“So they brought them and presented them before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this Man’s blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers].’  Then Peter and the apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice]. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross [and you are responsible]. God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior and Deliverer, in order to grant repentance to Israel, and [to grant] forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him.’ …

“But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law [of Moses], highly esteemed by all the people, stood up in the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while. Then he said to the Council, ‘Men of Israel, be careful in regard to what you propose to do to these men. … So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men [merely human in origin], it will fail and be destroyed; but if it is of God [and it appears that it is], you will not be able to stop them; or else you may even be found fighting against God!’

“The Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) took his advice; and after summoning the apostles, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them. So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name.  And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).” -Acts 5:27-32, 34-35, 38-42, AMP

Standing Firm in Faith During Opposition

In 2020, the Church globally went through a similar situation to this passage of Scripture. Do you remember when the government in most states and countries shut the church doors and refused to let Christians gather in public? Some governments took it one step further and did not even permit people to sing in large crowds. In places like California, if a church did gather, it would face fines. If people met outside, they were required to be six feet apart and be under a certain number of people. Pastors globally were faced with the question: Do I obey the government or obey the Lord? For some, it was very clear cut, and for others, they followed “the law of the land.” I wonder how many processed through this passage of Scripture when they took their stand one way or another.

I remember sitting at a park near the church we had attended at the time. We had gone to share the gospel one Saturday morning. Our mega church had closed its doors, and the woman we were sharing with gave her opinion on the matter as one who was not a follower of Jesus but living through the fear of that COVID-19 season. She said to me, “Where do I go to find God if everyone’s doors are closed?” The world was watching how the Church was responding.

I pray we, the Church, learned something about incessant obedience in the face of opposition during that testing. As we can see from the response of the apostles, fear doesn’t determine the way forward for God’s people. The year 2020 was a practice run for the response of the Church in the face of opposition and eventually persecution on a greater scale. If we don’t get Acts 5 deep in our spirit before we face opposition and persecution, we will crumble.

“The Apostles were not political revolutionaries. Their aims were spiritual, not material. Yes, they ultimately served another kingdom; but as Jesus taught, his kingdom was not of this world, (John 18:36). Acts 5:29 shows that the apostles understood the government’s authority in their life, but they also recognized that the government was not to be given ultimate and complete loyalty. When an order from the government demands that we compromise the gospel, Christians must respectfully disobey human authority and remain faithful to God. In short, we must obey God rather than man.” -R. Albert Mohler, Jr., “Acts 1-12 For You”

Beat But Not Defeated

We can see that Acts 4 was a rehearsal for the apostles to stand before the Sanhedrin and face imprisonment. This particular trial upticks in intensity with their flogging of 39 lashes, which literally tore the skin from their backs. The heat was being turned up, setting the stage for Stephen’s martyrdom and the entrance of Paul on the scene. They were not backing down! In fact, the Great Commission was so important to them that we get a hint of their incessant obedience with evangelism in verse 28—they had filled Jerusalem with their teaching. But what was God doing in these apostles to prepare them to persevere and advance the gospel?

• The name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus was not only their testimony but it was how they were overcoming this persecution (Revelation 12:11-12).
• Peter was confident in the facts of the gospel (Acts 5:30-32).
• They were resolute in their obedience: “‘We must obey God rather than men … (Acts 5:29, AMP).’”
• They ministered in the power of the Spirit, which not only elevated their message far beyond religious law but showed that their power was from God. This is where their boldness and fearlessness came from.
• They had a clear strategy: teaching and proclaiming the gospel in the temple courts and house to house.
• Not once did they retreat as they continually relied on God’s presence and power and counted their suffering as both a joy and an honor.
• They were concerned more about the advancement of the gospel than their own comfort and security.

“Incredibly, the apostles rejoice over their flogging, because ‘they have been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name’ (v.41). This is an oxymoron: The disgrace was an indicator of their worth, so they felt honored by the dishonor! ‘Their suffering allowed them to demonstrate their loyalty’ to Christ. We see here a new dimension in the exposition on suffering, a major subtheme of Acts: to suffer for Christ is an honor that causes joy.” –“The NIV Application Commentary”

Suffering for the Sake of the Gospel

The application of this passage of Scripture must be tied tightly to the advancement of the gospel. It’s not a principle for the justification of selfish ambition. How much are we willing to suffer for the gospel? To what length will we obey the command of Jesus to go and take the gospel to the ends of the Earth? If it costs us our time, security, comfort, and resources, is He worth it? If obedience to Christ costs us our lives, is He worth it?

There has been a lot of discussion around the precious couple who were martyred in Haiti a week or so ago. I approached two men at a bagel store this weekend to share with them the love of Jesus, and one could not get over the fact these two were willing to die for their faith. As an agnostic, he was stumped by this sacrifice. Church, we have a lot to wrestle with in this hour. To what length will we be marked with incessant obedience? Do we simply applaud those in China, Pakistan, North Korea, and India who are being imprisoned and tortured and killed? What about those in America who are being canceled, mocked, intimidated, and arrested? To what length will you and I take a stand, and upon which basis are we standing?

The same facts of the gospel, conviction of His name and His blood, and dependence on the Spirit must indeed be our heart’s stand. If we aren’t there, I beseech you to ask the Lord to take us there so we are unwavering in what is coming around the corner for the Church.

Deep unto deep, do this in us, Lord, for Your name’s sake and so the lost will hear about Jesus. May we not count our lives greater than our obedience and love for You, Jesus. Grow us up quickly and give us deep roots in Your Word in this hour! Find us faithful when You return, Jesus, living every day for Your purposes!

 A Few Key Notes

• Join us for three cross-cultural dinners this summer on June 13, July 11, and August 15. We will enjoy a meal while learning about the Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim cultures and faith. You will experience an evening of sisterhood, education, and conversation as we discuss what God is doing among these three major world religions. Registration is free; you will only have to pay for the cost of your dinner.
• Save the date for our upcoming Arise Luncheon on August 22, 2024. Lock arms with other women as we welcome author and Bible teacher Kat Armstrong as our special guest! Registration details are coming soon.