The Unstoppable Gospel | Acts 5:12-42

Welcome to Sermons from the Way Church KC, a community of listening saints in Kansas City, following the way of Jesus and pushing back darkness together.

Good morning, everybody.

I'm pretty sure this is on.

If not, I can project my voice loud enough.

It always works pretty well.

Um, okay.

So, really quick, I am going to read Acts 5, 12 through 42, so bear with me.

It's a little bit of a chunk.

I feel like I sign up for this all the time, and I don't know why.

So if you guys could stand with me really quick for the reading of the word.

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles, and they were all together in Solomon's portico.

None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and filled with jealousy, they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, Go and stand in the temple and speak to all the people all the words of this life.

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

Now when the high priest came and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the Senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, We found the prison securely locked, and the guards standing at the doors, 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, wondering what this would come to.

And someone came and told them, Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.

Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest questioned them, saying, We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

But Peter and the apostles answered, We must obey God rather than men.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.

And he said to them, Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.

For before these days Oh gosh Theodis, so I definitely said that wrong, rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him.

He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

After him, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him.

He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.

So in this present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail.

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

You might even be found opposing God.

So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.

Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

And every day in the temple and from house to house they did not cease teaching and preaching that is the Christ of Jesus.

It's so good to see so many friends, family, new faces.

It's a beautiful Sunday.

It's a great day to be in the house of the Lord.

If you're new here, if you're a guest, welcome.

We have a gift for you outside if you um are it's your first time here, first time in a while, but we'd love to treat you to a gift.

We have a lot of text to get through, so I'm gonna jump right in.

Um jump right in.

Um so we've been going through a series through the book of Acts entitled Living by the Spirit and Following the Way.

Um today what we're gonna look at is Acts chapter 5, verses 12 through 42.

Acts 5:12–42

If you're newer here, we preach verse by verse through books of the Bible, um, and we really believe convictionally, like that's how our preaching calendar should look.

Um but if you got your Bible, you can go ahead and open it to Acts chapter 5.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Um, if you don't have a Bible, we'd love to give one to you right outside of the sanctuary doors.

We have Bibles for you to have, keep, mark up, all that fun stuff.

Um we last week we were treated with Pastor Jonathan from uh Bridge City Church out of Cincinnati, Ohio.

He came and brought a word.

Um so I'm gonna give us a little refresher on where we've been in the book of Acts as we jump back in.

So first, like Acts chapter one, we we see the church's mission begin from the ascended Christ and by the promised Holy Spirit.

Then Acts chapter two, we see Pentecost.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit empowers the church to proclaim the gospel and to form a new community marked by unity, marked by generosity, and marked by shared mission.

Then Acts chapter three and chapter four, the the Spirit's power, it provokes persecution, but it also multiplies with boldness and unity the church.

Then two weeks ago, so a week before last, we looked at Acts chapter 5, verses 1 through 11.

Acts 5:1–11

And what we saw was this contrast between Barnabas and Ananias and Sapphira.

So we saw this contrast in being honest, in uh being generous and being humble.

Um, and it was really this contrast of what the early church looked like.

Today we're gonna dig into another powerful narrative in the book of Acts.

This, I believe, this passage that we're gonna look at, it's not just a story in Acts.

It's just not just another story in Acts.

Like I think so often, at least for me in my quiet times, I can read these stories in Acts or other books of the Bible and feel like I'm so far removed from them.

But what I believe we'll see in today's text, that today's text is calling us, that it's calling us to live a life as the believers in Acts, as the followers of the way embodied, to live a life as bold, Holy Ghost empowered gospel witnesses.

As you read the Bible, guys, have you ever noticed that the gospel can seem unstoppable?

Um, I think that's what we see throughout the book of Acts.

Think of in your own life, think of something that seems unstoppable to you.

Maybe it was the Kansas City Chiefs back when they were on their Super Bowl run, Roman.

Maybe it was maybe it was the Oklahoma City Thunder last year.

Maybe, you know, for me, it's like my wife when she's frustrated at me.

That's an unstoppable thing.

No, but but in all seriousness, what I think of, here's an illustration for really what I thought of as I prepared for this passage.

When when I was younger, we would go out to my grandparents' farm, um, western Oklahoma, and there was this little like river, little I mean, maybe you could call it a river.

It was more like a creek or a stream, but it was a running, moving body of water.

Um, and my siblings and cousins and I, we'd we'd go down there and we'd try to put a bunch of like sticks and rocks in this small little body of running water to stop the flow of that water.

