Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 8th March 2009
acts 5v16-42
Moving onto this next section we have another description of the church.
We have seen the terrifying events of last week filled the church with “great fear.”
So the question is what is next for the church?
1) the first thing we see is great Power! V12-16.
a. they were still united v12 “one accord / together”
b. further, the scene is one of overwhelming supernatural activity: people being healed left right and centre. Crowds gathering for healing and salvation!
app:
What blessing unity is! How we suffer today from all our disunity.
Persecution had threatened the unity. Internal lies and deceit had threatened the unity.
But they remained together. One force, showing great power to the world.
Pray for our unity.
2) the second thing we see is Persecution v17-18, 26-28, 33-40.
a. The leaders were jealous of the great power that was at work and so they begin their persecution in earnest. All the crowds going to the Apostles instead of them was too much!
All they can do is imprison the Apostles.
b. they desire to kill them but Gamaliel stands up to defend the men, v34-39.
App:
Where there is blessing, unity and power, often there is persecution!
Opposition to our work might come if we begin to start making an impact in the society.
That opposition might come from those we would expect better from!
It was the established religion that fought against the early church! Those who were supposed to know and love God!
3) the third things we see is persistent Preaching! V20-21, 29-32, 42
V42 is the summary statement of their message.
Flogging, rebuke and imprisonment were not enough to stop the disciples!
They had a message that they could not contain: Jesus was the Christ.
That was it, really there was nothing else they could add to that in their context.
This was the great good news of God’s blessing the messiah had arrived, forgiveness was now free and available to all!
App:
Would we be able to withstand persecution and carry on the preaching of the Good News?
What would it take to fearlessly preach Christ like these men did?
The only thing that would sustain us is a vision of His glory.
Only as we are captivated by Jesus will we willingly lay our lives down for Him.
Thus it is essential that we keep seeking to know Him more and more.
He is the key to all of this. Without that vision of Him our love will grow cold.
· Is Jesus really the One for you?
4) finally we the Gospel Pleads for a response:
There are two response to the work of God in this section.
a. first there is the response of the unbelievers:
there is fear v13, many of the people were just afraid at the supernatural.
Of course that is a good thing. To see God working his wonders and to stand back in amazement is an appropriate and human response!
There is also jealousy leading to persecution – but we’ve dealt with that.
Then there is perplexity v24. Just plain bewilderment at the working of God!
b. then there is the response of the believers:
v14 some people see and believe. Yes, there was a lot to be afraid of, but for those who could see there was the gracious God at work!
V41 rejoicing. This is a perplexing statement. The disciples rejoiced that they had been so mistreated! Why? Because it was for their Lord, and it was thus an honour!
V42 continual witnessing – as we’ve seen.
App:
“How do you feel”? is a question that we often cringe at.
But we need to ask, how do we feel about the Gospel?
The gospel has to be responded to: it has to be accepted or rejected.
sunday evening 8th March 2009
Rom 8v31-36
Last week we saw the plan of God was to make us beautiful people. He planned in the past, predestined, called, justified and glorified: all with the aim of making us like Christ.
This is all Gods doing, it is his work! What more can we add to that this week?!
1) the logical next step, v31
God is doing all this for us, who then can be against us!
Who / what is going to stop us now?
a. “for us” – Paul has spoken of the redemption of all things, the creation etc. But here he comes back to the heart of the matter! God is doing all this “for us”! God is for us!
God is working on our behalf all the time!
Thus “who can be against us” – our enemies, illness, the roman empire, death??
None of these things matter because God is for us!
b. such a simple statement but it means the whole world to the Christian. Especially to any of us who are actually dealing with some kind of enemy. The final enemy- death, has no word to say to this. Even if we die, God is “for us”
app:
There really is nothing to fear! There is no need to worry. No matter what happens God is for us! We need to believe that, we need to rely upon that, live as if it were true!
2) but for those who doubt: listen to this again v32.
God has proven already his love and commitment for us. He has already given us his son!
a. in what way did he give? “freely / graciously” - that is at no cost to us.
We can give very grudgingly sometimes with lots of strings attached: but not God!
We dare never compare Gods giving with ours.
b. thus God will give us “all things”! the Son is thee most precious possession, and God has already given Him up! All things beside the Son are worthless by comparison.
God has given us the treasure already!
App:
To doubt that God is “for us” is to doubt the value of Jesus.
And is to show that we have not really grasped the wonder of what God has already given.
He has given us the treasure, there is nothing left in reserve!
But there may be that niggling doubt that accepts that Jesus was given to you but not me!
What does Paul say? “for us all”, he excludes no one.
God is working “for us”, he gave Jesus “for us – all”.
If you really want Jesus then you have no right to exclude yourself from Gods goodness.
· In the context of Pauls day the “all” would have been a reference to the Gentiles who were now included in God’s plan of salvation.
Today the “all” then is for any who really want Jesus! Do you?
3) are you still doubting? V33-36.
a. who can condemn you? V33. There is only one Judge. God is Judge. And guess what, the Judge has justified you! Found you not guilty, no sin to give an accounting for, nothing wrong with you! There may be plenty of people who can testify against you, you may want to testify against yourself! But there is only one opinion that matters.
And He says – not guilty!
b. why will God find us not guilty? V34. Because Jesus is interceding for us.
Many people might well find it easy to pass judgement on us.
And we do still continue to sin. So why are we not condemned?
Because Jesus is still working for us.
He says “I died for that sin”, “the debt has been covered”.
The work of Christ on the cross is now continued at the right hand of the Father: there He stands for us, interceding (Heb 7v25).
The Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ all combine in this verse to highlight for us the wonder of total forgiveness and salvation.
App:
When we consider Christ, a lot of the time we consider the historical facts: what he has done for us; the death, resurrection and ascension.
But also take time to consider His work for us now – applying the Death and Resurrection.
He has not stopped working for us. He is standing before the Father on our behalf, working for us, supporting us: even now, pleading for us!
c. ultimately we will never be lost, condemned, found guilty because Jesus loves us v35!
God is for us: He has proven that by giving us His Son.
God justifies us because of what Jesus has done: cross, resurrection, ascension, intercession!
Really what this is telling us is the wonderful truth, God loves us: Jesus loves us.
Jesus loves us and there is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from that Divine love. There is no divorce in God!
App:
The only place where there is total acceptance and thus security is in God’s love!
And we are not to doubt that no matter what the external circumstance we may face.
Paul was speaking personally in this verse, he knew all these troubles, but they never took away his confidence in the love of Christ for him.
We are maybe more liable to lose our confidence in God’s love if we suffer because of the context in which we live, where suffering is seen as a terrible thing and even a curse.
But in the NT quite the opposite was true: see Acts 5v41.
Whatever our circumstance believe this: God is “for us”, Jesus loves us!
