LEVERAGING SUFFERING FOR

GOD’S GLORY

(ACTS 5)

MESSAGE 4

SERIES: “SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS REAL”

A Sermon by Dr. Jeremy Roberts

Dr. Jeremy Roberts

ii

LEVERAGING SUFFERING FOR GOD’S GLORY

MESSAGE 4 of 4

SERIES: SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS REAL

PUBLISHED BY DR. JEREMY ROBERTS

Copyright © 2019 Dr. Jeremy Roberts

Preached at Thomasville Road Baptist Church, Tallahassee, FL

3 November 2019

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry

of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved.

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Today, we conclude our message series on spiritual warfare. We’ve looked at (1) how to identify and fight against spiritual warfare, (2) comfort in God while experiencing spiritual warfare, (3) overcoming temptation, and today (4) we are learning about suffering in the midst of our respective walks with Christ. Also, today’s message will address the suffering of an entire flock as a form of spiritual warfare.

The church on mission for God’s glory moves in the power of Christ who conquered death, hell, and the grave. No one can fight God and win the battle! Even though the religious court beat each of Christ’s missionaries severely, the movement did not diminish. The locomotive didn’t slow. In fact, the church continued to grow through the power of Christ and His gospel.

What’s inspiring about this account of the church on mission is that those who were beaten found joy in their suffering. They found themselves sharing the struggles of the One they followed. It was their delight to be counted worthy to suffer in His name as they continued the mission of God, advancing His fame. This joy fueled the flame of obedience to the mission, as they did not stop teaching and preaching Christ everywhere they went.

May God grant our church on mission that same joy. As we face the persecution and hostility that the mission for God’s glory will certainly

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bring, we can find joy in the sufferings of Christ. We find joy in the advance of the mission and the expansion of God’s glory in the communities with which He sends us to intersect. And this joy inspires a constant commitment to the mission of preaching and teaching Christ everywhere we go. No one can fight God and win! And when His church advances on mission for His glory, then not even the gates of hell shall prevail against her.

I. Winning at Integrity (vv. 1–11)

As a freshman at Liberty University, there were two snipers in Virginia, where Liberty is located named John Allen Muhammad and John Boyd Malvo. They were going around the state, shooting people at random.

It resulted in a lot of suffering and fear. Jerry Falwell, Sr., who was president of Liberty at the time, instructed all of the males at our school to pump gas for all of the ladies with whom we were classmates since many of the shootings took place while people were fueling their vehicles.

It was a time where the entire Old Dominion state, in particular, suffered. Muhammed and Malvo brought fear into the hearts of a lot of people. On the morning after the snipers were captured, Linda Rivera, loading her groceries in the parking lot where the sniper took his first victim, said, “It’s cold out, it’s overcast, but I haven’t seen a more glorious day in this area for quite a while.”i

The church at Jerusalem was experiencing cold and overcast days, but there was the shining ray of victory because the attack of Satan had been thwarted. Even though the tragedy was real for the church, the mission would continue because the integrity of the church was not lost.

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A. The purity of the church is never negotiable.

When the deceit of Ananias and Sapphira occurred, it was akin to the carnage of Achan’s deceit upon the children of Israel when they first entered the land of promise (Joshua 7:10–13).ii As it was for the children of Israel, so it was true for the church in Jerusalem. God would not allow His people gathered to sink into the mire of moral collapse.iii As it was true for the church in Jerusalem, so it is true for Thomasville Road Baptist Church today. God’s favor will not rest upon the church that leaves sin unconfessed in her ranks. It is the picture of powerlessness when the church today embraces corruption through negligence or cowardice.iv

The church is the Bride of Christ, and she must be pure (1 Peter 1:13–16). It is simply not negotiable.v For this reason, Scripture calls the church to embrace discipline so that the members may be led to restoration and reconciliation (1 Corinthians 5:1–11; Galatians 6:1).vi The first church confronted the sin quickly. God acted with swift judgment in order to demonstrate His demand for holiness in the church.vii

God calls the church to be holy, to reflect His glory in the world. It is not negotiable! When sin rampages through the church, then the church must follow the example of the church in Jerusalem (as well as the remainder of Scripture). The church must seek to maintain the health of the community (1 Corinthians 5:6–8). Most importantly, the church must reflect Christ’s character to the world. The church must be “conspicuously holy” for God’s honor.viii

B. Christ knows the condition of His Bride.

God is the “knower of my heart.” There is nothing that I can conceal from His Holy gaze. Every blotch of sin in the church is on God’s radar screen right now. When we see our sin and God’s holiness, it calls us to get real with Him and with one another! It’s time to win the integrity war today.

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We can’t sit in complacency and silence while the sniper of sin, Satan himself, waits to steal, kill, and destroy. We need men and women, students and senior adults, to pursue Christ with a whole-hearted devotion.ix

i. Holiness in the church brings glory to God.

