GOD’S FROZEN PEOPLE!
Acts 5:17-39
INTRODUCTION
’In spite of being blessed with tons of resources for witness and service, God’s chosen people are often God’s ‘frozen people.’ Now I am not sure what the spirit of that comment is – but I want to look at being God’s ‘frozen’ people because we simply don’t know what to do or expect! We don’t understand the dynamics of Christian service or it’s resources.
This morning we are going to look at what we can expect in our service for the Lord. But the first question we need to address is this - should we in fact be in service? Does God want us to serve Him?
And by using the word ‘us’ I’m referring to those who have turned from trying to run their own lives – Those who have recognised their own sinfulness (What’s ‘sinfulness’?) and received forgiveness in the Lord Jesus Christ - Those who have placed their trust in Jesus and Him alone!
Should those who know the Lord, serve Him? Why?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
Listen to Deuteronomy 10:12
(READ)
(Josh 24:15).’As for me and my household’, says Joshua, ’we will serve the Lord’. As people of God, we are meant to serve Him wherever we find ourselves.
And in serving Him we need to understand that it is in His strength – not ours. The following is from a well known Christian magazine, ‘My brother and I were preparing to leave the bank with his 5-year-old daughter, Melissa. She ran ahead to open the heavy door. She huffed, puffed, and pushed; she stepped back and started again.
Finally she pushed with all the might her little body could muster--and the door opened!
She was unaware that her father’s hand, high above her head, had actually pushed the door open for her. I laughed at my niece, but then realized God does the same for me every day.’
Listen to the words of Joni Eareckson Tada a quadriplegic, ‘I relive each moment of my visit with Corrie ten Boom (paralysed by a stroke). I recall how our eyes met as we were fed our cucumber sandwiches. Helpless and for the most part dependent, I felt our mutual weakness. Yet I am certain neither of us had ever felt stronger.
It makes me think of the Cross of Christ--a symbol of weakness and humiliation, yet at the same time, a symbol of victory and strength. ...
For a wheelchair may confine a body that is wasting away. But no wheelchair can confine the soul, ... the soul that is inwardly renewed day by day. For paralysed people can walk with the Lord. Speechless people can talk with the Almighty. Sightless people can see Jesus. Deaf people can hear the Word of God. And those like … Corrie, their minds shadowy and obscure, can have the very mind of Christ.’
Corrie and Joni have been mightily used by God – not because of their strength but because of their weakness. And the Lord used a physically blind man to open my eyes!
Laura and Daniel are going to read to us a passage from Acts. In that passage we will find some of what to expect in true Christian service. We will discover truths that will help us operate as God’s chosen people rather than His ‘frozen’ people. Let’s listen carefully to His Word.
Laura read Acts 5:17-26 and Daniel follow on with verses 27-39.
(READ)
Let’s begin by looking at verses 17-18. What truth do we find there?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
Yes, we need to take the heat-bead of understanding that -
1. Sometimes In Service The Going Gets Tough
You see we can be turned off working for the Lord, frozen in our service for Him, because it all seems too hard! We misinterpret events and believe that God is against us in this.
The first heat-bead we read about in this passage, with regard to being faithful to the Lord in service, is this – don’t ‘freeze’ if hardship comes your way as you serve your Lord.
In this case, hardship came from persecution by the Sadducees.
Who were the Sadducees?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
The Sadducees were the aristocrats. They were the party of the rich and the high priestly families. They were in charge of the Temple and its services. They only accepted the first five books of Scripture. They were politically oriented, supporters of ruling powers. They wanted nothing to threaten their position and wealth, so they strongly opposed Jesus.
Hardship, persecution and suffering are not alien to the Christian walk – in fact sometimes they are essential to Christian growth & the spread of the gospel. And this suffering for our Lord can bring an inexplicable joy!
Listen to Acts 5:41
(READ)
And we need to realise that if God is working, look out for Satan! The more determined you are to pray, to witness and to glorify God, the more active Satan will be trying to frustrate your endeavours. So, don’t be dismayed if the Devil is giving you a hard time as you seek to serve the Lord.
The question is, ‘Does he need to worry about you?!’
Listen to Acts 19:13-16. If you, like Paul, are known to belong to Christ, then the powers of darkness have heard of you and know they have no chance, for your strength comes from the One who has defeated them.
So the first heat-bead of truth is – don’t be surprised at hardship and lean on the Lord - for in Him you have the victory!
Let’s look at verses 18-19, where we discover another heat-bead -
2. It’s Always Safe To Trust God When We’re Doing His Will
The important thing when we are in ‘jail’ is to trust the Lord. At your own leisure read Psalm 37:1-6.
