Acts: Victory Through Suffering

Well, good morning. It's so good to see you all. If you

have your bibles, turning with me to Acts chapter five, and we'll pick

up in just a moment in verse seventeens or Acts chapter five, and we'll

be looking at seventeen through forty two this morning and night, and we'll read

all that at one time. We'll break it up in different pieces, but

this morning, to title my sermon is victory through suffering. Victory through suffering.

Now, all of us here we like victory. We like to win.

We like to see victory in the things that in our sports team,

whether it's football now a lot of college footballs. Whether you're Dike fan,

North Carolina fan, or State fan, you'd like to see your team win.

Basketball season won't be be around the corner just a little bit. We

like to see a good victory in athletics, but we like to see victory

and success and academics and graduating from school or two different areas of our life.

We us like to see victory and overcoming issues in our life. All

of us like to walk in true Now. I don't know about you,

but when I was a little boy, we used to watch some wrastling.

You know what rassling is. Well, we used to watch wrassling. Well

here's let me tell you a little secret. Okay. And my grandfather,

by the way, he loves some good wrastling. He loved Jim Duggan,

you know. Oh it's the two by four and if you know who that

is, But back then he liked him and Jake the Snake. Okay,

so I'm really dating myself and some of you don't know who that is.

And that's okay, okay, any of these people. But let me let

me give you a little secret. And even Grandpa, even though he watched

it, you know, and he may have really believed it was real.

But let me give you a secret. Rassling is not real. It's staged

shocking, right. I'm probably like breaking some people's hearts right now, But

it is stage. Before the wrestlers go out, it has been predetermined who's

gonna win, and so the contenders go through the battle. The wrastler,

if you will, go through the battle for entertainment purposes. But the point

of the battle is not to decide who will win, but to give the

crowd a show. You know, the winner of the winner of the match

does not battle for victory, but the winner of the match battles from victory.

He knows that the battle is already won. Now think about that just

for a minute. For those who are believers in Jesus Christ, the reality

is the battle has already been won. Jesus on the Cross has already won

the battle. Victory has already been granted to us. So God allows us

to go through the Christian walk not to win the victory, but to show

the world that He is in us, and greater is He that is in

us than is He in the world. Listen, today, you're dop battling

for victory. Victory is yours. You're to live out the victory that Christ

has given you. This morning, as we come to this passage of Acts,

chapter five, you're going to see these apostles. They had seen the

victory of the Cross, and now they're living out that victory before the people,

before unbelievers. And I want you to see today how they found how

they found victory through suffering, how they lived out victory through suffering. So

as we come to chapter five, we're gonna examine this is the last part

section of chapter five, and you're going to see this huge narrative of different

things that happened to these apostles while they're preaching and teaching and they're doing miracles.

And we looked at that last week that they're here there in Solomon's Portico.

Scripture tells us and all the apostles are there, and they're teaching,

and they're preaching and doing signs and wonders so much so that people from Jerusalem

have brought all the hell into the area. And the apostles are going and

healing people just as Jesus did. And we're going to see what happens and

how they suffering. And so several questions that arise through this passage I want

you to look through and think through and see as they lived out this victory

before others is why did they suffer? Another question is how did they suffer?

And a question today is how did they find victory through suffering? And

then lastly I want to look at today as we kind of conclude this message,

is what is God's message for the persecutors? Today? We're going to

see these believers who walk find victory through suffering. But in this text also

is the Pharisees, is Sadducees, the religious leaders who are constantly trying to

rejecting the truth of the Gospel, rejecting God's people, and they're persecuting God's

people. And I want you to see in this passage, God shows us

that he has a message for the persecutors. He has a message for those

who reject him. And today I want you to see that in there,

SE's a little message for all of us. Now, you didn't bring it

back lunch, and we got to move fast. We got a lot to

cover. But let's stand and let's read God's word together. It's Acts,

chapter five, and we're starting verse seventeen, and we'll read through twenty six

as we begin. But the high priests rose up and all who were with

him, and that is a party of the sadducees, and filled with jealousy,

they arrested the apostles and putting them in the public prison. But during

the night, that angel the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out.

Kind of reminds you of song Jesus brought me out right and go and

stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.

