Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to our Madison Church online audience. I'm Stephen Fieth, lead pastor, glad you're joining us and want to invite you to join us in person soon. As a matter of fact, if you join us in the next two weeks, you'll get to hear from a special guest speaker, kyle, who will be continuing and concluding our series Activated in Acts, and so it's going to be a really good time. I want to invite you all, of course, to that as well. To begin today, let me ask you with a question what do you do personally when obedience with God puts you at odds, as it so often does, with the people around you and maybe, more specifically, those closest to you, the people that you really like? I mean, what do you do when doing the right thing will actually cost you something, something like your comfort, a close relationship, maybe an aspect of your future that you're going to have to let go of, something that you really counted on, worked toward, invested in, and you have to let that go? I know many of you pretty well, I think, and I know that for many of you, myself included, we want to follow Jesus. Well, I mean, we're trying. We don't always get it right, we don't always do it well, but the heart is there. And let's be honest that as we follow Jesus, the path isn't always easy. I would go as far as to say many of you recognize that the path following Jesus is often difficult, hard and challenging. That's the tension we live in today. I can do what God wants, but that's probably going to take me down a rougher, a more difficult terrain than if I don't do what God wants and I do what I want to do. It'll probably be a smoother road, at least for now, and that's the tension that the early church also faced. Jesus' resurrection and ascension happens and his followers don't scatter, they don't shrink back, they waited, just like he commanded them to. And then the Holy Spirit came and suddenly this small and uncertain group became a bold and spirit-led movement.

Speaker 1: 2:14

Now, as we've been going through Acts, we've seen that at first there's this movement of Christians that is growing and there's an external threat the Pharisees, sadducees, the Sanhedrin. It's external, the threat is on the outside. But then we talked about last week how now the threats and the pressures are starting to not just come from the outside but also from the inside. And today, as we get to Acts 5, and we're going to start reading out of verse 12, if you want to follow along. We're going to see that the external threats escalate.

Speaker 1: 2:46

And I got to be honest with you. If this is your first Sunday with us or you're popping in, you haven't been here in a couple weeks, you haven't been following. This will be all brand new stuff to you and that's great. I'm happy for you. But if you've been with us the last few weeks, this feels like the third time I've had to give an almost exact sermon as the week before. I mean, the pattern goes like this the disciples go out, they preach Jesus, people get pissed off, they get arrested, they get yelled at and they're released, and that's exactly what happens in today's story. So let's read out of verse 12, and I'm going to skip 13 and go to 14.

Speaker 1: 3:22

It says the apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people, and all the believers were meeting regularly at the temple in an area known as Solomon's colonnade. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord, crowds of both men and women. Now don't forget that, like weeks prior, months prior, these were the same people who, when Jesus is crucified, go into hiding, shut the shades, turn the lights off, lock the doors, don't go outside, because they will find us, they will torture us and they will kill us, just like they did to Jesus. This is quite the shift from where they were a few months ago. They are now performing signs and wonders in full view of the public. We are not behind closed doors anymore. They've taken up space at Solomon's Colonnade as a section of the temple courts in which Jesus himself used to preach and teach.

Speaker 1: 4:23

This grassroots movement is starting to gain traction, and they're doing it in the very place that Jesus had been not just opposed but eventually condemned, and the impact that they're having is unmistakable. People from all over, just as they did with Jesus, as we're following Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, we see people from all over, just as they did with Jesus, as we're following Jesus through the gospel of Luke, we see people from all over hear about Jesus and they're bringing the sick to him to be healed. And now the same exact thing is happening with the apostles they're laying them on mats, bringing them, hoping that even Peter's shadow passes over them. Now this is interesting for you theology, biblical study nerds. Luke is very intentional between the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, showing that what the apostles are doing is something that Jesus did, plus maybe a little extra. It goes back to this idea that Luke talks about, where Jesus says it's better that I go so that the Holy Spirit can come and you will do greater things than these. So what Luke is trying to point out for those of us paying attention is that people would come to Jesus. And what did they try to do? Touch the cloak on the ground. Right, they're trying to touch the cloak so that they could experience healing. If you could touch the cloak, you would be healed. And in this case Luke is showing they don't even got to touch Peter. Actually, if they fall into his shadow, they will be healed. And so Luke's trying to point that out, that Jesus kept his word that they will go on and they will do greater things.