But every single time we were, we were little, we were young, every single time the water kept flowing through every obstacle that we'd put in front of it.

That little flowing body of water, it was seemingly unstoppable to us.

And I think, in a macro sense, that's what we see in the book of Acts, the message of Jesus keeps advancing.

At every single obstacle, the message of Jesus keeps advancing.

No matter who, no matter what, tries to block it.

The book of Acts is the story of this unstoppable gospel.

The Spirit of God is moving through ordinary people.

Who in here is an ordinary person?

Everyone?

Cool, I'm glad.

The Spirit of God is moving through ordinary people just like you and just like I to accomplish extraordinary things.

In Acts chapter 5, verses 12 through 42, the apostles are preaching, they're healing, they're performing signs in Jesus' name.

Acts 5:12–42

And the religious leaders, they cannot stand it.

They try to silence the message.

We saw that back in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

But instead, what we see today is that it spreads even more.

This passage should remind us that when the church lives by the Spirit and follows the way of Jesus, opposition is guaranteed.

But, hear me, but so is victory.

Remember, we talk about this a lot.

We fight from victory.

We don't fight for victory.

We know how the story ends.

We know that Christ is and will be victorious.

So with that, here's our big idea.

When God's people live by the Spirit, the gospel cannot be stopped, no matter the cost.

When God's people live by the Spirit, the gospel cannot be stopped, no matter the cost.

So with that, there's three truths that we're going to look at.

First, the power of the Spirit.

Second, the opposition of the world, and third, the courage of the church.

I'll pray and then let's dig in.

Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing us here today to worship together, to gather together, to lift high the name of your Son Jesus.

God, I pray that as we read and study the story of the early church, that we would be moved by it, that we would be convicted by it, that we would live as followers of the way, that we would live as spirit-empowered witnesses wherever we live, work, and play.

Lord, I pray that as I preach your word, you move me out of the way and make your words clear, Lord.

God, your will and not ours be done.

Holy Spirit, move in this place.

It's in the name of Jesus, I pray.

Amen.

Amen.

So point number one this morning is the power of the Spirit.

The power of the Spirit.

Acts chapter 5, verse 12 through 16.

Acts 5:12–16

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles, and they were together in Solomon's portico.

None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

And more than ever, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

So this scene opens with many signs and wonders being regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles.

What's apparent in the book of Acts is that the Spirit of God is on the move.

The church is unified.

They're gathered together in Solomon's portico.

They are filled with awe, they are filled with wonder, and it also says that they're held in high esteem by outsiders.

Now I want to hone in on this phrase, many signs and wonders.

It shows up throughout the book of Acts.

We saw it back in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

We see it again in Acts chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

We see it throughout the book.

And it's the author Luke's way of saying that God is confirming his word.

These miracles are evidence to the reality of the risen Christ.

They testify that the gospel message is true.

And Luke adds that they were done by the hands of the apostles.

And that's important for us to note because what it shows is that the power didn't originate from the apostles.

No, it flowed through them.

The hands are human, but the power is a divine sort of power.

The Holy Spirit is the one doing the work.

Then we see Luke, he says something interesting.

The author he writes, none of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

Why?

Because what had happened just earlier with Ananias and Sapphira, just a few verses earlier, it put holy fear in the church.

It put a holy reverence in the church.

People realized that this was no casual sort of social club.

It wasn't this country club sort of faith.

No, this was a community that was filled with the holy presence of God.

In verse 14, it says, more than ever believers were added to the Lord.

Don't miss that phrase.

Added to the Lord.

Luke doesn't say like added to the church role.

He doesn't say added to Sunday attendance.

No, he says added to the Lord.

Salvation, it's not joining an organization.

It's not joining up with people that look like you, that act like you, that talk like you.

No, salvation is union with Christ Himself.

That's what the Holy Spirit does.

We are united with Christ.

And when we read this beautiful, almost unbelievable detail next, people were bringing their sick out into the streets so that even Peter's shadow might fall on them.

Anybody ever done that?

Brought a sick friend into the streets so that someone's shadow might touch them?

Like that's that's a beautiful picture, right?

Now Luke isn't suggesting that Peter's shadow has magical power.

No, he's showing that the reputation of God's power is so strong that people wanted to just get near his presence so that the healing presence of Christ might fall on them.

In the ancient world, people sought healing in pagan temples.

