SUNDAY - APRIL 27, 2025 “Counted Worthy fo Suffer” Acts 5:17-42

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If you have your Bibles, this morning we'll be in the book of Acts, acts, chapter 5.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Have you ever asked yourself the question, or not necessarily asked yourself the question, but asked the question why me, why me?

Or maybe even the question why?

Now you know, if we're honest with ourselves, you probably ask that question more than you like to admit.

I'll be honest.

There are a lot of times that I decide to do some kind of little project around my house, and a project that's supposed to be about 30 minutes, that should take about 30 minutes to an hour to complete, and I find some reason like I don't have the right tool, or the right tool is broken, or I don't have the skills to do the project that I thought I was going to do, and so what winds up being a should be a 30 minute to an hour project becomes a three day project, and about 35 minutes into that project, though, I begin to ask my question why can't this be?

Why me?

God, I needed to get this job done quickly.

I have other things that I need to get done today.

I don't have that.

Why now?

Why couldn't it have just gone easier?

Why couldn't it have gone smoother?

Why me?

Why does it have to be this way?

And you know it could be simple over simple things, but sometimes we ask that question in much harder times, when we're really suffering and really struggling God, why me, god?

Why them God?

Why now God?

Why them God, why now?

You know, as we come to our passage today, the apostles are dealing with a huge struggle.

What's going to happen and we're going to see is the apostles are going to be arrested, but during that arrest, they are going to rejoice and they're going to continue to share the gospel because of this, because they were counted worthy of suffering.

Because they were counted worthy of suffering.

You know, sometimes, as we go through hard times in life, maybe we need to stop and evaluate what's going on and instead of asking questions like why me?

Maybe we need to evaluate trying times not as as oh, woe is me, but evaluate those times as opportunities to advance the gospel of God, to advance the kingdom of God.

It's really what the apostles begin to do.

That's's why we find at the end of this, it says that they were counted worthy of suffering.

So maybe our challenge for today should be this as we suffer, as we go through hard times, maybe we can rejoice Rejoice Not just in good times but in hard times, knowing that we could be suffering for the advancement of the gospel.

And we can rejoice even in those times.

So we're going to come to Acts, chapter 5 today.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

We're going to begin reading in verse 17 and read through the end of the chapter.

I know this is a long passage, but if you will bear with me as we read all of this, because I promise you what Scripture says is way more important than what I have to tell you.

So let's read all of this Scripture, if you're able this morning to stand with me as we read Acts, chapter 5, beginning in verse 17.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

As we read Acts, chapter 5, beginning in verse 17.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

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 public prison.

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

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 who 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 his name, yet 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, he answered.

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 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.

And he said to them 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 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.

Let's pray together, god.

We love you.

Once again, we thank you for this opportunity, we thank you for the opportunity to engage with your word, and we pray that our lives are changed because of your word, jesus.

It's in your name we pray, amen.

So the question that we are seeking to answer this morning is this how did the people respond to the apostles' suffering, all the people that are involved here, the apostles, the council, the people outside how did they respond to what was going on and to the suffering of the apostles?

Well, the first thing we're going to see here is this the apostles, they obeyed, they obeyed.

Look look at, look at what happened.

Let's let's review they.

They were, they were doing these wonderful signs and signs in front of the people, confirming who they were, that they were followers of jesus.

And it tells us that in verse 14, it says and more than ever, believers were added to the Lord, so God was adding to their numbers, and they were performing all of these miracles in the sight of the people.

And what happened is the high priest and some of the Sanhedrin not all of them, but some of the Sanhedrin, especially the Sadducees they became jealous of the apostles and what they were doing.

They became jealous and so they had the apostles arrested and placed in public prison.

And so, while they were in prison, an angel comes and lets them out.

And here's what he tells them Go back to the temple.

Go back to the temple.

You were just arrested for being in the temple and teaching.

But here's what I want you to do I want you to go back to the temple and I want you to teach, and we know that the apostles did In verse 20 and 21,.

The angel said Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life, in verse 21,.

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

Now, just real quickly, a couple of ironic things that are happening here.

Something you may not know about the Sadducees.

But the Sadducees were a sect of the Jewish council, the Jewish leadership, and they did not believe in a couple of things.

We talked about it last week.

They didn't believe in the resurrection.

They also didn't believe in angels.

So I find this pretty ironic that now what's going to happen is they're going to bring the apostles before them and say how did you get out of prison?

And here's what they're going to say An angel, let us out.

Pretty ironic that God's going to use an angel to do his work when they don't even believe in angels.

Another thing that I find ironic here is when they go and they go to let the apostles out to bring them before the council, and it says in verse 22,.

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, don't dismiss this verse.

Catch the irony here.

It was a public prison, john Pohlhill, one commentator that I reached.

He contends that a public prison doesn't mean it's just a prison for commoners, but it's in a public setting, so people can see and look inside and see people in the prison.

So here's what's happening they go and they find the door locked and the guards standing.

Here's what that means they weren't asleep.

They hadn't been asleep.

They were doing their job, standing at the door of the prison, with the door locked.

They opened the door and the apostles are not there.