Speaker 1: 5:58

That same power that flowed through Jesus is now flowing through his followers, and it's confirmed to all that Jesus's work did not end. It did not die on the cross. It really had just begun. In this moment, deeply public, it was undeniably powerful and inherently dangerous, but it was magnetic. People saw something real and those people wanted in. Well, most people wanted in. Some didn't.

Speaker 1: 6:29

The religious leaders, and especially the Sadducees, are filled with jealousy. They're filled with jealousy. The apostles' growing influence threatens their control, and they respond with a public showing of force. The apostles are arrested and they're thrown into jail, but during the night, an angel of the Lord comes, opens up the door, leads them out and says go back, keep preaching, which is exactly what they do Now. You can imagine the Sadducees the next day going into work, you know, going into the temple or the court, wherever they're getting ready to do their thing. They're getting ready to interrogate the prisoners Peter James, john, you guys got to knock it off, stop doing this.

Speaker 1: 7:10

And as they're getting ready to bring the prisoners in, they find out that the prisoners aren't there. And as they go to investigate, they find that the guards are still standing there. They're like yep, nope, nobody's come in, nobody's come out, we got it. And they go beyond that and they look at the jail cell and it's empty, but it's still locked from the day before. Their confusion, though, doesn't last very long, because they know exactly where to look. They say where did we arrest them yesterday? Let's go back there. And of course, that's where they are doing the exact same thing that 24 hours ago got them arrested.

Speaker 1: 7:45

Now the high priest doesn't even ask why. He doesn't say which one of the guards fell asleep and was slacking, who let him out, who broke him up? He does not care, he is just frustrated. He brings them back in and he says we gave you strict orders to never again teach this man's name and instead, instead, you have filled all of Jerusalem with your teaching about him. And I love this last part because it's personal with your teaching about him. And I love this last part because it's personal and you want to make us responsible for his death. So I'm not just mad about this message of Jesus, I'm mad that, like you're telling people it was my fault, it was our fault.

Speaker 1: 8:23

The scene is full of confrontation and think about the tension because the disciples, they're not protected by status or privilege. They're defying the most powerful religious and political body in Jerusalem, the same one that opposed, condemned and ultimately killed Jesus. That's the group they're going up against. Now let's understand this isn't a disagreement over doctrine. It's a direct confrontation with the powers that be. To declare that Jesus is Lord wasn't a private conviction. It wasn't something that they held within themselves. It was a public declaration and it challenged the structures of power because it redefined authority and it actually exposed the fragility of control that the Sadducees thought that they held.

Speaker 1: 9:16

This was the moment of truth and Peter speaks boldly. He says we must obey God rather than any human authority, the God of our ancestors. Right, they're Jewish, sadducees, pharisees, peter, we're Jewish. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead. And Peter throws in this little bit after you killed him by hanging on the cross. Now, I love this because we start to see Peter own his personality.

Speaker 1: 9:43

Peter, who we read in Luke always putting his foot in his mouth or saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, has finally hit his stride a little bit. He didn't lose the sass, he's keeping it. He says I sense that you're bothered by that, but you did kill him and I'm going to be bold and I'm going to say it. I love that. He doubled down on what they were most offended by. He wasn't softening the message, it wasn't diplomatic, there was no hesitation. There was no hesitation. And yet, while Peter names their guilt, he still proclaims Jesus is risen and exalted and declares that forgiveness would even be available for them. He says yes, you did kill them. Sorry that upsets you to hear that, but factually speaking that happened. And yet Jesus still loves you, grace still covers you. Forgiveness can be extended to you.

Speaker 1: 10:35

Now what's going on here is that the Sanhedrin claimed divine authority. To obey them, in the eyes of many, was to obey God himself Kind of think of, maybe, catholicism in modern day time. To obey the pope and the bishops, the church leadership at hand hand, is tantamount to obeying God. That's what the Sanhedrin was. That's how they felt about themselves. So to disagree with the Sanhedrin isn't to affect disagree with God. So when Peter says I'm disagreeing with you, but not God, he's saying you are not God. I know you all think you are, but you are not. And obedience to God comes first. We're going to do what God wants us to do, not what you want us to do. He goes on. He says we are witnesses of the things, of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit who is given by God to those who obey him.

Speaker 1: 11:30

Peter is relatively illiterate. As we understand it, he's a fisherman, so he's not offering a legal defense. He doesn't know how to argue in this type of court, so inside he just tells the story. It's his testimony he says I saw what happened. We all saw what happened, we experienced it. And in doing so, this uneducated man redefines power.

