God’s Work Continues Despite Setbacks

Acts 5:12-29

Churches and Christians will have their ups and downs. Churches I’ve attended have experienced them. I know you have too. And when a church has a setback, we think - “That’s it! Things are going downhill. No hope anymore!” And that’s the case if we look to man. The Ananias and Sapphira scandal was very discouraging! After great growth and fruitfulness, the church experienced setback. Personal setbacks can also discourage. We’re growing in Christ and holiness, then we fall into gross sin. We’re devastated. We say - “How can God ever accept me? My Christian life is a sham! I’m such a hypocrite.” Why such discouragement? Partly because we don’t understand growth.

There are deep valleys in our lives, not just peaks. While we can accept plateaus, some here really can’t accept deep valleys of failure and sin. We can’t look past them. It’s detrimental - when failures come, we give up. Some give up Christ altogether or give up persevering. Some leave church disappointed. And this is the case when we don’t see change we expect in our lives or the lives of others. But here, we remember Christ’s promises. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church. It is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. Do we believe? Will we let setbacks set us back, or yield to him to work in and through us? In today’s account we see 2 challenging truths. If only we were to embrace them. Firstly, God will work powerfully through yielded people. Secondly, God will empower his defiant people.

Firstly, God will work powerfully through yielded people. After the fiasco with Ananias and Sapphira, you’d think the apostles would be discouraged. Many of us would be. But the apostles persevered. They saw it differently. When God purified the church, they were filled with reverence - not discouragement. It seemed like a setback. Yes, it was very sad. But they returned immediately to the temple. Verse 12 - “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.)”

Now, remember they were warned against this - but they did it anyway. Aas a result, many came from surrounding towns, verse 16; even superstitious residents brought their sick to be healed by Peter’s shadow, verse 15. Why did the apostles continue? It’s because they were yielded to Christ. In Acts 4:29-31, after their first arrest where they were told not to preach, they prayed. “Lord, give us more boldness to work miracles in the name of Christ despite the threats!” And God answered! He filled them with the Spirit and they preached more boldly. That’s why, after Ananias and Sapphira, they didn’t moan, groan, or lament why this happened. Because even that judgment was a miracle by their hands. And so they returned to Solomon’s Porch where they were first arrested. They ministered in obedience to God.

And it wasn’t just Peter and John. All of them yielded. Verse 12 says they were all of one accord, meaning, they were all there. They may have feared retaliation, but they feared God more. And they probably strengthened one another. Jesus had prayed for Peter in Luke 22:32, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Yes, Peter stumbled. But after that, no doubt, he encouraged his fellow disciples and vice versa. That’s why the previous arrest and internal scandal couldn’t set them back.

Instead, they were propelled forward. Verse 12 - “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people.” By their hands, they performed miracles on the people. They prayed for it, and it happened. But why pray for it? I mean, signs and wonders only draw unwanted attention. It’s so loud. Why not just preach the gospel quietly? Try to stay under the radar! The answer is simple. The signs and wonders pointed to Christ and his power to save. And that’s what happened when they performed miracles. Verse 14 - “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” They pointed to Christ, led people to Christ. And that’s a very different from the attitude of many. Simon the Magician wanted power for his own self-importance. Ananias and Sapphira wanted honor by their giving. But the disciples did not want to honor themselves. They were not interested in money or fame. They only wanted to point people to Christ. And as a result, a multitude of men and women were “added to the Lord.”

Now, track with me. The purpose of a sign is to point to something. There’s a sign on Yio Chu Kang Road that says First Evangelical Reformed Church. The sign is not the church - it only points to the church. Before Elijah performed signs and wonders and called down fire from heaven, he prayed in 1 Kings 18:36 - “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.” His desire was for all to know that God was God alone, not Baal. God would send fire, and the fire would glorify God. By calling down fire, it would let people know that Elijah was only a servant of God. Nothing more. So that’s the purpose of signs - to point. So the disciples’ goal was to point to Christ - the healer of souls.

And this is an important learning point for us. When we persevere and overcome, it’s a sign that there’s victory in Christ. And also this. The fiasco with Ananias and Sapphira - with the judgment and them being struck down - it was also a sign. It showed God was at work through the hands of the apostles. Even though it was a scandal, it was also not a setback. It was meant to show that God purifies his people. Church discipline, as painful as it is, only points to the purity of God. And this is why they weren’t discouraged. The problem today is this - people don’t understand the signs. We look at scandal and lose hope, rather than understand God’s still at work. We look at unbelief and say God can't save. But God works as he pleases. And the apostles knew that.

