I thought number one would always be me. I thought I could be what I wanted to be. I thought I could build a life on sinking sand. But I can't even walk without you holding my hand. I thought that I could do a lot on my own. I thought I could make it all alone. I thought of myself as a mighty big man. But I can't even walk without you holding my hand. 

Lord, I can't even walk without you holding my hand. The mountains too high and the valleys too wide, that on my knees I've learned to stand. Lord, I can't even walk without you holding my hand. 

I think I'll beg Jesus my all and all. When I'm in trouble, in His name I'll call. If I don't trust Him, I'll be less than a man. Lord, I can't even walk without you holding my hand. 

Lord, I can't even walk without you holding my hand. The mountains too high and the valleys too wide, that on my knees I've learned to stand. Lord, I can't even walk without you holding my hand. 

Thank you guys so much for that good song. That was great. 

Good morning everyone. I was thinking this morning as I was sitting there and heard Jake and Don's testimony about coming to faith in Christ, and every Sunday morning as I sit there and wait to preach, my prayer is to the Lord that He would make this work because I feel so inadequate and unable. And I was thinking about how, as they talked about coming to faith, that it was a realization that I can't do it, that God can do it, and then placing my faith in Him. 

And really our Christian life, one day at a time, is like that as well. I can't do it, but God can do it. And He makes it work and He does it. And we see that in the early church. 

As we continue our study through the book of Acts and the historical record of the first days of the founding of the church, I'm so impressed with seeing the simplicity that is in Christ. The simplicity of the life and mission of the believers of these first years. And I love the statement of Vance Havner when he said, "We do not need something new, we need something so old it would be new if someone would try it." 

There have been faithful witnesses throughout the history of the church to this day who have understood that the power is in the preaching of Christ, in the clear stating of the Word of God, particularly in the truth of the Gospel. He says, "I am the Lord and Savior of the world. I am His one time death in my place for my sins, His burial, His resurrection from the dead as Lord and Savior of the world." 

It's fascinating and it's clear that the apostles and the believers of the first church in Jerusalem understood this truth. And again and again we are brought back to this simplicity by the texts that are before us. 

The principles of evangelism. 

I'd like to begin this morning with a story from history long ago from now, but yet 1500 years future for the apostles' ministry in our text. During the time of Mary I in her short but bloody reign from 1553 to 1558 in England. During those few years, Mary made it her mission to restore Roman Catholicism as the religion of England, and in the process, she had 280 Christians burned at the stake. One of these was a simple housewife named Mrs. Prest. She was described as a short, stout woman who was uneducated, but yet a fervent witness for the Lord and an antagonist to the superstitious religion of Rome. 

Her husband and her children had been faithful to Rome and had run her off, persecuting her. I'd just like to read a few excerpts from this real woman's interaction with her persecutors leading up to her death being burned at the stake because she would not recant and bow to the idols of the church. 

When first brought before the bishop for trial for heresy, he asked her about the doctrine of the bread and the wine being the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. She said in response, "I will demand of you whether you can deny your creed which says that Christ doth perpetually sit at the right hand of His Father, both body and soul, until He come again, or whether He be there in Heaven our Advocate and to make prayer for us unto God His Father. If He be so, He is not here on earth in a piece of bread. If He be not here, and if He does not dwell in temples made with hands but in Heaven, what shall we seek Him here? If He did not offer His body once for all, why make you a new offering? If with one offering He made all perfect, why do you with a false offering make all imperfect? If He is to be worshipped in spirit and truth, why do you worship a piece of bread? 

I am a poor woman, but rather to do as you do, I would live no longer, I have said, sir." 

The bishop asked her, "What school have you been brought up in?" And this reminds me of the Sanhedrin marveling at the apostles who were unlearned men but remembered that they had been with Jesus. She answered, "I have upon the Sundays visited the sermons, and there I have learned such things as are so fixed in my breast that death shall not separate them from me." 

At 54 years of age, after many interactions with the priests and bishops and internment in their dungeon, she was brought forward and offered money to recant her faith and pledge allegiance to Rome. She answered, "I am going to a city where money bears no mastery, and while I am here, God has promised to feed me." 

