Friday, May 30, 2008

Sunday, May 25, 2008: Shared Ministry, Shared Results

Shared Ministry, Shared Results
Acts 6: 1 – 7.

I. Introduction.

My senior year of college, I took my first course in Baptist history. It was a great learning experience for me as a student, but it also marked the end of a person, spiritual journey which began when I left home after high school.

When I was 18 years old and leaving home for the first time, one of the many questions I asked my self was: “Why am I a Baptist?” I became a Christian in Vacation Bible School and was baptized in a Baptist church when I was nine years old. I went through Bible Drill and was active in the youth ministry in that same Baptist church. I grew up in a Baptist church, and my parents had grown up in Baptist churches. Of my four grandparents, three of them had grown up in Baptist churches. My maternal grandmother grew up in a Methodist church but became a Baptist when she married my grandfather. Obviously, my family had been a huge influence on my Baptist faith.

I had a few non-Baptist friends in high school, but in college that number grew. I started to spend time with people from other Christian traditions and realized that they had strong, growing spiritual lives. I noticed for the first time that there are genuine Christians in the world who do not attend Baptist churches. So, I started visiting their churches with them. I went to Presbyterian churches, Catholic churches, Methodist churches, Pentecostal churches, Assembly of God churches and non denominational churches. I was concerned that I was a Baptist only because my family was Baptist.

After visiting all those different churches, I never felt comfortable, but I didn’t know why. So, I went back to the Baptist church. I even answered God’s call to ministry and started serving as a youth minister in a Baptist church beginning my sophomore year. I knew I was most comfortable in the Baptist church, but I didn’t know why. This is where my Baptist history course became important.

On the first day of class, Loyd Allen asked us: “What is the one belief that separates Baptists from all other denominations?” Most of our class thought it was baptism, since that is where we got our name and the most obvious difference we have with certain denominations. But, Dr. Allen pointed out there are many denominations that practice baptism the same way we do—believer’s baptism by immersion only.

He directed us to the writings of E. Y. Mullins. Mullins wrote The Axioms of Religion in 1908, while he was president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In this book, Mullins suggested that the belief which separates Baptists from all others is the belief in the “competency of the soul in all matters of religion.”

Everything we believe as Baptists traces it roots to our belief that every man and every woman is competent to stand before God on his or her own. Everyone is free and responsible to give an account to God for what we believe or what we do not believe. The way I like to imagine this is to imagine that one day every man and woman who has ever lived will stand before God and answer one question. God will not ask us where we went to church. God will not hold us accountable for the faith or sermons of our pastor. God will not ask you what your parents believe. God will ask, “What have you done with my Son, Jesus?”

Since we believe every person is a “competent soul,” this has developed into our historical Baptist theology. Baptism: Parents are not the ones who are responsible for getting their children baptized. You must profess your own faith in Christ in order to be baptized. The Bible: If we are competent to stand before God, then it is possible for us to be right or wrong in our theology. Therefore, it is important that we shape our views of God from the Bible. Everyone must read and interpret the Bible in order to understand who God is. Separation of Church and State: If your parents and your pastor cannot stand between you and God, then the government certainly cannot! The Priesthood of All Believers: Priesthood of all believers is not the same thing as “soul competence,” it is a natural outgrowth or the logical expression of competency.

If we believe that every man and every woman is competent to make their own personal profession of faith in Jesus as Lord, then it is only logical that we should believe each man and woman should do something about their personal faith. On one hand, priesthood implies that nothing can stand between a person and God—We do no need a priest to speak to God on our behalf, and we do not need a priest to speak to us on God’s behalf. On the other hand, priesthood also implies a responsibility to serve God. It’s not enough simply to profess faith in Jesus. You have to actually do something. Priests in the Bible did more than simply listen to God and speak to God’s people. Priests actually got their hands dirty doing the work of ministry.

Over the past several weeks, we have read the book of Acts and we have witnessed several miracles. We witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all men and women. We witnessed the birth of the church as a community for worshipping God. We witnessed the expansion of the church to preach the Gospel to non-believers. And today, we witness the first internal conflict in the church which could only be solved by church members sharing in the responsibilities of priesthood and ministry.

Read Acts 6: 1 – 7.

