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Amen, okay, keep your place there in Acts chapter five. We're gonna finish up this chapter this evening. So we've already gone through the story of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, and talked about that. We're gonna start at verse number 12, but before I go verse by verse, let me just break down the rest of the chapter for you so you kinda just understand what happens. You'll kinda see the points that I'm gonna try to make throughout the chapter. So basically, after the Ananias and Sapphira situation, Peter goes back out and they get locked up again. They get put in prison, the angel of the Lord breaks them out, and again, we just see at the beginning, as we're gonna look, all these people are just getting saved Okay, all these people are just believing them, and you see this contrast of all these people believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and just believing what they're saying, and then you just see this contrast of the Pharisees and the religious leaders just getting madder and madder about the whole thing. Okay, and then of course, the angel of the Lord breaks them out of prison. They are brought again to the religious leaders, and they tell them to stop, stop doing this or whatever, and then of course they don't, and they say we ought to obey God rather than man, Peter says, and then we see at the very end, I'm gonna talk about this as well, we see the speech from Gamaliel, and we'll talk about that as well. So let's look down at verse number 12. That's kind of what happens, that's just kind of the plot that we're gonna be talking about here, okay? So look at verse number 12. The Bible says, and by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought amongst the people, and they were all, here we go again, we see this again, they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch as they were preaching in the temple, and of the rest, there's no man joined himself to them, but the people magnified them. You know, it says that there were some, durst means dare, some people just didn't dare follow them, but the people magnified them, and believers were more added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities, round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits, and they were healed every one. So I mean, here we're seeing just these people that are just being just saved and just believing this, and just, and of course, they're performing miracles too. They're not just, you know, preaching the gospel, they're also healing people, so you have to kinda remember that just like the Pharisees when they saw Jesus doing the miracles, they just, they still didn't believe him. It was just, they just got madder and madder and madder. The exact same thing is happening with the apostles here. Look at verse number 17. So here we just see this chunk of verses, verse 12 through verse 16 of just all these people just believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and believing what the apostles are saying. Look at verse 17. Now we see the opposite, the contrast. The high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, so these are the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them forth and said, Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. So the angel releases them, brings them out of the prison, and says, you know, go keep preaching Jesus. Verse 21. When they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught, but the high priest came, and they that were with him had called the council together and all descended of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. So they don't even know they're out yet, but when the officers came and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety and the keeper standing without before the doors, but when we had opened, we found no man within. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. So that's quite a miracle right there. I mean, they didn't even, you know, bust down a wall or anything, you know, the angel just took them out and closed everything back up, and they didn't even know, even the guards didn't even know that they were gone. And then verse 26, again, we see that they fear the people. The captain with the officers brought them without violence. Why? Because they feared the people lest they should have been stoned. So they were worried that if they would do anything to these popular men, because look, there was, verse 12 through verse 16, we see all these people that were just believing them and just getting saved, okay? And they were healing all these people. So the people, again, liked them. It was just these religious leaders trying to make this stop, okay? Look at verse 27. When they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest asked them, saying, Did we not straightly command you that you should not teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. And then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. So here we see, this is just a standard, this is a basic Bible philosophy right here that Peter lays out in front of the Sadducees. He just says, look, we're to obey God rather than you. We see this philosophy throughout the Bible when the Bible talks about all the authorities in our life. God is always at the top of the list. In Ephesians five, the Bible says, Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord, okay? So God is