And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak, you

begin to teach. Then, when the high priests came those who were with

him, they called together the council and all the senate of the people of

visual and he and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when

the officers came, they did not find them in prison. So they returned

and reported, we found the prisons securely locked. Listen to that guards standing

at the door. But when we opened them we found no one inside.

Now, when the Captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard these words,

they were greatly perplexed about them, or wondering what this would come to.

So someone came and told them, look, the men in whom you

put in prison are standing in the temple teaching the people. And the captain

with their officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they

were afraid of being stormed by the people. Let's pray together, Father,

We thank you Lord for this morning. We thank you for this message.

God. I believe you led us to this message for today. And Lord,

it's no mistake that people are here that you want them to hear this

message. The state that people are watching online today or on TV. And

I pray today as we just examine how the early Church apostles and believers walked

in victory through suffering. Lord, may will you give us understanding today?

Lord, you know we are sinners, depraved and we Lord need Lord your

spirit to open up and open our eyes and our hearts to truth. So

Lord, may your spirit work today, give us discernment, give us understanding,

Lord to what you're saying to us today. And Lord, as your

spirit speak, Lor, may we not resist it today, but may we

as a church be open and respond Lord according your work. Lord. We

love you, Lord. I pray for a movement of your spirit today.

I pray you do a mighty work. Lord, cleanse me. Lord,

you know I'm a sinner desperately need you. Lord. I pray you cleansing

me that you might use me. Lord, we love you, and we

thank you as a church body for what you have done for us and what

you want to do in us and through us. In your name, we

pray, Amen, he may be seated. I want you to see,

first, as we look at this passage, why did they suffer? Why

did these apostles suffer? Well? Scripture tells us here that last week we

looked at that the apostles or in summons portico, and there were preaching and

teaching, and they were doing signs and wonders. And as they were doing

signs of wonders, they were doing healing. Scripture tells us they were healing

people. They were healing demon possessed people or delivering them from demon possession.

But I won't you remind you where they were. Scripture tells us they were

Solomon's Portico. If you think about that just for a minute. Simon's Portico

was where after Peter and John healed the laneman at the gate, and they

went in the temple to pray. After they prayed, they were walking back

out and then Simon's Portico, people are coming up to them and asking them

how did this happen? And it was there that Peter first preach to the

Jews in the Synogod about what Jesus had done through and healing this laneman.

He preached there, and you remember, the religious leaders heard about this and

saw the commotion, and they captured Peter and John and they demanded them not

to preaching Jesus's name anymore. They threatened them not to preach. Well,

here you can see what happens is they they told them not to preach in

Jesus's name anymore? And what did they do? Now? The not just

Peter and John, but all the apostles are right back at the same place.

And what are they doing. They're doing the very thing that the pairsees

and the Sadducees and religious leaders and Caiaphas and all of them who had killed

Jesus demanded them not to do, announced to preach and to continue to do

the mighty things that they did. They went right back to that very same

place, and they are preaching again. And they were doing the same things

again. And so as you walk through this pass, did you see what

happens? They go back in they're preaching, and Scripture says in verse seventeen,

but the high priest rose up, and all who were with him,

and that's the sadduced, and filled with jealousy, they arrested the apostles.

Scripture says, as we saw sees as we read just a moment ago,

what happens they would go back in that place? Well, what happens the

apostles right there, Sadducees rise up and they arrest Now not just Peter and

John, but all the apostles. You kind of see this, this tension

rising or persecution rising against the Early Church. You see kind of the first

when they meet Peter and John, or they first arrest Peter and John,

there's a warning like don't do this again. They threaten them, don't you

do this, don't speak in Jesus's name. And now you're gonna see today

as we look to this passage. Now there's a rest again of all the

apostles, and then in a minute you're gonna see they actually beat them,

and only threaten them and demand that they not speak in Jesus's name again and

teaching his name or do these miraculous scenes again. But they beat them.

This is going to lead up to chapter seven where the next stage. First

was a warning, second was the beating. Next as Stephen will be martyred.

Persecution is gaining momentum. It's rising against the Early Church. And I

want you to see why is why are they suffering? What are they persecuted?

