Mahwah, NJ Bible Conference 2021 - Study 2: Responsibility to God

What this episode covers

Acts 4:17-20, 5:27-29, 40-42 In Acts 4 and 5 we read about Peter and John as they speak with the Sanhedrin, the council of religious leadership. The leaders intended to forbid them from preaching the gospel. What is a Christian's responsibility to God in such a circumstance? If governments mandate disobedience to God or, on the other hand, prohibit obedience to God, believers would choose God over government. Examples include demanding actual evil, such as murder of babies (Exodus 1); or displacing God's honor with worship of other gods or of man (Daniel 3, 6). Believers under the Nazi regime had similar decisions; and so do we. We must be able to identify whether a situation represents governmental evil or is simply something that is inconvenient or unpleasant for us. At the same time, let's not use government actions as reasons for ignoring God's principles. For example, there may be realistic precautions and other considerations that affect our meeting together during a health pandemic; but we should not use these things as excuses. We have considered delegated authority, but there is also " robbed authority." Satan claimed to possess authority over all the kingdoms of the world, but he had robbed that authority from mankind. Ultimately God's Man will claim His rightful authority over those kingdoms. We also notice that there are unseen powers at work to influence and corrupt the governments of the world. A spirit of lying was permitted to influence the prophets of Israel (1 Kings 22); and demonic powers appear to have influence even over kingdoms, such as the "prince of the kingdom of Persia" who resisted God's angelic messenger (Daniel 10:13). This is important to keep in mind. The authorities asked Peter and John about the power they claimed (Acts 4:2). They knew the answer! If we are not clear that we are acting because of the power of the name of Jesus, we are on the wrong footing. They had a positive, God-centered answer to support their actions, not simply a complaint against corrupt leaders. This power was expressed because of the activity of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8). His empowerment will always move us in the correct direction. We recall that the Lord Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would give them words to say when they stood before government officials (Mark 13:11). In addition, any disobedience must not be done with disrespect. In Acts 23, Paul apologized when he was informed that he had disrespected the high priest. This type of opposition to wrongfully applied authority will have a cost. Peter and John were beaten. Yet before they were released, they presented the principles for the council's own consideration: "What would be more correct: following you or following God?" After their release, their prayer shows that they recognized the supreme authority God has. Christ said all authority in heaven and earth is His (Matthew 28:18). The disciples knew that the council's actions contradicted His authority-- yet the way in which they expressed this was significant. Like the Lord, they "threatened not" (1 Peter 2:23). Like the Lord, they posed a question to make their point (compare John 18:33-34). We might ask how we can tell if national laws overstep their authority. The test is in Acts 4:19, when the disciples asked if it would be "righteous" to ignore God's principles. This is the key: Will our actions be righteous? They said, "We have to speak about Jesus Christ because God has commanded us to do so." That is another test: What has God commanded? Notice in Acts 4:29 that the believers asked God to look at the threats and-- what? change the current power structure? help them get one of their own members elected to the council? No, they prayed for boldness in the face of those ongoing threats. Some Christians today would rather see a chan…

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