St Louis UBF UBF Bible Study : Acts 5:17-42

Bible Study Materials

Acts 5:17-42

by Paul Choi 06/03/2012

Question

GO, STAND, AND TELL THE MESSAGE

Acts 5:17-42

Key Verse: 5:20

1. Read verses 17-20. Why did the high priest have the apostles arrested? How did they get out of jail? What did God tell them to do? What does this reveal about God’s mission for his church? (2Ti 4:2; 1Pe 1:24,25)

2. Read verse 21. What did the apostles do as soon as they got out? Read verses 22-26. When was their absence from jail discovered and what happened? What can we learn about the attitude and life of men of mission?

3. Read verses 27-29. How did the high priest rebuke them before the Sanhedrin? How did the apostles answer? Why were they no longer fearful of men?

4. Read verses 30-32. How did they use this opportunity to witness to Jesus and the gospel? What did they emphasize in their message to the Jewish leaders? Did the Jewish leaders repent? Read verse 33. How did they respond?

5. Read verses 34-40. Who was Gamaliel and how did he help the apostles? Read verses 41-42. What did they do after they were released? Why did they rejoice? Why were they willing to suffer? (Cf 1 Pe 2:20) What did they do after being beaten? What can we learn from their attitude toward suffering?

Attachment

GO AND TELL THE MESSAGE-questions.doc

Message

GO, STAND, AND TELL THE MESSAGE

Acts 5:17-42

Key Verse:5:20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”

Last week through Dr. Suh’s message we learned about four elements of being a great church. A great church is one which is united in heart and mind. A great church testifies to the gospel of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. A great church values people over possessions. A great church is where people live in the holy fear of God. Does St. Louis UBF belong in this category? Are we a great church today? I feel something is lacking in fulfilling these requirements. So, through today’s passage I want us to study more about how we can be a great church.

Today’s passage is about the apostles’ arrest and trial, and their teaching in the temple courts. As the Holy Spirit worked greatly among them, oppositions and persecutions arose also. The apostles must have been discouraged and disheartened by these challenges. But they did not retreat but advanced to tell the message of new life to perishing people. Today we learn how God encouraged the suffering apostles to continue to do His work, and how they overcame those persecutions and limitations to obey God. I pray that this message may encourage all of us not to retreat, but to advance in telling the message of salvation to the people. Amen.

First, the arrest of the apostles (17,18) Look at verses 17,18. “Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.” According to verses 12-16, the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that maybe Peter’s shadow would fall on some of them as he passed by. All the sick and those tormented by evil spirits were healed. Men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. Seeing this, the high priest and all his associates were filled with jealousy. They were not happy to see Jesus’ ministry growing and his name being exalted by his disciples. Proverbs 14:30 says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy (jealousy) rots bones.” The religious leaders arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail, thinking that they could stop them by putting them in jail.

We sometimes don’t understand when bad things happen while we are doing what is good. We are surprised when we suffer in the time of God’s blessing. Satan is jealous and is not happy to see our success and blessing. But we should not be dismayed or discouraged when we are confronted with problems and challenges. God will give us a way out and God will give us final victory over Satan. The Apostle Peter said, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Pe 4:12,13)

Second, go, stand, and tell the message (19,20) What happened to the apostles in the public jail? Look at verse 19. “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.” God sent an angel to open the door of the jail for the apostles. According to verse 23, the jail was securely locked with guards who stood at the door. The jail door could not be opened without a key. But an angel of the Lord opened the door like a swinging door and blinded the eyes of the guards so that they did not realize that the apostles had escaped. God performed a miracle in order to protect his chosen servants. Our God is the almighty God who opens the eyes of the blind and who blinds the eyes of the evil.

What was the message of the angel to the apostles? Let us read verse 20 all together. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.” The angel didn’t say to them, “Go home, take a shower, and relax for a while.” Instead, he said, “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the full message of this new life.” Why did the angel exhort them to tell this message with such urgency? What can we learn from God’s heart and purpose for this?

First of all, God wanted the apostles to overcome oppositions and limitations in order to tell the message. The word, “Go” is a command, not advice. The apostles had no other choice at God’s command except obedience. The apostles could have been discouraged and dismayed when they were in prison. Some of them might have been gripped with fear, the fear of the religious leaders. No one likes rejections and persecutions. Everybody likes recognition and promotion when they are doing what is good. They might have desired compromise or retreat. But they had no choice when God said, “Go.” They had to obey by overcoming fear, doubt, and sorrow. When Jesus gave them the world mission command, he said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” (Mt 28:18) He didn’t say, “Would you go, please?”, but “Go!” Jesus commanded.

Jesus gave us the same command, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations….” We should obey him, even though we want to stay home. The angel didn’t tell the apostles to go home, but to go into the temple courts. The temple courts were not a remote and cozy resting place. The temple courts were noisy, and were crowded by many Jewish worshipers who gathered there from the whole world. Opposition, rejection, and persecution were waiting for the apostles. The angel of the Lord commanded them to stand in the temple courts. He meant that the apostles must be ready to confront oppositions and persecutions, and tell the message of God. Today, God challenges each of us, saying, “Go, stand on each campus, and tell to the students the full message of this new life through one to one bible study.”

