Sermon September 9, 2018

Overview

A Fourth Mark of the Early Church: Obedience

Continuing through Acts 5, we add a fourth characteristic to the three already observed in the early church—intolerance of sin, fearlessness under persecution, and boldness in proclamation. After the apostles are miraculously freed from prison by an angel, they immediately return to the temple to teach. Hauled back before the council, they are confronted with two indictments: that they have defied the order not to teach in Jesus' name (so despised that the authorities will not even speak it), and that they are "determined to bring this man's blood on us"—a striking irony given the cry recorded in Matthew 27:25. Peter's response in Acts 5:29 gives us the fourth mark in a single word: obedience. "We must obey God rather than any human authority." Christians honor governing authorities, but when human commands conflict with God's, obedience to God takes precedence.

What Obedience Sounds Like: The Kerygma

Obedience here is not silent compliance—it is faithful proclamation. The apostles speak the kerygma, the Greek term for the basic message of the gospel, right back to those who forbade them to speak. In Acts 5:30–32 we hear three core elements: the cross ("you killed by hanging him on a tree"), the resurrection ("the God of our ancestors raised up Jesus"), and the ascension and reign ("God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior"). 1 Corinthians 15 adds a fourth: the return of Christ. This—not self-esteem, self-actualization, human potential, or pragmatic tips for successful living—is the message the church has been entrusted to proclaim. The temptation to substitute something more palatable confronts every generation, but only the word of Christ crucified, risen, ascended, and returning has power to change hearts.

Pastoral Application

Notice that the obedience of faith is itself a gift; the Holy Spirit is given "to those who obey him" Acts 5:32, an obedience that flows from faith rather than law-keeping. This shapes how we live and how we teach. Parents and grandparents are constantly teaching—not only in formal moments but through the songs they sing, the words they speak, and the consistency between message and life. A hymn hummed in the kitchen ("Trust and Obey") may surface decades later in a child's heart because it was planted faithfully, day by day. Bring your children to worship and Sunday school; live out your baptismal promises; and remember that you do not have to know everything before you can speak. We already know enough to proclaim: cross, resurrection, ascension, return. Go and give that word to a world that does not yet know it needs it.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible, please, with me to the fifth chapter of the Book of Acts, 0s

as we continue our study this morning from this great book. 6s

You recall as we were in the fifth chapter last week, we were taking a look at characteristics 11s

of the early church, that by God's grace might be manifest in our life as a people of 18s

God as we gather as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. 26s

We took a look at three characteristics from the text. 31s

You'll recall the first one was that church was intolerant with regard to sin. 35s

In other words, the church didn't tolerate sin. 42s

The church was called to repent of its sin. 45s

Secondly, they were unafraid of persecution and third. 49s

They were bold in their proclamation. 56s

In tolerant with regard to sin, unaffraid with regard to persecution and bold in their proclamation. 60s

As we continue the study of the fifth chapter, we come now to a fourth characteristic 71s

of the church. 78s

And that fourth characteristic of the church can be summarized in one word. 81s

So let's study. 93s

You'll recall the situation that leads to this proclamation of Peter. 95s

Remember, the apostles had been given the gift of miracles that was specifically given by the Lord 101s

to validate the message. 109s

This is before the codification of Scripture, before Scripture had arisen. 112s

So before Scripture is written down, the New Testament that we have, what validated the message 118s

of the apostles, the miracles validated the message. 124s

Then when you've got the word, what do we see decrease then in the book of Acts? 130s

