Allen Jackson - Develop a Strategy - Part 2
Acts chapter 5 is a good example. The friends that we have in the New Testament, these were the men and women that Jesus recruited and then trained, he left in Acts chapter 1, he returned to heaven and they begin their assignment in Acts chapter 2 when the Holy Spirit is poured out. Acts chapter 3, there’s a miracle and the city of Jerusalem is stirred. They’re stirred to the point that by Acts chapter 4, they’ve arrested the apostolic leaders and they said, «We don’t like what you’re doing». And this is fresh, folks.
The emotional impact of Jesus arrest and trial and crucifixion and resurrection, it’s very fresh in their lives and the same people that orchestrated all of that are now threatening Peter and John and saying, «If you don’t stop this, we’ll do the same to you». And they left that scenario and they continued to minister. We read a bit of it in previous sessions. And God begins to move in their lives in a powerful way and my real message to you, if you don’t take anything else away tonight, we’re gonna have to begin to serve the Lord with a greater boldness than we’ve ever served. If you think the people leading these days have a boldness and you’re celebrating that, we better find a boldness that makes them look timid. We need a courage that exceeds any courage they’re demonstrating.
We’re gonna need a willingness to stand in the public square and say, «I’m for Jesus and I’m for biblical values and I’m for a Judeo-Christian worldview. And I’m not compromising. I’m not angry. I’m not gonna be belligerent, but I’m not going away». Well, the apostles find themselves in that place and there’s tremendous jealousy. I made the comment earlier and I think it’s true. It’s been so long since the church has lived in the authority we’ve been given. We haven’t made anyone jealous about anything for a long, long time. In fact, we’ve boasted in the fact that we could just blend in. We’ve worked really hard to be easily interpreted by the pagans. We don’t want our buildings to attract any attention. God forgive us.
Well, by Acts chapter 5 and verse 25, the angel, the crew’s been arrested again, put in prison. The angels come and release them and say, «Go back and finish your sermon». Which I would just point out to you that the angels want me to finish sermons. That is poor exegesis. I repent. So they take their place and they’re back on the Temple Mount. That’s where we’re stepping back in.
«Someone came and said, 'Look, the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.' The captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They didn’t use force because they feared that the people would stone them. Having brought the apostles that made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest, 'We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, ' he said, 'Yet you filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.' And Peter and the other apostles,» it wasn’t just one of them, «They spoke up together and they said, 'We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead, '» now here’s just… note the tone of this. It is not conciliatory. It’s not welcoming.
«The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him». It made them so mad. Read the next line. «They were furious and wanted to put them to death». Now they’re standing amongst a group of religious people. He’s not talking to Pilate and Roman soldiers. He’s talking to the leaders. Now, they’re the most powerful leaders and the wealthiest leaders, but he said, «You killed the Savior and we’re going to obey God, not you».
I gave you the rest of the story. It says, «They called the apostles in and they had them flogged». That’s a fancy word, they were beaten with whips. «And they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. And they left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they’ve been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah». Now that’s our Bible, folks. That does not look like the pattern of the church world that I spent my adult life in. And I’m not calling out, I’m not above it, I probably will, but not in this session. But we haven’t been following a biblical model.
And there are people in very powerful positions in church hierarchy, some in the National Cathedral, others at the heads of denominations that are espousing very ungodly ideas, ideas that stand in stark contrast to the simple teachings of the scripture. And we’re gonna have to decide. If you’re not reading your Bible, I’ve come to the conclusion that people don’t read their Bible because they’re living so far away from it, they don’t want to be reminded of it. Please don’t be one of those people. If you read your Bible and you’re convicted, it’s not a point of shame, it’s an invitation from the Spirit of God to quietly say to the Lord, «Lord, I’m sorry. I have installed the kingdom of self and I put it in front of you and I am sorry for that, Lord. I read this and I see it with the clarity and I wanna honor you, forgive me».
You see, if you do that, you open your life to the blessing of God, the power of God, the transformation of God. The myth is that you can live fully engaged in a kingdom of self and then in a moment of crisis, turn your face to the Lord and go, «I’m one of yours». Jesus talked about that. He said, «Many will come at the judgment and say, Lord, Lord». And he’ll say, «I’m sorry, I don’t know you». And they’ll say, «Well, we’ve done miracles in your name and we’ve done this,» and then you say, «Well, you have to go».
See, as you read your Bible and the Spirit of God makes things relevant to you and you see and you understand and wherever there’s a discrepancy with your practice and the instruction, just quietly say to the Lord, «Oh, I’m sorry. I would prefer to honor you». Or if you’re not telling the truth, say, «Lord, that was really hard for me. I read it and you know as well as I know I haven’t lived it. Help me». We don’t hustle God. You can fool a pastor, folks. I’m not that clever. But you don’t hustle God. I’ll give you three takeaways from that little passage. I put them in your notes. I mean, they’re really the life applications to me.
