"Survivor--Or Savior?" sermon by David Layman

Acts 5:27-32

April 18, 2004

For some three years the 12 that Jesus had called watched him heal the sick, comfort the discouraged, reach out to the despised, and forgive sinners. The disciples ate with Jesus, traveled with Jesus, heard him teach day after day. Yet none of this was enough to convince the disciples that life was about God. The disciples continued to think it was all about them! Even in the last week of Jesus, life, James and John were focused on their own future status and position I seeking to sit at Jesus, right and left hand when he came into his power! When Jesus struggled in prayer in the Garden, the three disciples closest to him couldn't stay awake to encourage Jesus as he prayed. Peter boldly proclaimed he would always be at Jesus side, yet denied him three times. All the disciples I in fact fled in panic when Jesus, was arrested.

But following Jesus' death on the cross I and resurrection appearances, an amazing change took place within the disciples. They realized that life indeed was not all about them. Peter and John boldly shared the Good News that Jesus was raised from the dead. This angered the temple leaders I and they arrested Peter and John and kept them in jail overnight. The next day, the temple leaders "ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus./I But Peter and John responded "We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard./I (Acts 4:20). Again they were threatened to remain silent. But the apostles continued to boldly speak of Jesus their risen Lord. The high priest arrested the apostle and put them in prison. A messenger of the Lord got them out of prison and they continued to preach. Once again, the apostles were brought before the council. The high priest said "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name I yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching /I (Acts 5:28). Peter and the apostles responded "We must obey God rather than any human authority. (Acts 5:29)

There is a dramatic change in the disciples. Earlier they lived in fear of earthly authority. When the risen Christ appeared to them the only thing they feared was failing God the power above any and all other authorities. In the early years of life children typically live with respect for the power and authority of their parents. This is before they become teenagers! Then many begin to live under the power and authority of their peer group. When I was in school in the early seventies (that/s the 1970/s) a lot of the male students had beards and long hair. But when graduation neared the beards began to vanish and the hair got trimmed. I didn/t even recognize one student Don Eliason, when I saw him. I thought "Who is it that is wearing Don Eliason's jacket? Well the authority in Don's life was changing from the campus culture to the working world!

There's a scene from Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ/l where pilate is conversing with Jesus. This scene is drawn from the book of John I and the book is better than the movie! But a visual portrayal can at times engage us more than the written word alone. Jesusl unlike others chargedl is not begging Pilate for his life. pilate says "Do you not know that I have power to release you I and power to crucify you?/I (John 19:10) Jesus responds "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above./I pilate failed to receive from Jesus the truth that God was the authority he should fearl not Caesar or pleasing local leaders. Jesusl the way, truth and lifel was standing before Pilate. Yet like the movie characters in "Dumb & Dumberlll all pilate could do was ask "What is truth?/I (John 18:38).

The scribes and temple leaders were stressed, because they had a problem on their hands... .Jesus' popularity was exceeding theirs, and they had to find a way to him to death. They needed Pilate's consent, and he was hesitating to follow their wishes. pilate was stressed, because he had a difficult decision to make. He knew if he sided with the local leadership, he'd put to death an innocent man, and arouse Jesus' supporters. Furthermore, he'd have to let Barabbas, a local AI-Qaeda type insurrectionist, loose. The disciples were stressed, because they were afraid they would lose their leader, Jesus, and then those in authority would come after them. The only person that was calm and collected was Jesus. Jesus was at peace, even in the face of his crucifixion, because he knew he must obey God, rather than any earthly authority.

The disciples discovered this power when they met the risen Christ... .the world's first, and only true, "SuperMan"! The disciples could boldly say to the temple authorities, those they had previously lived in fear of, "We must obey God rather than any human authority."

Many believers bemoan the changes taking place in our society in relation to the Christian faith. It's not the 1950's any more, when the general social order was more supportive of the Christian faith. Now, anything connected with an expression of the Judeo-Christian faith in a public setting may be challenged. In my early grade school years in Oklahoma, I can remember my teachers reading a Psalm to the class, and us praying the Lord's Prayer. Of course, most of my classmates were Southern Baptist, and they'd pray "Trespasses" while I was praying "Debts"! Today, the "10 Commandments" are being removed from public places, and some want to take the words "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance. If the words "under God" are removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, I plan to continue saying "under God", whether that's the officially sanctioned version or not. The greatest threat to the faith in America is not what the Supreme Court might do... .it's that millions of Americans refuse to take advantage of the opportunities we have had for generations to worship God freely and live as His children. The Church in Poland became most vibrant when the communist authorities tried to squelch it. The church in China actually grows when the government tries to oppress it. Many in America have never stopped to think that there might be a difference between obeying God and obeying human authority. It's more likely that we can discover a genuine obedience to God when there are obstacles in the path of faith. It's been so easy to be a nominal Christian in the United States, that that is what millions of people have become! When life becomes challenging, that's when we wake up and realize there is a choice... .and the brave ones conclude "We must obey God rather than any human authority!"

The Christian faith grows the most when there are obstacles to be faced, and challenges to be overcome. One doesn't develop strength by never lifting a finger! The early Christian church grew dramatically in the face of persecution. The Dark Ages of Christendom began when the church was officially sanctioned by the Roman and succeeding empires. There are official state churches in Europe that are supported by tax money, and these churches are very weak, because sacrifice and commitment have not been demanded to support them. It was easier for Adolph Hitler to take control of the church in Germany because of such an arrangement. But there were some German Christians such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemoller that decided they must obey God rather than any human authority, and the Barmen Confession in our Presbyterian Book of Confessions pays tribute to such faith. Bonhoeffer wound up being executed by the Nazis, and Niemoller spent 8 years in a Nazi concentration camp because he was determined to preach what God guided him to say instead of what the state commanded. We must obey God rather than any human authority!

There's a popular TV series called "Survivor". A select group of people are put in an isolated location, then presented with various challenges, to see which person survives. People can get voted out in a winnowing process. No wonder it's a popular tv show--it echoes our culture. It's a cutthroat, me-first world out there. Everyone's out for themselves, and will do just about anything to survive. But Jesus came and proclaimed a different message: Life is not ultimately about surviving. . . .we will all one day die. Life is not about personal success. The world needs a savior, not a survivor! The disciples began to discover this following Jesus' death and resurrection. And they became changed people.. .no longer seeking status, but service. They knew life was not all about them, but about their acceptance of God's plan for their life. When we're driven by God's purposes for our lives, we're driven by forgiveness, not guilt, joy, not anger, love, not fear! Jesus chose not to be a survivor but a savior. So God raised Christ from the dead, that Jesus might both save us and be God's eternal survivor!

Let's rise and sing together "We serve a risen savior."