A Kingdom of God Revolution is Never Easy Street

In this episode, we explore Acts 5, a powerful chapter that reveals both the holiness of God and the boldness of the early church. From the sobering account of Ananias and Sapphira to the miraculous release of the apostles from prison, this chapter challenges us to live with integrity, obey God above all else, and remain faithful even in the face of opposition. Discover how the courage of the apostles and the wisdom of Gamaliel point to an unshakable truth: when God is at work, nothing can stop His mission.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello everyone, I'm Dr. Steve Holtz. I want to welcome you to the Road Church Podcast. Each week we go into God's Word. We teach chapter by chapter and verse by verse. We are here to build a Kingdom of God revolution through empowering people to change the world. So we pray this will minister to you at your heart level and change your life. In our story, it's a move of God like we have never seen, probably in the history of Christianity for 2,000 years. There is a period of time where 8,000 people come to know Christ in a very short period of time. And I'll share some more about what's happening as far as the historical aspects of this. But with that, move of the Spirit, I'm gonna call it a kingdom of God revolution that's happening, this vintage church that we've built our foundation on, we see that the authorities in Jerusalem are getting very, very nervous. And anytime God's Spirit moves, the religious people get nervous. Secular people generally don't. They, in some cases, they couldn't care less about what's happening. But it's the religious people, it's the church itself, and in this case, it's the Jews, the Sanhedrin. They're getting very nervous, and here's why. Because they were the custodians of the truth, and they're seeing a shift happen, and not only are they no longer the custodians of the truth, the people are actually against them. And so we're gonna see two things happen in Acts 5. Now I'm gonna try to cover it all and move really quickly through Acts 5 because there's a lot of verses here. So we're gonna, y'all ready to bear down? We're gonna bear down and look at it. I hope, hopefully, can bring in some traditional thoughts about it too that come from Jewish tradition. But this move of the Spirit is first of all going to experience outer persecution. With outer persecution, there is always inward persecution. So anytime God's Spirit is moving, anytime God is doing something new, you're gonna have outside pressure and inside pressure. Anybody ever felt like that in your family? Okay? If you haven't, you need to get out more often because there is outside and inside pressure when God is moving. And we tr we just want God to move and we're so excited. Oh, God's moving, we're pumped, we've got momentum, but we often don't realize is it actually is an enemy. There are demonic powers, they're gonna try to take down this movement. So let's turn to Acts chapter 5, and let me give a little bit of a background. So look at the beginning. I'm gonna look at the beginning of Acts 5 by looking at the end of Acts chapter 4, where the church is bringing, they're bringing their offerings, they're bringing them there, and as they do so, I think it's important because it's gonna lead into what's happening in chapter 5. And I'm gonna just start at verse 34. Nor is there anyone among them who lack, for all who had possessions of lands and houses, sold them and brought the proceeds of these things that were sold. Now I want you to, I've said this before, let me just remind you again. Some have used this as a basis for saying that communism is Christian because everybody was sharing of their goods with each other. I want you to note, though, they were freely, they were freely bringing their goods. They were not being coerced to bring their goods. This is not communism. This is actually a work of the spirit of deep, deep revival that brings a deep level of generosity. Verse 35, and they laid them at the apostles' feet, and they distributed it each as anyone had a need. And Joseph, who was also named Barnabas by the Apostles, which is translated son of encouragement, a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. So that's the context of this move of God internally, where this tremendous generosity and this tremendous unity is overflowing in this church. And I covered that last week, the unity factor. But now, chapter five, one of the most controversial passages in all of the New Testament. And let me just, before we start there, let me remind you, because I think there's such a correlation here. Remember when Joshua was going into the promised land. We just finished the book of Joshua a few months ago. Remember when they were going in, tremendous unity, one accord, march around Jericho seven times, and then seven times again on the last day, walls fall down, great victory. Uh not a shot is fired, you might say, and they win the victory. And so then they're looking at Ai, this little city of Ai, and they just send a small contingent of men into that, and they lose. They lose there, and 36 men are killed. Remember that? There's 36 widows in Israel. It's the only place in the book of Joshua where