John 14:23-29 Going Home

How many of you have been part of sad goodbyes? Perhaps it was because of an adult child leaving home. Perhaps it was because a visitor was leaving, or perhaps it was because you were getting ready to leave after visiting someone. Perhaps it was because of the death of a family member or friend. Regardless of the situation, sometimes goodbyes are not easy.

The reading from John 14:23-29 was part of Jesus’s goodbye message to his disciples. This took place at the Last Supper. Jesus told his disciples that he will be crucified. Naturally, the disciples were sad. They had spent the last three years learning from him. They wondered how they would cope after he was gone.

When someone we love leaves us, it’s natural for us to not want to see them go, but if we really love them, we have to let them go. Real love allows us to release those we care about. When we try to hang on to the ones we love, we are being selfish. Jesus was preparing to die and eventually return to his Father, but the disciples did not want him to leave. He urged them to rejoice because he was leaving. His departure would allow the disciples and all believers to do great things, including growing Christianity.

Jesus was more concerned for the disciples than he was for himself. He reassured them that they would not be alone. He promised them peace and hope-the same peace and hope he offers to all believers. Even though he offered instructions to the disciples during his earthly ministry, he knew that they did not understand what he had taught them. They did remember his words and teachings after the resurrection and ascension When Jesus was with his disciples, they could listen to his teachings and ask him questions. When he was gone, the Holy Spirit assumed that role. For the rest of their lives and as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the Gospels, the Spirit reminded them of all the things Jesus did and said. The Holy Spirit stood with them and guided them, just like it stands with us and guides us today. Jesus made it clear that followers love him by serving others. That message is just as relevant to us today. To live that kind of love requires the constant presence of God in our lives.

There are times when we feel alone and we don’t know what will happen to us. We could be stranded in a strange town with a broken down car. Our spouse has just died and our future looks bleak. You’ve lost your job like I recently have and you have no idea what to do next.  At times like these it’s natural for us to ask ourselves, “What’s to become of me?” How do we take care of ourselves in such moments? For us as Christians, the answer is clear. God wants us to trust in him. When we do, we will receive both the Holy Spirit and God’s peace.  

When Jesus told his disciples that he would be leaving, they were afraid. They could not imagine their future without him. Jesus confronted their fears with four truths, and these truths allow all believers to overcome fear:

1.      We may be inadequate, but the Holy Spirit will make us competent and courageous. He will teach us and remind us of what Jesus has already taught us.

2.      We may be fearful, but the peace of Jesus Christ is ours for the taking. Jesus wants us to focus our attention on the final victory.

3.      Circumstances may be difficult, but victory has been assured. Jesus has written the future and it can’t be changed. Our future might be difficult and our experiences might not always be pleasant, but we can endure with hope because God has secured victory for us.

4.      Circumstances may be difficult, but courage is found in obedience. We do not have to fear anything. God is our ally, especially when we face enemies. When we trust him, we begin a process of growth in which we experience the truth of Christ’s words personally through obedience. When we obey God, our fears diminish.

The peace Jesus offers is not the same peace that the world offers. The peace offered by the world is similar to the peace that people enjoyed during Christ’s lifetime. That peace was the Roman peace-a peace that was founded by military might, funded by Roman taxation and enforced by soldiers. It was dominance rather than peace. In contrast, Christ offers real peace. We can see that peace in the lives of ourselves and fellow believers. We will receive a calm strength. We can use Romans 8:31 as our motto- “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

The world situation today is scary. There are wars, disease, hunger, famine, terrorism and other problems. If we think that we live in a country that is free from trouble, we are wrong. There was a story in the news last week about the execution by terrorists of a Canadian citizen who was held captive in the Philippines. Closer to home, recently there were three shootings in Halifax that were possibly related. As Christians, we need to be concerned for our world and pray for it, but we do not need to be afraid because we have the Holy Spirit within us, and it offers us the peace of Christ.

Christ’s peace is the kind of peace we feel inside even when the world around us is falling apart. Christ’s peace is peace of mind, peace in our conscience, peace with our fellow believers, peace with our bosses and coworkers, peace with our environment and peace with our world. Jesus gives us this peace freely, without expecting anything in return except for the hope that when we are changed by this peace, we might pass it on to others. 

