 14, Peter also quotes Isa. 8:12 about not being intimidated.
   15. In verses 16-17, Peter reviews this idea.
2. How to be prepared:
   1. Now, look at verse 15 and see what Peter tells us to do to be ready for persecution and how to respond.
   2. Peter has already told us one way to be ready, hasn’t he? He told us to be good, more than that, to be eager to do good.
   3. Now Peter says to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts. The NIV will say to “set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts.” Or “Revere Christ as Lord.” This means the same thing.
   4. If we are sanctifying Christ, this means that we are setting Him apart in our lives—or, actually, we are setting our lives apart for Him. To be sanctified means to be set apart for a purpose—this is like being holy. So, if we are revering Christ as Lord in our hearts, then we are giving Him prominence in our hearts and in our lives. Let’s stop right here.
      1. Are we doing this? Does Jesus have prominence in our lives?
      2. Is Jesus Lord of our lives?
   5. I must battle this, too. Don’t think I am only preaching to you; I must also apply this to myself.
   6. So, as we can see, the first step in being ready for persecution is living for Christ. This is holiness, making Jesus Lord of our life; this is surrendering to King Jesus. Men, this means becoming a man of God. Women, this means becoming a woman of God.
   7. We must live eager to do good, surrendered to Jesus, and learning about Jesus. That is the third and final step in being ready for persecution.
   8. Peter writes: “Always be prepared to give an answer or defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.”
   9. In a devotion on Job 21, Swindoll writes this:

Chances are good that many of you who are reading these lines are currently the target of someone’s lying accusations. That can be an anguishing cross to bear. I’ve been there, so I speak from painful experience. Since this is an ongoing issue for many of us, it should be helpful to draw a few guidelines to follow based on the way Job handled his accuser.

Listen to what is being said, considering the character of the critic. Stay calm! You will be tempted to jump in and rashly react in the flesh, saying things you will later regret. Do your best to listen to what is being said. While doing so, keep in mind the character of the person who is the source of the accusation. Calmly take it all in. Job did that, which prepared him for his further response.

Respond with true facts and accurate information, knowing the nature of your accuser. Speak truth! Stay on the side of accuracy, regardless. The other person may be a former husband or former wife. He or she could be your previous or current boss, an employee, a neighbor, a pastor, or a friend. It doesn’t matter who the individual is. If you are being accused, you need to focus only on facts. Don’t react or ponder ways to retaliate. If you yield to either temptation, you’ll come off sounding like the accuser. God honors integrity. Maybe not immediately, but ultimately you’ll be vindicated. Remember David’s prayer: “Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity” (Psalm 26:1). Truth will prevail among people who traffic in it and make their decisions based on it.

Abraham Lincoln was told that he needed to fire his postmaster general. All kinds of accusations were being leveled against the man. Lincoln weighed rumor against hard evidence, and on July 18, 1864, he wrote Secretary Stanton a letter saying he was not going to do that because the information was based on hearsay, not accurate facts. In that letter he correctly concluded, “Truth is generally the best vindication against slander.” Wise response.

Stay with the truth. Don’t exaggerate it, don’t deny it, and don’t hesitate to say it.

1. Swindoll is writing about integrity and that is a vital part. It is also important to know the Bible. How we respond is important, it is important to know the facts and to know information about your faith.
2. Are we prepared?
3. I know that some of you are very prepared and that is great.
4. As Christians, we must be learners. We must be studying the Bible and studying books about the Bible.
5. But notice this: First Peter talked about being a Christian
   1. Be zealously good
   2. Make Jesus Lord in your life

• Then Peter talked about knowledge.

1. If we have knowledge without a Christian lifestyle we are hypocritical and aggressive. That is the next part of how to respond to persecution.
2. Peter says to respond with gentleness and respect or reverence.
3. How we respond is important.
4. I shared the following in the May-June newsletter.

Grace towards everyone, Faith towards God, Biblical wisdom towards everything.

I believe if we can keep those phrases in the forefront of our minds, we will be happier and more Christ-like.

Certain Bible passages convict me. Over the last few years, scriptures related to submissiveness, grace, forgiveness, and gentleness have been on my mind and prayer life. Also, the scriptures that are against being critical, grumbling, and complaining. Let me share a few:

Proverbs 15:1 (ESV)

A soft answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 19:11 (ESV)

Good sense makes one slow to anger,

and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Philippians 2:14–15 (ESV)

¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…

1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)

Love bears all things, believes all things [this means love gives each other the benefit of the doubt], hopes all things, endures all things.

There are other passages, such as Gal. 5:22-23 and the fruit of the Spirit, but I will stop with those verses. So, think with me:

Grace towards everyone: God gives us grace. Grace means unearned favor. This is 1 Cor. 13:7. This means we give each other a break. We give each other the benefit of the doubt. God gives us grace. We give grace towards everyone. This means we do NOT grumble and complain. This means we live Eph. 4:32: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. We get rid of the hyper-critical attitude. What if we get up each morning and pray: “Lord, help me to encourage others today.”

