Well folks, wonderful to be with you this morning. Hope you're well. Hope those who are joining us online are doing okay as well.
Let's come back to God's holy word, shall we? Acts chapter 5 is where we are today. Why don't you turn there and we're back in our series of Acts.
We're joining this group, remember, of about 5,000 people who have decided to follow Jesus and who collectively together make up this early church.
And one of the central figures to our passage today is this guy called Gamaliel.
Gamaliel is one of the respected religious leaders of the day.
And what we get in this passage is his take on this whole Jesus of Nazareth business.
So let me try and get us to the kind of heart of what he makes of it.
Here are three famous faces from history on the screen.
And I want you to think about the word which connects them.
So we have Shea Guevara, we've got Joan of Arc, and we've got William Wallace.
I thought I'd put Mel Gibson up there because I know some of you love the historical accuracy of that film.
Okay, so there are three people. What's the word that connects them?
Revolutionaries, not freedom. Revolutionaries.
Revolutionaries, right?
So somebody who goes against the establishment, somebody who rallies against the cultural norms,
somebody who's not accepting of the status quo.
Right? Revolutionaries.
And that's Gamaliel's take on this whole Jesus of Nazareth movement.
If you come with me to the text, you'll see that he puts
Jesus in the same category as two local guys who've just led many revolts.
Right? Come with me.
Verse 36.
Here's our two guys.
Verse 36.
Thedas, number one.
And Judas the Galilean, verse 37.
Two guys who've led many revolts in recent history.
And what connects these two men is that they both rolled up in Jerusalem claiming to be somebodies.
Right? Do you see that?
Claimed to be somebodies.
Had a cause.
Had a mob.
But in the end, time proved.
With hindsight, we can look back and see that these somebodies were in fact nabodies.
And Gamaliel reckons that the same thing may well end up happening with this little Jesus revolution.
Do you see how he thinks it's only going to go one of two ways?
Right?
It's either going to be like a sparkler that you have in fireworks night.
Do you remember those when you were young?
Sparkling fireworks night.
You would write your name, take a couple of cool photos, wave it around.
Looked really impressive for a while.
And then after a couple of minutes, the thing completely fizzled out.
Or it will be like a spreading forest fire that you cannot hope to contain.
Remember having that experience?
Alex and I were in Sicily in a place called Agrigento.
And it's the only time in my life where I've witnessed a forest fire.
Have you ever seen one of these things?
Right?
Devastating.
What started as a kind of just a few trees fizzling away.
After only 10 or so minutes, you saw the thing with the wind taking it, engulfing a whole farm.
Fire engines coming, one by one lining up, trying to hose water onto the thing.
Realized after a while there was not a chance to be putting this out.
So, this Jesus revolution is either going to be sparkler or it's going to be forest fire.
Sparkler or forest fire.
And the reader reading on in this, we're supposed to ask the question, which is it going to be?
And here's what that means.
That means if you're here today and you follow Jesus of Nazareth,
Gamaliel has just called you a revolutionary.
Cool.
Kind of edgy, isn't it, to be called a revolutionary?
But that's what he's just labeled you if you follow Jesus of Nazareth.
A revolutionary.
And let's be honest.
You live your life as a Christian today.
And it doesn't take you long to realize that you feel like a revolutionary living in our culture, does it?
I mean, I'll just give you...
Here's a couple of things I noticed this week.
Just perception.
Just seeing what's round about.
Going up into the Royal Mile this week and there's a big statue of who at the top?
David Hume.
Right?
Leader of the Scottish Enlightenment back in the day.
Very simply, a man, I'm putting this really simply,
a man who stood for the fact that science and reason have done away with any need for a belief in God.
Right?
And there he is, slap bang in the middle of our city.
You walk past him and you think to yourself, I feel like a revolutionary.
Okay?
One of our local high schools.
Just over the road there.
Big sign.
Straight outside.
That says, some people are trans.
Get over it.
Okay?
So that anybody looking on from our Christian persuasion or from our friends from other faith groups
or our secular friends who might want to ask a question or two,
enter into a respectful and a loving conversation about these things,
is told in no uncertain terms that that isn't happening.
Right?
You feel like a revolutionary, don't you?
Capital letters.
Revolutionary.
But the thing is, I think, that if the book of Acts has taught us anything,
it's that the people of the world are not the opposition.
Right?
We're not interested in fighting a culture war.
That's not what Christ has called us to do.
The people of the world are the mission field.
