Acts 5:17

Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and they were filled with indignation. And they laid their hands on the apostles and put them in a common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them forth and said, go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. (Acts 5:17)

When the doors swing open in the middle of the night, the question isn't whether to flee, but whether you will go, stand, and speak.

God on the Move, the Enemy on the Attack

Over the last couple of months we have been going through the book of Acts, seeing how the Lord began His church. He gave His church a commission at the end of Matthew 28: go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He commanded, with the promise, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Before they could fulfill that mission, they had to wait in Jerusalem to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2 God poured out the Spirit, and they became effective witnesses, declaring the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But whenever God by His Spirit begins to move in a life and in a church, there will always be opposition. The enemy, our adversary the devil, will always stir up a work against the work God is doing.

We are thankful because greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Some within the church throughout the ages have thought Satan is God's equal and opposite adversary. That is not true. Satan is not equal to God in power and strength. He is a created being. Our God is greater, and He has won the war. It is finished. We still see the residual effects of the battle, but the end is settled. And Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. The church is an active force, fighting in this world, moving against the work of the enemy, and the gates of hell will not be able to hold it back.

From Persecution in Word to Persecution in Deed

The first opposition the early church faced was in word only. In Acts 4:18 the leaders commanded the apostles not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and the others said, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Oh, that we would say the same thing—that we can't help but speak the things the Lord has spoken to us.

Beginning in Acts 5, that persecution in word starts to become persecution in deed. It will escalate through the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7, and into Acts 8 when Saul begins to wage war against the church. This is a powerful testimony of the early church, and it is applicable to us. God is on the move today as He was 2,000 years ago, and so we should expect opposition—against the church corporately and against us individually. Some of you this morning are facing trial or persecution tied to your witness of the Lord.

Peter tells us that if we suffer for our own foolish things, there's no commendation in that. But if we suffer for the Lord, there is great blessing. In our nation, blessed with religious freedom, the persecution is largely verbal for now. But I believe a time may come when the body of Christ experiences physical persecution, when they begin to say, "No, you can't talk about these things." That is why we need to see how the early church reacted, so that we are prepared to react in like manner.

The Fury of the Leaders

The high priest rose up, and all those with him—the ruling class that made up the Sanhedrin. The group with the most power were the Sadducees, who did not believe in the supernatural, and specifically did not believe in the resurrection. Yet the apostles were boldly proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everyone in Jerusalem knew Jesus had died on a cross and been buried in a tomb, but they could not find His body, because He did not stay in the tomb. He is risen indeed.

So they were filled with indignation. The same word is used of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3. The king built a great golden image on the plains of Babylon and commanded everyone to bow at the sound of the music. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, "We will not bow." When they refused, Nebuchadnezzar's face changed and he was full of fury, commanding the furnace be stoked seven times hotter. Yet the Lord saved them out of the midst of the persecution.

The Greek word translated indignation or fury is zelos—the source of our English word zeal. Zeal can be good or bad, and in the New Testament it most often carries a bad connotation. Paul wrote of the Jewish people in Romans 10:2, "I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." There are religious people today—including some who consider themselves Christians—who have a zeal without knowledge and do wicked things, twisting Scripture out of context for their own gain.

Paul understood this personally. Before he was Paul, he was Saul of Tarsus, a zealous Pharisee. In Philippians 3:6 he writes that "concerning zeal" he persecuted the church—a zeal without knowledge, an ignorance for which God extended mercy. The Bible does exhort us to be passionate and zealous for God, but our zeal must be counteracted with the Word of God, or we end up in all kinds of awkward situations.

The Freedom of the Lord

So these furious leaders laid hands on the apostles—not the way we lay hands to pray for the sick or send out missionaries, but to seize them—and put them in a common prison to deal with them. But in the night, the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them forth.

Here we see the freedom of the Lord. God set these men at liberty, taking them out of bondage and out into the street. When Jesus came to Nazareth, He read from Isaiah 61, which speaks of the Messiah's ministry to set the captives free. Psalm 107 tells of those bound in captivity whom the Lord sets at liberty. Every one of us was once bound because of our sin, but hopefully all of you this morning have been set free by Christ.