Faith towards God: without faith, we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6). We need to trust the Lord. The Lord is in control. Psalm 115:3: Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Sometimes, we grumble and complain, forgetting that the Lord is in control. For whatever reason, the Lord allowed the trial we are going through. We can trust Him. The Lord is faithful (Prov. 3:5-6).

Biblical wisdom towards everything: Everything we hear, read, see, and encounter must go through the lens of the Bible. James 4:4: You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Another verse is Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I want to write more, but I will stop at that, except to say: Those phrases flow together. Think of them backward: When you apply biblical wisdom towards everything, AND when you have faith in God, IT WILL be easier to give grace to everyone.

So, how do we live?

Be zealous to do good.

Set apart Jesus as Lord in your life.

Always be ready to give an answer of your hope, which is Jesus.

Do so with gentleness.

Grace towards everyone, faith towards God, Biblical wisdom in all things.

Pray.

^[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

Stephen’s Address Before the Sanhedrin (Acts 7)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, June 23, 2024

We are now in Acts chapter 7.

Remember that in the previous chapter of Acts, Stephen, the new deacon, was arrested. Stephen had been witnessing in his sphere of influence, and the people made up lies about him. They dragged him before the Jewish high court and put him on trial. In one way, Stephen is on trial. In another way, God is putting the Sanhedrin on trial. God is at work, even when we do not realize it.

How many of you have been affected by Christianity? Raise your hands if you have been affected or influenced by Christianity. Everyone, really everyone, whether you are a Christian or not, should have their hand raised. This all happened because of the martyr of Stephen. We are going to look at that today. We, as a church made up mostly of non-Jewish descendants, as far as we know, are here because of the aftermath of Stephen’s death. Sometimes we must wonder what God is doing, right? But sometimes we cannot know until a long time afterward. We live in the moment. This is true whether we plan or not, it has to be true. We must ask God to let us see the big picture and know that only God knows the big picture. Only God knows all and is not limited by time. We must think deeply and ask God to help us with a heavenly, spiritual, vision of reality. Swindoll gives a good illustration:

We are running shy of eagles, and we’re running over with parrots.

Content to sit safely on our evangelical perches and repeat in rapid-fire falsetto our religious words, we are fast becoming overpopulated with bright-colored birds having soft bellies, big beaks, and little heads. What would help to balance things out would be a lot more keen-eyed, wide-winged creatures willing to soar out and up, exploring the illimitable ranges of the kingdom of God . . . willing to return with a brief report on their findings before they leave the nest again for another fascinating adventure.

Parrot people are much different than eagle thinkers. They like to stay in the same cage, pick over the same pan full of seeds, and listen to the same words over and over again until they can say them with ease. They like company too. Lots of attention, a scratch here, a snuggle there, and they’ll stay for years right on the same perch. You and I can’t remember the last time we saw one fly. Parrots like the predictable, the secure, the strokes they get from their mutual admiration society.

Not eagles. There’s not a predictable pinion in their wings! They think. They love to think. They are driven with this inner urge to search, to discover, to learn. And that means they’re courageous, tough-minded, willing to ask the hard questions as they bypass the routine in vigorous pursuit of the truth. The whole truth. “The deep things of God”—fresh from the Himalayan heights, where the thin air makes thoughts pure and clear—rather than the tired, worn distillations of humanity. And unlike the intellectually impoverished parrot, eagles take risks getting their food because they hate anything that comes from a small dish of picked-over seeds . . . it’s boring, dull, repetitious, and dry.

Although rare, eagles are not completely extinct in the historic skies of the church. Thomas Aquinas was one, as were Augustine and Bunyan, Wycliffe and Huss. So were G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, Robert Dick Wilson, J. Gresham Machen, W. R. Nicoll, and A. W. Tozer.

Many of the reformers qualify, as do John Newton, George Whitefield, and a long line of nonconformists—original thinkers whose lives were interwoven through the treasured tapestry of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries.

And in our day? We could name some . . . but they are increasingly rarer, as the “Entertain Me” philosophy of the public outshouts those who plead, “Make me think!”

Have you fallen prey to a similar mind-set? Do you find yourself contentedly sitting on your perch, pecking at dry morsels rather than longing for the skies? Think about it.[1]

1. Summary of Stephen’s message:
   1. I am now going to briefly summarize Acts chapter 7:1-8:4 and then highlight a few applications from the overall passage. I want you to notice the boldness of Stephen. I wish to show you the wisdom, insight, and spiritual leading of Stephen. I wish to challenge all of us to be prepared to speak as Stephen was prepared. I wish to encourage you that God is at work.
   2. Acts 7:1-8: High Priest confirms the crime; the beginning of Stephen’s defense; the promise to Abraham
   3. Acts 7:9-10: Joseph is exalted over Egypt
   4. Acts 7:11-16: The Patriarchs end up in Egypt
   5. Acts 7:17-29: Moses is introduced
   6. Acts 7:30-34: Moses encounters God
   7. Acts 7:35- 43: Moses leading the people; prophesy and transition to Jesus
   8. Acts 7:44-50: Transition to David and Solomon and the dwelling place of God
   9. Acts 7:51-53: Transition to the people of Stephen’s day; Stephen now directs attention to them; Stephen is assertive
   10. Acts 7:54-60: Stephen is stoned
   11. Acts 8:1-3: Stephen is buried; Saul is introduced

