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Nobility and Envy (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #29) (KC)
Grace Sensing on May 19, 2024
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Holidays & Militant Contentment (King’s Cross)

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INTRODUCTION

Holidays are challenging times for many reasons: routines are off, people in our houses, being in other peoples’ houses, challenging people, missing loved ones, or the things that aren’t right or good, and simmering beneath it all, you’re a corrupt sinner. Sometimes another contributing factor is the contrast of really good things and really hard things at the same time in different ways that tempts us to discontent, anxiety, frustrations, bitterness, or despair. But Christ gives the strong gifts of contentment, peace, and joy as He teaches you to rest in Your Father. 

The Text: “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you…” (Phil. 4:9-13).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The overarching exhortation is to stand fast in the Lord and to have peace both in our hearts and minds and as well as with one another (Phil. 4:1-2, 7), and this continues with the exhortation to follow Paul’s apostolic example, with the promise that God’s peace will accompany that imitation (Phil. 4:9). Paul follows his own counsel to rejoice in the Lord, specifically for the recent gift he has received from the Philippians, knowing that it was something they were eager to do but hadn’t had the opportunity until then (Phil. 4:10). Paul clarifies that he wasn’t in a bad way without their gift since he had learned to be content in every circumstance (Phil. 4:11). He had learned to be poor and rich, full and hungry, abound and suffer need because He had the power to fulfill all of his duty through the strength of Christ (Phil. 4:12-13). 

GODLY IMITATION

We noted last week that prayer with thanksgiving is a crucial part of dealing with anxiety (Phil. 4:6), as well as making lists of all the true, just, pure, and lovely things (Phil. 4:8). But you should add to this arsenal following the examples of other faithful Christians, beginning with Christ Himself: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21, Mt. 16:24). But one of the ways we do that is by following those who are following Him well: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1Cor. 11:1). We follow Paul and all of the apostle well as we study the New Testament in particular. But the New Testament also points us to the example of the Old Testament: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Cor. 10:11, Heb. 11). We are also instructed to imitate faithful pastors and elders (Heb. 13:7). We do not trust in men, but if we trust in God, we can see His Spirit at work in His people, and there is great encouragement as we all pull in the same direction toward Christ (like in athletics). 

MILITANT CONTENTMENT

Part of the example we need to follow is Paul’s contentment. Notice that he is extremely grateful for the gift he’s received from the Philippians, but he hastens to add that he wasn’t desperate for it. This is a hard line to walk: presenting requests and rejoicing greatly in their fulfillment but also complete surrender to the will of God because He knows best – rejoicing in the Lord always, even when He says no or not yet. This is only possible through deep faith in the goodness of God our Father. Jesus reveals this to us most clearly: Our heavenly Father feeds the birds, and we are more important than birds (Mt. 6:26). Our heavenly Father clothes the grass, and we are more valuable than grass (Mt. 6:30). Our Father knows all of our needs (Mt. 6:32), He is a more faithful Father than any earthly father (Mt. 7:11), and no good thing does He withhold from His people (Ps. 84:11). He who gave His own Son, will give us everything we need (Rom. 8:32). This means that when God says “no” or “not yet” it is better for us and better for the Kingdom (cf. Mt. 6:33). This is why Jesus prayed in His greatest agony, “not my will, by Thy will be done” (Mt. 26:39). And by submitting to the Father, Jesus crushed sin, death, and the devil and saved the world (1 Pet. 2:23-25). This is not apathy; this is militant contentment. Contentment makes us faithful servants and grants us maximum mobility for our King. 

THE STRENGTH OF CHRIST

While this Christian calendar verse about “doing all things through Christ” is often misquoted and misapplied (as though it applies to absolutely anything you want to do), it is a gloriously comforting verse. It means that Christ gives the strength we need to do whatever He requires. He gives us the strength to resist temptation, and He always makes a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). He gives us the strength to obey: God works in us both the will and the power to please Him (Phil. 2:13). Christ Himself is our mighty armor in enduring suffering (1 Pet. 4:1). And what is it exactly that we arm ourselves with? The justice of God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:19-20, cf. 1 Pet. 2:23).

APPLICATIONS

Wise imitation vs. slavish imitation: We are seeking to cultivate a community of “like-mindedness” that isn’t woodenly rigid, inflexible, or disproportionate. We want to major on the majors and minor on the minors, extending true liberty without being naïve (Rom. 14, Gal. 2). Christian like-mindedness is truly a gift from the God of patience and consolation (Rom. 15:5). It comes from the consolations of Christ and the fellowship of the Spirit (Phil. 2:1), and it consists of having the same love, one soul/spirit, and one mind (Phil. 2:2). How can we tell the difference? “The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” (Prov. 29:25). Surround yourself with faithful witnesses, but keep your eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb. 12:1-2). 

Meditate on Heaven: You know the old saying about the fellow who was so heavenly minded, he was no earthly good, but I think that cautionary tale is almost entirely misguided and false. To be truly heavenly minded is to maximize your earthly good. The problem isn’t with people thinking about Heaven, the problem is with people mistaking their idols and idolatrous delusions for Heaven. But the true Heaven, where Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand is what arms us for faithfulness here. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God… Mortify therefore your members…” (Col. 3:1-5). 

