Acts 5:38-42

“Take a Licking and Keep on Ticking”

Introduction: By the 1960’s, Timex was the most popular watch brand in the country, know for the famous slogan,  Timex – “It Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking.”  How true it should be as it relates to the true faith of a child of God.  True faith is of God and it is a faith that is evident in our work.  The purpose of this sermon is to encourage each child of God to be like the Timex watch…Take a licking and keep on ticking. 

The background of the sermon started with the church being endowed with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.  Due to the endowment the apostles made a difference in people’s lives.  They went around healing people in the name of Jesus.  As a result the religious leaders got upset.  They brought the apostles Peter and John before the counsel to discourage them from preaching Jesus.  Peter and John had been given the opportunity to plead their case.  After they pleaded their case the Bible says regarding  the hearers, “…they were cut to their heart, and took counsel to slay them.” At that point, a prominent council member by the name of Gamaliel stood up.  Gamaliel was somebody.  He was the most prominent rabbi of that time and one of the greatest of all antiquity.  He was the grandson of another prominent rabbi, Hillel.  He was so important that he was not called “Rabbi Gamaliel,” but Rabban Gamaliel.  He was the tutor for the Apostle Paul prior to his conversion.  It is at this point that come in the text with his instruction to his fellow council members.

I.  True Faith Will Stand (38-39)

·         Gamaliel had a “wait and see policy”

·         Gamaliel admonished the council to leave them alone, in other words…keep your hands off them.

·         If the doctrine they teach and the miracles they do are of selfish gain and glory it will come to “nought” or be overthrown or be demolished.  On the other hand, (v.39) if it is of God, you are fighting against God. 

·         So it is with true faith, if it is what says it is, it will stand the “wait and see policy.”

II. True Faith Will Be Tried (v.40)

·         True faith will be tested and tried through the fire.

·         After they had heard Rabban Gamaliel they still beat them, or flogged them.  They were literally beaten.  This is flogging: with a bared chest and in a kneeling position, one was beaten with a tripled strap of calf hide across both the chest and back, two on the back for each stripe across the chest.  Men were known to have died from this ordeal.

·         Paul told Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution.” (2 Tim. 3:12)  He also said to Timothy, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us.” (2 Tim. 2:12)

III. True Faith Will Bring Joy (v.41)

·         If it is done in the name of God, or for His Name, or it is for the glory of God and in the cause of God, it brings joy.  The apostles left rejoicing.

Conclusion: True Faith Cannot Be Stopped (v.42)

·         God intended for His Word to be Carried Out.

·         And a person cannot stop God.

·         Satan tried to stop the Messiah from doing what he came to do.