I preached from this same Scripture about a year ago to emphasize the proper role and work of a deacon. (This is not the same sermon today.) Interpreters of this Scripture fall into two general categories. Some believe this is the story of the selection of the first deacons. Others do not. I believe this is about selecting deacons, because the Greek word “deacon” shows up three times in the Greek text—even though it is not translated that way in any English translation.

The early church was born when God gave his Holy Spirit to all believers. One hundred twenty men and women experienced this at the day of Pentecost. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, these ordinary men and women began to do some powerful things: preaching with boldness, confronting the cultural leaders, even performing miracles. This Holy Spirit boldness created a conflict between the new church and the established powers. Acts 3 – 5, describe two occasions when Peter and John were arrested and beaten because of their faith. But, until this point the climate within the church had been harmonious. Everyone loved each other…Everyone looked out for the needs of others…and more and more people wanted to be a part of the church.

Then, something happened. The young church experienced its first internal conflict. Instead of fighting against the cultural powers, they started fighting with each other.

II. Acts 6: 1…In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

Verse one states the problem of internal conflict in at least two, perhaps three, different ways. Simply stated, the church was in conflict, because the church was growing. If the church had remained the same, no new members and no new personalities, then there would have been no conflict.

The conflict was also related to perceived differences in the ways the Greek widows and the Hebrew widows were being treated. More than likely this is a “carry over” from the disciples’ experience in the Jewish synagogue. The Old Testament spoke in general terms about the importance of taking care of the poor. It also spoke very specifically about taking care of the widows and orphans in society. In the First Century, widows and orphans were the embodiment of poverty. They had no man in their lives to provide for their physical and financial needs.

Therefore, the Jewish synagogues developed a tradition of providing for the widows and orphans. More than likely, the disciples “carried over” this same practice to the earliest expression of the Christian church. However, the disciples learned—the hard way—that as their church grew, it became increasingly more difficult to perform this practical ministry.

Until this week, I had always read this passage in one of two ways. I thought it was a description of an honest mistake or a racial tension in the church. However, I discovered something I had never thought of before. This was neither an honest oversight or intentional racism against the Greeks. This was the direct result of church growth. The Hebrew widows were long-time members, who had been present with the disciples from the beginning of the Gospel. The Greek widows were new comers. They had joined the church more recently, at one of the times when Peter preached to the large crowds of Greeks. The conflict was between old and new. It was the result of growth.

III. Acts 6: 2…So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.

As soon as the disciples became aware of the conflict within the church, they called a business meeting. They did not move into an “executive session” and close the doors to the rest of the church. Instead, they gathered all the people to discuss the problem honestly and to receive input from the congregation.

The disciples were willing to “fix” the problem on their own strength. To do so would have meant that they would have to change the way they were doing ministry. If the Twelve were to continue to be the only ones distributing food to widows, then they would have to take on a larger responsibility. There was the possibility that they would no longer have time to preach.

Preaching the Gospel is what the disciples loved to do. It was their primary calling. And, not only that…But the Twelve are the only ones who could preach the Gospel from a first-hand experience. Everyone else in the church had come to faith through the witness and preaching of the disciples. If the disciples stopped preaching, the Gospel would be in jeopardy.

Keep this in mind as we interpret the words, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.” This not a statement intended to devalue the hands-on ministry of taking care of widows. BUT…It is a real choice the disciples have to make.

They are not choosing between good and evil. They are choosing between good and best. They are choosing between meeting real physical needs within the church and spreading the Gospel around the world

IV. Acts 6: 3 – 4…Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

While the church was gathered in business meeting, the disciples listed the qualifications for those who will help them do the work of ministry:

A. From Among You…The new ministers came from within the congregation. They did not have to conduct an outside search. Also, I think it is worthwhile to look ahead to the names of the seven who were chosen. These seven men all had Greek names—rather than Hebrew names. From a racial standpoint, the disciples were opening up ministry to people who were not of the Jewish race. From a church membership standpoint, the disciples were opening up ministry to include the new converts who had recently joined the church.

B. Known…This phrase is translated two different ways in English translations. The NIV indicates that these men were known to be full of the Holy Spirit. However, the NASB indicates that these men had good reputations within the church. Either translation can get us to the same idea. These men did not have a private faith. Their faith was known by all the members of the church.

