Unshaken (Acts 4:1-31)
In Acts 1, Jesus gathered His disciples on the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem. There, He commissioned them: “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest parts of the earth” (1:8). This was their mission, our mission. This is the Great Commission. The news about what Jesus has done and what He offers to those who believe must go out to all the world until His return. That’s a Herculean task. It’s a huge undertaking. In fact, it is an impossible task. For that reason, Jesus promised the disciples, “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…and you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” So, He ordered them to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came. Then, He ascended into Heaven.
In Acts 2, after waiting about ten days in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples. “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other [languages], as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” This commotion gave opportunity for Peter to take his stand and preach to a gathered crowd. Peter reminded them how the Jews had crucified Jesus just fifty days earlier. He asserted that Jesus had been raised from the dead, just as the Scriptures foretold. He recounted how Jesus was seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father, just as the Scriptures foretold. He then stated that this resurrected and exalted Jesus was the source of the linguistic phenomena they were witnessing. “Therefore having been exalted to the righte hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear” (v. 33). The people were convicted, and they cried out, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (v. 37). Peter told them to “repent and…be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and [they would] receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (vv. 38-39). 3,000 souls were brought into the church on that day. “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (2:42). The Lord was adding to their number daily. And they were increasing in favor with all the people.
In Acts 3, Peter and John went up to the temple to pray at the hour of prayer. At the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, they encountered a forty year old crippled man. When he asked for alms, Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene–walk!” (3:6). Peter took him by the hand and raised him up. The man went into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people, seeing this, were running to see what had happened. Peter lifted up his voice and preached to the people how the resurrected and ascended Jesus had restored this man to perfect health. Peter called them to “repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time” (3:19-21).
1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, [this was much the same group that came and arrested Jesus in the middle of the night and orchestrated His execution.] 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.
Brethren, how greatly annoyed the unbelieving world becomes whenever the true Jesus is proclaimed. They are not annoyed if you say that Jesus was a good man, a good teacher, someone who came to demonstrate the compassion of God. But if you say that He was the Son of God, the Lord of all, who came to give His life as a ransom for those who believe, who was raised to life on the third day and ascended to heaven, soon to come in glory with His mighty angels in flaming fire to judge all who do not believe, they start to get annoyed. If you say that Jesus is just A name by which people may be saved, they will tolerate you. But if you say that Jesus is the only name in heaven and on earth by which people may be saved, they are greatly perplexed.
If Peter and John had simply been teaching the people about the resurrection from the dead, the rulers of the Jews would have had virtually no problem. However, they were teaching the resurrection from the dead as being exclusively for those who believe in Jesus. And they were teaching it as an immediate, spiritual resurrection to eternal life, that will one day be followed by a bodily resurrection of the body from the grave. And it was all through faith in the name of Jesus, whom they (the Jewish leaders) had forced Pilate to execute by crucifixion about two months earlier.
So, they arrest Peter and John and put them in custody until the next day. This is the first bout of persecution that is recorded for us by Luke in the book of Acts. Jesus had promised the disciples that the world would hate them and persecute them (John 15:18-19). He told them that they would be insulted and persecuted and slandered because of Him (Acts 5:11). He told them that they would be brought before the sysnagogues and the rulers and the authorities, but He promised them blessing in the midst of persecution and Holy Spirit guidance for what to say.
We are not told how Peter and John reacted to imprisonment. Perhaps they were singing hymns and praying, like Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail some years later. How we can learn from their attitude and actions during this beginning of afflictions, so that when we face afflictions, we may do the same.
MAIN POINT – Affliction may threaten to shake us, but Christ keeps us unshaken. In this passage, the church faces pressure for the first time—and shows us how to live BOLD in the face of it.
I. BELIEVE IN CHRIST IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION (vv. 1-7)
And as they were speaking to the people about the gospel of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, 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. These same leaders had likewise arrested Jesus and kept Him in custody through the night. I’m sure that Peter and John were thinking much about their Lord’s trials. They had both been secretly present at the house of the High Priest when they were trying to find some reason (any reason) to charge Jesus with a crime punishable by death. Now, they were being held through the night in custody, and they were going to face the same council. Yet they did not recant. They did not plead insanity. They did not make a plea bargain. They awaited their trial, believing in Christ in the face of opposition. Little did they know that 4 many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. That’s just men. It very well could have been upwards of 10,000 or 20,000 by the time you add in women and children. That is a great comfort to us. If we are imprisoned, the Word of God is not. 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?” Now would be the time to plead for forgiveness. Now would be the time to deny Christ. But they don’t. They can’t. They are believing in Christ in the face of opposition. And they…
II. OBEY CHRIST IN THE FACE OF FEAR (vv. 8-12)
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke. That is becoming a pattern. Being filled with the Spirit always leads to speaking the Word of God. That is a pattern you can trace through the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament. Peter, though he was facing the ruling body of Jerusalem obeyed Christ in the face of fear. Many years, he would counsel persecuted and suffering believers to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pet 3:15). Now, facing the Sanhedrin, he 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… It’s actually ridiculous to think they were standing trial for doing such an extraordinary deed! The law doesn’t forbid nor punish good deeds. But Peter knew full well why they were on trial: by what means this man has been healed. He doesn’t shrink back from the truth, even though he knows the truth will be unpopular with this council. 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. He asserts that God has testified against them. They put Jesus to death for blasphemy. God raised Him to life again because of His sinlessness. And now, this man is proof of it, because he had been healed in the name of Jesus. Jesus had healed this man, and therefore, He was really, truly, bodily resurrected and exalted to heaven. Peter continues by quoting from Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 8:14-15. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. Now, the whole building of the church is being built upon that cornerstone. And only upon no other 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.” Not Moses. Not David. Not Abraham. They must call upon Jesus.