always at the top of the list when it talks about authorities in your life. So a wife is to submit herself to her husband as long as it's, what it means as unto the Lord, as long as it's in line with what the Lord says, okay? Ephesians six says the same thing about children. Children obey your parents in the Lord, it says, for this is right. So that caveat is always there in our life. I mean, in Colossians three, it says servants. I mean, talking about your boss at work, you know, masters that you have, servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart. And look, it says, fearing God. So it always puts that point in there that you're always to, as long as it lines up with what God says. This is very similar to what Peter told the Sadducees. He just says, I have to do what God says, not what you do. So what the Sadducees were telling Peter was not unto the Lord. It was not of fearing God. It was not in line with what God, cause we saw the angel just told him, go speak all the words of this life, just a couple of verses before you let him out. Romans 13 says exactly the same thing. It says, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. So this is one thing that we always need to realize when we're looking at authorities in our life is, you know, we are to follow the authority that the Bible lays out for us in our lives. Yes, husbands, wives, masters, servants, you know, pastor, church, you know, the whole thing, as long as it's in the Lord, okay? As long as it's in the Lord. If it's not in the Lord, then we're to obey God rather than men. But look, here's the thing. If it's in the Lord, if it's in the Lord, we're to obey it. If it's in the Lord from your boss, we're to obey it. And look, a lot of things, a lot of things are neutral. A lot of things aren't in the Bible. I mean, think about this for a second. I mean, you know, the Bible says that my children are to obey me. And, you know, if I tell my son to go mow the lawn, you know, I want the lawn mowed twice a week. And he says, well, I don't think that God would want the lawn mowed twice a week. That's not correct, okay? He's not in the Lord at that point. Mowing the lawn and how many times you mow the lawn is not in the Bible, okay? That is up to, you know, his dad's authority, his parents' authority. So don't, you know, don't make things spiritual that are not spiritual. I mean, you know, when it comes to wives, I mean, when it comes to wives, the Bible says that they're supposed to, you know, therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, the Bible says. It says, let the wives be unto their husbands in everything. It says the wives are to be subjected to their husbands in everything, everything. So, you know, that's not popular today, but there's a lot of things that are just, they're left up to the husband. They're left up to the husband. They might not be in the Bible. If I came home and my wife had a whole meal on the table and I said, you know, I want pancakes. And she's like, oh man, but I've already made hamburgers. And I'm just like, I have to have pancakes right now. Look, she should make pancakes. Look, people will be, I mean, look, that would be kind of a jerk thing for me to do. And like, I wouldn't do that. And in 23 years, I've never done that. But the point is like, it's, the husband is in charge in everything. And if I want pancakes over hamburgers, that, you know, that's not against what the Bible says. Okay. So, you know, a lot of people like with marriage today, this is all mixed up because it's just, you know, the world is teaching something completely different. A lot of people are really scared about getting married because, you know, young men today will look at the laws of the country and they'll just look at and they'll say, well, man, you know, my wife, she doesn't have to listen to me. You know, there's no sheriff that's gonna come over and tell my wife to make pancakes if she doesn't listen to me. You know, if she won't make pancakes, she's just like, no, eat your hamburger. And I'm just like, well, that's not correct according to the Bible. Look, there's no law that's gonna enforce that for me. So you'll get these young men that are just like, oh, I don't ever wanna get married, you know, and all this. But here's the thing. I mean, you shouldn't marry someone that has no fear of the Lord because you shouldn't marry someone who has no fear of, you know, what the Bible says. I mean, the Bible says that if you sin willfully, there's fire indignation coming for you. That's what the Bible says. So look, this idea of not respecting authority in your lives, I mean, I'm speaking about wives right now, but it's a life wrecker in so many situations. If you're a man that can't respect authorities in your life, you're gonna have a very hard time working or holding a job. If you're somebody that just can't respect authority in a church, you're gonna have a hard time having your family in church. It's really a fatal flaw for the Christian. And for a marriage, it's really difficult. It'll make you so your marriage is kicking against the pricks. So wives, you should just, you know, he's in charge. I mean, that's the way it is. And, you know, husbands should not be bossed around by their wives. I mean, it's just, it's very simple. You know, TV today has the man, the man is the idiot. He's the fool. It's because they're cutting this down. They're trying to cut down this biblical structure