Obedient Disobedience (Part A)

Tribulation stress persecution starvation nakedness danger, death, sword shall any of these things separate me from the love of Christ. Wait a minute if he loves me. Isn't he supposed to be's daring me, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness peril, sort by Earth's terms sure by Satan's terms, of course, not by the kingdom because it's more to come. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston because the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of acts. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Acts chapter 4 is where Pastor Rick will be teaching today.

The title of the message is obedient. Disobedience, acts of the apostles chapter 4 verse 13 through 22 when they saw the boldness of Peter and John. They perceive that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and they realized that they had been with Jesus, seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it, but when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, what shall we do to these men. For indeed that a notable miracle as been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it, but so that it spreads no further among the people. Let us severely threaten them that from now on, they may speak to no man in this name, so they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus, Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God you judge for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them because the people, since they all glorified God for what is been done for the man who was for the man was over 40 years old, on whom this miracle of healing had been performed, obedient, disobedience. That's the title for this morning's message. I guess the world would call it civil disobedience, which is acceptable. Many times, of course, this is going to be two sermons in one to teachings and one two expositions and one a lengthily introduction and then weld take the exposition of the verses that we just read. I don't apologize for using as much scripture as I can use in the pulpit or anywhere else. As a matter of fact I think pastors who don't use Scripture should apologize to God into their congregations.

All telling Timothy how to do church because it doesn't come natural to us to know how to do church. The Bible talks about this and this is one example. In first Timothy Paul says till I come give attention to reading your exhortation to doctrine. I want you to read Scripture to them.

I want you to encourage them to be obedient and be faithful and to persevere in and to endure and I want them to understand what God wants us to understand about himself and his relationship to sinners and sinners saved by grace, who come up with this Paul Christ mentioned a live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

This is our pattern. This is what's been taught to us. This is become doctrine.

These are the things we read and we exhort with and we believe Peter and John going into the temple encounter this lame man who was lame from birth and a beggar and the man was healed a great wonder. Then Peter began to give the word to explain what had just taken place as the crowds begin to draw near to Peter and John with this event took place. Peter and John were making Scripture didn't even know it. What they were doing was becoming the word of God through their actions and through their preaching and through their lives. Why preach about the power that was available to the apostles of Jesus Christ. When that same power seems unavailable to us. Why bother.

Why go verse by verse. Why expounded on Scripture. Why spend time in your private devotions wife by reference materials to understand as much as we can understand from every jot and tittle of God's word. If the same power is not available. I want things to be meaningful.

I don't want to just study the Bible just to study the Bible, Gideon had such a problem and he voiced his problem judges chapter 6 the angel of Yahweh appeared to him that is to Gideon and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty men of valor and Gideon is in the winepress threshing wheat is hiding. That's what he's doing there. The Midianites will come and take his wheat and so if he is a man of valor. He's thinking why am I hiding is not being modesty sicknesses and fitness doesn't make sense.

Well to the natural mind. It does not put God forces nothing natural about God. Everything about him is spiritual, divine, holy, sovereign love, the attributes continue Gideon response and this is what we call the Christophe and he this is an appearance of Christ in human form in the Old Testament long before the virgin birth. Gideon said to him, oh my Lord.

If Yahweh is with us. Why, then, has all this happened to us and where are all his miracles which our fathers told us about saying. Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt, but now Yahweh has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites sees that the viewer what about all these Bible stories. We been getting about 1/2 from our fathers about how God miraculously came in the Dellwood farrowing took the people to the Red Sea and did all of this stuff. How come if if this is so much a part of our relationship with God, our belief, our Bible, how come it's not happening to us why am I here hiding well. Gideon wanted to know the purpose of Bible study without miracles. That's what he was asking why study the Bible if I can have the same miracles as the people who were used to create the Bible by God.

As I mentioned to Peter and John there creating Scripture. When Moses was doing his work in the wilderness and into Egypt and out of Egypt. It was creating Scripture, God was offering this bullet.

The short answer to Gideon as well. Gideon and that very Scripture that you boast in front of me. Deuteronomy 31 million other places makes it very clear view for say God is going to forsake you first got it I will not forsake you, Joshua comes along. In chapter 24 that section.

As for me and my house we love that verse and then he says if you say God is going to forsake you. And these things will happen to you. So the short answer to Gideon as well you hiding threshing wheat like that because the people have been idolatrous and they have been judged by God. This is a judgment on them to correct them to get them to repent and turn to God. This is part of God's solution Bible tells us about believers suffering as believers without devaluing their Scripture, there are other believers in Scripture that have faced hardship without miracles, but they held to the got word of God because it is true, of course, the short answer without questioning God's goodness. Instead, they remain loyal to him and his word is purposes.

