Spread The Word “This New Life”

 Spread The Word

“This New Life”

Introduction:

Brother and sisters, I want to ask you a question. What are you afraid of this morning? For some, you do not have to think beyond a second. You know exactly what you fear most. Others may have to ponder it a moment before you arrive at your answer. 

Death.

Failure.

Public speaking.

Singing in public. 

Maybe you are starting a new job, moving to a new town, graduating from high school or college. The truth is that fear is something that everyone battles. Think of the great Bible characters. Do you know what they all had in common? That’s right…they were all afraid. 

Isaiah was afraid. He felt that he was not good enough to be God’s prophet to Israel. ““Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips”.

Moses was scared to death to face the Pharaoh of Egypt. Moses suffered from a massive case of stage fright. “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

We don’t often think of them but what about the spies who entered the Promised Land for the first time. They were super fearful of the inhabitants of the land they were to conquer. “But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”

Think about Gideon. The Lord had chosen Gideon to save Israel and lead them out of Midian. Gideon was afraid because he doubted his family background. He came from the smallest and weakest tribe in Israel. “Pardon me, my lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family” 

Then we have Jesus. Jesus while fearful didn’t embrace it or give into it. You recall Jesus’ fear in the garden just before He was taken to be executed. Jesus knew a thing or two about fear. After all, He dedicated a significant part of the sermon on the mount to fear and worry. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 

Friends, as I was preparing for this message, I discovered a great truth. Did you know that the phrase “Fear Not” is mentioned 365 times in the Bible. That phrase has been uttered by God, by angels, prophets, judges, psalmists, apostles, disciples, and Jesus Himself. 365 times. That is a “fear not” for every single day of the year. That’s some good news for you today. I bet that one some level that all of us, everyday, have to deal with worry and fear. Fear not my friends. 

Lastly, think about the disciples. Now that was a bunch of scaredy pants if there ever was one. They were constantly afraid. No more so then after Jesus was captured. They disappeared like cockroaches when a light comes on. Peter denied Jesus out of fear. Thomas doubted Jesus out of fear. Where were they when Jesus needed them most? That’s correct, they were hiding. Why? Because they were afraid. 

Brothers and sisters, do you know what cancels out fear? Do you? Faith cancels fear! When you choose to have faith in Christ, leaning on HIs promises and obeying His commands, you are no longer a coward but calm, cool, and collected. Gone is the worry wart, transformed into a mighty warrior. When you follow Jesus with joy, you abandon anxiousness and apprehensiveness. 

This morning I will prove it to you, that Jesus fights fear and frees the frozen and faint-hearted. 

I want you to fill in today’s thought, Christ followers, remain faithful in the fight. 

Today’s Thought:

Christ Followers, Remain Faithful In The Fight!

I Timothy 6:12 NLT

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

II Timothy 1:7 NLT

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Background and Context:

Go back to the cowardly disciples. Remember them? They abounded Jesus as He was dying for their sins, smashing Satan, and defeating the grave. They were no where to be found. They were hiding. They were eaten up with fear, completely absorbed in doubt, and fully embracing despair. Their self proclaimed leader Cepheus, Petros, Peter, the Rock, had just denied Jesus. He was in the back room, shades drawn, mourning in the darkness. Just when things were at their darkest a miracle occurs. The women have returned form the grave and Jesus’ body is gone. They are claiming that He has risen. Jesus is alive. Resurrected. A lot more than Jesus resurrected that Sunday morning. Hope was reborn. If Jesus can defeat the grave then maybe He can defeat fear and worry. We know the rest of the story. Jesus is alive. He embraces the disciples. Jesus returns to heaven in Acts 1 and in Acts 2 the Holy Spirit descends like fire upon His followers. Suddenly the once band of cowards collects themselves and courageously charges into the streets. These panic stricken fisherman and tax collectors turn street corner preachers. The message of the Gospel is shared, embraced by thousands and the church is born. This new Body of Christ, the church, is growing. It is healthy. Scripture tells us that they had everything in common. The formerly anxious Apostles are dedicated to teaching, preaching, and praying. 

