Your choice today
Text: Acts 5:38-39.
“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.”
Tonight, 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.
1. 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 (Gama'liel) 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 (San'hedrin) 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 (Gama'liel) 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 (Gama'liel) 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 tonight 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!
2.
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 decide; 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 decide, 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 were 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?
3.
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?
