First Reading: Acts 5:12-32
12Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. 17But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Psalm 148
1Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights. 2Praise him, all you angels of his; praise him, all his host. 3Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4Praise him, heaven of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. 5Let them praise the name of the Lord; for he commanded, and they were created. 6He made them stand fast forever and ever; he gave them a law which shall not pass away. 7Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps; 8Fire and hail, snow and fog, tempestuous wind, doing his will; 9Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars; 10Wild beasts and all cattle, creeping things and winged birds; 11Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the world; 12Young men and maidens, old and young together. 13Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name only is exalted, his splendor is over earth and heaven. 14He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants, the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Hallelujah!
Second Reading: Revelation 1:4-18
4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Gospel: John 20:19-31
19On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” 24Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Out-Standing for God
Early in my Air Force career, the Security Forces personnel were divided into Law Enforcement and Security Police. The Law Enforcement folks were the ones who rode around in patrol cars and enforced traffic, personnel, and property crime laws on military installations. The Security Police, as the name implies, were the ones who stood guard at the front gate, and guarded the aircraft on the ramp. The running joke was, that every Air Force base with a flightline needed a few outstanding security people, people who were out-standing in the rain, the snow, and the blazing hot sun.
As you can imagine, being assigned to the Security Police wasn’t a glamorous job. These folks spent countless hours walking around an aircraft to ensure it wasn’t tampered with. And because these dedicated individuals “stood guard”, oftentimes they were the ones who spotted problems with an aircraft like a leak, or a questionable tire, or even a loose panel, even before the crew chief knew about it. In many ways, a follower of Jesus is like those Security Police personnel. Oftentimes our call isn’t glamorous, we’re just ordinary people doing what we’ve been assigned to do.
Among the Security Police personnel, there were two types, the ones who took their job seriously and those who simply did the minimum. Those that did the minimum were the ones who would stand in the shadow of the plane most of the time and other than the patches on their uniform and a rifle, you couldn’t tell them apart from the maintenance people. These were the ones who would keep the rifle slung over their shoulder and looked for every opportunity to be distracted by the things and people around them. And then there were those who took their job seriously.
The Security Police member who saw their job as important did more than simply stand around, they kept their rifle at the ready, they were always cognizant of their surroundings, and were always on the move. These are the ones who saw the unusual, would quickly challenge anyone who didn’t have the proper credentials displayed as prescribed, and kept the assets safe. Just by watching the Security Police member on duty, you immediately knew who was Security Police by name, and who was willing to do the job set before them. In a way, this is the focus of the sermon for today, those that only want to stand around, and those that take their call as a disciple seriously.
Today we begin, where we are – the Second Sunday of Easter. Traditionally, this is known as “Low Sunday,” when church attendance hits a yearly all-time low, and the pastor’s energy level is on “empty” after the rigorous demands of Lent and Holy Week. For many, the big event is over. We celebrated the empty tomb, the resurrection, and the living Lord. What could possibly top that? In truth, nothing. The resurrection is the central focus of our lives and faith as Christians. Therefore, our text this morning doesn’t try to top the drama of the resurrection; rather, it stresses that the drama of the resurrection is far from over. In reality, the drama of the resurrection, and its far-reaching effects, have just begun.
Read carefully, the story of our First Reading is similar, at many points, to the Easter story. There is an imprisonment, guards, an angel, an open door, and a miraculous escape. In our Acts reading, Peter and the other apostles have been preaching about the risen Christ. They were arrested and thrown into jail. Suddenly, an angel appears and leads them past the guards through an opened iron gate to freedom. Then the angel says to them, “Go stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
When the Sanhedrin – the full assembly of the elders of Israel – heard that the apostles had somehow gotten out of jail and were preaching to the people in the temple, they were at first puzzled, and then they became furious. Immediately, the captain, with his officers, was sent to arrest them. If we had been a fly on the wall, I bet we would have heard the Chief Priest say, “go arrest them, but do so without violence. We don’t need to start a riot.” He said this, not only because the elders of Israel furious, but they were also afraid. Our text points out that the captain and his officers did not use force because “they were afraid of being stoned by the people.”