When her sentence was read condemning her to the flames, she lifted up her voice and praised God saying, "This day I have found that which I have long sought." And she was delivered to the sheriff who escorted her to the flames where she was reduced to ashes, having gone to be with her Lord. 

Many faithful witnesses have been brought before the magistrates, have suffered persecution as we see with the apostles in our text today. And they have used this, seen this as an opportunity not to save their lives, not to escape persecution, not to gain the world or its goods by bowing to idols, but as an opportunity to dispel the darkness and the lies, to pull down the strongholds and cast away the arguments by the proclamation of the simple truths concerning Jesus' death for us, for our sins in our place, His burial and His glorious resurrection from the dead to reign at the right hand of God until His enemies are made His footstool. 

And such witnesses have been prepared, they have been equipped and emboldened for these opportunities by doctrine, by simple, clear truth revealed by God to us in His Word. Their message, their defense, their faith, and hope are based on the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done for us according to His Word. 

Just as Mrs. Prest was able to stand against the Bishop of Rome with simple, clear truth that she had learned in the Sunday sermons which she had faithfully attended, by hearing, studying, hiding the Word of God in her heart so close to her breast that even death could not separate it from her. 

This is what we see in the book of Acts again here in chapter 5 as we explore the early church's method of evangelism. Look at Acts 5 verse 30 with me, please. "The God of our fathers," this is Peter again speaking to the council, "the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." 

When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago, Thudias rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest you even be found to fight against God." 

And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded them that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. 

I've given you four points this morning on your outline. First, we're going to see a clear communication. Second, a consistent confrontation. Third, a crazy council. And fourth, a continuing campaign. 

Well, first in our text, we see a clear communication of the gospel. Again, in Acts 5.30, where Peter says to them that Jesus is the Christ, that they had murdered Him by hanging Him on a tree, but God had raised Him, exalted Him to be the Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And they told them, we are His witnesses, as also is the Holy Spirit who's been given to all who believe the gospel, who obeyed Him. 

I think it's so important that we realize the situation that the apostles were in here. They'd been preaching and teaching Jesus in the temple, in their homes, in the streets, in jail, before the council. These guys were on fire. And their message, their communication of Jesus and His gospel was clear. 

Over and over, they emphasized the sin of their hearers, the death of Christ, His burial, His resurrection, and that He is the only answer for their need for their forgiveness of sins and the wrath of God. They had one purpose, they had one focus, and that was to preach Jesus, Christ crucified and risen again, and faith in Him alone for salvation. 

And I just want to emphasize again that the preparation for these witnessing opportunities, the groundwork was laid in the gathering of believers, where the doctrine of the apostles was taught, where they were taught about Jesus, who He is, what He's done for us. 

Evangelism begins in the local body of believers in the teaching of doctrine, in fellowship, in worship, in building up and preparing to go out and do the work of ministry. They were not doing their evangelism in the homes where they met, but instead in the gathering together of believers, Acts 2.42 says, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and prayers. They met daily together in each other's homes to continue to study, to grow, to be encouraged and emboldened. 

Then they went out into the temple, into the city, and they preached Jesus Christ every time they had an opportunity, even when they were in trouble, even when they were threatened. They saw that as an opportunity to tell men about Jesus. 

I really think this comes down to a fundamental understanding of the purpose of the gathering together of the believers of the local church meetings, Bible studies, and fellowship gatherings. It's not that we don't want lost people to come, or that we shouldn't invite our neighbor to church, or that many people have not gotten saved in a church service. But the point is that this is not the primary purpose of our meeting together. 

I know I'm belaboring this point, but it's such a source of all kinds of confusion and hindrance in the church today. In the first part of this chapter, we talked about church discipline, and we really saw God step in in a most severe kind of way and discipline Ananias and Sapphira for the sin of lying, for hypocrisy. And we saw the importance of purity among the believers in the church for our testimony and evangelism in the communities in which we live. 

And we saw the reaction of the unbelievers to this discipline, to this purity. They would not join themselves together with the believers unless they truly had come to faith in Christ. Purity in the church is essential to our purpose in this world as believers. And church discipline is essential to the purity of witness concerning the body of believers. 