Jesus tells his disciples and us not to be troubled. Trusting him does not mean that all of life’s circumstances will change for the better, but that his followers will have peace as they endure trials and difficulties. When we receive the peace of Christ, we can take our problems to the cross. Christ’s peace gives us peace in our hearts.

The Holy Spirit will give us God’s wisdom, counsel, knowledge and power. It will make us more dependent on God and less dependent on worldly things. Jesus wants us to focus on God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are sovereign over us, our circumstances, our possessions and other people. When we allow God to be sovereign over all of these things, everything finds the right balance. We see ourselves as we should, circumstances become God’s tools, possessions become blessings and people become our equals before Christ. They become equally unworthy of grace and love. When we are confronted by fear, we can turn our attention to God within us and ask God to take control of us and our situations.

The Holy Spirit keeps our relationship with God vibrant. It holds us together in love with Jesus and with God. The Holy Spirit allows us to see God at work and learn about him. It allows us to communicate with him and learn from him, especially when we read the Bible. Love for Christ is demonstrated by keeping his commandments. Obedience flowing from love is very different from obedience performed out of obligation. Jesus promises his presence as people join him in his work. God is always with us, because the Father and the Son have made their home with us where we are. God has made his home in our hearts, and in return he has made a home for us in heaven. Home is where we are with the Lord-and we are with the Lord now-and will be with the Lord forever.

Bibliography

 

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1468)

2.      Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on John (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010, pp. 249-254)

3.      Exegesis for John 14:23-29. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

4.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

5.      Frederikson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 223-226)

6.      MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

7.      Lucado, M: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010, pp. 1485-1487)

8.      A.W. Tozer, “The Holy Spirit: We Need Him More and More.” Retrieved form Biblegateway@e.biblegateway.com

9.      Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 6^th Sunday of Easter-C.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

10.  Pastor Rick Warren, “The Holy Spirit Brings God’s Truth to Mind.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com

11.  Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Divine Peace: The Peace of Jesus Christ.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org

12.  Lindsay Popper, “The Courage of Easter People.” Retrieved from http://day1.org/7160-the_courage_of_easter_people.print

13.  Carolyn Dale Newell, “Supernatural Peace.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

14.  Mary Hinkle Shore, “Commentary on John 14:23-29.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=591

15.  “Easter 6C: Peace the World Cannot Give.” Retrieved from noreply+feedproxy@google.com

16.  Prof. Dr. David Zersen, “Hugging in the Dark Hallways of Life.” Retrieved from http://www.predigten.uni-goettingen.de/archiv-6/040516-5-e.html

 

 

 

Acts 16:9-15 Listen to God When He Speaks to You

Have you ever wondered if God really speaks to people and tells them what to do? If so, all you have to do is read the Bible. It is full of stories of God telling people what to do. We heard one of these stories in Acts 16:9-15 a few minutes ago.

Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia. He was convinced that this was the next step of the strategy for reaching the Gentiles, but God had other plans. When the Holy Spirit lives within us, he will use our emotions and intelligence to tell us if something we are doing is right or wrong. When our purpose and long-range goals are clear, we can trust our consecrated thinking and emotions because our thoughts and feelings are dedicated to serving God.

When God shut down Paul’s plans, Paul moved on to new cities. He followed his purpose of preaching Christ and reaching the Gentiles. God was able to get Paul to go where God wanted him to go. Similarly, God can get us to go where he wants us to go and do what he wants us to do by whatever means he decides to use. Being with God wherever he wants us to be is better than being without him, and doing what God wants us to do with him by our side is better than doing things without him by our side.

Faith involves actively listening for God’s presence in our lives. Once we have heard God, he wants us to act, and that is easier said than done. God wants us to remember that he knows whom to call and why. Paul had a vision that was so forceful and so powerful that he knew God was guiding him. Paul was sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit that he could tell the difference between yes and no when it came to discovering God’s will-and he was obedient enough to respond to both. This time, God directed Paul to leave Asia Minor and go into Europe. 

