A MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY.

Your choice today.

Reading: Acts 5:33-39.

“And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; BUT if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest you even be found to fight against God.”

Today I must ask some questions, and you will have to give the answers to these questions when ALL men will have to give an account of their life before a Holy God.

Question One: Is Jesus Christ just a man or God?

“Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel (Gama'liel), a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while” Verse 33.

Gamaliel was an outstanding man and greatly respected. (He was the teacher of the apostle Paul, see Acts 22:3), perhaps the most respected man of the entire Sanhedrin the supreme council of the Jewish people in the time of Christ. When this prominent elder rose to speak, everyone listened.

After having the apostles taken from the room, he first reminded the Sanhedrin that if this movement were not of God, it would soon collapse, then Gamaliel gives examples of men who had started uprisings and had a following, but after they were killed, their followers disbanded. Now he advises them that the same thing will happen to Jesus and His followers.

Gamaliel then continued, BUT, if this movement was of God, they would not be able to overthrow it, and they would be found in the awkward position of fighting against God. If the movement/Christianity which involves these disciples of Jesus Christ is not of God, it will come to nothing. BUT, on the other hand, if it is of God, who would dare to fight against it.

My question to you todayt is: Is Jesus Christ just a man or God? Jesus of Nazareth the God/Man in human flesh, who came to pay the price for our sin? Or not!

Question two: Will you answer in truth tonight or follow the crowd?

“Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” Matthew 27:22.

Pilate had to make a personal decision relative to Jesus that day; so he asked the crowd, “What shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ?” The answer came back to him; “Let him be crucified!” The Gospel of John tells us that Pilate repeatedly called Jesus inside the judgment hall and questioned Him privately. Pilate’s question, “Why, what evil has He done?” Pilate’s question was what to do with Jesus, but the answer would answer a second question, where will Pilate spend eternity!

Pilate called for a basin of water and washed his hands, declaring that he would have nothing to do with the execution of Jesus. But it was not that easy. He had to make a decision, every man does. Although Pilate washed his hands, the bitter mockery of it is that in the oldest creed of the church stand these words: “crucified under Pontius Pilate.” The blood of Jesus was on his hands no matter how much he washed them.

Pilate had to make a decision, and his decision, of course, was one of rejection of Jesus. Pilate released Barabbas to the crowd, the murderer is still enthroned; the righteous King is rejected.

Note this: when responsibility for a murder or crime was attached to one person, another was free (Genesis 27:13; 2 Samuel 3:28-29). Christ paid the price for our sin and not His own, we murdered Him when we where the murders.

Pilate should have listened to his wife. She was convinced of Jesus innocence, she encouraged her husband to let Jesus go, and maybe to accept Christ himself as his saviour. She faced the universal decision, “What shall I do with Jesus?” Accept or reject?

Question Three: Will you accept Christ Jesus as your Saviour?

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15.

Joshua says to the nation, “Do you want to go back to the gods of your fathers, those pagan gods which they served? Or do you want to serve the one and only God? You can choose. But as for me and my house, we have made our choice; we are going to serve the Lord!”

Joshua was not inviting, but demanding an answer. The issue was whether to obey the Lord or to choose another. If they refused to obey the Lord, they had to choose which pagan god to serve. Our own society today presents us with a confusing display of values, goals, and life-styles.

It is a Godless society, but a society full of gods pleading for our attention. The issue is whether to obey our mighty and loving Creator or to be lost in a hell bound journey! Joshua presented only two choices: serve the Lord God or serve foreign gods. They could not serve both (Joshua 24:19-20).

CONCLUSION:

Joshua understood that the challenge of choice:

1. Faithfulness and obedience.

2. Unfaithfulness and disobedience.

How will you answer these THREE questions?