GOD, THE WORLD, AND THE CHURCH (14 OF 56)
Scripture: Acts 5:17-24, Acts 5:27-39, Acts 5:41-42
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God, the World, and the Church (14 of 56)
Series: The Church in ACTSion
Wyman Richardson
Acts 5:17-42
Read Acts 5:17-42
The story of the Church in Acts has taken some fascinating, unexpected and, at times, frightening turns. In the latter half of Acts 5, the story continues with, we might say, three characters moving front and center: God, the world, and the Church. I hesitate to call God a character in the story for obvious reasons: He is God. He is above all characters and above the story. He is writing the story. Yet He, in Christ, and even in His Church, has entered the story and is working in powerful ways. He was working in the story of the first century Church and He is working in the story of the twenty-first century Church as well.
Let us consider this text with a story approach, paying attention to the actions of each of the characters. Taking this approach, we will be looking at the sections of the text that pertain to each instead of working through it in the exact order presented.
God: Protection and Commission
We see the actions of God in the words of a deliverer who rescues the apostles after they are thrown in prison for preaching the gospel.
19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 ''Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.''
In verses 19 and 20 we see the two divine actions at this juncture in the tale: protection and commission. God protects His Church by delivering the apostles from prison. How many apostles were imprisoned we do not know, but this appears to be a larger group than simply Peter and John. They had been charged to stop preaching and, of course, they refused, saying that they could not disobey God for fear of man. Their preaching was so effective and bold, and God used it so mightily, that the Church continued to grow at a rate that was alarming to the religious authorities. Thus, they were incarcerated.
...
Series: The Church in ACTSion
Wyman Richardson
Acts 5:17-42
Read Acts 5:17-42
The story of the Church in Acts has taken some fascinating, unexpected and, at times, frightening turns. In the latter half of Acts 5, the story continues with, we might say, three characters moving front and center: God, the world, and the Church. I hesitate to call God a character in the story for obvious reasons: He is God. He is above all characters and above the story. He is writing the story. Yet He, in Christ, and even in His Church, has entered the story and is working in powerful ways. He was working in the story of the first century Church and He is working in the story of the twenty-first century Church as well.
Let us consider this text with a story approach, paying attention to the actions of each of the characters. Taking this approach, we will be looking at the sections of the text that pertain to each instead of working through it in the exact order presented.
God: Protection and Commission
We see the actions of God in the words of a deliverer who rescues the apostles after they are thrown in prison for preaching the gospel.
19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 ''Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.''
In verses 19 and 20 we see the two divine actions at this juncture in the tale: protection and commission. God protects His Church by delivering the apostles from prison. How many apostles were imprisoned we do not know, but this appears to be a larger group than simply Peter and John. They had been charged to stop preaching and, of course, they refused, saying that they could not disobey God for fear of man. Their preaching was so effective and bold, and God used it so mightily, that the Church continued to grow at a rate that was alarming to the religious authorities. Thus, they were incarcerated.
...
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