I want to read Acts 7:54-60. We are picking up after Stephen’s sermon to the Jewish High Court:

Acts 7:54–60 (ESV)

⁵⁴ Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” ⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. ⁵⁸ Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

• Notice Stephen’s wisdom, insight, and boldness.
  1. We do not need boldness or courage, not from God, if we are not being a witness. If you are persecuted, it is for living for Christ. Otherwise, it is not Christian persecution. Know that God has called us to be witnesses.
  2. Sometimes, we do not have great boldness or great courage because we are not diligently seeking the Lord to begin with, and because of that, we are not in the least ready to be a witness.
  3. We will look at that more in a moment. But think about this:
  4. The church is called the bride of Christ. Each of you, who are followers of Christ, you are married to Christ. He is the groom. Suppose that you get married to a man or a woman and you are happily married for a while!!! After a few years, you decide you do not wish to be that committed to your spouse. However, you do wish to remain married, but you do not want to get into all that marriage stuff. You wish to have intimacy occasionally; how about twice a year, at Christmas and Easter? And that is on your terms. Your terms only. Other times throughout the year, you wish to see your spouse if you are well-rested and feel like it. You never want to talk about your spouse, you might get made fun of! This goes on for a long time. You may even seek out some other men and women. Maybe, off and on, you will see your spouse every week, but only on Sundays. How do you think your spouse feels about this? Are you still married to your spouse? I guess only in a legal way. You consider yourself married, though all logic would say that you shouldn’t be identified with him or her. But this is exactly how many treat Christianity. We commit on Christmas and Easter or only on Sundays.
  5. Someone recently told me that people go through phases, so it is normal to stray from our faith off and on. I think, really, what if we treat our spouse that way? We are the bride of Christ. Commit to the groom. You will not be ready, or eager to be a bold witness if you treat Jesus that way. We are married to Jesus; we must be committed.
  6. If we are witnesses, we must pray that God gives us wisdom.
  7. Wisdom comes from God. Stephen had great wisdom, and we can see this in this message (Acts 6:10). We must seek the Lord for this wisdom.
  8. I will not receive the wisdom if I am not committed to Jesus, the one I am married to, more than once a week.
  9. If we are witnesses, we will need to pray that we are diligent to study to be prepared to be a witness (1 Peter 3:15).
  10. This does take preparation on our part. We must be committed to the groom. We must study the Scriptures and other things as well. Think about Daniel 1:17 and 20, which show that God gave wisdom and understanding.
  11. Listen to this from a wonderful pastor from the 20th Century.
  12. “My strong advice to you is to soak, soak, soak in philosophy and psychology, until you know more of these subjects than you ever need consciously think. It is ignorance of these subjects on the part of ministers and workers that has brought our evangelical theology to such a sorry plight. When people refer to a man as ‘a man of one book,’ meaning  the Bible, he is generally a man of multitudinous books, which simply isolates the one Book to its proper grandeur. The man who reads only the Bible does not, as a rule, know it or human life.”                                  -Oswald Chambers

Close:

So, study and be ready to answer boldly, as Stephen did. Plant seeds of the Gospel everywhere. Lastly, be encouraged as God is at work.

Stephen was martyred. Death, is it the end? No not at all.

“Held” Natalie Grant

Two months is too little
They let him go
They had no sudden healing
To think that providence
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays, is appalling
Who told us we’d be rescued
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares
Were asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live, it’s unfair
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held
This hand is bitterness
We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held
If hope if born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our savior
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held
[Repeat Chorus]

No, NO, NO, death is not the end. Stephen was a martyr, and God used that to spread the Gospel around the known world. God was at work, and God is at work. I know of people who get sick, and through that sickness, a family member comes to know Christ. Never underestimate what God is doing.

We have a future in glory, which is what this book we call the Bible is all about. When we die as believers we meet Jesus in paradise. When we live, we are held by Jesus constantly.

I strongly believe the following: Sometimes we are thinking, “Why did you take this person from life? Why God?” Sometimes, we are even angry at God over death, and that is sometimes part of grief. That can be okay. But turn it around, our loved one is in paradise thinking, “Jesus, why do you leave them in suffering on earth for so long.” They are in paradise, and you can be as well.

Do you know Jesus?

God created us to be with Him (Gen. 1-2).

Our sins separate us from God (Gen 3).

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen. 4-Mal. 4).

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again (Matt.-Luke).

Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life (John- Jude).

Life that is eternal means being in paradise forever (Rev. 22:5.  