anyone is killed. It's recorded that they're killed on the Israeli side. Remember what happened? They're wondering what's going on. So they start kind of drawing straws, going through a process of finding out, and they come to a guy named Achan. And Achan had taken gold. Remember that? Remember what happened to Achan? They killed Achan, and they killed his whole family. So there's something about when God is moving, that there is a fear of God that God instills in his people. And sometimes it's very, very severe. And so that's what we're looking at. We're looking at a very severe time, a joyful time, but a severe time in Acts chapter 5. But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, and he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not your under your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You've not lied to men but to God. That's really interesting about the idea that the Holy Spirit is always with us, even when we lie. Verse 5. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. Wow. This is kind of Achan-level stuff, right? So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. Okay. What in the world is going on here? And you guys have heard me say this before. That people ask sometimes, are you a New Testament church? Are you guys a really a New Testament church? And he goes, Well, nobody's been killed yet. So I guess we're not. And is that the kind of church you want to join? But fear came because of hypocrisy. So if we could look at this from the perspective of hypocrisy. So hypocrisy was happening, and you say, well, how's that? It seems as though not everything here is recorded exactly as it was, but it would appear that obviously they had seen, look back, remember it? Chapter 4. I think they had seen the notoriety that had come from Barnabas bringing land. And I don't know if this land was in Cyprus, where he was from, or he's from Cyprus, but he was living in Jerusalem and he had land there. We don't know, but he brought the proceeds. Others were bringing the proceeds of the land that they had sold. And by the way, I'll just say this as a side issue that someone in our church who wants to remain anonymous brought the proceeds of an amount of money to the church, and we have our mortgage paid off. So it's all paid off. And so we'll celebrate that on another day. But that's an example of what was happening here. And I don't know if Ananias and Sapphira came together and saw the notoriety and the popularity of what Barnabas had done, and they decided to do that. But somehow they lied. Hippo meaning under, Chrysus meaning judgment. Hippo under Chrysus. The idea of judging from under something or under a mask. And that's where the Greeks came with the word actor. An actor was a hypocrisis. And so there was this hypocrisy where they were posing that they had sold the land and brought all the proses, just like Barnabas had done. But I think it's amazing what Peter says. Look, it was all, it was your you had freedom to do whatever you wanted with the money. It was your money, it was your land. In other words, you didn't have to lie about it. Just tell us the truth. Don't you love authenticity? Don't we love authenticity? And yet in the church, we often have people, I do, as a senior pastor, people come to me and and they boast about things that they've done in the past. I've done it too. I've exaggerated things that have happened in the past. Everybody here has done it to a certain extent because we we have that that part of us that wants to be noticed, wants to be loved. And I think that was happening here. And there's an hypocrisy in Ananias and Sapphira. And I just find it fascinating that what Peter says is so true for us today to remember when he says, was it not in your own control in verse 4? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You've not lied to men, but to God. So there was something in the heart of Ananias and Sapphira that they wanted to be noticed, they wanted to be believed. I don't know exactly what's going on, but we all struggle with it. Let me challenge you. In your life, are you living an authentic life? Are you before men being who you are? Now I'm not saying that if you're every time you're a little bit depressed, you need to tell everybody about it. Okay, so but you need some trusted friends. Men and women, you need blood-stained allies. That's one of the things that we're going to be equipping the men in at Wholehearted, at the Wholeheart Advance. Refined by fire. Is the need for some authentic guys in your life. Ladies, you need it too, but you guys are better at it than us. Sort of. Some of you talk too much. So I'll use a theological term. It's called gossip. Okay? Guys don't usually gossip. Guys just stab you in the back. So, man, we need guys who've got our back. And also guys who hold us accountable when we're being hypocrites and being, again, we'll use an English term, posers. We're posing and we're trying to be cool. That's what guys do. And it's sort of nauseating, quite frankly. Everybody say that's nauseating. It is. I mean it is. It is to me anyway. Because I can't stand that. But in verse 3, this is really, I can't spend a ton of time because I'm looking at the whole chapter, but look at verse 3 again. Peter says, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? So, guys, even as believers, Satan can fill our hearts to lie. Satan can come, even as a Christian, and can so do something in your head that you feel like you've got a lie. And this is this is sanctification. This is part of the battle that we all go through. Two steps forward, one step back, sometimes one step forward, two steps back. But in our lives, God loves a truthful man, a truthful woman. It's called integrity. So integrity literally means one. It means that you're in oneness. Ryan, you're running for county commissioner. And you've had to be in debates, you've had to be in meetings where people have said stuff about you. They're lies. Right? Okay. But you have kept your integrity. You've tried to be one. You're the s, I pray, in my experience with you hanging out, you're the same in private as you are in public. That's that's integrity. Wouldn't you like to have some candidates that have integrity? That's what they say they're gonna do, they actually do. Right? So that's that's what's happening here is there's a lack of integrity with Ananias and Sapphira, and God's busting them because he loves his church and he loves his word. Verse 7. Now it was three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Now let me just say that I don't think, I'm positive, Peter did not know this was gonna happen. All he did was confront Ananias, and then Ananias just drops over dead. Okay? But I think he's getting the program now. And so he, watch what he's gonna do. I feel he's gonna extend to Sapphira grace, and he's gonna give her a chance to get out of it. Peter answered her, tell me whether you sold the land for so much. He's extending grace. God always, church, God always extends grace to us and gives us a chance to get out of it. Gives us a chance to have integrity. Peter said to her, How is it you? Oh no. And Peter answered her, tell me whether you sold the land for so much. She said, Yes, for that amount, for so much. Then Peter said to her, because he's getting the program now what the Holy Spirit's doing, how is it that you have agreed? Together to test the Spirit of the Lord. Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. And then immediately she she fell down at his feet, breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all those who heard these things. I mean, this is amazing. The fear of the Lord. Do you guys remember 9-11 and what happened in Washington, D.C., when all the Democrats and all the Republicans were singing, God bless America? Anybody remember that? I just feel like I can see it like it was yesterday. They're all up at the steps there, the Capitol building, saying, God bless America. Was there any repentance? Was there any, you know, getting on our face before God and saying, Lord, you're judging us. We're we're under your judgment. No, it was it was never there. And so I think God was giving us a chance, and and we say and we do it at church. I do it as a pastor. Sometimes I'm singing, Lord, I surrender all. All to you, I surrender. And I haven't surrendered all. So there's always this temptation, this struggle with all of us to have integrity. And he gives Sapphira that chance, but but God's fear, the fear of the Lord over a church. I pray that God would give us that. The fear of the Lord that brings about repentance. And we've experienced that at different points in our life, and I know that God has that for your life and for my life at times. And I pray that for the road, that we'd be at the fear of the Lord would be welcome here. I can't make that happen. But we invite, Holy Spirit, we invite you to bring the fear of the Lord over the road. Over Colorado Springs, over El Paso County, over our state. We need the fear of the Lord. And through the hands of the apostles. This is crazy. So it's like the it's like 1 through 11 creates this fear so that God's spirit can move on in unprecedented levels here. Verse 12. And through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all, here we go again, with one accord in Solomon's porch. Can you imagine? They're in one accord. There's integrity, oneness, one accord over a body where a husband and wife just received the death sentence from the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine Ananias and Sapphira in the grave? Why did we do that? That was really dumb. I didn't like that from the beginning. And here we are, missing out on everything now. Through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them. But the people esteemed them highly. Remarkable. So think about the juxtaposition of this: that the community is hearing about and seeing the signs and wonders, but they also heard about Ananias and Sapphira. So there's like this longing to be a part of this movement, but not really. I don't know, man. This is really different than Judaism. This is really different than what we do at the temple. But there's this favor. This is crazy. I don't even know how to get into this, except to say it's kind of a weird thing that's happening in the church, this kingdom of God, revolutionary movement, that God's moving, and people are fearful of God moving, but they're longing for God moving. Okay? So that's the that's what's happening. None of the rest