Whose Authority Am I Under?

Devotional

Day 1: From Curiosity to Crucifixion: The Cost of "Come and See"

Jesus’ invitation begins with curiosity but demands surrender. When two disciples first followed Him, they asked where He stayed. He replied, “Come and see” – a simple call to explore His life. Yet this path leads to the cross, where followers exchange self-rule for obedience. The apostles in Acts 5 embody this shift, choosing prison and confrontation over comfort. Following Jesus isn’t passive observation; it’s stepping into a story where our plans die so His resurrection life can rise. [03:25]

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. (John 1:39, ESV)

Reflection: Where has following Jesus moved from curiosity to cost for you? What part of your life still resists swapping “come and see” for “come and die”?

Day 2: Back to the Temple: Obedience After Rescue

The angel freed the apostles from jail but sent them back to the exact spot where they’d been arrested. Obedience here wasn’t cautious compromise but defiant trust. Returning to the temple courts meant risking re-arrest, yet they taught at daybreak – not hiding in alleys or fleeing the city. True freedom under God’s authority isn’t safety; it’s repeating the same faithful act in the same dangerous place, believing resurrection outlasts prisons. [08:32]

At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach. (Acts 5:21, ESV)

Reflection: What “temple” has God called you back to – a relationship, responsibility, or mission you’ve avoided? How will you lean into obedience today where fear once ruled?

Day 3: Foxhole Faith: Dying to Hope in Ourselves

The Band of Brothers scene exposed a truth: soldiers functioned best when they stopped hoping to survive. Jesus’ call to “take up your cross” kills the illusion that we can follow Him while preserving our comfort, reputation, or control. The apostles in Acts 5 preached knowing death might follow because their hope had transferred from self-preservation to Christ’s victory. Freedom comes when we bury the lie that we’re still in charge. [06:19]

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23–24, ESV)

Reflection: What “hope” in your own ability or safety do you need to release today? How would dying to that hope free you to live boldly?

Day 4: Honoring the Unnamed Emperor: Respect in Rebellion

The council accused the apostles of filling Jerusalem with teaching “about that man” – refusing to say Jesus’ name. Yet Peter honored these same leaders by calling them to repentance, not mockery. Submitting to God’s authority doesn’t negate respecting human authority, even when opposing it. The Christian’s defiance is wrapped in love, recognizing all people – even persecutors – bear God’s image. [33:29]

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:17, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life feels hardest to respect amid disagreement? How can you honor their God-given dignity while staying faithful to Christ’s truth?

Day 5: The Legion’s Letter: When Death Becomes Freedom

The Theban Legion’s final words – “We are your soldiers, Emperor, but God’s servants” – capture the tension of dual citizenship. Their physical death became spiritual victory because they’d already died to fear. Like the apostles rejoicing after floggings (Acts 5:41), these soldiers knew earthly authority’s worst threat couldn’t nullify resurrection life. True authority flows from allegiance to Christ, making even martyrdom a doorway. [37:31]

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29, ESV)

Reflection: What decision would you make today if fear of consequences weren’t holding you back? How does Christ’s resurrection redefine what “losing” looks like?

Sermon Summary

Acts 5 puts the question of authority front and center. The apostles are arrested by temple leaders who are jealous of a growing movement, but an angel opens the prison and sends them straight back to the same public square with the same “message of life.” The text shows obedience at daybreak. The apostles do what they are told by God, not because defiance feels exciting, but because obedience belongs to the One who raised Jesus from the dead. Their courage does not come from swagger. It comes from dying to self so resurrection life can lead.

Peter gives the court the simple collision: “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” Human power crucified Jesus. God raised him and seated him at the right hand as Prince and Savior. That contrast defines real authority. God’s exaltation of Jesus creates a path for Israel to repent and be forgiven, and the Holy Spirit becomes the unstoppable witness. The council can jail people, but it cannot jail God.

The story refuses the cheap thrill of rebellion. God’s authority does not erase human authority. It reframes it. The apostles submit to arrest peaceably, speak truthfully, and defy only where obedience to God demands it. The text teaches layered loyalties with a clear center. Jesus holds ultimate claim. All other authorities are legitimate but limited and answer to him.

Peter’s own letter deepens this posture. “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution.” Live as people who are free, not using freedom as a cover for evil, but as God’s servants. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. The call is not to fear the biggest human in the room. The call is to fear God, whose power dwarfs any throne. That fear frees disciples to tell the truth, do good, and accept the cost.

The church’s discernment then moves from theory to practice. Which outcome is someone trying to control? Is the path chosen the path of least resistance or the path of faithfulness? What does Scripture clearly say, and what Spirit-prompted step is being resisted? History remembers a legion that would not kill civilians to please an emperor and laid down arms to obey God without raising a sword against their country. “Come and die” sometimes becomes literal, but only after “come and see” has made Jesus the greatest reason to live. In that surrender, Christ grants real authority to love, to bring joy and peace, and to bless the world under his name.

