In this sermon, the speaker discusses the biblical pattern for evangelism. He highlights eight key elements: purity, power, persecution, provision, proclamation, protection, pain, and perseverance. The speaker emphasizes the importance of not watering down the word of God, even in the face of trouble and imprisonment. He points out the irony of the Sadducees, who deny the existence of angels, being delivered by an angel. The sermon also mentions the supernatural happenings and the unity of the believers in prayer.

Father, we come to you with open hearts, open minds, asking you to fill us with your word, with the power of your Holy Spirit, and with the guidance and clarity we need to fulfill that which you have called us to in these days. Bless us with a full measure of your light, Father, that we might go forth from this place and be the light of the world, Jesus shining in us and through us. And we ask these things for the glory of God and the saving of souls and the building up of your people, for we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. The biblical pattern for evangelism is found in the Bible, wonder of wonders, found in the Bible, it's found here in the book of Acts. Let me ask you a question as we begin today and see if you can answer it. What is the primary mission of the church? What is the primary mission of the church? There are a number of answers that are offered for that. Some would argue that the church should lead the crusade for social justice, for the poor and the downtrodden. That is a noble cause. But is that the primary mission of the church? Others see it as a political force to help change the culture. Still, others see the church as a private club for fellowship and friendship. What is the primary mission of the church? Well, on a more biblical note, the church's goal, if you look at the Bible, is to mature the saints through the preaching of the word, to mature the saints through the preaching of the word with fellowship and discipleship as it meets to worship and praise the Lord. That is really a biblical goal. All of that. Now follow this. But none of those things I just listed off is the primary goal here on earth for the church. If you think about it, those things could be better done in heaven. Understanding God, worshiping him, fellowshipping together, those things could be better done in heaven. I ask again, what is the primary goal of the church? The mission? Well, Jesus Christ gave it to us when he charged us to go, therefore, in his own words and make disciples of the nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them all, all things he said that I commanded you. So the primary goal of the church is evangelism. Jesus said you are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. So our goal, our mission as the church left here is to go on with the work that Jesus Christ began, which was in his words to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 1910 is where Jesus said that. And that is the only duty that the church has that couldn't be better done in heaven. So the passage in front of us is about that, and it is as fresh as today's newspaper, and it is far more important than today's newspaper. We will read through it as we go along, but I want to give you the eight key things we're going to see here in the biblical pattern for evangelism, just to have them in your mind. We're going to see and I'll give you key words here. We're going to see purity followed by power, which leads to persecution, which finds a provision of God. Then the proclamation of the apostles, the protection of the Lord upon them, the pain they receive. When they are flogged and the perseverance afterwards, eight things more than I usually have in an outline, but they are here in the passage, purity, power, persecution, provision, proclamation, protection, pain and perseverance. We'll get them as we go. To begin with, last time you remember what happened in the church service. Ananias pretended he was giving an offering wholeheartedly to the Lord. He wasn't. He was trying to fool the people and fool the Lord. At the same time, he and his wife had covenanted together to deceive the brethren to look like they were giving individuals when they weren't. God didn't want that kind of hypocrisy in the church, and so he dealt severely to make an example. And both of them died. So on that day, if you look at it, the church was purified of hypocrites. And once the purification takes place, we see the power of God unleashed. There has to be purification if we want full power to be useful to the Lord as an individual. I must be pure. In Second Timothy to 19, Paul writing to Timothy, he said, Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands having this seal. The Lord knows those who are his and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity or wickedness or sin. So if I name the name of the Lord and I want to be used of the Lord, and that's what he's talking about in the passage to Timothy there, there needs to be purity in my life and the Lord is the great purifier. No one stated that truth, I think, better or more clearly than the 19th century Scottish pastor and evangelist Robert Murray McShane. He put it this way. He gave the following advice to a young man who was entering the ministry. He said, Do not forget the culture of the inner man. I mean, the man of the heart. How diligently the Calvary officer keeps his saber clean and sharp. Every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember, you are God's sword, his instrument. I trust a chosen vessel unto him to bear his name and in great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents. God blesses so much as a great likeness to Jesus Christ. And then he summed up by saying a holy Christian is an awesome weapon in the hands of God. In quote, that is so true, so powerful. And what is true of believers individually is also true of the church collectively. The early church was a growing church because it was a pure church and because they