WEBVTT

00:00:02.245 --> 00:00:08.682
<v Speaker 1>At this time we're going to dismiss children ages three to six for our children's church downstairs.

00:00:08.682 --> 00:00:17.922
<v Speaker 1>If the children want to just make their way out to the aisles and follow the adults standing at the door Lindsay and Katie.

00:00:17.922 --> 00:00:22.085
<v Speaker 1>So if you want to slip out now to join them, you can do that.

00:00:22.085 --> 00:00:35.052
<v Speaker 1>Out now to join them, you can do that For the rest of us and for those of you who are new perhaps, we are in a sermon series in the book of the Acts of the Apostles on Sunday mornings.

00:00:35.052 --> 00:00:38.816
<v Speaker 1>The Acts of the Apostles is found in the New Testament.

00:00:38.816 --> 00:00:44.945
<v Speaker 1>Follow the Gospels Matthew, mark, luke and John and then you run right into Acts.

00:00:44.945 --> 00:00:47.783
<v Speaker 1>Don't run into it too hard, you might get hurt.

00:00:47.783 --> 00:00:48.606
<v Speaker 1>But there it is.

00:00:48.606 --> 00:00:57.790
<v Speaker 1>And if you'd like a sermon outline to follow along, or if you'd like to borrow a Bible to follow along, just raise your hand.

00:00:57.790 --> 00:01:00.649
<v Speaker 1>Our ushers have those available for you if you'd like.

00:01:05.201 --> 00:01:10.783
<v Speaker 1>I read a story recently about a mathematician who was deathly afraid of negative numbers.

00:01:10.783 --> 00:01:17.192
<v Speaker 1>In fact, he would stop at nothing to avoid them.

00:01:17.192 --> 00:01:25.751
<v Speaker 1>Well, what would you stop at nothing to avoid?

00:01:25.751 --> 00:01:35.174
<v Speaker 1>There are many Christians I know who would probably stop at nothing to avoid witnessing to other people about Jesus.

00:01:35.174 --> 00:01:47.536
<v Speaker 1>But when we come to the book of Acts, we see believers in Jesus who let nothing stop them from witnessing to people about Jesus.

00:01:47.536 --> 00:02:00.528
<v Speaker 1>In Acts, chapter 3, after Peter, the apostle Peter heals a lame man and then preaches a sermon where he implicates the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jesus' death.

00:02:00.528 --> 00:02:03.260
<v Speaker 1>Peter and John are arrested and thrown in prison.

00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:12.534
<v Speaker 1>After their release, they return to their Christian friends and begin praying for more boldness to keep speaking about Jesus.

00:02:12.534 --> 00:02:20.340
<v Speaker 1>In spite of the Sanhedrin's strict orders not to, they kept right on preaching and witnessing about Jesus.

00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:22.724
<v Speaker 1>Then we come to Acts, chapter 5.

00:02:22.724 --> 00:02:26.673
<v Speaker 1>We're out of jealousy and perhaps to protect their power.

00:02:26.673 --> 00:02:35.366
<v Speaker 1>Now the Sanhedrin again tries to stop the gospel message of Jesus from going forward, which we'll be focusing in on today.

00:02:35.366 --> 00:02:37.009
<v Speaker 1>In Acts, chapter 5,.

00:02:37.009 --> 00:02:40.923
<v Speaker 1>If you want to follow along, I'm beginning at verse 17.

00:02:40.923 --> 00:02:43.486
<v Speaker 1>Acts 5, 17.

00:02:43.486 --> 00:02:45.109
<v Speaker 1>I'll start reading there for a bit.

00:02:46.812 --> 00:02:52.164
<v Speaker 1>But the high priest rose up along with his associates, that is, the sect of the Sadducees.

00:02:52.164 --> 00:02:54.689
<v Speaker 1>They were filled with jealousy.

00:02:54.689 --> 00:02:59.769
<v Speaker 1>They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.

00:02:59.769 --> 00:03:12.073
<v Speaker 1>But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison and, taking them out, he said Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this life.

00:03:12.073 --> 00:03:17.651
<v Speaker 1>Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach.

00:03:17.651 --> 00:03:29.033
<v Speaker 1>Now, when the high priest and his associates came, they called the council together, even now the senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought.

00:03:29.033 --> 00:03:44.222
<v Speaker 1>But the officers who came did not find them in the prison and they returned and reported back saying we found the prison house locked quite securely, the guards standing at the doors, but when we had opened up we found no one inside.