What draws a lost world to Christ is a people who are committed to holiness. The people praised the first church for their stand against sin.x And they will be drawn to the holiness of God’s people when we lift high His standard of righteousness in our own community of believers.

When the church reflects God’s holiness, then God will favor the church and His blessings will lead to the advance of His mission.xi The church serves God’s glory by living as the visible expression of the gospel to the watching world.xii When the church reflects God’s holiness, the gospel itself is communicated to others.xiii The nature of God --- His holiness, love, grace, mercy, justice --- expressed through the life of the church provides the refuge of stability and meaningful relationships.xiv

ii. Get real.

For the church to honor God and be His people on mission, we must get real about our attitude toward God. We must get real about our sin and repent. To win the integrity war is a choice. What is the choice that you will make this morning? When we come to the moment of confession in our lives and in our church, God will shower our hearts and our church with His glorious Light. People will be drawn to Him and to the people who stand up for Him. And the church will be a shining beacon of God’s glory in a world of darkness as we pursue His mission.

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II. Anticipate Great Things (5:12)

John Smoltz, the powerful professional baseball pitcher, described his journey toward purpose.

“After having surgery in 1994, I really came to grips in ’95 and ’96 with what it means to have a true relationship with Christ. I was freed from trying to get public acceptance and having my performance dictate who I was. It was easier to keep my emotions in check by playing for an audience of One, not an audience of millions. Honors and awards are nice, but they’re not everything. Seek God’s acceptance. Worldly acceptance is temporary—God’s is eternal.”xv

The church embarks upon God’s mission for His honor through the growth of the kingdom. The first church set the example that we follow.xvi In the text today, we find that the church at Jerusalem embraced certain principles that give us insight for the church on mission today.

A. Anticipate great things from God.

The first church asked God to unveil “signs and wonders” for His glory and the fulfillment of the mission (4:29–30), and they believed that God would answer their prayer. They anticipated that God would do the miraculous.xvii They asked and believed that God would do great things in their church.xviii This anticipation propelled them forward, even in the face of challenges and difficulties.

I have a question for you: Do you expect God to do great things in the life of Thomasville Road?

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Great things come our way when Jesus Christ is our source of life. He is the One who brings the blessings of the miraculous into our world. His supernatural love invades our world with strength.

B. Anticipating the good from best practices.

We sit in our sterile environment of solid logic, creating human formula for the expansion of God’s kingdom. We spend countless hours perusing the latest leadership models, listening to growth gurus, and following trendy techniques. And the best that we can expect is what we can do with our hands and heads combined together. We believe in the “best practices” which will produce good results. Yet, so often we fail to anticipate God’s miraculous movement.

In no way am I suggesting that we do not peruse, listen, and occasionally follow certain approaches to the mission. At times, it is exactly what is needed in the context of our mission. But the church is primarily and essentially the supernatural creation of God Himself. To take our expectancy and “dumb it down” to the human level is to deny the supernatural DNA that God has built within His people.

The church on mission should not depend upon mere methods to advance. The church on mission should anticipate and depend upon the supernatural movement of God to advance the gospel and His kingdom through the church. God is calling us to anticipate great things. It is time for us to believe that God is sovereign, purposeful, and powerful to fulfill His mission with “signs and wonders” today.xix The first church asked God to do something great for His glory and the advance of the mission, and we should be asking the same.

God is calling His church to anticipate great things from His hand. The church on mission, moving forward under God’s favor for His glory, will see “signs and wonders” erupt on the landscape of the region into which

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God has sent her. This is not to suggest that the miraculous is at the disposal of the church or an individual believer. But it is to say emphatically that God remains God in heaven to work with power and demonstrate His glory through a miraculous movement in our world. And the miraculous movement of God excites the opportunity for witness.xx

We must anticipate great things from God.

III. It takes courage (5:13–14)

It takes courage to be a part of a revolution. Some people would rather sit on the sidelines than be a part of a world-changing movement. After all, it is safer on the sidelines most of the time. You don’t face the dangers of criticism, attack, or persecution.

The American Revolution was marked by men and women of great courage. There were individuals who risked the comfort of home, the income from work, and the future of their existence in order to see a nation formed. These men and women envisioned something great in their movement, and they believed that the revolution was worth the risk. Other people, however, sat on the sidelines, unwilling to risk themselves to see something greater than what they knew. They were willing to suffer the struggles that were common to their current lives rather than face the unknown pains of a movement. They failed to see beyond the risk. It takes courage to be a part of a revolution.

The church on mission is part of a revolution, and the members of the church on mission embark upon a world-changing movement. When Luke penned his paragraphs on the first church, he was unveiling the courage of those members who sought to honor God by advancing the kingdom.

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A. Some lack courage to be part of a church on mission.

We see the courage it takes to be a church on mission through the lens of the first church in Jerusalem. The members of this church were more than ready and willing to suffer indignities, to incur the criticism of others, to face persecution and jail, and even to give their lives for the sake of God’s glory. And God moved with power!

