Keep in mind that it is natural in this world where so many are striving for distinction, to make special those who have distinguished themselves. In the twenty first century Celebrity worship is a staple of the world. Because of their wealth and their media exposure, there are extremely powerful and influential people in all walks of life. This type of power is not a part of God’s kingdom.
Powerful people know that they’re powerful. The church should be the one place where this earthly power has no influence at all because we are all brothers and sisters alike in Christ, regardless of societal or political rank, wealth or race.
"It is by no casual, accidental touch that wealthy, world-loving, world-worshiping souls can be drawn to Christ. These persons are often the most difficult of access. Personal effort must be put forth for them by men and women imbued with the missionary spirit, those who will not fail or be discouraged." (Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p.213.)
John 4:53 - "So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household."
SCRIPTURES: Rom. 13:1-7, Mark 2:23-28, Matt. 8:5-13, 26:57-68, 27:11-14, Acts 4:1-12.
At the beginning of the Church, the word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7, NRSV)
In studying this lesson, a question we need to consider is, What were some of the characteristics of the early disciples?
It should be understood that these men became the pioneering leaders of the New Testament church, but they were not without faults and shortcomings. They:
⦁ Had no extraordinary skills.
⦁ Were not overtly religious,
⦁ Were not refined,
⦁ Were just ordinary people,
Some examples of the characteristics of the twelve apostles are:
Peter - Impulsive and emotional
Andrew - Timid, he lived in the shadow of his sibling, Simon Peter
James and John - fiery temperament
Nathanael or Bartholomew - skeptical
Matthew - was a dishonest tax collector
Thomas - Doubting
Thaddeus or Jude - tender-hearted, gentle man who displayed childlike humility.
Judas Iscariot - a betrayer or traitor, treacherous
This is showing us that the early disciples were not naturally equipped with the the courage or the strength of the mind that would be needed to go up against people with great power.
That was given to them through the power of the Holy Spirit when it was needed, but normally the early disciples were just common ordinary men.
This is what makes what Peter and John did, as described in Acts chapter 3 and 4 so incredible. They were just ordinary commoners going up against the most rich and powerful in the land in that day.
The story in the scripture tells us that there were a number of priests who, in serving their allotted week's Temple service, were not far from Salomon's Colonnade. They were able to hear Peter's declarations about Jesus as the Messiah.
This alarmed them at what they considered dangerous teaching against Jewish authority. Think about it. There are a lot of countries in the world today that do not have freedom of speech as found in the United States of America. The news is full of horror stories of what happens to people today who say the wrong things in the wrong places. To visualize what happened to John and Peter in this story, is not so hard.
The priests who heard them probably alerted the captain of the Temple guard. The captain would be the commander of the Temple police force and more than likely a member of one of the important priestly families.
The priests also alerted the Sadducee s, who were from the priestly line. The Sadducee s had held the high priesthood from the time of the Maccabees revolt in 168-165 B.C and also held other prominent positions in the Sanhedrin.
These were all these powerful men who probably outwardly supported having Jesus crucified for what He preached, yet Acts 6:15 tells us that they "all that ... looking steadfastly on him ... as if (he) had been the face of an angel".
Even though they were rich and powerful, Acts 6:10 says that they "were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake".
The apostles tell us why they could do this in 2 Timothy 4:16 and 17, it says "...the Lord stood by (us), and strengthened (us); that through (us) the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and (we were) delivered out of the mouth of the lion".
It was not through their own courage and fortitude that they could do this. Paul says "...the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me...".
RESPECTING AUTHORITY:
"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will 1bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor." (Romans 13:1-7).
Some questions that need to be considered after reading the above passage in light of this discussion:
⦁ What important message is in there for us? We are to Obey those in authority as long as it does not conflict with God's word.
⦁ How, though, can these texts and the message they teach be abused? The people who are in power can take this message and use it to force people to do things that they do not want to or would not normally do because of their moral and religious beliefs. The power can be used to cruelly subjugate people.
⦁ What examples do we have in history of that happening? Babylonia, Medo - Persia, Greece, Rome, Hitler, Stahlin, Sadam Hussein, Radical Islam, The Catholic Church.
⦁ How can we as a church learn from these mistakes, even in our own history, as well as from the mistakes of the Christian church in general? We need to recognize that these powers are divine appointments, but God's word is still above all. God's word is not to be set aside by man. A prime example is the Catholic Church changing the commandments, such as the commandment on the Sabbath.
"The people of God will recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment and will teach obedience to it as a sacred duty within its legitimate sphere. But when its claims conflict with the claims of God, the word of God must be recognized as above all human legislation. "Thus saith the Lord" is not to be set aside for Thus saith the church or the state. The crown of Christ is to be uplifted above the diadems of earthly potentates." (Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 402.)
"HAVE YOU NOT READ...?"
Mark: 2:23-28; Matthew 12:1-16
Most of the people that Jesus dealt with were rich and powerful. They were people of influence, a lot were religious leaders who were openly hostile to Him. Jesus did not attempt to argue with them, He was looking for redemption because His mission is to save all people.
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
Mark 2:23-28
Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
⦁ How can we see, in these encounters, that Jesus-despite the overt hostility against Him-was trying to reach these men? Jesus was referring to scripture that they studied and should have understood. This should have been something that they could both agree on. Jesus was trying to show a deeper meaning to the law that they claimed to so fervently and devoutly cherish and uphold.
