Mark of an Apostle

Acts 5:21b-32 

21bWhen the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to. 25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. 27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The Prince and the Pauper

The movie, “the Prince and the Pauper,” portrayed that the clothes we wear may cover our true identity.

In the movie, the prince and the pauper have exchanged, switched clothes and lifestyle.

The pauper used the illustrious outfit of the Prince and lived as prince.

The prince took the pauper’s dirty clothes and went to live as a beggar.

People surrounding them were puzzled of their real identity because they were just identically looked alike.

There are many religious groups claiming to be Christians and most of us are failing to recognize who the true Christians are.

There also people who called themselves apostles even to these days but the true Apostles of our Lord Jesus have distinctive marks.

1. Wonders

21bWhen the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to. 25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.

We learned last Wednesday that the high priest and all his associates who were members of the party of Sadducees put the apostles in prison.

An angel of the Lord came and brought the apostles out of jail and commanded them to continue teach the people and the apostles did so as the angel told them.

The gates of the jail have guards; they were not opened but securely locked.

How did the jail guards not notice or saw the apostles get out of jail?

How did the apostles get out of jail when it was securely locked?

How did the physical body of the apostle pass through the securely locked gates of the jail?

For the angel of God, we understand that physical things cannot hinder them.

For the physical bodies of the apostles to pass through the securely locked gates of the jail, is purely astonishing, incomprehensible and inconceivable to the human minds.

Here is another actual example that with God, nothing is impossible.

Many scholars tried to explain in human words what Jesus said in Luke 18:25-2725 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Many scholars tried to prove that there was a gate in Jerusalem called “Eye of a Needle.” According to some solicited concepts, a camel cannot pass through the gate called “Eye of a Needle” unless the camel would kneel. And scholars would use that idea to explain that unless a man kneels or humble himself before God he cannot enter heaven.

That is a very creative way of explaining what Jesus said but there is no clear evidence then and now about the existence of such gate named, “Eye of a Needle.”

Our challenge however is that, can we believe that it is possible for God make a camel pass through the eye of a needle?

With our human mind, we can never imagine that it is possible to happen. The Lord Jesus gave that example to explain that with human mind it is not possible for us to enter heaven in our human ways or human understanding.

Entering heaven is only possible with God just as only by the power of God that a camel can pass through the eye of a needle.

If we can accept and believe beyond any doubt despite no empirical or proven human explanation that a camel can pass through the eye of a needle… If we can accept and believe beyond any doubt that a camel can pass through the eye of a needle by the power of God, the same inconceivable principle applies how the apostle got out of the guarded and securely locked gates of the jail.

That wonder happened in the life of the apostles was made possible because God did it when He sent His angel to bring the apostles out of jail. The guards have no idea what happened, no human explanation can describe it.

Miracles or wonders are marks of the being an apostle of the Lord Jesus.

Another mark of the apostles of Christ is their absolute obedience despite of the threats.

2. Obedience

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The apostle were so brave, no qualms, no worries about the threats of the high priest. The apostles were put in jail earlier and were brought out without any difficulty.

So how could they find fear before the high priest who was threatening them when right before their eyes they experienced the wonders of God?

The apostles would rather choose to be persecuted than to disobey wonderful God. They knew and experienced that even with so much threat from the oppositions, God is more powerful to rescue them or bail them out of trouble.

The apostles courageously testified because they were actual witnesses of God’s wonders. They saw how Christ was tortured, crucified, buried and resurrected on the third day. They personally had fellowship, conversation and received instructions from the Lord. Their absolute obedience to the Lord rather than to fear for their life sprung out as a result of the filling of the Holy Spirit in their life.

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ Himself filled them with courage and wisdom to continue and obey the mandate Christ has given them to testify about Him.

In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul reminded us… 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

The word “timidity” here is more appropriately translated as coward as opposed to courage. The word “power” has the same root word used in Acts 1:8 when the Lord said… 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…

This root word of this word “power” is also the root word of the word “dynamite.” Many Bible scholars teach that there is a dynamite-like power to witness for Christ that the believer receives when that Holy Spirit comes on him.

We can easily imagine that there was evangelism explosion like dynamite in the lives of the apostles because they waited for the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Church in China

A certain church in China was growing fast and there were more than 100 attendees. The pastors were warned that the Chinese authorities would crack them down.

The pastors gathered the church leaders and told them about the warning. The church leaders however, have seen the church grew to a closer fellowship that they wanted the church to grow even more. The result, the authorities came and arrested the pastors and church leaders.

Opposition to our Christian life disguise itself in many different faces or situation in life. For the Chinese Christians, it’s the government; in other nation, it’s poverty and calamities. In North America, it is materialism and covetousness that oppose to Christian to witness.

Still there are those who experience opposition even inside the church. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 12:30 and it has come true to any church. 30He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

Church members that are not active in witnessing have tendencies of making trouble. There are weeds in the church that disturb the growth of the wheat. But the Lord Himself said that we do not need to remove those weeds. In the harvest time, the wheat and the weeds will be separated.

The Lord Jesus tells about “The Parable of the Weeds” in Matthew 13:24-30 24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

That is very comforting reality but at the moment, how can we have peace and joy serving the Lord in midst of struggles against the opposition?

Remember the apostles who were imprisoned yet continued to testify about Christ.

Keep asking for the filling of the Holy Spirit and do not stop asking until you experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit becomes more experiential in your life.

Struggles, oppositions are a reminder that we always need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

><((‘> … ><(((‘> tmec\2021 <‘)))>< … <‘))><

 

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