00:03:50.460 --> 00:03:54.328
<v Speaker 1>Now, when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priest heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, as to what would come of this.

00:03:54.328 --> 00:04:02.052
<v Speaker 1>But some came and reported to them the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and are teaching the people.

00:04:02.052 --> 00:04:11.812
<v Speaker 1>Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence, for they were afraid of the people that they might be stoned.

00:04:11.812 --> 00:04:15.929
<v Speaker 1>When they had brought them, they stood them before.

00:04:15.929 --> 00:04:18.502
<v Speaker 1>The council of the high priest questioned them, saying you know what?

00:04:18.502 --> 00:04:30.129
<v Speaker 1>We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

00:04:30.129 --> 00:04:35.685
<v Speaker 1>But Peter and the apostles answered we must obey God rather than men.

00:04:35.685 --> 00:04:41.423
<v Speaker 1>The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging him on a cross.

00:04:41.423 --> 00:04:50.387
<v Speaker 1>He is the one whom God exalted to his right hand as prince and a savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

00:04:50.387 --> 00:04:58.552
<v Speaker 1>And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.

00:05:00.180 --> 00:05:05.733
<v Speaker 1>In Acts, chapter 4 to 7, everything starts to go wrong for the Christians.

00:05:05.733 --> 00:05:12.913
<v Speaker 1>They are hauled to jail for disobeying the religious leader's orders not to preach about Jesus.

00:05:12.913 --> 00:05:21.250
<v Speaker 1>They are flogged and told again to stop speaking about Jesus, but they kept right on teaching about Jesus.

00:05:21.250 --> 00:05:28.312
<v Speaker 1>Even under strict orders, threat of death, they kept on witnessing.

00:05:28.312 --> 00:05:36.892
<v Speaker 1>My question today is why and how could they do that, given the opposition to it?

00:05:36.892 --> 00:05:45.651
<v Speaker 1>And so today I want to talk about the courageous choices they made to be witnesses for Jesus, hopefully to inspire us at some point.

00:05:47.014 --> 00:06:07.841
<v Speaker 1>For a number of reasons, the first century Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures did not want Christians to speak about Jesus, but we do know as a fact of history that the earliest Christians made heroic efforts to get the word out of their witness about their faith in Jesus Heroic.

00:06:07.841 --> 00:06:12.110
<v Speaker 1>They faced opposition from the Jewish authorities.

00:06:12.110 --> 00:06:15.182
<v Speaker 1>They faced opposition from the secular authorities.

00:06:15.182 --> 00:06:21.764
<v Speaker 1>They faced all that opposition, persecution, suffering and death with heroic courage.

00:06:21.764 --> 00:06:32.850
<v Speaker 1>We know, for instance, up until 300 AD, there were 10 systematic persecutions on record in the Roman Empire of Christians.

00:06:32.850 --> 00:06:41.262
<v Speaker 1>Christians were routinely we can read about some of this in the New Testament they were routinely imprisoned, plundered, tortured and killed.

00:06:41.262 --> 00:06:48.451
<v Speaker 1>For about the first hundred years it was illegal to be a Christian.

00:06:48.451 --> 00:07:00.423
<v Speaker 1>And yet we know from the historical accounts that when Christians were dying, they prayed for their executors.

00:07:00.423 --> 00:07:03.894
<v Speaker 1>They died singing as they were thrown to the lions.

00:07:03.894 --> 00:07:09.327
<v Speaker 1>They sang as they were dying crucified on crosses by the hundreds along the road.

00:07:11.692 --> 00:07:25.951
<v Speaker 1>And in Acts, chapter 5, the apostles ignore the Sanhedrin's strict orders not to speak of Jesus for the second time, and this time they not only arrest Peter and John, but all the apostles as well.

00:07:25.951 --> 00:07:28.627
<v Speaker 1>Where did they get this kind of courage?

00:07:28.627 --> 00:07:38.290
<v Speaker 1>I marvel at this spirit and that's why I want to focus on this.

00:07:38.290 --> 00:07:41.350
<v Speaker 1>I think it can really help us have courage as well.

00:07:41.350 --> 00:07:44.067
<v Speaker 1>Where did they get this kind of courage?

00:07:44.067 --> 00:07:47.382
<v Speaker 1>Well, let's look at it.

00:07:47.382 --> 00:07:50.591
<v Speaker 1>The text suggests in this passage.

00:07:51.975 --> 00:07:59.036
<v Speaker 1>Their first source of courage came from what Jesus actually said to them before he ascended into heaven.