What is the heart behind why these sadducees, these religious leaders are coming

against God's people And Scripture tells us that in this passage. I think Luke

is really careful, and when he describes the suffering, he describes why it's

happening. And listen to what it says here in verse seventeen. But the

high Priest rose and all who are with him that as a party of the

sadducees and filled with jealousy. Scripture says, what was the heart behind all

the persecution for all these religious leaders was jealousy? Jealousy you can imagine.

Darrel Brock, who's a scholar, writes about this passage Scripture, and he

says, there's really three things that were really rose up to the attention to

this adjucies the religious leaders of what was happening with the apostles, One though,

was popularity of their preaching. Their preaching we became popularity. They were

the church was growing rapidly. Acts two forty seven says, praising God and

having favor with all people. The Lord was adding to their number day by

day those were being saved. You can imagine for the religious leaders as they

saw their early church and they saw these apostles preaching and teaching, there's popularities

people being saved every day. The church has grown from one hundred and twenty

two probably roughly ten thousand at this point, there's a lot of popularity in

Jerusalem. Now about these Christians and these religious leaders are jealous about popularity.

They're also jealous of the miracles. As we looked at last week in Acts

chapter twelve. Now many signs and wonders were readily being done by the people

by the hands of the apostles, and they're all together at Solomon's portico.

They only saw their popularity. But those apostles had power, then, miraculous

power, power like Jesus, had power that they did not possess. And

so there was a jealousy over the popularity. There was a jealousy over the

miracles. And then lastly they were angry. They rose persecution against these Christians,

I mean, these early apostles, because they disobeyed their command. In

Acts chapter four seventeen, Calliophus and religious leaders demanded that they not speak no

more in Jesus's name, and they had disobeyed them. You know, it

was a story of a monk, and he was a very faithful monk.

He had lived in isolation and really lived for the Lord. And one day

at Satan found out about that, and he was trying to decide that he

was going to tempt this hermit or this monk, and so he wanted to

tempt him with everything possible. So he tipped him with with loss for materials,

and it seemed like nothing could ever get to this monk. One day,

his demons came to Satan and expressed their frustration, and they said,

you know, we just can't seem to get to this monk, this hermit.

And Satan responded that had been too hard on that man, and it

was time to give the man some good news. He said, send him

a message that one of his fellow brothers had just been made Bishop of Anioch.

Bring him good news. The demons went and told the monk, and

they came back quickly to Satan and said, we went and reported the good

news through the monk, and he instantly fell into envy and jealousy. Do

you know that one of Satan's great his tools that he uses against people is

the tool of jealousy envy seeing what God is doing in someone else's life,

or seeing what's happening in someone else's life, and being envious or jealous over

that individual for them having something or doing something or possessing something that you or

I do not possess hold or whatever it may be, and even so much

so that this is such a reality in scripture. In the New Testament,

jealousy has seen as referenced as a spiritual vice sixteen times. Sixteen times.

In the New Testament, jealousy is seen as a spiritual vice. Glacians,

as an example, Glacians nineteen to twenty one, says, now the works

of flesh are evidence sexual morality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,

enimity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, division,

envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you,

as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not

inherit the Kingdom of God. We think about this passion of Scripture, and

we think great vices sexual morality, impurity, and sensuality, idolatry, sorcery.

Right, But in this passion of Scripture, as we seek about these

vices, Paul warns of the vice of jealousy. He also James also uses

of talks about the danger of jealousy. He says in James three fourteen.

But if you have bitter jealousy, and selfless ambition in your heart. Do

not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that

comes from above, but it's earthly, unspiritual. List of this in demonic.

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exists, there will be disorder in every

vow practice. I tell you that because we come to this heart of why

did they suffer when they suffer because of religious leaders were jealous and that was

what was pushing along them to come against Why that's kind of spooky, that's

what pushed them to come against their early believers. I say that first as

we look at a point an application for this passage to us. May this

be a warning to us of the danger of jealousy. May this be a

warning to us that listen to me today. That Satan longs for you to

compare your life to others. To compare your life, your work versus the

success of others who work in the same field as you. That Satan longs

to compare you with your hobbies compared to what other people are doing their hobbies.

He longs to compare your relationships with the relationships that other people have.