[1]Excerpted from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope, Copyright © 1985, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. http://thejourneyisthelife.wordpress.com/tag/isaiah-40-chuck-swindoll-hope-rest/

Happy Father’s Day!

How are fathers portrayed in the media? I am talking about television programs. We watched most of the Home Improvement episodes as a family. It was a funny and good show, but I don’t like how it portrays the dad. Generally, in Home Improvement, the dad is NOT to be taken seriously. There are many redeeming qualities of Home Improvement. It does show the dad involved with his family. Tim works on the car with the kids. He teaches his sons how to work on the Hot Rod, those are good things. But he is the object of many of the jokes and not to be taken seriously.

Today, I want to challenge men to stand-up. Stand up for your family. Take leadership.

My theme today is:

As a father, and/or paternal influence, stand “in the gap” for God.

What does that mean? You are about to find out.

Ezekiel 22:30 (ESV)

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

1. What is the context of the passage?
   1. Context is critical.
   2. Ezekiel is writing during a time when the southern kingdom of Israel is being conquered by Babylon.
   3. Other passages across the Old Testament show that God caused the southern kingdom to be conquered because of their unfaithfulness to the Lord.
   4. Ezekiel shares about a systemic failure in Judah.
   5. As one source shares: Here, rather than surveying behaviors (as in vv. 6–12), Ezekiel surveys personnel. The issue is still impurity (a land … not cleansed, v. 24). This oracle almost serves as a commentary on 7:23–27 where prophet, priest, elders, and king mislead the city, although an even earlier “model” is found in Zeph. 3:3–4. The sum is a web of deceit, as these pillars of the community are seen as colluding.^[1]
   6. The pillars of community are colluding and leading the people astray.
   7. That is not unlike men, and dads in our society shirking responsibility.
   8. We are called to step-up.
   9. In Ezekiel 22:25 he writes about prophets conspiring and deceiving the people.
   10. Then, the priest, look at Ezekiel 22:26 (ESV) ²⁶ Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
   11. Verse 27 addresses the princes. They are getting dishonest gain.
   12. Then, back to the prophets: Ezekiel 22:28–29 (ESV)
   13. ²⁸ And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. ²⁹ The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.
   14. This is a very sad passage.
   15. Then, we come back to verse 30: And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
   16. God found none.
   17. Verse 31 uses language to show that, therefore, the Lord will have them conquered.
2. Let’s look at the verse itself and the context together.
   1. Ezekiel 22:30: And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
   2. God was searching for a man who would stand in the breach.
   3. This is the language of holding up a wall during a battle.
   4. One sources shares: There is no one to stand in the breach (cf. 13:5; Ps. 106:23) who might avert the destruction. Sometimes it takes only one courageous, righteous person to stop great evil, but there was no one.^[2]
   5. Imagine a wall during a battle. Back in that day, the city’s walls were really important. Those walls protected the people in the city. They protected the city.
   6. Think of a fortress and it has a wall.
   7. The wall is coming down. The men are to rush in and build up the wall. The men are supposed to protect those inside the city.
   8. Now, suppose these men leave. Instead of protecting the city, they flee.
   9. The men do the opposite.
   10. That is what God is saying. He found no one.
   11. Further, when we look at this passage in light of the context, the men did the opposite of protecting the city.
   12. Actually, they did not just leave, they helped tear down the city.
   13. Remember, verse 26: Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
   14. Notice that part of standing in the gap, the most significant part is spiritual. The prophet Ezekiel is not referring to the priest literally harming Israel physically, but these spiritual dimensions: profaning the holy things… no distinction between holy and common…. Disregarding the sabbaths.
   15. These things lead to the destruction of Israel. The spiritual destroys the city. The lack of the spiritual care destroys the city.
   16. Then, verse 27 was about the princes: Ezekiel 22:27 (ESV)
   17. ²⁷ Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.
   18. I believe Ezekiel in talking about their lack of integrity is saying that is destroying the land physically.
   19. Ethics, integrity, and morals matter. They are of first importance.
   20. One writes: Government officials were supposed to protect people, the first function of government being the establishment of justice for everyone (Rm 13).^[3]
   21. And, of course, the prophets: They are not preaching truth.
   22. All of this is not holding up the wall. It is not rebuilding the wall.
   23. This is metaphorical language intended to show that God could not find any man who would “build up” Judah.