First of all, in verse 29, the apostle said we must obey God rather than men. That’s the assignment, folks. We have to obey God. When it’s popular or unpopular, I’m for God. I’m gonna be Jesus’s advocate. Secondly, it says, «They left rejoicing because they’ve been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus». Rejoicing because they suffered disgrace. Well they also suffered physically, but what Luke points out in the narrative is that they suffered disgrace. It means they’re canceled. They’re not gonna be invited. They become those people. Are we willing to do that? Are we willing to rejoice because we become those people?
We’ve had a pretty convenient faith and a pretty comfortable faith and we don’t wanna go too far, we don’t wanna be fanatical, and we don’t be emotional, and you know, there’s a lot of ways to understand it and we can see it from many perspectives, so can we just chill, no. I don’t wanna be lukewarm. I don’t wanna be halfway in. I’m not looking for the middle of the road. I believe 2020 ended sitting on the fence. I believe God’s begun to electrify fences. If you’ve ever grabbed hold of an electric fence, you will not sit there. And the third statement is it says, «They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ». They just wouldn’t stop. We’re only a little bit away from martyrs beginning. We’re just a short period of time, but they won’t stop. We’re gonna have to think about who we’ve been and what we’ve been.
You know, I can’t help but contrast what I’m watching in Washington today. This is our forty-seventh president; when I watched Mr. Trump when he was the forty-fifth president. I remember what was said when he was elected. I was as surprised as anyone. I wasn’t sure what to think or feel or believe, but the general commentary was that he’s just not presidential. Just not. I mean, his hair. It’s just not presidential. I mean, I heard it from Christians. I heard it and I mean, I heard it everywhere. Well, I have to say in the intervening years, I’m completely, it’s stunning to me the demeanor he’s brought. I watched him conduct a roundtable discussion in California with the leaders of Southern California, the mayor of the city and long term congressional delegates and it was one of the most phenomenal discussions I’ve heard 'cause they were largely his adversaries politically.
But he sat at the table with them without anger or hostility and pointed them towards a set of behaviors that would bring the best possible future for the people that were suffering. I thought I couldn’t imagine it being done better. Very presidential. I thought, wow! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen somebody as aware and as prepared and as some outcome- oriented, which is really what we elect people to do when they lead us. And my takeaway from that isn’t about politics, it’s about me and the arena where I live and the people with whom I interact and the places where I engage with people who are leading, are Christ followers ready to meet the opportunities in front of us and the challenges in front of us with equal effort and determination? Are we willing to be talked about? Are we willing to stand up and say, «That’s wrong. We can’t do that».
Ninety five percent of federal employees haven’t been working full time in the office, 95%. That’s really not a pattern for efficiency. And the list goes on. So there’s a question that follows. That is our primary assignment to continue to refine our systematic theology and keep working out our belief systems while we huddle in the church. Well, I’m not opposed to those things, but as I understand our assignment it’s to impact our world with the good news of the kingdom of God. And that message has to be supported with demonstrations of the power of God. We’ve preferred seminars on whether God still does miracles. We’re gonna have to grow up. If he’s not still engaged in the miracle business, we don’t have anything to tell, 'cause conversion is a miracle; Salvation is a miracle; The new birth is the greatest miracle that will ever touch your life.
Which leads me to this whole category and I’m not gonna have time to unpack it with you in much detail, but I’m gonna hand you the idea. It has to do with disruptive obedience. Or said another way, it’s that obedience brings disruption to your life. When you choose to be obedient to God, I believe it’s disruptive. It disrupts the kingdom of darkness, I believe it disrupts your kingdom of self. I don’t think you can choose obedience unless you’re willing to have some disruption. Most of us want to act like we can repent, make major changes, and the people that live with us and work with us would never notice. Just a personal thing, just quiet. It’s between me and God. I’m gonna have a quiet little prayer and tell God I’ve been running in the wrong direction and now I’m gonna run in the right direction. But you won’t notice. That’s insane.
If we truly repent, what will come with that is people going, «What happened to you? What are you thinking? What has caused you to behave like this? I’ve known you a long time». «Well, it’s the shoes». I believe obedience is intended to be disruptive. I don’t mean the disruption of your obedience. I mean, when you choose to be obedient to God, it will disrupt your life. And I’ll give you in Genesis 12, when God recruits Abraham, he didn’t say to him, «I want you to go to church and take better notes. Abraham, I need you to be a part of the youth ministry. Abraham, three to thrive, son». You don’t even know what that means anymore, do you? Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. No, he said, «Abraham I need you to leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and I’ll show you later where you’re supposed to go. Just load the truck».
Don’t you know that was a fun conversation with Sarah? «Honey, we’re moving». «Where»? «Not telling you». It goes on with all the care. God recruits Moses. He said, «I’ve come down to deliver the people». And Moses, «Yes». And he says, «I’m sending you». And Moses, that’s a three chapter argument. It’s disruptive to be obedient to God. God gave Joseph dreams when he’s a young boy, and the dreams, the understanding God gave him put him on a pathway of horrible circumstances. Yes, it ends up in God’s place and all sorts of, but it’s a horror; you wouldn’t want anybody to walk that path. When Jesus, this is just the Old Testament when Jesus starts recruiting his followers, he said, «Follow me».
