Jesus gave the church her marching orders. The body of Christ is commanded to make disciples of all nations. This involves many several different things, but at its core we are called to be witnesses for Jesus. Disciples are to be His witnesses to the lost as we evangelize and to each other as we strengthen one another through discipleship. And whenever the church is "on mission," faithfully carrying out the will and word of our Lord, there will always be opposition. This is a theme we have seen repeated in the book of Acts. There is opposition from inside, shown in the previous account of Ananias and Sapphira, and there is always opposition from the world outside. Persecution and opposition from religious leaders surfaces again in Acts 5:17-42. Yet as the Apostles are arrested again, and beaten this time, we see what radical obedience to Christ looks like...and what it costs.

As we examine this text, we find that the call to be His witnesses is not without risks and consequences. But ultimately we find that Jesus is better. Jesus is better than our comfort, our ease, our safety. Jesus is better than anything we could hope to gain by running from His calling. When our hearts desire Him more than all things, we obey His command despite the risk - despite the consequences - Not because we are strong but because our hearts have been changed to love Him over anything we might lose in this world.

In Acts 5, opposition to the church’s mission doesn’t come from outside forces seeking to kill or imprison the community. This time, opposition attacks the church from within as Satan fills the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira to introduce hidden sin into the community of faith. The account of this married couple’s fate is a disturbing reminder of the seriousness of sin, both for the individual and for the church as she walks out the mission of Christ.

Though the church is perfectly forgiven and the condemnation of sin is removed by the blood of Jesus, sin is still wicked and reprehensible to God. Therefore, it must be reprehensible to us as well. We dwell in the presence of the Holy One - and He dwells in us. Our hearts and lives are exposed before Him. Not only do we see the seriousness of sin in this account, but we also understand the urgency of repentance. Sapphira is given an opportunity before God and His people to repent of her sin and be forgiven. Although sin is inevitable because we still dwell in fallen flesh, it is never acceptable. So John writes to the church saying, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9) We must walk humbly with our God, admitting our sin and casting our hope upon the death and resurrection of Jesus in order to live out our mission in His power.

Judah takes leadership of his brothers and demonstrates that his heart has been changed since the day when they sold Joseph into slavery.

In Acts 4:23-31, the early church in Jerusalem is notified that the ruling council has banned all teaching and all speech in Jesus’ name. Peter and John responded boldly to the rulers saying, "We cannot help but speak..." but now they return to the body of believers and tell them the command of the Sanhedrin. The church is on notice. From this point on, there will be consequences if they choose to continue speaking of Jesus. In our text for Sunday, we will examine how the church responds the the threat upon their safety. Will they run? Will they fight back? What can they do?

In verses 4:23-31, they do the only thing they can. They go together to the Lord in prayer, and their prayer teaches us so much about how we must respond not only to opposition to the gospel, but to any trial. When we are afraid - when we are weary - when we are worried - when we are hurting - when we feel like we can’t go on anymore - this text shows us how we respond. Although we will learn several things in this passage, the overarching point is, we cannot be faithful in our own strength. We cannot walk out this Christian life under our own steam. In the face of persecution and the threat of death, this church doesn’t beg God to take the trial away. They don’t plead in prayer that they would be physically protected or that the enemies would be destroyed. They pray, "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness..." (v.29). They asked for strength to be faithful to His calling regardless of what comes.

The same faith by which we cast ourselves upon Jesus for salvation is the faith by which we must cast ourselves upon Jesus to live the Christian life no matter what the circumstances.

Sunday we will finish looking at Peter’s interaction with the ruling council in Jerusalem. (Acts 4:13-22) Peter and John were arrested in the Temple court after they healed a lame man and proclaimed the risen Jesus to the crowd that gathered. After their arrest and questioning, Peter boldly proclaimed Jesus as God’s messiah to the council as well. He told them that there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name given by which men must be saved. This Sunday we will see the response of the council and examine Christ’s witnesses as they are opposed. Jesus has called His disciples to a life that witnesses to His glory and the gospel. This is exactly what Peter and John demonstrate as their boldness is evident to the religious leaders. They spoke with authority and confidence just as Jesus has done before this same council. The leaders could not help but recognize that these men "had been with Jesus." That was the source of their witness...and ours.

Peter and John truly believed that the gospel is the power of God. They truly believed that the risen Jesus was with them and therefore, they were not afraid to speak. Even when they were warned to never again speak in the name of Jesus, they respectfully tell the council "we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." This Sunday, we will look at our witness and how we draw strength from being with Jesus, and we will also look at the the obstacles that hinder us from speaking of what we have seen and heard.

Joseph ascends to the height of power and just as in his trials, God is with him. Joseph is faithful to Gods call.

Chapter 4 begins a turning point in the book of Acts. As the disciples obey Jesus’ command to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, opposition to the gospel mission rears its head. In fact, after chapter 3, there are only three chapters in the rest of the book of Acts that do not mention some form of persecution or opposition. This will be a reality in the life of the church until Jesus returns. However, opposition does not hinder the progress of the gospel. Historically just the opposite is true. The church grew most exponentially in the first three centuries under the most extreme persecution. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation even in the face of opposition.

Peter’s sermon at the end of Acts 3 was earth shaking for the people in the Temple courts. But as he stood before the crowd, the leaders of Jerusalem appeared to arrest he and John. These are the same men who turned Jesus over to be crucified and declared Him a blasphemer just two months earlier. Yet Luke tells us that despite this show of Temple authority, the gospel message took root in many hearts (Acts 4:4). And Sunday, we will see Peter give basically the same sermon before the Sanhedrin that he gave in the Temple courts. Through this, we will examine why the gospel always bring opposition (both worldly and spiritually) and we will see how we stand faithfully in the midst of it. We also see why we MUST stand faithfully - because "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Joseph is faithful in prison but he is forgotten rather than helped. He must wait on God's timing.