Church Unstoppable

Moving Forward — Series

Church Unstoppable

Pastor Brent Snook  ·  May 3, 2026  ·  AM Service

Text: Acts 5:30–42

“I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” — Matthew 16:18

I.  THE PARTNERSHIP OF A NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

The apostles chose to obey God rather than men. Facing accusation, discouragement, and serious opposition, their confidence was not in themselves — but in the Godhead. We have a partner.

A.  Partnership with God the Father — Acts 5:30

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. The God who delivered Israel out of Egypt — who brought them into the Promised Land — is the same God the apostles trusted. The God of yesterday is the God of today.

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.”  — Acts 5:30

B.  Partnership with God the Son — Acts 5:31

1.  Rewarded with a Crown

Jesus Christ is above all — the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, the Bright and Morning Star. His name is above every name.

“…set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion… and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body.”  — Ephesians 1:20–23

2.  Redeemed with a Cross

The whole Bible could be summarized around two trees:

•  The Tree in the Garden of Eden — where man partook in disobedience and was ruined

•  Calvary’s Tree — where Christ bore our sins in His own body, put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and rose again to give us power over sin in our daily lives

C.  Partnership with the Holy Spirit — Acts 5:32

1.  An Eyewitness of the Savior — The apostles were witnesses of Christ, but it was the Holy Spirit who empowered them. You cannot believe — let alone understand — the facts about Jesus without the work of the Spirit of God in you.

“He shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness.”  — John 15:26–27

2.  The Earnest of the Saints — The Holy Spirit is “the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.” — Ephesians 1:14

The New Testament church is in partnership with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit — in every circumstance.

II.  THE PROTECTION OF A NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

A.  The Reasoning of the Pharisees — Acts 5:33–39

The preaching of the Word of God will either draw people to the Lord or drive people away — there is no neutral ground. The apostles’ lives were at stake. Then a surprise: Gamaliel, a Pharisee and the greatest teacher of his day, stood up and reasoned with the council.

“If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”  — Acts 5:38–39

B.  The Release of the Prisoners — Acts 5:40

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”  — Proverbs 21:1

Nothing can happen to you that God does not allow. He is your protector.

III.  THE PERSEVERANCE OF A NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

The apostles were released — but beaten first. Thirty-nine lashes with a calfskin whip. Men sometimes died under such a beating. And yet what was their response? Rejoicing. Perseverance is vital if we are to move forward.

A.  Perseverance Involved Praise — Acts 5:40–41

The apostles departed from the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. Indifference and apathy are the church’s greatest enemies — not persecution. The fire of persecution has always caused others to become bold to proclaim.

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you… Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.”  — Matthew 5:11–12

B.  Perseverance Involved Pursuit — Acts 5:42

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”  — Acts 5:42

To move forward, a church must persevere.

— You Just Can’t Sit There —

“Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.” — Acts 5:28

That is our goal. That is our task. That is our responsibility. We cannot sit still — we must invest our lives in the greatest work on earth: the proclamation of the Good News.

We can be a church that moves forward — if we will apply the principles of Acts 5:

•  The Partnership — with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

•  The Protection — nothing reaches us that God has not allowed

•  The Perseverance — praising and pursuing, daily and unstoppably