00:07:59.036 --> 00:08:18.351
<v Speaker 1>They got their courage from the promise of Jesus' words to them, where Jesus said in Acts, chapter 1, verse 8, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria and even to the remotest part of the earth.

00:08:18.351 --> 00:08:23.041
<v Speaker 1>They got that.

00:08:23.041 --> 00:08:29.954
<v Speaker 1>Their second source of courage came from their desire and commitment to obey God.

00:08:29.954 --> 00:08:32.482
<v Speaker 1>Peter's voice again.

00:08:32.482 --> 00:08:39.269
<v Speaker 1>They said we gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you filled Jerusalem with this teaching, brought this man's.

00:08:39.269 --> 00:08:39.850
<v Speaker 1>Peter.

00:08:39.850 --> 00:08:42.546
<v Speaker 1>Said we must obey God rather than men.

00:08:42.546 --> 00:08:48.654
<v Speaker 1>He's told us to do this, said we must obey God rather than men.

00:08:48.654 --> 00:08:49.197
<v Speaker 1>He's told us to do this.

00:08:49.940 --> 00:08:54.769
<v Speaker 1>The third source of courage, which we've already talked about, came when God answered their prayers for courage, for boldness.

00:08:54.769 --> 00:08:59.763
<v Speaker 1>Remember they prayed Lord, we were jailed.

00:08:59.763 --> 00:09:00.504
<v Speaker 1>Now we're released.

00:09:00.504 --> 00:09:04.133
<v Speaker 1>Give us boldness so we might continue to preach Jesus.

00:09:04.133 --> 00:09:08.245
<v Speaker 1>Were released, give us boldness so we might continue to preach Jesus.

00:09:08.245 --> 00:09:10.833
<v Speaker 1>And so God answered their prayer and gave them boldness in Acts 4, 29 and 31.

00:09:10.833 --> 00:09:23.090
<v Speaker 1>And now, lord, take note of their threats and grant that your bondservants may speak your word with all confidence, while you extend your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant, jesus.

00:09:23.090 --> 00:09:29.663
<v Speaker 1>And when they had prayed, the place where they gathered was shaken.

00:09:29.663 --> 00:09:31.408
<v Speaker 1>They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

00:09:31.408 --> 00:09:32.150
<v Speaker 1>And guess what?

00:09:32.150 --> 00:09:38.273
<v Speaker 1>In answer to their prayer, they began to speak the word of God with boldness, confidence.

00:09:38.273 --> 00:09:41.727
<v Speaker 1>They're seeing God answer their prayers.

00:09:41.727 --> 00:09:43.551
<v Speaker 1>They heard what they.

00:09:43.551 --> 00:09:45.969
<v Speaker 1>They believe they should obey God rather than men.

00:09:45.969 --> 00:09:47.986
<v Speaker 1>They remember Jesus' words.

00:09:47.986 --> 00:09:49.447
<v Speaker 1>You're going to be my witnesses.

00:09:49.447 --> 00:09:53.605
<v Speaker 1>It's interesting.

00:09:54.020 --> 00:10:06.493
<v Speaker 1>As Paul said in Romans, chapter 8, there's tremendous courage that comes from knowing that the person who is with you is invincible.

00:10:06.493 --> 00:10:08.966
<v Speaker 1>Listen to Paul in Romans 8.

00:10:08.966 --> 00:10:11.307
<v Speaker 1>What, then, shall we say to these things?

00:10:11.307 --> 00:10:14.609
<v Speaker 1>If God is for us, who is against us?

00:10:14.609 --> 00:10:18.850
<v Speaker 1>He who did not spare his own son but delivered him over for us all?

00:10:18.850 --> 00:10:22.591
<v Speaker 1>How will he not also, with him, freely give us all things?

00:10:22.591 --> 00:10:24.384
<v Speaker 1>What are you worried about?

00:10:24.384 --> 00:10:25.388
<v Speaker 1>What are you fearful for?

00:10:25.388 --> 00:10:30.071
<v Speaker 1>If God is with us, who can be against us?

00:10:30.071 --> 00:10:32.827
<v Speaker 1>God doesn't want them to stop speaking.

00:10:32.827 --> 00:10:42.589
<v Speaker 1>He makes that very clear Because when they're in jail, god sent an angel to get them out.

00:10:42.589 --> 00:10:45.985
<v Speaker 1>Open the gates of the prison and this is what the angel said.

00:10:46.065 --> 00:10:48.230
<v Speaker 1>Now, acts, chapter 5, verse 20.