And they left their lives and their businesses. Others came to him and said, «Oh, I’ll follow, but I’ve got some things I», He said, «No, if you’ve got things to do, forget it». Obedience is disruptive. I gave you some just practical places, the what can we do part that we talk about so much. It was the question they asked in the streets of Jerusalem. It was the question that launched thousands of people being baptized around the Temple Mount. Within stone’s throws of where Jesus was crucified, thousands of people are baptized in his name. And the question that launched it, is it said they were cut to the heart and they said, «What can we do»?
So I’ll give you some things to think about. I want you to not in this moment, but I want you to invite the Spirit of God to help you evaluate your obedience. You can do it on a scale of one to ten, you can do it on a scale of one to 100, you can do on a scale of one to 10,000, you do it whatever makes sense for you. But how are you doing with this? Not what you feel or you think, in accordance with what you know is scripture. One is serving. That’s about your time. I can’t tell you how many times people say to me, «Pastor, I’d love to come to your church, but it’s such a long drive». And I think, «Well, they must live like in Wisconsin». I said, «Well, where do you live»? And they live 30 or 45 minutes away and I go, «Well, do you ever drive a half an hour for dinner»? «Oh, four or five times a week».
How far would you drive to see your kids play ball or for them to be in a tournament? Or how far do you drive to shop? Time, the best way I know to manage my time is to think, in what way am I serving? In what way do I give time to the Lord with the understanding that my only expectation is whatever the Lord wants to value, he wants to bring to that in my life. Do I volunteer? Do I help people? How am I serving? Am I being obedient? Am I giving my best? Am I all in? Or am I looking for the minimal daily requirement? «I don’t wanna be over committed». Woof…I do. I wanna give the Lord my best and one day you’ll meet him and he’ll extend to you a hand with a nail print in it, you at least want a callous.
The second category I brought you has to do with treasure and that really is around giving. Well, I don’t imagine that we can walk through, I don’t know when I don’t have any sense of timing, but I don’t think the season in front of us can escape significant economic upheaval. And the only way to secure your future is learning that the Lord is the one that secures us. And the way that lesson is learned is by giving. That’s baked in when God begins to teach the slaves of Egypt how to worship him, it’s rooted in a sacrificial system which means they had to bring animals to sacrifice. It’s an agricultural society. So when they bring animals, they are bringing their wealth. And it carries right through the Bible.
All the way into the book of Revelation, your giving is an expression of the commitment you have to the Lord. We talk about a tithe, that first tenth that belongs to the Lord. That’s the beginning point. For some of us, it’s a great lift. Margins are tight. It’s a season when our families are young and the margins, I mean, I get that, but for many of us, a tithe is like a tip. Ten percent tips not even considered an adequate tip anymore. So it’s a substandard tip. And the overwhelming majority of the people that fill churches don’t even consider it. They vow, not doing that. Well, it has very little to do with me. Process it with the Lord. Talk to him. And the third arena is your heart. And I think the evaluation of that has to do with your commitment to holiness. That brings into plays like things like purity. We will give an account we’re the salt and light. If the darkness is intense, it’s because we’ve hidden the light.
Let’s decide to match the effort of those we see God raising up. But not our effort to cheer for them or to wear the paraphernalia that’s not the point. Let’s be advocates for the kingdom of God. Listen, to make the decisions like those young men that we read about. They’re teenagers or just shortly past it when they’re called before the Sanhedrin and they say, «We won’t stop. And the more you inflict punishment on us and the more we’re disgraced, the more loudly we’ll worship. We will obey God». Let’s decide to be that expression of the church. Let’s decide that we want our generation to be labeled in that way. Not the generation who capitulated. Are you ready? Let’s go, let’s stand together. Aren’t you glad that Allen wasn’t longer? I am.
Father, thank you for your Word and it’s truth and its authority. But we don’t wanna leave this space without giving you permission. Search our hearts. Lord, more than the words of a sermon or the words of a lesson or the words of a message, may your Word, Father, come alive within us. Lord, if there are places where we compromise, or where we’ve avoided or looked away or been silent or been fright. Whatever Father, if there’s any place where we’re not standing, where we’ve been greedy and selfish and we’ve held on to things you didn’t intend for us to hold on to, Lord, we pause tonight, first to give you permission, but secondly, Father, we want a change. We want to follow you. We want to honor you. We want to give you first place. Lord we want to give you the best of our lives. Not the leftovers. I thank you for your goodness and your grace, Lord, you are showing us grace. It’s on display daily. Now, may we respond to it with a zeal for you beyond anything we’ve ever known. In Jesus’s name, amen.