We long to see our friends come to know Jesus and have life with him.
And to quote Don Carson,
What is evangelism?
What is witnessing?
If it's not one beggar telling another beggar where they can find bread.
Okay?
And that's why I think this passage today,
if you feel like that in your life,
if you feel like a revolutionary,
if you know what that means,
this should greatly strengthen us today.
Right?
It greatly strengthen us and I hope encourage us to keep living and speaking for Jesus wherever he has put us
and loving the people of our city.
Because what it's telling us,
and this is backed up with thousands of calendars worth of church history,
what this is telling us is that the gospel is forest fire rather than sparkler.
Okay?
Because despite the persecution hotting up,
and we see it today moving from the threatening to the imprisoning stage,
the unstoppable purposes of God continue to be ramping up.
So let's allow the text then, I think,
to give us three reasons why we should keep witnessing.
And by way of kind of an accessible sermon outline,
here is an ABC of the text.
Okay?
ABC.
Here's your A.
God is always adding people.
Right?
He's always adding people.
So come with me.
Verse 12 of chapter 5.
Okay?
God is continuing to authenticate his apostles.
Rubber stamp them as his guys and their message in front of the eyes of the watching world.
Do you see how great signs and wonders are continuing to be done?
And if anything, they're kind of getting more incredible.
Do you see it?
The sick are being healed.
Evil spirits are being cast out.
People are being made whole.
Remember what we said a few weeks ago?
These wonderful little foretastes of the future as the kingdom of God smashes into the darkness.
What I want us to notice, friends,
is how people are responding to what's going on.
Right?
And how they're responding differently to the gospel message as it goes forward in word and deed.
Okay?
In the words of the late John Stott,
the presence of the living God will always be alarming to some and attractive to others.
Okay?
Alarming to some and attractive to others.
That's exactly what we see here.
Check out verse 13 and 14.
Right?
What is some watching this?
How do they react?
They find it hugely alarming.
Do you see?
And despite the fact that they hold the church in high esteem,
which I think is another little lesson for us there in terms of how the people of the world view us as a community.
Right?
Hold them in high esteem.
Despite that,
do you see none of the onlookers dare join this little Jesus of Nazareth group?
Do you see it?
Because I take it that they understood what siding with the Jesus revolutionaries would mean that they'd have to do,
what they'd have to give up,
and what it might lead to.
I remember I had a friend at uni called Karen.
I remember going out one night,
a few of us,
talking to her,
having an opportunity to speak about the things of Christianity.
And this was her phrase always to me.
Jesus,
just not yet.
Just not yet.
Because she saw what it would mean for her that she would have to give up,
what she'd have to do,
and so she kept saying that phrase to me,
just not yet.
And I don't know,
but I find those kind of responses incredibly hard.
Just long for people to come to know Jesus,
know who he is,
have life in his name.
Just not yet.
And yet see what else Luke is telling us was happening at the same time.
Verse 14.
More than ever,
believers were added to the Lord,
both men and women.
So do you see it?
Others are,
some are finding this alarming,
some are finding this attractive.
And I take it,
that as we live our lives today,
as we witness for Christ,
these two things will be happening
at exactly the same time.
Alarming,
attractive.
Let me just say,
we have no idea how the Lord is at work.
Our job is just to witness for Christ,
believe the results to him.
We've got no idea how he has worked,
particularly in this season.
But let me just encourage you with this.
I was listening to an interview recently with John Stevens.
John Stevens is the national director of the FIEC,
right?
Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.
So churches just like us,
all up and down the UK.
And he was given just his overview
of kind of what he's seeing happening
in all these churches,
this network of churches that he's in charge of.
And he's talking about how the fact,
the fact that he has never before in his lifetime
heard about so many people
joining Christianity Explored courses
and Alpha courses
and becoming Christians.
Friends, the Lord is always adding people.
You know, and it might feel like
sometimes we speak about Jesus,
we feel what it's like for those to be alarmed.
But let's be encouraged that all over the world,
the Lord is always adding people.
He's always adding people.
Let's move from the A to the B, okay?
Here's the B that should encourage us this morning
from this text.
God is always bigger than the barriers.
He's always bigger than the barriers, okay?
Verse 17.
Do you see how the success
that the apostles were having,
it didn't go unnoticed by the religious leaders?
Do you see that?
What's their response to it?
Luke tells us they are jealous.
Sometimes the thing is that
when we see these things crop up in our lives,
these emotions, anger,
we'll see that in a few weeks' time, jealousy.
