Apostles Fearlessly Obeyed God Over Human Authorities
Daily Scripture
Psalm 115:1-2, 9-11; Acts 5:17-29
Psalm 115
1 Not to us, LORD, not to us—
no, but to your own name give glory
because of your loyal love and faithfulness!
2 Why do the nations say,
“Where’s their God now?”
9 But you, Israel, trust in the LORD!
God is their help and shield.
10 Trust in the LORD, house of Aaron!
God is their help and shield.
11 You who honor the LORD, trust in the LORD!
God is their help and shield.
Acts 5
17 The high priest, together with his allies, the Sadducees, was overcome with jealousy. 18 They seized the apostles and made a public show of putting them in prison. 19 An angel from the Lord opened the prison doors during the night and led them out. The angel told them, 20 “Go, take your place in the temple, and tell the people everything about this new life.” 21 Early in the morning, they went into the temple as they had been told and began to teach.
When the high priest and his colleagues gathered, they convened the Jerusalem Council, that is, the full assembly of Israel’s elders. They sent word to the prison to have the apostles brought before them. 22 However, the guards didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison locked and well-secured, with guards standing at the doors, but when we opened the doors we found no one inside!” 24 When they received this news, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were baffled and wondered what might be happening. 25 Just then, someone arrived and announced, “Look! The people you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain left with his guards and brought the apostles back. They didn’t use force because they were afraid the people would stone them.
27 The apostles were brought before the council where the high priest confronted them: 28 “In no uncertain terms, we demanded that you not teach in this name. And look at you! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are determined to hold us responsible for this man’s death.”
29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than humans!”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Hebrew poets often used repetition to stress key parts of their message. The triple repetition of “trust in the Lord” in Psalm 115 was an example. Jesus had warned his followers that, although they would face hostility from authorities, they should not fear those people (Matthew 10:16-26). When Jerusalem’s highest religious authority ordered them not to preach or teach about Jesus, the apostles trusted in the Lord and said, “We must obey God rather than humans!”
- Along with the triple call to “trust in the Lord,” Psalm 115 repeated a promise three times: “God is their help and shield.” We regularly hear about and pray for followers of God who have lost jobs, been in accidents, or been diagnosed with deadly diseases. In what sense is God still trustworthy at those times, still their “help and shield”? Have you ever seen trying times like these make trust in God even more meaningful to people?
- At the end of Luke’s gospel (of which Acts was “volume 2”), Jesus told his disciples: “A change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in my name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:47-48). When the council and high priest ordered them NOT to preach, they saw the right answer as crystal clear. Have you ever had to decide whether to obey God or some human authority? If so, what did you decide?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, to your name, always, be the glory. Empower me to live a life that, in easy decisions and hard ones, glorifies you through my loyalty and obedience. Amen.
GPS Insights
Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe, who serves as a Couples Small Group co-leader and Men's Group Leader, while volunteering in a variety of other capacities at Resurrection, wrote today’s Insights. He and his wife, Doris, first met in a Resurrection Single Adult Sunday School class in 1997 and were married in what is now the Student Center. They are empty nesters with 2 college-aged sons, Matthew and Jacob.
Next week we celebrate the 165th Birthday of the State of Kansas. (Yes, I already have my Kansas Day decorations up.) When outsiders think of Kansas they tend to think of Wizard of Oz, tornadoes, & Boot Hill of Dodge City. (Since most of the gunfights started with, ‘’This town ain’t big enough for the both of us,” just think that of all the trouble that could have been avoided if only Dodge’s city limits were a bit bigger.)
However, I would submit that Kansas’s birthday is quite applicable to today’s passage & to our faith walk. Let’s take a look:
I always have thought it odd that Kansas would celebrate its birthday on January 29th in the middle of winter. However, the timing of our statehood was quite calculated. For 4 years, Kansas had proposed 3 state constitutions that were all vetoed by Congress. The 4th attempt, The Wyandotte Constitution, banned slavery & was adopted by popular vote of Kansas citizens. The House of Representatives approved Kansas for statehood in December of 1860. However, the southern Democrats refused to let it come to a vote. Then the southern states began to secede from the Union (South Carolina on December 20th, followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, & then Louisiana on January 26, 1861). This gave the Abolitionists enough votes to swiftly grant statehood to Kansas as a Free State 3 days later.
James Ingalls, who assisted in the development of the Wyandotte Constitution, drafted our state motto: “Ad astra per aspera”–meaning ‘To the stars through difficulties.” (Yes, he is a distant relation of Laura Ingalls Wilder of “Little House on the Prairie” fame.) Our motto celebrates Kansas’ origin, recognizing the real hardship Kansans endured through the 5 years of Bleeding Kansas. Yet, it is also hopeful & resilient, confidently aspiring to a higher purpose & goal. Our motto isn’t a declaration of status or belief; rather it is a philosophy: difficulty is not the end, but rather a way forward to a better life.
Likewise, our spiritual journey is going to encounter difficulties of all sorts, be it medical challenges, financial struggles, or doubts of God’s love for us. But even in the midst of these valleys we continue to strive for something better, a time when the Kingdom of God is a reality in our homes, our communities, & our world.
To wrap up, I’m think it is fortunate that James Ingalls composed our state motto & not someone from my generation:
- The use of Latin isn’t that common anymore; which actually is okay by me, since it’s all Greek to me.
- We tend to be “a prisoner of the moment” & catastrophize every current crisis & exalt every accomplishment.
- We are so enamored with pop culture, we’d probably quote someone like radio host Casey Kasem of The American Top-40 show, “Hey Kansas! Keep your feet on the ground & keep reaching for the stars.”
PS: My obsession with Kansas history was fostered by my Dad, who was a docent for the Kansas Museum of History for many years. Below is a picture of our Kansas Day décor (Feel free to share yours!):