How did that happen?

Because it is a work of God.

God was working in their lives, and he was working in what happened here.

So what we see, though, is they obeyed.

Again, in verse 25, he says this and someone came and told them Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.

They did what they were told to do.

Listen, church, I need you to hear this this morning.

So often, especially in our culture, we get lulled into this place that God would never ask us to do anything that might place us in an unsafe environment or that might make us uncomfortable.

But listen, what God calls us to is obedience.

Do you think it was uncomfortable for the disciples, for the apostles, to go back to the temple?

Absolutely it was.

Do you think there's a chance if they go back to the temple and teach that they're going to be arrested again?

Absolutely it is.

Temple and teach that they're going to be arrested again.

Absolutely it is what God wants us to do as believers and what he is calling us to is.

He's calling us to a life of obedience where we trust him so that, no matter what happens to us if we get arrested again, if we are uncomfortable, if something worse and more tragic happens it's going to happen to apostles all throughout this book If something crazy, if something unmentionable happens to them what we do is we live lives of obedience and trust, and trust that the sovereign, almighty God of the universe is going to accomplish his will and use us and no matter what happens no matter what happens, it's going to be okay, because he works all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

He doesn't call us to lives of safety or comfortableness.

He calls us to lives of obedience, where we are fully trusting in him.

What did the apostles do?

Is they?

They obeyed.

The second thing we see the apostles doing is they speak.

They spoke.

Look down.

In verse 27.

He says when they had brought them, they set them before the council and the high priest questioned them.

He says we strictly charge you not to teach in his name.

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

Well, where did they charge them?

We saw this a few weeks ago, back in chapter 4, verse 18.

The Sanhedrin had arrested John and Peter after they healed the man at the beautiful gate and they told them not to go and speak in Jesus' name.

In chapter 4, verse 18, it says so.

They called them and charged them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John told them from the outset, verse 19,.

But Peter and John answered them Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God.

You must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and what we have heard.

Here's what they said both times.

They've been very clear we are here to obey God, not man.

We are here to do what God has told us to do, not what man.

It's not what you're telling us to do.

We are going to obey what God tells us.

And they speak Now.

I find it interesting in what they tells us and they speak Now.

I find it interesting in what they say here.

They really don't provide a defense for what they're doing.

I mean, they've said it we're going to obey God, not man.

So I guess that's really their defense.

But here, in chapter 5, instead of providing a defense for what they're doing, they really provide a witness for what they have seen and what they have heard and what they're doing.

They really provide a witness for what they have seen and what they have heard and what they are doing.

Listen to what they say as they go down.

But Peter and the apostles answered this 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 of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.

Isn't that what they said?

They come and they say hey, you, we're going to obey God, this Jesus of Nazareth and here's what, what they say whom you hung on a tree?

Now, we've talked about this extensively, but we're gonna do it some more.

We need to understand this.

Jesus was not a victim.

Jesus willingly laid down his life on the cross.

It was the plan of God before the foundation of time, that Jesus died on the cross so that he could offer us forgiveness of sins.

He was going to die on the cross to take the punishment of your sin and my sin.

That's why he died on the cross.

Now, while it was part of God's plan, guess who still held some responsibility for that?

The Sanhedrin, the ones there.

They held responsibility for hanging Jesus on a tree, for killing Him.

But the story doesn't end there.

As we celebrated last week, god rose him from the grave.

I don't know if that's how you say that, english teachers.

You can tell me later.

God raised him from the dead.

I know that's how you say it.

God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand, so he is our leader and our savior, providing forgiveness of sins.

The resurrection assured us that the death of Jesus was sufficient enough to cover our sins, and Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father now interceding for us.

And here's what the apostles did.

They bore witness to it, they spoke.

Hear me the gospel message is good news that must be shared.

Listen, there are good people all around us who don't know Jesus.

There are good people living good lives who are going to hell because they don't know Jesus.

What we have to do is not just live good lives.

Do we need to live good lives?

Absolutely, but we're not living good lives to get us to heaven.

We're living good lives because Jesus has saved us, and so now what we need to do is more than just live good lives.

We have to speak and do what God has called us to to be witnesses that Jesus died on the cross and arose for us.

What did the apostles do In the face of suffering, because of their suffering, they obeyed, they went back to the temple and they spoke.

And hear me.

I know you may say, grant, you don't understand.

You're a preacher, you're supposed to get up and speak to people.

I can't.

Yes, you can, because God has empowered you with the Holy Spirit, who bears witness about Jesus himself and he will bear witness through you about Jesus.

You are called to be witnesses, and witnesses must speak.

The apostles they obeyed, they spoke.

The apostles they obeyed they spoke.

Then this next little section is very interesting, because what we find is the Sanhedrin.

What they do is they wait.

They wait After they said this, after the apostles said this and said, hey, you killed Jesus.

What we find is they become enraged in verse 33.

That word enrage is the same word that we get zeal from.

They were zealously angry at the apostles.

They were ready to put them to death right then as well.

They were very angry.

But Gamaliel, he speaks up Now.

Gamaliel we've talked about the Sadducees.