were a clean channel through which the power of God could flow. May he bless us with the same. The purity. Let's go to the power. Their purity was followed by the power of God unleashed. And we come to Acts 5, 12, and we read through the hands of the apostles. There were many signs and wonders that were done among the people, and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. So to get a picture in your mind, if you've been to Israel, seeing pictures of the temple mount, they were gathered together just by the court of the Gentiles in Solomon's porch and faced to the east. And that had become a favorite gathering place for the believers who actually didn't have a church building to meet in. So they gathered there and they gathered there for prayer and worship. And God began to pour out his power there with great manifestation of signs and wonders and miracles. It is interesting to me that this is happening because. If you recall back in chapter four, verse twenty nine, can you look there back in chapter four, verse twenty nine, they had been threatened by the religious leaders to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. When that occurred, they went back and they gathered together for prayer. Remember that their exact prayer was acts for twenty nine. Now, Lord, look on their threats and grant now to your servants that with all boldness we may speak your word. Then verse thirty, by stretching out your hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant, Jesus. God answered that prayer, but don't miss the fact that before he did, he purified the church. Then they effectively reached a multitude, and I say effectively on purpose, they reached people with real salvation, a multitude with the gospel. We read in verse thirteen that the hypocrites were kept away after Ananias and Sapphira died in the church service as pretty heavy. A fear fell upon them all as a holy fear and the hypocrites were kept away. Verse thirteen said, yet none of the rest there joined them. The rest of who? The rest of the people like Ananias and Sapphira. Those kind of people, but the people esteem them highly. Hypocrites were kept away. However, honest hearts were gathered in honest hearts, were gathered in verse fourteen and believers were increasingly added to the Lord as the hypocrites stayed away, the honest hearts came in. Believers were increasingly added to the Lord. Look at this multitudes of both men and women. Up until now, Luke has been keeping track on the day of Pentecost 3000 and the church grew to be about 5000 men plus others. Now he doesn't keep track with numbers anymore. There's too many. It's multitudes. And we find multitudes of men and women, verse fifteen, so that they brought out the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches. Beds in the Greek is a word that refers to the small little beds that the rich people could afford. Luke uses two words to show us also couches, which was little straw mattresses used by the poor. He's wanting to show us they were reaching all kinds of people in all levels of society, the rich and the poor. So they came and they were brought on couches that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. So for the first time, the gospel now goes beyond Jerusalem and people start coming in from other places. Verse 16. Also, a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people. And notice this. Those who were tormented by unclean spirits and all were healed, all were healed. Do you realize how remarkably like Jesus Christ this is reading it? It reads like a passage from the life of Christ in the Gospels. It does. And don't miss this. That is exactly the point. That is exactly what the Lord is doing. That is exactly what he's after. God is giving Israel one last big apostolic manifestation of his power in the name of the risen Christ to save these people that refuse so far to come to him. This looks like Jesus so powerfully and so clearly on purpose. The multitudes of the common people are responding and saving faith, and yet sadly. The religious leaders respond with jealous fury, jealous fury. So you have purity in the church power in the church. And then comes the persecution where you have a pure, powerful church. You're inevitably going to have hostile reaction from the satanic system around in the world and among the religious community at large. And we read this in the phrase that they were filled with indignation or jealousy. If you have an NIV Acts 517, the high priest rose up and all those who were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and they were filled with indignation or jealousy. The high priest rose up. Imagine this in your mind. The high priest rose up and he is filled with jealousy. Why is he filled with jealousy? He's filled with jealousy because sick people are being healed. He's filled with jealousy because people are being delivered from the power of Satan. This man who was supposed to be the leader of the people in spiritual things is furious because Satan's hold over people's lives is being broken and because sick people are being healed. What kind of a man is this? I'll tell you what he is. He's an ungodly, Christ rejecting, hard hearted, arrogant, selfish, inflated ego type of a man. That's what he is. And he loves money and he loves popularity and he's in it not for the sake of the people, but for the sake of himself, his own name and his own self aggrandizement. The Holy Spirit here is giving the religious leaders the signs they had always craved. When you track Jesus through the gospel, these people are always saying, give us a sign, give us a sign, give us a sign. The Holy Spirit is giving them the signs they've craved and they respond not with saving faith, but with fury, fury. And nor was the high priest in this all by himself. The entire Sadducee and leadership of the Sanhedrin was with him in it as well. And so the persecution breaks out against the apostles from these people who are fueled by their jealousy. Someone has said, I remember