Instead of blaming God for withholding miracles. They demonstrated faith in the face of hardship instead of you know, being afraid of God, you had 10 years to fix this and you've done nothing on through my reading my Bible anymore. I know you're still there is no God but I'm just not going to put myself through this anymore and try to expound on the Scripture when I can have a physical benefit to that's not faith. Those in terms dictated to God by perhaps someone who's in great pain with wrong nonetheless, those in the Scripture were ready to die for obediently disobeying evil laws they were willing to die if those are the terms that God had laid out before them for their life.

You know, when Abraham was told to take Isaac now your son, your your beloved son, your only son, whom you love. Take him now and offer him a burnt offering to me, Abraham chops the wood fixes to servants with Isaac to the land of Moriah faraway tells is to servants wait here, the lad, and I will return. Abraham did not know how God was going to do it but he knew God was going to do.

Of course, God never had it in his mind to allow such a thing even covers that were Jeremiah as the other people are sending their children to into the furnace of the pagan religions are reporting their children. God says that stuff never crossed my mind. Total test for Abraham the past he believed God by faith pulses. Abraham did not waver. Man, I have wanted to be that but I waver even in the little things not always God is faithful no matter how much I may suffer will be disappointed by faith I have enough information to conclude God is faithful. There is more to my sufferings than this lifetime, Daniel chapter 3 tells a story of Azariah Misael and Hannah Nayar Shadrach me shack and Abednego I just want to press you.

I hope I've done that anyway there these three Hebrew men and the law says you have to bow to my God and they say no we don't. Daniel chapter 3 responding to the king. They say our God is able to deliver us, but if not, if he doesn't choose to do it that way. Daniel 318, let it be known to you, punk know they did say that but that would've been a good place to put it if they could say it, but if not, let it be known to you oh king that we do not serve your God's, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up. They knew they were going to suffer and be cast into the furnace of this or worse, the people in Persia had some pretty mean ways to put people to death slowly and painfully, but here it is. They did not need wonders and signs, to believe God or to be delivered.

They just need to obey God.

And that's what they did.

Then there's Daniel in the same book.

Now this is not a time when the people of God our judge thereunder judgment as a people, not necessarily as individuals go, but as a people there in captivity for disobeying God. And here we find them in captivity instead of whining all what is not fair you know we the people of God is where is the answer of our fathers, and all that other stuff instead of doing that. They are like lilies among thorns there letting their light shine in the dark place. Darius the king love the Daniel is a testimony to the benefit of letting that light shine in the dark place. Daniel six. When Daniel knew that the writing was signed. He went home and in his upper room with his windows open toward Jerusalem. He knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Here's a man saying the world is falling apart around me and the world wants to fall upon me. I have to do what I do. They going to do what they do. God is my God, did not gonna stop me from praying team. This is magnificent stuff. These are the things that make the Bible real and all help us encourage us to know when Adm. Perry said, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead with movie and we cheer that bravery on why can't we do that with.

Without faith Stephen saw the stones and that was his response. You had. He kept preaching while he starting the means for giving them Wally's thought I would've been looking to catch one of those rocks and throw it back and Stephen is Lord you gave us a pattern, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing. This is why we come to the Bible and expound on it verse by verse. We want to absorb as much of it as we can. So God can use is as much as he can. Satan says here that's all find you take the big versus you take the big faith I'm going to trip you up with little things because I believe Satan says you are sallow and offense stupid enough to fall for now. You sitting there listening to me you tell me if this does not happen in Christianity in churches, monks, churchgoers, otherwise decent believers getting tripped up over sallow and stupid things is painful to watch. I can't stop it. I did preaching against it for 30 years and feel like I've gotten nowhere yet to come up across the Scriptures that expound on these things, we must preach Justin for instance, you know, you actually boasted to have somebody in your flock committing immoral acts, and you think it's grace to let this continue on. Paul had to deal with that to I got more to say about Paul because he's a big part of what were going through is Christians, New Testament Christians, God expected trusting faith from Gideon even find it, but he did walk away from either. He stayed with Gideon and Gideon became a hero of the faith is mentioned in Hebrews 11 God expects us to have trusting faith. Just like what he looked what he was looking for from Gideon. He is looking for from us.

Perhaps not on the same scale. Perhaps the largest scale is always looking for us. How many times a Jesus is how how is it that you have no faith. Oh you of little faith. He expects more from us all the time God is easily pleased with us is never satisfied because the work demands this. That's why it demands that we continue on until we get to heaven. Why trust the Christ who lets me suffer as a sheep amongst wolves. In fact, sends me out as a sheep amongst world.

