Sermons
The Spirit with Which They Obeyed
The Spirit With Which They Obeyed
Introduction: The book of Acts gives us an account of some of the apostles going out and fulfilling the great commission to preach the gospel to the whole world. Consequently we have in the book of Acts recorded accounts of people being converted to Christ. We typically talk about these cases of conversion to help people understand what they must do to be saved. This morning I want to talk about some of these cases of conversion, but with a different focus. I want to talk about the spirit with which they obeyed. This lesson is intended to challenge us to consider the spirit in which we obey the Lord.
I. They Obeyed Immediately. They Saw the Urgency to Obey.
A. Several examples:
1. Acts 2:41 “…that dau about three thousand souls were added to them.”
2. Acts 8:36 “…See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
3. Acts 16:33 “…And immediately he and all his family were baptized.”
4. Acts 22:16 “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized…”
B. All these people recognized the urgency of obeying the gospel, those doing the teaching and those
obeying.
C. Why the urgency?
1. They recognized they were sinners, subject to the wrath of God, and therefore, in need of
salvation.
a. Peter impressed this upon their minds. Acts 2:40
They knew they were sinners (v. 37), but Peter tried to impress on their minds the urgency
of obeying.
2. There would be an urgency because they could lose their lives just at any moment.
a. There were threats to their lives as there are threats to our lives. We can die at any moment.
3. When we realize that we are sinners, that life is brief, and life could be taken from us at any
moment, surely anyone not a Christian ought to see the urgency.
II. They Obeyed Leaving Family, Friends and their Former Religious Affiliation.
A. Saul of Tarsus.
1. Saul was born in Tarsus but brought up in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel. He was taught
according to the strictness of their father’s law, and was zealous toward God as a Jew.
Acts 22:3
2. It may be that his parent saw to it that he was brought to Jerusalem so he could receive this
training in the Law under the most eminent teachers. What sacrifices do you think were
involved for Saul’s parents to make sure he got this training?
a. Saul was evidently a star pupil. Paul said in Gal. 1:14 that he had “advanced in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for
the traditions of my fathers.”
b. Saul was a Pharisee. He was the son of a Pharisee. Acts 23:6
3. Can you imagine how devastated his mother and dad may have been when they learned that
he had become a Christian? They may have been tremendously disappointed with Saul. They
could have become Christians, but we don’t know.
4. How would Gamaliel have felt?
5. But if it meant leaving his father and mother, his friends, his former teacher, his religious
affiliation he would do it because it was right.
B. “ …a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7
C. “Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household.”
Acts 18:8
1. Can you imagine the disappointment that would have swept through that synagogue when they
heard that Crispus (not just a member), the ruler of the synagogue had become a Christian?
2. It is hard to turn your back on your family, friends, and your past religious affiliation to become
a Christian.
D. They were probably aware of Jesus’ words in Matt. 10:34-39
1. They were willing to do whatever it took to be disciples of Jesus, whom they knew was the
Christ, the Son of the living God.
E. But they would have also understood the words that Jesus spoke about what one would have if he
left all for Jesus. Mark 10:28-31
1. One who leaves all for Jesus will gain much more in this time and in the age to come.
2. Relationships change when one becomes a Christian. Your relationship with your family who
are not Christians is not the same as before.
3. But in the church you are in the midst of fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, and sometimes
in houses that are not yours, but become yours.
F. This was the spirit in which they obeyed.
III. They Obeyed Knowing that Trials and Afflictions were Ahead.
A. Jesus didn’t hide this fact, nor did the apostles. John 15:20; Mark 10:30; 1 Thess. 3:3-4
1. Knowing it was going to happen, they obeyed anyway.
B. There was no effort to conceal the tribulations that Christians will encounter. Acts 14:21-22
C. Consider Timothy
1. Young people, who are your role models? Athletes? Entertainers?
A good role model for you is Timothy.
2. He was a young man when he obeyed the gospel, probably on Paul first missionary journey
when he came through Lystra. He may have seen Paul stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19).
a. How old was he? I don’t know but years later Paul wrote to him and said “Let no one
despise your youth…” (1 Tim. 4:12). He was probably very young.
b. If you had seen a preacher stoned and left for dead, would you still be inclined to heed what
the preacher was preaching?
3. Apparently, Timothy was not deterred by what he had seen, if he had seen it.
a. When Paul came back through Lystra on his second journey he took Timothy with him.
Timothy was “well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.”
Acts 16:1-3
b. You can be assured that Timothy knew of the perils and dangers that went along with
traveling with Paul. But he went anyway.
4. There is no indication that Timothy looked back. Phil. 2:19-22
He knew of the perils but he served anyway. What a role model to follow.
D. The day could come when in the USA Christians are tried and imprisoned for committing what is
called “hate crimes.” Are we ready?
IV. They Obeyed with Joy and Thanksgiving.
A. Acts 2:46-47 gladness of heart, praising God
These are happy people.
B. Acts 8:39 The eunuch went “on his way rejoicing.” Rightly so. He was saved.
C. Acts 16:34 The jailer “rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”
D. In spite of the fact they faced trials and afflictions, they received the gospel with joy.
E. They knew they had found something that was real and was of enormous value.
They knew it was more precious than anything this world could offer.
1. They had found the hidden treasure. Matt. 13:44
2. They had found the pearl of great price. Matt. 13:45-46
3. They sold everything to obtain the treasure. They do it with joy because they know the value of
the treasure.
4. The treasures of the kingdom of God are of more value than anything we could own in this life.
We obtain it with joy.
V. They Obeyed Looking to Jesus Christ for their Salvation.
A. Surely they did not believe that because they were being baptized they were somehow earning their
salvation. They did not put their faith in the water, or in a preacher.
B. They knew where their salvation was. It was in Jesus Christ. It was because of what Jesus had
done for them.
1. Acts 11:20 “…spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.”
11:21 “…a great number believed and turned to the Lord.”
11:23 “…encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the
Lord.”
11:24 “And a great many people were added to the Lord.”
C. They preached the Lord, people turned to the Lord, they were added to the Lord, and they were
exhorted to continue with the Lord. Where is the emphasis?
D. In baptism one is to “call on the name of the Lord.” Acts 22:16
The obedient one’s trust is in the Lord.
Conclusion: This lesson was not about what one must do to be saved, but about the spirit behind one’s obedience. In the book of Acts we read that people obeyed immediately because they saw the urgency. They were willing to leave father, mother, friends, their present religious affiliations in order to obey. They were willing to face afflictions and trials to obey. And even in spite of the afflictions they had joy and thanksgiving in their obedience. And in all of it they looked to Jesus Christ for their salvation.
