2.12.12--Faith or Fad? (Acts 5:27-42)

This might come as a shock to most of you, and if you are never able to look at me the same way again, I do apologize for the upset. But I have to confess something to y’all, and hopefully we can still be friends after I get this off of my chest. Ok… here goes:

I have an absolutely horrible fashion sense.

There. I feel much better.

It’s true, though. I cannot count the number of times that I’ve tried to leave the house in one get-up only to be flagged down by Jess for her to kindly but sternly suggest that I put on different shoes or try for a shirt that is not both wrinkled and stained. Honestly, church is a blessing for me, because it’s not too hard to pick out a shirt and sometimes a tie to go with a black suit. It pretty much does the work for me.

I kid you not, though. In high school, every day of every week—with the exception of when it was freezing outside—I wore the same ensemble: aloha shirt, t-shirt, blue jean shorts, and flip-flops. I had enough aloha shirts to clothe a village, and I would wear out a pair of flip-flops in a matter of months from the constant wear.

I can remember in college trying to figure out just what was right to wear and what wasn’t. An old girlfriend once told me that white doesn’t go with khaki and that brown shoes and belts don’t go with black pants or a black shirt, so I tried to pay attention to colors. That didn’t stop me from wearing striped shirts with floral print shorts, though. Even now, I have no idea which of my jeans I’m allowed to wear with dress shirts and which ones I have to save for days off. And if I had it my way, I’d either wear boots or flip-flops with everything.

Fashion just doesn’t make sense to me. It changes so often, and it seems like every week brings a new fad that will be gone just as quickly. Why even bother paying attention to it, when it is such a transient thing?

So much of our culture is like that, isn’t it? This gadget or this activity is the hot new thing now, but as soon as you get it or try it out, something has taken its place. If you blink, you fall behind everyone else. But this isn’t a new fact of reality. Throughout human history, as technology and innovation continue, the old is discarded for the new. In hunting, this meant transitioning from the spear to the bow and arrow. In war, this meant discarding iron swords for steel. Pottery makes way for glass. Feudalism bends knee to democracy. Frank Sinatra is replaced by Lady Gaga.

Now, most of these transitions are good things. They show movement and improvement. Well, all but the last one at least.

But what happens when religion is placed in this model? Does polytheism give way to monotheism, which gives way to pantheism, which gives way to personal deism?

Is our faith transient?

In our chapter from The Story this week, we encountered the first experiences and growth of the early church. We saw Jesus ascend into the clouds, witnessed the Spirit descend like tongues of fire upon the apostles at Pentecost, saw Peter and John heal a man who was paralyzed, and so much more.

But I must admit: as much I love the stories of the early church, as astounded I am that they gave everything to the church and then distributed money to meet the needs of everyone, what really hits me every time I read this part of Acts is what Gamaliel the Pharisee says in the fifth chapter. Let’s hear together and encounter anew this story of our people:

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 5:27-42, NIV)

Gamaliel admonishes the Sanhedrin not to make a huge deal out of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Why should they? It’s just another failed following. It’s just another fad. For as everyone knows, it’s not as if this Jesus is the first person to parade into Jerusalem, claiming to be the Messiah. Remember what happened to Theudas when he waltzed in claiming to be somebody with four hundred men rallied behind him? Or how about Judas the Galilean, who tried to stir up a revolt in wake of Caesar’s census? Both men were killed, just like this Jesus, and their followers and their movements soon dissipated into nothing. Without the head, the snake’s body can flap around for a while, but it won’t take long for it to realize that it’s dead.

Just give it time, “for if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

Gamaliel figured that this Peter guy and this John guy and the rest of the disciples were just followers of the newest fad. They were the Twilight movie fans of their day, and they were simply not worth the effort it would take to stop them, for it would not be long before another craze popped up to replace them.

Because that’s what happens when one’s purpose or activity is of human origin: It will always fail. Given enough time, it will always fall to the wayside to be replaced by something bigger and better. But the litmus test of faith is its ability to endure. You see, the disciples’ purpose and activity was not grounded on human origin; it was grounded firmly on God revealed in Jesus Christ. And because of that, there was nothing the Pharisees, the Sadducees, or the Sanhedrin could ever do to stop it.

The grave could not stop it; what chance do they have?

My friends, our purpose and activity are not of human origin. That is why the church has endured these almost two millennia, and that is why we will continue to endure until Christ comes again in final victory. But, as always, we have a choice to make. Will we stand on the promise of victory that we have in Christ? Will we proclaim His name throughout the world, and share with any- and everyone we can the Gospel truth of Christ’s saving love? Or will we let those who stand against the church intimidate us into silence?

The apostles did not make it out of this encounter with the Sanhedrin unscathed. They were flogged this time. Before that they had been thrown in prison. After this one of them will be stoned to death, the first of many to die for the sake of Christ. We have a promise of victory, not a promise ease.

Is our faith a fad, or are we standing firm on the foundation of God’s love and power?

I pray that our activities and purpose will always come from God and not from human origin. I pray that we will stand strong upon the promise of God and courageously trust in our victory in Christ. I pray that our faith will never be just another fad. And I pray that day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, we will never stop teaching and preaching the Good News that Jesus is the Christ. Amen.