Formosa Baptist Church
2026-01-11
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      • Revelation 4ESV

  • Holy Forever
  • Big Idea for the Series: In the book of Acts, we see God advancing his Kingdom by his Spirit through his Church.
    FCF: If we are truly following the Lord, we will suffer at the hands of those who aren’t, just like Jesus did. But the apostles give us an example of what it looks like to suffer well and put our trust in Christ no matter what comes.
    Introduction: Last week we saw that Satan, seeing the threat of the early church, tried to sow disunity and division through some of the members of the church, Ananias and Sapphira. God dealt with those people in a pretty shocking and definitive way, and the church continued to grow and prosper.
    But, as we would expect, Satan was not done. And so, this week, we’ll see Satan working again to undermine, discourage, and silence the church.
    Acts 5:17–42 ESV
    17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
    Prayer

    If we are truly following the Lord, we will suffer.

    False believers are often a source of persecution for true believers.

    Acts 5:17–18 ESV
    17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.
    Those who ordered the imprisonment and flogging of the apostles considered themselves followers of the true God.
    Jesus warned as much:
    John 16:2–3 ESV
    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.
    Paul/Saul himself was one such example:
    Acts 22:4–5 ESV
    4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
    The majority of Paul’s opposition and persecution was at least instigated by people who claimed to be believers in God.
    2 Corinthians 11:13–15 ESV
    13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
    Galatians 2:4 ESV
    4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery...
    Titus 1:16 ESV
    16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
    John tells us that, eventually, these false believers will fall away and leave the church. When they do, we shouldn’t be surprised nor should we think that someone has “lost their salvation.” John tells us that their falling away reveals that they were never truly saved.
    1 John 2:19 ESV
    19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
    So, we need to have a category in our heads for people who claim to be Christians, go to church, sing the songs, and play the part, but are not true believers.
    Jesus called these people “wolves in sheep’s clothing”
    Matthew 7:15–16 ESV
    15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
    Many “church hurt” and hypocrisy cases are examples not of believers doing wrong, but of unbelievers disguising themselves as believers and then doing what unbelievers do.
    Other cases are examples of unbelievers who get called out in their sin and then, instead of repenting, accusing the church of wrongdoing; wolves who get offended when their sheep costume gets exposed.
    We also need to take a good, hard look at ourselves and make sure that we are not such a person! It is possible to deceive yourself and think that you are a believer when you’re not.
    2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV
    5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
    Wolves eat sheep. So where the sheep are, the wolves will follow.

    Following God above all will inevitably cause conflict.

    Acts 5:27–29 ESV
    27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
    The reason for this is that God demands our supreme loyalty, but so do the kingdoms of this world.
    But these kingdoms are fallen and sinful and don’t follow God like they ought to, which means we will inevitably find ourselves at a crossroads where we have to make a decision as to whether we will obey God or man.
    A lot of scholars see in the Mark of the Beast in Revelation a reference to the trade guilds in the Roman Empire in the first century.
    These trade guilds were like business clubs for carpenters, masons, artisans, and other tradesmen. These trade guilds weren’t like labor unions, they were more like social clubs. They provided a place for social interaction and even helped defray the costs of funerals for their members. There were trade guilds for flute players, goldsmiths, coppersmiths, fullers, shoemakers, dyers, and carpenters, cooks, tanners, builders, bronze workers, ironworkers, coppersmiths, weavers, and priests. Membership in a trade guild was mandatory, and you could not leave the trade guild. Sons were required to follow the trade of their father and would become members in the guilds as well.
    These guilds exercised considerable power over tradesmen, even sometimes setting the legal limits for fees for services and products, and permitting or forbidding a tradesmen to sell his products and services. They often had a monopoly in their areas.
    But, the main purpose of the guilds was social and even religious. So, in the Roman empire, trade guilds usually had pagan worship rituals built into their meetings. As emperor worship became more and more prevalent, that was also included.
    The Book of Revelation The Situation of the Churches and the Purpose and Theme of the Book

    ...they were expected to pay their “dues” to trade guilds by attending annual dinners held in honor of the guilds’ patron deities. Homage to the emperor as divine was included along with worship of such local deities. For the culture in general these expressions of loyalty were part of being patriotic.

    After all, the patron gods of the guilds together with the imperial god of Rome were purportedly responsible for the social and economic blessings that the culture had enjoyed. Refusal to show gratefulness to these gods was bad citizenship.

