Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the First Reading, Acts 5:12-20. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- We’re all accustomed to having “HIGHS AND LOWS” in life. It is always amazing when things go well for a long period of time, and quite irritating and depressing when things seem to go poorly for a long time. We may refer to them as “slumps,” or talk about being followed around by a dark cloud. Most of the time we have a mixture of “HIGHS AND LOWS,” some things going our way, and other things going against us.
- Our assumption is that since God is almighty, things always go His way. In a sense this is true – but it is quite a bit more complicated than we think. With the entrance of sin into the world, sin which infects and permeates human being, God’s love met quite a challenge.
- In that love is the goal and desire of God [God is love], He desires that His beloved creatures, human beings, would also love – would love Him, and love one another. However, love cannot be coerced or forced – so love must be won, enabled, and empowered by God. This complicates matters for God – and means that He also has “HIGHS AND LOWS” when it comes to dealing with mankind.
- We also tend to think that if we are aligned with God, “in His will,” that things will also always go our way. In fact, many people are tempted to give up faith if things don’t “go their way” – concluding that God has failed them. And often we sinfully and erroneously conclude that if things are NOT going well for someone, they must be on the wrong side of God.
- Our text makes clear that this is simply not the case – that this whole business of “HIGHS AND LOWS” is quite a bit more complex. Even the apostles experienced great “HIGHS AND LOWS” as they faithfully carried out the ministry commissioned to them by the Lord Jesus Christ. And we must learn from this that our own life of discipleship will also contain many “HIGHS AND LOWS.”
- Of course,
I. The Greatest High Is The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ – Which Is The Central Comfort And Joy Of “This Life” [New Spiritual Life Of Faith And Eternal Life] Which God Has Given To Us In Christ Jesus
A. His Resurrection Confirms Our Salvation In Christ Jesus
Rom. 4:25 “He was delivered up for our transgressions and was raised again for our justification.”
B. His Resurrection Confirms His Person – Who He Is, And Confirms His Role As Our Savior
Epistle: “Grace to you and peace . . . from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”
Epistle: “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Epistle: “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.'”
C. His Resurrection Confirms Also The Final Outcome Of All Things
Epistle: “Behold He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so, Amen.”
Epistle: “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades.”
Statement: We celebrated the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ last Sunday, and every Sunday is a celebration of the wondrous consequences of His resurrection – the realities now in place, and the blessedness soon to come with His return in glory. There is no question – the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world is the blood atonement for our sins, and in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the eternal, almighty, glorious, all-knowing, Son of God, Who upholds all things with His Word of Power. He is the alpha and omega . . . the first and the last, the living One Who loves us with an eternal and undefeatable love. Nothing can separate us from His love!
So our future is sure and secure – He is coming, and with Him our redemption, our resurrection, our glorification!
Application: This is the highest of highs – the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His ascension and exaltation and glorification to the highest power and reign! And really, no matter how dismal everything else may be, to have assurance that in the end everything turns out marvelously and spectacularly for God’s dear children of faith – well that makes the “LOWS” and the dark clouds a lot less ominous and distressing!
Still, as we see in our text:
II. God’s Children Continue To Have Their “HIGHS AND LOWS,” And The Church Itself Experiences The Same – As We Wait For Christ’s Return In Glory
A. Obviously, We Continue To Have Great Joy In God’s Salvation, In Christ’s Resurrection
Phil. 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.”
B. We Too Experience Great Signs Of God’s Blessings And Successes For The Church
Text: “More than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.”
C. We Also Have “Lows” – Resistance To Our Ministering Of “The Words Of This Life,” Perhaps Even Persecution, And We May Have To Face Civil Consequences, As The Apostles Did
Text: “The high priest rose up, and all who were with him [that is, the party of the Sadducees], and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.”
D. But We Will Also Experience God’s Providence, Power, Deliverance, And We Will Have Opportunity To Continue Our Ministry
Text: “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.’”
Statement: If you are not yet aware that there are people who will oppose your life of faith, and your work within the church, good for you – may God grant you continued absence of such “LOWS”! More than likely, however, you will experience such opposition and antagonism and persecution. When it happens, do not be surprised – and take it in stride; it is what all of God’s people of faith of all times and places have experienced! And remember – you will also experience God’s great blessings – His providence and protection, and you will have these “HIGHS” as well!
Application: Always, our greatest joy is in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and all of the blessed and joyful assurances that this brings to us – forgiveness, His powerful providence, and the guarantee that in the end we will be eternally blessed in His kingdom! It is also our joy to participate in the common experience of the “HIGHS AND LOWS” that God endures, and that His people have endured for centuries!
Conclusion: Whether personal “HIGHS AND LOWS” or “HIGHS AND LOWS” within the life of the church, God our dear Savior and Lord has all things in His control, and is working His blessed will in our lives, in the life of the church, and in all of human history. He will prevail – and this gives us constant joy and confidence! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.