dare join them, but the people esteemed them highly. Believers were increasingly added to the Lord multitudes. Remember, there's already 8,000 saved. Now it's called multitudes of both men and women. So that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. So they're getting out Shay's lounges out, they're getting couches out of their house. He comes through here. I swear, I saw him yesterday. He comes right through this route right here. And if you'll just be over here, the sun's gonna be rising in the east. And when he comes in the morning, be on the west side. And when his shadow comes by, you'll get heels. And if you got any hankies, those are good too. And Peter doesn't even have white shoes. He doesn't even have a white suit, and there's no TV yet. And yet he's he's just doing it because Jesus is showing up, guys. We need Jesus to show up more often. We need Jesus to show up at the road. We needed Jesus to show up in the children's ministry. We need Jesus to show up in the youth ministry. We need Jesus to show up in your marriage. In my marriage. Because when Jesus shows up, signs and wonders do follow. It's actually a natural part of the kingdom of God. It's that part of being naturally supernatural. Naturally supernatural. So this, so Jesus is showing up unprecedented. They're bringing the sick out. Even the shadow of Peter is healing people. Verse 16. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who are tormented by unclean spirits, and they're all getting healed. I mean, they're all getting healed. I mean, a kingdom of God revolution is happening, and if it was happening today, the hospitals would be evacuated of the sick, because everybody we pray for would get healed. I mean, that's amazing. That's what's happening here. This is unprecedented in Christian history. It's a move of the Spirit, and not everybody's happy about it. Not everybody is excited about what's happening. So miracles of God always invite persecution from the religious. First Great Awakening. First Great Awakening when Jonathan Edwards is preaching in Northampton, Massachusetts, in the 1730s and 40s, and God's Spirit is moving, and people are listening to this spectacled Jonathan Edwards, probably the greatest American theologian of the time and for the next 200 years, reading his sermons like this, because he's he's so would that be far sighted? Okay? Just reading it. Sinners in the hands of an angry God. That's his most famous sermon. People are falling on the floor left and right confessing their sin. People are manifesting demons left and right in Northampton Mass. And he's and he is a very, very subdued guy, not emotional, nothing Pentecostal about it, just reading his sermon, but had truth in it. People are falling out. And guess where the persecution comes? Persecution doesn't come from the governor. Persecution doesn't come from the city council. The persecution comes from the other Christian leaders. So anytime there's a move of God, there's always going to be a pushback from religious people. And the Sanhedrin, the governing body in Jerusalem, is about to be very, very upset. Verse 17. Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees. So the Sadducees were the largest contingent within the 70 elders over Jerusalem called the Sanhedrin, and they did not believe in the supernatural, and they did not believe in the resurrection. So this is a big problem. Supernatural stuff's happening all over the place through this group called the Way. They're not called Christians yet, but they're called the Way. So they're very, very upset. It's going against their theology. Everybody look at me. It's going against their theology. That's always where persecution within the church comes from, is people disagreeing with a certain aspect of the body of Christ theology. And I'm not talking about cults. I'm not talking about a cult. And a cult, theology and doctrine is really, really important. But I'm talking about where it's mainstream Christianity, but God's moving, and they don't like to see the experience, so they come against it theologically. And they were filled with indignation, anger, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. So they're put into prison. Verse 19. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, Now, this is amazing. One angel. What one angel can do is amazing. Angels are pretty cool. Okay? These principalities that come and rescue us. I don't know how many times, I bet you, everybody in this room, have met an angel you didn't know it was an angel. There's angels unaware all over the place doing stuff for the saints. At night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, said, verse 20, go stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, that's the Sanhedrin, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. So they don't know. They don't know what's going on. I just find it fascinating. This angel comes, unlocks all the doors, has this master key, opens it up, guards don't even know. They leave, and he doesn't say, run away. He says, go back and double down and triple down with what you're doing. This is amazing. This shows the character of God calling these men to go back into the fight. Go back into the battle. Don't book it. Don't run. Don't be full