00:00:00.000 - 00:00:23.380

[ Silence ] [MUSIC] ♪ Let my Jesus lead the guarantee ♪ ♪ As the road is rough ♪

00:00:23.380 - 00:00:36.180

♪ The going gets tough ♪ ♪ The hills are hard to climb ♪ ♪ You're looking for peace of mind ♪ ♪ Oh, don't you ever let go ♪

00:00:36.180 - 00:00:48.680

♪ Let my Jesus lead the guarantee ♪ ♪ The road is rough ♪ ♪ The going gets tough ♪ ♪ The hills are hard to climb ♪

00:00:48.680 - 00:01:12.700

♪ You'll not get far, please remember ♪ ♪ You've got the grip ♪ ♪ You've got the grip ♪ ♪ Hold back ♪

00:01:12.700 - 00:01:38.700

♪ All ♪ ♪ Rain ♪ (audience applauding) [ Silence ]

00:01:38.700 - 00:02:01.720

>> And now I say unto you, refrain from these men and let them alone. For if this council or this work be of men, it will come to naught. But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest happily ye be found even to fight against God.

00:02:01.720 - 00:02:26.040

The subject of the message, Fighting God. Fighting against God. The idea is repugnant to the pious and obnoxious to the fateful observers of the divine commands.

00:02:26.040 - 00:02:54.760

Fighting against God is a terrible thing to do. It's the worst thing that can happen in human relationships. Words of our text constitute part of the Judicial counsel of Gamaliel,

00:02:54.760 - 00:03:26.960

a learned member of the powerful Sanhedrin court, the Supreme Court of the Jewish nation. Gamaliel is recognized as a distinguished doctor of the law. He is the major professor under whom Paul did his rabbinical studies.

00:03:26.960 - 00:04:13.860

Camelio may be considered the Pharisee of Pharisees. Camelio the teacher of teachers. the lawyer's lawyer. This particular time the disciples of Jesus Christ, the apostles, are facing hostility. The hostility which they faced was first of all revealed in the form of

00:04:13.860 - 00:04:40.380

of the jealousy of the Sadducees. The apostles are considered unwelcome rivals in the public arena. The Sadducees and those who are with them

00:04:40.380 - 00:04:56.020

see the Christian movement as a threat that they must not permit to persist. They are jealous. Jealousy is terrible.

00:04:56.020 - 00:05:13.940

It's a terrible disease, which if not cured, develops into hate. And hate finds its expression in violence.

00:05:13.940 - 00:05:30.940

Whenever you continue to be jealous of a person, that develops into outright hatred, and when you hate a person, you not only have strong feelings against the person,

00:05:30.940 - 00:05:52.500

when you continue to entertain those feelings, They give rise to violence. You're going to look for some way to carry out those feelings, to see to it that that person that you dislike so is hurt.

00:05:52.500 - 00:06:23.420

Now the apostles have disobeyed the orders of the court. They had been told to neither preach nor teach in the name of Jesus, but they do not obey. They now have been brought before the court because they have continued to preach and teach, and not only preach and teach but to heal.

00:06:23.420 - 00:06:49.940

And as they are brought before the court, they are asked the question, "Why have you failed to obey the court order? Do you expect to bring this man Jesus' blood upon us?" And Peter is quick to say, "We must obey God rather than men."

00:06:49.940 - 00:07:22.980

And he goes on to say that this Jesus whom you crucified, we are his witnesses. God has given us his Holy Spirit in order that we may obey him. There was a great deal of anger on the part of the court. And in reading this particular passage, it is said that they talked about killing them.

00:07:22.980 - 00:07:51.220

They took counsel to put the apostles to death. It is Gamaliel who requests of his companions on the court that the apostles be taken out of the room that he might have an executive session with the members of the bench and this was done.

00:07:51.220 - 00:08:26.640

The court deliberated in privacy and His Honor, the Judge Gamaliel addressed the court. He said to them, "You men of Israel, watch yourselves. Be careful as to your intention to touch these men. Let me refresh your memory with a bit of history.