He longs to compare your social life and the things that you do in your

social life with those who are doing other things. He longs for you to

compare your spiritual walk with the spiritual walk of others. He longs to create

jealousy in any of those arenas that he can in your life. I always

say for me, just to be totally frank with you, you want to

know why I don't have Facebook. This is why I don't have Facebook because

for me, Facebook and social media is just an outlet that spread jealousy.

To look at the social will profile somebody and see what they have and what

I don't have and want, and there's a danger for me to be jealous

and feel like I'm insufficient because I don't have life like them, or I'm

not doing what they're doing, or don't have the things that they have,

or I'm not as spiritual as they have. And all it did would produce

envy and jealousy in me and insufficiencies in me. So a few years ago,

probably eight years ago, I said, enough is enough. It's more

heartache and more temptation of jealousy and envy than it's worth. And I got

rid of it. But I tell you today, some of you here today,

know too well how easy it is to be jealous of a brother,

a sister, a family member, a co worker, a neighbor because they

have something that you don't have, and you say, God, why do

they have it? I don't have it? Can I tell you fight again

jealousy? No, that's a tool that Satan wants or used in your life

against others. But don't you see? Secondly, practically, understand this.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, if you live for God as you should

in your workplaces, in your homes, in the community, there will be

unbelievers in your family, in your community, in your relationships, at your

schools who will be jealous of you for your walk with Jesus. They'll see

how you find victory ever sin. They'll see the victory in which you live

in through your life that Christ has given you, and they'll notice that they

do not have the same victory that you have. And they'll be those who

will persecute you because they're jealous of your walk with Jesus. So understand one

the danger of jealous battle against the temptation, but be on guard that there

will be those who will persecute you because of your faith. It's going to

happen in your workplace as student, if you live for Jesus as you should

should at school, there will be those who will persecute you merely because of

your faith in Jesus and your homes in every arena of your life, I

assure you, according to scripture, there will be those who will persecute you

because of the way you live. I want you to see not only why

did they suffer? They suffered from jealousy. You want you to see how

did they suffer A scripture tells us and all through this passage, and I'm

just gonna try to walk through these as quick and really just kind of hold

in when it's more practical for us today. But they suffered in four different

areas in this passage. Scripture verse eighteen tells us they suffered arrest. So

they were arrested. Do you know people all across our world, they are

being arrested for their faith. Just a few months ago, and I don't

know exactly a timeline of this, but in Canada there was a pastor who

was arrested, and he was arrested because he broke COVID guidelines of Canada and

had church and you know, Canada came against him, put him in prison,

and they told him this, we'll release you out of prison if you

promise that you will not preach or go back to your church. You know

what he said, he would not, he would preach and he would go

back to the church that God called him. And guess what they did.

They left him in prison. That's happening in Canada are neighboring country above us.

But all through our world there are people being arrested for their faith.

They were suffered by demands for silence. They were demanded to be silent,

not to speak. We saw that in that chapter four. If you go

to twenty eight, you see that when they come up to them, they

they bring the believers or the apostles back up for the council after finding them

preaching in the Solomon's portico again and it says in verse twenty eight, and

we strictly charge you not to teach in this name. Yet you're here and

you feel in Jerusalem with your teaching and intended to bring the this man's blood

upon us. And then look at verse forty. You see once again they

brought up they they tried to silence them. And it says when they had

called all the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in

the name of Jesus, and they let them go. We're gonna look about

talk about that in just a little bit, in just a moment. But

they were they were trying to silence them, not to speak about Jesus.

You see, they suffered hatred. In verse thirty three, it says here

in this passage scripture, when they heard this, they were enraged and they

wanted to keep kill them. I mean, here's that these drew religious leaders

and they arrested them. They demand ended them silence, but they hated them.

They wanted to kill them. Scripture says. And lastly, as I

just read verse forty, they had called the apostles and they beat them.

There's four different ways they suffered. They suffered arrests, demands for silence,

they suffered hatred, and they suffered by beatings. You know, I as

I look at this passage, I really think today and trying to find this

more application for you as a believer. And we live in America. We

live in a free country, and we have a free freedom of speech and

freedom of religion here and and you know, the reality is most of you

here are listening to my voice or watching on TV. The reality of you

being put in prison anytime soon now, probably in to come one day.

I don't think we're far from that one day, even in our world.