00:10:48.230 --> 00:10:58.109
<v Speaker 1>Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple, this whole message of life, the gospel, the message of life.

00:10:58.109 --> 00:11:08.552
<v Speaker 1>By the way, this is the first of three times in the book of Acts God sends an angel to assist the apostles in a prison break.

00:11:08.552 --> 00:11:16.030
<v Speaker 1>I love that, and here in Acts 5, you can kind of pick up that God has.

00:11:16.030 --> 00:11:17.101
<v Speaker 1>I love that.

00:11:17.101 --> 00:11:21.471
<v Speaker 1>God has a sense of humor I really do.

00:11:21.471 --> 00:11:23.573
<v Speaker 1>I think he enjoys my jokes, contrary to what some of you may think.

00:11:23.573 --> 00:11:23.895
<v Speaker 1>I really do.

00:11:23.895 --> 00:11:28.205
<v Speaker 1>I think he enjoys my jokes, contrary to what some of you may think.

00:11:28.205 --> 00:11:29.106
<v Speaker 1>Look at, he's got.

00:11:29.106 --> 00:11:29.908
<v Speaker 1>Listen to this.

00:11:30.990 --> 00:11:40.879
<v Speaker 1>In Acts 5, chapter 5, verse 12, the apostles are teaching and healing people in the temple.

00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:44.198
<v Speaker 1>And then in Acts 5, 17, the high priest has the apostles arrested and thrown in jail.

00:11:44.198 --> 00:11:47.644
<v Speaker 1>The next day, when the Sanhedrin wanted to question, they didn't find him in jail.

00:11:47.644 --> 00:11:49.205
<v Speaker 1>They were perplexed.

00:11:49.205 --> 00:11:50.308
<v Speaker 1>Where did they find him?

00:11:50.308 --> 00:11:57.780
<v Speaker 1>Back in the temple teaching take them out, I'll put them right back in.

00:11:57.780 --> 00:12:02.034
<v Speaker 1>Did you see this?

00:12:02.034 --> 00:12:04.278
<v Speaker 1>They're not running or hiding.

00:12:04.278 --> 00:12:08.961
<v Speaker 1>They are right back talking about Jesus to people.

00:12:08.961 --> 00:12:14.774
<v Speaker 1>Well, they got their courage.

00:12:14.774 --> 00:12:24.620
<v Speaker 1>From Jesus' clear words and their own desire to obey God, from God answering their prayers.

00:12:29.010 --> 00:12:32.861
<v Speaker 1>The apostles are sent out to speak to people the whole message of life in the gospel.

00:12:32.861 --> 00:12:38.077
<v Speaker 1>Sent to preach the message of the gospel.

00:12:38.077 --> 00:12:40.306
<v Speaker 1>Sent to preach the message of the gospel.

00:12:40.306 --> 00:12:46.782
<v Speaker 1>But they also know they are sent out to be witnesses of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.

00:12:46.782 --> 00:12:49.754
<v Speaker 1>He's alive, we saw him.

00:12:49.754 --> 00:12:50.878
<v Speaker 1>They're witnesses.

00:12:53.292 --> 00:12:54.537
<v Speaker 1>Acts 5, verse 32,.

00:12:54.537 --> 00:13:00.216
<v Speaker 1>Peter says if we're witnesses of these things, we're telling our story.

00:13:00.216 --> 00:13:02.899
<v Speaker 1>This is what actually happened.

00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:06.210
<v Speaker 1>We're witnessing these things.

00:13:06.210 --> 00:13:17.350
<v Speaker 1>So is the Holy Spirit whom God has don't miss this whom God has given to those who obey him, those who obey the gospel, he's going to give you the Holy Spirit.

00:13:17.350 --> 00:13:41.001
<v Speaker 1>I step back from these passages and say we are very beholden to these first Christians who made sure their testimony was passed on, no matter what it cost, so we could hear and receive the promise of life in Jesus and the promise of the Holy Spirit.

00:13:42.671 --> 00:13:47.722
<v Speaker 1>In spite of the risks, peter proclaimed the gospel to the Jewish leaders in the Sanhedrin.

00:13:47.722 --> 00:13:56.078
<v Speaker 1>Listen to what he says here in Acts 5.28.32.

00:13:56.078 --> 00:14:06.922
<v Speaker 1>We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching this name, and yet you filled Jerusalem with your teaching, tending to bring this man's blood upon us.

00:14:06.922 --> 00:14:10.495
<v Speaker 1>But Peter, the apostles answered we must obey God rather than men.