⦁ What did He say, and do, that should have touched their hearts, were they not so closed? Jesus was trying to teach mercy over law and ritual. A deeper meaning to the law. His miracles should have proven to them His divinity and who He really was but because of their bitterness and hatred toward Jesus, they missed the message of God's grace, decency and kindness.
It’s easy, from our position today, to look back in wonder at the blindness and hardness of these men.
⦁ How, though, can we make sure that we ourselves, seeking to protect something that we don’t want to give up, don’t close ourselves to more light from God? We should never be more cautious than when we hold the reins of power and are tempted to require of others that which we would hardly require of ourselves.
⦁ Why is that easier to do than we might think? The reason the church leaders rejected Christ was because of greed and selfishness. They didn’t hate Jesus per se, they just were afraid that they were going to lose their power and position. It is easyier than we think if we remain constantly on guard to understand that no human being can take the power away from us that was given to us by God, through the Holy Spirit.
The Centurion:
The Centurion’s Servant is Healed
Luke 7:1–10
"Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that kmany will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But lthe sons of the kingdom mwill be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour."
⦁ What can we learn from these accounts about witnessing to people in power? Just because a person is rich and or powerful does not mean his faith is not as strong if not stronger than our faith. They may not openly profess Christianity, but may still have a deep belief or even a respect for the belief. It leads us to examine whether we are just going throught the motions and just expousing doctrines instead of living the faith.
There is a power to a selflessness and self-denying ministry that can touch anyone of any rank or class. What of these traits do we manifest in our own lives and witness? We need to have and show faith in Jesus that something can be done, but, that it is through the power of the Holy Spirit, not through our own power. We must never forget that Jesus did not only come as a Redeemer but as a Wonderful Counselor, and we must seek His councel in every situation that we are dealing with in order to know how to act and what to say. Jesus clearly told us that if we do lack the wisdom, He will give us what we need.
JUDGMENT DAY
WE ARE ALL GOING TO HAVE OUR JUDGEMENT DAY. WHAT WILL OUR DAY BE LIKE?
SCRIPTURE SHOWS US WHAT JESUS' JUDGEMENT DAY WAS LIKE.
Matthew 26:57-68; (His arrest) "And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled...".
Luke 23:1-12; (Some of the accusations that were made.) "Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”..."
John 18:19-23 (His cross examination.) "The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask vthose who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.” And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”"
John 18:37-38 (Questions from the Judge) "Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all".
John 19:8-12 "Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. jWhoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”
It is these final scenes of Jesus’ temporary earthly residence that we glimpse the painful price of unflinching faithfulness. From arrest until crucifixion, Christ bears witness before the most powerful in the land at that time: monarchs, governors, priests. Can you imagine standing before the most powerful in the world in the 21 century and doing the same?
⦁ What can we learn from Jesus’ witness to these powerful men? No matter what the response is from those we are administering to, we need to remain Christ like in our faith and in the spirit of the word of God. We should not be discouraged if we get a negative response because we may not realize who we are actually reaching. In the end, Jesus will seperate the saved from the unsaved, that is not our Job.
AS A CHRISTIAN THERE ARE IMPORTANT POINTS TO THINK ABOUT.
⦁ What ever judgement someone pronounces against Christ is ultimately the judgement that they pronounce against themselves. Denying the Holy spirit is the only sin God will not forgive.
⦁ The immediate outcome of our discipleship may be discouraging, but we should not be discouraged. We need to be like Christ and remain faithful until death, calling people who will listen to make a decision.
⦁ According to Acts 6:7, not only did the number of disciples exploded in the first century, it is why "a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith".
THE EARLY EXPLOSION:
Acts 4:1-12; 13:5-12, 50; 23:1-6; 25:23-26:28
John 4:53 - So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household."
Following Jesus' assurance that his son would live, the nobleman never doubted again. He accepted Jesus' word and this knowledge comforted him. The bud of faith that led him to Christ came to full blossom.
This powerful nobleman apparently heard about Jesus from one of Jesus' disciples. There is no indication in scripture that he had ever met Jesus before, yet a seed of faith had been planted in his mind by someone, who probably never knew that it was.
In the book of Acts you can find situations where those that were saturated with the earthly powers were the slowest to receive Christ. Acts does reveal that many people were not instantly converted out of nowhere. Seeds were planted but it took time til the actual harvest came in.
When Christ conquered death, like He said he would, and the message was spread throughout the land, thousands suddenly jumped into the Kingdom. They were originally slow to convert because of cultural factors, job security, and family pressure. Paul's message originally was not accepted by everyone because of political motivations and he was severely persecuted throughout his ministry.
Today Christians need to follow the perseverance of the first century disciples.
OTHER ARTICLES:
JESUS CHRIST BECAME A MAN TO MEET THE REAL PEOPLE OF THE DAY.
CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS TODAY DWELL ON TRADITION LIKE THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES DID 2000 YEARS AGO.
JESUS CHRIST WOULD NOT APPROVE OF TODAY'S CLASS WARFARE.
JESUS CHRIST WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT GOD WANTS ALL OF US TO BE.