    So, imagine the difficult situation that a pagan tradesman would find himself in when he converted to Christianity. A trade guild that wasn’t happy with your refusal to worship the emperor or its patron deity could effectively blacklist you, preventing you from buying goods for your craft or selling your products/services.
    In Revelation 13:7-8, John describes a “beast” who would wage war on the saints of God:
    Revelation 13:7–8 ESV
    7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
    Later, he says that the beast:
    Revelation 13:16–17 ESV
    16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
    Early Christians—especially Gentile converts—were routinely faced with a terrible dilemma: obey Caesar, or obey God. Their faith caused conflict because the kingdoms of this world demand loyalty that only God has the right to demand.
    If you follow God, you will eventually have to choose where your highest loyalty lies—to God, or to man.
    It might be through standing up to the government when leaders demand loyalty that only belongs to God, or it might be among your family and friends.
    When you go from death to life, from worshipping the world to worshipping God, your friends and family will not understand why you won’t do the things that you used to. They won’t understand why you give so much time and energy to church.
    If you are truly devoted to God, it will inevitably cause strain amongst your relationships with people who do not share that loyalty.
    Matthew 10:36–39 ESV
    36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
    Are you willing to look people in the eyes when they demand you compromise on your devotion to God and boldly say,
    Acts 5:29 ESV
    29 ...“We must obey God rather than men.
    Acts 5:33 ESV
    33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.
    Are you willing to bear the consequences of what follows?
    We will only have such courage if we know beyond a doubt that...

    God is sovereign over our suffering.

    Satan and his kingdom cannot prevail over us so long as we are following God.
    That does not mean we will not suffer—quite the opposite! But, it does mean that the enemy is only able to advance as far as God permits. Which means that God is in control and it is all part of his plan.
    Several examples of God’s providence and sovereignty at work in this passage:

    1) The miraculous prison break.

    Acts 5:19–21 ESV
    19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach...
    There are no prison doors that are strong enough to hold those whom God wants to set free.
    One of the things that strikes me in this passage is just how nonchalantly and quickly Luke passes over this miraculous escape. “An angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out.” That’s it. No fanfare, no giant battle, no need to overcome the guards or stage some well-planned prison break. It was just no big deal for God.
    Sometimes we face opposition from enemies that seem invincible. Sometimes it appears that we have no choice but to acquiesce to the demands of those who want to quiet us.
    You might have a boss who’s breathing down your neck because of your Christian witness or because you’re refusing to compromise your morals. It might appear that you have no choice. But problems like this that seem to have no solution in our eyes are, to God, no big deal. He can fix them without lifting a finger. Even the most miraculous events in Scripture, the dividing of the Red Sea, Jesus’ walking on water, resurrecting people from the dead, creation of matter itself—God accomplishes simply by speaking.
    We need the courage and faith to trust that it is in God’s hands, that he is sovereign.

    2) The inability of the leaders to quiet the apostles

    Acts 5:26 ESV
    26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
    Oftentimes, people that make the most noise and do the most threatening are actually acting out of fear. We talked about this last week. Satan flees from those who stand firm in their faith and resist him.
    The priests and elders wanted the apostles to think they had absolute control over their lives, but the apostles kept on preaching because they knew the words of Jesus were true:
    John 19:9–11 ESV
    9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
    God has the power. Those who pretend to be in power are just the middlemen, and with a word, God can remove them.

    3) The preservation of their lives through the advice of an enemy

    In one of the greatest ironies in this passage, God works through the advice of one of the apostles’ enemies to bring about their deliverance.
    Acts 5:33–39 ESV
    33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice,
    Gamaliel was the leader of the Pharisees and, as we later find out, Paul’s Rabbi. Paul would have studied under Gamaliel and it’s even theoretically possible that Paul was sitting in the student section of the Sanhedrin this day when Gamaliel gave this speech. (We don’t know either way, that’s pure speculation. But, we do know that he was present at the stoning of Stephen in chapters 6-7, so it’s very plausible.)
    The point is, the Sanhedrin was outraged and ready to probably stone them all on the spot. What saves their lives is not a fellow believer, not an angel, but the advice of one of their enemies!
    Reminds me of Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers. God can and does often work through even our enemies to bring about his will.
    But, if God is sovereign over the preservation of his people, he is also sovereign over...

    4) The flogging of the apostles.