But that's not a reality where we are right now. You know. The

reality is, there may be some people will hate you, and you may

have some people who are very jealous of you, and you can kind of

sense and maybe a hatred towards you, So you may experience some of that,

but you're not going to be beat today or this week. Not physical

beatings. You're not going to face that for a living, for Jesus.

But probably the most aggressive form of suffering at you and I face today is

our world's desire to silence us, our world's desire for Christians not to speak.

You know, you just think about that. In twenty fourteen, on

Christmas, there was a thing that came across our world and says what you

should no longer say Merry Christmas, right because that could be offensive, should

say happy Holidays instead? And what is that? Just in a very subtle

way, our world's trying to silence Christians from spending the message about Christ at

Christmas. It even goes further and you could go into on the Christmas holidays.

We have this idea that you know, have you ever heard these words?

Okay, two things that should go to Christmas? Two things that you

shouldn't talk about with your family? What is that you shouldn't talk about religion?

Right? In politics? Now we've come to a place that we try

to Our world says, in order to be politically correct and not to offend

anyone, you can't really talk about your relationship with Jesus when you with your

family, when you can, just to avoid conflict and avoid upsetting anyone,

you don't really need to talk about your your relationship with Jesus, not really

talk about your religion, and that has become the norm in our world.

Ed Seltzer wrote a book called We Will Not Be Silence, and he says

this, and I think he's so right that we to our shame, We

to our shame. We are afraid of the secular left. You know,

right now today hot topics of our world is wide abortion, homosexuality, gender

transition, and we think we can't talk about those things. Now our world

says, you can't. You're gonna offend somebody. You talk to somebody about

abortion, you don't, You're gonna fend somebody, So you don't. Really,

you don't need to talk about those things you want to talk about,

homen sexuality, you don't need to talk about gender and transitioning and what's happening

with these because you're gonna fend somebody. And as a result, because we're

so worried about offending the left and the liberal agenda, what we're silence.

We don't. We don't say anything because we don't want to offend anyone.

And understand, this is Satan's tool to silence Christians on what God's words says

about major issues of our world. And I like what ed Stepster says,

or I don't like it, but I think he's accurate when he says,

many Christians will not be taught, will not be taught out of their faith.

So here many Christians people can't talk to you about as your faith in

Jesus Christ. But he says, but they will be mocked out of it

because shame will cause many Christians to retreat in silence. And that's reality.

Reality is because of the pressure that we feel from our world today, over

hot button topics and the fear of offending someone. We have retracted in silence.

And today, in Acts chapter five, the very form that Satan tried

to stop the church was to try to silence the church. And listen,

two thousand years later, in twenty twenty three, Satan is still trying to

silence Christians. And there's no greater pressure that you and I face as Christians

a day with the temptation of giving into silence. Don't speak in the name

of Jesus anymore, don't preach about Jesus anymore, don't preach to turn away

from sin anymore. You need to be silent apostles, And today listen.

The suffering that you and I are going to face and the persecution that we're

going to get outside the doors of these walls, on social media, on

our talking with our family and friends, or talking with our neighbors, or

talking with people at school, is the pressure and the persecution of silence.

Don't speak demands, don't speak against don't speak the things about God's word or

the things about Jesus. You know, Paul told us. Jesus warned us

too, by the way, that this was going to happen, he says

you. However, I followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim,

my life, my faith, my patient, my love, and my stepfastness.

He says, you have followed my persecutions and my sufferings that happened to

me at Antioch iicone em Lystra, and which persecution I endured. Yet from

them all the Lord rescue me. And this is what he says in verse

twelve. Indeed, listen, all who desire to live a godly life in

Christ Jesus will be what persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go from

bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Can I tell you believers to

day, if you desire to live a godly life, you will face persecution,

and you will face persecution and demands to not to speak the name of

Jesus, not to speak the truth of God's word. Can I tell you

and I how do we find victory? Okay? They why did they suffer

the suffer of jealousy? How did they suffer and suffered the rest silent?

Suffered silent seeing, they suffered, hatred, they suffered beatings. Lastly,

on what you see? How did they find victory? How they live out

this victory well quickly this morning first victory through obedience. You know, there's

this is just a beautiful passage here they are I mean, these guys,

these guys are bold, were they not? I mean, you get arrested

in this one place. And even it was so funny how God works out

these things. We were a few about a month or so ago, we

are planning our prayer walk, and you know, we were taking new believers,

and not the new believers, but people who are just getting used to

sharing the gospel. And and I I was trying to think of, you

know, I really want to, you know, make it as comfortable as

possible for our folks who are just kind of getting into sharing the gospel.