You would think that this is a good thing but the Pharisees are not happy. Earlier in chapter 5 of Acts, the Apostles had been preaching and teaching the Good News. People were being healed. The church was exploding with new growth. The Pharisees became very jealous and had the Apostles arrested. Now I have never been arrested but I can imagine that that is a frightening experience. Remember, these were the same men who abandoned their leader for fear that they would be apprehended. These were the same fellas who denied Christ because a small child was accusing them of being one of Jesus’ followers. These same guys have now been arrested. Don’t you think that they were afraid? Sure they were. Still, like I said earlier, their faith overload their fear. It was their belief that propelled them from the prison and compelled them to preach even after they had been arrested. 

By the way friends, sometimes our faith in Christ calls us to disregard our feelings. Our feelings are flawed and our emotions will often lead us down dangerous paths. We must rely on the solid rock of God’s Word. This reminds me of a quote from Dwight Moody, “Obedience means marching right on whether we feel like it or not. Many times we go against our feelings. Faith is one thing, feeling is another.”

So, let’s jump into God’s Word this morning. Let’s read the story of this harrowing event. I’m reading Acts 5:17-29 from the English Standard Version this morning. 

Today’s Quote:

“Obedience means marching right on whether we feel like it or not. Many times we go against our feelings. Faith is one thing, feeling is another.”

-Dwight L. Moody

Today’s Scripture:

Acts 5:17-29 ESV

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

4 Blessings From The Apostles Boldness 

I. The Gospel’s Persecution  vs. 17

Acts 5:17 ESV

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 

Point:

Persecution is nothing new. It has been going on since the earliest days of the church. The Pharisees had the disciples arrested because they were threatened.They were afraid that they were going to lose their power. What the disciples experienced in this instance of Acts 5 is relatively mild. Many, actually all but one, of the disciples would lose their lives to the sword of persecution. The one disciple that did not die a martyr’s death, John the Beloved,  still died alone, exiled on the island of Patmos. Persecution in the early church came in many forms: arrest, foreclosure of homes and business, torture, financial fines, and public beatings. Many of you remember that it was common in Rome for Christians to be used as food in the Grand Colosseum. Christians were pawns for bloodsport. 

I bring up this point because it is important to know that persecution still exists for the Christian living in the modern world. According to www.churchinneed.org, 340 million Christians suffer harrassment or outright persecution. 1 out of every 8 Christians suffers a severe form of persecution. In 2018, there were considered to be 145 countries where Christians suffer from persecution. Islam is responsible for the persecution of Christians in 22 of the worst offending countries. One of the most difficult truths of leaving the country of Afghanistan is the persecution that Christians would face, I take that back, are facing now in our absence. 

Friends, if you choose to be bold in your witness for Christ, you too will face persecution. You can bank on it. Even now persecution is rising against Christians here in these United States. If you stand for the unborn, dispute the culturally prevalent gender ideology that claims that gender is fluid or non binary, and speak out against the anti-Biblical philosophy of Critical Race Theory you are considered a backward bigot. You risk getting canceled, doxed, protested, losing your ability to make an income. There have been numerous interviews on popular cable channels that suggest that Christians who do not fall in line with these cultural norms should be jailed. It is coming brothers and sisters. You may not realize it but we are in a spiritual war and the weapons of Satan are being aimed at you, your children, and your marriages. 

Of course you can play along, stay silent, and choose not to engage. That is what the Devil wants. There is nothing more stratifying to Satan than a toothless, frozen, Christian. 

If you are committed to sharing the Gospel, don’t be surprised when the Devil knocks on your door. 

Pastor, this portion of the sermon is called Blessings From the Apostles Boldness. Where is the blessing that comes from being persecuted? 

