04-24-22 “They never stopped!”

Scripture   Acts 5:41-42

                         

The ones who never stopped were ALL IN!   Who were ‘they’?
The Apostles – that’s who: Acts 5:41-42
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 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 Difference: Disciples (Student) to Apostles (Sent ones)
After they were trained as disciples, Jesus made them apostles when he said: “Go with my authority and make more disciples (students) baptize them into my church and teach them my way of living.”
 
Acts 5:1-11 – retell the story of Ananias and Sapphira who were NOT all in!
Acts 5:12-32 – retell the story of the apostles who WERE all in with miracles and teaching!
Acts 5:33-40
When the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and wanted to put the apostles to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law (the teacher of Saul of Tarsus = Paul), who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
          Acts 5:40 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.
          As if they are going to let a little flogging stop them from obeying the Holy Spirit of God.
Let me remind you of where we started: Acts 5:41-42
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 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.

 

MAKE THEM THIRSTY
A young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, “I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” The manager replied, “Your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty.” So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel.
 
The apostles continually made the people thirsty. Why don’t we see more of this today? What did they have that we don’t have? We could discuss that Christianity was a new thing and excitement builds around the latest new thing. We could say they had the right people in the right places at the right time. We could come up with all kinds of reasons why the church grew ‘back then’ and doesn’t seem to experience that same growth today, or we could stop and say, what did they have that we may be missing?  It is simple.
          They had unwavering obedience to the Holy Spirit. What does that mean? It means they were not ‘just’ disciples. They saw themselves as apostles – sent by God to proclaim the good news of salvation in the name of Jesus. It was a simple formula: The Holy Spirit gave direction and the apostles followed those directions. Do you remember we used to have to ask for and write down directions or look at a map. But how many of us thought we could find a short cut. Even in the early days of GPS we would try a short cut and the GPS would shout out – recalculating. That is like not following the Holy’s Spirit’s directions – the Spirit has to shout out “recalculating”. Many things get in the way of being like the first apostles.
 
INACTION EFFECT
Joe Robinson, author of the book, DON’T MISS YOUR LIFE, makes a case that one of life’s most dogging of emotions, regret, may just have a beneficial purpose: to prod us to step out and take action. According to Mr. Robinson, "researchers have found that the biggest regrets come not from what you do but from what you didn't do." It's the course untaken, known as the "inaction effect" in one study, which produces more regret than actions that don't work out.
Other research shows there's more intensity to the regret that comes from lost opportunities and that it stays with you longer. Since we “seem to be wired to not leave possibilities on the table,” why then do so many of us fall prey to the "inaction effect?"  Robinson explains that it is “because we're wired with some other tendencies, too -- fear, procrastination, cynicism, prior disappointments."  These negative psychological agents work hard to hold us back from experiencing life to the fullest.  “Life is short,” he concludes, “regrets are forever.”

BE THE APOSTLE GOD MADE YOU TO BE
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Are read by more than a few, But the one that is most read and commented on is the gospel according to you.
You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day By the things that you do and the words that you say, People read what you write, whether faithless or true, Say, what is the gospel according to you?
Do people read His truth and His love in your life, Or has yours been too full of malice and strife? Does your life speak of evil, or does it ring true? Say, what is the gospel according to you?
CONCLUSION
2 Timothy 4:7-8
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.