Unhindered: Unhindered Acts (Acts 5:17-25)

Series: Unhindered

Sermon: Unhindered Acts

Scripture: Acts 5:17-25

Date: March 17, 2019

 

He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ - with all boldness and without hindrance!  (Acts 28:31, series verse)

LAST WEEK'S WEEKLY CHALLENGE: Take the best action step you know to get unhindered from complacency.

Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.  But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "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 hight priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.  But when the officers came and did not find them in the 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 when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be.  So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!"  (Acts 5:17-25)

Because Patrick was unhindered by fear, God used him for 29 years to baptize over 120,000 Irishmen, plant 300 churches, and to be one of the earliest identifiable anti-slavery activists in western civilization.

By Patrick's death on March 17, 461, or shortly thereafter, the Irish ended their slave trading, and they did not take it up again.

Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

What we know is that God will not use us much if fear controls our lives.

God's word to you today: Do not be afraid!

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  (2 Timothy 1:7)

Let's talk about 3 things God uses to unhinder us from fear:

1. Recognize the object
   • What fear keeps you from following Jesus with a whole heart?
     • what people think
     • what might happen
     • you feel like you don't know enough
     • it might cost you too much
     • what people might say
     • it's too hard
     • I may have to give up too much
     • letting God run your life instead of you
     • it might be dangerous
     • rejection
     • I don't know enough
   • "Do not fear" does not mean you will not feel fear.
   • WEEKLY CHALLENGE: Give that biggest far to God and take an action step toward being unhindered by it.
   • Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.  (Acts 5:26)
   • Which is more valuable to us: what God thinks or what people think?
2. Resolve to obey
   • Are we going to be ok with disobedience or obedience?
   • But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life."  (Acts 5:19-20)
   • How many of you know God can open gates of prisons?
   • "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.  (Acts 5:20-21a)
   • "Wherever God wants you to go, if you can fly, fly out there; if you can't fly, drive there; if you can't drive, jog; if you can't jog, walk; if you can't walk, get somebody to put you in a wheelchair; if you can't get in a wheelchair, then stand up and get somebody to push you toward the will of God."  -Arthur Blessitt
3. Release the outcome
   • If we obey God, we can be good with the outcome.  Let's see what the outcomes were:
     • More people hear about Jesus.
       • "Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life."  (Acts 5:20)
     • More persecution comes.
       • And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  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.  (Acts 5:40-42)
       • Jesus, this is for you.
     • More obedience with joy.
       • Simply put, such rejoicing is not natural, but supernatural!  Such rejoicing is 'impossible,' but it is 'Him-possible!"
       • So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.  (Acts 5:41)
       • Sometimes, the things we feared doing the most for and with Jesus brought us great joy!