So let's try to find communities and around Bethesda who people seem to be a

little bit more comfortable with with hearing the gospel. So I was trying to

find out one places where it was easy. And some of our staff was

saying, Johntham, maybe we shouldn't do that. Maybe we shouldn't go where

the easy places are, maybe we should go where the hard places are.

Well I say that, just say that's where these early apostles are doing that's

they preached the gospel, I mean Peter and John, and they were arrested,

and you would think the temptations are okay, Well that didn't was not

received. Well, let's try to find another place where people are a little

bit more open. No, they go right back to where they're arrested.

And now they've got all the apostles there and they're doing all these miracles.

And what happened They get arrested, and the Bible says they put them in

prison. And they were in prison, and that night, in the middle

of the night, Jesus brought him out, didn't he? Man? Somehow

an angel of the Lord Scripture says, and went into that prison and got

them out. And that what did he command them do? Well, look

at the passage of Scripture and in Acts chapter five and during the night,

verse nineteen, the angel Lord opened the prison door and brought them out and

said, go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the

words of this life. So the angel says, what, hey, you

know, you just you know, hooray, I just got you out of

prison, and you think, hey, I'm going home. You know,

was not didn't turn out the way I wanted it. Then Angel Lord says,

go back, go back and preach again. This is now the third

time. And Scripture says that when the counsel found in verse twenty five,

and when someone came and told him, Look, the men you put in

prison are standing in the temple and they're teaching the people. You see how

they lived out the victory that Christ had given them was through obedience. Was

saying, God, you know what, no matter what comes against me,

God, I will be faithful to what You've called me to do. God,

I will continue to live in obedience. I will not back down,

I will not retract, I will not give in God. I will be

faithful to live for you, Jesus. Can I tell you all through Scripture

and for the sake of time, I can't go through it all. But

can I tell you that Scripture gives us the imagery and deuteron me that God

tests his people to see who will what is in their hearts, to see

whether they will be faithful and obedient even in the toughest times. Deuteronomy tells

us that in Deuteronomy eight two and Deteronomy thirteen three. Can I tell you

that our Savior and our Lord what lived victory through obedience Philippians two, which

is a beautiful passage Scriptures called the Hymn of Christ, tells us that Christ,

being in human form, he humbled himself by being obedient to the point

of death. Death on the cross our savior not only teaches us to be

victory, but he found victory in obedience to his father and his Lord,

even so much that he suffered so much greater than be in silence. He

suffered on our cross, and he was obedient to the end. Can I

tell you? Scripture tells us that you and I are going to face persecution

and end that p execution. Scripture encourages us to be obedient. Listen to

what it says. He says in first Peter one six through nine, Peter

the Apostle says, by the way, isn't this a great one to listen

to? He was the very one who was being persecuted in this passage.

Both times will be arrested. Both time was being and he was beaten.

Here, he says, in this you rejoice for though now for a little

while, if necessary, you have been greed by various trials, so that

the testing of your genuines of faith more precious than gold, that perishes,

is tested by what fire, and may be found result and praise and glory

and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him,

you've loved him. Though you though you do not now see him,

you have believed in him, and rejoice with the joy that is inexpressible and

filled with glory obtaining the outcome of your faith and the salvation of your soul.

He talk us about the testingness of genuine and face that's more precious than

gold. You know, James also talks about this, and this is what

James says, counting all Joey, my brothers, when you meet trials of

various kind through you know that testing your faith produces staffastness. And let staffasteness

have its full effect, that you might be perfect, complete, lacking in

nothing. Can I say to you today? If you're suffering, and you're

suffering persecution, you said, pastor, how do I walk in victory?

It's very simple, Walk in obedience. Walk in obedience. You know,

Nate Saint was a missionary. He was killed by the Aqua Indians. He

was one of the five that were killed. And this is what Nate Saints

said about obedience. I love this. I think this is profound, and

this is why I'm sharing it with you this morning. He said this just

before he died. He said these words that his life did not change Munch

until he came with the grips, came the grits with the idea of obedience,

and he said this about obedience. Obedience is not a momentary option.

