First " Giving Honor And Obedience " To God.

THE SECOND SUNDAY IN THE SEASON OF EASTER,

THE MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY THE 22ND OF APRIL, 2001

THE TEXT .....Acts 5:29-29

PRAYER...MAY THE WORDS OF GOD AND HIS MESSAGE SPOKEN THIS HOUR BE BOTH A WORD OF COMFORT AND CHALLENGE

WE PRAY THAT IT WILL CHALLENGE THOSE WHO ARE COMFORTABLE

AND COMFORT ALL THOSE WHO ARE BEING CHALLENGED THIS DAY.

(Acts 5:29) "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."

Introduction:

Acts 5:27-32 is part of a larger story that includes at least vv. 17-26.

The first part of the book of Acts, tells us of the arrest of the disciples for teaching and healing in the Temple and their miraculous escape with the aid of an angel.

This setting of the text, is of the disciples before the Jewish leaders.

As the exchange between the high priest and Peter indicates, this is the second such confrontation, with the first occurring in Acts 4. We gave you strict orders not to teach in Jesus name, didn’t we?

This first part of the statement recounts the earlier command in 4:18 that the apostles not speak in the name of Jesus.

WE TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT RELIGIOUS STUFF....

But in verse, 29 Peter explains why he and the other apostles have continued to preach in the name of Jesus by stating that they must obey God and not humans.

SO OUR focus TODAY IS on the apostles with their primary message is obedience TO GOD..VS TO MAN/WOMAN.

The demands of the Christian life are not optional, they are mandatory. Even love to God is legislated. Jesus commanded, "…you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

For the believer, there are certain things that he/SHE ought to do. Failure to comply is sin, for the Scriptures insist that "…to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:17).

We read in our text,, the words, We ought to obey God rather than man."

I believe that this truth, if obeyed and practiced would turn the world upside down. BUT MOST OF US HAVE IT BACKWARDS WE RATHER OBEY, SISTER, MOTHERS, CHILDREN MEDIA, RICKY LAKE COACHES, THAN OBEY GOD...

And God gives us a Promise for our Obedience (Jer 7:23, 11:4)

Jeremiah 7:23) "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."

BUT GOD GIVES US A PROMISE FOR DISOBEDIENCE...

THE WORD/NAME..................... Ichabod...

1 SAMUEL 2:22..

HANNAH HAD A SON SAMUEL..SHE TAUGHT HIM TO LOVE AND OBEY THE LORD

THE PRIEST ELI HAD TWO SONS HOPNI AND PHINNEAS WHO CRUEL MEN..AND BECAUSE ELI DIDN’T TRAIN HIS SONE TO BE OBEDIENT TO GOD,,

BOTH SONS OF ELI DIED..

ELI BROKE HIS NECK

HIS DAUGHTER IN LAW DIED AT CHILDBIRTH

AND THE BABY WAS NAMED Ichabod...THE GLORY OF GOD HAS DEPARTED...

THE GLORY DEPARTED LONG BEFORE THIS ..

FAMILIES, TOTAL DYSFUNCTIONAL..ALL THE DAUGHTERS,,

LOST THERE IS NO PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE HOUSEHOLD..

THE PROMISE FOR OBEDIENCE..(Jeremiah 11:4), Obey my voice, and do according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:"

When is it more important for us as Christians to obey God rather than any human authority? What does God require of us in a world of conflicting allegiances? When do we say "Yes" to God and "No" to the laws of this world?

How do we stay loyal and faithful to God in times of trouble and persecution? These and similar questions have been around ever since the birth of Christianity.

In our lesson today, the disciples had been persecuted and imprisoned by the council in Jerusalem because they were preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus.

When they were put on trial before the council again, for the same reason, the disciples answered with these words: "We must obey God rather than any human authority."

Historically, whenever Christianity has been forbidden, persecuted and oppressed; there have always been some Christians who remained faithful to God by resisting and disobeying the laws of this world.

In the early church, hundreds, even thousands, died a martyr’s death because they refused to worship and make sacrifices to the Roman emperor, who was considered to be a god.

The stories of these ancient Christian martyrs still have the power to inspire and instruct us today. One of the early Christian martyrs was Polycarp.

A disciple of John the Apostle, he became A bishop in Roman in the mid- 2nd century.