Philippi was a Roman colony, taking its name in 356 BC from Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. It was a favoured city of Rome and its citizens were exempt from paying provincial Roman taxes. Since Paul seemed to prefer to establish ministry beachheads in key regional cities, it should be no surprise that he picked Philippi. There was no significant Jewish population, so Paul witnessed in the closest thing to one-a group of women gathered outside the city for prayer.

One of Paul’s first converts was a businesswoman named Lydia. As a seller of purple goods, she had some wealth. Her house became the gathering place for Christians in the city. That encounter opened the way for Paul’s ministry in Philippi. Lydia was a Jewish “God-fearer” Purple was the colour of royalty and nobility, so she was probably a very successful businesswoman. She also had a home large enough to host Paul and his team.

God opened Lydia’s heart to the truth of Gospel. No human has ever had the ability to open anyone’s heart except Jesus. Even faithful preachers like Paul can’t do it. God’s servants can sow the Word, but ultimately the Holy Spirit is responsible for accomplishing the harvest.

Lydia was not saved by doing good works. She was saved so that she could do good works. Once she was saved, she began to fellowship with other Christians. God gives us the same responsibility to have fellowship with other Christians, just like all of us are having fellowship right now. Fellowship helps us in our faith, and it will help other believers in their faith. It doesn’t matter if these believers are down the hall, across town, in another part of the province or the country or even in another country. When someone cries out for answers or help, God wants us to answer the call.

Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1515)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

3.      Ogilvie, L.J. and Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983, pgs. 244-245)

4.      Pastor David McGee, “Poke!” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com

5.      Bayless Conley, “’Come Over and Help Us!’” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

6.     Os Hillman, “Lydia, A Workplace Minister.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

7.      Butch Odom, “Sixth Sunday of Easter 2016-Acts 16:9-10." Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com

8.      Bruce N.G. Cromwell, Ph.D., “A Plain Account-A Free Online Commentary-Acts 16:9-15.” Retrieved from http://www.aplainaccount.org/

 

 

John 14:23-29 The Light of the Holy Spirit

Good morning, boys and girls.

What am I holding?

 

A flashlight is an important tool to have around. When could you use a flashlight? At home when the lights go out. Maybe when you are trying to read something and there just isn’t enough light. A flashlight is helpful if you are looking for something under a couch or bed or in the back of a closet. The light from a flashlight can make all the difference when there is darkness around.

My flashlight looks like a great light doesn’t it? What will happen when we turn it on? That’s right. Let me turn it on. What??? It isn’t working! Why do you think that is? You are right. There are no batteries in the flashlight. A flashlight will only do what it is expected to do if it has good batteries to power it. I’ll put the batteries in and now when you turn it on, it casts light.

From our Bible reading today Jesus tells his followers that God, our Father, will send to us the Holy Spirit. You might say the Holy Spirit is like the batteries in the flashlight. The Holy Spirit gives us power to understand the Bible. It empowers our faith so that we can be the children of God that Jesus wants us to be. Jesus taught and did many things in his ministry. It was the Holy Spirit that enabled the disciples to remember and faithfully record them in the Bible. Because the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples we can trust that the Bible faithfully reflects all that Jesus taught and did.

When it is dark and we turn on a flashlight, the light gives us comfort. When the Holy Spirit helps us to understand the Bible and to have faith in Jesus, we have a peace that nothing can take from us. In the light of the Holy Spirit we can grow in our understanding of Jesus’ teachings and love for us.

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes for a moment of prayer. Repeat after me: Jesus, you have taught us so much but our faith is not as strong as it should be. Send to us the gift of the Holy Spirit that the Bible may come alive to us and that your peace may flood our lives. In the name of our Savior Jesus we pray. Amen.

 Bibliography

 

1.      Cynthia Cowen, “The Light of the Holy Spirit.” Retrieved from https://store.sermonsuite.com/printer.php?i=788040689

 

Acts 11:1-18 Change Unites Us

I want to start my message this morning by asking the older members a question, and the answer might take you on a trip down memory lane. How many of you remember the TV series “I Love Lucy?” Ricky Ricardo always had a line he used when Lucy did something wrong. It was “Lucy, you’ve got some ‘splaining to do.” It was a humorous way of saying that Lucy did something illegal or embarrassing. Today when we tell someone that they have some explaining to do it’s also a funny (or not so funny) way of telling them that they did something illegal of embarrassing.