C. Full of the Spirit…This is the key ti understanding the book of Acts. While the title of the book is “The Acts of the Apostles,” you and I are aware that these Apostles were able to do what they did ONLY through the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Of course, that begs the question, “To whom did the Holy Spirit come?” If the Holy Spirit only came to the Apostles, then there is no reason for them to share the responsibilities of ministry. Since the Holy Spirit came to all believers—both men and women alike—then the work of ministry can be shared by all. The Priesthood of All Believers is basically an affirmation of the Holy Spirit. All believers have the Holy Spirit. Therefore, all believers are called to share ministry.

D. (Full of) Wisdom…In an Old Testament understanding…Wisdom = The Fear of God.

V. Acts 6: 5…This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

There are two important phrases here. First, “the whole group” was pleased with the suggestion made by the disciples. Secondly, “they” selected seven men to fulfill this ministry. I think the two phrases refer to the same people: the entire church.

This fits well with my understanding of ordination, even though we would have a difficult time saying this is a description of ordination. In my understanding, ordination is nothing more than the affirmation of a church. In ordination, the church says, “We see that you have been gifted and called by God to ministry. God is already working in your life. Now, go do the work.”

VI. Acts 6: 6…They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

Laying on of hands was a symbol in the Old Testament of one person transferring an assignment or responsibility to another. It was rarely or ever used to transfer authority.

VII. Acts 6: 7…So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

When shared ministry takes place in the church, the result is a church that becomes more effective in meeting needs within the church and preaching the Gospel in the community.


VIII. Conclusion.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Sunday, May 11, 2008: The High Calling of Parenthood

The High Calling of Parenthood
Luke 2: 41 – 52.

I. Introduction

Many people do not realize it, but the Bible has contributed several important phrases and expressions to our modern English language. People who have no idea that they are quoting the Bible use common expressions like…I have seen the handwriting on the wall…The team had no chance of winning. They were led as a lamb to the slaughter…He has washed his hands of all guilt…It was a David and Goliath match up…

Of course, you realize that these expressions originally came from the Bible. But did you know that some of your mother’s favorite expressions also came from the Bible? They were originally spoken by biblical mothers to their biblical sons:

Samson! Get your hand out of that lion. You don’t know where it has been!

David! I told you not to play with that sling in the house! Go practice your harp. We pay good money for your harp lessons.

Abraham! Stop wandering all over the countryside and get home for supper!

Cain! Get off your brother! You’re going to kill him someday!

Noah! How many times have I told you not to bring home stray animals?

James and John! No more burping at the supper table. People are going to start calling you the Sons of Thunder.

Judas! Have you been in my purse again?

Jesus! Close the door. Do you think you were born in a barn?

Every church I have ever been a member of recognized Mother’s Day as a special day of the year. Many churches actually celebrate Mother’s Day as if it were a Christian holiday—right up there with Christmas and Easter. But Mother’s Day actually has NOTHING to do with the church…It is not a Christian holiday AND it was not begun by a church.

Mother’s Day actually began in 1907, when Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, PA gave out carnations—her mother’s favorite flower—to every person who attended her mother’s funeral service. She continued to give out carnations each year to honor her mother on the second Sunday in May. She eventually began a letter writing campaign that resulted in the U.S. Congress passing legislation to designate Mother’s Day as the second Sunday in May and an official U.S. holiday. (And the people at Hallmark cards have been eternally grateful!)

Of course, I am not trying to say that churches should not recognize mothers or that Christians should not observe Mother’s Day. NO! Godly Mothers have made a tremendous impact on Christian men and women for centuries.

In fact, where would our churches be today without Mothers?

On the Sunday of Mother’s Day, I am always faced with several questions. How can I preach a sermon that honors our mothers AND honors the Risen Lord Christ? How can I preach a sermon that relates just to the women of our church—and even then, just to the women who are mothers?

Today, I want to broaden our focus somewhat and preach about godly families and the High Calling of Parenthood.

(Read Luke 2: 41 – 52.)

Jesus was one of those children who was in the church every time the doors were open. His parents were very serious about following the requirements of the Jewish Law—we know this because they had him circumcised on the eighth day. Jesus’ parents were serious about supporting the local synagogue in Nazareth—we know this because they made the customary sacrifice for a first-born son by offering two doves. And they were serious about attending the annual Passover Festival in the Temple at Jerusalem—we know this because Luke tells us a story about what was probably Jesus’ first Passover in Jerusalem.