Places like the different shrines that would bring about these little g gods healing of them.

They'd lay sick people before idols hoping for relief.

I was in Houston this past week for a trip, and one of the things we did is we went and toured a Hindu temple, and they have these idols all throughout it.

And the Hindu faith would hope for healing from these idols.

But what we know as followers of the way of Jesus is that he alone is the one who brings healing.

So by bringing this people, hoping that the apostles' shadow might fall on them, it is a direct confrontation with the false religion of the pagan gods.

And what's the result?

Well, the text says that they were all healed.

They were all healed.

What a timely song that Ashton sang.

Um, because that's what happens when heaven touches earth.

Like our shirts say, Your thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in Kansas City as it is in heaven.

Like we want heaven to come down to Kansas City.

And when heaven touches earth, the cause of sin, the curse of sin is pushed back.

And restoration, renewal begins.

Think about this socially, right?

In the context of the early church.

The early church, what it says is drawing people from outside of Jerusalem.

Verse 16 says, people were coming from surrounding towns.

The gospel is expanding.

It's exploding.

It's not just staying local.

It's what Jesus promised in Acts chapter 1, verse 8 beginning to unfold.

Acts 1:8

It says, You'll be my witnesses in all Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

So we're seeing it play out as we study and move through the book of Acts.

The witness of Christ is expanding from local to more regionalized to then the ends of the earth, which we're living in today.

And what I think we should see from this section of Acts, it's not just about healing.

No, it's about witness.

The Spirit's power is breaking boundaries.

It's breaking social boundaries.

It's breaking religious boundaries.

It's breaking geographical boundaries.

And the spirit's power still breaks those boundaries today.

I think that this moment that we're reading about, it also fulfills promises that Jesus made before he ascended.

Remember John chapter 14, verse 12, Jesus said, Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father.

John 14:12

So this is that.

This is the apostles, they're doing the very works that Jesus did, because Jesus is alive and working in them.

When the Spirit moves, he doesn't just make noise, he brings renewal, he changes hearts, he reaches the lost.

And the same spirit who healed bodies then still heals bodies today.

The same spirit who who healed hearts then still heals hearts today.

He didn't, you know, hang up his jersey.

No, he's still at work.

His power still renews, his power still restores, his power still revives, brings death, brings life from death.

When a sinner repents, that's the Holy Spirit's power.

When a marriage is restored, that's the Holy Spirit's power.

When someone is healed, that's the Holy Spirit's power.

When the addict is set free, that's the Holy Spirit's power.

When someone forgives who, when someone forgives someone who feels unforgivable, that's not human strength.

That's not like, oh, look at me.

No, that's resurrection power.

And I want to draw our attention to like this sort of order that we see in the book of Acts.

What we see repeatedly throughout Acts is that purity always comes before power.

After Ananias and Sapphira, the fear of the Lord falls, and then miracles multiply.

As the Spirit moves freely in a holy church.

Power follows purity.

So if we want to see God move among us, it starts with consecration.

It starts with repentance.

It starts with purity.

It starts with unity.

The Holy Spirit, He fills what has been emptied of itself.

So if you're if you're wondering, like, hey, why am I not feeling God's presence?

Well then what I would argue is that you may have not emptied yourself of the things of this world, the things that are holding you back.

So, family, may we as a church never be a people who just settle for just gathering, just walking it out on Sundays.

May we be a church that lives in expectation of the Spirit's power through prayer, through repentance, through love, through compassion, and through a bold gospel witness.

May we be a people who are light in a dark world.

Because that's what's happening here in Acts 5.

The light of the gospel is breaking through the darkness of sin.

It's breaking through the darkness of sickness.

It's breaking through the darkness of death.

And what we know, family, is that wherever the Spirit of God shines, darkness flees.

Darkness loses.

Whenever the spirit moves in power, opposition follows, though.

Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

That's what we see in John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention

But what we see in the book of Acts is that wherever the Spirit moves in power, opposition soon follows.

And I think that's a reality for us in our day and age.

That's what we see in Acts.

As the church grows in grace, the world grows in jealousy.

And that brings us to point number two the opposition of this world.

The opposition of the world.

Acts 5, verse 17 through 32.

Acts 5:17–32

But the high priest rose up, and all who are with him, that is the party of the Sadducees, and filled with Jealousy.

They arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 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 and began to teach.

Now when the high priest came and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the Senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But when the officers came they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported.

