God is always working to accomplish His redemptive purposes and to advance His kingdom in the world. But how can we tell where the Lord is working in our midst? Is there a universal test we can apply to discern whether something is of God rather than a mere human endeavor? In this sermon, R.C. Sproul explains that if something is of God, it cannot ultimately be overthrown.

Let us continue our study of the book of Acts. Our text this morning is from Acts 5:17–40:

Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”

And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And 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!”

But Peter and the other apostles answered and 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, 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 Theudas 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 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.

He who has ears to hear the Word of God, let them hear it.

The Apostles’ Faithful Preaching

This is probably the longest text on which I have preached in quite some time, and one of the shortest times allotted for me to give an exposition of it. I even jumped across a portion beginning at verse 12, where we read that following the release from the Sanhedrin, after the Apostles were told not to preach in the name of Jesus, they continued preaching daily, and marvelous things began to happen.

People from outside of Jerusalem, from the other villages, flocked to Jerusalem not only to hear the teaching and preaching of the Apostles but also to witness the power of healing they were giving. People even sought to walk in the shadow of Peter, hoping that if his shadow fell on them, they would be healed. It reminds us of the woman who touched the hem of Christ’s garment. That was all she wanted, just to touch Him, and she was healed.

The amazing, miraculous power with which God had endued the Apostles in the first century was bringing multitudes from outside into the church, which was growing daily. But the more it grew, the more indignant and furious the religious officials became. They were outraged that the followers of the Jesus they had killed were continuing to preach and teach despite the ban they placed upon them, forbidding the disciples to preach any further in Jesus’ name.

The Apostles ignored the ban and continued being faithful to the mission of Christ, and they were rounded up again and thrown into prison. As we read the text this morning, we see that in the night while the guards were still posted at the door, God sent His angel to free the Apostles from prison. It may have been the same angel He had sent to the sealed tomb outside of Jerusalem in which the body of our Lord had been buried.

The doors were opened, and the Apostles walked out into the night free, with the instruction from the angel to go back to work, essentially saying, “You’re out of jail, now go and continue in the temple preaching and teaching.” So, in the morning, they went back to the temple and continued their preaching and teaching.

The members of the Sanhedrin, the Sadducees and Pharisees, came together in council. They did not know what happened during the night, and they were ready to have another session of interrogation and trial for the maverick Apostles of Jesus. They dispatched a guard to go to the prison and bring the prisoners back to the council to continue the trial.

When the officers arrived at the prison, the prison doors were sealed, and the guards were in place. They opened the doors, looked in, and the disciples and Apostles were gone. Nobody was there. So, the officers went back and essentially told the Sanhedrin: “We went like you told us, but they’re gone. They vanished. We can’t find them.” Then somebody else came in and said: “We know where they are. They’re back in the temple. They are still there preaching and teaching, and they just won’t leave this alone.”

Fear of a Potential Stoning

The saga continued as the guards went and arrested the Apostles once more. There is something in the text here that I find a bit fascinating. It says, “The captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.”

I want to be clear about this text because the grammar is a little ambiguous. They were not afraid that somebody would throw stones at the people, and they were not afraid that if they roughed up the Apostles, the crowd would be stirred to anger, pick up rocks, and kill the Apostles. They wanted to make sure that they were very ginger in how they handled the Apostles because, by now, the whole town was on the Apostles’ side. If the guards used brutality to arrest them, they, the guards, were afraid they would be stoned by the people. Those who were afraid were the representatives of the court, and the court was supposed to make the decision regarding whether somebody should be stoned. They were afraid that their own punishment would fall upon themselves. As a result, they were careful to handle the Apostles with kid gloves as they brought them back to the council.

The Power of Jealousy

The officials set the Apostles before the council, and the high priest basically said: “Didn’t we strictly command you not to preach or to teach in this Man’s name? You went out and did it again. You’ve stirred up the whole city. We told you to stop, but you haven’t listened.”