But not everyone had the courage to be a part of the church on mission.xxi Even though God was doing great things among the people and lives were being transformed for God’s glory, some people simply lacked the courage to connect themselves to the revolution. They were afraid and unwilling to connect with the church.xxii They kept their distance from the church on mission.xxiii

This is a principle that we need to hear as we seek to be God’s church on mission today. When God moves with power, there are some who lack the courage to be a part of something so completely beyond their control. They are afraid to risk for the sake of the gospel’s advance in Christ’s name. It takes courage to be a part of a revolution!

B. A church on mission encounters favor in the city.

The church on mission embraces the risk of serving God’s glory in the city, and the people notice. When a church determines to help the hurting in Christ’s name, but the people notice. When a church determines to be God’s helping hands for those broken by addictions, the people notice. When a church determines to stand publicly in the city square with arms open to those under the burden and weight of suffering, the people notice. The criticism may come and the comfort of the status quo may run and hide, but God will be honored and the people will notice.

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The church on mission in Jerusalem risked more than we can begin to imagine for God’s glory. And yet, they stood in the center of the city for Christ’s fame to be proclaimed. In the midst of the risk, the people noticed and made much of the church on mission.xxiv The church on mission in the city encounters favor from the people who are watching. And we can be certain that people are watching.

So, we must be God’s missionary people on mission, seeking God’s glorious fame to be spread in the alleys and the public square. God favors the church that risks for His glory. God moves with great power among the people through the mission that the church pursues. And even though some will lack the courage to part of the church on mission, God continues His work of redemption in the city. He draws sinners to the ultimate rescue of grace (5:14). The revolution continues!

It takes courage to be a part of a revolution. But when God grants us the vision to bring Him glory through the fulfillment of His mission in the city, we can be certain that the risk will result in magnificent, God-mapped reward. God is calling us today to take up the challenge and set our hearts and hands toward His glorious mission in our city today. Through the church on mission, multitudes of men and women will be added to His kingdom and His honor will be multiplied with every heart transformed. It takes courage to be part of a life-changing, eternity-altering movement. But that’s the mission of the church!

IV. We must obey (5:19–32)

On May 6, 1982, four Christian teenagers in China were arrested for sharing the gospel with others. They knew what kind of pressure was certain to follow. They lived without food or water for three days. Even though they faced the pain of torture, they continued to sing praises to God. They would not give up their commitment to Christ. And the gospel advanced. God’s glory illuminated the region through the obedience of His missionaries.

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Obedience. Now that’s a concept that I can understand. It means to do what you’re supposed to do, regardless what may be happening around you. For the church on mission, obedience is an essential ingredient, especially in the face of opposition.

The members of the first church faced challenges. They were arrested and thrown into prison. But they anticipated that God would do great things. He did. He broke them out of prison and gave them a command, “Speak to the people the words of this life.” And the church on mission obeyed. They went at first light to the very place where they would be conspicuous for God’s honor with God’s message of life and hope.xxv They were obedient to the mission that brought God great glory and honor.

It’s a beautiful process that God initiates. He does the great thing and saves us. We obey Him as His children. When challenges hit, we see how faithful God has been, and we obey Him. He does great things and moves the mountain. So, we obey Him, and we move forward on mission.xxvi There should be no hesitation, no debate, no search for consensus. Our obedience should come at first light, the first opportunity.

God has called us to fulfill His mission and share the message of life to all we encounter. He does the miraculous, creating a pathway for obedience. Yet, you and I must have the faith and courage to step forward. The threats of opposition are very real, but the mission is more important than any fears we face. God’s glory must be advanced. His fame must be broadcast to the nations. Our mission is clear! We must obey.

A. Going back for more, 5:19–21.

The church on mission is obedient even when opposition is high. Christ’s followers (missionaries) went back into the public squares of Jerusalem

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after God’s angel had set them free from the common prison. Even though the religious court’s officers didn’t find the missionaries in the cell, they didn’t have to look far. They were confused, but clarity was coming.xxvii

You might expect the church on mission to be in hiding when the threats are severe. Can you imagine the surprise of the religious court when they heard the news that these Christ-followers were in the temple sharing the words of life in Christ? They must have thought any sane person faced with threat of pain would run and hide after escaping from jail. But that’s not the character of the church. It’s not the character of Christ’s followers. We are a people ignited by a passion to honor God, and that means we will move forward on mission.

So the church at Jerusalem went back for more! They did not think that their obedience to the point of prison was sufficient. They went back for more! They did not consider the thousands they had seen transformed by the gospel sufficient. They went back for more! In a moment we’ll hear them rejoice over the added sufferings they received for the sake of Christ and the gospel. This is the character of the church on mission. We go back for more!