One of the issues that comes up often these days that I've been asked about several times recently is how the church should handle those who are involved in the homosexual lifestyle. Some say that we should allow them into the church and accept them, not to point out their sin and address it. And the reason they give is that we need to get these people saved, and not allowing them to be involved in the church will prevent this opportunity. 

I think the problem here is, again, the fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of the gathering of believers. I don't think it really matters what the sin is. It could be fornication, it could be adultery, among heterosexuals, among homosexuals, it really doesn't matter. It could be dishonesty and hypocrisy by a public figure or businessman, ongoing, open, and public in our community. The type of sin isn't so much the issue as it is the integrity and the witness of the church. 

And if there is open, public sin, it should be confronted in a biblical way. And if that person will not repent, then they should be removed from fellowship for the sake of the testimony of the church. But you see, if we think that evangelism is our primary goal on Sunday morning, if our greatest endeavor is to bring men in and not to offend them, then when we will not be willing to address sin, we will not be willing to preach on these things, lest we drive men away and foil our purpose. 

But if our purpose is to build up the believers through the teaching of the Word, then we will welcome all men in. Anyone who wants to come, we will welcome joyfully and with love, and Harriet will give them a hug. But our focus will be on the teaching of God's Word and the edifying of the body of believers to equip them to go out into this world and do the work of ministry. 

And if a person becomes a regular attender and a part of our fellowship, and there is some open, persistent, public sin in his life, then it needs to be addressed. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 18. We see this in Galatians 6.1. We see the premise for it in passages like Revelation 2 and 1 Corinthians 11, right here in Acts 5. 

My point, my friends, is that our understanding of the purpose of the gathering of believers really matters. And it affects why and how we do what we do in so many ways. These believers in Acts 5 saw the gathering together as a time of worship, of praise, of teaching, doctrine, of prayer, of fellowship. 

And then we see them ready, equipped, excited, to go out into every situation that may come and preach a clear message to communicate effectively the gospel of Jesus Christ to every creature. And they were discerning. They knew truth from error. They were willing to confront false teaching and a false gospel, much like Mrs. Prest, boldly confronting the false religion and heresies of her time with the truth. 

I just have this picture of that woman in my head, a short, stout woman that wouldn't let go of the truth, before those powerful men in their big hats, and their robes, and their councils, and their stake at which they burnt her. She would not back down from the truth. 

Well, next we see their clear communication was met with consistent confrontation. Verse 33: "When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them." When they heard this, what did they hear? When they heard the truth about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. When they were confronted with their sin, and their need, and with Jesus as the only way. 

This is the message that the disciples kept preaching to them over and over as often as they had opportunity. Look back at verse 27 with me, chapter 5, verse 27. It says, "When they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest asked them, saying, 'Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood on us.'" 

He said to them, "Look, you keep teaching in the name of Jesus, and we keep telling you not to. And you keep indicting us. You need to stop this, or we're going to beat you, we're going to imprison you, we're going to kill you." So what did Peter do in verse 29? He said, "We ought to obey God, rather than men." 

"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things." 

Peter, immediately in response, preached Jesus and indicted them again. What amazing boldness we see in these people. And it infuriated these religious men, these leaders of Israel, who sat on the council, because it challenged their religion, it challenged their doctrine and their self-righteousness and pride, and it challenged their salvation. 

And let me tell you, my friends, if we as believers in Jesus Christ, in 2018, are faithful and go out as these men did, and preach this clear truth, we will be met with opposition and anger and hatred as well. Jesus promised it would happen. He said, "A servant is no greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you. If they hate you, remember, they hated Me first." 

They hate Jesus. They hate the gospel truth that so challenges their religion, so challenges their personal righteousness, and exposes their sinful condition that rips their pride from them and tells them about their need. It's the same today. We might not see it so blatantly here in our country or in our communities, but the hatred for the truth is still there in the hearts of men, and it sometimes comes out and is made manifest when we tell the truth. 

I remember years ago, witnessing to both of my grandpas. One of them told me that he'd never sinned. And when I told him that he'd just used the Lord's name in the sentence before, he became angry and he said, he uses my name in vain. And that was the end of the conversation. 

