Are You Fighting against God? Or for Him?
Acts 5 reminds us that our actions matter. Moreover, we have a choice. We can fight against God and His purposes in the world, which will bring us to ruin. Or we can fight with Him, join Him in His battle, and see the world come actively under His Lordship.
Introduction
In our quest to uncover the end-times themes buried within the Book of Acts, we have begun to unveil the hidden depths and subtle intricacies of the early church’s well-developed eschatology. We learned that eschatology is not for cloud gazers, numerologists, or makers of jumbled charts but for those who are willing to put in the work to see the Kingdom built. It is not filled with a mass of spiritually overweight spectators who are just as much a consumer of church as the Nutty Professor is a consumer of fried chicken. But unlike the Klumps, this one is not a joke.
Instead, the eschatology Luke records is for the one who will put his hand to the proverbial plow and break a symbolic sweat. It is for the here and now not to decode the uncertain events concerning an even less certain future. Acts tells us when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and other believers, and when they began doing miracles in Jerusalem and Samaria, that the end was upon them; the end of the ages had come.
For some, that end would climax in smoke and flames, devastation and destruction, as seen temporally in the events of AD 70, which stands as a type of eternal hell. For others, the end of the Old Covenant era of temples, a priesthood, and feasts would be joyfully replaced by the reign of God’s one and only Son, who sat at His right hand until all of His enemies would be made a footstool for His feet. Moreover, as we learned last week, His reign would not cease, be paused, or could ever be overcome until the whole world, every family on earth, is under the blessing of God! What a glorious message our friend and brother Luke has been telling us!
Now, as we stand upon the plank of our ninth blog in Acts, my aim is for us to be recast into its bristling blue waters, a new tank of oxygen in tow, as we plunge into its fifth chapter. However, before we put on our snorkel, we need to remember the flow of the book. In Acts 1, Jesus prepares His disciples for what life and the Kingdom will look like in His absence as they wait for the promised Spirit to come and empower them. In Acts 2, Jesus sends the third member of the trinity upon them in dramatic fashion, causing a crowd to swell, Peter to preach, and about three thousand souls to be added to the believing ranks. After his first powerful sermon, in Acts 3, the apostles began performing miracles in the city, drawing another large crowd, and Peter preaching another powerful sermon. Out of fear that these events would spark an uncontrollable revival, the Jewish leaders began persecuting and arresting believers in Acts chapter 4, especially those who served God publicly.
As the narrative unfolds into Acts 5, we find the apostles released, only to be swiftly summoned before the Sanhedrin – the paramount Jewish council of the era. Their alleged transgression centers on their steadfast and unyielding proclamation of the name of Jesus despite explicit directives to desist from their missionary activities. This resolute commitment to their faith prompts vehement opposition from the religious authorities, who seek to quell the burgeoning Christian movement once and for all.
Acts 5:33-39, therefore, emerges as a pivotal juncture within this narrative. It is a moment when the Sanhedrin, incensed by the apostles’ unwavering conviction to continue unabated, prepares themselves to take severe and even bloody action against the apostles as they had against their Lord. However, amidst this maelstrom of tumult and theological fervor, an unlikely voice of moderation rose in the form of Gamaliel – a respected Pharisee and a learned doctor of Jewish Law, who plays prominently in today’s passage, along with the two false messianic figures we will hear about in a moment. He, Gamaliel, ardently advocates for the council to proceed with extreme caution lest they be found laboring against God.
The events chronicled in Acts 4 through Acts 5 encapsulate a volatile chapter in the annals of the early Christian church and will teach us much about eschatology. Let us read verses 33-39.
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German Catholic Priests Come Out as Queer, Demand Reform
The Vatican, home of the pope and the Roman Catholic Church, ruled last year that priests cannot bless same-sex unions and that such blessings weren’t valid. But the ruling also reignited a debate on the matter, and there was considerable resistance against it in some parts of Germany.
The Roman Catholic Church in Germany on Sunday faced renewed calls for better protection of LGBTQ rights and an end to institutional discrimination against queer people.
