Acts 5:22-32

chapter 5 verses 22 through 32 acts chapter 5 verses 22 through 32. let's make sure that everybody is online wonderful i think we're just about ready to start okay well good evening good evening good evening welcome to coffee and devotions this is where every day we get together we get into god's word and we grow in our love for the lord together and this year 2022 we'll get from axe to philemon let's go ahead and have some coffee well i got tea tonight we'll pray and we'll get into god's word let's go ahead and pray father we thank you so much for this day and we thank you for your word lord we pray that as we read your word that you would be our teacher that we would not just hear a good history lesson but that we would know who you are and we would walk in your ways in jesus name amen all right here we go acts chapter 5 verses 22 and following acts chapter 5 verses 22 through 32 but then but when the officers came and did not find them in the prison they returned and reported saying indeed we found the prison shut securely in the guard standing outside before the doors but when we opened them we found no one inside now when the high priest the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things they wondered what the outcome would be so one came and told them saying look the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple teeth and and teaching the people then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence for they feared the people lest they should be stoned and when they had brought them they set them before the council and the high priest asked them saying did we not strictly command you not to preach in this name and look you have filled jerusalem with your doctrine and and intend to bring this man's blood on us but peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey god rather than men the god of our fathers raised up jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree god he him him god has exalted to his right hand to be the to be prince and savior to give repentance to israel and forgiveness of sins and we are his witnesses to these things and so also in the holy spirit whom god has given to those who obey him well what an amazing story we need to ask ourselves a what is this about b what's the best verse to summarize this and see what are we called to do in response to these words so a what is this about remember the night before they had thrown them in prison the high priests and the sects of the sadducees and and you know the temple guards they had put them there and they had gathered together all the elders and they were waiting for the next morning to have their little pow wow after their trial of the apostles and and uh well an angel let them out and they go into the temple and preach and now it's the next morning and as they're you know rubbing the the dust off their eyes tell the the temple guards hey go get them and what do they find everything's shut up everything's normal as it should be but they aren't there where are the apostles well they're standing in the temple teaching hey look those guys you arrested last night they're out in the temple and they're teaching and so they go and they arrest them again but they do it without violence they do it without violence because the people are believing there are thousands of people who are believing and the religious authorities know that they can bring them in for questioning and stuff but if they were to do it with violence they would be met with violence they're worried about being stoned and they tell them hey hold on didn't we didn't we tell you not to teach in his name didn't we sternly admonish you not to do this and they say hold up buckaroo this is what this is what i have underlined i have this whole section of 29 through 32 underlined we ought to obey god rather than men we ought to obey god rather than men it was jesus christ himself who had told them to go to go and to preach the gospel in jerusalem in judea and samaria and to the ends of the earth they were to go and to teach all the nations and it didn't matter what the high priest said because god was greater than the high priest and so they were going to obey god rather than men and then what is that what are the high priests all worried about they're worried about you know the apostles are saying hey look you're the ones who murdered him and they don't want that blood on their hands and the blood really is on their hands and so p what is peter says peter say what did peter say the god of our fathers raised up jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree right they tried to kill the prince of life but god raised him up him god has exalted to his right hand to be prince and savior to give repentance to israel and forgiveness for sins see they tried to murder the prince and the savior but god exalted him up god lifted him up raised him from the dead he ascended up into heaven and he sat down at the right hand of god the father almighty and there he is the one who offers forgiveness they're calling the high priest a repentance they're calling the high priest to turn from his wicked ways and to trust in jesus christ they're calling the israelites to believe in jesus christ and we are his witnesses verse 32 and we are his witnesses to these things and so also is the holy spirit whom god has given to those who obey him they're witnesses they saw jesus christ they walked with jesus christ they ate with jesus christ after the resurrection and the holy spirit is now bearing testimony in the hearts of those who obey him what is this whole section about you can they could arrest the apostles and beat the apostles and threaten the apostles but guess what they were not going to be ashamed of the gospel of god for it was the power of or for the gospel of christ for it was the power of god unto salvation to everyone who believes and so they were doggedly determined to go and to fulfill the great commission they weren't going to stop what's the best verse why i told you what i have underlined in my bible feel free to let me know down in the comments what you would see calling what are we called to do in response to these words it is is it better for you to obey man or god there's all sorts of rules going on right now all sorts of laws in all sorts of nations against proselytizing all sorts of laws and regulations saying that you're not allowed to tell people about your religion well i'm sorry it's better to obey god than man do we really believe that jesus christ gave us the great commission then any ruler who tells us that we're not allowed to tell some about christ is a godless ruler and we must obey god rather than men now be ready be ready for the persecution that comes be ready for the affliction that comes be ready for the trials that come but the question is will you deny god before men jesus has something to say about that take courage take courage the holy spirit bears testimony with those who obey him don't think in an odd thing if you might suffer ridicule or persecution because you speak to someone about jesus christ it's going to happen let it happen it's okay it's better to have your father's face shine upon you than the world except you let's go ahead and pray father we thank you so much for sending out your apostles we thank you for sending your holy spirit lord we do pray that you would give us courage we pray that we would be those who would take seriously the great commission we pray that you would make our feet shod with the gospel we pray that we would go out clinging to our shield of faith wearing our helmet of salvation and dawning our breastplate of righteousness having our loins gird up with the belt of truth lord we pray that you would send us out as your ambassadors protected by your spirit lord we pray that you would please please send us out into this world to testify of our great savior jesus christ our exalted prince and savior in jesus name we pray amen well may god bless you tonight may have a great night's sleep i pray that the lord gives you a divine appointments this week to speak to someone about your prince and your savior i'll see you tomorrow bye