00:08:26.640 - 00:08:40.400

You remember Theodos, who rose up as a pretender with a band of 400 men, claiming to be the messianic deliverer of our people? How he and his followers were slain

00:08:40.400 - 00:08:56.320

and the movement came to nothing? You remember that. You remember also when Judas of Galilee opposed Rome's taxation plans,

00:08:56.320 - 00:09:12.720

how he and his followers perished? You remember that? I say to you, leave these men alone. If there is nothing to this movement,

00:09:12.720 - 00:09:34.920

it will come to nothing. But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest happily ye be found to fight against God. Gamaliel's advice is deemed by the court as the counsel of the wise.

00:09:34.920 - 00:09:49.640

It's regarded as prudent warning. Watch out. Be careful. Gamaliel is the model of the cautious individual.

00:09:49.640 - 00:10:25.500

In other words, what he's really saying is don't do anything for the time being. just wait and see. Give it a chance. If it be wrong it will soon collapse. If it is right we will be fighting against God. And it's better for us gentlemen to be on the safe side. You know most of us would like Gamaliel's counsel. Be on the

00:10:25.500 - 00:11:04.060

safe side. Don't do anything. Be safe. You see, if we were to look behind the scenes and consider the groups that are involved here, they are the Sadducees who are considered the conservatives and you know the conservatives want things to remain just as they are. The political conservatives want to keep things just as they are.

00:11:04.060 - 00:11:25.360

There are some conservatives as far as our city is concerned they want Austin to remain just as it is. They don't want to see it grow at all. They are conservatives. They want it to be like it's always been and there's some people in the church like that. They're conservatives. They don't want you to move a chair. They

00:11:25.360 - 00:11:53.680

want things to remain just the way it was when I was the child. They are the conservatives. The Pharisees were like that. They didn't want any changing. They were against change. They wanted to keep things as they are. They are the preservers of the status quo. And If you don't watch out, many times status quo is in the devil of a fix.

00:11:53.680 - 00:12:10.400

They are the conservatives here. They want to be comfortable. They don't want to be disturbed. Now, that's the Pharisee.

00:12:10.400 - 00:12:29.480

We also have the Sadducee, who's the conservative. Now here is the Pharisee who is the moderate. He is willing to make some changes. He will accept some things that are different.

00:12:29.480 - 00:12:59.480

But he prefers to practice caution and moderation, stay on the safe side. And you see, that was the way the Pharisees conducted themselves. They wanted to play it safe. You will remember that when one was to be punished by receiving 40 lashes,

00:12:59.480 - 00:13:22.160

to be beaten with 40 lashes, the Pharisees would usually give them 39 just to be safe, because just in case we made a mistake counting them and got mixed up in the count and we'd be found guilty of violating the law and being responsible for punishment that would be too severe, we'll play it safe.

00:13:22.160 - 00:13:34.520

We'll give 39 lashes. And there are the Pharisees today. Play it safe. Don't do nothing too quickly.

00:13:34.520 - 00:14:18.560

Be cautious and moderate. In other words, the philosophy is be not the first to start the new, nor the last to lay the old aside. Just be some way in between. Play it safe. And then there were the militants. They are the zealots. They're the militants. And Gamaliel refers to the militants when he talks about Thutis and Judas. Judas and Judas, these were militants. They had thought that they were going to take things into their own hands and by violence

00:14:18.560 - 00:14:39.440

they would overthrow the oppressors and free the nation. They were the militants. And we have the militants on the scene today who are going to usher in the new day by violence. And we still resort to that because we still think that war is the answer. Many a people do.

00:14:39.440 - 00:14:58.360

And then in addition to these, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the Zealots, they're the Christians. These are the radicals. They're different. They are on the scene preaching the gospel of the resurrection, a new order, a new day.

00:14:58.360 - 00:15:31.920

They're proclaiming that God has sent his Messiah and he's changing things, that they're to get in line. And here they are, all four of them. And the counsel here of D'Amelio concerning the Christians, as he mentions the militants and he's already identified with the moderates himself and he's talking to not only

00:15:31.920 - 00:16:04.820

moderates but also to conservatives. He said, "Now we must be careful lest we be found to fight against God. Now when is it that a person fights against God? Well, we fight against God when we resist the will of God. When we are contrary to God's divine plan for our lives, we are fighting against God. Fighting against

00:16:04.820 - 00:16:34.820

God you say? Yes. How awful. And yet this is the history of humanity to fight against God. This is what Adam did in the Garden of Eden when he followed the advice of the serpent was to fight against God. God said, the serpent said. We We fight against God when we fight against what is right.