In the reading we heard from Acts 11:1-18 earlier in this morning’s service, the disciples told Peter that he had some explaining to do. The disciples in Jerusalem had heard that Peter ate with and associated with the Gentiles. In their eyes, that was illegal and/or embarrassing because the Jews always kept themselves separate from the Gentiles. Jews considered the Gentiles to be “unclean.”

Acts 11:1-18 is a summary of the events in Acts 10 with a few additional details. In Acts 10, Peter received a vision telling him to spread the Good News to the Gentiles. In chapter 11, he gives the disciples an explanation of why he associated with the Gentiles.

Instead of debating his accusers, he told them the remarkable story of all that had happened. Peter made sure that they knew he went to Caesarea in direct obedience to the Holy Spirit, and the six Jewish believers who accompanied him to Cornelius’ house saw the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles. There was to be no distinction or discrimination between Jews and Gentiles. Cornelius and the other Gentiles who were in his house received the Holy Spirit without having to follow the Jewish laws, including circumcision. That was God’s answer to the debate and settled the matter as far as Peter was concerned. No one was to refuse to allow any new believers to be baptized. No one was to prevent any new believers from becoming members of the church.

The Gospel is God’s provision for making peace between sinful men and God and between hostile races. God’s plan was for the Gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit, and it is better to be on God’s agenda than to have him on our agenda. He prepares the steps we have to take to follow his agenda. He will move us on in our spiritual growth. He will never allow us to stay where we are. God’s love overrides any man-made requirements such as circumcision. In fact, nothing can stand in the way of God’s love. He demolishes the barriers, and he asked Peter to do the same. The result was and is characterized by compassion for everyone and not compliance to a code of purity. It is also characterized by radical inclusivity instead of hierarchical exclusivity, and inward transformation instead of outward ritual. God is the god of everyone.  

The discussion between Peter and the rest of the disciples was really a difference of opinion. They represent the differences of opinions that Christians often have. The reason why so many different denominations exist today is because of differences of opinion about what beliefs are essential to Christianity. Some individual churches have even broken up because of differences such as whether or not to install microphones or use overhead projectors or install kitchens or the type of bread to use during Communion. Some of these differences do need to be discussed, such as the one between Peter and the disciples. Sometimes way too much time and energy is spent on these discussions. There is too much to do for the Kingdom. God wants us to join together and serve him-which is what the disciples and Peter eventually did.

The greatest task for the church is to find out where God is already at work in the world and take part in that work as God directs. Sometimes the church has missed the new work God is doing because it was waiting for something to happen in its own corner of the world on its own terms, when God was already doing great things in another part of the world.

Imagine what it would be like if all the churches agreed to change their names to simply “church”? What if all references to denominations were removed and we were all just Christians? When people chose which church to attend, they wouldn’t do so by the change outside…they would do so by the hearts of the people inside. When people asked what church they attended, their answer wouldn’t be a label but just a location. Then we as Christians wouldn’t be known for what divides us. We would be known for what unites us-our heavenly Father. 

When God gave Peter a vision in Acts 10, it was a reminder of what Jesus said in John 14:26: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.” God blessed Cornelius and his companions just like Peter and the apostles were blessed at Pentecost. All of them were blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. God made it perfectly clear that he loves both the Jews and the Gentiles. Refusing to accept the Gentiles would be the same as hindering God. Peter could not do that, the apostles were not to do that, and God doesn’t want us to do that either.

Peter leaned that holiness was a matter of being cleansed from sin by Christ’s blood and of being like God in thought, word and deed. Repentance and confession are therefore fundamental elements of Christianity. Peter emphasized the gift that both Jewish and Gentile believers share-the gift of the Holy Spirit, repentance to life, and salvation. To receive one is to receive all. The important thing to remember is that God took the initiative to give us that gift. This gift is an experience of God-an experience that draws us into confession and glorification of God. God wants us to bear witness to what he has done in Christ. He urges us to tell the story of God’s act of reconciliation through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The phrase “The status quo is not an option” certainly applies here. Our ideas of what is proper and what is not proper can’t restrict the message of salvation no matter how valid or how well-conceived they are. Labelling people by various categories based on our own standards violates the standards of the Gospel by excluding people for whom God is working to take the message. In addition, our standards are not perfect, but God’s standards are perfect. People who might be rejected by our standards might be perfectly acceptable by God’s standards and vice versa.