Brethren, we too must obey Christ in the face of affliction and proclaim the exclusive nature of the gospel. Jesus is the only way to the Father. Not Buddha. Not Muhammad. You can’t rely on yourself and your own good works. You must call upon the name of Jesus. That is our message. No affliction can change that.
See, third, how they…
III. LIVE FOR CHRIST IN THE FACE OF SUFFERING (vv. 13-22)
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. Now, Peter and John had been taught three years by Jesus. But it still holds true: the common man or woman with nothing but a Bible and a filling of the Holy Spirit is far superior than a man or woman with all the book learning in the world but who is devoid of the Spirit. A man or woman filled with the Spirit and the Word is astonishing. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. How wonderful would that be! Can people tell that you have been long with Jesus? 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. Just like when Jesus would heal a person. They were silenced. 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 them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. Notice, just like with Jesus, they could never deny that the miracle had happened. The signs were too obvious. Yet they still refused to believe. And now they are panicking. They thought they were done with this Jesus thing! Now His followers were stirring up the people and causing trouble. They needed to nip this in the bud. 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.” They had no real charges to accuse them of. 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.” The enemies of the gospel, when they can, attempt to censor Christian preaching. It has happened all through the history of the church. However, we don’t live to obey men. We live to obey Christ. When the laws of our government are against the precepts of Christ, then we have to live for Christ, no matter the cost. 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.
Now they were under the constant threat of affliction by the Jews. The church must be unshaken by affliction. We must believe in Christ, Obey Christ, Live for Christ, and finally…
IV. DEPEND ON CHRIST IN THE FACE OF THREATS (vv. 23-31)
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. Such fearsome news of constant affliction was met with the one consensus: let us pray! 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord. Sovereign over all things. Even the Jewish leaders. Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, owner and possessor of all things. Even the city. Even the temple. Even those who were uttering threats. Sovereign Lord, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit. See the inspiration of Scripture. God spoke by His Holy Spirit through the mouth of David. Then they quote Psalm 2 in their prayer: “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed.’ That is the first verse of Psalm 2. A psalm, by the way, where God is shown to be sovereign over the uproar of the nations. Even though they are straining against the cords of God’s sovereignty, God simply laughs in derision and declares that He has set His Christ on Zion to rule forever. The church is seeing how the plot and crucifixion of Jesus was a fulfillment of this text. 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your sovereign! hand and your sovereign! plan had sovereignly! predestined to take place. They weren’t robots being controlled by God sitting in heaven with a remote control. They were acting according to their wills. They wanted to kill Jesus. God didn’t have to coerce them! He was simply directing them toward doing this thing that for long ages past, He had sovereignly decreed would take place. The church requests two things: 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats. They’re not a surprise to You. You have directed all things. You are sovereign over their threats. Look upon them. Know them. Remember us. Then notice what they ask next. They don’t ask that the afflictions would be taken away. Instead, they ask, grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” They prayed for strength. They prayed for courage. They prayed for boldness to keep on preaching Jesus, while God testified to the truth of their words. 31 And when they had prayed, as an affirmation of their determination in a manner that reminds us of Pentecost, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Their prayer was answered. They were dependent upon the Lord in the face of threats.
Brethren, our Lord loves to answer prayers. He will gladly give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Trust that He loves to give everything to you in prayer. “All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive,” said Jesus. This is a promise from God to you. Ask whatever you will ask in the name of Jesus, according to His will, and He will give it. You see plainly in the text that this courage and boldness is God’s will for you. He wants you to have it. All we have to do is ask. Ask to be bold. To believe in Christ. To obey Christ. To live for Christ. To depend on Christ in the face of all affliction, opposition, fear, suffering, and threats. Give Him no rest until you have received it from Him. Seek, and you will find it.
IN CONCLUSION, we have learned the lesson of how to be unshaken in the face of affliction. We continue to believe. We continue to obey. We continue to live and depend on Christ. Apart from Him, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. Let us live and speak by the power of His Spirit. May He do mighty things among us.
Comments
Post a Comment