• Apply:
  1. This passage is NOT about God destroying us, the United States, for the lack of men to stand in the gap.
  2. No, this is about Judea about six centuries before Christ.
  3. However, we can indirectly apply the principle to us.
  4. God was looking for men to intercede.
  5. He was looking for men to seek Him, and to stand for truth. This is about men seeking the Lord.
  6. Throughout the Bible, God used men to stand up and intercede.
  7. The most famous example is Abraham in Genesis 18:22-31.
  8. In that passage, God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, but Abraham intercedes.
  9. In Exodus chapters 32-34 Moses intercedes. That is after the people rebel and build a golden calf and worship it. The people are unfaithful to the Lord.
  10. Moses prays to the Lord and intercedes.
  11. So, how do we apply this?
  12. As fathers, grandfathers, and paternal influences, we must seek the Lord on behalf of our family, our church, our community.
  13. We must stand in the gap.
  14. This means we are in God’s Word.
  15. We stand for truth. Don’t be like those false prophets Ezekiel was writing about. Don’t be like those immoral princes. Don’t be like those priests that were not set apart for the Lord. No, we must stand for truth.
  16. We must pray for our family to know the Lord.
  17. We must talk to our family about the Lord.
  18. We must have the Lord, which includes His church as the center of our life.
  19. God could find no one to stand in the gap, but eventually, He would provide Jesus. 1 Tim. 2:5-6 shows this is pointing to Jesus.
  20. The ultimate answer is Jesus.
  21. Point your family to Jesus.

Closing:

I began the sermon by talking about Home Improvement. Tim Allen made another successful series, Last Man Standing. Allen plays a dad with three daughters. Many of you have probably seen it. Compare Home Improvement to Last Man Standing. In Last Man Standing, Allen plays a dad who is more serious, more mature, and very involved in leading the family in decision-making. However, very rarely does it show the dad leading the family in prayer, spiritual disciplines, devotions, and congregational worship.

We must stand in the gap. We must hold up the wall and point our family to Jesus. We must hold the wall and let our family run to the safe place and the safe place is a relationship with Jesus.

Prayer

^[1] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1531.

^[2] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1532.

^[3] Mark F. Rooker, “Ezekiel,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1278.

The Seven Chosen to Serve and Stephen Seized (Acts 6)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, June 9, 2024

Today, I am delivering this sermon a little differently. I am with the youth on their Niagara Falls trip. I am recording the message with the youth group.

Still, we are continuing our way through Acts. I think it is fitting to be with the youth on a day when we talk about Acts 6.

In Acts 6, we see the deacons. “Deacons” means “servants.” The apostles are forming a group of servants to take care of all the needs. That is fitting with the youth group right in front of me. Regardless of age, we must know that the church is not about “me.” It is about the community. That means we are here to serve.

In Acts 6, we see the deacons. “Deacons” means “servants.” The apostles are forming a group of servants to take care of all the needs. That is fitting with the youth group right in front of me. Regardless of age, we must know that the church is not about “me.” It is about the community. That means we are here to serve.

At this point, the early church is growing. They are growing so rapidly that certain problems are coming about in their unity. In Acts 1, Jesus told the disciples to wait until the Holy Spirit came upon them. Jesus told the disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they would be His witnesses in the whole known world, starting locally (Acts 1:8). This has been happening, and so now we see the devil trying to divide the church. You remember Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes upon the church. Then, in Acts 3 and 4, Peter and John heal a man and face persecution for it, but 5000 are saved. Then, in Acts 5, the disciples are persecuted again. So, in Acts 6 some of the needs are not being met.

Let’s look at Acts 6:1-7, and I wish to show you four things: Firstly, the disciples ensure that the felt needs of people are met. Secondly, the disciples will not drop the ministry of the Word of God and prayer. Thirdly, the disciples create expectations that the new leaders are men of noble Christian character. Fourthly, Stephen is seized.

Let’s read Acts 6:1-7:

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. ² And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. ³ Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. ⁶ These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

⁷ And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

1. First, notice that the needs of some are not met.
   1. Verse 1 is simple enough. Some came to the disciples complaining that some people were not having their needs met. I noticed that as I looked at this passage, there was a need. There was a social issue. The church was growing. It was likely growing rapidly. It appears that we are now in the mid-30s AD, and we are just a few years after Jesus’ resurrection. In Jerusalem, there are Jews who are Greek speaking called Hellenistic Jews. The rest of the Jews likely spoke Aramaic.
   2. Now, many times, Jewish people would come back to Jerusalem to spend their final years, but then the husband might die, and guess what? The wife is there by herself.
   3. But still, to be a widow in their day was a big deal. They need income. They need food.
   4. A while back, I read something that was enlightening for these verses:
   5. In its charity the church may have followed somewhat the precedents already set in contemporary Judaism, which had a double system of distribution to the needy. The Jews had a weekly dole for resident needy, called the quppah. It was given out every Friday and consisted of enough money for fourteen meals. There was also a daily distribution, known as the tamhuy. It was for nonresidents and transients and consisted of food and drink, which were delivered from house to house where known needy were dwelling. The Christian practice seems to have embraced elements of both Jewish systems. Like the tamhuy it was daily, and like the quppah it was for the resident membership.
   6. But in this case, the Hellenistic Jews were being overlooked. Now, it does appear that this was not intentional. It appears that this could be because of the language barrier or something else. The point is, they were overlooked, and this is a problem. This came to their attention, and they are about to take care of it.
   7. Now, an application: we have felt needs in our community which we must take care of as well.
   8. Yet, we must be careful of enabling people as well. In a minute we will see how the disciples meet these needs. It is interesting, many times I have people asking for money or assistance. There are times when I get calls and it is something that I can help with my discretionary fund, so I meet a small need, but then the very next week I get a request from the same person. So, I might say that I would like to meet with them and recommend some other resources and I will recommend financial counseling and unfortunately, 9 out of 10 times they hang up on me. That is quite telling. The point is that we must always seek God’s Wisdom in meeting people’s needs. In that day and age there were no resources for orphans and widows and Christians were known for serving and helping.
2. In verses 2-4: the church leaders meet to talk about this need.
   1. There is only a little bit of time in a day and that time goes fast. So, in verse 2 the disciples affirm that they cannot, let me repeat, they cannot, neglect the ministry of the Word for these needs. Yet, these needs are so very important.
   2. Notice that the disciples knew that they had to stick with the proclamation of the Word of God. We cannot dilute this major need in the church.
   3. 2 Timothy 4:1: “preach the Word…”
   4. The disciples want the church to choose 7 men:
   5. These men must have a good reputation.
   6. This means literally that they are witnesses.
   7. Now, know that in 1 Timothy 3 we have similar qualifications for church leaders, elders and deacons.
   8. The leadership must be full of the Holy Spirit.
   9. The leadership must have wisdom.
   10. We need wisdom to know who to help and who not to help.
   11. Verse 4: The disciples will take care of the ministry of praying and teaching and preaching.
3. In verse 5-7 the disciples ordain 7 men.