B. Filter everything through God’s purpose and mission, 5:29–32.

Alexander had a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” He woke up with gum in his hair, tripped on his skateboard when he was getting out of bed, and dropped his sweater in a sink of running water. On the way to school he had to sit in the middle, being scrunched and threatening to be carsick. His picture of the invisible castle didn’t get praise, and he was accused of singing too loud at singing time. He wasn’t Paul’s best friend anymore, and he didn’t even have dessert in his lunch. He had to go to the dentist after school, and he had a cavity. He fell in the mud and was scolded by his mother for punching his brother. He didn’t get the sneakers he wanted. He had lima beans for dinner, his bath was too hot, he got soap

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in his eyes, and he lost his marble down the drain. He went to bed, and his night light burned out and he bit his tongue. Alexander had a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”xxviii

The first church in Acts 5 was having a day like Alexander. The Sanhedrin faced off against the followers of Christ once again. They had enough of this talk about Jesus Christ. This Jesus thing was moving too fast and out of control. So, they arrested Peter and John again, hoping to stifle the movement with fear and threats.

Bad days are a part of the mission. The preacher in Ecclesiastes saw a lot of Alexander’s day in life.

7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. 8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 11:7–8)

For many of us, those days of darkness are not only remembered. They define our lives. But bad days are part of life. They are part of being a follower of Christ. Bad days are part of the mission.

We face those moments when friends turn their backs on us because we stand true to God’s calling. The dark clouds of anxiety can sweep us into despair, even though we seek to be faithful followers of Christ. Much of life is bound by the difficult days and traumatic events unfolding in wake of a tornadoes’ path. But most of us don’t have bad days like Job. Very few of us experience the bad days like David when he was hounded by Saul and hiding in the wilderness. How many of us would say that our bad days reach the level of Christ’s suffering?

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Yet, Jesus promised that we would face bad days as His followers.xxix The church on mission for God’s glory is not immune to bad days. The church on mission in Jerusalem certainly could testify that they were feeling the heat of opposition and persecution. And we can expect no less when we set our heart and hands to fulfill the calling of Christ upon our lives.

The church on mission in Jerusalem was having a bad day, but the religious leaders could not threaten the church on mission into submission. There was something in the heart of the church on mission that would not be stifled with threats or suffering. It was the attitude of the church in Jerusalem. The attitude that filled these Christ followers / missionaries set them on a course to honor God by advancing the mission regardless the day they faced. And this is the attitude that you and I must have in order to spread God’s fame. The church on mission has a winning attitude that takes life’s events and experiences and filters them through God’s amazing work.

I am one of those guys. You know the type. I’m the kind of guy that just sees something good happening, even when the flood waters are rising. Granted, there is something about being a “glass half full” person that God has put in me from the moment He formed me in my mother’s womb. But I pray that there is more to it than that. I pray that I might be infected with some of the attitude of Christ, who passes His attitude on to His followers. It is an attitude that filters the events of life through the wondrous work of God. It is an attitude that defines my experiences, not by how they make me feel, but by what God’s Word reveals.

It’s my prayer that you and I might be captured with the same attitude that captured the church on mission in Jerusalem. It is an attitude that is molded by the Master and set afire by the Spirit. It is an attitude transformed by the power of God as we pursue His plan for bringing His saving love to a darkened world.

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The leaders of the church in Jerusalem were possessed. You can hear it in their testimony before the court. Their first thought was not the threats or the danger or the difficulty. Their first thought was God’s work in the details. They would not bend, back up, or break before the threats because they owed everything to the One who had saved them.xxx They knew that God was working in their lives.xxxi

God not only saved them through Christ’s death on the cross, but His love worked for them in the details of their lives. The apostles were placed publicly in prison,xxxii but in the midnight moments God’s messengers set them free (5:17-19). God’s love for them was at work. He sent them into the world, and He was with them as they traveled on mission for their Master.

The missionaries saw God’s work because they had spent time in God’s Word.xxxiii God worked to bring Jesus on the scene of human history to save humanity from the death of sin. He is at work in our lives today to set us free from the public prisons that chain us to the past and to circumstance so that we might fulfill His mission. Everything that we experience and every event that threatens us can be the right opportunity for God to move with power through our obedience and faithfulness in the advance of His mission.

Today, we need to filter everything through God’s Word so that we recognize His work for His glory. Because the church on mission lives for God’s glory, you and I can taste His pleasure in the difficulties we face. Those moments highlight His glory and feed us the joy of His majesty. We may have “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days,” but God transforms them into a shining beacon of His love and power. We are His people on mission because we are His people, and mission is what His people do. Here and now, we need an attitude that sees His work unveiled by His Word propelling us forward to fulfill the mandate to expand His fame in the world. Even on “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.”

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C. Understand our confidence is in Christ, 5:29–32.