and they're trying to undo it. They're trying to undo it. Turn to Isaiah chapter three. It says that in a marriage, in a marriage as in a nation, if you mix up these roles of men and women, if you mix these roles up, it's actually a curse. It's actually something that is a judgment. Look at Isaiah chapter three. Just applying this to a marriage. Look at Isaiah chapter three and look at verse number eight. Isaiah chapter three and verse number eight. Look down at verse number eight. Yeah, let's just start at verse number eight. For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah has fallen because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of his glory. So here this nation is in for it, the Bible is saying, because they're doing things against the Lord. The show of their countenance doth witness against them and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Boy, who's that? I mean, that's kind of like us today. We just declare our sin as a nation and we're proud of, you know, literal abomination. Woe unto their soul for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. Look, judgment is coming to this nation. Look at verse 10. Say to the righteous that it shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him. So look at this. Now we can apply this to a nation and we'll see that it is happening in our nation, but you can also apply this to a marriage as well. As for my people, look, this is a judgment. This is a judgment on a nation. This is a judgment on a people that don't listen to the Lord, that do things against the Lord in verse number eight. It says, ask for my people. It says, children are their oppressors. I mean, look at people raising their kids today. People are being run by two-year-olds and three-year-olds today. All you have to do is go to a grocery store to see that, go to Walmart to see that. People are just, I mean, this is why people can't even imagine having more than one kid. They're like, oh, one or two, they can't even imagine it because they're completely owned by the two-year-old and the four-year-old that they have. Children are their oppressors. And look what it says, and women rule over them. Oh, my people, they which lead thee, cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths. Look, being ruled by women is a curse. Well, you can't say that too loud today, but that's what the Bible says. If you're ruled by your wife, that's not a good thing, men. You're not to be ruled by your wife. You're to rule yourself. Look, this is what God says. This isn't how smart women are. This is just the role that God wants women in in a family. This is the role that God wants women in in a nation. He says the nation that has women ruling over them, that's a judgment, that's a judgment. Children are their oppressors and women rule over them. So obey your husbands in the Lord, always in the Lord. Go back to Acts chapter five. We just have to remember, I mean, it's such a simple doctrine. It's just that we've been given these authority structures in our life. We just need to follow them as long as they're in the Lord. It's very simple, okay? And the more that we follow things, it's like Paul was kicking against the pricks, right? It's like petting a porcupine. You want to pet them one way only, right? You don't want to go the other way, right? So if you do things the way God says to do them, you're going to have an easier time. You're going to have a good marriage. You're going to have a good time at work. You're going to have a good life in church. You're going to have all kinds of just goodness and blessings come your way. If you try to kick against the pricks, you're going to have nothing but trouble. Look at Acts chapter five and verse number 30. So Peter is just pointing out saying, look what you're telling me. You're telling me to pet the porcupine the wrong way. You're like, I'm not going to do it. He's like, I'm just going to do what God tells me to do. And that's it. Look at verse number 30. The God of our fathers, now Peter starts, he starts preaching. He starts preaching Jesus again. Okay. And this is how many times has Peter preached Jesus already in the book of Acts that we've been studying? I mean, this is, he's done it several times already. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom he slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be Prince and savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things. And so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God had given to them that obey him. When they heard it, they were cut to the heart and took counsel to slay them. Notice how he says that, you know, he's given the Holy Ghost. Okay. That people that are saved and that obey God are given the Holy Ghost. And when they heard that they were cut to the heart and took counsel to slay them. So there's that opposite reaction right there. Here you had all these other people bringing in their friends and bringing in these sick people so they could just have the shadow of Peter cross them. And they were just believing them and they were all becoming of one accord. And then you had these people, they were just like, ah, they're just more and more against them. More and more cut to the heart against them. This reminds me of one of the theories that's out there of Hebrews chapter six. So let's turn to Hebrews chapter six. And I thought that this would be a good time, as good a time as any to explain Hebrews