    Acts 5:40 ESV
    40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
    This beating was probably a flogging. Most scholars think that they would have received 39 lashes, likely of the same type that Jesus himself endured. They would have been lashed to a post and whipped on their back and chest with leather straps which would have left them bloodied and weak. This was not a light beating.
    Their flogging was part of God’s plan. They rejoiced that “they were counted worthy to suffer”; Who ‘counted’ them worthy to suffer? God did.
    We must come to terms with the fact that God has ordained suffering as a part of our lives and spiritual growth.
    In fact, in Revelation we’re told that God has a specific number of martyrs that must be fulfilled before the return of Christ:
    Revelation 6:9–11 ESV
    9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
    We don’t always get answers in this life as to why God allows the suffering that he does. We know that suffering produces character, and we know that God is good, he loves us, and he has a plan that is working all things together for our good.
    God ordained that the apostles suffer at the hands of the chief priests and elders, and he has ordained suffering in your life as well.
    You probably won’t be flogged, but you will inevitably go through some tough times.
    The question is, how will we endure that suffering?

    We should rejoice in and persevere through our suffering.

    We can rejoice knowing that those who suffer reflect the image of their Lord.

    Acts 5:41 ESV
    41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
    We often say that we want to be like Jesus, but the disciples recognized that suffering was such a part of who Jesus was that, when they suffered, they rejoiced because they were becoming more like him!
    Scripture tells us that...
    Isaiah 53:3 ESV
    3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
    To become like Jesus, to be conformed into the image of Christ, is to be despised and rejected, to be sorrowful, acquainted with grief.
    But that is not the kind of Jesus that we really want. That is not what we want for ourselves. And that’s why books like Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now are so popular! They tell us what we want to hear.
    Joel Osteen says that if we want to be successful, we need to “enlarge our vision” and think successful thoughts:
    “Perhaps you’re searching for a parking spot in a crowded lot...Say, ‘Father, I thank you for leading and guiding me. Your favor will cause me to get a good spot” (41).
    —Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now
    Osteen also says that we should expect other people to do good things for us.
    “I’ve come to expect to be treated differently...I’ve learned to expect people to want to help me. My attitude is: I’m a child of the Most High God. My Father created the whole universe. He has crowned me with favor, therefore, I can expect preferential treatment” (39).
    —Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now
    I guess the apostles could have avoided all this messy business of getting thrown in prison and flogged if they’d just read Osteen’s book! “Don’t you know, Peter, that you can expect preferential treatment?!?!”
    But, Jesus says,
    Matthew 5:11–12 ESV
    11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
    Those who were favored by God in heaven—the prophets, Jesus, the apostles—most certainly did not receive preferential treatment here on earth. They got precisely the opposite.
    And the more we are like Jesus, the more we will experience the suffering that our Lord experienced. But, if we truly have our eyes set towards eternity, we can rejoice in the midst of it knowing that our suffering is making us more and more like Jesus every day.
    God is counting us worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And that’s a good thing, because those who are dishonored for the name of Christ here will be greatly honored in heaven for eternity.

    We must persevere in our proclamation of the truth.

    Acts 5:42 ESV
    42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
    What Satan wants most is for us to just stop talking about Jesus. He wants us to lose our passion for him, to get discouraged, to focus on getting our “best life now,” so that he can take away from us our best life in eternity.
    So, will you persevere? Will you keep on doing what God has called you to do, even when it’s tough? Will you stand firm and proclaim the gospel, even when it’s costly and painful?
    Reflection Questions:
    Why does being a Christian inevitably lead to suffering?
    What challenges do you face that might require choosing obedience to God over peer pressure?
    What are some practical steps we can take to ensure we stand firm in our faith when faced with opposition?
    How does the sovereignty of God give us comfort and help us endure suffering?
    What are some lies that the prosperity gospel teaches regarding suffering and faith? What does God’s word have to say instead?
    What truths can help us find joy in suffering for our faith, as the apostles did?

      • Acts 5:17–42ESV

      • Acts 5:17–18ESV

      • John 16:2–3ESV

      • Acts 22:4–5ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 11:13–15ESV

      • Galatians 2:4ESV

      • Titus 1:16ESV

      • 1 John 2:19ESV

      • Matthew 7:15–16ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 13:5ESV

      • Acts 5:27–29ESV

      • Revelation 13:7–8ESV

      • Revelation 13:16–17ESV

      • Matthew 10:36–39ESV

      • Acts 5:29ESV

      • Acts 5:33ESV

      • Acts 5:19–21ESV

      • Acts 5:26ESV

      • John 19:9–11ESV

      • Acts 5:33–39ESV

      • Acts 5:40ESV

      • Revelation 6:9–11ESV

      • Acts 5:41ESV

      • Isaiah 53:3ESV

      • Matthew 5:11–12ESV

      • Acts 5:42ESV

      • 1 Peter 5:6–11ESV

Formosa Baptist Church
jason_hill@formosabaptist.com
https://www.formosabaptist.com/
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