reading it, made the statement, nothing so noble as religious jealousy. Noble in the minds of those who have it, religious jealousy. Karl Marx wrote that religion was the opium of the people. You know what? He was right. Religion, not Jesus Christ, religion, it opiates, it numbs you, it dulls you, puts a spell on you. These men are filled with religion, but they have no relationship with God. And thus they live for themselves and they are so jealous. The leading characteristic of the leaders of Israel is jealousy. If you look at it in the Bible. Well, has Philip James Bailey said that envy is a call that comes hissing hot from hell? Envy is a call that comes hissing hot from hell. So true. John Trapp put it so well when he says envy or jealousy does nothing with reason. These men, if you think of it in that light, these men don't have a good reason for what they're doing. God says to those that need his forgiveness and his love. Come now, let us what in the book of Isaiah reason together. And though your sins be as red as scarlet, they'll become as white as snow. So God wants to reason the problem with jealousy. Is that it jettisons your reason. It jettisons your reason. Envy does nothing with reason. Thomas Manton said there are two sins which were Christ source enemies, covetousness and envy. Covetousness sold Christ and envy delivered him up to be crucified. So it is very deadly. These men are filled with indignation, with jealousy. And so we read in verse 18 that they put them in the common prison and they lay their hands on the apostles. They put them in the common prison, the public jail. Last time it was just an overnight stay for Peter and John in the temple jail. This time it is the common public jail. And they did that just out of spite. They did that to buy time and they rounded up all 12, all 12. They had replaced Judas with Matthias. So they rounded up this time, not just two, but all 12. They've got the whole team, quarterback, guard and everybody that God is using. They have the whole team and they throw them in jail. And then they plot how they are going to deal with them the next day. Now, one thing I want to point out here in the Gospels, the chief opposition is led by the Pharisees against Jesus Christ. In the book of Acts, the chief opposition against the early church is led by the Sadducees, by the Sadducees. And that's why you read of them here. They are the dominant factor in the ruling body of Israel, which was 71 men, known as the Sanhedrin. The thing that is amazing to me, if you look at it, they put them in jail. How, after all these miracles they had seen, could they feel that prison bars could restrain the power of God in the lives of these men? That is amazing to me. They can heal people, open blind eyes, the deaf, cast out demons, and they think that they're going to put them in prison. It's going to hold them back. You find throughout the book of Acts that imprisonment is never an obstacle to the Lord. Never. Not once. So here are these men in a purified state, flowing in the power of God, and they are persecuted by these jealous religious individuals who want nothing of Christ and are really uptight for this reason. They are taking away their following. The people are following now the apostles. And I'll tell you why. They're the real deal. They're the real deal. The common people heard Jesus gladly. And they still do. They want to hear the voice of God through his word. They want it. Jesus said, my sheep know my voice. And they still want to hear the Lord speak. And so it is. They are thrown in prison. But God isn't caught off guard. He has a provision for them in the form of an angel of the Lord. We read about him in verse 19. But at night, this is so great. An angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, go stand in the temple and speak to the people. Notice, speak what? Be careful. Only speak half the message. Be careful. You've been in trouble. Only speak a fourth of the message. Water it down. You've been in trouble for speaking. You were told not to speak. You spoke. Now you're in prison. I got you out. Hey, I can't promise to do this again. Water it down. No, go back to the temple and speak. What does it say? All the words of this life don't water down the word of God. God uses the angel to free them. And I love it because the Sadducees didn't believe in miracles and they didn't believe in angels. They didn't believe in life after death, any of that. And so how ironic that they deny the existence of angels. And yet it is an angel that delivers them in the middle of the night. This I love this whole portion of the book of Acts because it's a transitional period and it is supercharged with supernatural happenings. It's so exciting. In verse 21, when they heard that they from the angel, their marching orders go preach the whole word. When they heard that they entered in the temple early in the morning and taught people would gather there as early as sunrise, six o'clock, whatever time the sun came up there early in the morning. They entered and they taught. But the high priest and those with him is on tour. I came and called the council together as the seventy one elders, all the elders of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. And I have to get the picture. These men are so into their religious thing. They have special outfits, special robes, special hats. They had these things that were called phylacteries. Taken from the Old Testament where God said, find the word of God on your hand, on your right arm and on your forehead. So they took it literally. They took it literally. God was saying, let the word of God control everything you do and everything you think. Instead, they took it literally. So they they wound these leather straps around their arms with little scriptures on them. Then they made little boxes and they put little scripture verses in the boxes and they strapped them to around their forehead. Then they put their big hat on and they put their robes on and they walked out