Let me ask the simple question: What was wrong with these men? The greatest work in world history wrought by almighty God was worked right in their midst. They were the leading clergy of their society. They had been set apart and consecrated by sacred ordination to devote themselves to the work of God. Now, they had become the greatest enemies of the work of God. Does that not strike you as strange? Why?

I think it is easy to understand the reason. One of the most powerful forces on the planet is jealousy. Jealousy is the root of more war, conflict, and theft than any other human emotion. Before the appearance of Jesus of Nazareth, the people on the highest rung of the social stratification of Jerusalem were the priests, scribes, and Pharisees. But they were counterfeits; they were hypocrites. Nothing exposes the counterfeit faster than the appearance of the genuine. When the real incarnation of God came in their midst, they were exposed, and they hated it.

A question I regularly hear from people is: “I heard a minister the other day say that he doesn’t believe in the resurrection or the virgin birth. How can he be a minister and say such things?” I try to answer that question patiently and politely, but I want to say: “Where have you been? Don’t you know biblical history? Don’t you know about church history?” Throughout the ages, the most violent enemies of God have been the clergy. It was the false prophets of Israel and corrupt priests of Israel who devoured the people and were strangers to the covenant. It was the clergy who were most hostile toward Jesus in the first century.

Recently in the Orlando Sentinel, I read an article about a female professor at Princeton who was extolling the virtue of The Da Vinci Code because she studies second- and third-century Gnostic texts. We sometimes think the church was done with Gnosticism at the end of the third century, but it is still alive. We still have professors in seminaries and clergy expounding the worst of all possible heresies. There is nothing new about that; it happens in every generation.

Not Interested in Doctrine?

I am going to California this week because John MacArthur invited me to speak at his Shepherds Conference. Dr. MacArthur regularly comes to Orlando to speak for us at the Ligonier National Conference, and he has come at times when it is very difficult for him to come.

When John heard about my illness, he called me and said: “It’s okay if you can’t come. We’ll understand.” I said, “Lord willing, I’m coming.” I am not just going for the pastors, but I’m also going for my friend John, because John MacArthur will stand like the Apostles stood in the first century on the Word of God. There are so few men like that in this country. Any time I have an opportunity to give a lending hand, I am going.

“Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.” The members of the Sanhedrin did not like Jesus, and they did not like the Apostles, but what they did not like the most was their doctrine. Tomorrow, at least fifty thousand people, perhaps five hundred thousand, in America who claim to be Christians will say, “I’m a Christian, but I’m not interested in doctrine, because doctrine doesn’t matter.” God forbid that it ever be any of you, because Christianity is all about doctrine.

The doctrine of Christ is about who He is. He is not just a friend. He is not just a religious symbol. There is a content to our faith: Jesus is the Son of the living God. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. His death was not just the result of an angry mob heaping all kinds of unspeakable torture on Him; His death was an atonement by which He satisfied the wrath and the justice of a perfect and holy God. That is doctrine. God raised Christ from the dead—that is doctrine.

Do these realities about who Christ is matter? They certainly mattered to the Christians in the first century. Do not ever say that doctrine does not matter. If you do, you are saying truth does not matter, Christ does not matter, and God does not matter.

Bold Preaching

During their time before the Sanhedrin, Peter and the other Apostles gave it right back. It is as if  they said, “We are going to say it again because it seems that you missed it the other day: we ought to obey God rather than men.” They continued: “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.” This was bold preaching.

Recently, I received a first cut of a CD made by Max McLean, who, among other things, does Bible recitation programs at a Christian ministry of performing arts, and he will be at the Ligonier conference this year. But Max decided to venture out from the biblical text and said: “I’d like to do a rendition of the most famous sermon ever preached in America. I want to recite that sermon preached in Enfield, Connecticut in the eighteenth century by the Puritan, Jonathan Edwards, ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.’”

Max asked me to do an introduction for his rendition of Edwards’ famous sermon, and I did. He asked me as he ran through some of the rehearsal for it, “How do you think this goes?” I said, “That’s great, just go do it.” So, he did it and he sent it to me. I have probably listened to it ten times since then.