Speaker 1: 11:59

In the room, the courtroom is filled with people who have different robes. They all stand for something different, like depending on who you were in the court. You got a different robe so everyone knew visually right when you walked in you're standing If you were the big dog or one of the little dogs. There were all these laws and rules they had to follow, institutional weight. But the true authority Peter shows doesn't come from position. It comes from truth, from the risen Jesus, From the Holy Spirit who testifies alongside of them. Their authority was firsthand, not just repeating things that they had heard. They weren't doing that. They had seen Jesus himself had eaten with Jesus after he died and rose again, after he died and rose again. This wasn't tradition, this wasn't abstract theology. This was what they experienced. It was eyewitness. They were there and, as you can imagine, the tension in the room finally blows up. The box is too full, the top comes off, the Sanhedrin is furious. They're not just mad Now, they're ready to kill. 24 hours ago, even an hour ago, we were happy warning you and putting you in jail if you promised to stop, and now we are going to kill you.

Speaker 1: 13:22

When a surprising voice emerges, gamaliel, a respected Pharisee and teacher of the law, stands up. He's not a follower of Jesus, but he speaks with wisdom and he reminds the council of past uprisings. He says no, no, no, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. This has happened before. We've seen this before. Someone comes around, some religious leader, he attracts a following, the guy dies and then eventually, the movement disperses.

Speaker 1: 13:52

He brings up a couple very specific examples. You remember this guy. You remember this guy, and his point is Jesus is probably just another guy. We don't have to do anything. We don't have to do all of this extra work. We are wasting our time right now. Just give it time and these guys will also disperse. But he throws out. Unless this is a movement by God, he's appealing to reason.

Speaker 1: 14:17

Now, however, let's be open here. If they don't disperse, this is a God thing, and if it's a God thing, we could be standing in the way of a God thing. And so he says my advice is to leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown, but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them, and you may even find yourself fighting against God In 2025, the political, cultural climate that we live in.

Speaker 1: 14:57

Let us not miss this moment here, when there was a divine intervention through an unlikely vessel. God uses a voice from within the system not to overturn it. Right, he doesn't overturn it, but he restrains it. Gamaliel's presence reminds us that God can speak through those we least expect insiders, within resistant or even restrictive systems. We often assume that help must come from our allies, but this moment reminds us that God can work through anyone in any system, and again I like to point this out. So Gamaliel was actually we're going to find out later Paul's rabbi. This is the man who trained Paul, and so what's interesting is that Gamaliel he's like, hey, just let God sort this out. But we're going to find out over the next couple of weeks when Kyle talks that Saul at this time does not take that advice at all. He is not going to let God sort anything out, saul has it. So it's very interesting that you have this great, well-known rabbi training up Saul and Saul says you know, you're smart, but I'm a little bit smarter. I'm going to do things a little bit differently.

Speaker 1: 16:23

We see that the apostles left the high council and they rejoiced that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace in the name of Jesus, as they were severely beaten before they leave. The apostles walk away from their flogging, not with relief that they're still alive, not with like caution like we better tighten it up, guys, or worse is going to happen. But they do so with joy, and not because the pain was light, but because they saw their suffering and their pain as a mark of honor. You see, they saw that it was worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus and in an honor, shame culture of the first century public flogging. It wasn't just painful, I mean, it hurt, but it was degrading. Yet the apostles, the disciples, they interpret it, reinterpret it differently. Disgrace is now dignity, suffering is solidarity. They don't want to feel abandoned by God, but they feel aligned with Him.

Speaker 1: 17:24

Nt Wright puts it this way in Simply Christian, you become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship. And that's what's happening here. These men and women have been shaped by their worship of the crucified and risen Jesus, and now they suffer for him and they consider that a privilege, not punishment. And then, as if to drive the point home, luke adds one more line. He says and every day, in the temple and from house to house, they continue to teach and preach this message Jesus is the Messiah. And, despite what you might think, the movement doesn't pause, it just continues to expand. They return to the public square, they keep showing up in homes, and this isn't stubbornness, this is clarity, a spirit-filled clarity. They know what their mission is and they know what they've got to do. Suffering will not slow them down. Suffering will only sharpen their focus. Suffering will not slow them down. Suffering will only sharpen their focus.

Speaker 1: 18:39

Suffering was expected, an expected part of their discipleship. It was normalized. They talked about it in their church gatherings. This is what's going to happen. Embrace it Now.