00:14:10.495 --> 00:14:26.779
<v Speaker 1>The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging him on the cross, and he is the one whom God exalted to his right hand as prince and savior to grant repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins.

00:14:26.779 --> 00:14:28.475
<v Speaker 1>We're witnessing these things.

00:14:28.475 --> 00:14:33.820
<v Speaker 1>So is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who believe in him.

00:14:33.820 --> 00:14:39.197
<v Speaker 1>What Peter said about Jesus' death, resurrection, exaltation and savior.

00:14:39.990 --> 00:14:47.395
<v Speaker 1>The text says next cut the Jewish leaders to the quick, meaning cut them to the heart.

00:14:47.395 --> 00:15:02.571
<v Speaker 1>But here's the difference between what happened in Acts 2, when, after Peter's sermon, it says, they were also cut to the heart and asked what should we do here?

00:15:02.571 --> 00:15:05.235
<v Speaker 1>The message didn't soften their hearts.

00:15:05.235 --> 00:15:10.471
<v Speaker 1>It hardened them so that they wanted to kill the apostles.

00:15:10.471 --> 00:15:15.899
<v Speaker 1>Let me continue Acts 5.33.42.

00:15:15.899 --> 00:15:20.065
<v Speaker 1>But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them.

00:15:22.929 --> 00:15:31.000
<v Speaker 1>But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law respected by all the people, stood up in the council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time.

00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:33.134
<v Speaker 1>They're ready to kill them.

00:15:33.134 --> 00:15:34.774
<v Speaker 1>Gamaliel stands up.

00:15:34.774 --> 00:15:39.520
<v Speaker 1>He says men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men.

00:15:39.520 --> 00:15:53.100
<v Speaker 1>For some time ago, thutis rose up claiming to be somebody, in a group of about 400 men, joined up with him, but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

00:15:53.100 --> 00:15:59.301
<v Speaker 1>After this man, judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him.

00:15:59.301 --> 00:16:03.041
<v Speaker 1>He too perished and all those who followed him were scattered.

00:16:03.041 --> 00:16:22.557
<v Speaker 1>So in the present case, I say to you stay away from these men, let them alone, for if this plan of action is of men, it'll be overthrown, but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them, else you may be found fighting against God.

00:16:24.251 --> 00:16:26.860
<v Speaker 1>Well, they wisely took his advice.

00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:32.860
<v Speaker 1>After calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and then release them.

00:16:32.860 --> 00:16:40.917
<v Speaker 1>So he went on their way from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they'd been counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

00:16:40.917 --> 00:16:46.794
<v Speaker 1>And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

00:16:46.794 --> 00:16:51.342
<v Speaker 1>This phrase repeated over and over.

00:16:51.342 --> 00:16:59.264
<v Speaker 1>They kept right on doing this wherever they were, whoever they saw.

00:16:59.264 --> 00:17:06.357
<v Speaker 1>And were it not for the intervention of Gamaliel, the apostles would have been killed.

00:17:06.357 --> 00:17:09.176
<v Speaker 1>His counsel was very persuasive.

00:17:10.912 --> 00:17:24.138
<v Speaker 1>By the way, saul of Tarsus, which we'll meet in a couple chapters, was one of Gamaliel's disciples before he became the apostle Paul the Sanhedrin took Gamaliel's disciples before he became the Apostle Paul the Sanhedrin took Gamaliel's advice.

00:17:24.138 --> 00:17:28.617
<v Speaker 1>Instead of killing the apostles, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak.

00:17:28.617 --> 00:17:30.694
<v Speaker 1>You know what flogging means?

00:17:30.694 --> 00:17:38.480
<v Speaker 1>It means each of them received 39 lashes from a cat of nine tails on their backs 39.

00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:39.855
<v Speaker 1>Bloody mess.

00:17:39.855 --> 00:17:42.538
<v Speaker 1>Their skin was lacerated.

00:17:45.250 --> 00:17:55.080
<v Speaker 1>Now, when the apostles were challenged and jailed the first time for speaking of Jesus, they were released and they went home and they prayed.

00:17:55.080 --> 00:17:57.217
<v Speaker 1>Oh Lord, we need more bones.

00:17:57.217 --> 00:18:06.434
<v Speaker 1>Now the second challenge they get a severe beating and went home rejoicing.

00:18:06.434 --> 00:18:08.759
<v Speaker 1>Can you imagine that?

00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:11.222
<v Speaker 1>Wow, first they prayed.

00:18:11.222 --> 00:18:13.836
<v Speaker 1>Oh, we don't need to pray, let's rejoice.