In order for Mary and Joseph to attend Passover in Jerusalem, they had to make several sacrifices. They had to use up their entire two-week vacation from work to travel on a journey that lasted several days all the way from Nazareth down to Jerusalem for a week-long celebration…And then travel back home again.

More than likely Mary, Joseph, Jesus, James and the other children did not travel alone. The Bible does not tell us specifically, but we have discovered from ancient culture that in the interest of safety people usually traveled in groups. And it would not have been difficult for Mary and Joseph to find a group of religious pilgrims—just like them—who were willing to make the 70-mile trek from Nazareth to Jerusalem. After all, the Jewish Law actually REQUIRED all Jewish men over the age of 12 to attend the Passover celebration in Jerusalem.

Now 70 miles doesn’t sound very far by modern standards. On Monday of last week, I drove to Dallas and back in one day to attend a committee meeting at the BGCT building. According to my odometer, this was a 358 mile round trip…In one day.

However, there were no interstate highways and gasoline powered cars in the ancient world. The only way they had to travel was by foot. And the standard rule of thumb was that a person could only travel about 25 miles in one day. That puts Jerusalem about three days away from Nazareth.

The Passover festival was a special time for the Jewish people. You and I normally think of Passover as a time when the Jews remembered what God did for them to rescue them out of Egyptian slavery. God sent nine terrible plagues on Egypt, but Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go. Then God sent the tenth and final plague. The firstborn child of every family died suddenly, in the middle of the night. That is every family except the Hebrew families who had the Blood of the Lamb splattered on their doorposts. Death PASSED OVER these homes, and God commanded Moses to institute a feast to mark this as the beginning of the year for God’s people.

However, Passover was more than just remembering what God had done for the people long ago. It was a seven-day event that did two things…Remembering that God saved his people long ago…Celebrating that God has saved me…

After a week of celebration, worship, and feasting on wonderful foods Mary, Joseph and the other vacationers were tired and ready to get home. They gathered everything they had; they divided into two groups and they began to head home.

It was normal for large groups of pilgrims to travel in two groups. The first group was made up of all the women and children. The second group was all the men. The women and children traveled ahead of the men for one main reason. Since Nazareth was too far away to make it home in just one day, the women had to go ahead to find a comfortable place to set up camp for the night and to begin preparing the evening meal. The children traveled with their mothers and could normally be found playing and laughing and dancing alongside as they traveled.

I imagine that as Mary and the other women traveled along, Mary had a lot on her mind. She had to set up the tent for the family and prepare supper before Joseph and the men arrived. She had all that laundry to do once she got home. She had a full week ahead of her when she, Jesus and James finally got home. Where are Jesus and James? I haven’t seen them for several miles. Well, there’s James…I guess Jesus is traveling with the men now that he has finally turned 12.

I think this is probably how Jesus got left behind. A Jewish boy was considered a man when he became a bar mitzvah or the Son of the Covenant. Since this happened at age 12—and Luke tells us Jesus was 12—Mary thought Jesus was with the men, and Joseph never gave it a second thought.

When Mary and Joseph finally realized that Jesus was not with them, they did what any parent would do…They PANICKED! They rushed back to Jerusalem as quickly as they could and began searching in all the places where they thought Jesus might be. They looked on the Streets…In the Market Place…In the Toy Stores…On the Playground…At the Ball Field…Then, in a desperate move they looked in the Temple—Surely he won’t be in the Temple…

And that is where they found him…In the Temple…Sitting…Listening… Asking questions of the religious leaders…And the religious leaders were amazed that such a young man of only 12 would be so knowledgeable and interested in spiritual matters…

We can’t really blame Mary for being angry. She was just being a good mother who was worried about her child. Mary snapped at Jesus, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you!”

I just love Jesus’ answer… “My father? No, ma’am. I am in my Father’s house. I never left my Father’s side.”

Most of us are accustomed to hearing Jesus’ reply as something like, “I must be in my Father’s House.” But actually, Jesus never used the word “House.” He literally said, “I must be in my Father’s…”

This expression could mean “in my Father’s House”… “in my Father’s Business”… “in my Father’s Presence”… And Jesus spent his entire life doing just that…He spent time in the Temple…He did the Father’s Business…And He lived daily in God’s presence…

Jesus’ answer is not a smart alec reply. No, Jesus is surprised that Mary couldn’t find him. Jesus was surprised because Mary and Joseph had taught him about God’s Love…They had trained him to follow after godly ways…And they had demonstrated the importance of spending time with the Heavenly Father. He was only doing what he had seen them model for him.

