Obedience to God and Man

Acts 5:24–32
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Obedience

As you can imagine, the temple guards were perplexed upon finding the empty prison cells (v. 24). They were soon informed, however, that their prisoners were already back in the temple, preaching as though nothing had happened (v. 25). The guards once again arrested the apostles, but they did so gently, fearing the wrath of the people (v. 26). What could the religious leaders do with a group of preachers whom jails could not hold? Upon recapturing them they charged them with:

1. Disobeying direct orders (v. 28) – They continued to preach in Jesus’ name.

2. Placing blame on them (v. 28) – While not completely responsible for the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross, the religious leaders certainly had played a large role in what had happened, and they did not enjoy the constant reminder of their guilt.

The apostles did not change their convictions, but simply replied that obedience to God took priority over obedience to man (vv. 29-32). These were men of principle and courage. Their ruling principle was to be obedient to God no matter the circumstance.

When addressing the religious leaders, the apostles didn’t shy away from the truth which they knew must offend their audience. They stated the facts.

1. God raised Jesus back to life (v. 30).

2. The Religious leaders were responsible for His death (v. 30).

3. God had exalted Jesus as a leader and a savior (v. 31).

4. Jesus now offers an opportunity for Israel to repent and be forgiven for their sins (v. 31).

5. The apostles were witnesses of these truths (v. 32).

6. The Holy Spirit was also a witness of these truths (v. 32).

Application

The Christian life is not a parking lot, but instead it is a launching pad. How would I feel if I were sent to jail for sharing Christ? Would it be “poor me” or “praise the Lord"?

Acts 5:24-32 (English Standard Version)

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