For the second time, Peter and the apostles were arrested and brought, again, before the council of the temple. The High Priest pointed an accusing finger at them and shouted, “We strictly charged you not to teach in his name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching!” Then, Peter stood defiantly before the Sanhedrin and uttered some of the greatest words recorded in the New Testament: “We must obey God, rather than men.” This is a story of raw courage. At the same time, it’s a drama of daring determination. The Apostles were far from ordinary men, they took their call to share the gospel seriously, and they stood ready to meet any challenge.
The main players in this drama are St. Peter and the high priest. They stood as provocative antagonists in the cloisters of the temple. Gathered around St. Peter were other apostles. Surrounding the high priest were the influential leaders of the elders of Israel. These two groups stood face to face, eye to eye, and toe to toe. The High Priest and his supporters were angry, jealous, and fearful. Peter and the Apostles with him were bold, dedicated, and determined. There was no compromise proposed. There was no treaty of peace possible. It was a battle for the truth.
As we examine this scene, we find that there’s an important and decisive element that seems to be missing. This vital element appears to be missing because we haven’t heard all that the author of Acts, St. Luke, is telling us. Luke records the conflict, which the early church encountered, as it embarked upon its mission of proclaiming Christ to the world. We also hear the general outline of the history of the church; but that seems to be it. However, when we read this passage carefully, we begin to notice, that again and again, the writer speaks about “the people.” They’re not presented as props, nor are they used as parts of the scenery to enhance the drama; rather, the people are key players of the story.
When Peter and the apostles are miraculously rescued from prison, the angel tells them why they have been released. The angel said to them, “Preach to the people.” When the apostles preached in the temple, the Sanhedrin, the High Priest, and the Sadducees were furious; and, at the same time, they were afraid. Why? Why were these religious leaders afraid? Were they afraid because the message being proclaimed, in the name of God, was contrary to their beliefs? In some ways, yes. However, the heart and the core of the Sanhedrin’s response of fury and fear revolved around one focal point – the potential power of the people.
The Religious Leaders of Israel couldn’t have cared less about ignorant fisherman telling their tales about a carpenter’s son, one who claimed to be the Messiah and was found guilty of treason; thereby, ending up on a criminal’s cross. Rather, the Sanhedrin did care that Peter and the apostles, were spreading the rumor that the crucified One, the One that they were guilty of condemning to death, had risen and was still alive. The High Priest in particular, cared and was deeply and personally concern, that the people in the streets, in the synagogues, and in the temple, were listening to this “fish-tale”, as they saw it, about a risen Lord. Moreover, the people were not only listening to it, they were also believing it. And, of greater concern was that the number of those listening and believing was growing by leaps and bounds each day. The key to all the success lay in both the Truth and the power behind the message.
The key to understanding the power, which the early church possessed, is the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit “who would lead them in all truth,” (John 16:13) and God’s Spirit is indeed present, wherever the pure gospel is preached. Not in the form of some Casper-like ghost, hovering above the heads of the apostles; the Holy Spirit was present within the apostles and was working in those who listened and believed. The Holy Spirit was present and working among the people, and that gave them a power which threatened the very structure of society.
The history of the early church, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, seems at first to focus only on the foundational figures of the Christian faith. At first, Peter is highlighted as the center of attention; then, St. Paul and his missionary journeys take center stage. These are the pivotal characters of the Book of Acts. They are the ones who spearheaded the expansion of the Christian faith around the world. But our fascination with these mighty men of the faith must not blind us to the fact that the decisive element in the history of the church was, and is, the people – the Spirit-filled people – the unknown, the unnamed, the common, and the ordinary people who were filled with God’s Spirit.
Thus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, the people not only heard, they believed – and they followed. The people are the heart that beats beneath the skin and within the body of the recorded history of the church. Ordinary people, like you and like me; people who do not make history – but who are enlivened by the Holy Spirit – make the history of the church possible. I began this sermon by saying that the Security Police member and Christians have something in common, both have been called to be out-standing.
