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SERMON SERIES: We’re currently in a sermon series through the book of Acts. Today we’ll read about how the early church dealt with pushback.
The Apostles Arrested and Freed
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. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
In this part of God’s Word we’ll see a group of people who completely miss out on what God is doing. By taking a close look at their actions we can learn…
1. Ignore God’s Word
Acts 5:17, Heb. 4:12, 2 Tim. 3:16, Rom. 1:18-25, Prov. 1:20-33, John 12:48, Matt. 4:4
2. Let your selfish desires rule you
Acts 5:17-18, James 1:13-15, 4:1-3, 1 Tim. 6:10, 1 John 2:16-17, Col. 3:5
3. Be closed off to what God is doing
Acts 5:19-25, Gal. 5:25, Rom. 12:1-2, 1 Thess. 5:19, Rom. 8:14, John 14:16-17
4. Refuse to listen
Acts 5:21-28, James 1:19, Prov. 12:15, 18:20, 19:20, Rom. 10:17
5. Reject repentance
Acts 5:29-33, 2:38, Ps. 51:17, 2 Pet. 3:9, 1 John 1:9, Ez. 18:23, Luke 15:7
6. Have no self-control
Acts 5:33, Gal. 5:19-25, Prov. 16:32, 25:28, 2 Tim. 1:7, Titus 1:8, 1 Pet. 4:7
7. Don’t be reasonable
Acts 5:34-42, Phil. 4:5, James 3:17, 1 Pet. 3:15
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Acts 5:17-42 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- As you think about this sermon series through the book of Acts, what observation do you have?
- Looking back on your life, was there ever a time where you feel like you missed out on what God had for you? What factored into that, and how can you make sure that doesn’t happen again?
Diving In
- If we’re not going to miss out on what God has for us, it is essential that we are founded on God’s Word. How well are you founded on God’s Word, and what can you do to ensure that you’re growing in that area for your life?
- The religious leaders from this part of God’s Word let their selfish desires and emotions get the best of them, to the point where they missed out on what God had for them. How often does that happen in your life? What emotions typically get the best of you, and how can your surrender that to the Lord?
- Read Philippians 4:5. Being reasonable is getting less and less popular, yet God’s Word makes it clear that it is essential to have as a believer. How reasonable are you, and how could you grow in that area of your life?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?