Like Alexander and his “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,”xxxiv we can be overwhelmed by the challenges that we face. It seems at times that everything we try ends up badly. We can work diligently, even for God’s glorious mission, and there appear roadblocks and spikes to keep us from going forward. Our hearts can be set on mission, and someone will throw a wet blanket of kerosene on our backs – and then strike the match!

So, even when we filter our bad days through the lens of God’s Word and His work of love, we may not be filled with a sense of confidence. I received a letter the other day that helps to describe what the leaders of the church in Jerusalem certainly felt at times. In the letter, a young man gave the scenario of the multiple “bad days” that he was experiencing. He wrote that he was doing what he believed God wanted him to do, but he was confused by God’s lack of support.

Have you been there? I know that I have. I have faced those days when I seek to fulfill God’s desire and design, but the events don’t seem to turnaround. In those moments, we can face the doubt that cripples us as Christ’s followers on mission. Certainly, Peter, John, and the other leaders in the church at Jerusalem could have succumbed to this paralyzing doubt, and who would blame them?

Instead, we hear the church on mission proclaim their confidence time and again. We hear the courage of their words born of a faith that refuses to be crippled by doubt (and that is what the young man found in his life as well). Even when we’re having the badness of days overshadow the goodness of life in God’s grip, we can have a stubborn, bold confidence.

i. Christ’s victory is the church’s confidence.

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This stubborn, bold confidence, however, was not something that these missionaries “thought” or “felt” into existence. Their confidence was supremely founded upon the victory of God through Jesus Christ. The church in Jerusalem possessed an attitude that saw Christ’s victory in the details of their life. Christ Jesus was not killed and then conquered by that killing. God brought the victory over death and sin! Jesus did not remain decaying in a borrowed tomb. God victoriously raised Him from death’s shroud and covered Him with the royal robes of Prince and Savior.

This victory is our confidence for every day!xxxv If the One who defeated death, hell, and the grave is working for us, then His victory becomes the standard and strength by which we live, no matter how tough or terrible the day of difficulty.

7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:14–15)

We have the heart to say, “I will obey God no matter what,” when we bask in the victory of Christ’s presence in our lives. He leads us into the victory today.

ii. Our confidence is bolstered by the Big Picture.

Once again, we are challenged to stay focused on the big picture. The big picture is not what we feel. It’s not what we want. It’s not what is easy or

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accessible. It’s not what we’ve always done. It’s not what’s in it for me or my friends.

Jesus died and rose again to fulfill God’s glorious mission. This mission was His big picture. He left heaven’s throne and became skin and bone in order to die and be raised from the dead, so that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to people in death’s eternal embrace. He died and God exalted Him as the Prince and Deliverer. He is the Author of salvation.xxxvi

As witnesses of this divine mission, the leaders of the church in Jerusalem saw their role clearly. They were to focus on the big picture rather than the details of their difficult drama. They were called to follow in the steps of Jesus and declare the glorious news of God’s salvation come to the world through Jesus Christ.xxxvii Even though they could have been crippled, they became bold in their confidence that this moment of suffering before the Sanhedrin was a wondrous intersection that God ordained for them to fulfill the mission.xxxviii

No doubt, this is one of the key reasons that we hear the church rejoicing in Acts 5:42. They were following Christ as His missionaries in the world, and they were sharing in the sufferings that God’s grand plan would bring (Matt 5:10–12). So they set their hearts on obedience to God rather than seeking to please men. They went daily to the temple and in every house, always at all times teaching and preaching Jesus the Messiah! They were focused on the big picture.

God’s mission for the church transforms difficulty into opportunity. I read this week something that challenged me about my attitude. It is from John Maxwell and it goes like this: “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects the wind to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”xxxix

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The church on mission must have that kind of confidence built upon the victory of God through Christ. We don’t complain about the winds of change and trouble that surround us. We don’t even expect the winds to adjust in our favor. We boldly adjust our sails according to God’s purpose. We see the events in our lives as the wind that God has brought our way for His glory and the advance of His mission.

And we will be victorious, even as Christ Jesus is victorious! Where the Red Sea stood, God pushed back the waters and offered the dry land. When the walls around Jericho mocked, God brought down His power and shattered the walls. When thousands surrounded the city, God brought His angels to scatter the enemy. When a giant stood cursing God, God brought a young man with a slingshot and 5 stones to bring him down. When death played its dirge in the halls of heaven, God rolled away a stone and killed sin forever. This is our confidence! We live in triumph as we move forward on mission for God’s glory.

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ABOUT THE PREACHER | DR. JEREMY ROBERTS

Dr. Jeremy Roberts is Senior Pastor at Thomasville Road Baptist Church, Tallahassee, FL. With over 2,000 members, Thomasville Road is a thriving inter-generational church in the heart of Florida’s capital city. Additionally,

he serves as an Adjunct Professor at Liberty University and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Roberts has a D.Min. from Liberty

University. He and his wife, Charity, and their two daughters, Autumn and Lily, live in the Tallahassee area.

