The Unstoppable Work of God
[Give background of passage: Arrested for healing/ freed from jail by an angel who told them to go and tell more people about new life in Jesus/ brought before the Sanhedrin, who confronted them concerning their disobedience/ Peter replied that they should obey God rather than man, along with some other words that angered them.] Let’s pick up with v.29 to get the whole sense of the passage.
Background: Acts 5:29-32
Main Text: Acts 5:33-42
Intro: I’ve played and watched sports for several years now, and every once-in-a-while you hear a player or team described as unstoppable. Either they are so fast or so strong that their opponents do not stand a chance against them. In my small high school world, our unstoppable foe was always Cove. We played 8-man football, and Cove always had these speedsters who get to the outside and they’d be gone. Other so-called unstoppable teams in years past have been the Dallas Cowboys, LA Lakers, NY Yankees, and several others I’m sure. Some unstoppable players were people like Earl Campbell, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille Oneill, and others.
-Realistically, even though these teams and players were very good for a time, none could really be called unstoppable. Why? Because we all get old and circumstances change. We are limited creatures living in a limited world. Only God is not limited. Only God does not change. Only God is unstoppable. This leads us to our main idea.
Prop: Because God’s purpose is unstoppable, we would do well to cooperate with Him, pursuing His will for our lives.
Interrogative: How can we do that effectively?
TS: Let’s look at 3 principles that will help us as we pursue God’s unstoppable purpose.
I. Those Who Pursue God’s Purpose Should Expect Opposition (33, 40)
33”When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.”
-As the apostles were faithful to obey God and carry out His purpose He had for them, they encountered some fierce hostility. The same group of people who had put Jesus to death now sat before them with the same murderous look in their eyes. The apostles knew this could be it for them. Yet, we do not find them wringing their hands and saying, “What are we going to do?” No, they were leaving the consequences up to God. See, Jesus had warned them of the opposition they should expect to encounter.
-Matthew 10:16-20 16“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Maybe we could sum up what Jesus told them by saying, “Trust me.” You will face problems and opposition, but trust Me to help you accomplish My purpose in the midst of those trials.
-John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." We should not be surprised if, when we are doing God’s will, we face indifference, hostility, and outright hatred. This is especially true when we are doing His will as it relates to sharing the gospel- the good news that Jesus loves people and wants to forgive their sins. Some people cannot come to grips with the reality of their own sin, and will lash back at anyone who brings up the subject.
-So, we should prepare ourselves spiritually, mentally, and emotionally for the opposition that will come when we set out to do what God wants us to do.
-TS: How do we do that? Well, we can start by recognizing God’s promise to be with us and to help us through the difficult times.
II. Those Who Pursue God’s Purpose Can Weather any Opposition (34-39)
A. We Can Overcome Intimidation- V.40 says, “They ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus.” The fear factor has kept many sincere Christians from doing what God wanted them to do. We sometimes get the idea that if we come up against obstacles or threats, that we must have missed God’s leading somewhere along the way. However, difficulties may actually be a sign that we are in God’s will, rather than out. If we stop pressing forward when the enemy rears his ugly head, we will not get very far in pursuing all that God has marked out for us to do.
-The Lord told Joshua numerous times, “Fear not, for I am with you.” The closer we are to the Lord through prayer and reading the word, and just walking with Him, the better we will be able to overcome the fear factor when opposition comes our way.
B. We Can Endure Suffering- Along with overcoming the fear factor of the enemy, we can carry on even if physical or emotional pain comes our way. V.40 also says, “They called the apostles in and had them flogged.” They were beaten, probably with 39 stripes, causing great pain and humiliation. You would think this would really be upsetting to them, but what was their response? V.41 says, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” Suffering disgrace is more than just physical pain. It is emotional trauma. Yet, instead of getting mad at God for allowing this to happen, they rejoiced that they were worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus.
-In an attempt to be open and honest with you, let me just say that I’m not sure I am spiritually mature enough to rejoice when I face pain and humiliation. I have a long ways to go. However, I know that with God’s help, I can endure any suffering that comes my way, and still see His purpose fulfilled in and through my life.
C. Even Death Does Not Stop God’s Purpose from Being Fulfilled
-This is not something we like to think about, but we all have an appointment with death, unless the Lord Jesus returns first. However, when we die, God’s purpose does not die with us. You might even say that His purpose for us is just getting started when we die, because the Bible says we will have responsibility given to us in heaven. We will rule and reign with the Lord, and that will not be a passive thing where we sit on a throne and do nothing. I believe we will be carrying out God’s purpose in ways we cannot yet conceive of or imagine.
