Sunday, May 7, 2017, 8:08 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Be Strong and Take Courage.” Speak,
Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts
5:17-33 (Select vv. NIV).
Go, Stand!
(vv. 17-20)
Then the high priest and all his associates, who were
members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested
the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of
the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the
temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
In this world we are going to
have trials, tribulation and persecutions. We will face opposition from the
enemy, and from those who have fallen under his deception; under his spell.
Some of these enemies have infiltrated the church, and some are even the
pastors, elders, deacons or otherwise spiritual leaders within the church. They
are wolves in sheep’s clothing, or else they are the naïve who have been duped
by a clever adversary.
Today’s modern church
movement has brought worldliness into the church as a way to market the church
to the world. So, they entertain the world rather than proclaim God’s plan of salvation
from bondage to sin; rather than make calls for repentance – turning from sin
to Christ and to his righteousness. In fact, many of them teach God requires no
repentance, no submission to Christ and to his cross, and no obedience to God.
They teach a grace, instead, which gives free license to lasciviousness (immorality/sin).
Because of this, many of
these churches have embraced ecumenicalism or even syncretism, i.e. the
blending or merging of different religions and beliefs. Their bible, in
practice, rather than being the word of God, has often become marketing books
on how to grow their churches (businesses). And, many of these leaders and
their followers are followers of humans, rather than followers of God. Thus,
the Holy Spirit has been pushed out of many of these churches, because he does
not fit with their marketing plans.
Thus, many of these church
leaders are being trained in how to choose their targeted audience, and in how
to discourage participation from those with “strong convictions,” i.e. from those
who still teach the gospel as Jesus and his NT apostles taught it. They don’t
want to offend the world with the true gospel, so they create one which is less
offensive and more acceptable to the world. And, for many of them, the gospel
has been reduced to “good deed doing” rather than confronting sin, warning of
judgment, calling for repentance, and promising the hope of eternal life with
God for the repentant and the obedient (to Christ and to his commands).
Because of this, many
Christians who are following Jesus Christ with their lives, who are living
separated lives from the world, who still hold to the tenets of the Christian
faith and practice, as taught in scripture, and who stand on the Word of God,
and on his gospel message, are being persecuted, even within the worldly church.
Some of them, I am sure, are being told to “go someplace else” where they will
be a “better fit,” because many of these pastors are saying this, so this is
their training. And, not only that, but Christ’s followers are being accused of
teaching works-based salvation, even though they are teaching what Jesus and his
NT apostles taught. And, beyond that, they are also being accused wrongfully of
being hateful, bigoted, intolerant, judgmental, unkind, and even dangerous.
Yet, the Lord Jesus is saying
to his persecuted saints to “Go, stand on the Word of Truth, and tell the
people about this new life in Christ Jesus.” We are to tell them that Jesus
didn’t die just so they could be rescued from hell and have the hope of heaven
when they die. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that
we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us;
and that we might no longer walk (in lifestyle) according to our sinful flesh,
but according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God. His grace is not a free
license to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse. His grace, which
brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s
return (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15; Ro. 8:1-14; Tit. 2:11-14; cf. Lu. 9:23-25).
Obey God! (vv.
25-33)
Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in
jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” At that, the
captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use
force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
The apostles were brought in and made to appear before
the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders
not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your
teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey
God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the
dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own
right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and
forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy
Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to
put them to death.
When we obey God, and we do
what he tells us to do, according to (in agreement with) the teachings and
biblical principles of scripture, there are going to be people who will not
like us, who will object to what we are doing, and who may even kick us to the
curb. Some of these may be pastors. Some may be elders in churches. Some may
even be moderators or owners of Christian websites. As well, they may also be
government enforcers whose job it is to stop the gospel of Jesus Christ from
spreading further, so they may clamp down on what can be said on the internet
or in person with people. They may even declare it to be a hate crime to
confront sin in sinful humans, to tell them that faith in Jesus Christ is the
only path to God and to heaven, and to warn of judgment and to call for
repentance.
In the Western World, in
particular, it is not the name of Jesus that is an offense, for many make Jesus
out to be whatever fits with their lifestyles. What is an offense is the cross
of Christ, but not just that he gave his life up for us on the cross, but that
he requires that we die with him in death to sin and that we are resurrected
with him to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness, and in order for us to have eternal life with God (See: Eph. 4:17-24;
cf. Ro. 6:1-23; Lu. 9:23-25). For, this is what it means to be born again; to
be born anew of the Spirit of God.
Yet, when we face opposition
to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and even if we are commanded to stop teaching
the whole counsel of God, and if we are instructed to take it down a notch,
i.e. to remove the offense of the cross, we must obey God rather than men.
Always God’s Word trumps! Yes, we are told in scripture to obey our leaders,
but NOT if they are commanding us to disobey God, to deny our Lord, and to stop
preaching the truth. We need to be men and women of God who stand strong on the
Word, who do not compromise with the world of sin, and who do not dilute the
gospel message either to be liked by people or out of fear of what humans might
do to us.
So, keep on keeping on. Don’t
give up. Don’t let discouragement set in, either. God has a plan and a purpose
for it all. He is still sovereign over all he has made, and he is still in
control over all things. Trust him! Do what he says, and leave the results to
him. His word will never return empty, but will accomplish what he desires and
achieve the purpose for which he sent it.
Be Strong and Take Courage / Don Moen
Be strong and take courage
Do not fear or be dismayed
For the Lord will go before
you
And His light will show the
way
Why don't you give him all of
your fears?
Why don't you let him wipe
all of your tears?
He knows, He's been through
pain before
And He knows all that you've
been looking for.
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