Connect with Dr. Roberts online:

Instagram: @JeremyPRoberts

Facebook.com/DrJeremyRoberts Thomasville Road Baptist Church: ThomasvilleRoad.org

iKatie Zernike, “Losing Its Terror, Mundane Brings Joy,” New York Times Online (October 24, 2002); www.nytimes.com/2002/10/25/national/25REAC.html?todaysheadlines. iiI. Howard Marshall, Acts of the Apostles, TNTC (reprint, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 111. “The verb kept back is identical with that used to describe the action of Achan in holding to some of the spoil from Jericho which was meant to be handed over to the house of the Lord or to be destroyed (Jos. 7:1).” Marshall’s contention, however, needs some explanation. Obviously, the term in Josh 7:1 is a different language, so how can Marshall claim that it is “identical.” The Hebrew term is lāqach, which means to “take or fetch” [Walter Kaiser, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1:875-78]. But in the LXX, the term, enosphisanto is used to describe Achan’s sin, which is identical to the Greek in Acts 5:2. iiiG. Campbell Morgan [The Acts of the Apostles (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1924), 150] writes that “He Who said, ‘I am the truth’ never made any peace with a lie.” ivMichael Green [Thirty Years that Changed the World: The Book of Acts for Today, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 237] asserts that the church “limps along powerless because corruption and wrongdoing is rife in its administration or leadership. God cannot and will not bless a church that is tolerating unconfessed sin.” vJohn L. Dagg [Manual for Church Order (Harrisonburg, VA: Gano, 1982), 274] writes that “when discipline leaves a church, Christ goes with it.”

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viFor a wonderful exposition of biblical church discipline, see Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, rev. ed. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2000), chapter 7. viiThis is the point of Darrell Bock [Acts, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), 227] who suggests that God’s swift and instantaneous judgment reveals the seriousness of sin in the sight of God. Further, the fact that such judgment is delayed (especially today) is a picture of God’s gracious mercy. In the end, however, “at this early stage, such a divine act serves to remind the community of its call to holiness and its loyalty to God.” viiiMark Dever [Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, 190] rightly asserts that “Christians are supposed to be conspicuously holy, not for our own reputation but for God’s.” ixJohn B. Polhill, Acts, NAC (Nashville: Broadman, 1992), 164. The fear of “half-hearted” allegiance to the apostolic community provides a corrective to the social ministry in which it engaged. The provision for an tis kreian eichen most likely attracted a large following in Jerusalem. The incident with Ananias and Sapphira, however, caused those who were looking for physical needs to evaluate their true commitment to Christ. Unless they were willing to submit to the Spirit’s power, they kept their distance. The judgment of Ananias and Sapphira creates an atmosphere in which people thought twice about joining the community of faith (Acts 5:13a; But no one of the rest had courage to unite with them). D. R. Schwartz [“Non-Joining Sympathizers (Acts 5,13-14),” Biblica 64 (1983): 550-55] proposes that the tension between the admiration of the people and their fear kept prospective converts from union with the apostolic community through the contribution of personal property. Bruce [The Book of Acts, rev. ed., NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 109] also indicates that these deaths dissuaded all but the totally committed from joining the community. C. C. Torrey [“The ‘Rest’ in Acts v. 13,” Expository Times 46 (1934-1935): 428-29] takes kolla`sqai as “to seize.” The religious leaders did not dare arrest the members of the apostolic community because of their favor and high-esteem by oJ laov". He considers loipw`n to refer to the Jewish religious leaders. I. Howard Marshall [Acts of the Apostles, TNTC (reprint, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 115] suggests that loipw`n is a technical idiom for unbelievers and the meaning of kolla`sqai means “to come near.” I follow Marshall who proposes the intent of the verse is: “unbelieving Jews kept away from the Christians.” xFollowing the divine judgment on Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), (Acts 5:13b; The people praised them).

