When Your Government Is Ungodly - Part 1
Acts 4:1-12
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - July 14, 2013
*We still live in somewhat of a bubble here in the Bible Belt. Yes, over the years, much has gone downhill spiritually, but it’s still different here. One of the main reasons goes back to something that happened 150 years ago. It was during the height of the Civil War, and there was an amazing revival among the Confederate troops.
*Henry Steele Commanger put it this way: "One of the most interesting features of the history of the Confederacy was the series of revivals that swept the armies, both East and West, throughout the war. There were a few revivals in the winter of 1861-62. But the "great revival" came in the Army of Northern Virginia in the winter and spring of 1863. Then it spread to the armies of the West. The Rev. John W. Jones, whose 'Christ in the Camp' is perhaps the best history of this great revival, estimates that no less than 150,000 soldiers 'got religion' that year." (1)
*I mention this piece of history to say that if the Lord tarries, our devotion to Jesus Christ can have a powerful impact for generations, not to mention all of eternity.
*But here in the Bible Belt we still live in a bubble. So it seems a little unreal for anybody to oppose Jesus the way we see here in Acts 4. I mean, we may be used to people ignoring the Lord, or not caring too much one way or the other. But to hate, hurt and persecute? -- It may not seem real. But it is real, and it is getting worse by the day.
*So, what should we do when people hate Jesus? What should we do when our government is ungodly? Let’s look into the Word of God and see.
1. First: Expect Christ's enemies to be energized.
*We should not be surprised by their strong opposition. Verses 1-3 remind us that it is going to happen:
1. Now as they (i.e. Peter and John) spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,
2. being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
*Verse 2 tells us that the rulers were "grieved" or "greatly disturbed." They were offended, pained, all worked up, because Peter and John were telling the people about Jesus. Those unbelieving leaders were so upset that they threw Peter and John in jail. They wanted to shut them up.
*Can that happen here? -- Church: I have to tell you that it is happening here like a slow motion train wreck. Our government is growing more and more hostile to Bible-believing Christianity. And there is never a lack of news stores to confirm this fact.
*When it comes to the gay rights agenda, the good news is that 85% of Americans believe Christians have the right to refuse business for gay weddings. That's the good news. The bad news is that Christians are being harassed more and more because of our Biblical stand.
*A Methodist church in New Jersey was sued for not offering its facility for use during same-sex weddings. A judge ruled against the church. A same-sex couple from California sued a Hawaiian bed and breakfast owned by a Christian woman for not allowing them to rent a room. Another bed and breakfast owned by a Christian couple was sued when they would not host a same-sex civil union ceremony. An employee of Allstate insurance wrote an essay online disagreeing with same-sex marriage and was reportedly fired from his job as a result. Catholic Charities was barred from assisting in adoptions in Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., and Illinois because they declined to consider same sex couples.
*Recently, there has been a heated political battle in Texas, as pro-life legislators tried to pass a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks. And just a couple of weeks ago, some of the pro-abortion protestors started chanting "Hail Satan!" in response to the pro-life Christians who were singing "Amazing Grace." (2)
*We could go on and on with stories from all over the country. And of course the opposition to Christianity is exponentially worse in places like China and Iran. So don’t be surprised by strong opposition.
*In John 15:18-21, Jesus said:
18. "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me."
2. What should we do when our government is ungodly? -- Expect Christ's enemies to be energized. -- But also expect more souls to be saved.
*Verse 4 gives the miraculous report of the people who were saved after the lame beggar was healed. There God's Word says: "However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand."
*God is still in the business of saving souls today! And He will be until Jesus comes back. So we should do everything we can to reach more people for Jesus. And we probably won't see 5,000 saved at one time, but you never know.
*And even one soul saved is a miracle that brings great joy in Heaven. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 15:3-7:
3. So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4. "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
5. And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
7. I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."
3. What should we do when our government is ungodly? -- Expect more souls to be saved. -- Also expect more help from Heaven.
*Verses 5-10 remind us that when opposition to the gospel rises, we can expect more help from Heaven:
5. And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes,
6. as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?''
8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:
9. If we this day are judged for a good deed done to the helpless man, by what means he has been made well,
10. let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
*What made the difference here? How was Peter able to take such a bold stand for Jesus? -- A big part of the answer is in vs. 8, where we see that Peter was "filled with the Holy Spirit." God showed up in an amazing way. And never forget that His Spirit is with us right now.
*King Duncan told about a 5-year-old boy who had to stay home from church, because he had strep throat. It happened to be Palm Sunday, and his church gave out little palm branches that day.
*When the rest of the family came home with the palm branches, the little boy asked what they were for. His mother explained, "People put them in the road as Jesus walked by." And the little boy replied, "Wouldn't you know it. The one Sunday I don't go, and Jesus shows up!" (3)
*The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ shows up here every Sunday! In fact, our great God is always standing by, ready to help His children in need. God is on the job twenty-four seven. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He’s watching me.