into public and flowed with a pious vibe and a holier than thou who God bless you. And you can just see the people as they come by. Oh, gag, you know. So you have to get this picture. They get up in the morning, get the picture of the apostles. That is the real deal. They're down in the temple. Hey, have you heard about the Lord? You can know him personally. And there they are just being normal. These guys get up and they suit up there in front of the mirror hat on. Looking good, my man. Broad the phylacteries. Jesus said you make broad the phylacteries. They took it. They started with little boxes and then they made bigger ones depending on how spiritual you were. Some of them had shoeboxes on there. I'm just kidding. But they made them really big. They look really strange. And they wound on their leather and their scripture on their hand to get their robes right. And here comes the high priest with his entourage. And good morning, I preach. You're looking really sharp. And that is a big thing on your head there. You're a holy man today. I sure am. Thank you. Thank you very much. And then they all get together. Good morning, all seven of you. You're looking good. Yeah, we're looking good. And what are we going to do about these men and the ruckus they're making in the name of Jesus with all these miracles? Well, let's see. Go get them and we'll figure it out. Bring them from the prison. Can you imagine how shocked they were when they find out after they have converged full force that the force of God has brought these men out of the prison? Acts 522. But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported saying, indeed, we found the prison shut securely and the guards standing outside before the doors. But when we opened them, we found no one inside. Now, verse 24, when the high priest, the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. That's the new King James. The NIV says they were puzzled. The old King James says they doubted. They doubted. They were confused. They wonder. It's all of that. You know what they were doubting? Their ability to stop them and their spread of Christianity. That is what they were doubting. No wonder these men are heading for judgment from God. They opposed John the Baptist. They crucified Jesus Christ. And now they are preparing to fight the apostles of God. They no longer doubted the miracles. The evidence of Jesus Christ's life in these men was irrefutable. But listen, a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion. Still, we give that to you again. A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion. Still, they were convinced Christ rose from the dead. They had to tell people to lie and say the disciples came and stole the body. They were convinced they knew it to be true and they knew these miracles were real. But a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion. Still, you can bring them to the water of life, but you cannot make them drink and they refuse to. So verse 25, one came and told them, saying, look, the men whom you put in the prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. You can see them. They're so upset by this verse 26. Then the captain went with the officers and brought them. Watch this without violence, for they feared the people. They're all following the apostles. Now they fear the people as they would stone them. And verse 27, when they had brought them, they set them before the council. Very intimidating group of individuals, 71 of them, semi circle. These 12 standing in front of them, the high priest. You can see him not even looking at them. Arrogance, arrogance incarnate, the high priest. You can see him walking, strutting. Did we not specifically tell you not to speak in his name? Peter's like, he's putting on his big show. Didn't we tell you not to speak in his name? And look, you filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and on top of it all. Man, can you believe this? My holy brothers. Now you intend to bring this man's blood on us. Pardon me. This is a guilty conscience speaking. You already brought the blood on yourselves. See, in Matthew 27, 25, the Bible says they incited the entire crowd at the crucifixion of Jesus and the trial of Jesus. They incited the whole crowd to shout these words, his blood be on us and our children. Envy has no reason. These men are irrational. They have been shouting only such a little time before his his blood be on us and our children. And now they say you intend to bring this man's blood on us. Oh, I just love the reaction of Peter. You see, the Sanhedrin is no longer up against some unlearned fishermen. They are now up against the Holy Spirit who is empowering them. And tragically, they are no closer to repentance or belief in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior than they had been at the beginning. The Lord got them out. He had provision to get them out of the prison, and now they stand before them and they give a solid, bold proclamation. The angel had told them to proclaim all. Peter doesn't forget that. So in verse 29 of Acts 5, Peter and the other apostles answered. They were all on cue on this, all 12 of them. Peter's like, hold men, hold. He's saying you intend to bring this man's blood on us. Oh, I just love the reaction of Peter. You see, the Sanhedrin is no longer up against some unlearned fishermen who are empowering them. And tragically, they are now up against the Holy Spirit who is empowering them. Oh, I just love the reaction of Peter. He's saying you intend to bring this man's blood on us. Oh, I just love the reaction of Peter. He's saying you intend to bring this man's blood on us. Oh, I just love the reaction of Peter. He's saying you intend to bring this man's blood on us. Oh I intend to bring this man's blood on us. Hold back men. Hold back. It's like, just let us say it. Hold it, men. And then it's all of a sudden now. And they all answered. Verse 29, Peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey God rather than men. Verse 30, the God of