We found the prison securely locked, and the guards standing at the doors, 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, wondering what this would come to.

And someone came and told them, Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.

Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest questioned them, saying, We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

But Peter and the apostles answered, We must obey God rather than men.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

Whenever the Spirit fills, the world resists.

Well we saw at the beginning of our section of text, after this incredible season of healing and growth of the early church, Luke, he immediately turns our attention to a new scene: a confrontation between the spirit-filled church and the jealous religious establishment.

Acts 5 shows us that the gospel is not only unstoppable, it's also uncomfortable.

Because what the gospel does is it confronts power, it confronts pride, it confronts self-righteousness.

And I think that this section of text teaches us something that we should all know, that we should all realize today.

That following the way of Jesus invites opposition from the world.

So let's let's walk through briefly what's happening here.

The Sadducees, as we've talked about in weeks past, they were the wealthy, politically connected, religious elite.

They did not believe in the resurrection, they didn't believe in angels, they didn't believe in miracles, which means they were already offended by everything that was transpiring.

And what we see, they're not motivated by truth.

They're motivated by envy.

God is doing something that they cannot control, and it's exposing their powerlessness.

So we first see that they arrested the apostles and put them in prison.

And as we know, this isn't the first time that this has happened.

Um, back in chapter 4, they arrested Peter and John.

But notice how this is sort of escalated, right?

Before it was two apostles, now it's all of the apostles.

The opposition that the early church is facing is growing with the movement.

Then, verse 19 and 20, an angel of the Lord appears and sets them free and commands them to go speak.

Go stand in the temple, the very place you've been commanded not to go and not to speak the name of Jesus is where they're commanded to go and they go.

I love this.

The very men, the Sadducees, who tried to silence the preaching of the gospel, they're asleep in their beds, right?

While God's angels are opening prison doors.

And God's message to the apostles, it's clear.

Go and speak.

Go and speak.

And what we see is like the gospel, it cannot be contained by prison, prison walls, it can't be contained by bars, it can't be contained by threats.

No, the gospel is unstoppable.

And notice what the angels call it that they're to go speak.

The angels call it all the words of this life.

Not all the words of this religion, not all the words of this philosophy, no, all the words of this life.

The Christian message, the message of the scriptures is the words of life.

Resurrection life, eternal life for everyone who calls on the name of Jesus.

The spirit-filled life.

The words of life are the words that we have, family.

So they go preach in the temple, and then what we see the next morning, the high priest and the Sanhedrin or the Jewish council, they gather for a trial, but the prisoners are gone.

The guards are at their posts, the doors are locked, but the cells are empty.

Can you imagine like that sort of confusion that there would have been?

The text says that the whole council is greatly perplexed.

And what I think we see, like, on first read, we might think of this in like worldly terms, right?

But this is like a spiritual battle, right?

The the human system of control, it's been overthrown by the heavenly system.

Then someone bursts out, look, the men you put in prison, they're standing in the temple and they're teaching the people.

Like it's almost comedic, right?

Like the very place that they were forbidden to go, they were forbidden to preach in the first place, is the first place that they go.

That's spirit-filled obedience.

So what happens to the officers?

They go to retrieve them again, but not by force because they're afraid of the people, of this growing movement of followers of the way of Jesus.

And the apostles, they're gaining favor with the crowd, so this plays into their fear because the Spirit's power is undeniable.

And then we get to this distinct scene where the high priest confronts them.

We strictly charge you not to teach in this name.

Yet you have filled Jerusalem, you have filled the city with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

Notice how, like, they they can't even say Jesus' name.

Bring this man's blood upon us.

They refer to him as this man.

Their hearts are so hardened that they can't even utter the name that saves.

Anybody ever been in a situation like that where a person is just like put off by the name of Jesus being spoken?

It's crazy, right?

In the ancient world, we see much of the same, and that's why the apostles were imprisoned.

And imprisonment then and even now to an extent is meant to bring shame and silence.

But here's the irony.

Every time in the book of Acts that they lock the apostles up, God uses it to just like explode his message.

The message is broadcast to more and more people, even more widely.

Every time they get locked up, it's wild.

It's like this kingdom sort of irony that we see throughout the text.

And I think that this is a pattern that we begin to see in the book of Acts.

Persecution comes, God's message is propelled.

Persecution comes, God's message is propelled.

Opposition becomes opportunity.

It's this reframing that the apostles are doing.

And I think that it's a reframing that we need to do today.