of fear. I give you courage right now, go back into the fight. Men and women, look at me. Understand this. That oftentimes in times of persecution, when you feel like you're just getting shot up and it just seems so hard. I think most of the time when you're doing the right thing, the Holy Spirit says, face it. Face it. Go back into it with integrity, with love, with kindness. Turn the other cheek, but don't turn your body away. You can turn the other cheek, but face it. Go back into it. That's exactly what they do. They go back in. They face it. Now this is this is crazy. They're now on trial. Verse 22. And I'm going to say a little bit about what I don't know why they asked these questions, but listen, verse 22. But when the officers came and did not find them in prison, they returned and reported, saying, indeed, we found the prison shut securely. And the guards standing outside before the doors. But when we opened them, we found no one inside. Now, isn't that kind of interesting? That's kind of interesting to me that they go and everything's secure. Everything's locked up. The guards are just sitting there, you know, having breakfast or whatever, and they come in and it's like they're gone. I don't know about you, but I might ask, how did that happen? Verse 24. Now, when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priest heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. So they don't even think about how they got out, they're thinking about the outcome. These guys are really, really scared. That's when you know God's moving. It's when the enemy is really, really scared. Verse 25. So one came and told them, saying, Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people lest they should be stunned. Now I would think at this point, you've got them right there, you got 12 guys right there, the apostles. Wouldn't you ask them somewhere? Like, how'd you do this? Are you guys like kind of Jewish Houdinis or what? How did you get out where nobody knew? But here's what they asked. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest asked him, saying, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in his name? And look, you fill Jerusalem with your doctrine and tend to bring this man's blood on us. That shows the level of fear. There's like no curiosity here. They're like, they're just fearful. Do you remember the part with Pontius Pilate? So they're being, they're under interrogation by Pontius Pilate with the high priest and the Jewish leaders there with Pontius Pilate? And he said, I don't see anything wrong with this man. He hasn't done anything wrong. And then they said, Let his blood be upon us. What a short memory, because that's exactly what's happening. The blood of Jesus has come upon the Sanhedrin. And they say it. Look, they said, You're gonna, you're putting that blood on us? When the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priest heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. So one came and told them. And they are saying officers brought them without violence, they feared the people lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest asked him, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in his name? And look, you fill Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us. They had just invited a few months ago his blood upon them. But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. Because they have the fear of God on them. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. I think it's by find it interesting that they put the blame firmly on the Jewish leadership. Him God is exalted to his right hand to the Prince and Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are as witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him. So when they they hear this, they don't back down. Obedience to God takes precedence over obedience to men and even their own personal safety. You guys remember when we were going through COVID? Remember the COVID thing? And we heard from Governor Polis to shut down our churches, and we and we drank the Kool-Aid for about five weeks, I think, here at the row, and then we did our research, and then we stood up, and so did other churches. We began to band together and we stood against it. And then when we we invited Sean Foyt to come in, Sean Foyt came in, and the police said to us, Don't, we're not doing an assembly. You can't do an assembly at Memorial Park. I said, We're doing an assembly at Memorial Park. And they said, No, don't do that. You're not supposed to do that. And I said, No, I know we're not supposed to do that, but we're gonna do it. And so we did it, and 5,000 people came and 100 got baptized. It would so sometimes civil disobedience, i.e. tea party, which we'll look at next week, when we talk about the early founders, civil disobedience has its place if we're obeying God. Now, this part is interesting, and I gotta get through this. Look at verse 33. When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. Some translations that you may have say they were cut to the heart. So they're convicted in their heart. They don't know what to do. Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamelel. So Gamelel stands up, a teacher of the law. And you could you could translate teacher here to be a doctor of the law. This is the most esteemed theological leader in Israel at that time. He is the great, he is the grandson of Hallel, the greatest teacher in Israel's history. Held in respect by all the people and commanded them to put the apostles out for a little while. Now, so the apostles are pushed out of this inner chamber. And so you might ask the question, how do we know what we're about to read? Many believe that Saul, who had later become Paul, is part of the Sanhedrin. So that's why we know what happens next. And remember, Saul had been discipled by Gamelel. So watch what's gonna happen. And he said to them, Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago, Theodos rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about 400, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee, we know a little bit about Judas of Galilee, men and women, from extra biblical sources. We don't know anything about Theodus, rose up in the days of the census and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, this is really important. This is really important what he says. Keep away from these men and let them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. Here's what he's saying. He's saying, look, we know from history the Romans do not put up with disruption in culture, disruption in society. So they took care of this guy Theodus, they took care of this guy Judas of Galilee, they're gonna take care of it. They will shut this thing down. So don't worry about it because the Romans will take care of it. Okay, but he's not done. But if it is of God, verse 39, you cannot overthrow it. Isn't that exciting? You cannot overthrow a move of God. They're getting persecution from the inside, they're getting persecution from the outside. The religious authorities are against them. They just had two people within their fellowship get slain by the Holy Spirit on a level of slain, like we don't usually use it today. Lest you even be found to be fighting against God. And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, and that word beaten can be skinned them, 39 Lashes, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. So here's here's what tradition tells us. Jewish tradition is very interesting. Gamel considered the doctor of the Torah. They said that when Gamelel died years later, that the Torah died. Here's what you don't know: is that he was close friends with another member of the Sanhedrin, and his name was Nicodemus. And Nicodemus was the one who came in John chapter 3 secretly to Jesus, and Jesus said, You must be born again. Tradition tells us that Nicodemus got saved. Nicodemus was close friends with a man named, and one of the most wealthy men in Jerusalem named Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph comes to the authorities, the Roman authorities, and he takes the body down from the cross. Joseph, Nicodemus, and Gamelel are all close friends. And I'm surmising that in the midst of all this stuff that's happening and all these signs and wonders, that Nicodemus came and maybe met with Gamalel and he said, Look, I brought Joseph with me. We took down the body. He was really dead. And we put the spices and we wrapped him in a shroud. And we saw him on the third day. He had risen. He was really alive, Gamaleel. I'm telling you, he was really alive. And Gameleel, I believe, is battling something in his heart right now. Tradition tells us that at the stoning of Stephen, which is coming up, Gamalael got saved. Gamaleel became a secret follower of Christ, along with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was kicked out of the Sanhedrin later, and guess who took him in? Gamalael did. So Gamalael, Joseph of Arimathea, Gamalael's son, and Nicodemus and Stephen were all buried in the same place later. And so Gamalael is a saint in the Orthodox Church. So this man is used by God to save the lives of these twelve apostles. And sometimes, men and women, it's important to realize that sometimes people may not be as outward in their faith as others are, but God's using them in particular positions that he's placed them in to do righteous work for the kingdom of God. Be careful about overly judging because someone maybe isn't as open or maybe as bold about their faith, but they've been put there because God is using them kind of in a secret way to carry out his kingdom of God work in that place. So Gamalael will stay with the Sanhedrin for many years, even as a believer, and used to buffer the persecution. And then look at the end, and I know I've gone a little bit long, but let me look at this. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple and in every house they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. So they come out just rejoicing, they're excited. Anybody here need a reminder? It takes a lot to rejoice during suffering. It takes a lot to rejoice. Most people bolt, most people leave. Rejoice. Face the suffering. Hang in there. Watch the Holy Spirit show up.

SPEAKER_00 41:17

Thank you for listening to the Road Church Podcast. We pray today's message has empowered you to make a difference in your world. For more information about the Road Church and to find more content like this, go to theroad.org. That's thheroad.org.