our fathers, the God of our fathers, your fathers, our fathers, our God God, Jehovah, raised up Jesus, whom you murdered, hanging on a tree. Peter just lets them have it. You see, Peter uses a phrase here in the Greek, Diakaridzo. It means where you read the word, words you murdered. It appears only here in Chapter 26. Also, it means to put to death with one's own hands, to put to death with one's own hands. Far from backing off, Peter intensifies the accusation against these men. Verse 31, him God has exalted to his right hand to be, my Bible says, a prince and a savior. The word prince there means giver of life, literally giver of life. God has exalted him to his right hand to be the giver of life. And notice the word savior joined with it. He's the giver of life and savior and to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. That's the gospel right there. See, repentance isn't a work you add to earn salvation. Repentance is a gift from God to you, bound up in the act of saving you. And so the giver of life and savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses to these things. And so also now Peter puts the Holy Spirit out in the spotlight. So also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those. What does it say? Verse 32, to those who obey him. You know, if you listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ, when he comes into his public ministry, he opens by saying, repent and believe the gospel. If I was standing in the crowd and I wanted to be saved, I simply obey what he said. Repent and believe the gospel. Turn my heart right toward God and give him my life. The Holy Spirit comes to those who obey him. Salvation is surrendering and obedience to the authority of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Secondly, the Holy Spirit is given to every person who is saved. So what is Peter doing here? Peter makes obeying God and the gift of the Holy Spirit synonymous with saving faith. God grants unto you saving faith and from that gift, you obey God and the gift of the Holy Spirit comes to your life. Study that closely the way Peter preaches. We need more men and women of God to stand up and testify the word of God in this way in our day. First 32, we are his witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him. Peter could not have been more clear. You are not just fighting us. You are fighting the Holy Spirit of God. So what has happened here? No longer is the Sanhedrin the depository of God's message. The apostles are now. No longer is the nation of Israel. The custodian of God's truth, the churches. And so the proclamation comes forth so clear. Now comes the protection of God in verse 33. We find that they cannot stop them, so they have a plot to murder them. Verse 33, when they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. The old King James says in verse 33, when they heard that they were cut to the heart. That's literally the Greek cut to the heart and they took counsel to slay them. Now follow this very closely. When a human being is cut to the heart this deep with the spirit's convicting work, they either repent and are saved or they react and they are not saved. These men react immediately with a plot of murder. We cannot stop them. So let's eliminate them. We'll murder them. Why did they crucify Jesus Christ? Because they couldn't stop him. They murdered him because they couldn't stop him. God isn't done with these men yet. You are invincible until the Lord is finished with you. God isn't done with these men yet, so he protects them from murder by thrusting forth a man by the name of Gamaliel. Any of you know who Gamaliel is? Other than the president of the Sanhedrin, he is Paul's tutor. That's right. The apostle Paul let us know that he was tutored by a man named Gamaliel. Here he is. Then one on the council stood up a Pharisee. Luke points that out because almost all of them are Sadducees. There are, however, a few Pharisees. The one on the council stood up a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. Excuse me, men. Can we put these guys out? I want to talk to you privately. So what is happening here is this. To muster the sufficient votes for a death sentence. The Sadducee dominated Sanhedrin must have the support and the vote of the Pharisees in court. With the rising up of Gamaliel here, they don't have it. And this is the way God protects the apostles from being murdered sovereignly. Gamaliel is not a believer. God sovereignly uses this man, however, to protect his apostles from being murdered. Acts five thirty five. He said to them, men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago, you recall, Theodos rose up claiming to be somebody in a number of men. About 400 joined him. He was slain and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and he drew away many people after him. He also perished and all who obeyed him were dispersed. Now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it. Lest you be found to fight against God. And those are the words that God uses to protect these men from being murdered. I would just encourage you that when you are walking in the Holy Spirit, when you are living out the will of God. Anyone who comes against you in any way to stop what you're doing in obedience to God will be found in the end to fight against God. And you can rest in that. So these men, as we know. We're following God and the long term history of the church has proved that. So here they are saved from murder by God sovereignly, but don't miss this. It's so critical. They are not saved. They're not protected from pain. They are protected from murder, but they are not protected from pain. I can see them as the twelve as they're in there and they see these guys getting all agitated and they remember what they did to Jesus when they were agitated. Then Gamaliel says, can we put these men out for a minute and you can see the apostles outside. They're probably going right to prayer. Lord, don't let them murder us. God, please don't let them murder