• • The men are chosen. We will see from Stephen later in this chapter and he is the first martyr. We see from Phillip in chapter 8. The other men we really don’t know much about beyond church tradition.
  • These men all have Greek names, and it is implied that most if not all may be Greek believers which means that the church chooses Greeks to meet the needs of the Greeks. This is a wise decision. These men will know the needs of their own people and will not have a language barrier.
  • The disciples pray and then they lay hands on them, this is essentially ordination.
  • We also must pray prior to and during church decisions.
  • Verse 7 is a summary. Many times in Acts Luke concludes with a summary.

Now, Stephen is seized.

1. 1. Acts 6:8–15 (ESV): ⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ¹¹ Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, ¹³ and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” ¹⁵ And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
   2. It is important that we know that in verse 5 above, Stephen is introduced as one full of faith and the Holy Spirit.
   3. Right now, we see that God is taking care of Stephen as he is arrested, and in reality, as we are bold and courageous witnesses, God will take care of us as well.
   4. I have heard testimonies of people being bold witnesses for Christ. Just think about Martin Luther standing up for the Scriptures in the 16^th Study the early church and many that were standing up during persecution. I know that I have shared others with you before, people going through persecution, yet standing strong for Jesus. Maybe you have heard of some stories. God takes care of us.
   5. But what about stories of miracles as well? God is still at work in His church. We will experience more miracles as we step out and witness for Christ.
   6. Remember that “signs and wonders” most always go together in Acts.
2. In verses 9-14 we see the attack against Stephen.
   • First, we see the “who” in verse 9. Some men started arguing against Stephen. We can learn a few things from this.
   • This is the first time of active oppression against the church in Acts.
   • Also, Stephen was probably part of that synagogue. Stephen was being a witness in his sphere of influence. Do we realize that God has placed us in a specific place to be a witness? He has.
   • We do not know for sure whether this was one synagogue or as many as 5 synagogues. We do know that this was likely called the synagogue of the Freedmen because they would be former slaves. These synagogues represent men from these four countries.
   • In verse 10 we see the “why.” Interesting that Stephen was apparently very good at defending the faith. Of course, we should expect that since Stephen was being guided by the Holy Spirit. In fact, verse 10 lists the Spirit and the wisdom as what the people couldn’t cope with.
   • In verses 11-14 we see the “what.” Verse 11 tells us that they are putting forward false witnesses. These people are committing perjury, but in the end, God is at work. Verse 11 says that they “secretly induced” men to say false things. Some translations say something like, “They persuaded…” But that wording is too weak. They “secretly induced” people to lie.
   • Verse 13: they say that he said Jesus will destroy the temple. My translation says “Holy Place” but that is talking about the Temple. We do know that Jesus did say something like that, but He was talking about Himself. Jesus also predicted the destruction of the Temple, but never said He would do it (Matt. 24:1–2; Mark 13:1–2; Luke 21:5–6).
   • Verse 12 says that these false witnesses stirred up the elders and the scribes. The elders would represent the Sadducees and the Scribes would represent the Pharisees. Both groups have representation on the Sanhedrin.
   • They also say that Jesus will destroy the law of God. This is from verses 11-12 and 13b-14. This is a half-truth. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
   • Verse 15 tells us the meekness of Stephen. His face is like that of an angel. John MacArthur says about this:
   • You see what God’s saying? God’s saying both of those were mine. In Exodus 33 and 34 you can read the story yourself of the glory of God on the face of Moses. And as he came down from the mountain with the glory of God what did he have in his arm? The old covenant. And Stephen there has proclaimed the new covenant and God puts on his face the glow of God and what is God saying? I approve of Moses. I approve of Stephen. Don’t you see this is fulfillment.
   • Starting in verse 15 Stephen is on trial, but in reality, God is putting the Sanhedrin on trial.