00:18:13.836 --> 00:18:16.569
<v Speaker 1>We're worthy to suffer for Jesus.

00:18:16.569 --> 00:18:19.674
<v Speaker 1>Worthy to suffer for Jesus.

00:18:19.694 --> 00:18:22.599
<v Speaker 1>What gave them this kind of courage and boldness?

00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:33.403
<v Speaker 1>We've already talked about three things, but I believe we get a glimpse of the fourth at the end of Peter's defense to the Sanhedrin.

00:18:33.403 --> 00:18:41.238
<v Speaker 1>The fourth source of their courage came from looking at who Jesus is.

00:18:41.238 --> 00:18:47.953
<v Speaker 1>Powerful, motivation, powerful Acts 5, 30, 32.

00:18:47.953 --> 00:18:50.077
<v Speaker 1>The God of our fathers raised up Jesus.

00:18:50.077 --> 00:18:52.163
<v Speaker 1>First of all, he's resurrected and alive.

00:18:52.163 --> 00:18:56.038
<v Speaker 1>After dying for our sins, you put him to death.

00:18:56.038 --> 00:19:06.337
<v Speaker 1>He is the one whom God exalted to his right hand as a prince and a savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins, and we are witnesses of these things.

00:19:06.337 --> 00:19:13.625
<v Speaker 1>So, as the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Peter said, you put Jesus to death on the cross, but God raised him up.

00:19:13.625 --> 00:19:22.060
<v Speaker 1>Now God has exalted him to his right hand as prince and a savior to grant repentance, forgiveness, and we're witnesses.

00:19:22.060 --> 00:19:24.634
<v Speaker 1>Now, the apostles.

00:19:24.634 --> 00:19:26.019
<v Speaker 1>It's interesting.

00:19:26.019 --> 00:19:35.300
<v Speaker 1>The apostles came to know Jesus and see him, as in the text, as a prince and savior.

00:19:35.300 --> 00:19:38.558
<v Speaker 1>This is where they got their courage.

00:19:38.558 --> 00:19:44.134
<v Speaker 1>The fourth way, that's how they saw him.

00:19:44.134 --> 00:19:45.037
<v Speaker 1>How do you see him?

00:19:45.037 --> 00:19:46.160
<v Speaker 1>How do you see Jesus?

00:19:50.330 --> 00:19:59.181
<v Speaker 1>The word Savior is often used for Jesus in the New Testament, but you don't often see Jesus referred to as Prince.

00:19:59.181 --> 00:20:11.303
<v Speaker 1>It's unusual, and Peter intentionally uses it here, because that's what he wanted us to know and them to know.

00:20:11.303 --> 00:20:13.356
<v Speaker 1>This is how we think of Jesus.

00:20:13.356 --> 00:20:21.061
<v Speaker 1>Well, the word Prince very unusual Greek word.

00:20:21.061 --> 00:20:31.213
<v Speaker 1>It's only used four times in the New Testament and it always is used of Jesus Two times in the book of Acts, two times in the book of Hebrews, always of Jesus.

00:20:31.213 --> 00:20:49.881
<v Speaker 1>Prince, the Greek word for prince, not that you need to know this archegos, it's really difficult to translate, so in your translations you'll see them all over the map trying to get this word into our cognition.

00:20:49.881 --> 00:20:57.364
<v Speaker 1>It's an extremely significant word, especially in the Greek culture, greek and Roman culture.

00:20:57.364 --> 00:21:01.529
<v Speaker 1>Some versions translate archegos as captain.

00:21:01.529 --> 00:21:06.041
<v Speaker 1>He's our captain, or leader, or prince or author.

00:21:06.041 --> 00:21:23.229
<v Speaker 1>In the Greek culture, the word meant hero, champion, champion.

00:21:23.509 --> 00:21:39.342
<v Speaker 1>One commentator on this passage makes the point that this culture at the time, anyone hearing the name that Jesus was Archegos and Savior, would have immediately thought of the legendary Greek hero Hercules, who was also called Archegos and Savior.

00:21:39.342 --> 00:21:42.317
<v Speaker 1>Now, that's very interesting.

00:21:42.317 --> 00:21:56.902
<v Speaker 1>This means that they thought of Jesus as their hero, their champion, who was blocked in mortal combat for them on their behalf.

00:21:56.902 --> 00:22:00.840
<v Speaker 1>The one who had the power of death was victorious.

00:22:00.840 --> 00:22:05.461
<v Speaker 1>He was their champion, their hero.