Key Takeaways

1. Obey God over human authority [17:59] Obedience moves toward the higher voice, even when the lower voice carries badges and titles. The apostles submit where they can and refuse where they must, without posturing. The measure is simple: when commands collide, allegiance belongs to the God who raises the dead. That posture requires clarity, humility, and a willingness to pay the cost. [17:59]
2. Resurrection outranks crucifying power [19:41] Human authority nailed Jesus to a cross. God’s authority raised him and seated him as Prince and Savior. That reversal is not a footnote; it is the map for conscience and courage. Disciples choose the authority whose verdict ends in forgiveness, not the one that ends in a tomb. [19:41]
3. Freedom as servants under authority [29:59] In Christ, freedom does not mean unhitched from all claims. Freedom means empowered to do good, to honor every person’s dignity, and to submit for the Lord’s sake. Servant freedom refuses the shortcut of “my rights” when holiness, love, and truth require self-control and costly patience. [29:59]
4. The path of faithfulness, not ease [40:17] The easiest road often wears the mask of prudence, but faithfulness asks harder questions. What step would obedience take if fear were quiet? Where Scripture is clear and the Spirit prods, resistance usually marks the place of healing. Faithfulness may cost reputation, comfort, or advantage, but it protects integrity and opens space for God’s action. [40:17]
5. Use given authority to bless [44:28] Jesus hands his people real authority to love, to bring joy, and to make peace present in hard places. That authority is not loud, but it is weighty. It refuses bitterness and cynicism and chooses constructive speech and reconciling presence. When exercised, it signals a different King is near. [44:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:47] - Boldness and the question of authority
[02:30] - Come and see to come and die
[05:09] - Baptism as dying and rising
[07:28] - Arrest, jailbreak, message of life
[11:27] - Council convenes, perplexed rulers
[17:59] - We must obey God
[18:37] - Crucifixion vs resurrection authority
[24:30] - Respectful defiance, layered authority
[27:43] - Be subject for the Lord’s sake
[29:59] - Live free as God’s servants
[33:29] - Fear God, honor the emperor
[36:20] - Theban Legion and costly obedience
[39:53] - Path of faithfulness and discernment
[46:49] - Prayer of surrender and boldness

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Acts 5:17-42 (ESV)
- 1 Peter 2:13-17 (ESV)

Observation Questions

In Acts 5:19-21, what specific instructions did the angel give the apostles after freeing them from prison, and how did they respond?
How does Peter contrast the authority of the religious leaders (who crucified Jesus) with God’s authority in Acts 5:30-32?
According to 1 Peter 2:16, what does it mean to live as "people who are free" while still submitting to human institutions?
What example from the sermon illustrates the cost of choosing faithfulness over the "path of least resistance"? [40:17]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the apostles returned to the temple immediately after being arrested and miraculously freed (Acts 5:21)? What does this reveal about their priorities?
How does the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 5:30-31) redefine the ultimate authority that believers are called to follow, even when human authorities oppose it?
In 1 Peter 2:17, the command to "fear God" and "honor the emperor" are paired. How can these two coexist in practical terms for a Christian?
The sermon mentions that "the point of resistance is the point of healing" [42:19]. How might resisting God’s prompting in a specific area actually keep someone stuck in cycles of fear or disobedience?

Application Questions

What is one situation in your life where obedience to God might require respectfully defying a human authority or cultural expectation? What practical step could you take to align with God’s authority in that area?
The apostles’ courage came from their surrender to Jesus as the "greatest reason to live" [38:27]. What fears or attachments in your life make it difficult to fully surrender to God’s authority? How could you confront those fears this week?
Reflect on a recent decision you made. Was it driven by the "path of least resistance" or the "path of faithfulness" [40:17]? What would faithfulness look like in a similar future situation?
The sermon asks, "What Spirit-prompted step are you resisting?" [41:51]. Identify one area where you sense God’s prompting but feel hesitation. What would it look like to take one small step of obedience in that area?
How can you use the "authority to love, bring joy, and make peace" [44:28] in a relationship or environment where cynicism or division currently exists?

Sermon Clips

34s

“Have you ever heard yourself give great advice to somebody else and know in your head, would never take that advice? Because you're too afraid of what it would be like. When it's real to you, it's so easy to be like, oh, I don't know what the consequence would be. I don't know what would happen. I may hate the situation I'm in, but I'm even more scared of what the unknown possibilities are. What decision would I make if I were not afraid? If I obey God here, what might it cost me, and am I willing to pay it?”

66s

“If you're a Christian, God has given you authority. He's always giving humans authority. As Christians, it's pretty awesome, though. He's given us incredible authority in this world. Part of that authority is to love people. Love them the way that God has loved us. It's an authority to bring love into the situations of our life, for the relationships of our life. You know what? Another great authority of God is this joy. You have been given authority to bring joy both into your life and into the relationships and the world around you. And peace, God has given you peace and authority to bring peace into your relationships and your life and the world around you.”

44s

“And it simply means this, that the way reason we stay stuck in our pain, whatever kind it might be, whether it's relationships or whether it's spiritual or whether it's in a personal discipline or addiction, is because we resist, and it means we're always gonna keep experiencing the same problems, the same pain over and over and over again because we don't wanna change. We want the world to change around us, and it doesn't work that way. And so often, the goodness of God that you desire and you wanna see is right on the other side of that thing that you're resisting and refusing to say, yes, god. I'll follow you. What decision would I make if I were not afraid?”

40s

“One of the ways that we know whether we're inviting God into our life or whether we have turned our life over to God is that when things don't work out like we want them to, we don't say, God has abandoned me. God doesn't like me. God's mad at me. We have to recognize. I don't always know what God's doing. This wasn't what he wanted, but I'm his. I follow him. He's the God. I'm not. So what outcome am I trying to control is a good place to begin. Another is, am I choosing the path of least resistance or the path of faithfulness?”

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