You start seeing these apostolic miracles decrease. 137s

Why? 143s

Because what's validating their message? 143s

The word now is validating the message. 146s

So there's a great number of miracles that are occurring among the people. 150s

The Christian church is growing. 157s

And the Jewish authorities, remember they don't like it one bit. 162s

So what do they do? 169s

But they throw Peter and the apostles into the public jail, remember an angel comes, directed 170s

by the Lord, opens up the jail and releases them. 177s

So we pick up where we left off. 184s

Second part, verse 21, chapter 5. 187s

When the high priest and those with him arrive, they called together the council and the whole 193s

body of the elders of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. 199s

But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison. 206s

So they returned and reported. 210s

We have found the prison securely locked in the guards standing at the doors, but when we 215s

opened them, we found no one inside. 219s

Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were 225s

perplexed about them, wondering, what might be going on? 229s

Then someone arrived and announced, look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in 236s

the temple and teaching the people. 242s

So they are released by the angel of the Lord. 248s

And what do they do? 251s

Do they hide? 253s

Do they say, we must never ever do that again? 256s

Because look where it landed us in the public jail of all places? 260s

No. 266s

They go back to doing the same exact thing that they were doing before. 268s

On a freight of persecution, bold in with us. 278s

Look at the very next verse, please, verse 26. 287s

Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them. 289s

But without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 294s

Remember what we studied last week? 302s

Go back to chapter 5, verse 13. 304s

The scripture says, none of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 308s

And so there's no violence here. 317s

They're can't be on the part of the guards here. 319s

They're can't. 322s

Or less they're be a riot that will break out. 324s

The people were held in high esteem by those that were witnessing and experiencing the miracles. 328s

So you have the release from the prison? 344s

You have the people going back and doing exactly what they were doing before. 347s

There are two indictments that come. 354s

Look at verse 27. 358s

Here's the first. 360s

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. 363s

The high priest questioned them saying, 368s

we gave you strict orders, not to teach in this name. 372s

Yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. 379s

We ordered you, not to teach and notice how Jesus is referred to. 387s

His name isn't even 393s

mentioned. 398s

There is such 400s

a stain on the part of the Jewish authorities 401s

that they can't even mention the name of Jesus. 408s

So the first indictment then is exactly why they got thrown into prison. 416s

The first time in chapter four, chapter four verse 18. 422s

So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 429s

So there's the first indictment. 439s

We commanded you not to teach and you taught once again. 441s

That's the first indictment. 446s

Here's the second indictment. 448s

Look at verse 28, last part. 450s

And you are determined to bring this man's blood on us. 456s

You're determined to bring this man's blood on us. 463s

They're saying you are determined to make us guilty for the crucifixion of Jesus. 468s

The name they wouldn't mention. 476s

How absolutely ironic? 479s

Because back in Matthew the 27th chapter, what did the people cry? 483s

His blood be on us and our children. 490s

And here they say, here to determine to put his blood on us is if we're guilty. 498s

The exact thing that they cried in Matthew chapter 27. 504s

What then is the fourth characteristic? 518s

What's the fourth characteristic of the church? 523s

What's the one word that can summarize? 528s

Characteristic. 537s

Number four. 539s

As I studied this week I couldn't help but think of my mother. 543s

Growing up she would sing a lot around the house. 548s

She'd have a great voice, she had a nice voice, pleasant voice. 553s

But she would sing a lot. 558s

You know there are those teaching moments, right? 562s

Parents and grandparents, there are those teaching moments that come along in the lives 565s

of your loved ones, those teaching moments that we should grasp onto and take advantage of. 570s

That when the teaching moment presents itself by all means teach, 579s

there are also those other opportunities in life where the children around us learn 584s

by simply who we are, what we say, what we do. 594s

They can pick up when the message is congruent with the actions. 605s

They can pick up when the words don't match what we do or say. 610s

We're constantly teaching, aren't we? Constantly. 619s

You see, my mother when she would sing, she was teaching. 629s

I never thought to myself, my mother's teaching now. 640s

That thought never came to my mind but that was exactly what she was doing. 644s

Teaching. 649s

And so what goes through my mind is I study for this sermon this morning but I 652s

hear my mother in the kitchen singing, 657s

trust and obey there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but trust and obey. 665s

Now why does that song come to mind? 674s

Because my teacher taught me the song 678s

to wear a few decades later. 684s

All of a sudden that song rises to mind once again. 689s

And not only could I remember the song but I remembered the lyric to the song. 698s

