SECURITY
1. Hardly a day goes by without us hearing about security, war, and terrorism.
2. These topics of conversation remind me of something which was said a long time ago:
3. “The security for today rests on building weapons which can destroy us tomorrow.”
4. Security is a difficult business.
AS MOST HERE SURELY KNOW, THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO SECURE THE TOMB OF JESUS, BUT THE MEASURES WHICH WERE USED FAILED.
A. There are other examples in the New Testament of security problems.
B. Tonight we want to look at some of the people who tried to make things secure but failed.
C. The first example comes from Acts 5.
D. According to Acts 5:18, some or all the apostles were put into jail.
2. They were released by an angel (verse 19) and told to return to their job of preaching (verse 20).
3. The release of the apostles shocked the Jewish leaders because the apostles had been under heavy guard.
4. If maximum security was not used, it was very close to maximum.
5. Let’s examine some of the details in verse 23 of Acts 5.
6. The scripture reading stopped with verse 22 so I will read verse 23 – READ.
A. When the apostle’s cell was checked, the preachers were gone but other things were still intact.
B. The “prison house was shut.”
C. The word “shut” is a perfect tense verb.
D. This suggests the cell looked untouched.
E. The officials must have concluded that the apostles had not forced their way out of the cell.
F. Everything was just as it should have been but the prisoners were gone.
G. It was like they vanished into thin air.
7. You will probably have the word “all” in your Bible as well (“all safety”).
8. This tells us that “all security measures” had been used.
9. The apostles were under maximum guard or the next best thing.
10. In fact, verse 23 says the people who watched them were still “standing” at the doors.
11. The word “standing” is also in the perfect tense.
12. This indicates the guards had never left their post.
13. These details explain why the “chief priests were much perplexed” (verse 24).
14. This account also presents us with a lesson about God.
15. None of the security measures devised by man (past, present, or future) can defeat God or His will.
A. This a lesson that needs to be taught.
B. In fact, this is a lesson that has been needed for a long time.
C. Long ago David met Goliath.
D. What did Goliath have? He had a lot of security measures.
E. He was big, well armed, and well protected.
F. The Hebrews saw this challenger and they were scared.
G. The Hebrews thought the Philistines had a great advantage.
H. David showed that God is not hemmed in by human power or security measures.
16. What we see from David’s life and Acts 5 are not isolated incidents.
17. My next reference also comes from the book of Acts.
18. By the time described in this next passage Paul was an apostle.
19. He received a vision (Acts 16:9)
from a man in
20. This fellow was asking for help.
21. Paul concluded he needed to take the gospel to this area so he boarded a ship to preach in a new place.
22. Time passed, Paul helped someone in this new area, and some people got mad.
23. The anger was so intense Paul was cast into jail – verse 23 – READ.
A. A “jailor” was ordered to keep Paul secure.
B. According to verse 24, this man took his responsibility very seriously.
C. He did a good job because he put Paul into the “inner prison.”
D. He then went a step further.
E. The feet of Paul and Silas were “made fast” in stocks.
F. From a human standpoint these two men were stuck; they would not be going anywhere.
G. From God’s perspective, how were these two preachers really confined?
24. Verse 26 – READ.
25. God took care of the shackles which bound Paul and his partner.
26. God opened the prison doors. In fact, He shook the foundation of the prison.
27. He created or used an earthquake which was “great.”
28. Acts 5 and Acts 16 provide Christians with some practical pointers as they live in an unusual time.
29. We have a lot of people worried about security and safety.
30. These two items have become a common topic of conversation, and there are people who are worried.
31. Abundant measures are taken to help people stay safe.
A. Our nation is going to an extreme.
B. This past week I read about a conversation at a large airport.
C. A 49 year old man was checking his luggage.
D. A screener saw a unmarked jar which contained a powdered substance.
E. The official said, “What’s in the jar?” The passenger said, “Metamucil.”
F. The attendant said (at the top of his voice), WHAT’S METAMUCIL?
G. The flier quietly replied: It’s a laxative.”
H. The screener said: “A WHAT?”
I. A supervisor was called and the jar was finally confiscated.
J. There were other examples in the story of how our nation is emphasizing security.
K. A rather large man came through the line and he had some excess weight in the stomach area.
L. He was asked about the bulges.
M. He said, “You can put you hand there but all you will find is fat.”
32. For more than 2,000 years the people of our world have been interested in security.
33. Through His word God says to us that the security in the world is not perfect.
34. In spite of man’s best efforts the security measures described in Acts 5 and 16 failed.
35. The security tried by the Philistines failed.
36. Even Jesus said human security can fail.
37. In Mt. 6 He spoke of earthly treasure.
A. He said it can be stolen.
B. It can be destroyed by the elements.
38. Again and again the Bible affirms that this world offers no true security.
39. This is right, but getting people to believe this is almost impossible.
40. People want to believe they have security in this life.
41. This desire is so strong that others use it to prosper.
A. Insurance sales can be partly based upon a desire for security.
B. Security systems, safes, bank deposit boxes…many measures are designed to give us peace of mind.
42. People want to feel safe and often do feel safe when they take certain precautions.
43. Jesus said that those in Noah’s day felt secure.
44. They were eating and drinking until the flood came.
45. Paul spoke of a similar thing in regard to the Lord’s second coming.
46. The passage I have in mind comes from 1 Thess. 5.
47. In the 2nd verse of this chapter Paul said Jesus’ coming will be “as a thief in the night.”
48. Some will be in a state of shock because they felt secure.
49. Verse 3 – READ.
NO MATTER HOW WE APPROACH THE TOPIC OF SECURITY, THE BIBLE SAYS THIS CANNOT BE FOUND IN THE WORLD.
A. If this cannot be found in society, is it available anywhere else?
B. The answer to this question is yes.
C. When Luke began his gospel he used a word which is associated with security/certainty.
D. He told Theophilus he could know for “certainty.”
E. He could be secure in what he was reading.
F. The material in Luke’s book (as well as the entire New Testament) is dependable.
2. Lk. 1 says there is security in God’s word.
3. This is good news, but we must ask if this is the only security we have.
4. Does God give Christians any other form (type) of security?
5. The answer to this question is yes.
6. Midway through the Philippian letter Paul spoke about security.
7. This verse is in the opening chapter of the third chapter and it deserves to be read.
8. Phil. 3:1 – READ.
9. This is somewhat similar to Lk. 1:4.
10. God’s word provides us with security.
11. Being familiar with the information in the New Testament and obeying it makes us “safe.”
A. This approach to life is contrary to what is taught in the world.
B. It is not uncommon to hear that Christianity is dangerous, cultic, and radical.
C. We are told that safety and security are found in the ways of the world.
D. God says (1 Thess. 5) that these claims make people feel safe, but they are false.
E. True security is found in His ways and plans.
12. In fact, Heb. 6:19 says Christians have a “hope which anchors the soul.”
13. This hope is for a new heaven and
new earth (2 Pet.
14. That is, Christians look forward to a new environment.
A. Christians know that this world and its concerns are temporary.
B. As Peter said, it will one day be destroyed.
C. Because this earth will be completely done away with, there is no security here.
D. Even if we took the best care of this planet, it offers no true refuge.
15. True safety and security is found in Christ.
16. We enter into Christ by baptism.
17. We stay in Christ by faithful Christian living.
18. Once we are a Christian we can have a sense of security and peace each day.
19. A lot of people are looking for these things, and we can have them if we are obedient to God.