The idea of rejoicing in suffering is a common Biblical idea, one that I’m sure isn’t entirely new to many of you. But how do you rejoice when following Jesus costs you a friendship? How can anyone rejoice while in the midst of depression or facing a serious diagnosis? How can you possibly celebrate feeling consistently disrespected because of your faith in Christ? 

Because that’s precisely what we see in Acts 5:33-42. The apostles, after being arrested and threatened were then beaten for proclaiming the gospel. And we learn in verse 41 that after being beaten they rejoice. How is that possible?

What happens when the desire to fit in comes into conflict with our responsibility to obey God?

Because the pressure to conform doesn't disappear when we become Christians. In fact, there will be times when following Jesus puts us at odds with the very people whose approval we desire. We may have to choose between being accepted by the crowd and being faithful to Christ.

That's precisely the situation the apostles face in Acts 5. The authorities have commanded them to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. They have a choice to make: conform to the expectations of the people around them, or remain faithful to the One who called them to proclaim the gospel.

And Peter's answer is unmistakable: “We must obey God rather than men.”

As men and women hear the gospel and put their faith in Christ, God is confirming the truth of the gospel message through miraculous signs and wonders. First, Christ displays His power through His church (v. 12). Second, Christ grows His church (vv. 13-14). And third, Christ demonstrates His mercy through His church (vv. 15-16).

Jesus is building his church.

When it is discovered that someone is not who they have appeared to be, it disrupts relationships, unsettles a community, and causes division and strife.

As the church has seen growth, Satan has been on the prowl like a lion seeking to cause chaos and destruction. He has shifted his attack to come from within the church. And the main way he has sought to do this is through the sin of Hypocrisy.

The early church described here in Acts 4 would certainly challenge Ebenezer Scrooge, wouldn’t it? Because the early Christians never asked, “What do you want?” Instead they asked, “How can I help?” 

Their possessions weren’t merely things to accumulate. They saw them as gifts from God that could be used for the good of their brothers and sisters.

There’s a fair degree of resistance to Christian boldness, isn’t there? Not because we disagree with it, but because it’s risky! What if we come across poorly? What if I say something wrong and now this other person thinks I’m rude, arrogant, or overly aggressive? That’s the risk that comes with Christian boldness and most of us don’t want to be accused of any of those things so we let things go. We retreat into passivity. 

This passage challenges that, doesn’t it? Because the apostles and the early church prayed for boldness.  

They weren’t worried about who they might offend. They were more concerned with getting the gospel out! 

The world will oppose the church, but we have no reason to fear because Christ has overcome the world. Gospel proclamation will invite hostility from the world.

The miracle gets our attention. Peter’s sermon exposes our problem. And the gospel gives us the remedy. But the remedy isn't simply that Jesus will make your circumstances better.

The remedy is Jesus Himself. He forgives your sins. He turns you from your wickedness. He reconciles you to God. And He promises that one day He will return and restore all things.

What if the thing we thought we needed healing for didn’t really cure the disease? What if the thing we thought we needed that would solve all of our problems didn’t actually solve anything?

That's what makes this story so remarkable. This man comes to the temple looking for one thing. Peter and John look at him, and he expects them to give him some money. That's what he thinks will help him. That's what he thinks he needs.

But God had something far greater in store for him.

God has appointed means or ways through which He ordinarily saves, sanctifies, nourishes, and strengthens His people. God certainly can work in extraordinary ways, and He sometimes does. But He has not left us wondering how He intends to build His church. He has given us His Word, His sacraments, and prayer, and He has promised to work through them.

The gospel is not merely information about Jesus Christ that we are meant to understand and store away. It is a message that confronts us with who Christ is, what He has done, and who we are as sinners before a holy God. And because the gospel confronts us in this way, it demands a response.

We see that response unfold very clearly in Acts 2. Peter has preached Christ crucified, risen, and exalted as Lord. And when the crowd hears his message, they don't simply walk away with a few new theological facts. They are "cut to the heart," and they ask, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

In Acts 2:14-36, Peter reminds us that the wind, the fire, and the tongues all served a specific purpose and that purpose was to point everyone to Jesus Christ. Everything that happened, the wind, the tongues of fire, the speaking of tongues, all of those things were miraculous tools used by the Holy Spirit to proclaim Jesus Christ.

The ascension is significant because it is Christ's royal coronation. Having accomplished the work the Father gave Him to do, the risen Christ ascends into heaven and is enthroned at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

Acts reminds us that the church is not ultimately built or sustained by human effort. It is built and sustained by Jesus Christ. The mission of the church is entirely dependent upon Christ's authority, His abiding presence, and the power of His Holy Spirit. Our responsibility is not to manufacture success, but to faithfully rely on Christ’s promised means of ministering in and through His Church.