Acts 5:41-42

So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Sermon Series - the Five-Fold Vision Statements of Dr. Barry - #3

"Tell the Good News"

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

This morning I am going to introduce the sermon in a slightly different way. I want to introduce the context of the verses of our text, but I cannot figure out how to tell the story any more clearly or concisely than God did, through Luke in the book of Acts. So, here are the verses which lead up to our text, slightly edited for brevity.

The high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy; and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail. But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, "Go your way, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." And they entered into the temple about daybreak, and began to teach.

Now when the high priest and his associates had come, they called the Council together and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought. But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned, and reported back, saying, "We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside." Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this. Then someone came and reported to them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!"

Then the captain went along with the officers and brought them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, lest they should be stoned). And then they stood them before the Council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

But Peter and the apostles answered and said, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

When they heard this, they were cut to the quick and were intending to slay them. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the Apostles outside for a short time. And he said to the Council, "Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody; and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. And he was slain; and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away some people after him, he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. And so in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action should be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; and worse yet you may even be found to be fighting against God."

And they took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Our theme this morning is Tell the Good News. Our text is the last two verses of the Scripture I just read to you. As we consider the vision of Dr. Barry, that the Missouri Synod will grow into a church that will boldly tell the Good News of the Gospel, our text begs us to evaluate ourselves. I see two questions that will determine whether we are and remain a people who boldly speak the Gospel. The questions are: Who do you belong to? and What do you believe?

First, we need to ask ourselves to whom we belong? There are a number of ways of answering that question. Most people believe that they belong to themselves. Some belong to their employers - as in the song, Sixteen Tons, "I owe my soul to the company store." Some people feel that they belong to a cause, or to their family, or to a passion in their lives. The Bible teaches us that there are, in fact, only two real answers to the question: either you belong to God or you belong to the devil. There is no third option.

The Disciples obviously belonged to Jesus. I say that because of the words of our text; they considered it a cause for rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ. These are among the most striking words of all Scripture! I can imagine being counted worthy of serving, or of leading, or of preaching as a cause for rejoicing, but suffering? I don't think so. But here they were, counting suffering as cause for rejoicing. And why? Because they belonged to Jesus, they knew that their suffering went with belonging to Jesus, and they were faithful. The suffering was like a validation of their faithfulness and their belonging to Jesus. They suffered for telling the Good News.

People in our age, on the other hand, flee persecution. We don't like to suffer. And I am just like every one of you in that regard. I don't like pain either. But I would rather be disliked, insulted and even abused because I stood for Jesus and spoke of His love, than live a life of peace and comfort and public acceptance because I stood for nothing and said only what people wanted to hear - and then face eternity without Him.

Who you belong to determines how you will face the same issues. Are you willing to take the heat for Jesus? Will you speak about your faith and be laughed at, called "goody-two-shoes," and hear people moan about how you used to be different before they got to you with that religion stuff? Are you Christ's, or does self-preservation and personal comfort come first? Do you belong to the disciples of Jesus or the local equivalent of the "jet set?" The answer to the question, who do you belong to?, determines a great deal about whether or not you will be part of a people who speak the good news faithfully and boldly.

The Disciples served Jesus, and they suffered for it. They preached the Good News, and let the chips fall where they may. When we keep silent trying to flee the disfavor of others, run from suffering and persecution, or avoid jeopardizing our standing and our access to good times, we are serving someone else, and that someone else is the one to whom we belong.

What do you believe? This is the other question that will determine if we will be a people who tell the good news. The disciples obviously believed in something so wonderful that they had to share it! Prison, beatings, and the specter of death could not stop them. When they were ordered to shut up, they responded "We must obey God rather than men." When their faithfulness cost them beatings, they rejoiced. What they believed was too precious, too exciting, and too wonderful to keep quiet about it.

Our faith is also, at least on paper, just too wonderful to hold still about. We believe in God's love - love He has for us! Love He showed by sending His only-begotten Son to die for us! We confess the grace of God - that is the favor of God aimed at us for Christ's sake! We are His chosen! Nothing can separate us from His love, and He has promised that He will let nothing snatch us out of His gracious protection and blessing.

Even better yet, our faith teaches us that we shall rise from the dead to everlasting life! If your life has been so good that you can imagine that it is better than resurrection or that it is good enough to ignore the free gift of eternal life, I feel sorry for you. I look forward to seeing my father again, and knowing him forever! I look forward to seeing Martin Luther and C.F.W. Walther, and thanking them for their faithfulness and the inspiration they have been to me. I look forward to finally seeing the Lord whom I have known and loved for so long. And I look forward to life beyond the grave, without the weaknesses my flesh now has and without the sins which encumber me and slow me down so. And Jesus has won just such wonderful things for me on the cross, where He died for me, and for you.

We have this wonderful news to share with others. We call this wonderful news the gospel. Every bit of it is free and a gift to those who believe it! Such wonders are worth dying for. Surely they are worth the minor pains of the disapproval of friends, the snide whispered crack, the slow withdrawal of polite society because we count the gospel more important than public approbation and the respect of those who do not believe. We, too, must obey God. We need to tell the good news.

And we will, if we really believe it. I have seen this in the lives of those who have believed. I have seen the change come over those who did not believe and then came to faith. I have seen the transformation in those who claimed to believe, and then suddenly discovered true faith. God's people cannot help but tell the Good News. They find it wonderful, and they want those they know and love to be with them forever - not just for a few short years here in this pain-filled and hollow world. The question whether you will tell the good news personally or not is really only the question of whether you believe the Good News yourself. Do you genuinely believe it? Then you will tell the good news.

As a church, especially a church of the Word of God, rooted in and founded on the Gospel, we should be marked by a faith that just leaks out of our lips. We should not be able to contain it, any more than we could keep the news of a new baby, or of a miraculous recovery from grave illness to ourselves. If we believe the Gospel as a church, we cannot help but tell it, for it is a free gift, and it is given away simply by the telling, and it works such amazing and delightful things in those who believe!

We should be a church marked by invitation and encouragement! We should be inviting everyone to the springs of living waters. We should be telling everyone that we have found the secret of life, the place where it all comes to make sense, and where we have such tremendous gifts and such rich promises -- so sure and clear. We should be lifting one another up with the certainty of God's love, and encouraging one another in times of sorrow and trouble with the fresh and refreshing promises of love and help and strength and blessing.

Unfortunately, what we hear often is what I call "negative evangelism." We hear of pains and frustrations with the church. We hear of confusion and uncertainty. We hear of members telling others that they do not understand why their church remains faithful to the Word of God in doctrine and practice - and how they, members here, no longer believe that old-fashioned stuff. But that old-fashioned stuff is the timeless and ancient truth of the Gospel which brings life and salvation to those who believe - not modern liturgical fads, and not new age doctrines of doubt.

We are the church of the Word of God. But we are not just the church of the book. We are the church of the Word of God spoken and sung, chanted and prayed, preached, and whispered, and shouted, and laughed! We are to be the church of the Word of God shared openly and privately. We are to be gospelizers, sharing this wonderful thing which God has made known to us, just like the shepherds in Bethlehem on the first Christmas, or like the Disciples, who counted it a cause to rejoice when their faithful witness brought them suffering and disfavor.

God grant that Dr. Barry's vision for our church be fulfilled for us as individuals, as a congregation, and finally as a Synod! Let us be the people of God, filled with faith and courage and zeal, and a people who tell the Good News!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

(Let the people say "Amen".)

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