Why? Because she just kept singing it all the time all the time. 704s

There's the fourth characteristic. 712s

There's the one word, the one word, obedience, obedience. 717s

That's the characteristic of the church of Jesus Christ. 730s

Look when he plays it verse 29. 743s

But Peter and the apostles answered, 748s

we must obey God rather than any human authority. 754s

We must obey God rather than any human authority. 759s

So when faced with the choice between obedience to the human authority and this obedience to God, 765s

the answer is evident, isn't it? 777s

But indeed we obey the authority provided that it doesn't disagree 781s

with God. 789s

That's what the apostles say. We must obey obedience to God. 793s

And they put that obedience into action and how they put it into action 801s

is they speak to the very people that told them you better not speak anymore. 809s

They speak to the very people that threw them into prison for what? 818s

For speaking they speak right to them and what do they speak? 828s

What do they say? 838s

The top of your bulletin today has a word. 842s

That's not a mispelling out of the office. 847s

That's a Greek word, correctma. 851s

Correctma in Greek means proclamation. 855s

And what you see throughout the New Testament is you see the correctma arising. 859s

The correctma is simply this. It's basic facts about the gospel. 866s

It's the message of proclamation. It's the basic facts of proclamation. 873s

So when the apostles are confronted for we told you not to speak what if they do, 881s

but they speak right back, they preach right to them because they know the only thing that will change the heart 887s

is the word and they preach the correctma. 895s

Here's the correctma. Look at verse 30 please. 903s

The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 909s

The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 917s

Here's two aspects of the correctma. The cross, the crucifixion and the resurrection. 923s

Why did Jesus Christ go to the cross to take all of the sinbed of the world upon him to die in our 932s

place? He was the sacrifice for our sin. Why did He rise? Because when Jesus rose from the dead, 939s

it was the validation that the sacrifice for sin had been accepted that death had been overcome. 947s

So here to the very ones that say, don't speak. Here comes the correctma. Here's two aspects of it. 956s

Cross resurrection. Here's the third. Verse 31. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and 962s

Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. There's the third aspect, 972s

the ascension and the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. So you've got cross resurrection, 980s

ascension. Next verse verse 32. And we're witnesses to these things. And so is the Holy Spirit 988s

whom God has given to those who obey Him. That's not obedience of the law. That's the obedience 995s

of faith. That's the expression of the gift of faith that is given. There's the correctma. 1002s

Cross resurrection, ascension. I like actually, first Corinthians even better than this, 1010s

because there you've got the correctma. Cross resurrection, ascension and return. 1017s

That's the proclamation of the church. That's the message. Two proclays. 1027s

The love of we as a church are constantly tempted. The church throughout the world 1040s

to proclaim a message that we were never intended to proclaim. That's the temptation of the church 1047s

in every generation. We were never intended to talk about self esteem and self actualization 1058s

and human potential. Self love how to be the richest on the block, how to be successful in life, 1070s

pragmatic ways in which we can live in order to be a wonder in our community. That's a message 1079s

that church was never ever given to proclaim. Instead, what's the message? 1089s

The correctma. The correctma. Exactly what Peter did. Cross resurrection, ascension, return. 1104s

On this day, Rally Day. It's one of my favorite days in the church here. We rally a new 1127s

around the world. Parents and grandparents, you witness to your child when you take them to 1136s

school. You live out the promises you made in baptism. And you witness to your child when you 1145s

tell them when you drop them at the door and mommy and daddy or grandpa or grandma or whatever 1156s

your designation is for that is going to be right in the sanctuary in Sunday school too. 1166s

And what's your child going to remember when they grow? That tune will sing in their head 1178s

and they'll repeat it then to their children. We are called to grow in our faith and that's what we do 1193s

by God's grace in worship and in Sunday school we grow in our faith but here's the thing. 1209s

We already know enough to proclaim. We already know enough to proclaim. Do we have a lot of growth 1220s

in what we need to know and grow in our knowledge of the word absolutely and remember the truth 1232s

of the more you know the more you realize you don't know, right? But we already know enough to proclaim 1239s

because what do we know? Cross resurrection, ascension, return. 1251s

So church, let's go forth and give the correct amount to a world that doesn't understand what that 1267s

means but is in desperate need of that word. Amen. 1284s