*Now this doesn’t mean that everything is always going to be hunky dory. But you can always count on help from above! Jesus specifically promised that He would be there when His followers faced trials like the one we see here in Acts.
*Please listen to the Lord in Matthew 10:16-20. There Jesus said:
16. "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
18. And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20. for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."
4. What should we do when our government is ungodly? -- Expect more help from Heaven. -- And tell the truth about Jesus.
*In vs. 7-12, Peter simply told the truth about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How did he do it?
[1] First, Peter glorified the Lord's reputation.
*Something fantastic had happened to the beggar who was born lame. Verse 22 tells us that he was over 40-years-old, and he had never been able to take a step his whole life. But the day before, he had been miraculously healed.
*We see this miracle in Acts 3:6-8:
6. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.''
7. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them walking, leaping, and praising God.
*With this great display of power, it would have been easy for Peter and John to take the credit. But they did not do that. They gave all the glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. And we see Peter giving glory to the Lord in vs. 7-11:
7. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?''
8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:
9. If we this day are judged for a good deed done to the helpless man, by what means he has been made well,
10. let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
11. This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'"
*Peter and John gave all the glory to the Lord, and that’s what we should do. But why did Peter and John give the glory to the Lord? -- It's because they had been with Jesus. They knew the Lord. They had seen His goodness, greatness, and glory. They had seen the Lord, and it was a humbling experience for them.
*Remember in the beginning when Peter had been fishing all night, and hadn’t caught a thing. Jesus asked him to go back out and let down his nets one more time. And when Peter did, he caught so, many fish, the boats were about to sink. Listen to the Scripture in Luke 5:3-9:
3. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4. Now when He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.''
5. But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.''
6. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
7. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
8. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!''
9. For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;
*The greatness of the Lord brought Peter to fall on his face before Jesus. And Peter gave glory to the Lord. That's how Peter told the truth about Jesus: He glorified the Lord's reputation.
[2] And he testified about the Lord's salvation.
*Please listen again to vs. 10-12, where Peter proclaimed:
10. "Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
11. This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'
12. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.''
*Peter and John must have had a lot on their minds that day. They had spent the night in jail. And they had been hauled before the highest court of the Jews. But even though they had a lot on their minds, they were talking about salvation.
*One reason why is because they knew that everybody needs to be saved. In vs. 10, "Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel." (And to all the people of the world.) Verse 12, "We must be saved!"
*Everybody needs to be saved! And Jesus Christ is the only one who can save them! Again in vs. 12: "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.''
*The good news is that Jesus Christ can and will save anyone who trusts in Him! *Peter points us to the good news in vs. 10 when he tells us that Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead.
*But we know that Jesus wasn’t just crucified by those Jewish leaders. He was crucified for our sins. And now the Risen Savior can give eternal life to anyone who will trust in Him. That's the truth about Jesus. Peter was willing to share it, and great things happened.
*We never know how much good will come when we tell the truth about Jesus. Howard Hendricks went home to be with the Lord this past February at the age of 88. Howard was one of the best known Christian leaders in our country for over 50 years. He taught at Dallas Theological Seminary, authored 16 books, and was a mentor to both Chuck Swindoll and David Jeremiah.
*How did all of that get started? -- When Howard Hendricks was 9-years-old, he was out in the yard playing marbles. A Sunday School teacher came by to invite him to Sunday School. Howard heard the word “school” and thought, “No way!”
*The teacher sensed he wasn’t getting through, so, he asked a different question: “Wanna play a game of marbles?” -- After he wiped out the 9-year-old in a couple of games, he then asked, “Wanna learn how to play this game better?”
*Dr. Hendricks later said: “By the time he’d taught me how to play marbles over the next few days, he’d built such a relationship with me that I’d have gone anywhere he suggested.”
*Dr. Hendricks ended up in a Sunday School class with 12 other boys, and 11 of them ended up in fulltime Christian service. (4)
CONCLUSION:
*We live in a time when more and more people are openly hostile to Jesus Christ. But there are still a lot of people who can be reached. What should we do?
-Expect Christ's enemies to be energized.
-Expect more souls to be saved.
-Expect more help from Heaven.
-And tell the truth about Jesus.
*Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
(1) Religion in The Confederate Army - Source: "The Blue and The Gray" by Henry Steele Commanger - This Page last updated 01/17/04 - http://www.civilwarhome.com/religion.html
(2) Sources:
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/07/12/poll-85-say-christian-photographer-has-the-right-to-turn-down-a-gay-marriage-job/
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/03/26/gay-marriage-religious-freedom-are-incompatible/
http://twitchy.com/2013/07/02/hail-satan-abortion-supporters-troll-pro-lifers-outside-texas-capitol/
(3) http://www.cybersalt.org/illustrations - Source: Sermons.com email 03/31/2002
(4) Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Hendricks
Howard Hendricks, "Say It with Love" - Source: SermonCentral sermon "Bid the Children Come" by Russell Brownworth - Proverbs 22:6