I was going to ask,
what's going on in the heart?
What is it revealing?
Well, these guys are jealous
because the only thing that they are interested in
is retaining their status and power.
And because of that,
do you see how the apostles
soon find themselves in prison?
Text makes it clear,
guards are at the door,
they're locked in,
okay,
and I take it they're to be released in the morning
so that they can appear before the religious court.
So the religious powers that be here
are flexing their muscles.
And at this point,
you'd be tempted to think,
wouldn't you?
It's like playing a PlayStation game
when you were young,
okay,
and you get defeated.
And what's those words that comes on the screen?
Game over.
Right?
Is this game over
for the early church?
Well, remember,
the whole point of this passage
is that God will not be stopped.
Okay?
And supernaturally,
verse 19,
the angel of the Lord appears
and takes them out
and tells them to go where?
Back to the temple.
Do you see it?
Back to the temple.
So not anywhere.
It's no coincidence
that these men are told
to keep going back to the temple.
I think theologically,
let me just say that's significant
because for a people
in this day
for whom the temple represents
God with us.
It is significant
the message of God
having saved us
and is now with us
in a new
and a far more significant way
by faith in the risen Christ.
It's hugely significant
that it's there
that it's being proclaimed.
But I love in the text
how we get the whole scene
as the religious leaders
try and figure out
what has happened.
Do you see how Luke
helps us see it?
Records the details for us.
They cannot figure out
how this has happened.
I mean these guys
are like relighting candles
on a birthday cake.
Right?
You ever had those things?
How annoying are those things?
You just cannot put them out.
These guys are like
relighting candles.
Again, do you see it?
God always wins.
God will have his people
where he wants his people.
I remember having the experience
of starting a new job
calling up the IT department
and saying
can you come and help me
kind of set up my computer?
Right?
The person on the phone
comes back and says
sure, do you mind
if I take over your screen?
You ever had an experience
like this?
Do you mind
if I take over your screen?
Never seen this before.
And all of a sudden
I'm looking at my screen
and I'm not in control anymore.
Right?
The cursor's moving around
and files are being moved.
Settings are being adjusted.
Icons are being moved
to the right places.
You're not in charge
of the screen anymore.
Right?
And that's exactly
what God is doing here.
It's almost like
he's pressed the override button
and he's declaring
to the world
no, I am sovereign
and I will have my people
where I want my people.
You think you can do this
to my apostles?
I will have them
where I want my people.
God's declaration to the world
that he is sovereign.
Okay?
And they say to the apostles
verse 28
we told you to stop speaking.
You filled Jerusalem
with your teaching.
I mean talk about
making an impact
on a city.
You filled Jerusalem
with your teaching
and notice the irony
of what they say next.
And I think the ESV
probably picks this up
slightly better.
Right?
Quite literally
you have filled Jerusalem
with your teaching
and
you intend
to bring this man's blood
on us.
Okay?
Remember we said
a few weeks ago
Luke's into irony
you intend to bring
this man's blood on us.
You can imagine them
thinking to themselves
yes that's exactly
what we're trying to do.
That's exactly
what we're trying to do.
Remember they're speaking
to a group of people
who are pursuing
a very different way
of trying to be right
with God.
Okay?
By their own works
by their own merit
by being
seen to be
living in a
right way.
You know they always say
that you can explain
the difference
between Christianity
and every other world
religion and philosophy
in two letters.
Right?
Letters N
and E.
Not do
but done.
Right?
Not what we do
makes us right with God
but what Jesus
has
done.
Okay?
It's the only way
to be right with God.
We friends,
we need his blood
on us.
We need the blood
of God's sacrificial lamb
shed in our place
on the cross
on us
to forgive us
for our sin
to be justified
before this
holy God.
So when they say
you're intent
on bringing this man's
blood on us
they think of themselves
of course we are.
Stop speaking.
No chance.
We've got to obey
God
rather than
man.
And let me just say
that that's what
we believe
as Christians
that God calls us
to be praying for
and submitting
to our government.
That's why we've done
things that we've done
them over the last
year and a half.
That's why we've been
praying for our leaders
consistently
over the last season.
That's what God
calls us to do
but if ever we are
told to stop
speaking about Christ
or to stop
living in the way
that he has called
us to live
then friends
that is maybe
where we differ.
Right?
And where our
primary loyalty
to King Jesus
kicks in.
What do they say?
They say we can't
stop speaking
about him.
Right?