00:16:34.820 - 00:16:52.460

We fight against God. And you know, many times we know what's right. It has been revealed to us in His Word. We know what we ought to do, and when we fail to do what God has revealed to us in His Word

00:16:52.460 - 00:17:16.460

that we should do and we know quite clearly that we ought to do it and we fail to do it and we resist it, we fight against God. One brother said, "You know, Reverend," he said, "We know to do heat more than we do." And that's true.

00:17:16.460 - 00:17:49.200

And the cause is right and we fight against it because we wish to identify with a particular individual or group, we fight against God. Now, this is what the Sanhedrin court is reminded of here in the language of Gamaliel. careful lest you be found to fight against God. When we are identified with

00:17:49.200 - 00:18:10.860

the forces of bondage rather than the forces of freedom, we fight against God. That's what Pharaoh was doing and there are people today, leaders all over the world, who are identified with suppressing other people, keeping them in bondage, keeping them down, don't let them get up. Pharaoh said let's keep the

00:18:10.860 - 00:18:54.720

Israelites in Egypt and Pharaoh was fighting against God for God wills that his people be free. Whenever we confront love with hate we fight against God. Be careful, watch out, lest you be found to fight against God. Whenever we ally ourselves against the eternal goodness and come up against the one who is the

00:18:54.720 - 00:19:12.360

father of us all and instead of hearing his words and obey them saying, "Well, I I heard what you said, but I will not obey. We fight against God. Now, what are some of the consequences

00:19:12.360 - 00:19:30.160

of fighting against God? When one fights against God, one fights against oneself when you fight against God. See, God has made us in his image.

00:19:30.160 - 00:19:51.800

We are already linked up with God, and when we fight against God, we fight against the essence of our being. We fight against God, we lose inward peace.

00:19:51.800 - 00:20:08.560

You can never have peace and sweet rest when you fight against God. It is hard for you to kick against the bricks. It is hard to fight against God for you

00:20:08.560 - 00:20:28.240

are fighting against that which would give you the inner peace. So you lose that inward peace when you fight against God. When you fight against God, there is no real joy.

00:20:28.240 - 00:20:43.280

No real joy. To fight against God is to lose power that may be ours. You don't have any real spiritual power when you fight against God.

00:20:43.280 - 00:20:56.040

And when one fights against God, we are ripe for conflict with others. Well, it's a rather tragic experience, it's a tragic conflict.

00:20:56.040 - 00:21:13.440

See, we may choose whether to be for God, whether to be identified with God, whether to be identified against God, or whether just to be neutral.

00:21:13.440 - 00:21:26.740

Just to be neutral, just play it safe, some people say. Be neutral, be neutral. Now I'm not gonna be far against, I'm just gonna be neutral.

00:21:26.740 - 00:21:45.140

You know what? Dante in his Divine Comedy has a special place in hell for the neutral people, a special place in hell. And that group, the Laodiceans,

00:21:45.140 - 00:22:08.140

that were neither hot nor cold, They were given to neutrality and he puts them neither in heaven nor directly in hell but on the outskirts of hell. So, it's a terrible thing to try to be neutral either before God and be identified with him,

00:22:08.140 - 00:22:35.940

be on the Lord's side or to be against him. But to be against him is to be against your best friend. It is to look upon the one who is the father of us all as our enemy. Well, we should fight on God's side rather than against him.

00:22:35.940 - 00:22:51.220

And you know, the court did not really follow completely Gamaliel's advice, because what they did, they said, "Well, this is good advice." He said, "Now, don't touch them. Don't touch these men.

00:22:51.220 - 00:23:01.500

Leave them alone." You know what they did? They called him and told him, said, "Now, we're going to let you go." But they beat him first.

00:23:01.500 - 00:23:24.340

They vented their frustration and their anger by beating them and saying, "No! Get out of here and don't come back!" And when you read that passage, the historian Luke says that the apostles counted it joy to suffer shame in his name.

00:23:24.340 - 00:23:41.860

So the great thing, my brothers and sisters, is to be with God, no matter how heavy the the burden is, to be sure that the burden you carry is the Lord's burden, that the burden of the Lord is upon you. And if it's God's burden, if you're doing it for a good cause, it's all right.