A missionary, who was threatened by a man at gunpoint, said, ‘You cannot fire that shot until the God Whom I serve gives you permission!’ It was something like that with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – listen to Dan 3:16-18. ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’
These people trusted in the goodness of their God. It’s safe to put your trust in Him when you are doing His will.
And sometimes the trial of our faith brings more glory to God and more blessing to ourselves and to others than if we were not tried.
Listen to Philippians 1:12-14
(READ)
So, the second heat-bead truth is – it is always safe to trust God when we are doing His will!
The next heat-bead we come across is found in verses 19–23 -
3. Angelic Assistance At Our Side When Needed
These verses confirm the message of Hebrews 1:14, which says, ‘Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?’
We must remember the heat-bead that God will send His angels to help us when necessary. We may not recognise them – but we can be sure they’re at hand if our all knowing God sees fit to employ them.
Though the angels have a wonderful ministry entrusted to them, we have a far greater ministry entrusted to us. The angels await God’s orders and are ready to do His bidding, but they are not entrusted with the immense privilege of sharing the gospel. That ministry is given to us, and what a privilege it is to speak about the Lord Jesus, who longs to impart His life to all who come to Him!
So what heat-beads have we discovered so far? What helps to thaw us out in service for our Lord?
· Don’t be surprised at hardship in the Lord’s work
· it’s always safe to trust God in His service
· and angels will be sent to our aid when required
Well, lets look at the words of verse 29 and see what heat-bead we can find there. Can someone tell what that heat-bead might be?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
4. God Is Stronger Than Man
It must have taken a great deal of courage for these men to say this. How bold Peter and the others were! In spite of all the threats, they were determined to go on preaching the gospel - because the Lord had commissioned them to. While his persecutors were forbidding him to preach, Peter was actually preaching to them!
If only we had a little more of his courage, determination & concern for those who don’t know Jesus!
Why were the apostles so bold?
Read verses 30-32. They believed that their God was stronger than man. ‘You killed Jesus, but God raised Him – What can you do to me?’
Isaiah 41:10, ‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’
We ought obey God rather than men.
Let’s turn our attention to verse 32, where we discover the fifth heat-bead to help thaw us out in the Lord’s service-
5. God Gives The Holy Spirit to Those Who Obey Him!
This is a tremendous principle.
(1) When an unbeliever believes and turns to the Lord Jesus Christ. God gives him the Holy Spirit. In other words, when we obey the gospel the Holy Spirit is given to us.
(2) When we, as believers, surrender to the Lord in obedience, He fills us and empowers us with the Holy Spirit.
The principle we must lay hold of is this: the measure in which God can fill us and empower us with the Holy Spirit depends upon the measure of our obedience.
The fifth heat-bead is - God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him.
Verse 32 contains another heat-bead and that is,
6. We Work In Partnership With The Holy Spirit!
Notice that Peter said, We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit. This surely is the great lesson of the Book of Acts. A witness is someone who shows forth Christ and talks about Christ. A witness is a demonstration of Christ, a sample of the grace of God, a living human illustration of what God can do with a man or a woman. We must surrender to the Lord all that we are & have – and we must receive from the Lord all that He offers to us in the Person & power of the Holy Spirit.
A devotion in ‘Our Daily Bread’ (11th Jan 1999) goes like this, ‘A church bulletin … prayer: ‘So far today, Lord, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped; I haven’t lost my temper; I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I’m very thankful for that. But in a few moments, Lord, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m going to need a lot of help.’
The good news is that we have God’s help. Believers possess the Holy Spirit of God! That leads to a probing question: ‘What’s going on in your life that could not go on without the Holy Spirit?’ The answer should be: ‘Everything!’ The Christian needs the Holy Spirit for everything.
Whatever you face today, you don’t face alone. Christ’s Spirit is there with you. Count on it!’
What a truth! – we work in partnership with God the Holy Spirit!
We find the final heat-bead in verses 38 & 39, where we learn that-
7. When God Initiates A Work It Cannot Be Overthrown
‘Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."’
CONCLUSION
Let’s determine to be God’s chosen people rather than His ‘frozen’ people. Be set on fire by the heat-beads contained in this passage-
· Don’t ‘freeze’ if the going gets tough in working for your Lord
· Remember it’s always safe to trust God in His service
· His angels are fighting for you
· God is stronger than fellow man and we should obey Him
· God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him
· We’re not alone - we work in partnership with God the Holy Spirit
· and, When God initiates a work it cannot be overthrown!
Step out of the cold and serve the Lord with all your heart!
Let’s pray
