Cannot be Stopped

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

CANNOT BE STOPPED

Acts 5:33-42

33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." 40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.  

NIV

The first truth that shines through is in Gamaliel's speech. He is a well-respected teacher of the law, who is honored by all the people. If he is respected and honored for his great knowledge of the law, he would also be very knowledgeable about the prophets and would recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of their words. Yet he was blinded by law, rather than seeing the law as a mirror that showed his sin, and Jesus as the soap that cleansed him. However, in his speech to the Sanhedrin, he stated that if this movement, headed by Peter, John, and the rest of the Apostles, was generated by the mind of men, it would fail, like the others before them. But if what they are teaching is from God, the men of the Sanhedrin will not stop them, for they will find they are fighting against God. We still have people today who would want believers to be silent. They do not want to hear anything that opposes their agenda. They are blinded by their own desires and passions, unable or unwilling to see the truth. The scripture is clear regarding men loving the darkness because the light exposes their sin. However, the truth is that the apostles were not promoting their own agenda but teaching the truth about Jesus and his resurrection. It would not fall apart, for Jesus will build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. What the Apostles taught through the power of the Holy Spirit has spread throughout the world and the centuries, becoming the church we know today. Because there is continued growth, someone is still proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ, and people are being added to the church. That is one of our tasks as believers, to proclaim the good news, to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. We send missionaries to some ends of the earth, but the fact is, we live in one of the ends of the earth, and here is where we are to proclaim the good news. We should see people added to the local church, maybe even daily, weekly, or monthly, but nevertheless added. The Good News cannot be stopped.