Sermon Extras

SERMON NOTES

Rooted & Renegade: Acts 5:12-42 “The Pattern for Perseverance”

REVIEW> 

• The early church is boldly proclaiming the gospel in the face of persecution. 
• The early church boldly confronted internal hypocrisy with Ananias and Sapphira. 
• In Acts 5 he apostles are confronted, arrested and beaten for continuing to proclaim Jesus as Lord. 

CONTEXT> If you go all the way back to Acts 3 when Peter heals the lame beggar they get arrested not for healing the guy but for saying that Jesus healed the guy. This is the same exact court with the same officials in it. The Apostles has become repeat offenders! Luke is showing us something in the way he writes these verses, look at how it all ends, “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” Acts 5:42 Do you see the Relentlessness there? The church keeps plugging along! 

APP> There is a word that sums up what we are seeing in this text but not only that but really a mark of the church over the centuries and it’s this…. perseverance. 

• The OED defines perseverance as “the quality of continuing to try to achieve a particular aim despite difficulties”
• “Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen.” – Oswald Chambers 
• “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

APP> Why is this important? Why is it important for us to see this pattern of perseverance? Your expectations affect your experience. Jesus did t his very thing with the disciples: 

• “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.” John 16:1-4 

BIG IDEA> IN ORDER FOR US TO EXPERIENCE PERSEVERANCE WE NEED CLEAR EXPECTATIONS.

APP> Can I show you the pattern, because it should be right there in the text, shouldn’t it? 

The Pattern of Perseverance: 

1. Our Obedience. 
2. Satan’s Opposition 
3. Divine Orchestration. 
4. Gospel Opportunity. 
5. God’s Outcome. (See, we Want 1 and 5, we want our obedience to lead to God’s outcome but 2-4 is where we are formed and molded by God) “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

1. Our Obedience. v12-16

• The apostles are doing what Jesus told them to do! 

APP> You will not go where God wants you to go until you first do what God has called you to do. 

2) Satan’s Opposition. v17-18

• These are the same guys back in chapter 3-4! 
• notice what sets them off, “jealousy” 

God’s gives his people:

• Anointing (Respect)
• Resources (Money)
• Influence (Power) 

APP> Adversity is often times God’s stamp of approval. Where his kingdom advances the enemy attacks. 

3) Divine Orchestration. v19-20

• Now this is funny, really. It’s the Sadducees causing the problems, they don’t believe in angels! lol 
• “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” – Psalm 34:7
• Look at what the angel says… Go… stand… speak…

APP> The greatest miracle is the message of the gospel. 

4) Gospel Opportunity. 

• I want you to notice something about Peter’s language. in v29-30, how can he say, we must listen to God rather than man? The key is in v30 he calls Jesus “Leader and Savior” 
• That word Leader, is ἀρχηγός (archēgos) in the original, it’s only used 4x in the entire Bible… do you know how it can be translated…. hero. 
• Heb 12:2 “…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

APP> You will never lay down your life as long as you are the hero. 

5) God’s outcome. 

• They continue to bear fruit… but the only way they got here, was 1-4 

Close> I’ve told you about my  learning about John Wesley, I promise this is the last illustration I will use from his life. His life was a life of perseverance. It has been said that he rode 250,000 miles on horse back and preached 3x a day into his 80’s! His journal entry: 

• Sunday, A.M., May 5    Preached in St. Anne’s. Was asked not to come back anymore.
• Sunday, P.M., May 5     Preached in St. John’s. Deacons said “Get out and stay out.”
• Sunday, A.M., May 12    Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there, either.
• Sunday, A.M., May 19    Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.
• Sunday, P.M., May 19    Preached on street. Kicked off street.
• Sunday, A.M., May 26    Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.
• Sunday, A.M., June 2    Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.
• Sunday, P.M., June 2    Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.

BIG IDEA> IN ORDER FOR US TO EXPERIENCE PERSEVERANCE WE NEED CLEAR EXPECTATIONS.

• Where are you in the pattern? 
• What false expectations do you have in following Jesus? 
• What is the Spirit saying to you?
• What are you doing to do about it?