The other one I was talking to on a nice sunny day, he was sitting on the tailgate of his truck, and when I began to witness to him, he looked at me and he said, "Why don't you just go to hell?" They didn't beat me. They didn't throw me in prison. But the hatred for the truth was in their hearts. 

You can talk to Ray about his cousin, whom he's witnessing to in his driveway, and when he brought up Jesus, she started kicking him in the shins. The hatred is there. 

And that's what we see from the council here, from the religious leaders, from Israel. Hatred. They became furious and they plotted to kill them. Kill them, my friends. For what? It reminds me of Paul's words in Galatians 6.14, when he says, "Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" 

They wanted to kill them because they hated Jesus and the gospel truth. We see a clear communication of the truth. We see consistent confrontation. And next, we see the crazy council. Remember in the previous verse, it says they were furious and plotting to kill them. Then Gamaliel stands up and gives this great wisdom of the world. 

They really just didn't know what to do with these guys. They didn't know what to do with this whole situation. It began with Jesus. He just didn't operate by their rules. He didn't play their games. His wisdom was so far beyond their religious hypocrisy. No matter how they tried to trick Him, to trap Him, to take Him in His words, He always confounded them because God was working through them. 

And my friends, they are in the same boat here. The Holy Spirit is working through the apostles with the simple truth of the gospel. They are so dependent on, consistently abiding in Christ, and He is working so powerfully through them that these guys don't know what to do with them. 

They killed Jesus. That didn't rid them of Him. Now these guys are preaching and teaching and healing and winning converts by the thousands in His name. They are so frustrated. They're so angry. They're so lost. 

And the one thing they will not do is submit to the truth, repent, and believe Jesus. Rather, they will do anything and everything regardless of whether it makes any sense at all. 

Now at first glance, Gamaliel's words seem to make sense. He was a highly respected man, learned much more so than the rest of them. He was the grandson of one of the greatest rabbis that ever lived. He was well-versed in culture and higher learning. He was a leader in the law. But I want you to look closely at what he says. 

Verse 35, "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago, Thudias rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about 400, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone." 

Look what he says here. If this plan or work is of men, it will come to nothing. How does he suggest they evaluate what the apostles are saying? What is the basis of his thinking? Basically, he's saying if their work is successful, if it continues to grow, then it is of God. But if God is not in it, then it will fail and go away, like the two examples he gave. 

I think God used this and this man to get the counsel off their back and set them free and allow them to continue in their work. But let me ask you, is this wise thinking? Is it wise to evaluate whether God is in something by the magnitude of its success? 

Does the name Joel Osteen come to mind? How about the Muslim faith? How many Roman Catholics are there in the world? Do you think God is in the Mormon church? Wildly successful. 

In fact, I think it is a mark of caution when something is really popular and successful in numbers. It is true that in the ultimate sense, at the second coming of Jesus Christ, He will set all things in order, and He will rule and reign in righteousness ultimately. And it's true that if God is building it, you can't overthrow it. There's wisdom in that. 

But now in time, in our age, success in numbers and growth in a movement is not generally an indication that it's filled with truth and good doctrine. This great teacher of Israel was an expert in the law, in the Old Testament, in the Word of God. What should he have said to this counsel? 

How about men? Let us search the Scriptures to see if what these men say is true, if they are of God. How about we look at the life of Jesus and what the prophet said about the Messiah and His death and burial and resurrection? 

We may think these are wise words at first, but really they're not. And Gamaliel had no more heart for the truth than the rest of these men who would just have soon killed these guys and been done with them. These were men driven mad by their sin, confronted continually with the truth, receiving more revelation than just about anyone who ever lived in the course of their lives. 

They just wanted to suppress it. And they were trying to figure the best way. And God did get His men out of this jam and allow them to continue. But this wasn't good thinking on the rabbi's part. His conclusion does hold some wisdom, as I said, that if God's in it, they won't overthrow it, verse 39, lest you even be found to fight against God. 

Remember what Jesus said, "I will build My church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." If it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, you can't stop it, you can't stamp it out completely. This is wisdom and they should have heeded it, but they merely saw it as an expedient way of putting off these men. 