-Another reason God’s purpose does not die with us is because His purpose is bigger than any one of us. As you look at the apostles, God’s purpose was bigger than any of them. It was bigger than Peter, when he was crucified upside down, because he said he was not worthy to die like His Lord. It was bigger than Paul when he was put to death by the wicked emperor Nero. It was bigger than Stephen, when He was stoned to death by the Jewish leaders. It was bigger than each of the other apostles, who were all put to death by people who hated God and despised His purpose. John was the only apostle not put to death, but even when he (the last of the apostles) died of old age, God’s purpose did not stop.
-God’s purpose cannot be stopped, because God loves the people He created and His purpose is to bring them back to Himself. He chooses to entrust His purpose with weak and feeble people like us, but somehow the job still gets done. No amount of opposition can squelch the purpose of God.
III. Those Who Pursue God’s Purpose Will not Be Sidetracked from It (40-42)
-After facing the hostile intimidation of the Sanhedrin, and after suffering the pain and humiliation of being beaten publicly, the apostles went right back to doing what God had purposed for them to do. Look at it in v.42: ”Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”
-They never stopped! They kept at it. They didn’t give up. They would not be dissuaded from doing what God wanted them to do.
-[Illustration of Churchill’s Commencement Address: “Nevuh give up! Nevuh give up! Nevuh, nevuh, nevuh give up!!!”]
-How much does it take to get you off track from obeying and serving God? When disappointments come your way, do you throw up your hands and say, “That’s it! I quit. If God isn’t going to take better care of me than that, then I’ll just boycott Him and live my own way.”
-I am not saying this to make light of the pain and suffering you may be going through. No doubt many of you have suffered far more than I have. Yet, I know what it is to be disappointed with God. I’ve shared before that after 12 years of not being able to become pregnant, Robin and I found out we were expecting a child. We were excited that at last we were going to become a mommy and daddy to a wonderful little boy or girl. 3 months later we had a miscarriage. Disappointment hit us like a ton of bricks. I remembering defending God, saying that we trusted Him and that He knew what He was doing, but at times I wondered if God was just playing games with us. Why would He get our hopes up like that, and then smash them right before our eyes? I know what it is to question God. And more recently, my own brother died in an auto accident. Again, in one sense, I felt God’s presence more than at any other time in my life. But at other times, I am saying, “God, this is not okay! I don’t want my brother to be gone. We should be out fishing together somewhere right now, not deciding what to do with Paul’s personal belongings.”
-I haven’t found easy answers for any of these kinds of questions because there aren’t any. Sometimes life is really hard. However, I have found God to be totally and completely faithful and loving. His purpose of showing His love to me will not be stopped by the pain and grief I may be experiencing. God will not stop loving me just because I question Him about why bad things have happened. The apostle Paul tells us that nothing can separate us from God’s love for us.
-Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
-The best anchor to hold you steady during the storm is the assurance that Jesus loves you completely and will never abandon you. You may face a mountain of problems and disappointments, but Jesus will be right there with you, helping you through them. And He will help you stay on track with His unstoppable purpose. See, He has something He wants to accomplish through your life. There is something He wants you to do that nobody else can do the way you can. But if the enemy can get you to doubt God’s love or His care for you, then you may fall out of alignment with God’s purpose, just as Adam and Eve did. Don’t let that happen! Remember this above all else: Jesus always loves you no matter what, and He will never let you down!
Conclusion: We’ve been talking about the unstoppable work of God. Just as Gamaliel said, “When something is of God, you cannot stop it.” Fighting against God will get you nowhere. So, as you set your heart to pursue God’s purpose for your life, expect opposition, but do not cave in when it comes. Recognize that with God’s help you can weather any opposition that comes your way. Finally, do not allow yourself to be sidetracked by disappointment or discouragement. God loves you and will help you make it to the end. Those who endure until the end will be guaranteed the victory.
-Think about this: Is your life in alignment with God’s purpose? Do you know what His purpose is for you? His primary purpose is for us to know Him and to make Him known. If you are pursuing that first part- getting to know Him- the 2nd should also follow- making Him known to others. If you spend very much time with God at all, you begin to realize how much He loves lost people and wants you to help bring them home.
-If something has kept you from pursuing God’s purpose in your life, will you lay it down at the feet of Jesus today and ask Him to help you line up with what He wants? Maybe you’ve been disappointed or hurt very deeply, and that has caused you to give up on pursuing God’s will for your life. I believe that your healing could begin today, if you will come to Jesus and ask for His help. This does not mean that you are not a Christian. But maybe you’ve gotten sidetracked and now you are ready to get back on track.
-I am inviting anyone who wants to to come down to the front and find a place to pray. Lay your burdens down and let Jesus take them. He will help you get where you need to be. Please come and pray if you need to realign yourself with the unstoppable work of God. He will come close to you if you are willing to come close to Him. [Draw Me Close]