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Hans Conzelmann [Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, trans. James Limburg, A. T. Kraabel, and D. H. Juel, Hermeneia (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987), 39] considers the verse “mere clumsiness” by the author. Marshall [Acts of the Apostles, 115] suggests that even those who feared participation in the apostolic community “could not help praising them as they were impressed by what they did.” Curtis Vaughan [Acts: A Study Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974), 38] proposes that the purity of the community and the obvious presence of the Lord promotes the growth of the church. The ethic of the commendable community, especially when joined with the powerful demonstrations of God’s presence and power, led to the growth of the community (Acts 5:14). xiCurtis Vaughan [Acts: A Study Guide Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974), 38] proposes that the purity of the first church demonstrated by God’s answer to the deceit of Ananias and Sapphira promoted the growth of the church. xiiDennis Hollinger [“The Church as Apologetic: A Sociology of Knowledge Perspective,” in Christian Apologetics in the Postmodern World, eds. Timothy R. Phillips and Dennis L. Okholm (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1995), 182-93] rightly proposes that the church, as “a visible, corporate expression” of the gospel, serves as a witness in the postmodern world. He proposes that the “plausibility structure” for the gospel is a “holy, loving, just, forgiving, life-giving community” which reflects the principle of love and the pattern of Christ (Ibid., 190). “Plausibility structure” is a “social structure which manifests the worldview of a people” (Ibid., 186). xiiiWilliam C. Placher [Unapologetic Theology: A Christian Voice in a Pluralistic Conversation (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1989), 167] suggests that the ethic of the church presents a model for life within community which postmodern people seek. xivKevin Graham Ford [Jesus for a New Generation: Putting the Gospel in the Language of Xers (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1995), 136-37] proposes that the church, as a “safe and nurturing haven of relational stability,” presents the most effective tool for the evangelization of postmodern people. xvArticle in Stand Firm (July 1999). xviJürgen Moltmann, The Church in the Power of the Spirit (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1977), 360. He writes: “The apostolic church is the missionary church.” The apostolic church in Acts believed that God purposed everything in history to culminate in the Christ-event. This divine purpose continues through the work of the Spirit in the church. According to J. C. O’Neill [The Theology of

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Acts in Its Historical Setting, 2d ed. (London: SPCK, 1970), 177-78], “the success of Christianity, despite all the set-backs it encountered, was used to support its claim to be the only true religion.” Adolf Schlatter [The Theology of the Apostles: The Development of New Testament Theology, trans. A. J. Köstenberger (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998), 28-31, 361] further suggests that the apostolic church possessed the conviction that Christ directed the community “from within and from without,” so that He is the supreme interpretation of history and the future. xviiI. H. Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles, TNTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980; reprint, 1999), 114-15. He writes: “This section links up directly with the prayer in 4:30 that God would help the church’s witness by performing signs and wonders. The deaths of Annanias and Sapphira could be regarded as examples of these, but Luke is now thinking of the healing ministry exercised not only by Peter (3:1-10) but also by the other apostles.” xviiiJohn B. Polhill, Acts, NAC (Nashville: Broadman, 1992), 163-64. The signs “pointed to and prepared the way for the witness to the world.” The wording of 5:12a clearly points that the apostles were not the agents of the signs and wonders. As Moule [An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek, 2d ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1959; reprint, 1994), 56-57] notes, the use of the preposition, dia, with cheiros; “hands”], indicates the means by which the signs and wonders were performed (the “mediating labor,” according to Bock [Acts, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), 230]). The verb, ginomai; “came to be”], points to the ongoing activity of the miracles. xixWayne Grudem [Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 358-59] asserts that the “signs and wonders” authenticated the message of the gospel that was being preached. Insightfully, Grudem suggests that the miraculous signs were not merely to authenticate Scripture. If that is the case, then one would expect “signs and wonders” to cease after the closing of the canon. Grudem proposes (rightfully in my opinion) that these miraculous works gave confirmation to the gospel and was not “limited to those who wrote Scripture or spoke with absolute apostolic authority.” He, therefore, suggests that these miraculous works “might be expected to continue throughout the church age.” For the classic presentation of “strict cessationism,” see B. B. Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles (reprint, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1972). Warfield’s contention is that the miracles served to authenticate and confirm the apostolic message during the time of the apostles. When the apostles died, then the miracles ceased. I am a conservative non-cessationist and align more with Grudem than Warfield in this regard.

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xxPolhill [Acts, 164] rightly notes that “The power of the miracles attracts. The awesome power of the Spirit that judges also demands commitment and responsibility.” xxiBock [Acts, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), 230-31] suggests that homothymadon hapantes; 5:12] refers to the apostles being together rather than to the members of the church. He takes this approach as he mines the possible (and somewhat troublesome) identification of tōn loipōn; “the rest”. In his estimation, the best solution to this identification is to see the apostles gathered together at Solomon’s portico, but “the rest” comprise those “believers who recognize the tense environment in which the apostles are working” and do not dare to associate with them in the temple ministry. Polhill [Acts, NAC (Nashville: Broadman, 1992), 163] asserts that such a position seems unlikely given the tone of the believers in Acts 2:24-31. Barrett [A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, vol. 1, Preliminary Introduction and Commentary on Acts I-XIV, ICC (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1994), 274] suggests that homothymadon hapantes applies to the believers in the church at Jerusalem while tōn loipōn refers to those who are not believers. Marshall [The Acts of the Apostles, TNTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 115] indicates that the term “became almost a technical term for non-believers.” Witherington [The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 225-26] asserts that such a position seems unlikely given the conversion of multitudes in verse 14. How could so many come to faith in Jesus Christ if they did not associate with the preaching of the word in the temple ministry? xxiiBAGD, 821-22. With the infinitive kollasthai following, this verb denotes courage or willingness. It is the same verb used in Rom 5:7 in which Paul considers that someone may be willing, or dare, to die for a good man. xxiiiSome interpreters take the infinitive, kollasthai, to mean something stronger than mere association. It would carry the significance of being “glued together” with another. As K. L. Schmidt in TDNT, 3:822] notes, the range of meaning for this verb moves from seeking closer connections (Acts 10:28) to sexual intimacy (Matt 19:5). The usage of this verb in Luke-Acts is found in the dust that clings to the feet (Luke 10:11), the prodigal son’s connection with the citizen of the foreign country (Luke 15:15), and discipleship (Acts 9:26; 17:34). Yet, as Marshall [The Acts of the Apostles, 115] notes, following Burchard [“Fussnoten zum neutestamentlichen Griechisch I,” Zeitshrift für die Neutestamentlich Wissenschaft 61 (1970): 159-61], the term carries the connotation of “to come near,” so that “unbelieving Jews kept away from the Christians and left them alone.” See also, Luke Timothy Johnson, The Acts of the Apostles, Sacra Pagina (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1992), 95.

