Acts 5:25-26

Summary retelling of Acts 5:25-26:

Just when things were about to get chaotic, someone notices that the disciples were gathered in the Temple preaching about what had happened the following night.  The guards go and retrieve the disciples, although they are very careful to not bring them in by force.  With as many miraculous things as had happened with the disciples, the guards knew that if the people saw them being mistreated they wouldn’t accept it.  This is especially true since everyone saw them get arrested and now everyone saw and heard how God had freed them from their prison.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

The disciples do go to the Temple and they do talk about what God has done for them.  They obey God’s instructions!  In doing so they have demonstrated to the people that God’s ways are higher and better than the ways of the world.  They have also demonstrated that God is faithful and able to save those who are in Him.

In what ways have you demonstrated your belief in God to the people outside your church?  What testimony have you been able to make regarding God’s faithfulness in your life?

Second Thought:

The guards show a great deal of respect for the disciples.  They bring the disciples back to the Jewish leaders, but here we see that they are not willing to do so with any kind of force.  There is a clear sense of respect for the disciples at this point – either for fear of the crowd, for fear of God, or out of gratitude that the lost prisoners were found.  When the disciples follow God’s plan, they make such an incredible witness to the people and the guards that they are treated with respect.  Had the disciples fled and abandoned God’s plan, they would have likely been hunted down like the common criminals their actions would have proven them to be.

Do you see why obedience to God is so important to our witness?  How can you become more obedient to God and less demanding that you do things your own way?

Third Thought:

The guards show a great deal of respect for the crowds.  Public perception is almost everything when it comes to ministry.  When people see the followers of God as sane, rational, faithful people – then the crowds want to be in relationship with us.  When we are held in high esteem, it is easier to fend off the assaults of the leaders of this world.  When we make a stink of ourselves, we turn the people against us and the worldly leaders can attack Christianity without fear.

Do you think you have given people reason to want to get close to Christianity or have your words and actions driven some people away?  How can we make sure that we present ourselves in such a way as to draw people in to Christ?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 5:27-28