Statistically speaking, one of the main reasons why Christians hesitate in outreach is fear of rejection. Nobody wants to be rejected for any reason. We are hurt when we are rejected. Rejection discourages us whatever we do. Persecutions accompany hostile rejections. So, fear of rejection shackles our hearts and makes us compromise. It turns our feet from campus to home. So how can we overcome fear of rejection and become successful preachers and teachers? I want to ask you, “Where does fear come from; from Satan or from God?” Fear comes from Satan, not from God. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (fear), but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” Satan plants fear in our hearts not to share the gospel. Satan tries to shackle us with fear not to go out on campus. God gives us the spirit of power, which is the Holy Spirit. We will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us.(1:8) When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can overcome fear of rejection. Fear is an evil and dirty spirit. Confidence, joy, love, and self-control are fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22,23)

We must ask God to send us the Holy Spirit so that we can carry out God’s holy mission. We must repent of our laziness and unbelief so that we may receive power through the Holy Spirit. We must pray hard for the work of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is our earnest expression that we can’t do anything with our own strength, but God can do everything through our faith. Prayer makes what is impossible with us possible with God. Prayer moves God’s heart and opens the gate of heaven for the Holy Spirit. This is the reason why we have to pray earnestly before we go out for outreach.

Second of all, we must have confidence in the potency and efficacy of the gospel message for new life. In this world, through exaggerating advertisement, all companies promise maximum output from minimum input. For example, insurance companies advertise as if people will perish without their life insurance. Medicine companies educate their salesmen to persuade customers to have confidence that their medicines heal all diseases. We Christians are salesmen for the gospel, which is spiritual medicine for eternal life. We must have confidence in the potency and efficacy of our gospel message. Worldly medicines are somewhat effective for our body. But the gospel message is eternally effective for our souls, especially for our eternal life. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:16, which says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” The gospel is the power of God for salvation. The gospel has the power of God for healing our souls and for leading our lives to heaven. Worldly medicine is extracted from nature, such as from animals, plants, and minerals. These days, people think that bio-medicine is the future for human health. But it is nothing but chemical products.

The gospel is the combination of Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection. This gospel is made of Jesus’ sacrificial blood on the cross and his glorious resurrection for new life. This gospel heals broken and wounded hearts, and drives out evil spirits. This gospel message restores broken relationships and reconciles between God and men, men and women, parents and children, and husbands and wives. Furthermore, this gospel message heals lands, seas, mountains, and all creations of the world. It is the solution for global warming. Above all, the gospel message leads forgiven sinners to God the Father who lives in the kingdom of heaven. We must have confidence in the potency and efficacy of the gospel message when we preach and teach. We are healed by this gospel. We are saved by this gospel. We have hope for eternal life because of this gospel. So why do we hesitate in sharing this good news for new life? In fact, the word, ‘gospel’ means ‘good news.’ You want to share good news with others, right? You will see people being healed, saved, and changed by the gospel message when you share it with confidence and faith. I have been praying for the Black River Bible Camp on the first weekend of July. I believe that God will work mightily through the gospel message in the hearts of all attendants. Let us have confidence in the potency and efficacy of the gospel message and invite our friends, family members, neighbors, and Bible students to the Bible camp. Amen.

Third of all, telling the full message of new life contains God’s heart. In the angel’s message, we sense the urgency of telling the gospel as the only message for perishing souls. Indeed, desire to save the whole world is God’s broken shepherd heart. God wants to save the world. He loves this world very much. He loved us so much that he even gave his beloved Son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his One and Only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Let’s consider carefully the word, ‘Whoever.” Whoever believes in Jesus will be saved. There is no favoritism in God because he loves and desires to save anyone who believes in Jesus. This is why the angel of the Lord pushed the apostles to go and stand in the temple courts and tell the full message of new life to the perishing people.

When we go out for preaching or outreaching, we should take this broken heart of God. Confucius once said, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” But I say, “Wherever you go, go with God’s heart.” We have God’s heart when we see others with God’s eyes. To our human eyes, they look okay, having no problems at all. However, to the eyes of God, they are broken, wounded by their sins. Many of them are perishing and going down into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (Rev 21:8) Aren’t you going to reach out your hand to rescue someone who is drowning? Aren’t you going to warn those who are rushing into a burning house? World salvation is God’s heart desire. Wherever we go, we should go with God’s broken heart for perishing souls. Amen.

Third, God provides for his people in order to protect the apostles. (21-42) At daybreak, the high priest and his associates sent his people to bring the apostles from the jail to trial. But, when they opened the doors, they found no one inside. (23) Then, someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” (25) The high priest and his people were puzzled, but didn’t use force, because they were afraid of people. (26) When the apostles were brought to them, they just warned them saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in his name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” (28) But, the apostles were never dismayed or daunted by them. Rather, Peter replied, “We must obey God rather than men!” (29) He also told the full message of the gospel in verses 30-32.

When the religious leaders and his people heard Peter’s full message of the gospel, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. (33) The apostles were in real danger under death-threats. However, God provided Gamaliel, his servant, to protect the apostles. Gamaliel was a prominent teacher of the law and honored by all the people. He stood up in front of the Sanhedrin and addressed them. His message was simple and very persuasive. If the apostles’ purpose or activity was of human origin, it would fail. But if it was from God, they would not be able to stop the apostles; they would only find themselves fighting against God. (38,39) His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. (40)

What did the released apostles do? They rejoiced because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of Jesus. (41) Not only did they endure hardships for the sake of Jesus, but they also felt honored to participate in the remaining suffering for Christ. Look at verse 42. “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” The religious leaders’ threat didn’t work. The apostles’ arrest and imprisonment didn’t work, either. The full message of new life continued to spread and prevailed through these spirited and dedicated disciples of Jesus.

There is no retreat in sharing the gospel. There is no break in preaching the Word. The Apostle Paul said, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season;…” (2 Ti 4:2) It must continue and advance through us, the apostles. I pray that God may fill us with the Holy Spirit. May God help us to have confidence in the potency and efficacy of the gospel message. Above all, may God help us to share God’s broken shepherd heart for young perishing souls on campuses. Let us shout, “Go, stand on each campus, and tell the students the full message of this new life!” May God fill each campus - Wash U., UMSL, and SLU with our teaching. Amen.

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