Consider their situation. They had been straitly warned in Acts 4:18 not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. They broke that command, were imprisoned, and were awaiting trial. Then suddenly, in the middle of the night, the doors open. What would you be tempted to think? "Things aren't working out in Jerusalem—let's leave town." But God set them free for a purpose.

Go, Stand, and Speak

Verse 20 says, "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." Let's unpack it. The first word—go—is the very word Jesus gave in His commission. The disciples were commissioned to go and fulfill a purpose, and that purpose was not yet finished in Jerusalem. When God is done with me and with you, He will take us home. The fact that we are still here means God is not done; He still has work to do.

The second word is stand. This church was to make a stance for the Lord. But how can we stand in the face of opposition, in a culture averse to us? Paul gives the answer in Ephesians 6. We are in a very real battle, but it is not a physical one. Every physical incursion in this world is an indication of a spiritual battle behind the scenes. The opposition in Jerusalem was a physical manifestation of a spiritual battle, and the enemy is doing the same today.

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Who wears armor? Soldiers. God has called us to be soldiers in His battle, but our battle is not physical. He lists the armor: loins girt with truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith to quench the fiery darts, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, praying always.

Notice what Paul does not say. He does not say, "Arm yourselves with AK-47s and grenades and tanks." The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty. We can be victorious in Christ as we put on the whole armor of God and stand—but we have to decide to do so. The apostles had the chance to flee, but they had a commission to stand, and we have been given the same commission in the day in which we live.

The third word is speak in the temple. Underline that—"in the temple." That is like going into the lion's den, right into the realm overseen by the very leaders who had told them not to speak in the name of Jesus. These men were set free with a purpose, and you, having been set free by God, have a purpose and a commission. He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, equipping us for this battle—but putting on the armor takes effort. And when they heard, they obeyed the heavenly call and entered the temple.

The Faith of the Apostles

Early in the morning they wasted no time and taught the people. Meanwhile the high priest called the council and the senate of Israel together and sent to the prison for the apostles. But the officers found them not, returning to report, "The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within."

Isn't that remarkable? They had locked it, barred it, and set watchmen who knew their own lives were forfeit if a prisoner escaped—capital punishment came upon those who lost a prisoner. So those guards were vigilant. Yet a door locked by man is no door at all to God. The angel of the Lord opened it, and they went out, while the morning found the doors still shut and the guards still standing. It is a clear miracle. Our God is able to blind eyes, open doors no man can shut, and shut doors no man can open. He is alive and well and working today.

I remember Pastor John Michaels, formerly of Calvary Chapel in Las Vegas, telling how he once went to China to smuggle Bibles in. He was given two bags of Bibles and put on a train, where a woman met him to lead him to the border. At the customs checkpoint, with armed guards and observation tables, he asked, "What do we do?" She said, "See those doors at the end of the hall? Walk to them, go out, and just pray that God would make you invisible." He kept asking, and she kept saying the same thing. He said the closer he got to those tables, the more fervent his prayer became—"God, please make me invisible"—until he walked right out the doors. Our God is alive and powerful, and sometimes we forget it.

More and more there is an outcry, still a minority but growing, telling the church to "keep your religion in the pew"—or for us at Calvary Chapel, in the fluffy blue chairs—and out of the public arena. But that is not what God told us to do. He told us to go and make disciples, teaching them all He has commanded. We are to stand fully armored and ready to speak the truth at any time, and God will open a door. The world's locks mean nothing to Him.

The Fear of Man Versus the Fear of God

When the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard, they wondered what would come of it—until one came and told them, "Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people." Exactly what God commanded: go, stand, speak. They could have run, but they fulfilled the calling.

The captain brought them without violence, "for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned." Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of man bringeth a snare." These religious leaders feared what men thought—they followed the public opinion polls of the day, ready to change their message because the people didn't like it. We see the same fear in our own elected officials and judges, who make unwise decisions because of the fear of man. Sadly, this fear has entered the church too, when we are afraid to speak to unbelievers lest they not like us.

But Proverbs 1 and 9 and Psalm 111:10 tell us, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." Solomon, one of the wisest who ever lived, concluded Ecclesiastes: "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Every week as I prepare messages, I come to passages and think, "I can't say that"—and then I think, "Why? I'm not afraid of what man thinks." I pray you wouldn't be either. These apostles feared God, and they had reason to: just days before, God had struck two people dead before them. Who would you fear?

