Acts 4:1-22
Acts 4:1-22
March 22, 2020
Acts 4
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through
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them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old. 1
This account in the book of Acts is startling and eye-opening for believers throughout the world today.
For all who have sought to do the right thing only to have some in authority say “You cannot do that” you will relate. Faith and obedience to God has been at odds with the world since the moment Adam and Eve found themselves standing outside the Garden of Eden wondering how they could have been so selfish.
Through God’s grace and his amazing redemptive power, he takes those who are far from him, broken, corrupt, and sinful and transforms them into his children, empowered by the Holy Spirit for his glory.
The boldness that comes from God cannot be manufactured. It cannot be gained by going to a class. It is not something that can just be self- generated through the recitation of a mantra or by centering with controlled breathing practices.
1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 4:1–22). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
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God transforms the unbeliever into a child of God through his Spirit and at that moment the dead becomes alive and is empowered with the fullness of God’s Spirit.
Then, we begin living our lives as new creatures in Christ...and the world does not celebrate us. Oh, your parents and Christian friends may, but it does not take long when you move outside the Christian bubble to see that not everyone is throwing a party because you have become a believer.
In the first century, when Peter and John come into the old city of Jerusalem, then Peter heals the man born lame in the name of Christ and through the Holy Spirit’s power, the crowd noticed. How could they not? The formerly lame man is now dancing around and walking into the city with them.
Pastor Dres shared last week how the crowds began to gather and Peter once again began to preach and boldly declared the message of the gospel. Peter preaches hard and clear. There’s no minimizing the sin of humanity. There is no avoiding the responsibility each holds for their own sin. The cross was being declared. The word was clear. The message pointed and hopeful.
Then, those in the establishment, those who do not want anything to upset the status quo. Those who desire to remain with a modicum of power over others show up. What they do is not unheard of and has been repeated many times throughout history. Yet, here, we see the response of God’s apostles and in this we gain insight and instruction.
1. Blindsided
Most of us think of a blindside as the name of a movie starring Sandra Bullock. The story of a football player who makes it good in the NFL after coming from less than stellar background.
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In this case, we see the religious leaders interrupting and disrupting the message as Peter preaches. Most of us can clearly relate to having what we expect to be a normal schedule, or even a schedule we seemingly have control over being interrupted. In fact, we’re all living in an interrupted schedule right now.
Look how this played out for Peter and John...
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,
2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
As they were speaking. What were they speaking? They were speaking the truth of Jesus Christ. In the midst of this they were interrupted. They were blindsided by these men. Why, because what was being said “greatly annoyed” them.
The message was about Christ and the cross. The cross is offensive to those who do not know him.
In a sense, Peter and John’s message interrupted the people’s lives. An interruption on their part that is needful and vital. A warning. A rescue. But once someone had the boldness to say “NO, you will not have life by continuing on as you are. You cannot be redeemed by being simply moral. You cannot actually be good on your own. You need Jesus!” the establishment was offended and they interrupted the interrupters with this blindside action.
It will happen to you, so be prepared.
2. Brow-beaten
The bullying begins. The boys are browbeaten and intimidated by the establishment. The religious leaders are so angry, they will do
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everything in their power to shut these preachers up and keep them from continuing.
Peter and John are arrested. They’re in jail overnight.
You know they hated the response of the crowd and this point – over five thousand men at that moment heard the Word, believed and became Christians.
The attempt to shut down the movement of God backfired.
The next day Peter and John are brought before the high priest and members of the high priestly family. They question the apostles about their authority.
“By what power or by what name did you do this?” they ask.
The amazing thing is that whether it is a no name lame man sitting at a gate, unnamed men in a crowd, or well-known, popular and powerful men in the city, the message is the same. The power is the same. The name is the same.
There is no other name under heaven by which we may be saved.
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
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I love that even in the face of intimidation and pressure, the men of God remain steadfast. They do not change their message. They do not attempt to make it politically correct or palatable for those of different levels in society. The gospel is unchanging and remains so today. It is here we see the men of God preaching clearly to those who must hear the truth.
This man, this stone was rejected by the builders, but is ultimately and now the cornerstone.
3. Boldly speaking truth
Think of this scenario. The very ones who were instrumental in recently having Jesus crucified now have two of the primary leaders of Christ’s movement before them. Peter and John have every right and reason to believe that since they crucified Christ, they likely will do the same to them – or have them brought to the Romans under the same accusation.
The normal, human fear that should permeate within these men would lead to silence or some form of negotiation.
They are up against the powers who literally have their lives in hand. Yet, Peter and John respond, not with arrogance, but not tepidly either.
They respond with truth, love, and boldness.
CONCLUSION
This message is for the church as a reminder that in difficult times when interruptions happen, the child of God is called to rest in him fully, trusting him for strength, leaning into him as fear grows, knowing that God has not given his children a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
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Peter and John exemplify this.
They proclaim boldly because they know the gospel changes lives. They know the resurrection is real. They know their neighbors need to know love.
There is so much uncertainty in the world.
The COVID-19 virus is highlighting this fear and making it impossible for anyone with a television or social media account to avoid. We live in a world of worst-case scenarios, sometimes bumping up against a world of selective naivety.
These status quo religious leaders were afraid that while Peter and John spoke, change would happen and it would spread.
17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”
It didn’t work then. It doesn’t work now.
Christians, church members, we are not in the same room today. The social distancing is very real. The forced Sabbath is upon us. Yet, in the midst of these circumstances that have blindsided our schedule, there is a very real need for the church to ... pardon the cliché...be the church.
How? Pray. Contact others near you (without getting too near them.) Serve. Proclaim truth. The gospel has not changed. It is needed now as much as ever. Just as the crowd in Jerusalem needed to hear the truth 2000 years ago, so too does the crowd gathered around televisions, phones, tablets, or just next door. The crowd needs to hear, one person at
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a time. So be bold Christians. Speak truth in love. May the gospel continue to spread.
What’s most healthy? Quarantine oneself due to COVID-19, but spread the truth of the gospel to everyone.
Footnotes