This is the highest calling any parent could ever fulfill…To rear children in such a way that they develop into men and women of God…Men and women who earnestly desire to please God and spend time with him every day…

Jesus ENJOYED spending time with God, because that is how his parents trained him…

How can we fulfill this same calling with our children today? I say that we should follow the example set by Mary and Joseph…

II. They Lived Out a Godly Example for Their Children.

This is the only story the Bible tells about Jesus’ childhood…But it implies a lot about his parents’ spiritual life…

They lived and obeyed the Law and demonstrated what it meant to be faithful…

How can we truly expect our children to love God and live godly lives, if we are not modeling that for them at home? A hard truth for any of us to accept is the fact that most of us turn into the same kind of adults we watched our parents model for us.


III. They Took Their Children to Church.

Don’t you think it is interesting that the only story we have about Jesus’ childhood happened in church?

The Father’s House…God’s People…Both played an important part of Jesus’ life and development as a child…

How can we expect our children to go to church and grow with God’s people if we don’t take them to church as children? Ask yourselves a question: Do you go to church as often as your parents took you to church as a child? For many of you the answer is that you go to church LESS frequently than your parents. And, our children will more than likely go to church LESS frequently than we do.


IV. They Helped Their Children Develop Into Whole Persons.

Read Luke 2: 52…Jesus grew and developed in four important ways…

Physically…Food, Shelter and Clothing…

Mentally…Education and Training…

Spiritually…Discipleship…

Socially…Children must learn how to get along with others…


V. Conclusion

The High Calling of Parenthood requires more than simply providing physically and educationally for our children…We are called to develop children into the Image of Christ.

If we do not model Christ like behavior and Christ like desires for our own children, then where do we expect them to receive that? Will our children learn to live Christ like lives at school? Probably not! Will our children learn to live Christ like lives at church? The answer is “Yes, But…” Yes, children will learn to love and follow Jesus at the church. BUT, parents have to bring your children to church.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Sunday, May 4, 2008: When Worlds Collide

When Worlds Collide
Acts 5: 12 – 42.

I. Introduction.

Most of you know that my family had an unusual opportunity about four years ago. I was invited to come back to Waco to a job I had held six years earlier.

I had been associate pastor and college minister in a church in Waco for about five years. During that time, I felt God calling me to be a pastor. So, we moved from Waco to Mississippi to serve as pastor. While in Mississippi, I started working on a doctor of ministry degree at Truett Seminary. By the end of 2004, I had completely finished all of my course work and was trying to write my final project.

The course work had not been too much of an interruption for my responsibilities. However, the writing was very difficult. I tried to write in my church office, but could not. I tried to get out of the office and write, but could not. I was making very little progress.

At the end of 2004, I got a call from the pastor of the church in Waco, asking me to return to my old position to help them rebuild the college ministry. I immediately said, “No. But I promise to pray about it.”

The same day the pastor from Waco called, we discovered that the obstetrician who had delivered both Collin and Nathan returned to his practice. He had hired another doctor to help him in his practice and take over the responsibility of delivering babies. That doctor had left to start his own practice, so our old doctor started delivering babies again. Since Shauna was expecting JoEllen, we thought this might be a good opportunity for us to use the same doctor and the same hospital for all three babies.

Then, we realized that living in Waco would give me better access to the Baylor library and to my major professor. So, over the next three days, we started thinking God might be calling us to Waco.

Moving back to Waco was unusual. There are not very many ministers who have the opportunity to go back to the same church. (Most churches don’t want a former minister to come back, because they are glad he left in the first place.) But the church made us feel like we were “coming home.” We still had some good friends in that church, and we quickly made new friends.

It wasn’t strange for us at church. It was strange when we were at the grocery store or in a restaurant. We would see people in town, recognize their faces, and wonder “How do I know this person?” Or, this is my favorite…I saw a man named Tom in the grocery store one day, I walked up to him, called him by name and said, “Tom, what are you doing here?” He didn’t know what I was thinking, so he told me he had to go to the store to by milk. That is when I realized, “Oh yeah. We moved back to Waco.”

