"The Message About this Life" - Acts 5:17 - 42

A Sermon by Alex W. Evans, Pastor

Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Text: Acts 5:17-42

“The Message about this Life” 

            Have you seen the TV commercials that feature “Dr. Rick?” Every time I see these commercials, I feel a smile come across my face. Dr. Rick is a fictitious character who says his job is to help people to “un-become” their parents. And there is a whole series of these humorous ads. 

            Dr. Rick says things like this: “no need to read every billboard out loud. If you can read it, they can read it.” 

            He tries to educate about opening a PDF, . . .  or explains hashtags (#). He urges not sighing so loud - “ahhhh” - when sitting down in a chair.

            This is good fun - how to “un-become” your parents: Dr Rick says that you do not have to make friends with the waiter at the restaurant. When he tells you his name, he is really not asking or expecting you to give him your name. 

            Dr Rick says, “do you really need a sign in your house that says, ‘LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE?’ . . . .You can throw that away.”

            All of this good humor somehow promotes Progressive Insurance. I am not sure how that works, but we are all reminded with a fun twist how life is filled with changes and perils. It is so easy to get off track; it is easy to morph into our parents. We need help to stay focused, to be our best selves - instead of morphing into something we do not want to be.

            This, to me, has connections to the on-going challenge of the Christian life. We are baptized, claimed, called to live lives that belong to God and serve God. We are invited to follow Jesus, to think less of ourselves and more of others. We are expected to “love one another, as I have loved you,” Jesus says. We seek to care for the least, to help the hurting, to make the world a better place. 

            But it is also easy to have our lives morph into something else: instead of loving, we can be so judging; instead of selfless, we become selfish; instead of serving God, we become slothful or cynical.  

            Both in our politics and in our culture, we hear lots of talk about Christian faith, but through the recent decades, there are many signs that we have gone from “feed my sheep” to cutbacks in school lunch programs. We have gone from “love one another” to vilifying one another, especially those who think differently. We have gone from “woe are the rich” to elaborate tax cuts for the wealthy, and “trickle-down economics” that never trickle down. Where is the evidence of sincere Christian faith in the larger culture for the poor and hungry and hurting? 

            It is easy to morph into life that is a long way from God’s purposes. 

            We have a long passage today from Acts 5. I am guessing that this story is somewhat unfamiliar to many of you. This is not a passage that is often read in worship. It is not part of the lectionary. But, this is an important story about how easy it is for us, as God’s people to lose sight of what God cares most about. Can we stay focused? Can we follow God’s great Spirit?        

            This story comes as the disciples - and in the power of the Spirit - are seeking to carry on the work and witness of Jesus - promoting the reign of God in the world. Listen to Acts 5:

            17Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, 18arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said,20“Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.” 21When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching. When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, 23“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. 25Then someone arrived and announced, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

            26Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.27When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” 29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” 

         33When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time.35Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. 36For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. 37After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; 39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!” 

         They were convinced by him, 40and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41As they left the council, they (the apostles) rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. 42And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.

            This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

            This passage opens with a major tension: the religious leaders are threatened by the teaching and actions of the apostles of Jesus. The apostles are doing God’s work in the world; but the high priest, and those with him, are filled with jealousy. Jealousy is a powerful and dangerous emotion that turns us inward - we focus on ourselves and protect our turf. Jealousy leads the apostles to be arrested and thrown in “the public prison.” The public prison is not where anyone wants to be.

            But this is a short-term situation. The high priest and his cohorts, and the public prison, are all up against the power and presence of God. Remember, Acts - the book about the early life of the disciples - is all about the power and presence of God - the Holy Spirit. And “during the night,” the Spirit of God opens the doors of the public prison and says: “Go!  Stand in the temple and tell the people the message about this life!”

            “The Message About this Life!” - think about that!

            It is so easy to fall into the mundane rhythms of life: we go about our daily business; we deal with the issues that are ours; we worry about various things like our children, our parents, our finances, our certain dilemmas, our heartaches. “Dr Rick” tries to humor us and encourage us not to morph into our parents. And certainly, we have legitimate challenges - emerging from a pandemic, with racial and justice and environmental and other concerns. 

            The angel of the Lord says, “Go and share with others about the message of this life!” This life! This life held by God - not the prison walls. Life is about sharing love, spreading kindness, doing justice, promoting peace and the reign of God. 

            So that is what the apostles did - and all the officials and religious leaders could not believe it. “Look - the men who were put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” Amazing. Sharing the message about this life!

            God does not let us go. God never leaves us. God keeps amazing us.

            But the story does not stop there. The forces of darkness and evil are not so easily deterred. The officials and the worldly ways do not so quickly step back and open the way for God’s Spirit.

            The apostles are corralled again - “we gave you strict orders not to go teaching and acting following Jesus.”

            And Peter responds, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. . . . we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” 

            When might we think and say those words - “we must obey God rather than human authority!” This is what intends to drive us, direct our lives. Is there a time, or a situation, recently or maybe coming up, in your life, in our common life? “We must obey God - not human authority.” Our lives belong to God. We know that God’s purposes and plans are what matter the most. Can we repeat Peter’s words? We must obey God - live out God’s ways. This is always our calling. Can we align our lives with so many servants and faithful ones who sought only to obey God, and not cultural temptations, or human authority?

            Peter’s words should always challenge us: “we must obey God - not human authority.”

            Thomas Merton was a great spiritual writer and faithful person of the last century. Merton put it succinctly: If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I am living for, in detail, and ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for. (from theDailyDig.org, Plough, June 6, 2021) 

            We seek to obey God - live with faith, hope, and love. We seek to do justice, love kindness, walk humbly - following Jesus. This is what we live for.

            And this intriguing story continues - with this encounter with Gamaliel. He seems to offer some wise counsel - if these people’s plans are of human origin, they will fail; if they are of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. Gamaliel may be a teacher of the law, and respected by all. He believes in Israel’s God. But he is not very connected to God. He does not recognize the power and presence of God in these amazing, faithful disciples. 

            And, moreover, what Gamaliel said did not really help the apostles - for in the next verse it says they were flogged! They ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then let them go. But NOTICE what happened - as they left the council - they REJOICED that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. They CELEBRATED that they were recipients of flogging - worthy to suffer for Jesus. Then it says: “And every day in the temple and in homes they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.”

            What are we becoming? Are we morphing more and more into faithful, courageous disciples, . . . or not?

            When - past or future - might we each suffer for Jesus? When - past or future - might we be worthy to be flogged for the love and purposes of Jesus?

            We live in a complex world. We have to keep striving to be open to God’s strong Spirit, to find ways to live out “the message about this life!” 

            God is good. God will never let us go. God cares for the least and lowly. God’s work continues in and through us. Can we become all that God calls us to be? Let’s keep open, . . .  and keep striving. Amen

Prayer of Commitment: Loving God, pour out your Spirit upon our lives. Give us courage and commitment as we seek to follow Jesus, and live out the message about this life. Amen

Alex W. Evans, Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA preached this sermon during Sunday morning worship on June 13, 2021. This is a rough manuscript.