Every time I hear this sermon, I want to fall on my face and repent before God for how much of a coward I have been in my preaching. I would not dare preach a sermon like Jonathan Edwards preached back in Enfield. Yet that sermon is filled with nothing but the text of Scripture over and over again. I thought to myself, “I wish every member of Saint Andrew’s and every Christian in America would get that CD and listen to that sermon.” It is a sermon from another age, but it is a sermon from the Word of God that we all need to hear. I know I need to hear it. That was the kind of boldness with which Peter and the Apostles were speaking to the authorities.

Gamaliel’s Wisdom

After Peter and the Apostles’ response to the Sanhedrin, the authorities were furious. But suddenly, Gamaliel, the most respected rabbi of his generation, stood up. He was the great scholar of the day. He was the master tutor of his most famous student, Saul of Tarsus, who saw Christianity as hostile to Judaism at this time. Gamaliel stepped up to the council and excused the Apostles for a few moments.

The authorities went into executive session. Gamaliel essentially said: “Men, I think we need to be careful here. There may be more to this than we’re aware.” He gave a little bit of history. He said: “Consider our history for the last few years. There was this Theudas fellow who came along and thought he was somebody, and he convinced people to follow him. He was killed, and his movement instantly fell apart. Then Judas of Galilee claimed to be the Messiah. He had some following, he died, and that was the end of his movement. Here’s my advice: if this thing is not of God, it’ll fail, and if it is of God, nothing we can do is going to stop it. Indeed, we don’t want to be working against God.” That was good advice but not perfect advice. I can think of better things he could have said to that council.

It is not true that if something is not of God, it fails. It will fail ultimately, but how long has Islam been around? A lot longer than Theudas and Judas. It has been around for centuries, and I guarantee you that it is not of God. There are all kinds of heretical movements that continue to persist in history that are not of God.

When Ligonier was in Pennsylvania as the Ligonier Valley Study Center, there was a time when we were suffering financial difficulties. We were trying to be as steward-like as we could and practice good management, be efficient, and all of those things. I remember when one of my colleagues came up to me one day and said, “You know, we’ve become so efficient here that I’m afraid that we could be successful without God.” I said: “Wow, it’s true. We could be successful and disobedient at the very same time.” So, be careful about heeding that part of the wisdom of Gamaliel.

“Time to Sing the Forty-Sixth”

The other part of Gamaliel’s advice was sound: “If it is of God, nothing is going to stop it.” That is what we sang about before the sermon and have embraced in our fellowship, the sacraments, and the confession that we read this morning: God gave to His people the guarantee that His church will never perish from the world.

It is true that individual churches, denominations, and institutions will come and go, but the true invisible church of Jesus Christ is here to stay, and nothing will overthrow it. That is why we sang, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” That is why, after the death of Luther, whenever the men became depressed, Philip Melanchthon would say, “It’s time to sing the forty-sixth”—that is, “A Mighty Fortress.” It is the forty-sixth Psalm put to music. They would sing it because it talks about the rage of Satan (we tremble not for him), and the eternal security of the Word of God: “His kingdom is forever.”

Worthy to Suffer Shame

Having had their executive session, the authorities brought the Apostles back in and told them again to stop preaching. This time they beat them and threatened that if they continued, they would be put to death.

We read that when the Apostles were released, they left the place not one bit intimidated. Instead, they left the presence of the council rejoicing that God had considered them worthy to suffer shame for the sake of Jesus. That is all we are worthy to do. The only glory we have is the glory of the cross. It was the Apostles’ great joy to be able to participate in the shame and humiliation of the crucified Christ. May that be the spirit that is in our hearts today. Let us pray.

Father, we thank You for the promise that You give to Your church, the power that You give to us, and the forbearing and forgiving grace that You heap upon us day after day. Father, thank You for the witness of the early church by which we have been instructed even now. Amen.

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.