A key verse in this portion of Scripture (Acts 5:12-42) is found in verse 29: ‘We must obey God rather than human beings.’ Here, in a nutshell, Peter points out where the Christian’s ultimate allegiance must lie.

Broadly speaking, Christianity teaches obedience to the stage, with Paul reminding us that human authority is given by God for our good. (Romans 13:1-7) We are called to be conscientious citizens; Jesus recognised a distinction between civil and religious loyalties (Luke 20:24-26), but commended honourable living in society. Paul reminded us ‘to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good’ (Titus 3:1) and Peter, whose impulsive actions had led to the loss of a man’s ear when Jesus was arrested, went on to command submission ‘for the Lord’s sake to every human authority, whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.’ (1 Pet 2:13-14)

Yet at the same time, the apostles also recognised limits. ‘If the authority concerned misuses its God-given power to command what He forbids or to forbid what He commands, then the Christian’s duty is to disobey the human authority in order to obey God’s.’ (John Stott, ‘The Message of Acts’, P 116). This, in essence, was the heart of Peter’s refusal to obey the Sanhedrin’s prohibition on preaching.

In both Acts 4 and Acts 5, the apostles were warned not to preach in Jesus’ name. On both occasions, they openly disregarded this injunction and risked death (Acts 5:33). The key was the Sanhedrin’s refusal to obey God and heed what He had done by raising Jesus from the dead. The apostles clearly recognised their divine mandate to preach took precedence over the Sanhedrin’s ruling. God’s commands had priority over man’s.

This principle remains true today and can have enormous implications for how we live. May we have both the boldness and the courage of these early disciples and obey God rather than men!

Paradox is a key part of the Christian life; things that seem contradictory actually can sit alongside each other snugly. Jesus told us the greatest must become the least (Luke 9:48), that if we want to gain life, we must first be prepared to lose it (Matt 16:25). Paul takes this theme and expounds it in 1 Cor 1:18-25, teaching that the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and that His weakness is stronger than human strength. The kingdom of God turns the world’s way of thinking on its head, and unless we grasp the topsy-turvy nature of paradox and its role in God’s kingdom, life will very often seem elusive and baffling to us.

In Acts 5:12-42, we see a number of paradoxes. The miraculous signs and wonders performed by the apostles resulted in the paradox ‘no one else dared to join them’ (Acts 5:13) living alongside the truth ‘more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.’ (Acts 5:14) As John Stott puts it, the power of God will always be ‘alarming to some and appealing to others.’ (‘The Message of Acts’, P 116)

Another paradox was the ability of the apostles to reconcile persecution with joy. Naturally speaking, opposition and persecution (especially when these lead to physical pain and distress such as the apostles experienced after being flogged) do not lead to joy. They usually leave us broken and dispirited (which is why torture and imprisonment are seen as highly effective weapons.)

Despite all the Sanhedrin prohibitions on preaching, the apostles were not daunted. Imprisonment did not deter them – in this passage, an angel of the Lord acts as their deliverer, unlocking the prison doors and commanding them to go to the temple courts and continue to preach (Acts 5:18-20). They used every opportunity to testify to the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 5:29-30) and were not broken by beatings: ‘the apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.’ (Acts 5:41)

The paradox of persecution producing joy had been predicted by Jesus (Matt 5:10-12; Luke 6:22-23) and has been the ongoing experience of the Christian community throughout history. Tertullian said, ‘The more you mow us down, the more we grow; the seed is the blood of Christians.’ Bishop Festo Kivenge said, on the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Janani Luwum of Uganda, ‘without bleeding the church fails to bless.’ We cannot expect to avoid opposition and persecution, but can know the paradox of blessing and rejoicing in the middle of it if we, like the apostles, can understand the privilege of being counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Last night we had a dedication service for our newest arrival, Rebekah. Such services provide memorable moments for every family and the church has always acknowledged these moments in life (often known colloquially as ‘hatching, matching and despatching’ services!) Rebekah’s parents have always tried to hold such services on memorable dates and their two children both have memorable birthdays (Christmas Eve and April Fool’s Day!)

Memorable moments can be planned (and often the planning is part of the fun), but can also arrive unexpectedly; many memorable moments are wonderful (including holidays, meetings with friends, the awe we feel at times when faced with God’s wonderful creation), but some are painful and tragic (the loss of a loved one, the break-up of a relationship, the loss of a job.) In all of life, however, there is one memorable moment which is totally life-changing: this is the moment when a person is born again.