Who are the Gentiles among us? Who are the people who we consider to be “unclean?” Labelling others as unclean and impure, drawing boundaries between “us” and “them” is easy. Loving others like Christ loves us is hard. God gives gifts to others who may not believe or practice faith in the same way that others do. In other words, he gives the same gift of the Holy Spirit to all who believe. Their gifts and experiences, along with our own gifts and experiences, need to be shared within our churches and within the entire world.

The admission of the Gentiles to the body of believers marked a change. Change is not easy. We often resist change, but Jesus wants us to accept and even promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone. He wants us to drop all barriers to the cause of Christ. He wants us to welcome everyone who is saved. He wants us to leave a place of security and identity and launch out into unchartered territory with nothing but God’s Word to guide us.

Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1506)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

3.      Don Ruhl, “Witnesses to the Gentile Conversion.” Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com

4.      Pastor David McGee, “Bickering Believers.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com

5.      Stephen Davey, “The Church that Changed.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

6.      Ogilvie, L.J. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983, pp. 187-189)

7.      Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010, pp. 1519-1521)

8.      Kyle Fever, “Commentary on Acts 11:1-18.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1617

9.      William Loader, “First Thoughts on Year C First Reading Acts Passages from the Lectionary: Easter 5.” Retrieved from www.staff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/CActsEaster5.htm

10.  Daniel Clendenin, Ph.D., “Any Person, Every Nation: Even the Gentiles.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/2007043033.shtml

11.  Dr. Jan Love, “Encountering Other Religions.” Retrieved from http://day1.org/1940-encountering-other-religions.print.

12.  Exegesis for Acts 11:1-18. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

13.  Jeremiah, Dr. David: A.D. The Bible Continues: The Revolution That Changed the World (Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers; 2015, pgs. 195-196, 201-203)

14.  Evangelectionary for Sunday, April 24, 2016. Retrieved from http://www.evangelismconnections.org/evangelecitionary-for-sunday-april-24-2016/

15.  Paul Christenson, “God Pause for Monday, 4/18/2016.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu

16.  Daniel Clendenin, “The Day of Non-Judgment is Near.: Retrieved from http://journeywithjesus.net

17.  Dr. Randy L. Hyde, “Explaining One’s Self.” Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org/Sermons/NT/05-Acts/Acts-11.01-18-ExplainingSelfHyde.htm

18.  Pastor Daniel W. Brettell, “Law and Gospel.” Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org/Sermons/NT/05-Acts/Acts-11.01-18-Law&Gospel-Brettell.htm

19.  Richard Neill Donovan, “Biblical Commentary-Acts 11:1-18.” Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org/EXEG_Engl_WEB/NT/or-Acts-WEB/Acts.11.01-18.htm

20.  “Lucy, You’ve Got Some ‘Splaining to do.” Retrieved from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Lucy%2C+you+got+some+'splainin'+to+do!

 

 

 

 

John 13:31-35, Acts 11:1-18 Jesus Loves Everyone

Good morning boys and girls!

Look what I have for all of you this morning! I got this idea from my mother when I remembered the times when she could come to church here and bring treats for the Sunday School children. Can anyone tell me what they are?

 

They’re called ice cream wafers, and I have three different flavours-chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. What are your favourite flavours?  

Do you know what these wafers remind me of? They remind me of children. Have you ever noticed that when children play games, some children are always the last to be chosen? How do you think Jesus feels when he sees that happening? I think he feels very sad, because he loves everyone and he wants us to love everyone. Have any of you ever been the one who was left out?  I certainly was when I was your age. It isn’t a very good feeling, but when you are left out, you can know that Jesus loves you just as much as he loves everyone else.

