Intro: Since the freeing of Iraq we have seen resistance from terrorists. These terrorists do not belong to Iraq as citizens. They are instead Syrians, Iranians, Jordanians, etc.. They resist the setting up of a free Iraq! Yet they do not even belong to the nation of Iraq.
How much that is like our life. We if we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ are a part of His “free” Kingdom of God!!
The Devil much like the terrorists does not want the Kingdom of God set up in the nation of America, in the state of Arkansas, and more especially in the dwelling place called our heart!!
The devil is a resistor to the setting up of the united people of God!! When that people are set up and working together for a common purpose the devil (like the terrorists in Iraq) realizes it will be difficult if not impossible to impose His devices of deception on those people.
So we have an enemy that seeks to resist our freedom and liberty in Christ. Our freedom not to sin, not to be slaves to our sin nature, not to be slaves to the ways of the world!!!
The devil wants us to do nothing more than to slave ourselves out to him, or to society, or our selves.
[Jesus told us in this world you would have persecution (resistance to the Christian lifestyle)
Why do you say Christian lifestyle Bro Bill?
Because what is the persecution or resistance supposed to get you to do?!!!!
(It is supposed to get you to stop confessing Jesus and seeking to live holy and acceptable to Him.)]
I want to show you 3 things today from Acts that will help us to be aware of the resistance and how we can ultimately glorify God in spite of the resistance.
Why are we not talking about persecution this morning? Because Satan has finally figured out that persecution matures and builds the church, but subtle ongoing resistance will rot the church from the inside out!!!
We must realize
I. There will always be resistance to living a Christian lifestyle.
A) Several Sources of Opposition (resistance)
1) Satan (ultimate source of resistance)
In the Bible he is called Satan (deceiver) Rev 12.9, Accuser of the brethren (1 Peter 5.8) (rearing his ugly head in ch 4 of Acts), Enemy Matt 13.28,29, Father of lies (John 8.44), and many more.
He is the originator and instigator of all resistance (persecution)
2) Society (represented by the Sadducees and Temple Captain in this passage) They did not want to lose their power or position.
Some say they originate as far as 400 years before Jesus and others that they only appeared in the 1st Century. They were highly connected to the Temple of God. They disappeared in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed.
They did not believe in
a) resurrection of the body
b) immortality of the soul
c) existence of spirits and angels
d) divine predestination, man controls destiny
They were the theological liberals of the Day. Rel elite
They were the ones who had Jesus crucified and were now confronting the Apostles.
3) Self (our old sin nature)
a) We are supposed to take this off like a tattered old garment. (Ephesians 4.22-23 NIV)
“22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life(former lifestyle), to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by it’s deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
My devotion today Proverbs 6.23
God’s commands and discipline are a way of life.
b) We are to put on the new man!
New attitudes, desires,
Put in the Greek is a verb an action word. It thus speaks of active, living faith. Where the child of God daily puts on the new man!!! You can’t be a pew potato. Because when it comes to the resistance of Satan if you are a pew potato you will be a mashed potato.
Have you ever wondered how you can be an impact in the world for Calvary Baptist Church, and the Lord Jesus Christ? (I hope you have because we were created in and for Christ Col 1.16)
§ Don’t respond to the resistance of your Christian lifestyle the way Satan, Society, and your sin nature (self) would have you
1) Compromise (truth), 2) Deny Christ, 3) Forsake the fellowship.
§ Do respond the way the righteous Son of god would
1) Stand for truth, 2) Witness Christ, 3) be faithful to the Christian fellowship
B) Sadducees and others were disturbed at what was preached (Acts 4.2)
1) The came to them while they were preaching
Ephistemi (came upon them)
Idea of coming upon suddenly and sometimes with intent of hostility.
a) What right do they have to be teaching, they have no training or credentials or reptutation.
b) The proclamation of Jesus was a direct attack on the power and position of the Sadducees.
When we stand up for Jesus we stand against those that reject him. We threaten their comfortable lifestyle!
(If we witness Jesus to others it will disturb them)
C) Sadducees and others desired to stop them
** The devil does not want you to successfully live your Christian life to the glory of god!!
1) He wants instead to distract and detour you as well as those around you. (deceiver)
2) In order to keep you from glorifying God
In order to keep you from bringing others into the kingdom.
Did you know that only three chapters after the third chapter of Acts do not speak of persecution or resistance from the one or all of the three sources?
There are 28 Chapters in Acts. So that means 22 of 28 Chapters in Acts at least mention persecution.
It thus makes suffering and resistance from the Enemy essential to the Christian life. It is in the suffering and the resistance that we find Jesus
Most people don’t understand the resistance nor the power to overcome the resistance!
II. There will always be misunderstanding of the power that allows you to effectively live out your Christian life.
I imagine the Sadducees thinking in their minds how on earth do you have any power we killed you leader?!! (remember they did not believer in the resurrection.)
A) God will always give you proper answers to the world’s questions
1) Why go to church 2) Why tell the truth 3) Why witness 4) Why sacrifice so much for Christ 5) Why get saved?!
1) From the Bible
2) From the Holy spirit—He will lead us into all truth John 16.13
3) Our response will
a) Glorify God, or
b) As the Sadducees condemn us for our unbelief.
B) God will always be your advocate (lawyer) in the person of Jesus Christ when you are on trial before the world (system) Acts 4.9
1 John 2.1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”
a) Advocate par-ak’-lay-tos;
1) summoned, called to one’s side, esp. called to one’s aid
2) one who pleads another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate
3) of Christ in his exaltation at God’s right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins
4) A helper in the widest sense
of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom
Luke 12.11-21 “When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to do.”
The Holy Spirit is itchin to get in the fight but you have to be Ephesians 5.18 Filled with the HS. As Peter was
C) God will always give you an opportunity to witness in the least likely situations!!
1) On trial before the great power of the land Peter witnesses Jesus
2) He turns the tables from accused to accuser.
a) Why they were amazed in Acts 4.13
b) How does he know the scripture so well.
Acts 4.11 He answered the same way Jesus had answered them with Scripture.
Drawing them back to cornerstone for temple.
III. There will always be a God given boldness (courage) & power to face, correct, and love those that misunderstand and resist.
A) Your reaction to resistance will be based on your time w/ Jesus Acts 4.13
1) Prayer
2) Bible Study
B) Your victory is settled because there is nothing that can resist the power of God!
C) Despite the victory to be had in Jesus some will never join the winning side. (They will instead take the path of lest resistance)
Matt 7.13-14
“Enter through the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
For the gate is small and the way narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Conclusion: John 20.16
Satan wants to pervert and God wants to protect.
Illustration: Using empty soda can stomp it!
Using filled soda can stand on it. Stomp it. If it gets a leak then talk about being wounded but not crushed.
Empty soda can be stepped on and easily crushed
If you are like the soda can and you are empty of the Holy Spirit of God resitance, persecution, pressure will crush you.
If you are filled with the Holy Spirit the Devil can put all his weight on you and stomp and stomp and you will not be destroyed.
We are to fear the one who can destroy our soul not the one who destroys our body anyway.
If we as the church stand together as filled cans of the Holy spirit we are that much stronger and will be able to resist the Devil so that He will flee from us. How do we resist the resistance
1. The word of God (know it, live it)
2. The spirit of God (be filled, share Jesus with it)
3. The unity of our family of faith. (stick together, stand together.)
Isn’t it time to come home to CALVARY? To Faith; To Family; (But most of all to Come Home To God)