He's not a Sadducee, he's this other sect, the Pharisees, and he speaks up and he talks about two people in the recently years, in their lifetime, who arose and gathered a following around them.

But in both of those cases, in both of those instances, when the leader was taken out, when he he was killed.

When he was put to death, the followers dispersed.

So Gamaliel says hey, we've already seen this happen.

The people are angry.

I mean, they couldn't even arrest the apostles because they were afraid that the people would stone them.

So they said hey, just leave these guys alone.

Just like the other times, when the leader dies, they will disperse, they will disband.

But then he says something very interesting.

He says if this is a working of man, then it will fail, but if it's a working of God, we can't overthrow it and we might find ourselves opposing God.

Now, what if they had believed that?

Do you know how hard the religious leaders worked to put down Christianity?

They kicked him out of the synagogue and the number of believers grew.

They threw them in prison and the number of believers grew.

The apostles we're going to see in the book of Acts they're going to go out into the world and they are going to face all kinds of suffering beatings, floggings, crucifixions, martyrs.

They're going to face all of these things and guess what's going to happen?

The number of believers is going to grow.

Oh, if they would have only listened to what Gamaliel had said and seen that, as much as we tried and as hard as we tried.

Even if we let this pass, it's going to grow.

Maybe they would have seen that they were opposing God.

But listen, we need to hear this message today.

I hear people all the time that talk about Christianity and how it was just a group of people, a group of followers of a good, moral leader.

But no, throughout history, throughout history, the world has tried to beat down Christianity, has tried to eliminate Christians, has tried to destroy the Bible, has tried to destroy believers.

But for 2,000 years, over 2,000 years, they have been trying to no avail.

Do you know why?

Because it is not a working of God, it is a working of man.

Oh, let's not oppose God, let's see that this is a working of God.

So they waited, they charged the apostles not to speak in Jesus' names.

They beat the apostles and then they released them.

But then listen to what happens Again.

I know we've read it, I know I've said it, but I need you to hear it again Verse 41.

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

They rejoiced, they rejoiced that they had suffered dishonor for the name.

Oh, church, hear me, I know, here in the United States there's a good chance you're not going to be arrested for proclaiming Jesus.

But people are all over the world, in other places it's happening.

But we get worried that somebody might say something bad about us, somebody might make fun of us, somebody may slam the door in our face, somebody might ask me a question that I can't answer.

And we have all these reasons not to obey and all these reasons not to speak the name of Jesus, not to proclaim the good news that he came and he died on the cross and that he rose for us.

Oh, but hear me, if we would learn to rejoice To rejoice Because we have been counted worthy to suffer.

See the apostles.

In many of the commentaries that I read, the apostles were worried.

They were concerned.

Do you know why they were concerned?

After all of these signs and miracles were being performed, do you know why they were worried?

They were worried that they weren't doing the right thing because they hadn't faced any suffering.

That they weren't doing the right thing because they hadn't faced any suffering.

And now they rejoice because Jesus promised the world hated him and it will hate them.

So now they rejoice because they have been counted worthy.

And listen to how they rejoiced.

It was more than just singing, which is praise and rejoicing.

But here's how they rejoiced they went to the temple and taught and preached.

And they went from house to house to house and taught and preached.

Oh church, may we live lives to where we are counted worthy, where we are counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus, and may we rejoice by proclaiming the name of Jesus in the temple and from house to house.

I don't know where you are today.

Maybe this morning you have never trusted Christ as your Savior.

Maybe you've never recognized that Jesus came and that he has died on the cross to take the punishment for your sins, that he died.

He faced the wrath of God.

So you don't have to.

Maybe this morning you need to trust in Christ as your Savior.

If that's you, I encourage you.

In just a moment we're gonna sing a hymn of invitation.

We'll be right here down front.

We invite you to come.

We will pray for you.

There will be counselors who will take you out and tell you how you can trust in Christ, or if you have, if you have trusted Christ, but this morning God has stirred in you to live a life worthy, not so you can be saved, but because you are saved.

Maybe this morning you need to come and kneel at these steps and cry out to God.

Maybe you need us to pray for you.

However, god is working in your life.

We invite you to come.

Maybe this morning God's calling you to ministry to do the work of ministry or the work of missions.

If he's moving in your life, we invite you to come.

Let's pray God, you are good, we love you.

We love you, jesus.

We are so thankful that you came and you lived and you died and you arose, so that we can have life.

God, I pray for those who are here this morning who have never trusted you as their Savior.

I pray that today will be the day of salvation for them, spirit, that you will draw them god, that you will call them and they will answer.

God, we pray.

I pray for those who are here this morning.

God, you're challenging us to live lives worthy, lives worthy of the gospel, lives that are rejoicing, no matter what we face, lives that rejoice by proclaiming the name of Jesus, that you are the Christ who came and lived and died and arose for us.

God, may we rejoice and proclaim his name when life is good.

And God, may we rejoice and proclaim the name of Jesus in hard times so that, no matter what, your kingdom advances and we are living lives of obedience, trusting you.

God, thank you, Move this morning as only you can, jesus, it's in your wonderful name that we pray, amen.

Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.

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