us. And the Lord protects them from that. Now, in verse 40, the same God who protected them from murder allows a beating. They are all beaten. God allows it. The law of Moses permitted flogging. The rule is 40 stripes, save one. Deuteronomy 25, 3. That is not called for here. They're abusing Deuteronomy 25, 3 to vent their hatred and their jealousy. It's wrong what they do. But in verse 40, we read they agreed with Gamaliel. And when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded them they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. This is terrible. Gamaliel, you know, you're right. We should leave them alone. And then you can see the leaders whisper, get the old guy out of here. We agree with you, Gamaliel. We should leave them alone. We'll leave them alone. Get him out of here and get the whip while you're at it. Let's flog them. If we cannot have our way to murder them, at least we can beat them. So they took them and they beat them. The amazing thing to me is that God allowed it for sovereign reasons. And the other thing is, don't forget where we started. These men are pure. The church is pure. They have pure hearts. A pure heart doesn't have any doubts when pain is allowed. A pure heart doesn't have any doubts when pain is allowed. It's going to go through the what ifs. If you know you are serving Christ and pain comes your way, you know you're obeying the Lord. You do your best to commit the rest. You know you're obeying the Lord and pain comes your way. A pure heart doesn't have any doubts about it. Why pain is allowed is sovereign in God's hands. And we see it here. A pure heart is left open and free for the joy of the Lord to fill you with his strength. That's what happens to these men. A pure heart is left open and free for the joy of the Lord to fill you with strength in the midst of the pain that he allows. So far from being discouraged or intimidated by the beating, the apostles see it as sharing in Christ suffering. We read that they went on their way from here rejoicing. What can you do with men when you flog them and they thank God for the favor you have bestowed upon them? You can't stop individuals like this. Paul in Philippians 310 said, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings. And that is the mindset of these men right here. So we come from this pain of the beating. All 12 of them were whipped with 39 lashes. Cat and nine tails most likely would have ripped open their backs, exposing their kidneys, their bones, their ribs, tearing off the flesh. And this is a terrible, bloody thing. But their pain is followed by not pouting or anger, but perseverance. Verse 41 and 42. And the joy of the Lord is their strength. So they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing. They were counted worthy to suffer for his name. Don't forget, Jesus had been whipped the same way. Thirty nine lashes. Now they rejoice, they're kind of worthy to suffer shame for his name. They are able to do that because they are filled with the joy of the Lord, which is their strength rejoicing. So here's 12 men. By the way, these are real men, real men of God. They come out and they are rejoicing. They're going down the road. They've been turned loose and they're looking at each other. I was going to say slapping each other on the back, but I doubt it. They're looking at each other and they're rejoicing. We have been counted worthy to suffer for his name. Guys, we're becoming Christ like we have become so much like him. They have now treated us the way they treated him and they were rejoicing. And I can imagine one of them goes, yes, look at look at my back. I suffered for his shame and Peter over here. That is nothing. Check out the kidney. This is what you call a real whipping. And so here they are. They're rejoicing. They're going down the road. I love the picture because it is a picture of the sufficiency of the spirit of God in the midst of pain to even bring these men who were just sheep, sheep who knew his voice and followed him to become more than conquerors. And so in verse 42 says they were daily in the temple daily. They were in every house and they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as Christ. They went on incessantly proclaiming all the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why? Because there's was a battle tested faith, a battle tested faith. Unlike the false faith that wilts under persecution, there's was a battle tested faith and they went on. Do you know that Paul said in Romans eight thirty six, it is written for your sake, we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. We're sheep and we're counted as sheep for the slaughter. It's very interesting that he would say we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. And then the very next verse, he says this at Romans eight thirty seven. Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Pain is allowed by God. Suffering will come because of the name of Jesus. But even though we're sheep and just sheep by the power and the might of God in Christ, in the midst of all these difficulties, we more than conquer. These men are not super saints. They go through this, they are sheep just like us, and their secret was the same as ours, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ. May God grant us the same joy, the same power and the same love, the same passion. May he use us in these days. May we be just like the sheep here who followed their master and made such a difference because of it. Let's pray, shall we? Father, thank you for the power of your Holy Spirit, the power of your love. And thank you for the examples here on the pages of scripture and the biblical pattern of how we as your people are to go forth in evangelizing the world as the light of the world. God, strengthen us, each one. To stand against whatever comes with our hearts fixed on Christ. Purify us, Lord. Fill us with your power and use us mightily, we pray. We ask all these things for Jesus' glory and we pray them in Jesus' name. Amen.