We are witnesses
to these things
that God exalted
Christ
and he commands
people everywhere
to repent
and believe.
That is the message
that the world
needs to hear
of God's great love.
And sending
his son.
Listen friends
God is always
bigger than the
barriers.
He's always
bigger than the
barriers.
He's always
adding people.
He's always
bigger than the
barriers and
here's our
sea
that God is
always conforming
us to Christ.
Okay?
Have a look at
verse 41
and I think
this is probably
one of the
biggest impacts
that this text
made on me
this week.
Couldn't get my
head around
what's going on
at verse 41.
Right?
The religious
council.
They're convinced
Spigamelio's
advice.
Right?
They think
no that
sounds good.
Makes sense.
But even then
do you see
how it doesn't
stop them
giving the
disciples a
good flogging.
Right?
I take it
this is the
39 lashes.
Okay?
That's what the
Romans reckoned
was pretty much
enough to scare
a person without
killing them.
40 was supposed
to be the one
that killed them
so you give
them 39
you teach them
a lesson
but you don't
kill them.
Okay?
How did the
disciples react
to that
flogging?
Do you see
what he said?
Then they
left the
presence of
the council
rejoicing
that they
were counted
worthy
to suffer
dishonor
for
the name.
Now take
an inhale
of that
verse.
They what?
They rejoiced
at that?
It's not like
they got the
kicks out of
casualty or
something like
that, right?
They rejoiced
at that?
How do you
explain that?
Well do you
know what?
It's almost
as like God
is taking
the cookie
cutter,
the Christ
cookie cutter
and he
slapped it
on the
dough of
their lives
and their
lives at
this point
are beginning
to line up
with Christ's
beginning to
resemble heads.
You know
it reminded
me of the
you know
this is a
famous scene
in The Lion
King and
it's Mephasa
walking ahead
and he
plants a
big paw
print on
the ground
and then
little Simba
comes on
behind and
his little
paw goes
into the
big paw
and it's
I think he's
getting a
row at the
time but
it's this
scene where
it's almost
as if Simba
needs to
bring his
life in
line with
his dad.
You know
that scene
big paw
little paw?
It's almost
what the
disciples sense
at this point
I'd imagine
that their
lives are
beginning to
line up
with their
kings.
And despite
the bleeding
and the
lacerations
in this
moment the
pattern of
their lives
is becoming
cross-shaped
and I think
this is where
the text made
an impact on
me this
week.
That this is
where joy is
to be found.
You see?
This is where joy
is to be found
when our lives
begin to emulate
more and more
the shape of
our kings.
Just imagine
these locals
leaving Jerusalem
watching these
men as
they're leaving
the Sanhedrin.
Completely
baffled,
seeing them
bleeding.
Completely
baffled,
seeing what's
going on,
the joy
that's there
is thinking
how do you
explain that?
How do you
explain why
they are filled
with joy and
yet they're
covered in
bruises and
cuts?
How do you
explain what's
going on
there?
Sometimes it's
like when our
life's friends
conform to
Christ,
that is where
joy is to be
found.
In knowing
him,
in living for
him,
in witnessing
for him.
That's where
joy is to be
found.
Let me just
say our
world is full
of joy
pretenders.
You want to
know what
these are?
Just go into
W. Smith's
or something
like that.
Look what's
on the
magazine shelf.
What are
the magazines
all about?
What's the
world trying
to sell
us?
What are
they all
about?
Your body,
their all
about relationships
and sex,
their all
about your
finances,
their all
about your
perfect home,
their all
about sports.
Things that
the world
says will
give you
and we
look at
this and
we have
to say
that is
so
countercultural
from what
our world
is saying.
This is
where joy
is to be
found.
Let me just
say following
Christ will
always look
like death
and it will
always look
like foolishness
to the world
and yet this
text is telling
us this is
where it is.
This is
where it is.
You know it
probably won't
mean for us
I'd imagine
in our lives
that we will
be flogged
for following
Jesus but
let's remember
that for
countless
millions of
people around
the world
and different
parts of
our world
brothers and
sisters it
will mean
this.
But friends
are we
our lives
being shaped
to Christ
in a million
little decisions
that we make
every day?
Okay students
you're thinking
about the job
that you're
going to take
next you're
thinking about
what's coming
after this
is following
Christ top
of your
agenda.
Right picking
a job that
doesn't mean
you're going
to have to
sell your
soul.
Picking a
job in a
place where
you'll thrive
in a local
church.
you'll have
chances to
speak for
him.
