Scripture:
Acts 5:17-21 ESV
[17] But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy [18] they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. [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.” [21] And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now, when the high priest came and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
Observation:
Let’s get up to speed. Peter and John had healed lame man in chapter 3 and were brought before the Pharisees to be questioned. They were asked how this miracle took place. Peter, with a boldness he obtained from the Holy Spirit, told them all about how it took place. Saying it was Jesus, HE is how it happened. The Pharisee, having been the ones who called for HIS crucifixion, didn’t like the fact that HE lived on, and HIS power didn’t stop with HIS crucifixion. So they threw them in jail. In the middle of the night, an angel of the Lord visited them and opened the prison doors. Bringing them out of the prison. Giving them instructions to go and preach the good news…the words of life and not to hide go straight into the temple and tell the people. Peter and John followed the instructions, and when morning came, they went to the temple to teach. However, when the high priest showed up, he sent for them…to have them brought from the prison, but they were not there. They had been set free to speak the words of life to the people, and they were not going to waste the opportunity.
Application:
I have a simple question… do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?? Is so you have been set free from the personal prison of your sin. But you have not been set free to just sit on a church pew and hear someone else speak the words of life. You have been set free to dig into the word of GOD. Find the power within it and speak it to those whom HE places in your immediate circle of influence. Some of us may be called to stand in a pulpit, and some of us may be called to stand at a register or a conveyor belt or next to a chop saw… but all of us are called to tell others about Jesus. The scripture we went over yesterday says that upon our salvation, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit. So, if we look at what the Holy Spirit did for Peter and John, we can see they were given boldness. Their fear was removed to speak they were given the faith to pull a lame man to his feet in the name of Jesus. But that kind of a rabbit trail. Back to the issue of speaking life… In Matthew chapter 28 and Mark chapter 16, the church itself was given marching orders… go into all the world and make disciples. That is not done on your power it’s done through the power of the Holy Spirit. The very same spirit that Jesus Christ used to do all the miraculous things HE did… yes, that’s the Spirit. You have been sealed with the same one that rose Christ from the dead… that’s the Spirit that lives inside of you. So if you’re sitting here reading this saying, I could never stand in the temple and speak words of life. Can you stand in line at the store and tell someone what Jesus did for you? You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Ok, so let me tell you a little story. Shortly after, I got saved. I got a job at a welding shop in ada oklahoma called J.B.’s Welding. I was working there for several months. When they hired a new guy named Ricky. I was on fire for Christ and talked about how HE had changed my life to anyone I could. They placed me right next to Ricky on the line. Who quickly told me he didn’t believe there was a GOD and, in fact, said the exact opposite. Day after day, I shared my faith with him… never pushing or telling him a list of things he had to do. I just talked about what Jesus had done for me, and Ricky would tell me about his beliefs at the same time. After a few months of this. Ricky came in one Monday morning, and I could see something was different. Around break time, he finally said… you will never guess what I did this weekend. I couldn’t help my sarcasm, but it made him chuckle. Then he told me… I went to church. When I heard those words, my heart jumped in my chest. The next few words put a smile on it that could not be taken off with a sandblaster. Ricky had given his life to Jesus all those hours of just telling him how good Jesus had knocked the walls around his heart down, and he had submitted to the calling the GOD had placed on his life. My point to this is that GOD has written a story in your life that has set you free from a self-made prison of sin and shame. You are the very temple of the Holy Spirit and have been given marching orders. Don’t waste the opportunity to tell someone the words of life that can set them free from their prison as well. You never know who GOD is calling. Ricky was an atheist who now has a relationship with Jesus Christ. I would say that a victory for the kingdom. GOD is good.
Prayer:
Father, you are always so amazing. You have given us the words of life. Help us to speak them at just the right time to just the right people. Your plan is perfect, and your ways are true. You never force us. You are patient and kind, waiting for just the right moment and just the right person to speak. Your desire is that we all come to repentance. You have given just the right person to words of life and created the perfect moments for them to be spoken. Help us to see those moments and show others the same love you have shown us. You have set us free to speak the words that you have used to write our story, give us a boldness to do so fill us with your Holy Spirit and create an opportunity for us to share the good news. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.