Can't Keep Good News Down

The council that had convened was prepared to kill the disciples.

God had miraculously freed them from the prison and they returned right back to doing what the temple rulers had told them not to do

The Good news was too good to keep it to themselves.

Verse 33 There were some that were ready to kill the apostles. Those on the council did not want the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to go beyond the room.

We established in an earlier message that The Pharisees and Sadducees did not want any change because they felt threatened.

God used in these verses three things to keep getting the good news going out.

1. He uses the Unexpected

a. Gamaliel Verse 34

i. He was the son or grandson – Hard to establish which- of Hillel

ii. Hillell was a renouned Hebrew Scholar

iii. Gamaliel was respected as well.

1. His words carried weight

2. Gamaliel was the one who educated Saul of tarsus whose name was later changed to Paul the Apostle

a. Paul Speaks about him in Acts 22:3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today”

iv. Requested them to have some time to deliberate the issue

1. Verse 38.

a. Theudas and Judas

b. Both were a flash in the pan

v. No doubt Theudas and Judas were acting on their own accord.

1. Remember the 400 years of silence.

a. Theudas’ revolt may have happened around 6 A.D.

b. Were it not for oppression the church may have never grown as it did.

i. Those that attempt to keep Jesus silent often find that it will backfire.

c. The day will come tht good news from Iraq will flow in the history books.

God not only used the unexpected

2. God used the unsuspected

a. God used the council to spread the good news of Jesus Christ

b. Almost anytime you tell a person to keep a secret they almost burst until it can be told.

c. Verse 40 – “Commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus

i. Suppose I gave you $10 million dollars. I tell you not to let anyone know that you have it. Would this pose a problem? Yes in order for you to spend it you would have to tell someone that you have it.

ii. Actual Biblical Case Matthew 9:27-31

d. It may be good for me to say “do not say anything about the fishing tournament or even the High attendance in Sunday School”

e. God may be using people around you and you never even Know it.

f. God sees the entire picture we only see bits and pieces

God not only uses the unexpected and the unsuspected

3. God used the undeflected

a. Verse 40 the disciples were beaten by the Jewish officers.

i. A beating consisted of 40 stripes. And exactly no more.

ii. Levitical law shows us the foundation for this practice. Deuteronomy 25:2-3 “then it shall be, if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, that the judge will cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence, according to his guilt, with a certain number of blows. 3 Forty blows he may give him and no more, lest he should exceed this and beat him with many blows above these, and your brother be humiliated in your sight.”

iii. The Jews would whip 40 times less one – so that they were insured not to give too much punishment – Beyond what God instructed.

iv. Each Apostle was beaten 39 times and told not to say a word

b. There was no way that the good news of Jesus Christ was going to be held silent.

i. The apostles were not deflected by this order … their order came from a higher official.

c. Note they rejoiced that they were counted worthy of suffering shame in the name of Jesus

i. Peter and John were living in the heavenly realm That is out of this world

ii. This world could not give them anything to keep the Good news for going out.

If you are deflected from serving God and not on course You have the choice to:

1. Get back on course

2. be deflected and God will use someone else and you will not be able to count the joy.