And ultimately, I think that this passage reveals the clash between two kingdoms: the kingdom of God, which is ruled by grace and truth, and the kingdom of man, which is ruled by pride and control.

I think we also see how the spirit, the Holy Spirit, sustains our courage.

The apostles, they don't panic when they're imprisoned.

They don't plot an escape plan.

They simply obey when God opens the door.

That's spirit-led faith.

It's steady, it's fearless, it's obedient.

And do you see the contrast in this text?

I'm just gonna draw your attention to it.

Look at it, verse 17 and look at verse 31.

Like, one, the Sadducees, they're filled with jealousy, but the apostles, though, they're filled with the Spirit.

Do you see that?

That distinct tension that we see, that distinct contrast?

Everyone in this story is filled with something.

Everyone in this house is filled with something.

The question is, what fills you?

Is it jealousy, like the Sadducees?

Is it jealousy that fuels control and fear?

Or is it spirit-led faith that fills you?

That's steady, that's fearless, that's obedient, that gives you courage and freedom.

So, what does this mean for us today?

Well, I think a few things.

First, the gospel will always face opposition.

There ain't nothing new under the sun.

The story that we see in Acts is a story that we see today.

There is still opposition to followers of the faith today, to Christians today.

So we should not be surprised when our faith is met with hostility.

Like Jesus promised that actually, John chapter 15, verse 20.

John 15:20

If they persecuted me, Jesus says, they will also persecute you.

So we shouldn't be surprised.

We also see that like God's word cannot be chained.

God's word cannot be chained up.

It cannot be kept in a prison.

God's word is unstoppable.

The gospel is unstoppable.

The angel literally opens the door to make this point.

You can lock up the messengers, but you can't lock up the message.

And I think that today the spirit still breaks through barriers.

It may not look like the same prison for us in America, some parts of the world it does.

But for us, maybe it's like it's prisons of addiction, prisons of shame, prisons of fear, prisons of unbelief.

But if whatever prison that is for you or for your loved one, the gospel will find its way in.

It'll break open those prison doors.

I think that we also see that our response to opposition, it matters.

Notice, like the apostles don't retaliate, they don't lash out, they simply keep teaching, they simply keep witnessing, they simply keep obeying, they simply keep trusting God.

I think we also see that we must speak, keep speaking the words of life.

We must keep speaking the words of life.

Like if we truly believe that, family, if we truly believe that what we have are the words of life, eternal life, then we must keep speaking those words.

The angel said, go, stand and speak.

And that's our mission as well.

The world does not need more silence from the church.

It needs a spirit-filled church that stands and speaks the words of life with truth and grace.

And maybe you're sitting here thinking, like, whoa, that's crazy.

They were arresting people for speaking the name of Jesus.

They arrested the apostles for speaking the name of Jesus.

But what's really wild is that's happening today.

Maybe not in our context in Kansas City, but it's happening in parts of the world.

I was researching this this week, and there's pastors and Christians all over China who are being arrested.

Just for speaking the name of Jesus, just for preaching Jesus.

Don't believe me?

Like you can look it up.

Like there's there's stories from major news outlets about it.

Like one of the articles I read was from the AP, right?

Like it's happening, right?

There's story upon story of pastors and Christians being arrested, detained, and then returning to preach, right?

One article I read, it closed with this statement.

Hear this, guys.

So this this girl, Grace, her father was a pastor in China and he'd been detained.

This is what she said.

Grace said that her father, Pastor Xin, had brought his family over to the United States after authorities targeted Zion Church in 2018.

But he decided to go back despite the risks.

She hadn't seen her father in six years, and here's what she said.

He felt that as a pastor, he had to be with the flock, she said, fighting tears.

He had always been prepared for something like this.

And now he sits imprisoned, and they don't know when or if he will get out.

He knew, he counted the cost, but he still preached boldly.

He still spoke the name of Jesus.

And that's that's Acts chapter 5 in a nutshell.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

You can arrest the preacher, you can arrest the apostles, but you cannot imprison the gospel.

You can close the building and force the church underground, like is the case in China, but you cannot stop the Holy Spirit moving.

One of the biggest gospel movements that we've seen is happening through the underground church in China right now.

And it can't help, it can't, I can't help but to wonder if there's something that we as the church in America should learn from this.

Right?

So, what this does, it brings us to a turning point in this passage when the apostles finally stand before the council and make one of the most courageous statements in all of Scripture.

