Monday, April 8, 2013

Sermon for 4/7/11 - Acts 5:12-32

Sermon “We Must Obey God Rather than Men” Acts 5:12-32

God is alive and well, working in our world. We confess that, at least publicly.
  Do we believe it to be true?
  Do we allow our Lord to make a difference in the way we act in our world?
  Are we willing to stand for the truth?
          real biblical marriage
          training our children in righteousness
          protecting life at every stage from conception to natural death
          speaking freely for Christ regardless of consequences
          pray for the sick believing that Jesus is the healer

What are “they” going to do to us? What happened to the apostles?
    people in general supported the apostles
    Jewish authorities did not support the apostles
        notice most persecution in Acts actually comes from the Jews, not from the pagans
  arrested and imprisoned
  released by an angel
  arrested more gently for a hearing
  told not to preach in the name of Jesus any more

What does our government and society say to us?

Exactly when did free exercise of religion lose its protection in our constitution?

What is wrong with protecting the unborn?
    Notice that the number of abortion providers is decreasing in this country, almost a Planned Parenthood monopoly. That group receives about 50% of its funding from the federal government, other funding from groups like the United Way and supportive referrals from groups such as cancer societies.

What is wrong with supporting traditional marriage?
  Children raised with both parents married and together at home are healthier, happier, and show themselves to be better educated than children raised in other circumstances

What is wrong with supporting home schooling and Christian schooling?
  For years people have fought for the right to train their children in the way they think is appropriate. Some of the battles have been very long and hard. Illinois is one of the states which allows more school choice than many other states. Is there a reason we turn our backs and accept having our children in a system that teaches them systematically that God is irrelevant and that the government and its education programs are their savior? How have we been doing in that regard?

When did we decide that the mighty God doesn’t hear and answer our prayers for the sick, the troubled, the weak, the helpless? When did we decide that God’s Word only matters for an hour on Sunday morning, about 67/100ths of a percent of our week?

What’s the good news?

Jesus is the savior. He is the one we can expect to do signs and wonders. He is the one we can expect to bring healing, grace, power for godly living, repentance, faith, love, all the fruit of the Spirit. As we ignore the people who would rise up against us we can walk in trust, knowing that Jesus is the savior of the world. What if someone says not to proclaim Jesus’ power? We do it anyway. What if someone comes against us? Jesus has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church.

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