chapter six, cause I've never really gone into it before because it's one of those things. This is one of those few verses in the Bible that as a satellite leader, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. But now as a pastor, I can give my opinion on it. But this idea that Peter is out here and he's preaching the gospel again and again and again, and certain just multitudes of people are getting saved. And then other people are just getting more and more hardened to the word of God. This is a common thing that you will see in your life. It's a common thing that happens. And it's one of the theories of Hebrews chapter six, verses four, five, and six. So let's go ahead and look at Hebrews chapter six. And let's look at these verses. So this is kind of a standalone Bible study right here. Now just think about what's happening in Acts chapter five. And let's look at these verses. Now I wanna give you the context. Look at verse number one. We gotta look at the context. What are we talking about here in Hebrews chapter six? It says, therefore, leading the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection. So he's saying, perfection, sanctification, he's like, now that we're saved, let's go and let's do what we're supposed to do. Let's live the Christian life. Let's go and teach the right doctrine, do the right things. Cause I mean, couldn't you get saved and then not do the right things? And just do, or maybe just do nothing, right? Look what he says, go unto perfection. And then he says, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, okay? And faith, and of faith toward God. So what's he saying there? He's like, don't go and revisit this idea that he's talking about turning from what are dead works? Works are, dead works are works that I thought were gonna get me to heaven. You know, those are dead works, cause they're gonna get me nothing but dead. Okay, they're gonna get me nothing but, you know, in hell. Okay, so he's like, we don't have to go revisit that. Let's get saved and let's move on with the Christian life, what we're supposed to do. He says, so we're gonna, we don't wanna go back into, you know, repent from dead works, cause that's what we all did, right? Didn't we all repent from dead works? That's what I did. I mean, you repent from, you know, I believed in, you know, work salvation, and then I repented from that in faith towards God. Completely, right? So that's what the context here is. Now look at verse number four. Now these are maybe, maybe outside of Bible prophecy, these three verses are maybe, maybe one of the more complicated verses in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, okay? Look at verse number four. It says, for it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify themselves, the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. So there's two main ideas here. There's two main schools of thought here. I'll give you probably the most, it's probably the most popular one, probably amongst circles that we are in, is this. It's saying that these are people that get almost to the point of getting saved. Okay, they've been given the word of God, they almost get, they're really considering it, they're thinking about it, they understand it, and they just decide no. They decide to reject it, okay? And then in verse number six it says, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, it says it's impossible to renew them again, okay? It just, it says, now here's the thing, I don't take this school of thought. However, I'm okay with the theory, okay? Because the theory's true, the theory's true. If you go and you give somebody the gospel, and they really consider it, and they understand the whole thing, and they decide, yeah, I don't think so. You know, then it's definitely gonna be less likely that that person gets saved. That's been my experience, okay? However, I do know people that have been given the gospel like a dozen or more times before they got saved. I also know people that have been given the gospel years before, and considered it, and didn't believe it, and then something happened in their life that was drastic, and then they were given it again, and then they didn't believe it. Okay, so I agree with the theory of that interpretation. However, the absolute language here, where it says it is impossible for those who are once enlightened, as a matter of fact, as a matter of fact, the theory, I've heard this theory used for both saved people and unsaved people. I just talked to you about unsaved people. They hear the gospel, they almost believe it, and then they reject it, okay? So this is basically saying that those people, they're just reprobates at that point, okay? Now, I've heard this used also to describe saved people, who save people who they're saved, and they get saved, and they get in church, and they get walking with the Lord, and then they just like go bonkers, and they just fight against the Lord, and they get backslidden, and they fight against the church, and they just like throw it off. I mean, this is kind of like what Matthew 12 is talking about. Go ahead and turn to Matthew 12. I think it's in Luke 10 or 11 as well, but Matthew 12, turn to Matthew 12. So I've heard this theory, and I've seen this happen as well, okay? You got a saved person, they fall away, and it's just they never get back to where they were again. That's what this would say, right? That they just can never get back