They've been threatened, they've been beaten, they've been warned, but their response will and does echo through every generation of the church.

It shows us what happens when spirit-filled believers are forced to choose between pleasing man and pleasing and obeying God.

That's where we're going to go next.

Point three, our last point, the courage of the church.

Verses 33 through 42.

When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

But a Pharisee in the council named Gameleel, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put them in outside for a little while.

And he said to them, Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.

For before these days Theodas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him.

He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

After him, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him.

He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.

So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone.

For if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail.

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

You might even be found opposing God.

So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.

Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

And every day in the temple and from house to house they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

It's powerful right there.

This is the moment of climax in Acts chapter 5.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

The apostles stand before the highest courts in Israel, the same court that condemned Jesus to death, and the stakes could not be higher.

They've been warned, they've been imprisoned, they've been threatened, and they've been beaten.

And now they're told once again, stop speaking in this name.

Stop speaking the name of Jesus.

And the response?

One line that defines what it means to follow the way of Jesus.

We must obey God rather than men.

We must obey God rather than men.

We must obey God rather than men.

This is the voice of spirit-filled courage.

The kind of courage that I believe the church still needs today.

This declaration of obeying God rather than men, it reveals that obedience to God is marked by true courage.

And spirit-filled courage, it's, don't get it twisted, it's not recklessness.

No, it's full of faith.

It's resolute.

It's, I'm going this direction because I must follow God.

I must obey God rather than man.

It doesn't seek the world's approval.

It simply seeks to please God.

And Peter, I love this.

He doesn't stop there.

No, he he preaches the gospel right there to their face.

Like, that's pretty gangster.

Right?

Like, I mean, I'm just saying the God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

And this phrase, hanging him on a tree, echoes Deuteronomy 21, 23.

It reads, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.

And what Peter's saying, it's like this kind of like a little Jesus juke.

You thought you cursed him, but God raised him.

Then he goes on to add that God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior.

Jesus Christ today sits at the right hand of God the Father, where he rules and reigns over this world.

And the Peter and the apostles, they say, we are witnesses of these things.

And so is the Holy Spirit.

The apostles, they know they're not alone in this.

The Spirit Himself testifies through them.

That's what gives them boldness.

Not their personality, not their fancy words, not confidence, but the presence of the Spirit.

That's how they have the boldness to speak this in the face of the courts.

These men are powerful that they're standing in front of.

They stand before these powerful men with zero fear.

Because the Spirit of God that's living within them is speaking through them.

So whenever you are speaking to someone and sharing Jesus with someone, do not fear man, because the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit that indwelt Peter and the Apostles, indwells you.

Now notice the shift that we see in this story.

They're filled with rage.

And Luke says that they want to kill them.

This is like mob mentality.

But then this man named Gamaleel stands up.

And Gamaleel, he was one of the most respected Pharisees in the first century.

He was actually the teacher of Saul of Tarsus, who would radically be converted on the roads to Damascus and become Paul the apostle.

And so God uses this respected voice, who's not even a believer yet, to protect his servants and to further his mission.

Gamelil's argument is essentially this if this movement is human, it will fail.

If it's from God, you can't stop it.

And that's ironic.

There's irony there.

Because Gamalil, he probably did not realize how prophetic his words were.

2,000 years later, 2025, the Church of Jesus Christ is still standing, still preaching, still growing.

And this little one-off statement by Gamalil is proven true.

Verse 40 says that they beat the apostles.

It was likely the traditional, like 40 lashes minus one.

It wasn't just like a slap on the wrist.

No, it was like a brutal, brutal beating.

Bloody punishment meant to humiliate and destroy.

But instead of discouraging them, it does the opposite.

It gives them joy.

Who here's ever been beaten up and responded in joy?

I haven't.

I'll get beaten up with words and not and be bummed out, you know?

It's like verse 41 is staggering.

Like I'm hurt, my feelings are hurt that my daughter's crying right now.

No, I'm just kidding.

Anytime I hear her, it brings me joy.

Verse 41, though, is staggering.

They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.

He turns fear into joy.

He turns suffering into a bold gospel witness.

And he turns pain into praise.

And their joy, it's not in pain itself, but it's in the privilege of it being identified with their Savior.

And then this section concludes, verse 42, every day in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

They didn't take a break to heal up.

Like try to picture that.

Like they were probably like hobbled.

They were probably in some pain.

They didn't take a break to heal up.

They didn't pull back for safety or wait for their wounds to heal.