Jesus spoke about this experience in John 3:1-21, and Nicodemus was confused about this whole concept. A baby is born; how can an adult be born again? Jesus was referring not to natural birth but to spiritual birth which reconnects us to God. This second birth is the only way we can see and enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:3, 5). A child has no say into which family it’s born, but God gives us the right to become children of God if we choose life (see John 1:12, Deut 30:19-20).

This choice has an impact on our children too; Moses says, ‘Choose life, so that you and your children may live.’ (Deut 30:19) At a dedication service, parents give thanks to God for the gift of new life, but also vow to bring this new child up in the Christian faith. We have a duty and responsibility to talk about the memorable things God has done in our lives so that our children may hear and know who God is and what He is like (see Josh 4:21-24). All of us have the responsibility to tell us the story of what God has done (see Ps 107:2).

Secondly, Moses said, ‘Choose life, so that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice and hold fast to Him.’ (Deut 30:20) When we choose God, we have access to His unfailing love, to His guidance throughout our lives and can live in the knowledge that He is working for our good in all circumstances. We have a hope that lasts beyond our years on earth, for ‘whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ (John 3:16) Jesus went on to say, ‘Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.’ (John 3:36) Our choices now affect not only our everyday lives here on earth but our eternal futures.

Rebekah is too young to remember the dedication service, but we believe it’s a memorable moment in her life. Dedication does not make a person a Christian, but acts as a service of thanksgiving and an opportunity for a family to make promises before God. When a person chooses life, however, and responds to God’s offer of salvation, that becomes the most memorable moment of all. (2 Cor 6:2)

Stephen asked us the very important question ‘Where Is God?’ yesterday morning. Like many people, he has a tendency of putting objects ‘in a safe place’, only to forget where that safe place is. Sometimes we can be like that with God, keeping Him ‘in a safe place’ for special occasions and then not remembering where He is.

Elijah, in a time of difficulty and trial, must have wonedered where God was. (1 Kings 19:9-18) God was not in the great wind or the earthquake or the fire, but came to Elijah in a gentle whisper, Often, we may find God in unexpected places.

Some answer the question ‘Where is God’ by answering ‘God is in heaven.’ Mankind was created in God’s image, in the image of God’s triune glory, but in rebelling against God and seeking a life of independence, found a ‘God-hole’ in life which can only be filled by a relationship with God through His only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus may physically be in heaven now, but has sent His Spirit to dwell within us.

Others may say, ‘God’s in church’, which leaves us confused at times (if a church closes, does that mean God has moved somewhere else?) God does indeed dwell within His church (the people of God), but it’s best if we don’t limit God’s presence in this way. In English, there is a clue to where God is in the word ‘where’ itself; if we remove the ‘w’, we are left with the word ‘here’, and that is such a wonderful truth. God is here, with us, wherever we are (a fact we are reminded of as we think of the name ‘Immanuel’ – ‘God with us’.) As we share in Holy Communion, we are reminded of this truth; God is here with us.

God is also ‘there’, wherever ‘there’ is, because ultimately He is everywhere. God’s omnipresence is one of the characteristics which makes Him God. We can be reassured by the fact that God is here, there and everywhere! We can’t hide from His presence (Ps 139) and His presence is not limited to set places (church meetings, for example). We can experience the presence of God wherever we are.

We had three more birthdays to celebrate tonight.

Honesty, they say, is the best policy, a statement with which the Bible is in agreement. Giving false testimony is condemned (Ex 20:16); Prov 24:26 tells us, ‘an honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.’ When we live honestly and with integrity, we can be trusted and relationships can flourish. Where deceit and dishonesty rule, there is strife and doubt. The book of Proverbs has much to say about truth and lies: ‘An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies,’ for example. (Prov 14:5)

Our society is sometimes called a ‘post-truth’ society, with the OED defining ‘post-truth’ as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.’ This kind of society is dangerous, because people’s personal beliefs and emotions can vary so greatly; we need objective truth to guide us or we can be at the whim of every passing fancy.

Ananias and Sapphira faced God’s judgment because they decided their own rules and lied about what they had done, pretending the amount they had given for the sale of their property was the whole amount, when in actual fact they had kept some of the money back for themselves. They were not honest with Peter and the apostles and were certainly not honest with God, even though He sees the heart (1 Sam 16:7) and nothing is hidden from Him. (Luke 8:17) God desires inward truth (Ps 51:6); honesty will always be the best policy, not only with God, but also with people.