It is a die cast decision made beforehand. What does he mean by that?

Obedience is not a moment by moment decision. Obedience is a decision that's

made before the persecution comes. Can I say you today? You today,

You and I today may not face some of the persecution that they're facing today,

but one day it will come. You may come in a form of

a family member who's jealous. You may come in form of an unbeliever that

you try to share the Gospel with. It may come in the form of

of a friend that pushes you away because you're trying to live for the Lord

and they're not. And in that moment, that's not the time to determine

whether you're going to be obedient. Today is the day that you said God,

no matter what comes my wife. I will be obedient to you.

I will live for you. I'll live my life in obedience to you.

And then and then secondly, how did they find victory? Well, how

do they live in victory? They live victory through rejoicing. Scripture says,

I love this passage. Scripture the Bible says, in Act chapter five,

they they brought them in. They questioned them, I can't believe you.

You've spoken these things, and you've done this, and and we've commanded you.

And they tell them again, do not speak. And in verse forty

as we read, and when they called in the apostles, they beat them

and charge them not to speak in the name of Jesus. And they let

them go. And look at what verse forty one says. And then they,

being the apostles, let the presence of the council, rejoicing that they

were outcounted worthy to sufferer, dishonor for the name. You know, how

did they live through the victory that Christ had given them through obedience and through

rejoicing? You know, James, is it just read said? Count it

all? What joy? My brothers? When you face when you meet trials

of areas kind? Can I tell you. How do we walk in victory?

We walk through through obedience, we walk through victory through joy. You

know that joy's a choice in your life as you face trials, you can

live as e or if you won't, Oh, poor, bitiful me,

why did God you do this to me? This is You can live that

way if you want, or you can say, God, you've given me

victory. And God, I'm going to be obedient to you, and I'm

going to leave the results something to you. And God, I'm gonna choose

joy and my joy. Listen to this. This is profound. Is not

in the circumstances. And whether the circumstances get better, right, we are

more than conquerors, even whether the our consensus change. Why because listen today,

as I told you the beginning, victory is ours. We're not fighting

and we're not living to win the victory. Christ has already given us victory.

So today when we face whatever we face, victory is already ours.

And today when say I choose joy, because Christ, no matter what comes

my way, He's given me victory over sin, and he's given me victory

over this life one day in eternity. And so therefore I'm gonna live,

and I'm gonna walk in obedience and I'm gonna find victory and joy because Jesus

is my rock, Jesus is my source. Jesus is my victory. Not

whether a circumstances get better or situations get better. Today I am more than

a conqueror. Oh boy, we can we can just end there. That

was good stuff. I'm just saying that to myself. I don't know if

anybody else and got a hold of that, but that was That's a good

that's a good truth. Scripture is giving us here. And I want to

finish with this as we as we just wrap up today, I really want

you to see the beauty of this passage. Lastly, as we look at

this passage of Scripture, there was a there's a message to the persecutor.

There's a message to the rejectors. It's saddestge religious leaders. Scripture tells us

they kind of they captured the apostles. They put them in prison, and

they're all getting together and they're all waiting, and then they go in and

hey, all right, we're ready. We're ready to put them on trial.

They tell the garden they go to the prison to to go get them

and come to find out they're not there. They've been released, and the

guards says, I hate to tell you, but something's happened. And what

did they say. The doors were locked, the guards were in place.

We don't know how they got out, but I tell you what, they're

actually right back where they were preaching. Again. You see, God moved

in miraculous power. Listen to me to send a message to those beliefs,

to those persecutors, to send a message to those religious leaders. Not only

that, and only give a message to them through miraculous, a miraculous message.

But he gave them another message, a faithful message. Scripture says that

they brought the apostles in and they asked them, and they said, hey,

we told you not in preaching Jesus's name. Look at the passage real

quick with me and Acts chapter five. You can look at verse twenty eight

with strictly charging not to teach. But look at what happens in verse twenty

nine. But Peter and apostles answers, we must obey God rather than men.