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Fighting Against God (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #9) (King’s Cross)

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INTRODUCTION

Remember, Acts is the story of what Jesus continues to do by His Spirit in the Church. Consistently over history, this has provoked many to resent this powerful work and seek to destroy it, and every time, God foils their plans. 

The Text: “Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison…” (Acts 5:17-42)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

With the city of Jerusalem buzzing with fear and excitement (Acts 5:12-16), the high priest becomes jealous and orders the arrest of unnamed apostles (Acts 5:17-18). An angel frees the apostles by night and urges them to keep preaching, and so they do (Acts 5:19-20). The next morning, the high priest marshals his court, only to find that when the officers are sent to the prison, everything is in place, except the prisoners (Act 5:21-23). While they are wondering what has happened, word arrives that the prisoners are preaching in the temple (Acts 5:24-25). The officers summon the apostles without force, and they are questioned before the assembly, accused apparently of insurrection (Acts 5:26-28). 

Peter and the apostles say that it is better to obey God than man, and they repeat their message that the Jewish leaders crucified Jesus but God has raised Him from the dead and they are witnesses, as is the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:29-32). This message enraged the council, but before they could carry out any executions, a respected Pharisee named Gamaliel, gave a speech urging the council to wait and see how matters fell out, since other revolutionaries had risen up and their followers scattered after their deaths (Acts 5:33-39). The assembly agreed to Gamaliel’s advice and released the apostles after beating them and threatening them, and the apostles rejoiced and kept preaching Jesus (Acts 5:40-42).

ENVIOUS INDIGNATION

The high priest and his party of Sadducees were filled with “indignation” at the influence and popularity of the apostles (Acts 5:17). The word for indignation can also be translated zeal, envy, or jealousy. It was out of “envy” (another Greek word) that the Jews delivered Jesus to Pilate for execution (Mt. 27:18, Mk. 15:10). The same root describes “zealots” who were often violent against the Roman-Jewish establishment, in fact, like Theudas and Judas who drew crowds of followers before their deaths (Acts 5:36-37). The irony of course is that the high priest and the council are the real zealots in this story, plotting to murder the apostles. 

The warning is that misplaced zeal is often knotted up with jealous envy and masked with what is imagined as righteous indignation. Envy has been defined as pain at another’s blessing or happiness. Envy often casts another’s blessings or success as somehow unjust for any number of reasons: how they arrived there, how they are handling it, slight imperfections, etc., but it fundamentally wants to see the happiness and blessing stripped away and develops a sort of morally charged desperation (e.g. Cain, Joseph’s brothers, Ahab). Revolution is driven by this kind of violent sentimentalism, but reformation is principled and thoughtful and only takes up arms in a just cause not for personal gain or vendettas.

FIGHTING AGAINST GOD

This episode is comical in its ironies. The high priest has risen up full of huffy zeal and put God’s apostles in prison, and God breaks them out without anyone noticing. And when the high priest has assembled his sanctimonious cabal, the prisoners are summoned, and while everything is perfectly in order, the prisoners are missing. Which is what this whole episode is about: you have a perfectly orderly legal proceeding, all the t’s crossed and i’s dotted, and appropriate paperwork filed, the only thing missing is any semblance of lawful justice. And when the truth comes out, the orderly little mob is on the verge of lynching the apostles, when the old wise man suggests, that perhaps they should wait and see if this is from God or not (Acts 5:38-39). The whole story is calculated to underline the fact that this is from God. God is with His people, and we are completely in His hand, every detail is under His rule. The machinations of men are a comical farce compared to the power and wisdom of God (Ps. 2:1-4). Whether we live or die, we serve His will, and we are more than conquerors by His grace (Rom. 8:37).

OBEYING GOD RATHER THAN MAN

As the apostles have insisted before, God is over all authorities, and therefore, it is better to obey God than man (cf. Acts 4:19). All human authorities are under God. He is the one who establishes human authority – all authority belongs to Christ, and He delegates some of that authority to husbands/fathers, pastors/elders, and civil magistrates. John Calvin summarizes the principle like this: so long as they remain in their limited jurisdictions, they honor the authority of God over them, but when they go beyond the bounds of their office, they “diminish the honor and authority of God.” Sometimes the commands/prohibitions of men would require us to disobey God, and we must flatly refuse (e.g. Daniel and friends). Sometimes the commands/prohibitions are beyond their bounds of office but don’t directly require us to disobey God, and there is a tactical wisdom call. We may pay unjust taxes as a testimony to unbelievers (Mt. 17:25-27), or we may thresh some of our wheat in a wine press to hide it from the Midianites (Jdg. 6:11). 

CONCLUSION: KEEP PREACHING

The tip of our spear is the preaching of the gospel not politics. The apostles are preaching when they are arrested, they immediately return to preaching when they are broken out of jail, they continue preaching when they are hauled (belatedly) before the pompous presbytery, and after they are beaten and threatened, they go right back to joyfully preaching. Reformations are driven by preaching. The American War for Independence was led by the “black robe regiment.”

And the message is this: “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Christ crucified, risen, and ascended for repentance and forgiveness of sins by the power of the Spirit. This is what cuts: it cuts for the salvation of some (Acts 2:37) and it cuts for the furious indignation of others (Acts 5:33). But we preach Christ, and every detail of history bows to the rule of Christ. 

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