Obedience for His Sacrifice

GETTING STARTED

The movie Unbroken depicts the World War II story of Louis Zamperini, who survived 47 days in a life raft after his bomber plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean, and then endured two years of torture in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. The highlight for me in this book-to-movie story was when Louis, dying of thirst on the life raft, vowed to God, “If you save me, I will serve you forever.” Unlike the movie, the book illustrates how Zamperini eventually received Christ as his Lord and how he spent the rest of his life telling others about Jesus and what Christ had done for him.

  • How are you living a life of obedience and sharing your redemption story about Jesus?

READ THE WORD: ACTS 5:21b-32 (ESV)

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

 English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. What did the officers find when they went to get the apostles from prison? What was the miracle or some interesting facts about that scene (vs. 23)?
  2. How did the priests and temple leaders feel about the report of these officers?
  3. Where did they find the “prisoners,” and what did they find them doing (vss. 25)?
  4. What was the priest and council’s line of questioning, and how did the apostles respond?
  5. In what circumstances do you struggle to obey God rather than people? What would it look like for you to choose today to obey God, even in the face of resistance?

RESPOND TO GOD

Peter and the apostles obeyed the instructions given to them when they were freed from prison and were found in the temple preaching the gospel to the people. This angered the priests and council, yet the apostles responded that their obedience to God was more important because God had sacrificed the life of his son Jesus for the forgiveness and redemption of Israel’s sins. May we respond the same way to God, choosing to live in a way that is pleasing to God and obedient to him above all others.

  • Praise the one who paid for your debt on the cross and has freed you from the slavery of sin and redeemed you from impossible circumstances.
  • Pray that God will help you to be obedient to him rather to men.