Around 125 people, including former and current priests, teachers, church administrators and volunteers, identified themselves as gay and queer, asking the church to take into account their demands and do away with “outdated statements of church doctrine” when it comes to sexuality and gender.
The members of the church community published seven demands on social media under the “OutInChurch” initiative. These demands range from queer people saying they should be able to live without fear and have access to all kinds of activities and occupations in the church without discrimination.
They said their sexual orientation must never be considered a breach of loyalty or reason for dismissal from their occupation. They ask the church to revise its statements on sexuality based on “theological and human-scientific findings.”
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Servants of Providence
For the believer, God’s providence is wondrous news. And the fact that He is purposeful in all His providence is even better news. As servants of providence, we are beneficiaries of a good, loving, faithful, just, and infinitely wise God. He alone is who we want and need as the Master of providence. Granted, His purposes are not always revealed or understood on this side of heaven.
I wonder how frequently you pose the question, “God, what are you doing in my life?” In August 2016, I incessantly wrestled with that question. A month prior my wife and I packed up our meager belongings and moved 2,260 miles to the Pacific Northwest. As we began driving on Interstate 94 for Mount Vernon, Washington, we were embarking on a new venture to a place where we had no established family, friends, or church. What brought us to the area was a missionary aviation training center in Arlington, Washington. But less than a month after arriving, I unenrolled from the program. The purpose for which we had uprooted our lives and moved across the country, from our standpoint, was now null.
Deliberate thought and prayer went into that decision, but the initial aftermath comprised of uncertainty, confusion, and doubt. As a newlywed, everything weighed heavier on my heart. Why were we there? Had I made a foolish decision? Was it a mistake? What’s next? Should we stay or move back home? How do we explain this to family and friends? What will this do to our marriage? These types of questions swirled around the bottomless pit in my head.
God, what are you doing?
A Servant of Providence
I often reflect back upon that season with fondness and gratitude. I didn’t see it at the time, but through those trying months, God was teaching me one of the sweetest lessons I’ve learned: be a servant of providence.
The fact that God’s providence affects all creation is biblically undeniable. He is providential over fish (Jon 1), worms (Jon 4), lions (Dan 6), lambs and wolves (Isa 11). He is providential over every decision, down to the casting of lots (Prov 16:33) and Satan himself (Job 1–2). Indeed, the entirety of Job 36–41 is a testimony of the power and parameter of His providence. Among all the hosts of heaven and all the inhabitants of the earth, no one can usurp His plans or strike His hand (Dan 4:35). He does whatever He pleases throughout the galaxies, upon the earth, and in the deep seas (Ps 135:6).
Proverbs 16:9 teaches us that while we plan (think upon) our course, Yahweh directs (establishes) our steps. This familiar passage must habitually humble us to be servants of providence. To acknowledge and surrender to the indisputable truth that we can’t control life. To hold our plans and dreams with open hands, submitting and surrendering our lives to the King. To approach life with a keen awareness that the Creator orchestrates every aspect of it and to trust Him in all circumstances, especially when outcomes aren’t immediately apparent.
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God is our Refuge and Strength
I grew up in the panhandle of Texas, an area that was and still is pretty notorious for the amount and severity of thunderstorms in the area. It was not uncommon during the spring and early summer for us to hear the tornado sirens and head next door to our neighbors’ basement because we needed a refuge. We needed a safe place to go.
I remember some years ago when I was a college pastor, my wife and I were leading a mission trip in eastern Africa and we had driven into the Sahara desert in two four wheel drive pickup trucks. We went out a little further than we should have, and stayed a little longer than we should have, and the desert around us got very dark very quickly. I felt exposed, in danger, and confused, and what I wanted more than anything was a refuge. We needed to find a place of safety.
On a lighter note, I am an introvert. If we are at a party or another event and we have been there for some time, you’ll probably find me eventually migrating to a chair in the corner, or perhaps even spending a little more time in the restroom than I actually need to. Once again, I will be looking for a place of safety.
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