Hedonism in Acts
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Text: Acts 4.23-37
Text: Acts 4.23-37
Historically Serving God has put His people in dangerous situations.
Historically Serving God has put His people in dangerous situations.
Why do the heathen rage,
And the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
Let us break their bands asunder,
And cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh:
The Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,
And vex them in his sore displeasure.
It has proven dangerous to stay fully devoted to God in the face of a world system that is in opposition toward anything having to do with Faith in Jehovah.
Time won’t allow me to speak of the three Hebrew boys that stood as the rest of a nation bowed to an image of Nebuchadnezzar.
We could speak of a Daniel that bowed his knee only to Jehovah and refused to pray to the King of Babylon.
You will remember that these were not rebels at their core they were men who allowed their names to be changed and their clothing to be changed and put themselves in the school system and served the King faithfully. And yet here they stood in opposition to anything that required them to compromise their faithfulness to Jehovah.
You can here the Words of Jesus echo out of these situations from Matthew 16
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
In chapter 3 we find Peter and John healing a 40 year old man who had been lame his entire life. Chapter 4 opens finding these men under arrest and answering to the high priests court for the audacity of doing such a charitable act. With this one question at the fore… In whose name and by whose power do you do such things.
Their one answer was - “In the Name of Jesus”
It is in our text starting in vs 23 that Peter and John bring the report of what just happened and it is hear after a night in prison and the anger of the very people that had just killed Christ that the congregation is hit with the weight that serving Jesus just may cost us more than we could ever have imagined.
What follows is an impromptu prayer meeting that springs out in what Luke describes “they lifted up their voice to God”.
The prayer is very short, but effective because at the close of this prayer the church steps back with an answer of what is real and true and how they will act going forward. Understand the prayer that was prayed did not produce a change of Circumstance but a sharpening of value.
As a matter of fact I think this is the key verse of this passage
What is that conclusion?
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
And now… our desire to be had here Lord please give us this our request…
Behold their threatenings… God we want you to see the bad things that we have had to endure and suffer through.
By the way we all want God to see…
I want God to watch out for my children. I want God to watch over me. I want God to watch over my wife, over our church.
I want God to see the dangers
I want God to see the inconveniences
I want God to see the hardships
the sacrifices
the problems
the injustices
the path ahead
the roadblocks
the disappointments
the depressions
I want God to see these things. I think we should stop and ask the question why is it that we want God to see these things. I submit to you it is because I am convinced that what matters most to him is that I am safe, or I am going to live a long time, or that I will be happy.
I know that God hears my prayers,
I know that God protects me,
I know that my life is an indicator of just how good God could be to someone.
But this is a romantic notion that the disciples didn’t have.
Look at their request…
Behold their threatenings: and grant us all boldness.
That seems backwards. See the trouble, but don’t move it give me the boldness to do what I ought to do. Give me the power to face that which most likely will kill me. Give me the guts to stand when when everyone else is bowing. Give me the intestinal fortitude to face certain death in the face and know that I stood for that which is eternal.
What this does is forces us to question what kind of value system they were living by that we many times do not.
You see I equate God’s love for me with the fact that he provides for me, and keeps my family well. In my early Christian years I had a barter system in place with God. I will give my life to your service and preaching and obeying your word. But only because if you let me live a long time, or keep my family well, or if my bills are getting paid.
The major error here is that we can live with a Philosophy that what matters most in this world is that I am happy. It is called Hedonism. That the end of our purpose is that we pursue what makes us happy. Sadly, this philosophy will take a Christian name and form but when we really explore our beliefs we feel like God is first and foremost interested in my safety and in my happiness.
We would never say it…
But let your child get sick
Your spouse pass
Your job downsize
and All of the sudden the question of God’s goodness starts towards our mind. This is the indicator that we have a bad philosophy in place.
Undertand,
Stephen will die and God is still good
Peter will be imprisoned and God is still good
Saints will be fed to lions and God is still good
Through the burning at the stakes
Through the destruction of their homes
Through the loss of their jobs
Through the instant poverty
Through the stonings
Through the beheadings
GOD IS GOOD.
Not just in general, but to these saints God is still good.
You see I cannot measure with the Hedonistic measure. God’s gooness is not primarily focused on this part of my life.
God’s goodness is aimed at the eternal life purchased at Calvary.
How did God bring this church to this conclusion…
See the problem and give me boldness
I want God to move the mountain he gives me arms and feet to climb with.
I. It all belongs to him.
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
They open their prayers service by praying
Which made heaven, and earth,
The sea, and all that therein is:
Which keepeth truth for ever:
They begin with with a declaration of Stewardship. - I own nothing.
I’m simply overseeing his possessions entrusted to me. Whether I have much or little what I have his for his purposes alone.
It really hard for the world to take from me anything I have if all I have is actually his. I would serve the Lord more but I have this job. I get it that sounds very western Christian of you but know that is not how the Apostles saw their life.
By the way that is the core of this prayer. Because even their life wasn’t theres.
Note that word “Lord,” that is a greek word “despotes” - master or slave owner.
You see in the mind of the disciples if you made me. Than I’m not even my own. Paul said, “I’ve been bought with a price.”
The Old preacher said hold nothing with a firm grasp. I am simply holding all that I have with an open palm then he can remove from me whatever he wants and will not have to fight me for it.
II. You have a “Master” plan.
Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
You see they quote from Psalm 2. It is a reminder to the church gathered that God’s plan is the one that matters. Hey understand that God will establish his son on the throne of David. He will face down the worlds Kings hes already done it.
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
And he will do it again,
God’s plan includes me, but it does not need me. This plan was here before me and will be here when I’m gone.
Kings make plans and God laughs.
The church doesnt question his victory, his timing, his character.
They know that God’s agenda is greater than their own and if I can be any small part of glorifying his son with this life then by all means I will go into harms way to accomplish this.
III. He will use us even to our disposal for His purpose.
We take exception with the idea that God would use us to our own destruction. The reason being is that we reject the idea of being a pawn. We don’t like being a pawn on God’s great chess board. Reason is… We actually see ourselves as king. You see you protect the king, You couch the king, you sheild the king, and some of us would be heartbroken to find out that God is using you as a pawn. I tell you as I read this the disciples are saying see the danger give me boldness to live as your pawn. Because I already know who the king is.
Notice the churches attitude
They contextualize the miracle of healing.
Surrender their agendas
Talk of the Risen Savior
Loosen grip on earthly possession
Sacrifice to keep needy disciples engaged.
You see this is the result of obedience to the attitude of Jesus.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
When these Christians ultimately paid the final price of discipleship said the Apostle said this...
(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
I remind you that this was said my those men who just a year before screamed at Jesus…
mark 4.35-41
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
These same Christians started with the notion that the most important thing to Jesus should be that they not perish.
But then again these same Apostles also watched that Same Jesus go to Calvary, then the tomb, then rise again. And it is in that moment that they learn there are worse things than death. Like living apart from the grace of God that makes this life matter little so that our eternity matters so much more.
They watched Jesus take his boldness all the way to the Cross.
So when their time to carry a cross came they didn’t ask it removed, but to be bold to bear it.
Tonight there are some Christians that hold this world and its possessions so close we cannot imagine a God who is both good and has right to take anything out of our hand that he so chooses even if its life itself.