00:22:05.461 --> 00:22:08.277
<v Speaker 1>That's how they thought of him.

00:22:09.710 --> 00:22:16.821
<v Speaker 1>Alistair MacIntyre, in his book After Virtue, says that the Greco-Roman world was a hero-based culture.

00:22:16.821 --> 00:22:28.829
<v Speaker 1>Do you realize?

00:22:28.829 --> 00:22:29.030
<v Speaker 1>So are we?

00:22:29.030 --> 00:22:38.983
<v Speaker 1>Greco-roman culture was a hero-based culture, and we know the way parents used to back then instill virtue in the character of their children was to tell them stories of heroes.

00:22:38.983 --> 00:22:53.510
<v Speaker 1>Another commentator noted that when the early Christians used a word to describe the mythological Hercules and other heroes, they would apply it to Jesus Christ, to their kids.

00:22:53.510 --> 00:22:57.900
<v Speaker 1>This is Jesus, the Archegos and Satan.

00:22:57.900 --> 00:23:08.154
<v Speaker 1>Now step back, think.

00:23:08.154 --> 00:23:11.190
<v Speaker 1>What a remarkable example of cultural engagement with the claims of Christ.

00:23:11.190 --> 00:23:16.150
<v Speaker 1>We have our own mythologies.

00:23:16.150 --> 00:23:39.955
<v Speaker 1>What they were doing, these Greco-Roman parents were connecting Jesus to a deep longing and aspiration in their culture for a hero.

00:23:39.955 --> 00:23:43.576
<v Speaker 1>I would maintain.

00:23:43.616 --> 00:23:57.811
<v Speaker 1>Fact is, when you look at Jesus and Hercules, jesus is both like and radically unlike the heroes of antiquity and today.

00:23:57.811 --> 00:24:00.405
<v Speaker 1>Like and unlike.

00:24:00.405 --> 00:24:09.853
<v Speaker 1>Jesus is like the heroes of ancient days and today the fact that he faced death bravely to save others Connection.

00:24:09.853 --> 00:24:39.550
<v Speaker 1>But Jesus is unlike the other heroes in the sense that the other heroes become heroes when they get the power to act for others, like Peter Parker, a kid from Queens, new York, who gets his power by being bitten by a radioactive spider, or like Luke Skywalker, who gets his power when he taps into the force.

00:24:39.550 --> 00:24:51.832
<v Speaker 1>They weren't heroes until they got their power, but Jesus already had all power.

00:24:51.832 --> 00:25:01.614
<v Speaker 1>Jesus is unlike and the opposite of worldly baseless because he gave up his power to save us.

00:25:01.614 --> 00:25:07.571
<v Speaker 1>He came down from his glory in heaven, humbling himself.

00:25:07.571 --> 00:25:10.450
<v Speaker 1>He became mortal so he could die.

00:25:10.450 --> 00:25:14.290
<v Speaker 1>He voluntarily went to his death for us.

00:25:16.221 --> 00:25:29.645
<v Speaker 1>When the early Christians looked at Jesus, they saw their archegos, their savior, somebody standing up for them and saving them In spite of the opposition.

00:25:29.645 --> 00:25:34.386
<v Speaker 1>They saw their champion, they saw their hero.

00:25:34.386 --> 00:25:39.630
<v Speaker 1>The kind of heroism they saw was not just for strong people.

00:25:39.630 --> 00:25:45.682
<v Speaker 1>They saw it's for weak people, it's for all of us.

00:25:45.682 --> 00:25:50.553
<v Speaker 1>Now, here's the point, what I'm trying to say you want courage.

00:25:50.553 --> 00:25:54.728
<v Speaker 1>Here's the final way we see them.

00:25:54.728 --> 00:25:58.539
<v Speaker 1>Look at Jesus as their hero, their champion.

00:25:58.539 --> 00:26:07.654
<v Speaker 1>They saw something in him so beautiful, so wonderful, in their archegos and savior.

00:26:07.654 --> 00:26:12.650
<v Speaker 1>They just had to tell others about their hero.

00:26:12.650 --> 00:26:14.353
<v Speaker 1>They had to.

00:26:14.353 --> 00:26:19.707
<v Speaker 1>They couldn't help it.

00:26:19.707 --> 00:26:23.359
<v Speaker 1>Can you, can you?

00:26:33.073 --> 00:26:39.539
<v Speaker 1>One thing to take away from this passage and others prior is the priority, the priority.

00:26:39.539 --> 00:26:46.212
<v Speaker 1>The priority God places on our personal witness for Jesus.