And that’s what we see here. Some believed and others disbelieved. Verses 13-14 - “And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” Not all believed. Some yielded and others didn’t. Yes, the unbelievers held the apostles in high regard, saw signs and wonders, but didn’t dare join the church. But why not? They saw transformed lives, the unity, care for the needy, and God’s purity! And they still didn’t join? How discouraging! What a setback! Or was it? But also, how encouraging! A multitude - not a small number - but a multitude was added to the Lord. Dearly beloved, the disciples labored without guarantee that all who heard the gospel and saw signs would see Christ. Some would be discouraged. But they weren’t deterred. Why? Because the gospel opens the kingdom to those who would believe and shuts the kingdom to those who won’t yield to God. Both ways accomplish the will of God. The softening of hearts and the hardening of hearts. That’s why they spoke - to accomplish the will of God. That’s why they were defiant.

Secondly, God will empower his defiant people. Now, don’t jump the gun and accuse the preacher of preaching insurrection. Let me deal with the text first - then we’ll get to application later. Now, what happened when these sold out, yielded-to-Christ apostles ministered again? They were threatened. Verses 17-18 - “Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.” Every time they preached, they encountered resistance. When they ramped up their work, the resistance also ramped up. The High Priest was powerful, had powerful Roman friends, and was part of the Sadduccees, that aristocratic, influential, and ancient family. This is why he and his friends reacted to the preaching by rising up. Not resurrection, but insurrection. They grabbed the apostles and threw them in jail - not the High Priest’s holding cell, but the public prison. And this was intended to intimidate those who came for healing. Everyone would’ve seen - wah, send to jail wor! It was bad. The priests reacted with indignation, verse 17 - literally, zealos - meaning zeal or jealousy. But these were priests! How can they be jealous? And this was not just some teenage fit of envy. It was adult jealousy - ugly, undignified, dangerous. Some jealousy will result in sadness because I don’t have what you have. But some jealousy will result in hatred. This is Satan. He was envious of God so he wanted to destroy Adam and Eve. Cain was envious of Abel that he killed him. Ahab was envious of Naboth, and Jezebel had him killed. When Jesus gained influence, the leaders said - “behold, the world is gone after him.” So they delivered him to Pilate. Even Pilate knew their jealousy. Matthew 27:18, Pilate “knew that for envy they had delivered him.” This same envy caused them to throw the apostles into jail - in a very public manner to shame them. And this seemed like another setback!

But what happened? Acts 5:19-20 - “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.” So the next day, early in the morning, they returned to preach. They were defiant. Why? They saw Christ go into heaven, they were commissioned, received the Spirit, and witnessed thousands of conversions. The Sanhedrin was powerless. The jail couldn’t hold them. The angel freed them. Their defiance was probably fueled by this incredible irony. You see, the Sadducees, as unbelieving Jews, didn’t believe in angels. And this wasn’t the first time. Angels also rolled open the tomb stone for Jesus. The priests were mocked - twice. And here’s the beauty - Christ and the apostles didn’t break out - angels broke them out. Why wouldn’t you be defiant? So the apostles returned to the temple where they were previously threatened and arrested twice. Now, to be sure, they didn’t only return because the angel told them to. This is where the action was! This is where the church gathered and this is where the people came to worship.

Verse 21 says, “they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught.” They taught - they didn’t shut their mouths, nor stay away, nor hide because they broke out of jail - they were back. Immediate and prompt defiance. They were there at break of dawn. The setback didn’t stop them. And we even see humor. In verse 21, the High Priest hadn’t realized they were back. He convened a trial and sent for them from public prison - another humiliating public spectacle to be dragged back. But the guards found no one. In fact, the doors were still locked and guards were still standing outside. So the priests were anxious. “What’s gonna happen?” they asked! Here, they had wanted to make them a public example by locking them up and dragging them to trial; but the irony was the apostles were already preaching - publicly! Verse 24 - “they stand and teach in the temple.” And this defiance made the priests fear. Verse 26, the priests went with the temple police and decided to bring the apostles without force. What irony! They wanted to make the apostles and others fear by this public example; but the apostles were released without a whisper. But now, it was the priests who feared. They feared the people, whom they wanted to make afraid. If they were to take the apostles by force, they would be accused of rejecting a miracle. All the people saw them taken to public prison. Now they were out. Either the priests were accused of incompetence, or being against God. I’m sure the apostles would’ve told of their release to the 10,000 disciples. It’s significant too, that the priests feared stoning. Why stoning? That’s the penalty for blasphemy. They knew enough that they were wrong but they refused to yield to Christ. What a reversal. The setback was no setback.