Close:

I love studying history and specifically Revolutionary War History. Have you heard the phrase the shot heard round the world? Something that I have read about that states:

The phrase is originally from the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn” (1837), and referred to the first shot of the American Revolutionary War. According to Emerson’s poem, this pivotal shot occurred at the North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts, where the first British soldiers killed in the battles of Lexington and Concord fell.

Historically, no one shot can be definitely cited as the first shot of the battle or the war. Shots were fired earlier at Lexington, where eight Americans were killed and a British soldier was slightly wounded, but accounts of that event are confused and contradictory. The North Bridge skirmish did see the first shots by Americans acting under orders, the first organized volley by Americans, the first British fatalities, and the first British retreat.

Stephen being brought to trial and later martyred is the shot heard around the world. In a few weeks we will continue this narrative from the Word of God, and we will see how this ignites the Christians to spread out into the gentile areas and to spread the Gospel with them.

Do you know Christ?

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

The Apostles Appear Before the Council (summarize Acts 4:32-37 and Acts 5:1-16; preach Acts 5:17-42)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, June 2, 2024

Several years ago I read a series of articles on persecution in the early church. I read certain Bible scholars almost daily to see what they are writing about. One of those scholars is Ben Witherington III. Dr. Witherington commented and reposted another scholar’s comments on a book by Candida Moss about persecution in the early church. I have often thought about persecution. I have thought about how we can stand strong when one is inflicting pain because of our view of Christ. Sometimes, we can simply think that they wish for us to deny Christ, which may be true, but from what I have read, things usually come up differently than that. Usually, a church is meeting and worshipping the Lord, then suddenly, government authorities barge in, hurt many, and put others in prison.

Some of you have read and heard about something Francis Chan shares in his book Forgotten God. He shares about a few Christians, one of whom is a pastor, and they are all taken prisoner in the Middle East. Yet, they are Americans, and eventually, the Americans came to rescue them. During their time of persecution, at least one of them is killed. After they were rescued and sent back to America, they said that they would have rather been in the Middle East under persecution because the Holy Spirit was so strong there. Many are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, and God is present with them.

Matthew 5:10 (ESV)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 10:19 (ESV)

When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

We will examine one of many passages in the Book of Acts dealing with persecution.

• Notice how the disciples boldly proclaim Christ and obey God.
• Notice also how the disciples proclaim that they must obey God and not human laws.
• I hope you are encouraged by how God cared for them in persecution.
• I also hope that you are encouraged to obey God and not human laws.
• I hope your Christian faith is so important to you that you will live it and share it no matter the consequences and
• I hope that you can rejoice with the disciples even in persecution.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

It is perfectly clear that in New Testament times, the gospel was authenticated in this way by signs, wonders and miracles of various characters and descriptions … Was it only meant to be true of the early church? … The Scriptures never anywhere say that these things were only temporary—never! There is no such statement anywhere (The Sovereign Spirit, pp. 31–32).

God is still active and what we need to know and be aware of is that the more you step out into faith to follow God, the more you will see amazing things through the Holy Spirit. You will not see miracles if you are not following the Lord.

So, God is at work in the early church and some of the Jewish leaders are not at all happy about this. Let’s get into the passage. This is a long passage, so I will break it into sections to discuss it.

1. Context is important; how did we get to this point?
   1. In Acts 4:32-Acts chapter 5:16, we have an account of the Christian community sharing.
   2. We will not preach through that passage, but we will summarize it.
   3. In Acts 4:32-37, we have the model church. Acts 4:32 says that they were all of one mind.
   4. They were sharing with anyone who had need.
   5. We are also introduced to Joseph, called by the apostles Barnabas (Acts 4:36).
   6. At the beginning of chapter 5 (verses 1-11), we have the account of Ananias and Sapphira. This was one example when all the people were selling possessions and sharing.
   7. So, Ananias sold a house and kept money for himself. But he lied to the apostles and told them he was giving all the money to the apostles for the ministry. He lied to God and his wife, Sapphira, did the same thing.
   8. There is a lot in that passage.
   9. We see theological statements.
   10. They lied to God (verse 4), and in the previous verse, Peter says they lied to the Holy Spirit (verse 3).
   11. It would not have been wrong for them to keep some money. The issue is they lied about it.
   12. The Lord struck down both the husband and the wife.
   13. This passage is very similar to Joshua 8 and the sin of Achan.
   14. Starting at verse 12 we see that many signs and wonders were done among the people through the Apostles.
   15. Verse 12 makes an interesting note that they were in Solomon’s Portico.
   16. Verse 12, many signs and wonders were being done among the people. They were all in one accord.
   17. Verse 14: more believers were joining them, great numbers.
   18. Verse 15: people even want Peter’s shadow to fall on them.
   19. Verse 16: people from neighboring areas were bringing the sick and those tormented with unclean Spirits.
   20. That brings us to today’s section.
2. In verses 17-21a, we see the apostles imprisoned and miraculously released. Let’s read the section, and then I will share a few thoughts.