to where they were in the first place. Look at Matthew chapter 12, and look at verse number 43. Matthew 12 verse 43, the Bible says, when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, this is Jesus talking, he walketh through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out, and when he has come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. So here, Jesus is using an analogy here, and he's talking about it, and you could picture the unclean spirit as sin, and the man is pictured as a house, okay? So the man is a house, and he's cleaned himself up. He's cleaned out the house, he's gotten all the junk out, he's gotten all this out, and it says when the unclean spirit comes back, you know, he comes in, and he brings seven more spirits. Look at what he says, then he goeth, and he taketh with them seven other spirits, more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be unto this wicked generation. So Jesus is using an analogy to say what's gonna happen to these wicked leaders that are not believing in him. Jesus is basically in Matthew 12 here, he's explaining what we're seeing in Matthew, or in Acts chapter five, does that make sense? How these people that are hearing the gospel, they're hearing the gospel, they're just getting worse, they're just getting worse, they're just getting worse. That's what Jesus is explaining in Matthew chapter 12. He's given a picture of an unclean spirit coming out of a guy, but just picture somebody that gets sin out of their life, and then they get back into that sin. And I've seen this many times too. They get sin out of their life, say a saved person, they dump the sin out, they clean out the house, then they go back into that sin, and it's way worse than it was the first time. I've seen that several times in my life as well. So the theory is sound, the theory's there, okay? The theory's there. But, you know, I just, and look, I don't really have any problem with that interpretation of Hebrews chapter six. The only thing that I don't think that that's the main application of it is because it's just, it's absolute language. It's absolute, it says it's impossible. And the Bible does say that, you know, it's possible to be restored. I mean, we see in 1 Corinthians chapter five, there's a guy in fornication, and you know, and then 2 Corinthians chapter two, he gets restored. And Paul's saying, hey, restore him. You know, forgive him, bring him back. So, I mean, maybe I'm just an optimistic fool, but I'd like to keep that hope that that's possible, okay? Even though, even though it was saved people that have like just completely turned against the Christian life, it's very rare, maybe, I've not seen it. It's where they come back and they get to where they were in the first place. Okay, so let me look, it's a warning for us. It's a warning for us to protect our Christian life. Okay, at least from experience, we see it. We've all seen both sides of this. We've all seen people that have been given the gospel, got to that point where they're like, ah, almost there. And then they rejected it, and then they just get way worse. They just get way worse and it's harder to get them saved. We've seen that, and you know, most people that have been in church or churches for years and years have seen people that get backslidden, get out of church, and they just, they don't, never seem to get back to where they were again, okay? Especially when they like just turn, they fall away from it and turn against it. So both of those theories are true, okay? But go back to Hebrews chapter six, and I'll tell you what I think this means. And honestly, if somebody has an interpretation or a theory on Hebrews chapter six with these three verses, and it doesn't like undo anything else in the Bible, I really don't have any issue with it. I mean, it's interesting, but here's what I think about Hebrews chapter six and verse number four, five, and six, here's what I think it means. I think it's just proof of eternal security is what I think it means. Because the Bible says in verse four, because remember, what are we talking about in verse one? We're talking about repentance from dead works towards faith in Jesus. We're talking about just throwing off workspace salvation and accepting Jesus Christ as your savior. That's what we're talking about, okay? And then it says, it says, for is it impossible, is it impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost? That's where I think that, you know, these are probably saved people. I mean, it says that they're partakers, okay? They're partakers of the Holy Ghost. So they've got the Holy Ghost. Partaker means you took it, you have it. You know, you've got that earnest for salvation. And so if you just underline those words right there, for it's impossible, what he's saying is, what I'm about to say to you is not possible. What I'm about to say to you is it can't happen, is what he's saying. And this is the only thing when we look at this absolute language here, it makes sense. Because it's not possible to lose your salvation, right? So he's saying it is impossible for those, and then he says, for saved people. That's how I interpret the rest of the verse. And have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come. So if you just look at verse four and verse five, let me just shorten it for you. You know, it's impossible for saved people, look at verse six, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh. He's