In verse 28, we see a further hardening of hearts. The High Priest said, “Weren’t we clear? We commanded you to stop preaching Jesus! Now you’ve filled up Jerusalem with your doctrine. You’re making us look bad as if we’re guilty of his blood!” This shows how delusional he was - of course he was guilty of Jesus’ blood! Did he forget what they told Pilate? “Let his blood be upon us and our children!”? But these words also show how defiant the apostles were. They were told not to preach. But now, all Jerusalem was filled with their teaching. And the teaching clearly implicated the religious leaders in Jesus’ death.

But their defiance was only a reflection of their obedience. In verse 29, Peter and apostles answered his question - “We ought to obey God rather than men.” They wanted to be obedient to God. They were not defiant for defiance sake. For many of us, we may be scared into compliance. Sadly. We become silent and refuse to proclaim Christ. But for others, they are fighters - but not in a good way. In their zeal they become pugnacious. Fight! This is also sad. Some Christians, in their defiance, put aside their holiness and become hooligans. They’re proud to be persecuted for righteousness’ sake. But actually they’re persecuted for their self-righteousness’ sake. Yes, the apostles were straightforward and that can be offensive. But they wouldn’t tone down their preaching. Yet they weren’t carnal. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den because he wouldn’t stop praying; his three friends were thrown into fire for not worshiping idols. But they were not jerks. If any man comes after me, let him deny himself and take up the cross. Some fight for self. But Christ died to self. And here, Peter, in the lion’s den, in the furnace, in defiant obedience, preached the gospel, risking his life.

Dearly beloved, what are some ways we can apply this? The expected application might be: Fight! Resist! Defy! Obey God rather than man! And yes, there’s a place for that from the context. It’s very clear. I want to acknowledge it. The gospel always trumps everything else. There are times when faithfulness to God pits us against the powers of the world. Young people, it’s not easy to live for the Lord. Your convictions will be put to the test. You’ll be asked what your definition of a woman is. Some of you may be tempted to say - “I’m not a biologist to avoid the question.” Or perhaps your weakness has shaken you. You have considered leaving Christ. Remember why the disciples were defiant. Persevere in your faith despite the pressures and your weakness. God will perfect you in his time. Yield to the master that loves you. Peter, years later wrote to the scattered saints in Turkey - many of them had been forced to flee underground. Like underground churches in China. He said in 1 Peter 3:15-16 - “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” Peter talked about boldness and meekness in the face of persecution.

But secondly, let us press on in the face of seeming setbacks - not just hostilities, but setbacks. This is what the apostles did. There were arrests, threatenings, etc. As the church progressed, was scandal in the church. Ananias and Sapphira. Terrible. But these things happen. They had experienced it. Judas betrayed Christ! They’d also seen their own weaknesses as disciples. And it wouldn’t be the last time. John Mark abandoned his ministry. Peter would continue to discriminate. But the church progressed. Folks, when we look at our shortcomings, we give up. When we look at church problems, we give up. But let these be signs - using the term broadly - even negative ones - to point us to Christ - his work, his discipline, his patience with us. He’s not done with us - he continues to work in us. Let’s have more hope. He’s continuing to work in us and the church. And therefore, let’s remember the Supper of the Lord next week. Go home and think - all your weaknesses and sins - but God is still working in you. He’s not left you. Why would you leave him? Come and give thanks for his grace and mercy.

Thirdly, when we go through difficulty, do we support one another? The apostles were of one accord. They strengthened one another. Do we support or do we cut one another down? The disciples were a motley crew. Matthew was a tax collector. James and John were always angsty. Peter was impulsive. Thomas was skeptical. Nathaniel scoffed. No hope! So unspiritual! Unfaithful! But that’s church. Who’s spiritual and never unspiritual? Who’s faithful and never unfaithful? Let us yield to God, but also to one another. They were a holy fellowship and they changed the world. And let us remember, we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He upholds and empowers us. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. But you shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you. His divine power has given us all we need for a godly life, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue.

1. God Will Work Powerfully Through His Yielded People

A. They were a yielded people

B. Their works pointed to Christ

C. They believed and disbelieved.

2. God Will Speak Powerfully Through His Defiant People

A. They were threatened

B. They were defiant

C. They were obedient