Acts 5:17–21 (ESV)

¹⁷ But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy ¹⁸ they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. ¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ²⁰ “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” ²¹ And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

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.

• What an amazing passage! Doesn’t that just excite you? As we look at the rest of this passage, you will see even more great irony. But now notice that the Jewish High Court is unhappy with what is happening in the new Christian faith. I call them the Jewish High Court, but we have at least two major groups. This is the Sanhedrin. We have the Pharisees who accepted our whole Old Testament. They accepted the Ten Commandments and the books about them; they accepted the prophetic books. They also believed in the resurrection. Paul, the apostle, was a Pharisee. Then we have the Sadducees. They were much smaller, and they were politically tied to Rome. They didn’t believe in the resurrection. Jesus’s resurrection meant that they were no longer in power. If the resurrected order is taking place, the Sadducees and their ties to Rome will no longer be in power.
• The Bible says that they were filled with jealousy, so they took the apostles and imprisoned them. Now, it appears that they took all the apostles, all twelve, and imprisoned them.
• The Bible says that they were put in “public jail.” This could mean that they were in a public jail or publicly put in jail. They may have wanted everyone to see this.
• Okay, so at night an angel from the Lord let them out and told them to go and speak to the people the whole message of the Lord. Interesting that the angel did not tell them to flee or anything else. They were to go back to the very place where they were taken prisoner. So, they obey.

In verses 21b-26, we see some very ironic events. Let’s read them.

Acts 5:21–26 (ESV)

²¹ And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

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. 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. ²⁵ 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.

1. So, the people were guarding an empty jail cell. I find that funny.
2. The people who were supposed to be in power were clearly not in power at all.
3. In verse 24, the chief priest hears about this and is very perplexed. This literally means that he doubts it. He doesn’t believe it. But then he finds out that the people who were imprisoned had not fled, but they were now teaching.
4. It is fortunate for the guards that they were guarding a Jewish prison and not a Roman prison. Later in Acts 12, an angel lets Peter out of prison, and Herod has the guards put to death for losing a prisoner.
5. Back then, you went to jail until trial; that was all. They didn’t have long-term prisons with cable television as we do today. After trial, you were sold into slavery, beaten, killed, or released.
6. Then, notice in verse 26 that the ones in charge were worried they would get stoned, bringing the apostles back.
7. Now, in verses 27-32, we see the apostle’s response.

Acts 5:27–32 (ESV)

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.” ²⁹ 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.”

1. In verse 28, they say, we gave you strict orders not to teach in “this name.” Notice they will not say the name of Jesus.
2. Then, in verse 29, Peter is once again the spokesperson for the group. He says they must obey God and not man.
3. How much does the Gospel mean to you? Put yourself in the place of the persecuted. Say that you are a schoolteacher, and you hold a Bible study in your room, and then after a while, you are told you can no longer do this? Suppose that you are a schoolteacher, and a student brings up the Christian faith and is interested in how you become a Christian. Do you share with him? No, you could not do that because you would be fired! Is your job worth this person’s eternity? Suppose that church is illegal, and so a church meeting is happening in a home. Do you attend? That is what they face in other countries.
4. In the Book of Acts, we see that it is very important to share the Gospel with people. They must fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus is eternal life.
5. So, now Peter shares about Jesus with this group. He shares the Gospel. Verse 31: Jesus is the Prince and Savior of the world.
6. Peter says that they are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit. Do you remember what I shared with you at the beginning of this sermon about the Holy Spirit?
7. In verses 33-42, we see the ruling:

Acts 5:33–42 (ESV)

³³ When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. ³⁴ 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. ³⁵ And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. ³⁶ 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. ³⁷ 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. 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 that the Christ is Jesus.

1. Gamaliel was the one who trained Paul. He was a brilliant scholar revered for a long time after this, and he says, if this is of man, it will diminish, and he cites two examples. But he says if this is of God. You will be fighting God. Wow!
2. But notice the end of this passage: The disciples leave rejoicing that they were counted worthy of persecution. This is right after they were beaten.
3. Lastly, the disciples continued teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ every day in houses and in the temple.

Some applications:

1. We see God’s presence with the disciples.
2. God’s presence let them out of the jail (verses 19-20).
3. God’s presence helped them rejoice in suffering (verse 41).
4. We must be ready for persecution (1 Peter 3:15).
5. When persecuted, we can rejoice that we are counted worthy to be persecuted for Christ (verse 41).
6. We must obey God and not human laws when there is a contradiction (verse 29).
7. We must obey what God communicates to us just as the Apostles did following verses 20 and 21.

As we continue to preach through Acts, I pray that you are challenged to be a disciple of Christ all the time.

Pray