This week Prop 8 comes before the Supreme Court of California, and those justices are fearful of what people think. We need to pray for them, though I fear many have had their consciences seared as with a hot iron, calling evil good and good evil, light darkness and darkness light. Let us pray, and even fast if the Lord calls you, on behalf of those arguing for traditional marriage.

We Ought to Obey God Rather Than Men

When the apostles were set before the council, the high priest said, "Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? And, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine." Oh, I hope it could be said of us that we have filled all of Escondido, all of San Diego County, with the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

"And intend to bring this man's blood upon us," they added—the very same leaders who in Matthew 27:25 had cried, "His blood be on us, and on our children." Now they recoil from it. Yet every one of us is responsible for the death of Christ, and I believe it was the apostles' deliberate desire to bring the blood of Jesus upon these men, because His blood is the only atoning sacrifice.

Peter and the apostles answered, "We ought to obey God rather than men." Underline that—star it, highlight it. Then Peter declared the gospel in two verses with four points: "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Man's guilt, Jesus' death, Jesus' resurrection, and man's responsibility to repent and receive forgiveness. Memorize these two verses. Sometimes we're afraid to share because we don't know what to say—here it is, simply laid out. "And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him."

When they heard this, they were cut to the heart. The same words appear in Acts 7:54 of Stephen's hearers, who gnashed on him with their teeth. They were cut to the heart, but their hearts were not cut through. Joel 2:13 says, "Rend your heart, and not your garments." These men would not let the penetrating Word reach their hard, wicked hearts to bring repentance—instead they took counsel to slay them.

The Forewarning of Gamaliel

Then stood up a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law held in reputation among the people. Putting the apostles outside, he said, "Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men." He cited history: Theudas rose up boasting himself to be somebody, gathered about 400 men, and when he was slain, all his followers scattered to nothing. After him Judas of Galilee drew away people in the days of the taxing, and he too perished, and his followers dispersed.

"Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." The Word of God is an anvil that has worn out many hammers. Many have sought to destroy God's Word and the proclamation of His truth, and they have died while His Word lives. We don't know whether Gamaliel became a believer—some traditions say he did—but his counsel was wise: if it isn't of God, it will collapse; if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, and to fight it is to fight against God.

Here is an interesting point. Gamaliel's pupil was Saul of Tarsus, likely in that very room. Yet in Acts 8 Saul disregards his teacher's advice and makes war on the church, until in Acts 9 the Lord knocks him off his donkey and says, "Why persecutest thou me?" Gamaliel was right: if you fight against God, you will lose—every time, all the time. Some of you walk with a limp like Jacob because you fought with God and He won. Some of you are still fighting Him today. Let me tell you, He is going to win. It's tap out or knock out.

Rejoicing to Suffer Shame for His Name

The council agreed with Gamaliel, but only in lip service—for "when they had called the apostles, and beaten them," they commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The word translated "beaten" carries the sense of being filleted or flayed; they were likely whipped severely.

Did they walk away and decide to keep quiet? No. "They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." They went right back to the work God commissioned them to do, with great boldness, even after being threatened. They obeyed God more than man—and may that be our stance as well.

In a few months we hope to have Brad Dacus come share with us, as he did at the men's retreat, giving support to the rights we have as citizens of this nation to speak. We have freedom of speech, and though society and the media try to silence us, we need to speak the Word of God with boldness. But even if we lose our rights, even if persecution comes in our day, we still need to declare the truth—because multitudes are going to hell. I want to be a speed bump on their path to hell, even if it angers them. May the Lord give us boldness.

Closing Prayer

Father, I thank You for this testimony before us in Acts 5. As we continue through the book of Acts, I pray that You would strengthen this body, and not just this church, but the other churches in our area that stand upon the truth of Your inerrant word. Lord, fill the church with Your Spirit—Calvary Chapel of Escondido, Calvary Chapel of Hidden Valley, Emmanuel Faith, and Mission Hills Church—we lift these fellowships into Your hands. By Your strength, strengthen us to stand even when we see the fury of those who come against us. You have given us freedom; help us to stand in faith, trusting in You. I thank You for the work You're doing in our midst, and I pray You would pour out a blessing as we prepare to go from here. We ask it in Jesus' name, and all agree together saying, Amen.