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xxivThe Greek verb, megalunō, means to make much of something or someone. See Walter Grundman, in TDNT, 4:543. xxvMarshall [The Acts of the Apostles, TNTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 118] asserts that “the temple was the appropriate place for such proclamation, not only because it was a well-frequented place but above all because it was the place where God had chosen to make himself known to the people of Israel.” xxviRobert C. Tannehill [The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation, vol. 2, The Acts of the Apostles (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1990), 64] highlights this process displayed through Luke’s narrative in Acts 4-7. This process shows “the apostles and the church holding firm under this pressure.” xxviiBAGD, 187. This verb is used solely by Luke in the New Testament. The imperfect tense shows that the guards and religious leaders were absolutely and consistently confused by what the data before them communicated. Idiomatically, the verb with the phrase, ti an genoito touto, leaves them with the question about what would be the result of this turn of events. See C. K. Barrett, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, vol. 1, Preliminary Introduction and Commentary on Acts I-XIV, ICC (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1994), 286. xxviiiJudith Viorst, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, ill. Ray Cruz (New York: Scholastic, 1972).

xxixTake a moment and read what Jesus said in Matt 24:8-10. xxxBrian Rapske, “Opposition to the Plan of God and Persecution,” in Witness to the Gospel: The Theology of Acts, eds. I. Howard Marshall and David Peterson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 237. Once again, the church felt the “divine compulsion” to continue the mission that God had given them. Rapske notes that they were “additionally fortified by a miraculous release from prison and an angelic compulsion to publicly preach.” This divine necessity is found in the verb, dei, of 5:29. See also, C. H. Cosgrove, “The Divine in Luke-Acts,” Novum Testamentum 26 (1984): 186-90. xxxiCosgrove [“The Divine in Luke-Acts,” Novum Testamentum 26 (1984): 190] suggests that “the miracle of God’s presence in the ministry of Jesus is extended to the ministry of the church. Indeed the whole is viewed consistently in terms of the work of the Spirit and under the heading of ‘promise and fulfillment.’”

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xxxiiJohn B. Polhill, Acts, NAC (Nashville: Broadman, 1992), 165-66. See Polhill’s comments on the phrase, tērēsei dēmosia. He notes that phrase “could refer either to the ‘public jail’ or to their being put ‘in jail publicly.’” xxxiiiHaenchen [The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1971), 251] asserts that the “OT expression alludes to Deut. 21.22f. LXX, which the Christians applied to the crucifixion of Jesus.” xxxivJudith Viorst, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, ill. Ray Cruz (New York: Scholastic, 1972).

xxxvI. H. Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles, TNTC (reprint, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 119. Marshall concludes that the phrase, raised up Jesus, refers to the resurrection. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, rev. ed., NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 121. He notes that the phrase probably refers to God bringing Jesus on the scene of human history, just as He had raised up Abraham, Moses, and David, to accomplish the divine purpose of salvation. xxxviGeorg Bertram, in TDNT, 8: 609-10. In Acts 5:31, the exaltation of Christ focuses on the “soteriological aspect,” rather than the “inauguration of rule” and the “outpouring of the Spirit” as found in 2:33. In 5:31, the “exaltation to be Prince and Deliverer as the Author of salvation takes place in order to grant repentance and the remission of sins to Israel.” xxxviiBock [Acts, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), 248] notes that “Peter is highlighting that instead of the apostolic message about Jesus being a threat to the nation, as the leadership treats it, here is a chance to experience national blessing (Israel in Acts up to this point: 1:6; 2:26; 4:10, 27; 5:21). Jesus’s exaltation means that the blood of Jesus need not remain on the leaders’ heads. For with repentance and the forgiveness God offers through Jesus, all culpability can be forgiven.” xxxviiiMarshall [Acts of the Apostles, 120] writes: “The apostles use the opportunity provided in court to preach the gospel to their accusers and judges” (5:31). xxxixJohn Maxwell, Developing the Leader within You (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1993), 102.