00:23:41.860 - 00:24:14.460

Doesn't matter how many tears you shed, it doesn't matter how much sorrow you must bear, if you're bearing it for a good cause, it's all right. you are cooperating with God and it's a good thing to work with God. They counted it all joy. "Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with you." To walk with God, to

00:24:14.460 - 00:24:32.180

cooperate with God, they said, we must. We must obey God. You know, when a person says, ought, don't pay too much attention to that.

00:24:32.180 - 00:24:38.860

All of us say, I ought to do this. You talk to the man who's a drunkard, he say, well, I ought not to drink. He'll tell you that.

00:24:38.860 - 00:24:46.020

He say, I know I ought not to do this. You'd be taking a drink at the same time. I know I ought not do this. I know I ought not.

00:24:46.020 - 00:24:55.780

But one day I'm not going to do it. But it's really not that that really commands respect is when you say, I must. When you say, I must.

00:24:55.780 - 00:25:08.500

When something is so much a part of your life and has such possession of your being that you say, I must. I must. It means that there's something inside you that just can't help

00:25:08.500 - 00:25:26.360

it. That no matter what happens, that I must. You must cry out, I must, I must, I must be about my father's business. I must, I must preach the gospel.

00:25:26.360 - 00:25:43.480

I must, I must work the works of him that sent me. I must, I must go through Samaria. I must! I must go to Jerusalem.

00:25:43.480 - 00:25:52.120

I must suffer. I must obey God. I must. I must.

00:25:52.120 - 00:26:04.920

Oh, how wonderful it is to cooperate with God, to work with God, to fight with God against the entrenched evils of our time. To say, I must.

00:26:04.920 - 00:26:14.720

Oh, sometimes a person comes and listens to the gospel And you say, oh, I'd like to come down the aisle, but you think about what somebody is going to say. Sometimes you say, well, I know that's the truth,

00:26:14.720 - 00:26:23.640

and I'd like to witness to it. But if I witness, somebody will turn around and look and see who it is. But when you come to the place where you say, I must,

00:26:23.640 - 00:26:40.780

it's because the spirit of the Lord is upon you. Somehow God has grasped you and has made hold of you in such a way that you cry out, I must. I must, I must.

00:26:40.780 - 00:26:59.660

Be careful as you walk this pilgrim way. Be careful lest you be found to fight against God. So embrace the eternal goodness. Embrace that love which will not let go.

00:26:59.660 - 00:27:37.540

Embrace the one who forgives our sins. Embrace the power of the Lord. (soft piano music) [ Music ]

00:27:37.540 - 00:28:26.320

I must tell Jesus all of my trials. ♪ I cannot bear this burden's load ♪ ♪ In my distress He ♪ ♪ Kindly will help me ♪

00:28:26.320 - 00:29:15.200

♪ He ever loves and ♪ ♪ Cares for his own ♪ ♪ I must tell Jesus ♪ All of my troubles He is the kind, compassionate, free.

00:29:15.200 - 00:29:49.860

♪ If I but ask Him, He will deliver ♪ ♪ Make all my troubles quickly to Him ♪ ♪ I must let Jesus ♪ ♪ I cannot bear the cold ♪

00:29:49.860 - 00:30:13.160

♪ And I must let Jesus ♪ ♪ I must let Jesus ♪ ♪ I cannot bear the cold ♪ ♪ I must love Jesus ♪

00:30:13.160 - 00:30:37.160

♪ I must love Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus and love Him ♪ ♪ Jesus alone ♪ ♪ I must love Jesus ♪

00:30:37.160 - 00:31:18.160

[MUSIC] ♪ Need a great savior ♪ ♪ One who can help my burdens to bear ♪ ♪ I must tell Jesus ♪

00:31:18.160 - 00:32:07.220

♪ I must tell Jesus ♪ ♪ Over the world ♪ ♪ The tree to win ♪ I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, I cannot bear the burdens, O Lord.

00:32:07.220 - 00:32:31.160

I must tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus. Jesus will love me. Jesus, the Lord.

00:32:31.160 - 00:32:58.900

Amen. Amen. Let's listen to the report of our church clerk, Sister Valbertia C. Phillips. We have Brother Ronnie Edward White. He comes from St. Luke Baptist Church here in Austin. The Reverend, the late Reverend Green.

00:32:58.900 - 00:33:08.900

[BLANK_AUDIO]