This sermon is for anyone who will listen to the voice of the Spirit and respond. Today’s message is for those of us who recognize that, on our own, we don’t have the courage, the talent, or the skills we need to assume leadership in the church and to do something spectacular for the Lord. Without the power of God’s Spirit, and the truth of the gospel, we’re simply ordinary people who live ordinary lives. We go to work at the office, or at the factory, or at the mill, or at the store, or we stay at home and work.
We clean the house and cook the meals. We raise our children. We try to live as decent and as useful lives as possible. However, for the most part, we’re not dynamic leaders. Without the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the gospel, we’re uncomfortable speaking in public. Yes, we believe in Christ. Yes, we love God. But, when we pray, we pray in private. As soon as the spotlight of attention moves our way, we head for the nearest exit and find somewhere to hide. However, with the power of the Spirit, we have no need to hide.
In the power of the Spirit, we are an important part of the work of God’s kingdom. Furthermore, we become an essential element of all history. And more importantly, you and I become an important part of the history of the church. The church has been built first, on the solid cornerstone that is Jesus, and then on the foundational stones of the early church fathers such as a St. Peter or St. Paul. But this isn’t the whole of the building. The church, the body of Christ, is also being built with thousands of smaller stones and millions of grains of sand and mortar – the spirit-filled ordinary people who form and make possible the mighty structures of the church. You and I are an important part of the church.
You and I are the people of God who were filled with God’s Spirit in Holy Baptism and empowered to do big things and can accomplish extraordinary tasks. And because we have been empowered by God’s Spirit, we can never say to ourselves, “Because I cannot do something spectacular and outstanding for the Lord, I might as well do nothing.” Each, and every, day we need to pray, Lord, what can I do for the kingdom. It doesn’t matter how seemingly small or insignificant the task, we need to be open and willing to serve as God calls us to do. We are the people of God. We are the body of Christ in this world. God sent His Son to redeem and reconcile His people, and you and I have the privilege and obligation of sharing that truth with our neighbors.
Satan would like for us to think, since I can only do something small, it’s insignificant and not worth doing, it’s like a drop in a bucket. However, when a bucket is placed under a dripping faucet, in no time at all, it will be filled. Or consider a tiny snowflake that is hardly noticed when it falls on the back of your hand. Multiply those snowflakes, and they can become a blizzard capable of burying an entire town. The multiplication of those snowflakes can form a tremendous storm that can paralyze huge cities.
When empowered by the truth of the gospel and the Holy Spirit, ordinary people, are transformed into out-standing witnesses for the kingdom. And to become out-standing we must be willing to be used of God. This is why every story of the Bible is, without question, grounded in the call of God to His people and their response. God continually calls His people to be faithful, not just in great deeds of courage and daring, but in the little day-to-day acts of faithful living that, when added all together, can have a tremendous impact on the world around us.
Our text says that the Sanhedrin and the high priest feared the people. They knew that a word spoken possesses no power in and by itself, but a word spoken by God and heard by His people – a people who are filled with the Holy Spirit – can, did, and will continue to change the world. We must be willing to be used of God if we want to make a difference in this world.
How many of you have ever seen a car engine disassembled? For the untrained, it looks like a pile of parts. If you simply take the crank and cam shafts, the valves, springs and rocker arms, and all the various attaching bolts and nuts and simply put them in a pile, they are little more than scrap metal. However, in the hands of a mechanic willing to use the tools given to them, that pile of seemingly ordinary objects not only becomes the power plant for an automobile, it becomes a vital part of the vehicle by which things move forward.
Alone, we may feel like we have little to contribute. However, when we place our lives in God’s hands, the ordinary becomes the outstanding; the seemingly minor part, becomes an integral part of the kingdom and the will of God will be experienced in our neighborhoods, our cities, and around the world. In the power of the Holy Spirit and equipped with the truth of the gospel, you and I can make a difference in people’s lives, all to the glory of God. All it takes is for us to say, Lord send me.
Amen