God Wins

Acts, Media, Sermons | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Podcast: Play in new window

Audio | Acts 5:12-42

Summary

Jesus’ fingerprints are all over Acts 5:12-42. In this section we see that God is working in human history, through His people, to bring about His unstoppable purposes. Our God is all-powerful, ultimately controlling our trials, our fears, our weaknesses, and our persecution. From beginning to end, God wins.

Introduction

Over the last two hundred years there has been much debate about the historical accuracy of various biblical accounts, such as the Garden of Eden, the flood and Jonah. (Note: We believe these are historical events as Jesus did.) But, what is historically uncontested is that for the first several hundred years, Christians suffered under intense persecution. Christians were imprisoned, executed, oppressed, tortured, killed, possessions were taken, buildings were burned, and families were torn apart.

It is interesting to note that historians have linked this persecution to the growth of the church, not its demise. Why? Because Christians died the best. Nobody died like them. They died asking forgiveness for their executioners. They sang hymns while being burned at the stake. They joyfully accepted the plundering of their property. Nobody dealt with persecution and death like Christians. The early church father, Tertullian, famously said, “Kill us, torture us, condemn us, grind us to dust…the more you mow us down, the more we grow; the seed is the blood of Christians”.

This is also the major theme of Acts 4-5 where we see the very first persecution and opposition against the newly forming Christian Church. The question we must ask is “Where did they get this boldness and courage to face such opposition?” Answer: They were absolutely confident God wins in life, in suffering, and in death. God wins. This God has acted definitively in history in the God-Man, Jesus Christ, to redeem a people. God is working in human history through His people to bring about his unstoppable purposes.

The theological concept in view here is God’s omnipotence (“omni” + “potens”), meaning God is all-powerful. God has all power, freedom, and ability to do whatever He wants according to His good purposes. Nothing is too hard for him. Nothing is impossible for him. Nothing limits him. There is no need too great, no temptation too strong, and no suffering too deep that He can’t handle. Earthly kingdoms will pass away, but He will reign forever and ever. He is, in the end, incomprehensible. Therefore he has revealed Himself to us in a person (Jesus) and recorded it in a book (Bible).

Q: “If God has all power, why is the world that way it is? Why is my life the way it is?” Here we are introduced to a second important theological concept, that of “mystery”. To say this is a mystery is not an easy way of saying “we don’t know”. Rather, it is saying that we only know what He has revealed. We don’t have all of the answers, but do we have some. For example:

• We know that God’s purposes in the world center around His glory. (1Cor 10:31; Rom11:36)]
• We know that His primary plan to bring that about is by uniting all things in Jesus. (Eph 1:10)
• We know that He plans to do that through His people, the church, which He promises to build. (Mt16:18)
• We know that, within the church, His primary work in us is forming us into the image of Christ. (Rom 8:29) He promises to bring that to completion. (Phil 1:6)

These things don’t change. Whatever happens in your life (i.e. the good, the bad and the ugly), in our church or in our world, God is doing these things. He uses every circumstance and situation of life to mysteriously bring out his eventual goal, in us, in the church and in the world. It may not look like it, but that’s what He is up to. We have another example of this in Heb 11:

“Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy” Hebrews 11:32-38

God is writing His story in ways that are not always understood by us. This is His story, not ours. He is working in human history through His people to bring about his unstoppable purposes.

Today, in Acts 5:12-42, we get six examples of his power.

5:12-16 Jesus controls the physical and spiritual realms.

Miracles here have various functions.

#1 Miracles demonstrate that God is at work in forming His church. It is a God-thing, not a man-thing.
#2 Miracles verify authority of the Apostles; i.e. “hands”
#3 Miracles reveal the character of God in wanting to heal, restore and make right.
#4 Miracles point to the deeper spiritual healing offered by the Gospel.
#5 Miracles ultimately point to the eventual renewal of all things in the new heavens and new earth.

Q: Do miracles still happen? There are two camps on this issue: cessationists (miracles were limited to this particular time in church history, carried out by the Apostles) and non-cessationists (miracles continue). Both of these positions can be abused. But, the reality is that God can do whatever He wants. The problem is that often, no matter where we stand on the issue, we become functional cessationists – believing God won’t or can’t show up in our lives in supernatural ways.

Q: Are you trusting our All Powerful God to do what only He can in your life? Asking for it?

5:17-20 Jesus controls the outcome of our trials.

The leaders arrest all of the Apostles in an attempt to put the spread of the Gospel at a standstill. God uses trial to wean us off our self-dependency and increase our God-dependency. Sometimes that trial comes in the form of suffering and sometimes in the form of blessing. Both suffering and blessing are tests. He’ll do whatever it takes to form Christ in us, which tends to include exercise of his loving violence. He is loving, but he is also violent (at least that’s how it feels) as he carries out his discipline in our lives to make us who we were created to be. Heb 12:5 “Do not despise the chastening of the Lord”

An angel shows up, releases them from prison and tells them to “Go stand in the temple and speak .. all the words of this Life” (vs20). Some commentators believe Christianity may have been referred as “the Life”, in addition to “the Way”, early on. This is important. Christianity is not about being a moral and decent person. It is not an addition or little boost to make you better. Rather, it makes you a new person, a new creation, giving you a new life. By faith in Christ you get new forgiveness, new identity, new grace, new God, new Spirit, new start, new joy, and a new family. Christianity is not a superficial makeover – it is a life, a whole new thing.  “I came that they may have life, life abundant” Jn 10:10

Therefore, it is the greatest of lies that says Christianity turns you into a 1/2 person that lives a 1/2 life. Or, the false notion that Christianity is going to cramp your style, diminish your joy, ruin your life, or make you a smaller person. Life is what you need and the world cannot give it to you. The reality is that you can be moral, loved and well-known person w/ deep sense of satisfaction – but that is not the problem. The problem is how to know God, be in relationship with Him, harmony w/ Him, part of His story.