No, they kept preaching publicly in the temple and personally from house to house.

And this phrase did not cease.

It could be translated.

They never stopped.

And that's the power of gospel perseverance.

That's what courage looks like under the control and dominion of the Holy Spirit.

And that's Acts chapter 5.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

That's spirit-filled courage.

Ash and you can come up and close us.

That's the power of the gospel.

When a believer says we must obey God rather than men, the world may rage, but heaven rejoices.

The church in Acts, it didn't just survive persecution, it thrived in it.

They were opposed, yes, but they were not overthrown.

They were beaten, yes, but they were not broken, Jeremy.

They were silenced, yes.

They were silenced by man, but they were sent by God.

And 2,000 years later, the same spirit that filled those apostles fills us.

The same gospel that they preached is the gospel that we proclaim.

The same mission that they live for is the same mission that we carry today.

So when you frame it that way, Acts chapter 5, it's not just a story from the past.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

It should read like a mirror for us in the present.

It shows us that the church is alive with power, that it may be facing pressure, but it will stand firm with courage.

It's not up to us to build the church.

The word says that God will build his church.

We should be reminded that this movement, that's what's called the way, followers of the way, was not built on comfort or convenience, but on conviction and courage.

Because when the Spirit fills God's people, ordinary men and ordinary women do extraordinary things.

The same spirit who healed the sick is the spirit who is alive in you.

The same spirit who opened prison doors can open hardened hearts through the words of Jesus.

The same spirit who gave courage in Jerusalem gives courage to us in Kansas City.

Church, we must not underestimate the power of the spirit that lives within you.

You don't need a platform to be powerful.

You don't need a title to be effective.

You don't need to have the perfect words or have all the right verses memorized.

You just need to be full of the spirits and to be faithful in mission.

Be faithful to speak.

Let's not be naive.

The gospel still offends.

It offends pride, it offends self-righteousness, it offends the idol of self.

But that is because it is the only message that saves.

It's the only message that brings life.

The apostles they did not adjust the message to make it more palatable to those around them, to make it more acceptable to their culture.

They preach the truth because it's only the truth that transforms.

And so we must do the same.

Following Jesus was never meant to be safe.

If the world hated him, it will misunderstand and resist those who bear his name.

But here's the paradox for us today.

The more they tried to stop the gospel, the more it spread.

That's what we see throughout the book of Acts.

That's what we see in today's text.

And I think the same is true today.

The more the world tries to stop the gospel, the more it will spread.

Because we know how the story ends.

We know ends of the earth.

We know every tribe, nation, tongue.

That's how the spirit works.

The harder the world pushes against the gospel, the further the gospel runs.

The apostles, they stood before power, before persecution and pain, and they said, We must obey God rather than men.

Do you see the beauty of that?

The same name that the world tries to shame you with is the name that heaven honors you for.

They bore the scars of persecution as badges of grace, and so we should too.

And day after day, not just on Sunday, not just when it was easy, day after day they kept preaching.

They kept teaching, they kept living for the name of Jesus.

Why?

Because you cannot silence people who have been set free.

You cannot intimidate people who've already died to themselves.

You cannot stop people who have been filled with the resurrection power.

Family to land a plan.

The apostles are gone, but their mission remains.

We, as the Waychurch KC, are on the same mission as the early church in the book of Acts.

Hear this: the same Spirit still fills his people, the same gospel still saves sinners.

The same Jesus still reigns.

He's still seated at the right hand of God.

And the same unstoppable kingdom is still advancing through people like you.

Until Christ returns and makes all things new.

But until then, we stand firm, we speak boldly, and we live joyfully.

Because no matter what comes, the name of Jesus will not be silenced.

The tomb is empty, the Spirit is here, and the mission of God marches on.

Amen, church.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we love you, we praise you.

You are good.

You're faithful.

You're creator of all things.

And one day your son Jesus will return all things to anew.

And we we wait anticipatingly for that day.

But until then we seek your face.

We live faithfully.

We walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we've been called.

God, thank you for your son Jesus.

Thank you for your Holy Spirit that indwells us.

We thank you for your church and her mission.

God, be with us throughout the rest of this day.

God, guard and direct us, Lord.

We love you.

We praise you.

And all God's people said, Amen.

Amen.

Thanks for listening.

Join us Sundays at 10 30 a.m.

in the Rosedale neighborhood of Kansas City.

Or find us anytime at the wakeac.church.