Families what
are we
teaching our
kids about
what success
looks like?
Right?
The good in
their lives is
not grades.
The good in
their lives is
God.
This is where
joy will be
found.
Are we
shaping our
lives?
Are we
making
decisions
based on
this truth?
Retired
people, do
people in
your lives
know that
once you
finish that
the S
that's dominating
your life is
not sombrero in
Spain.
Right?
The S in
your life is
service to
the local
church.
Friends, if you
live on your
own, do
people know, do
they look in and
they see that
you're not
defined by your
relationship status?
You're defined by
the fact that you
know the most
fully human person
who ever lived.
Friends, it's our
joy found in
knowing Christ.
They rejoiced
because they
knew him and
their lives were
lining up with
his.
We're going to
see this even
more in a few
weeks time as
the persecution
hots up even
more.
That you look at
a man called
Stephen and you
think to yourself,
he is oozing
Christ.
Oozing him.
Friends, this is
where joy is to be
found.
The words of
Matt Chandler,
brilliant book
called Take
Heart.
If you want to
read it after
this, there's a
copy of my
office, brilliant
book.
When Satan says
he's taken
everything worth
having from you,
grace says he
can never take
what you most
need, Jesus
Christ.
And so day by
day in the
temple and from
house to house,
right, notice this
is not just a
public thing, this
is a neighbor's
thing, and this
is among the
believers as well.
What are they
doing?
They're preaching
that Jesus is the
Messiah.
And so friends,
as we close this
morning, do you
see it?
What is the
gospel?
What is this
message?
Is it sparkler?
Is it forest
fire?
Do you see that
it's forest fire?
And so do you
see then that the
advice that Gamaliel
gives at verse
39 is bang on
the money, right?
Whether he
intended it like
this or not, he's
bang on the
money, but if it
is of God, you
will not be able to
overthrow them.
And then what
does he say?
You might actually
be found to be
what?
Fighting against
God.
So think about
it, who's the
real revolutionary
according to
Gamaliel?
Okay?
Those who are
trying to fight
against God.
Which the proof
of the pudding
shows us is those
who remain defiant
in terms of bowing
the knee to King
Jesus.
If that's you
today, friends,
know that you
are going into
the boxing ring
against God,
right?
You going in
there is like a
raging two-year-old
fancying their
chances against a
physical peak
Mike Tyson.
You will not
hope to fight
God and win.
But the good
news of the
gospel, friends,
is that the God
who should be
rightly fighting us
because of our
sin offers us
what?
What's the
opposite of
fighting?
Peace.
He offers us
peace by the
blood of this
Jesus spilled
on the cross
on us.
On us.
Interestingly
enough, do you
know what I was
saying?
It was a guy
named Paul who
himself was a
pupil under this
guy, Gamaliel,
who we're going to
meet in a few
weeks' time, who
was spitting
feathers.
You heard that
phrase before?
Spitting feathers
at the church
because of what
they stood for
before encountering
Jesus and joining
him.
It was this Paul
under this Gamaliel
who would later
write in Ephesians
about Jesus
that he himself
is our
peace.
He is our
peace.
Purposes of
God, so the
opposition hots
up.
Friends, know
that the purposes
of God continue
to ramp up.
Stand up, stand
up for Jesus.
Stand in his
strength alone.
The arm of flesh
will fail you.
You dare not
trust your own.
Put on the
gospel armor.
Each piece put
on with prayer.
Where duty calls
or danger be
never wanting
there.
Stand up, stand
up for Jesus.
Friends, that's
the call this week
as we speak and
live for him in
our city.
Let's pray.
So, Heavenly
Father, we just
thank you so much,
Lord, for your
precious word.
And the words of
Psalm 38, that
salvation,
the salvation of
the righteous is
from the Lord.
He is their
refuge in times
of trouble.
And so, Lord, I
pray for us today,
Lord, as we
absorb your
word, Lord, that
your spirit would
encourage us.
Father, that he
would inspire us.
And, Father, that
you would help us
to be mindful of
the opportunities
that are ours this
week.
Father, we long
that our lives
would be more
like our kings.
And so, Father,
thank you for the
example of the
early church all
these years ago.
That we have your
word in our
language.
We can read this
and see what
people went
through and what
you were doing
in the gospel that
was bigger than
the barriers.
And so, Father,
we thank you for
this morning.
Lord, may this
encourage our
hearts, we pray,
in Jesus'
worthy name.
Amen.