I Peter 4:12-14 ESV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

4 Blessings From The Apostles Boldness 

I. The Gospel’s Persecution  vs. 17

II. The Gospel’s Penalty vs. 18

Acts 5:18 ESV

18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

Point:

Church, I want you to remember these two statements this morning: there is always a purpose for persecution and there is always a price to percussion. God has a point to your hardship and there is always a cost to the Gospel.

The other day I took Jay and Jack shopping with their Mom. They had to buy pants for choir tour. By the way, keep the group in your prayers as they are traveling this week. Anyway, I took the boys to Old Navy to by some pants. On one of the racks they were selling pants and they had an advertisement, buy one get one free. Wow, if I buy this pair of pants, I get this one free. What a deal! I told Angela, do you know what she told me? 

“Nothing is free, there is always a cost.”

She was right. What Old Navy did was they rolled the full cost of the “free” pair of pants into the first pair. This gives the look of free but I still had to pay the price. 

Friends, we all have to pay the price. We pay the price for everything and there is also a price to be paid for being a follower of Christ. Now don’t get me wrong, what you get in return is worth far more than what you pay. Still, there is a cost. 

I will come back to that in a moment. 

Let’s talk about the purpose. Notice that the dimples were placed in a public prison. They were not thrown into a jail cell far removed, so that no one could see them. No! You see the Pharisees thought that they were embarrassing the disciples by having them put in jail for everyone to see. The disciples were not embarrassed, they were emboldened. Their public disgrace simply became their public discourse. Their public embarrassment actually became God’s stage for a miracle. God is going to send an angel to unlock their shackles. Imagine that, an angel in jail. 

Brothers and sisters, do you feel that you are in jail this morning? You are in the jail of despair. The jail of loneliness.The jail of depression. The jail of addiction. The jail of abuse. The jail of divorce. You may feel like these disciples, afraid and embarrassed. Let me remind you friend that if an angel can visit that jail, an angel can visit whatever jail you are in this morning. God is going to bring joy in your jail setting. He has a purpose for your penitentiary. Just like the disciples used their jail cell to bring God glory, you can and will do the exact same thing. 

There is a man named A. B. Simpson who was the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. He was born in 1843 and he said this about the gospel: “The gospel tells rebellious men that God is reconciled, that justice is satisfied, that sin has been atoned for, that the judgment of the guilty may be revoked, that condemnation of the sinner is cancelled, the curse of the law is blotted out, the gates of hell closed, the portals of heaven opened wide and the power of sin is subdued, the guilty conscience healed, the broken heart comforted, the sorrow and the misery of the fall are undone.”

That Gospel message came at a cost. It cost Jesus His life. That Gospel message will cost us something too. It may cost us our comfort. It may cost us a relationship or two. Maybe even a friendship. Let me tell you my friends, when I got into ministry I had no idea what it would cost me. Ive been called just about every name you could imagine. Ive been run down and feel like Ive been run through. I have been hurt, betrayed, felt abandoned, lied about more times that I can count, and had my motivations questioned. That was just my first year of ministry. 

I will tell you, if not for Jesus, I would not be doing what I am doing today. Thank you Jesus. Do you know why I do what I do? I promise you it is not for the paycheck. I have long ago let go of the need to be respected or praised. I do what I do not for you, and I love each of you. I do what I do because at the end of it all I get Jesus! Jesus is enough even if it costs me everything. 

Luke 6:22 ESV

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!

4 Blessings From The Apostles Boldness 

I. The Gospel’s Persecution  vs. 17

II. The Gospel’s Penalty vs. 18

III. The Gospel’s Promise vs. 19-21

Acts 5:19-21 ESV

9 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

Point:

I can remember when Angela was about 15 weeks pregnant with our first son. We went to the doctor and had an ultrasound done. I’ll never forget seeing that image on the screen. There he was, just a black dot on a screen. I have never loved a black dot more in my life than that little black dot. It was a miracle. A new life was growing inside my wife. Do you feel that way when you see an expectant mother? New life being stitched together in the womb is such an amazing miracle. 

