Fence Straddling

Acts 5:17-42

Verse 17-18-Why were they so courageous? They had seen Jesus raised from the dead. The soldiers may have been paid to tell people that they stole Jesus’ body - but they wanted the world to know the truth. The truth of the matter was that Jesus was raised from the dead!

The threats of the Sanhedrin had done absolutely nothing to shut them up. They just wouldn’t be quiet, they couldn’t be quiet.

They were like Jeremiah who said, Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name,” But His word was is in my heart like a burning fire, Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back; And, I could not. (Jeremiah 20:9)

Verse 19-GET OUT OF JAIL FREE-What is the lesson God is trying to teach us here? Why, that there is a liberty in the Spirit which nothing man can do will ever eliminate.

2 Corinthians 3:17-Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of Lord is;there is liberty.

There is power in God to set men free even when they are put in prison?

No bondage can hold you when you belong to Christ!!!

Verse 2O-John6:63-68

This is what matters, the earthly stuff will just fade away, but these words lead to eternal life!

Verse 21-28-More proof that God was with them!!

Verse 29-33-You can’t listen to the message of the Bible and just respond by saying, “oh, that’s a nice story!”

The message of the Bible says to each and every one of us - “you killed Jesus by hanging him on a tree. YOU are GUILTY of death for this crime!”

Verse 3442-Self-preservation and self-interest was the motive behind Gamaliel’s original counsel.

This guy is a fence straddler!

He has enough evidence to make the right decision but he chooses to be neutral and by making that choice, he put himself in opposing Jesus?

Jesus said, If you are not for Me, you are against me! It is stupid to compare Jesus with any other man!

A preacher one Sunday was standing outside after church waiting for his family when he thought he would have some firn with one of the children. Wanting to fmd out just how much the lad had been learning in Sunday School, the pastor asked, “Son, if you can tell me one thing that Jesus can do, I will give you an apple.”

The lad looked at the preacher and replied, “Preacher, if you can tell me one that Jesus can’t do, I will give you a whole truckload of apples.”

No other person has done what Jesus has done, and two be compared to these to rebel rousers is just plain crazy.

They didn’t raised the dead, they didn’t make the blind to see, the lame to walk, they didn’t claim the sea, or walk on water and they sure didn’t raised from the dead!!!

No other religion has claimed their God has sacrificed to redeem people.

No matter what religion it maybe, if it does not claim that Christ came to earth, that He died on a cross and that on the third day He rose again, then it is a false religion!

Because that is exactly what Jesus did!!!

A hunter who had his gun aimed at a large bear was ready to pull the trigger. Just then the bear spoke in a soft, soothing voice saying, “Isn’t it better to talk than to shoot? Why don’t we negotiate the matter?

What is it you want?” The hunter lowered his rifle and answered, “I would like a fur coat. “That’s good,” said the bear.

“I think that’s something we can talk about. All I want is a full stomach; maybe we can reach a compromise.”

So they sat down to talk it over. A little while later the bear walked away alone. The negotiations had been successful--the bear had a full stomach, and the hunter had a fur coat!

It is time to stop straddling the fence. If you straddle the fence; in the end you will lose!