The Only Criteria for Civil Disobedience

But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men."
Acts 5:29

God's authority trumps human authority. At issue in this account is the balance for a believer between his relationship with the state or human authorities, and his relationship as an obedient disciple to his Lord. The applications and issues raised today are complex and I don't think every nuance of it can be gleaned from this passage, but the main clear principles are all here to observe, understand, reflect upon, and apply carefully to any situation arising today.

We ought to understand the issue that brought the apostles to this statement of conviction. The issue was not whether they would have to pay taxes, nor did they involve themselves with any political party. They did not cite this principle because an ideology among their civil leaders had swung left when they preferred it stay right. No, they made this declaration in sharp defense of the gospel mandate that had been given to them by Jesus. Their Lord had told them to proclaim the gospel to everyone in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the world. The Jewish authorities told them to stop that! The authorities responded by locking them in prison. God miraculously released them to get them back to the task. The question as to who had the greater authority over them was never really there at that point! THEY HAD TO OBEY GOD.

The same principles should govern a christian's relationship with civil authority. Only in the realm of the commands of scripture and specifically the advance of the gospel is human government outside its authority over us. When it demands that we disobey God, we simply cannot because "we MUST obey God rather than men." That is becoming more pressing upon us as society is moving further and further away from accepting the legitimacy of any biblical authority, really any authority but the will of society itself. The day now is on us where the firm conviction of the apostles in Acts 5:29 will necessarily define biblical christianity.


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Only one name that saves us

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

This is the conclusion to a short and powerful sermon preached by Peter. It stirred up its share of controversy in its day. It was accompanied by the undeniable miraculous healing of a lame man at the temple gates. The religious authorities moved against the apostles and the early church, but they had a problem: they hated Peter's exclusive claim to truth, but they could NOT deny that a real miracle had indeed taken place at the temple (Acts 4:16).

The world has never like it that Christianity is by nature an exclusive religion. But all truth must also be defined by the fact that not everything IS that truth! Jesus Himself taught that He was the sole means of eternal salvation and the ONLY path to God the Father (John 14:6).

The apostles would suffer for their exclusive claim (Acts 4:17-21). Eventually it would escalate to imprisonment and death. But they were only emboldened by the persecution and they trusted a sovereign God and kept right on preaching the exclusive and saving gospel of their Lord (Acts 4:24-31). You cannot stamp out God's Spirit or the power of the preaching of the Cross!

For those today who want to mix any kind of gaseous spirituality, eastern buddhism, or gnostic secrets with the teaching of Christ, beware! You do not have Jesus if you do not have ONLY Jesus as your Savior!


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A World Savior

God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.
Acts 3:26

Peter embraces the global impact of the gospel. He understood His Lord's command that the good news would be preached in the world. And he knew it would start with the Jews in Jerusalem. He still has lessons to learn about how it will extend to the Gentiles. But his theology is straight. For now, it is enough to see how he understood the work of Jesus' death as a fulfillment to the Jews of a key messianic mission. He came "to you first". He would come to non-Jews next.

Peter proclaims a message of repentance and forgiveness to those who would accept the gospel (Jews in his present audience). He also says that Messiah will return in the context of the Jewish nation accepting the saving work of Jesus (Acts 3:19-20). The gospel was key to reaching both Jew and Gentile. It is the message of the church... really her only message.

Peter preached a message here that has served as the pattern for evangelization ever since. Paul took the gospel "to the Jew first, and also to the Greek". His habit was to find a synagogue or Jewish gathering on the sabbath, no matter where he went in the Roman world, and from there to preach the gospel and by extension then evangelize all around him, including Gentiles.

What Peter started and Paul perfected is still important to understand. No one needs to adopt Jewish culture and traditions to truly become Christian, but certainly the gospel is unlimited. It reaches Jews and Gentiles alike today. Jesus, the Messiah, is a world savior AND He alone is the hope of Israel!


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Acts Two Priorities

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Acts 2:42

I cringe when people excitedly tell me they want to be part of an "Acts 2" church. Sometimes they want to be part of a "First Century" church. I'd rather be part of a 21st century church that stayed true to biblical definitions! I know they probably just mean they want to see biblical priorities and experiences. But Acts 2 was a newborn's first cry. Nobody wants or needs to be back to being a baby. Still, in that description we see biblical priorities that still should define what life in the church should always be.

Four things marked these first believers in their commitment together. The text says they "devoted themselves" to these things. This meant they paid constant and consistent attention to them. They were defined by a commitment to teaching and doctrine. This came from the apostles who had just trained with Christ Himself. They were committed to "the fellowship", indicating that the assembly of believers was a commitment that all believers made. It would have been strange not to be together. They were committed to "the breaking of the bread" both at the Lord's Table and probably in broader shared meals together. They were committed to prayer... to sincere devotion to God together in response to the first three priorities.

These four things form a healthy pattern for any church. It is expected that a Christian would want to be devoted (not just at weddings, funerals, Christmas or Easter) to a church that is weekly, even daily, devoted to these things.


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The Gospel's Epicenter and Expansion

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8

This verse is significant because it is the command from Jesus that defines the vision and scope of ministry that He intends for His church to accomplish. It is nothing short of worldwide impact. It is the goal of Jesus that the gospel always goes global. This is what the first disciples were instructed to do.

And really this helps us understand the structure of the Book of Acts because we can see how from the epicenter of Pentecost in Jerusalem, the gospel spread in waves to the known world. Jesus conveyed a clear vision and the Holy Spirit empowered a generation of men to take the world the message of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Churches followed all over the Roman world as people came to faith. It is absolutely and miraculously amazing that in one generation the gospel was firmly planted in such a way that Christianity has flourished for over two millennia.

As the gospel enters into its third millennium, the challenge has not changed. It is still the same: continue to go global. There are always pioneering opportunities with every tribe and nation and ethnicity needing to know that Jesus will save sinners. My generation must be as obedient as that first generation was!


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Eulogy for the man of God, Moses

And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
Deuteronomy 34:10-12

Moses was used by God in a mighty way. His life was miraculously spared by God as a baby in the bulrushes of the Nile. His family defied a king's edict by keeping him alive. He was miraculously prepared by God, both by being brought up in the household of the king of Egypt, and by fleeing to forty years of wilderness shepherding as a nomad in the desert. His life was uniquely empowered by God. When he was called to lead Israel at the burning bush, God gifted him supernaturally and that power God gave to him followed him right to the end of his days.

The text here eulogizes Moses with three quick statements. They describe his unique ministry and life. First he was was known by God "face to face". God has a very personal relationship with Moses. At least twice on Sinai Moses had these encounters where he conversed with God in His very presence as the hand of God wrote the law of God for Israel. Moses' habit was to regularly enter "the tent of meeting" to talk with God and discern His will.

The second unique characteristic of Moses had to do with the power of God displayed through Moses to Egypt. No prophet ever had a more powerful and unique relationship with a superpower of human government. And God used Moses to teach the world a lesson in God's sovereignty over human nations, people groups, and individuals.

The third unique fact about Moses had to do with that same power of God displayed by God through Moses to Israel. Moses helped birth a covenant nation... a people still unique to the heart of God. And Moses still has his ministry beating at the heart of Judaism to this very day.

I learn a lot from the faith lessons and the leadership lessons in the life of Moses. Finishing up a time in the Pentateuch has been instructive. And really the impact of God's use of Moses still reaches my heart today. That is a powerful story of the work of God that will continue impacting generations. What a testament to the life that will hear God, respond to God, and let himself be used by God! That's what Moses did, and really, that is the challenge for me as well.


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