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes for a moment of prayer. Dear God, thank you for loving us. Help us to remember to love one another just as you have loved us. We ask this in the name of your son our Saviour Jesus Christ, AMEN.

Bibliography

1.      “Jesus Loves Us All.” Retrieved from http://sermons4kids.com/jesus_loves_us_all_print.htm

 

Acts 5:27-32 Obey God Rather Than Man

Have you ever noticed that people aren’t always receptive to the Good News of the Gospel? We’re living in a world where it is increasingly forbidden to share the Good News with a desire to win converts. The situation is getting to the point where the only place where the Gospel can be proclaimed in in a church.

 

This problem isn’t new. The disciples were some of the first victims of this type of persecution. We heard an example of this persecution in Acts 5:27-32. Peter and John were arrested for preaching and brought before the Jewish authorities. They were released with orders not to preach-orders they promptly disobeyed. They were arrested again, and when they were asked why they disobeyed the order, Peter made a speech similar to the one he made on the Day of Pentecost.

The problem the Jewish authorities had was not what the disciples preached but how they did it. They were drawing public attention to the message of a Jewish man who was executed on a Roman cross. That message was contradictory to common ideas about God’s anointed Messiah. Their message challenged claims associated with Roman rule. The authorities failed to realize who the apostles were because they failed to recognize who Jesus was. 

Peter’s claim that the disciples had to obey God instead of man was a continuation of the tradition of appealing to a higher authority to support or challenge actions. He made the same points that he made in the speech he delivered on the Day of Pentecost:

1.      Christians must obey God rather than men

2.      Jesus the Messiah is alive.

3.      Jesus lives in us.

Peter and the disciples knew that following the outdated rules and regulations of the Jewish authorities would not lead to the forgiveness of sins. Only Jesus can provide forgiveness.

God calls on us to make disciples of all nations. This will likely mean that we will be persecuted, but the end result might be a period of revival. We are not alone in facing persecution. Our Christian brothers and sisters in the Third World face extreme forms of persecution such as death-all because of their faith.

As Christians, we must acknowledge that there is a tension between obeying God and obeying civil governments. God, not government, is to be obeyed when it comes to the mission of the church, which is to spread the Good News of the Kingdom. Civil governments might seem to be the answer to all of our problems, and they might even seem to be the potential saviours of our world, but they aren’t. Civil governments must be obeyed except when they overstep their bounds by trying to stop the work of God. When that happens, governments must be disobeyed. When injustice and oppression are part of religious, social and political systems, nothing short of mass activism will transform them.

God wants us to acknowledge that God is sovereign and trust him instead of rejecting him and following our own plans. The disciples decided to follow God’s plan, and in doing so they set a good example for us to follow. If we are ever asked to do something that would cause us to disobey God or violate our conscience, that is where we have to draw the line. Our conscience tells us what is morally right and morally wrong, and if we go against our conscience, then that is sin. Our allegiance must be to God and not to man, because God is the ultimate authority that we must answer to.

God is in charge of our lives. He has rescued us from the bondage of sin, forgiven us and brought us into his family. The proper response is for us to be so grateful that we will spread the Good News in spite of opposition. God calls us by our baptism and authorizes us to keep doing what the apostles were doing. The Holy Spirit calls us by the gospel, and the gospel creates hearts that are obedient to God. We are latter day apostles. We get to follow the first apostles and speak the gospel to people who are gathered in places where anyone can come.

 Bibliography

 

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2.      Dr. Randy White, “A Time of Risk?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

3.      T.M. Moore, “When Not to Obey.” Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/colummns/viewpoint/18240-when-to-speak

4.      Dr. Charles Stanley, “Obeying God.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

5.      Bayless Conley, “When Is It Right to Disobey?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

6.      Kyle Fever, “Commentary on Acts 5:27-32.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1616

7.      Bruce K. Mondahl, “As One with Authority.” Retrieved from Sabbatheology@Crossings.org

8.      Exegesis for Acts 5:27-32. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

9.      Preaching Magazine, January/February 2016 (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing; p. 52)

10.  Mitzi J. Smith, “Commentary of Acts 5:27-32.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2824