When I first saw Tom, I thought I was seeing him somewhere where he didn’t belong. I thought I was caught in the Twilight Zone, or that my worlds were colliding.

For six years, my Waco world and my current world had been two separate worlds. By moving back to Waco, my Waco world and my current world had collided.

This is a kind of silly illustration about worlds colliding. But the New Testament does teach us that Christians live in two separate worlds. We are living “in the world, but not of the world.” As long as we are here on earth, other people consider us as “aliens and strangers.” In a sense, we walk around in a world in which we do not really belong. On one hand we are citizens of this world—Lufkin, Texas, the United States of America, planet earth. On the other hand we are citizens of the Kingdom of God—we will never feel “at home” until we leave this earth and experience eternal life in heaven.

Jesus told the disciples they would feel this tension. However, as long as Jesus was with them, they never truly experienced it. But they began to experience the tension of colliding worlds after Jesus ascended into heaven.

Read Acts 5: 12 – 42.

This story ought to remind us of the story of the crippled man who sat outside the temple begging for money. Peter and John reached out to the crippled man and offered him assistance. They did not give him financial assistance. They introduced him to Jesus, and Jesus changed his life.

In much the same way, we see the apostles preaching the Gospel around the city of Jerusalem. It became common knowledge that the new Christian church would meet regularly in a place known as Solomon’s Colonnade. Their meetings were similar to our meetings with only one difference. The Christians worshipped God and preached the Gospel just like we do. They even collected an offering of money just like we do. But they also healed the sick. People with every known illness and disability came to the worship services, and through the power of Jesus they were healed.

I struggle with this reference in the book of Acts. If it had only happened one time, it would be easy to explain. But, the apostles worked miracles on numerous occasions throughout the book of Acts. There were dozens or even hundreds of people healed of sickness as a result of the power of God in the apostles. Does this mean we are doing something wrong? Should we have healing services each week when we gather to worship? Or, should we do as some others have done and say this is a gift from God that has ceased—no longer to be used in contemporary society?

I am not willing to say that the gifts have ceased. But I am also not willing to say that I have this gift. I have never been used of God to heal a sick person. Yet, I believe God is the same “yesterday, today and forever (cf. Hebrews 13: 8).” If God has not changed, then perhaps we are supposed to continue to believe in God’s power to heal through human agents.

Healing the sick was an important part of the spread of the Gospel in the book of Acts. I think Luke is documenting for us the reasons why the Gospel spread so quickly in such a short period of time. It was very difficult for people to deny the death and resurrection of Jesus when they could witness with their own eyes the power of God working in the lives of everyday, ordinary people.

Because of this healing ministry, the early church experienced explosive growth. The church started with 120 people. On the day of Pentecost 3,000 more became converts. When Peter healed the crippled man, another 5,000 people were convinced to become followers of Jesus. And, now Luke tells us that he has lost count. He simply says, “more and more men and women believed in the Lord.”

This was a church that was making a difference in their society. They were using the gifts God had given them to address the needs of real people. If we were to apply this to our own church and our own situation, then we would need to ask ourselves if we are using our gifts to meet the real need of real people.

Again, let me reiterate…I do not have the gift of healing. I don’t know anyone in this church who has the gift of healing. But we do have gifts. We have financial resources, physical resources and compassionate members. How are we using our gifts to meet the real needs of real people in our community?

When a church is known as a community of people who make a difference in their community, people begin to notice. On one hand, Luke tells us that the church was growing as more and more men and women believed in Jesus. On the other hand, Luke tells us that people were also afraid to associate themselves with the new Christians. Why would anyone be afraid of being a Christian?

Jerusalem was an unusual city. The political leaders of Jerusalem were also the religious leaders. Since this was during the period of time when Israel was controlled by the Roman Empire, it probably means that the Roman government had assigned some sort of political power to the Jewish religious leaders. More than likely, this means that the Roman government held the Jewish religious leaders responsible for the political actions of the Jewish people. If a political revolt broke out among the Jewish people, the religious leaders would be held responsible. The religious leaders had two very important things to protect. They had to protect the religious traditions handed down for centuries, and they had to protect the peace. Actually, they were only protecting one thing—themselves. They protected their personal power in the Law, and they protected their own lives by maintaining peace.