Do you know what is even a greater miracle? Rebirth! When God orchestrates the Gospel message to be heard by dead ears attached to a dead spirit and that dead spirit is brought from death to life, now that is a miracle. When someone is reborn from death to life, that is a miracle. You see friends, physically we were all born from life to death, not so spiritually. Spiritually we are reborn from death to life. That is a miracle. 

When you share the Gospel you have an inside track to a miracle. You see the regeneration of a dead spirit being made alive in Christ. 

In Acts 5, we see another miracle. God sends an angel to the jail to set free the Apostles. This angel comes with strings attached. He is going to set them free, but they are not free to themselves. They are free to continue to share the Gospel. 

Now this is the proof that fear is canceled out by faith. These same disciples that abandoned Jesus because they were afraid that they would be tossed in jail are now arrested but about to resume their bold preaching. Friend if you are suffering from fear, from worry, from anxiousness, go tell someone about Jesus. Be Jesus to someone. You will conquer fear I promise. 

Miracles are attached to bold witnessing about Jesus. 

Illustration:

John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men with you there?" Paton knew no men were present - but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station.

II Samuel 22:3-4 ESV

“My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence.4  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

4 Blessings From The Apostles Boldness 

I. The Gospel’s Persecution  vs. 17

II. The Gospel’s Penalty vs. 18

III. The Gospel’s Promise vs. 19-21

IV. The Gospel’s Priority vs. 29

Acts 5:29 ESV

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

Point:

When man’s laws contradict God’s commands, follow God’s commands. Remember this, we obey God not out of fear but out of love. We prioritize sharing the Gospel not because God is like a overbearing sergeant and we are in His army. No way, we share the Gospel because it is the agent of rescue to a dying, drowning in sin world. If you were on a cruise and someone fell overboard, wouldn’t you alert authorities? Wouldn’t you find a life raft and try to save them? Naturally. Why? You try to save someone, even a stranger, because down deep you have love for that person. If you want to really hate someone, don’t tell them about Jesus. That is the ultimate act of hatred. 

Jesus said in John 15:14, “You are my friends if you do what I command” (NLT).

You can’t say you love Jesus and then go live like the devil. You can’t say you’re a Christian and then keep on living a self-centered life. You can’t say you’re a follower of Jesus and then pick and choose the verses that you want to listen to and ignore the ones you don’t. Jesus says you’re his friend if you obey him and his commandments.

Why do we obey God? Nonbelievers get this wrong all the time. They say, “I don’t want to be a Christian because I don’t want to obey God. You believers obey him out of guilt or fear or obligation, and I don’t want that for my life.”

Why do we really obey God? Because he loves us! He wants the best for us. He loves you like nobody else will ever love you. The Bible says the only reason there’s love in the world is because God is love. We don’t obey God out of fear or guilt or obligation. We obey God out of love because he loved us and saved us.

When I was a kid in high school, a guy came up to me and said, “You’re restricted.” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “Because you’re a Christian. You can’t do any of the fun stuff the rest of us do.”

I looked him in the eye and said, “I could take all the drugs I want to take. I could get stoned all I want to get stoned. I could drink all I want to drink. I could go to all the parties I want to go to. I could go to bed with as many women as I want.” But here’s the difference: Jesus changed my “want to.” I didn’t want to do those things then. I don’t want to do those things now. They are cheap, phony thrills that seem to give a temporary kick to life but then they kick back. They may look like freedom, but they don’t last, and they lead to despair, not dignity — depression, not delight.

John 15:9-11 says, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me ... When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

God doesn’t want you to obey him because you’re afraid of him. He doesn’t want you to obey him because you’re scared of punishment. God wants you to obey him because of love. It’s his love that leads to true joy. It is a joy that’s worth fighting for. It is a joy worth sharing. 

II Timothy 4:6-7 ESV

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Be Bold, Be Blameless, Share The Blessing of The Gospel Today!