00:26:46.212 --> 00:26:56.167
<v Speaker 1>While there are many choices we will make that involves obeying God rather than men, this one stands out above them all.

00:26:56.167 --> 00:26:58.353
<v Speaker 1>Right in the text.

00:26:58.353 --> 00:27:06.430
<v Speaker 1>He told them to be his witnesses.

00:27:06.430 --> 00:27:09.888
<v Speaker 1>He gave them the boldness to do it.

00:27:09.888 --> 00:27:13.109
<v Speaker 1>He got them out of jail so they could do it.

00:27:13.109 --> 00:27:16.230
<v Speaker 1>He told them to stand firm and tell the people about it.

00:27:16.230 --> 00:27:20.334
<v Speaker 1>He told them to stand firm and tell the people about it.

00:27:23.942 --> 00:27:26.708
<v Speaker 1>The repetition is the lesson To be a witness for Jesus.

00:27:26.708 --> 00:27:59.969
<v Speaker 1>Look, I'm telling you, it's going to require courage and risk, but when you know that God has commanded you to do it, that God is with you, when you do it in the Holy Spirit and you see the beauty of Jesus as your champion and savior, how can we not be his witness, unless we think something less of Jesus, maybe good for somebody?

00:27:59.969 --> 00:28:02.185
<v Speaker 1>Is he your hero?

00:28:02.185 --> 00:28:04.365
<v Speaker 1>Is he your savior?

00:28:04.365 --> 00:28:16.547
<v Speaker 1>I hope he is, and I would be remiss if I didn't tell you the message of life found in Jesus, which is the good news of the gospel.

00:28:16.700 --> 00:28:26.894
<v Speaker 1>How Jesus humbled himself, gave up his power, came down to us so he could satisfy the justice of God for our sin For our sin, not his.

00:28:26.894 --> 00:28:32.248
<v Speaker 1>He took our place, received the judgment of God so we could be free.

00:28:32.248 --> 00:28:40.785
<v Speaker 1>And Jesus said if you get that, if you understand who I am and what I did, I'm going to give you eternal life.

00:28:40.785 --> 00:28:42.810
<v Speaker 1>It's that simple.

00:28:42.810 --> 00:28:45.729
<v Speaker 1>You believe that I'm going to give you eternal life.

00:28:46.780 --> 00:28:47.825
<v Speaker 1>John 6, verse 40,.

00:28:47.825 --> 00:28:56.068
<v Speaker 1>Jesus said, for this is the will of my Father, that everyone who beholds the Son see him as your Savior, as your champion, your hero.

00:28:56.068 --> 00:28:57.432
<v Speaker 1>See what he did.

00:28:57.432 --> 00:29:07.691
<v Speaker 1>Everyone who beholds the son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I myself will raise him up on the last day.

00:29:07.691 --> 00:29:19.967
<v Speaker 1>So if you've never done so, I invite you to open your heart and believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and eternal salvation in his name.

00:29:20.669 --> 00:29:21.681
<v Speaker 1>Let's pray, father.

00:29:21.681 --> 00:29:27.608
<v Speaker 1>Heavenly Father, how can we say anything?

00:29:27.608 --> 00:29:30.826
<v Speaker 1>Thank you, that seems so lame.

00:29:30.826 --> 00:29:35.230
<v Speaker 1>Thank you for Jesus, who died for our sins.

00:29:35.230 --> 00:29:46.146
<v Speaker 1>Forgive us for the limited way we may have been looking at him and how inspired we are by how the apostles looked at him.

00:29:46.146 --> 00:30:07.650
<v Speaker 1>Would you give us that same vision, that same sense as we see him for who he really is, whom you raised from the dead, exalted to your right hand, far above all rule, power and authority, and that he is with us, the one who's above all rule, power and authority.

00:30:07.650 --> 00:30:17.388
<v Speaker 1>Thank you that Jesus is our archegos, our champion, our savior, whose beautiful name and work you've given us the privilege to proclaim.

00:30:17.388 --> 00:30:18.372
<v Speaker 1>Now we just ask for the boldness to do that.

00:30:18.372 --> 00:30:19.032
<v Speaker 1>I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

00:30:19.032 --> 00:30:20.477
<v Speaker 1>Beautiful name and work you've given us the privilege to proclaim.

00:30:20.477 --> 00:30:21.400
<v Speaker 1>Now we just ask for the boldness to do that.

00:30:21.400 --> 00:30:24.861
<v Speaker 1>I pray in Jesus' name, amen.