And notice in the next verse it says that they beat the apostles. They scourged them, 39 stripes. They were not seeking the truth. They were not really interested as to whether these men spoke for God. It was abundantly clear that they did by all the events that had taken place up to this point. 

And as you think about this, this was no small event, no small persecution, being beaten. I get upset when someone says a cross word to me. They were beaten for their faith, but look at their reaction in verse 41. 

"So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." 

We didn't see a lot of wisdom in that crazy council, but what we do see is that this outcome allowed for a continual campaign by the apostles of Christ. They just went out from there with their wounds and stripes, and they started rejoicing and praising the Lord for the opportunity to have suffered for the name of Jesus. 

I wish we could get hold of the simple truth that God intends for us, the simple abiding life of faith that we see in the life and ministry of the apostles, fixed only on Jesus, preaching Him. And that we could see that power is possible through such a ministry because they were trusting Him, because they were preaching the truth. They were fixed on Him. 

I have to tell you, I really don't like to cause waves, to offend or cause any kind of drama with people. I'm not a fan of drama. I really would prefer that people like me. All of them. Every last one of them. And it upsets me when someone's not happy with me or doesn't like me. 

But the fact is, my brothers and sisters, Jesus must be first. And His will, His purpose for me must be the first and foremost thing in my life. To be His witness. To speak the truth in love. To confront the sinfulness and need of lost men so that they might believe and be saved. 

And if I do this, my brother, my sister in Christ, if we do this, if we live this way, there will be resistance. There will be opposition and hatred. But that's not the issue. We have been appointed not only to believe, but to suffer for His sake. He set an example so that we should follow in His steps. He promised us that we would suffer. But we must continue in our campaign to go into all the world and preach the gospel, even in our own communities, in our own families. 

They counted it an honor. They rejoiced for having had the opportunity to suffer. They obeyed Jesus and they saw His promises come to pass: multitudes saved as He began to build His church, but also hostility and hatred and persecution from those who would not believe. This is what we should expect as well. 

Vance Habner also said, "When you see some sad, some glad, and some mad, you know you're getting the cross okay." 

I fear the evangelical church today in America has rather gone with the philosophy of Gamaliel. If it works, if it grows, if it draws a crowd, then God is in it. 

My friends, in these last days, a preaching of the clear truth, a steady diet of the apostles' doctrine, prayer, and fellowship in the church doesn't draw the crowd; it doesn't draw the masses, the lost men of this world. 

Listen to Paul's words in 2 Timothy 4. He says, "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing in His kingdom, preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry." 

Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy and notice what he said, "Before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead as it is appearing in His kingdom, preach the word." 

You see, my friend, I and you and the pastors and elders and believers of all these churches today are obligated, responsible before God, before the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the word, to tell the truth, to make the gospel clear and available to lost men. 

To preach the clear truth of the word line upon line, precept upon precept in the gathering of believers so that we might no longer be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine that we might grow up, become mature in Christ for the very purpose that we might go out to preach the truth and love. 

This method may not draw the masses and the crowds in these last days, but for those who believe, for those who seek to know Jesus and want more than anything to live for Him, to glorify Him and to bring men to Him, this is the way. It's the only way. It's God's way. 

And we as believers, we continue. We continue in seeking and learning and growing through the word. We continue in gathering together for fellowship and worship and encouragement. We continue in prayer and dependence on God and on our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

And we continue in our campaign, preaching the word, the truth, to a lost and dying world so that men might be saved for the sake of Christ. This is our obligation, our commission from our Master, our Lord and Savior. 

This is obedience, and it's an expression of our trust and faith in Him. And my friends, this is our greatest privilege and joy to bring this good news to men, to those who are willing, to those who believe to be wonderfully saved and brought into fellowship with us in Christ. 

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful that You give us these examples and that You bring us back to the simplicity of our need for You, that You can do it, and that we need to just trust You and obey You and bring Your truth to men. Thank You that You're faithful, that You're long-suffering, that You're patient. Thank You that You continue to work in us to make us like Jesus and all this for Your glory. It's in Jesus' name we pray.