saying it's impossible for them to fall out of that faith. Because Jesus would have to die for them again. Because Jesus would have to like go and like die on the cross again. And it's funny because this kind of resonates with me a little bit, because one of the last questions I asked my Lutheran pastor right before I left the church, and I think it was after I got saved, I was already saved when I asked him this question, but I just kind of came up to him, and I just said it was the last church service I ever went to at the Lutheran church. And I said, where in the Bible does it explain? Because like, look, we believe you can lose your salvation in the Lutheran church, right? Someone's gonna make a clip of that. We believe you could lose your salvation in the Lutheran church. That was the whole thing, that was the difference. We said, oh, grace through faith and all this, but we believed that you could fall into unbelief. You could fall out of grace. That's what we believed, okay? And I said, where in the Bible? So if we believe you could lose your salvation, you have to believe you can get resaved, right? Or is it a one-shot deal? No, they all believe you can get resaved and get brought back into the church and all this kind of stuff. And I just said, give me one example in the Bible, or where does it explain in the Bible where somebody gets born again and again and again, and you just don't see it anywhere? You don't see it. You're born again one time, that's it. And the reason you're not born again, and the book of Hebrews just talks about this ad nauseum, is because Jesus only had to die once. Jesus only had to die once. And if you could fall away, Jesus would have to die again. Because it would mean that that wasn't good enough if you could fall out of faith. And the Bible here is saying, if they shall fall away, so it's saying it's impossible for verse six to happen, is the way I interpret this, okay? If they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame, it would be a shame to say that Jesus would have to die again and again and again. That would be an insult to God to say that, because Jesus' sacrifice was good enough, it only had to be done one time. Okay, the bulls and goats had to be redone again and again and again. Jesus, once. So I just think that this is a proof of eternal security. However, the theory, and I think that the reason people read into this is because the theory of saved people falling away and never really getting back to where they were, and unsaved people hearing the gospel again and again and again, and being less likely to get saved, it's true, you will see that. You'll see that in your life, okay? But look, it's not impossible for somebody to get restored. I mean, maybe I'll never see it in my life, but I refuse to believe it's impossible, okay? I refuse to believe that it's impossible. Even somebody that goes into the worst sin, you know, or not the worst sin, but I mean, you know, somebody that just really goes into sin, I believe that there's a godly repentance, there's a godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians chapter seven. You can just repent of that and then, you know, Paul says we're supposed to just forgive people. You know, let them be given over and forgive people. So that's my Hebrew six explanation. Like I said, you know, there's some things you can't touch as a satellite leader, but that's what I believe about that, go back to Acts chapter five. But we see the theory, right, we see the theory of people hearing the gospel again and again and again, and a lot of people getting saved, and then certain people just getting really hardened, is all that to say that, okay? Now I'll go back to verse number 34, but just remember, okay, so just remember, we always base doctrine, and here's why it doesn't really matter. If I had a pastor friend who thought something different about this, which I do, it makes no difference to me about this, because when it comes to our Bible reading, rule number one is that it's just that doctrine should always come from clear doctrine, or from clear scripture. Our doctrine should always come from clear scripture. It shouldn't come from parables, or it shouldn't come from, you know, obscure verses like this. We'll all get together and talk to Jesus when we're in heaven, and he can explain it to us when we get there, okay, on these obscure things. But just remember, when you're reading something obscure, if somebody was teaching a theory about Hebrews chapter six, verse four, five, and six, and their theory said you could lose your salvation, I would have a problem with that, and you should have a problem with that too, because there's very clear scriptures that we are eternally secure, and that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and that once we are saved, we are always saved. So our Bible reading must always, you know, our doctrine comes from clear, easily understood scriptures. That's why the gospel's so simple, okay? Look at verse 34. Now we see this Gamaliel give a little speech here, and this is super interesting, what he says. It also applies to a lot of things that we see today, but he stands up and he gives some wisdom here, and I mean, I agree with what he's saying. What he says is pretty smart, look what he says. He says, he obviously doesn't have like this, just like this reprobate hatred of the apostles, and he says, he stands up, there stood up