IF GOD IS IN IT

IF GOD IS IN IT

Acts 5:17-42

Dr. Wm. J. Maxwell

First Presbyterian Church, Newport, RI

September 4, 2005

It was a startling occurrence, perhaps. It was surely unexpected by many seated in his midst. Gamaliel, grandson of one of the most famous rabbis in Israel’s history, and a most respected teacher of the Law in his own right, actually stood up and asked for patience toward the apostles.

As we’ve listened to the story, it is amazing to hear of the angel of the Lord delivering the apostles from the bonds of their imprisonment. That, in itself, should have made the members of the Council “wake up” and take the apostles seriously. But when you are filled with a jealous rage, it is hard to listen to reason. In the midst of their murderous intent, Gamaliel nevertheless called for reason on the part of his brethren.

Now, you have to admire Gamaliel in his attempt to speak up. Clearly, in attempting to call for patience, he was up against the force of majority opinion. No, he didn’t go far enough in requesting an investigation of the Christian faith. After all that they had heard about Jesus, and now in addition the mysterious escape of the apostles from prison, you would think someone would say, “Let’s investigate this!” But no one did.

Nevertheless, Gamaliel should be credited for his courage in speaking up before the others. Having given two cases where movements of human origin failed in the course of time, Gamaliel drew their attention now to the present. “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

These words were heard, and those of the assembly were persuaded. Once again, the apostles were sternly warned no longer to speak in the name of Jesus, not to preach or teach at all in His name. Not only that, each one of the apostles was flogged, meaning the cruelty of a whip and 39 lashes on the back. And yet, beyond all logic, they rejoiced in suffering for Jesus, and went right back to preaching and teaching Jesus everywhere they went, “in the Temple courts and from house to house.”

THE UNSTOPPABLE KINGDOM.

If God is in it, reasoned the learned rabbi, it will not fail. In fact, if you fight against a movement of God, you will fail. This is a most important principle for all of us to remember in these unsteady times, and these are unsteady times.

Just this week, for example, I received news concerning the US Naval Academy. I heard that the ACLU is fighting a practice of the Academy that has been observed since the mid 1800’s: the practice of having a blessing at the noon-day meal.

I found myself being quite grateful that I personally know RADM Rempt, as he and his wife worshiped here at FPC while he served as President of the War College. As a committed Christian he is, of course, in favor of keeping this tradition of non-denominational prayer. But one wonders at the same time how successful an attempt to keep it in place will be. And I wondered to myself, “What’s next?”

Then, I received other news this week that also made me wonder. I learned of the results of a recent Barna Survey that were rather sobering.[i] This survey of more than 24,000 adults had to do with faith in their lives, in the 86 largest metropolitan areas and the 27 most populous states.

Without going into details that might infringe on copyright laws, it is perhaps fair to say that the results indicated that the Northeast has the least number of what we might call orthodox, traditional or “evangelical” Christians. In addition, our own Providence, RI ranks almost at the very bottom – along with Hartford, CT - in terms of the percentage of orthodox, traditional or evangelical Christians.

All surveys, of course, have to be carefully scrutinized and assessed.[ii] But I wondered to myself, in an area once so spiritually alive and thriving, what happened?

During this week, along with all of you, I was moved tremendously by the scenes of destruction in the South. In a conversation with Denis Brunelle, I heard the story of a steeple being removed from the church building perhaps miles away. There it sat all by itself on the ground, the spire pointing straight up to heaven, sadly dislocated from where it belongs. And I began to wonder about that congregation, where the members were and how they felt, and if they would survive such trauma.

Silently, in the confines of our own hearts and minds, we might sometimes wonder if the kingdom of God is going to make it. We may well wonder if it will survive, considering the vast armada that seems so strongly allied against it: the secular and sometimes even religious forces at work against it, or even that of the force of nature itself.

The more we consider such forces, the more we may be tempted to give in to discouragement or despair. But that, of course, is precisely what we must not do, and the words of Gamaliel will keep us from doing just that. You see, if a movement is human in origin, it ever and always has the potential of failure. Not so with God. If the movement is of God, it will not fail. Those who press against it will themselves fail in due course of time, for in fighting against it, they fight against God. No, if God is in it, it will most certainly not fail. And God, dear friends, is most surely in the movement called the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Here, I appreciate the words of Albert Barnes, a Presbyterian minister of another generation. Sometimes, what another person has said cannot be improved upon, and I believe this to be one of those cases.

Kingdoms have changed; empires have risen and fallen since Gamaliel spoke this; systems of opinion and belief have had their day, and expired; but the preservation of the Christian religion, unchanged through so many revolutions, and in so many fiery trials, shows that it is not of men, but of God.

Barnes notes that that the kingdom of God has never been overthrown and it never will, because of two principal and primary factors. The first is that God is almighty in His power and thus has the ability to execute all His purposes and plans to the fullest degree. Secondly, God is unchanging in His character and therefore He will never be diverted from carrying out the work of His kingdom.

And so Barnes concludes:

The prediction of Gamaliel has been fulfilled. Men have opposed Christianity in every way, but in vain. They have reviled it; have persecuted it; have resorted to argument and to ridicule; to fire, and faggot, and sword; they have called in the aid of science; but all has been in vain. The more it has been crushed, the more it has risen, and it still exists with as much life and power as ever. The preservation of this religion amidst so much and so varied opposition proves that it is of God. No severer trial can await it than it has already experienced; and as it has survived so many storms and trials, we have every evidence that, according to the predictions, it is destined to live and fill the world. [iii]

A number of years ago, Charles Colson wrote a book entitled, The Body: Being Light in Darkness. In one of the chapters of this inspiring book, Colson writes of the Church that faced the opposition of an entrenched communism. Imprisonment, beatings and martyrdom were not all that uncommon in the Soviet bloc.

But he also writes of the victory of the Church over the darkness, a victory often overlooked or ignored by the various writers, historians and those in the media. Churches in East Germany, for example, were filled with believers praying perseveringly and making their firm and faithful witness, so often to the complete dismay of the Communist leaders.

As we know, the wall of Berlin eventually fell, as did the Communist regime of East Germany. With this in mind, Colson writes:

During that time, says Juergen Weidel, pastor of Peace Church in Leipzig, ‘People saw that the church was a living and viable organism, not the decaying institution Marxism said it was.’ The church had indeed survived the Communists. [iv]

Yes, this is not a “decaying institution.” It is hardly that, or even an institution of human origin at best. No, it is in reality “a living and viable organism.” It is alive and God is in the midst of her!

Wisdom was found that day so long ago in Jerusalem when a learned rabbi told his powerful audience to wait. Once again, we need to listen to his voice, dear friends, every time we hear discouraging news of the Kingdom and wonder what will come of it all.

For you see, when God is in it, it will not fail or falter or fall. And God is in it!