Speaker 1: 18:48

For many of us today, let's contrast that right. Suffering tends to indicate we're doing something wrong, something to avoid. If we don't have that voice in our own heads saying that like, hey, I'm in this bad season because of something I did, somebody else will gladly tell you that. Well, if you just would have, or if you didn't. This is why we dot, dot dot. But for them it was confirmation. They were walking in the path of Jesus. And perhaps, if you find yourself in a season of pain, suffering, difficulty, challenge, perhaps stop asking yourself what am I doing wrong? And consider maybe you are on the path following Jesus.

Speaker 1: 19:32

Their joy wasn't circumstantial. It didn't depend on their comfort, their freedom, it didn't depend on public approval. It came from knowing that they were part of God's story. And so what does this mean for some of us today? I mean, what is the core truth? Let's go back to that question. What do we do in real life when obeying Jesus costs us something? Well, obedience to God matters more than the approval of people, and it often leads to both resistance and renewal. Okay, both are going to happen, resistance and renewal. The early church didn't grow by avoiding conflict. It grew because people chose costly obedience. Their faith wasn't hidden, it was public, spirit-empowered and, maybe most importantly, it was resilient. God never, ever removes their suffering, but he's always present in it, and through their obedience, the gospel advanced. The gospel advanced. This isn't just their story, this is our story.

Speaker 1: 20:43

I mean, like them, you and I, followers of Jesus here today, we're called to live out our faith openly. It's not supposed to be a private thing. It's supposed to be an open thing. Like them, you will face pressures to stay quiet. That's fine If that's what you believe. Just don't talk to me about it. Like them, we have the Holy Spirit, and not just to comfort us, not to just give us warm, fuzzy feelings for 30 minutes on a Sunday morning, but to empower us as we go through the pain and suffering and the challenges and difficulties throughout the week. And like them, throughout the week. And like them, you and I are part of Jesus's ongoing mission. Make no mistake about it. You are called to participate. Jesus said whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. And he warned that if the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first, but he promises, blessed are those who are persecuted, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Speaker 1: 21:45

This isn't exceptional, this is expected. It's discipleship, and I wonder what might obedience in the real life look like for you? What might it cost you? Maybe at work it's speaking up, speaking the truth, showing integrity, even when it comes at a high cost for you. Perhaps it's in your relationships and you have to set boundaries, you have to live differently. And it's not out of pride but it's out of surrender, of where God is calling you to, at school or in your neighborhood. It's identifying with Jesus, even if perhaps it isolates you some. And in suffering, it's about choosing to keep showing up in faith and not in fear. Obedience may not earn an applause, but it will never be wasted. Obedience may not earn you the applause, but it will never be wasted.

Speaker 1: 22:44

The gospel moves forward through everyday faithfulness and spirit-empowered courage. And what if we? If Madison Church is your church, so if you're a member here, you're a regular here, you're one of our leaders. What if we became known for a culture known for choosing obedience over comfort? What if, in solidarity, we came and we agreed that pain and suffering doesn't always mean we're doing something wrong, that resistance doesn't mean we're off track. What might God do through a community that listens to his voice, even when it's hard? The apostles didn't just endure resistance, they rejoiced in it. And that message didn't just survive, it multiplied.

Speaker 1: 23:32

The story that we're walking through, this series activated, isn't about superheroes of faith. These are ordinary people filled with the Spirit, who choose obedience over approval. Again and again, and again, and here's what we're left with. Today, that same Jesus is alive, that same spirit is available and that same mission continues through us today. Now you don't have to be fearless to follow Jesus, but you do have to be willing. You don't have to suffer exactly like they did, but there are going to be moments that are costly, and you won't always be applauded. But you will always be seen, known and strengthened by the God who calls you. And if you're here today, or watching or listening online and you're not sure where you stand with Jesus, this isn't just a story about boldness. It's a story about love.

Speaker 1: 24:36

Let's not forget that the disciples aren't risking their lives for a cause. They're responding to the risen Christ, who gave up his life for them. Before Jesus asked them to obey him, he offered himself Before he sent them off into the world. He rescued them from sin and death. And that same invitation is open to us. It's open to you, not to earn your way in, but to trust in the one who gave everything to bring you in. So, wherever you are today, if you're curious, cautious or ready, that door is open. And the invitation for all of us is not just believe in Jesus but to follow him, to not just admire the apostles and a story, but to imitate their obedience in our everyday, regular lives. To not just look back at Acts but to step into it as the story continues today. This is our moment. Now. May we be a people who obey even when it's hard, who rejoice even when it costs us, and who never stop proclaiming that Jesus is Lord in the public eye, in the private sphere and everything in between.