there, one in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, he had a reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space, and he said to them, you men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Thudias, boasting himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about 400, joined themselves, who was slain, and all and as many as obeyed him were scattered and brought to naught. So he says, look, he's talking to the people that are against the apostles, and he's saying, just wait, he's talking to all the people, maybe people that are against him, and people that are for the apostles, and he's like, look, don't you remember this guy Thudias? He's like, he came up and he got this big following of hundreds of people, and then some people obeyed him, he's like, but as soon as he was killed, it was like everybody scattered. And the whole thing came to nothing, he said. And then look at verse 37, he says, after this rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him, he also perished, and all even as many obeyed him were dispersed. So he says, there was another guy, maybe this guy was a tax protester. There was another guy who got people all worked up about taxes. And everybody was gathered to him. What he's saying is like, look, we've seen this before. We've seen this before. He's like, look, there was people, they were drawn to this guy too, and then he died, was killed or whatever, it was like everybody just scattered. And look at verse 38. Now I say unto you, refrain from these men and let them alone. For this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught. Now he talks to the actual religious leaders who are trying to persecute them, and he's saying, what are you doing? He's like, just leave them alone, because they're just like, they're just like Theudius, and they're just like this Judas, this tax protester, because it'll just come to nothing. He's like, what do you care? It will come to naught, nothing. Verse 39, then he says, benefit be of God, you cannot overthrow it. Lest happily you be found even to fight against God. And to him, they agreed. It's like, how are you gonna argue against that? And when they called the apostles, so they agree, right? So what does he tell them? He tells them, he's like, hey guys, no action here. He's like, don't take any action. He's like, because if it's not of God, it's just gonna just disperse into nothing. And if it is of God, do you wanna fight against God? Like, what are you idiots? And they're like, yeah, we agree. And then they beat them. It's like, this is how much these Sadducees just hate these guys. It's like the heathen rage, right? The heathen rage. And to him, they agreed. So they're like, yeah, you're right. And they beaten them. They commanded they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple in every house, they cease not to teach and priest Jesus Christ. So look, this guy says, either they will die and the movement will die, or it will continue because it's of God. And either way, you shouldn't take any action against these men because you're either, at best case, you're wasting your time. And at worst case, you're fighting against God. So this, I mean, people should think about this. Turn to Isaiah chapter 55. I mean, this shows you right here that people that fight against a church, think about this. People that fight against a church are foolish people that don't know the Bible. Because number one, if it's some church where just the pastor's a heretic and it's like, whatever, just get out of there. Because like, God's gonna take care of that. I mean, God's gonna take care of that situation. However, I mean, people that fight against a soul-winning church, I mean, are you kidding me? That's preaching the right gospel? It's like, what are you thinking? I mean, you're literally fighting against God. That's the position people are putting themselves in. Because look, if it is of God, if it is of God, God's gonna protect it. It's very simple. Look at Isaiah chapter 55. Look at Isaiah chapter 55. And if it is of God, I mean, here's a promise that God gives us about, so the angel told, remember what the angel told Peter. The angel told Peter, he's like, just go out and just speak all the words. Go speak all the words. And we know, of course, of course, when we look at Peter and the apostles, we know that that was of God. I mean, first of all, they all died. They all died and they just kept growing. Well, except John, they just kept growing and growing and growing. Look at us today. And look at us today from that. People just kept getting saved and saved. And today, people are getting saved and saved. And it might not be as receptive as it was 40 years ago, but people are still getting saved. It just keeps going and going and going. But why? Look at Isaiah 55 verse six. It says, seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. So there's kind of like my, there's my philosophy again right there, right? That if you turn from your wicked way, you know the Lord will have mercy on you. The Bible says, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. We need to always remember that right there. That's not the main point of what I'm gonna talk about here. We always need to remember that just because we don't really understand how things are working, that as long as we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, we don't know what God's plans are. Because his ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and make it bring forth and bud that it may give a seed to the sower and bread to the eater. He's like, look, the rain doesn't fall for no reason. He's like, the rain comes down and the snow comes down. It doesn't just come, it's not just like there just to just fall on the ground. It goes and it does its work in the ground and it brings forth all this abundance and it brings forth seed and it brings forth bread for us to eat. He's giving an analogy here. He's like, these things don't happen for no reason at all. So he starts off saying, my ways are way bigger than your ways. You have no idea what my plans are. He's like, just as things that you just take for granted, like precipitation, has a purpose, look at verse 11. It says, so shall my word be that go forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. So guess what? If this is of God, if Peter and the apostles were of God, which we know they were, then God here is saying, he's like, if they were speaking his words, then that word is gonna accomplish something. And you may say, well, I don't understand what God's trying to accomplish everywhere in my life. But here's the thing, if we are going out and we are speaking God's words, this is a promise here. This is a promise, just as when the rain falls, you know, I flew over Death Valley. The reason there's nothing growing there is because it never rains. If it would rain there, things would grow there. But it just never rains there. It's 130 degrees and it never rains. But if it does rain, things would come forth. That's how it works. God is saying, if the word goes out, if it's his word and it goes out, it will not come back void. It will not come back empty. It will not come back without anything. Look, we have no idea what God's plans are. We have no idea. That's why there's a lot of times in your life where you're just like, I don't know what's going on. Just gotta follow orders. You just gotta do what God tells you to do. Just keep putting that word out there. That's all we need to do. Like the Christian life is hard, but it's very, very simple. It's very simple, just keep putting out that word. Look, every time we go out, every time we go out and save, nobody gets saved. You go out and say you haven't gotten somebody to save for two months. Every time you went out and every time you spoke God's word, something happened. Something happened because God promises that his word will not come back with nothing. It goes on and it will accomplish something. I mean, the Bible says we're ambassadors for Christ. You know what that means? We're spokesmen, we're representatives for Christ. Christ is the word. Christ is the word of God. And it's a promise that every single time, I mean, think about it. Think about it every time, maybe every time you go out and you have a conversation with people. I like conversations just as much as I like getting somebody saved at this point. Look, I like getting people saved, but if I can get into a conversation where I can just really strike the word of God into somebody's heart and just really make them kind of think about things. Look, I just love those types of conversations. Those make me very happy. And guess what? If we get exhorted from it and we get lifted up, not lifted up like prideful, but if we get strengthened in our Christian life from speaking God's word, guess what? That's an accomplishment of God's word right there, that it makes us grow. Do you know if you go out and you give the gospel and you go out and you get more experience soul-willing, you know what? That's God's word accomplishing something right there. There's so much more than just having somebody receive Jesus at the door. There's so much more. I mean, just think about the edification that I went out, I went on in Arizona, and I went soul-willing with a young man there for, I don't know, an hour and a half or so, and we didn't talk to anybody, but we talked to each other, and I got to know a very nice young man, and I got to know a new friend. The word of God didn't come back void. Every single time we go out and the word of God goes forth, it will come back with something. Look, it's not me saying that. It's a promise from the Bible. You have to really pay attention to these promises in the Bible, because, I mean, if you sit there and you read that, so my word shall be that go forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, that means that we should speak the word. We should use that promise. We should harness these promises in our life. You know, I mean, it's a great thing. And guess what? There's a lot of things, and what the Bible is saying in the verses previous to verse number 11 is saying, even if you don't know what that coming back was, you know, what it came back with, it's like, you don't have to know. Maybe it was just rewards for you in heaven. Think about it. If that's what you need, just take that. But the Bible is spending verse after verse after verse talking before God even gives you this promise, saying, you're not gonna understand my plans. That's just it. So all we have to do is just obey God rather than men, and God promises that he will do the work, that the word will come back not empty. Okay, so a great chapter in Acts chapter five. I can't wait to get through and start Acts chapter six next week. Let's bow our heads and have a word. 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