The God of our fathers, rage Jesus and whom you killed by hanging

him on the tree, and God exalted him at the right hand as a

leader and savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And listen

to this. And we are witnesses to these things. So the Holy Spirit

in whom God has given to those who obey him. You see, God

gave them these religious leaders, these pharisees, these rejectors, these persecutors.

He gave them a supernatural message. He gave them a faithful message where apostle,

the Peter and the Apostle say hey, we're messengers of God, and

we're telling you today that Jesus is Lord, and his spirit has moved in

us, and He's moved today. There was a faithful message, and lastly

there was a historic message. The passage ends, and and I'm gonna give

you the summary of it. As the end, they bring them in trial,

and they hear Peter's words, and and they send them out and and

they're they're trying to decide what they're going to do to them. They have

the whole counsel. They're everyone, all these rejectors, all these people full

of jealousy, all right, just annoyed Satan's at work. But all right,

so they they're they're all there. They're trying to figure out what they're

gonna do, and then suddenly there's there's a there's a pharisee there. His

name is Camality, and he says these words. He says, you know,

there are other people who've risen up, who are false teachers, who've

risen up, and when they rise up, they've risen up for a little

while, but they phase out because they were not real. But he says,

you know what, if they're false teachers talking about the apostles, then

they'll fizzle out, just like the other two did. But if they don't

fizzle out, maybe they are from God. And he says these words,

and I'll read it just so you can hear directly what he says. He

says in verse thirty seven, I believe he said he talks about the on

the Galaan. But in verse twenty eight he says, So in the present

case, I tell you keep away from these men and let them along.

For if this plan and this undertaking is a man, it will fail.

But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them,

and you might even be found opposing God. You see, listen,

today God is seeking the unbliever. God even so much is seeking those who

persecutes people. God is seeking the persecutor. He's seeking the reject the one

who rejects him today with a supernatural message, with a faithful message, and

with historic message, and that is Jesus is Lord. Isn't it beautiful that

God, even when people come and reject him, and even when people and

when people persecute his people, God still wants to save the rejectors. God

still wants to save the persecutors. You know, I believe there's people might

be watching on TV today and there may be some even here today, and

you've rejected the Lord. And can I tell you God loves you, and

God wants to save you so much so that he wants his sense supernatural messages

to you so much when he wants you to hear faithful in messages, and

so so much so that he wants you to hear historic messages that he people

have endured and they are from God. Would you today believe if you've rejected

the Gospel? Would you believe if you persecute a believers even may have been

jealous of believers today? Would you believe Jesus God is pursuing you. Would

you pray with me every anybody very close. Lord, I thank you for

your message today, and Lord, what a powerful message this is, or

a lot here in this passage. But Lord, I pray as we come

to this time of response, I just pray people will respond to you.

And Lord, I pray that be people today that would maybe just right where

they are or even come to this alchurch, say Lord, I've been suffering,

and maybe I've been living in defeat by God. Thank you that today

victory is mine Jesus through you. Now I pray that be those today say,

Lord, help me live victory through obedience. Lord, help me live

victory through Lord, finding joy and rejoicing Lord, and what you've done for

me. Lord, I pray there would be some today that would just repent

of some jealousy. They've been caught in a web Lord today and they realize,

Lord, they need to let that go. So Lord, I prayed

they be those that are repent. Lord, I pray they'd be those today

that would be rejectors. Maybe they're watching on TV or online, or maybe

they're here in this room and they never know how much Lord, you God,

a holy God, that they've pushed away, they've fought against, they've

rejected. How you God longs for them to be saved. Your word says

Lord, that you have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but

that the wicked would turn from his ways, turn back and turn from his

evil ways and find you. Lords. I pray that be those today that

would turn Lord to you and find the loving God who loves them, who

wants to save them. Lord, however you lead us to response today,

whether it's someone receiving you as Lord and savior or someone saying you know what

I've been guilty of being silent. Lord, help me live in obedience and

not fear. But Lord, help me, Lord, be faithful to proclaim

the truth of your gospel to those around me. However you lead this,

Lord, help us respond to you. Lord, Word, We love you.

We thank you Lord for today. We thank you Lord that your word

is relevant for right now, right in our lives. And may we not

leave this place by hearing your word or movement of your spirit and turn you

away. But God, may we receive Lord, your the words of your

spirit today and your name. We pray, Amen, Jesus. Painting to