Q: Are you trusting in Jesus’ power amidst your trial? Are you letting him transform your or fighting?

5:21 Jesus controls our fears.

What did the Apostles do? They did what the angel told them to do even though it could have meant their death or further imprisonment. What would you do? The were not afraid. This is in line with the Bible’s teaching on fear. When we are rightly related to God, by faith in Christ, and have a right understanding of who God is – our worldly fears are pushed to the side.

2 Tim 1:7 “God gave us a spirit not of fear…”
Rom 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear…”
Isa 35:4 “Be strong; fear not!”
Isa 41:10,13 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God…Fear not, I am the one who helps you…”

What would move them to such trust? They knew their God. Do you know your God like that?

Q: Does Jesus control your fears?

5:27-32 Jesus transforms our personal weaknesses.

Ever since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Peter’s character has been marked with boldness and courage. Why? He’s been changed by Jesus.

Acts 2:38 repent in the name of Jesus
Act 3 in the name of Jesus rise up and walk
Acts 4:10 “by the name of Jesus this man stands before you whole
Acts 4:18 “commanded to not speak in the name of Jesus…”

Q: Are you banking your entire life on the name of Jesus Christ?

5:33-39 Jesus has power over unbelievers.

Gamaliel was the most famous teacher of his day, and leader of the Pharisees. Even the Apostle Paul grew up under his mentoring and teaching. God, uses this unbelieving Jew to rescue the Apostles from certain death (see vs33). This is amazing and incredibly encouraging. No one exists outside the sovereign rule and reign of God, even unbelievers. God is working all things for his purposes, even in and through people that deny Him.

Q: Are you a God-fighter?

5:40-42 Jesus has power over persecution.

Instead of death, the Apostles are beat. We don’t know exactly what this entailed, but it could have been the famous 40-lashes-minus-one. (i.e. 39 lashes) This would entail them being bound to a pillar, receiving 2/3 on their back and 1/3 on their chest. This kind of physical persecution is still happening in the world today (www.persecution.org). We don’t experience this much in the West, b/c the church here is mostly in a state of spiritual slumber.

One of the striking things about this scene is that the Apostles don’t stop loving Jesus after the receive their beating. They don’t blame God. They don’t play the victim-card. They don’t talk about how hard it is. They rejoice. Suffering, trial and persecution typically reveal the world and life for what it is. The Apostles new that to live, was to live with Christ, and to die, was to be with Christ – which is far better.

Q: What would your life look like if you really believed that God wins, that he was already out ahead of you? How would you live? What risks would you take for Him? How would you spend time and money?

Live like that because our God is like that.

Quotes:

“The devil has never given up the attempt to destroy the church by force. Under Nero (54-68) Christians were imprisoned and executed, including probably Paul and Peter. Domitian (81-96) oppressed XNs who refused to pay him the divine honors he demanded; under him John was exiled to Patmos. Marcus Aurelius (161-180) believing that Christianity was dangerous and immoral, turned a blind eye to severe local outbreaks of mob violence. Then in the third century what had so far been sporadic became systematic. Under Decius (249-251) thousands died, including Fabian, Bishop of rome, for refusing to sacrifice to the imperial name. The last persecuting emperor before the conversion of Constantine was Diocletian (284-305). He issued four edits which were intended to stamp out Christianity altogether….he ordered churches to be burned, Scriptures to be confiscated, clergy to be tortured, Christian civil servants to be deprived of their citizenship…” Stott 119

“For men have no taste for [God’s power] till they are convinced of their need of it and they immediately forget its value unless they are conditionally reminded by awareness of their own weakness.” John Calvin

“But saints and angels behold that glory of God which consists in the beauty of His holiness; and it is this sight only that will melt and humble the hearts of men, wean them from the world, draw them to God, and effectually change them. A sight of the awful greatness of God may overpower men’s strength, and be more than they can endure; but if the moral beauty of God be hid, the enmity of the heart will remain in its full strength. No love will be enkindled; the will, instead of being effectually gained, will remain inflexible. But the first glimpse of the moral and spiritual glory of God shining into the heart produces all these effects as it were with omnipotent power, which nothing can withstand.” Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections

“My faith has no bed to sleep upon but omnipotence.” Samuel Rutherford

“There is no higher honor or glory for a human being to receive on this planet than that of partaking in the humiliation of Christ. That is only part of His glory He will share with us in this world. In heaven, the rest of His glory will be showered upon us, but now we glory in His cross.” RC Sproul, Acts, 122