Why would I trust him. Paul had to deal with this to first Corinthians 15 and why do we stand in jeopardy every hour policy. Why am I putting up with his life in Christ. Why am I getting stone why am I being chased and hounded, why are people arguing with me, why, when I make a point from Scripture. This 10 Christians that have to come up and say well you said, why do I do this well. The 15th chapter of Corinthians is all about the resurrection and the reason. What upset the apple cart for John and Peter here in acts chapter 4, three and four is that they preach the resurrection of Jesus Christ and salvation in his name, but there is no salvation in his name. If there is no resurrection.

So Paul comes along. This is why do we stand in jeopardy. Every hour because of the resurrection of Christ is true. All had as many wounds on his hearts from Christians as he had on his back from unbelievers what he knew what to do with these things. He also had friends who loved him and faced Harold for his sake in faith because God expected to find faith in a Corlett and Priscilla and he found it and he dispatched them to come to the aid of this great apostle Paul and all the churches were grateful for this because had that not happen God would then had to redirect redirect his energies and efforts to get some Hebrew apostle to dare to go to the Gentiles and say to them you do not need to be Jewish to be right with Jesus Christ. Try to kill Paul for that Romans 16, verses three and four greet Priscilla and a quill. You can hear you can hear the love come out as one of by the time Paul mentions them later on in his writings later latter years. He says great Prisco is there that is that personal relationship greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. See how far in scope that is Paul was suffering, God was saying but I'm going to use you to reach the Gentiles. He told from the very beginning he did Ananias go to help all things is going to suffer for my namesake that I'm sending them to the Gentile.

Paul probably had no understanding of how difficult it was going to be, but he also learned how God stayed with him throughout the whole thing so we we confront powerlessness with faith which is powerful so we conclude truth is God's word true is my Bible. Gideon my response to you. God's word is true, God's word and God the God of the word is worth serving the word. The single word for worthwhile for us is worship that's worship means he's worth it excluding everyone else.

The hardships are worthwhile because the Scripture is true in Scripture is the mind of God the Word of God the will of God, all packed into the Scripture in various forms, we conclude that love, the love of God for sinners is a miracle. Can you explain it any other way. What's so special about you or me to a holy God that would make him love me. Why should he do anything for me. Romans chapter 8 we love this verse 35 who shall separate us from the love of Christ because it's miraculous is not man-made is not made on earth he says, tribulation, distress, persecution, starvation, nakedness, danger, death, sword shall any of these things separate me from the love of Christ. Wait a minute if he loves me. Isn't he supposed to be sparing me, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword by Earth's terms sure by Satan's terms, of course, not by the kingdom because it is more to come. Should you ever find yourself feeling forsaken, forsaken by God but still clinging to the Jesus who loves you to save your soul. And remember this, clinging to Christ is the very thing that defeats Satan.

It is the very thing that sends him back to hell. In the end, and it happens in stages. Revelation 12. This is Satan still has access to the throne of God to accuse the brethren he's called the accuser of the brethren he was accusing Joe at you you post on Job because you know you protect him.

Let me get my hands on him will see how much faith he's got will Job 1 was a tough five when Revelation Satan is finally cast out no more audiences to accuse this is the end, the culmination is coming and what does he do he persecutes he persecutes his rally persecutes believers of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 12 tells us the response of those believers being persecuted by an angry Satan. They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. They knew there was more than this life. They knew that the suffering in this life at a time limit on it.

Once his life is over. It is paradise. It is so wonderful God is even really bother to try to explain it just says trust me, there's no crying. There is no sorrow there to trust God no matter what demonstrates that you know he was slain for you and he is risen. Everything I'm trying to say this morning has as its foundation the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are things in our culture that are traditional and if you really can't, you know, make too much of an issue of it be to dogmatic but as for me personally, I'm very uncomfortable with calling resurrection day Easter because that name belongs to the goddess of fertility comes*and I don't see the Association. I know how it got there.

I know how it crept into Christianity and a little disturbing white that has been retained. I don't even like calling Israel Palestine as many scholars do is not Palestine. It never was Palestine well the resurrection is what I'm saying is a big deal. That's why these men were in trouble. Revelation 512 saying with a loud voice, typical of the book of Revelation is so much thundering and loudness in the book of Revelation is you can't miss this adroit you know sound is loud enough it physically involves you, Revelation 512 saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing will if he slain how can he receive these things because he was slain, but he is not slain. Now he is risen and hell hates this evil is busy being evil in this life.

We watch it is always going on sometime this little bit louder than at other times we are to deliver the word of God, even in the hail of stones as referenced Stephen. I like this section. Revelation 13. This is antichrist is on the scene.

He's been granted the ability to do lying wonders. They are miraculous but they are false their lives.

It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. What would you mean the saints are getting beaten by Satan and God granted this, he must have a big plan must have a bigger fish to fry than to sweep down insulating and isolating me from these things. And authority was given to him over every tribe and tongue and nation antichrist regions going to be global. Incidentally, there's more to the book of Revelation and prediction move you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast.

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