So, we are not surprised at the response of the Jewish religious leaders. When the apostles started making a difference in Jerusalem, the religious leaders arrested them and tried to stop the work of the church.

The Jewish leaders placed the apostles in jail, but the jail could not hold them. God opened the jail doors and commanded the apostles to go right back out into the streets and keep preaching the full Gospel.

The Jewish leaders provide us with a little comedy in this story. Nothing they do seems to go right. They arrested Peter and John several days ago but had to release them when they could find no charges to bring against them. They arrest the entire band of apostles and can’t even keep them in the jail. Now these same “criminals” are out on the streets being hailed as heroes by the ordinary citizens of Jerusalem. What is a self-respecting religious leader to do? Well, there is only one thing they could do…Arrest them again.

But there is a catch. In Acts 5: 26, Luke tells us the religious leaders had to be careful in arresting the apostles a third time. The people of Jerusalem loved the apostles so much, that if the authorities used any force the people might revolt. It is ironic here how two groups of people could respond so differently to the same miracles and message. The miracles confirmed the message of the apostles to the people. The miracles and the message caused those in power to feel threatened.

The difference can be found in the kind of lives each group of people had in the “here and now.” In other words, the citizens of Jerusalem knew what it felt like to go to bed hungry and to suffer with diseases that had no known cure. The religious leaders knew what it felt like to be the wealthiest and most powerful men in their culture. The regular folks dreamed of a better life. The religious leaders could not dream of anything better than life as they knew it. Life was already pretty good for them. But faith in Jesus promised something even better for the regular folks of Jerusalem.

If the apostles were allowed to keep preaching their message of forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven, then the religious leaders would not continue to hold power over the people. The people would begin to live as the apostles lived. They were unafraid of anything the authorities could do to them. In fact the apostles stood up to the authorities and declared, “We must obey God rather than human authority.”

The religious leaders were so enraged by this statement that they decided to kill the apostles and put an end to Christianity once and for all. But their plans were stopped by a member of their own group. A wise and well-known Rabbi, named Gamaliel spoke up. He reminded the others that this was not the first time Jerusalem had faced similar circumstances. In fact there were two other such occurrences. In both cases, the people got excited, but the excitement died down when the movement’s leader died.

In verses 38 – 39, Gamaliel said, “Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

This statement is significant for several reasons:

1. He is right! The work started by these apostles exploded into a worldwide phenomenon that we now call the Christian church. They did not stop the apostles, and they could not stop the apostles. Even if the religious leaders had chosen to kill the apostles, God would have raised up someone else to carry the message around the world. How do I know this? Because that is what happened. Look at what happened to the original twelve disciples of Jesus: Judas hanged himself after betraying Jesus; Ten of the remaining eleven were martyred for their faith in Jesus; and the only one who was not killed for his faith was persecuted and eventually secluded on a deserted island. In Acts 5, we read about the threat to kill the apostles. They were actually killed later. Their murders did NOT stop the work of God.

2. It shows spiritual insight. Gamaliel was no ordinary man. He was a Jewish Rabbi. He was a FAMOUS Jewish Rabbi. And he was a member of the ruling elite. In fact, he was so well respected that the rest of the leaders actually followed his advice not to kill the apostles. Gamaliel’s insight and speech to the Sanhedrin stand out as unusual in this story. We might have expected Luke to paint a highly negative picture of all the leaders. But he doesn’t. He shows us one man who truly loved God and did not want to fight against something new God was doing in the world. Luke used Gamaliel as an example of the kind of impact the Gospel can have. The message of salvation through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus applies to all classes of people. Salvation is for the common people, and salvation is for the wealthy elite. But no matter who you are, the message is the same. There is “no other name by which we might be saved.”


II. Conclusion.

The apostles had been through quite an ordeal by the time Gamaliel “called off the dogs.” He saved their lives, but he could not prevent the leaders from punishing the apostles. They were beaten and released.

After their release, two very significant things took place. First, they praised God for considering them worthy of suffering. Second, they went right back to preaching the same message of salvation.

The apostles had experienced a collision of worlds. Their world of faith collided with a world that hated the message they preached.

This is the same world we live in today. God has not called us to control the political world. God has called us to two things: Preach the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus; and Make a difference in the world by using our gifts to meet real needs of real people.