God-Given Boldness
Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsHow were the Apostles able to endure such persecution? By praying for a greater giving of the Holy Spirit
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(Take Poll for Spring Series) If you have a Bible, go ahead and grab it. We’re going to be in Acts 4 and 5 today. I want to ask you all this question: What is the difference between confidence and boldness? There is a difference, so it isn’t a trick question, what’s the difference between the two? Confidence is internal, it is a feeling of trust in something or someone. We actually get our word for confidence from two Latin words “Con Fide”, which means with faith. Confidence is internal. Boldness I believe, is expressed externally. Boldness drives the actions of the individual. Now let’s narrow that down to our faith. How does confidence and boldness work together in our Christian life? Our confidence is the faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His fulfillment of promises and our trust in Him to work all things for His glory. Our boldness is an expression of how we live out that faith and confidence in Christ. What we are going to read today in Acts is where confidence and boldness comes together to make an effective Christian. We are going to see that in the lives of Peter, John, and the other Apostles and then I want us to apply what we see in them to ourselves. Acts 4 continues immediately after what we read in Acts 3 last week and in verses 1-4, we see that as Peter and John speak to the crowd that has gathered at the temple, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the sadducees come down and they are fuming at what they are seeing and hearing because the Apostles are telling the crowd of Christ’s resurrection. In verse 3 they throw Peter and John in prison overnight but despite this, there are many that believe the Gospel after this and Luke writes that the number of Christians grew to about 5,000. We’ve got a lot of verses to look at so let’s go ahead and look at Acts 4:5-30
On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 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. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 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.”
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. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 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. 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.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 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, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 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. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
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, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Where does the Christian’s Power and Influence Come From?
Where does the Christian’s Power and Influence Come From?
This may be a simple question for some of you, or maybe not, but where does the Christian’s power and where does the Christian’s influence come from? One thing that has broken my heart is how little influence Christians seem to have in the world today. Christians have changed the world. Christians have ended slave trades, built hospitals, brought forth great institutes of higher learning, they have fed the hungry, helped the hopeless, and have been some of the most influential minds and thinkers of the past 2,000 years. Christians have been people that have put their foot down against injustice, how boldly stood out for holiness, so let me ask this, what has happened to us? Where is the power? Where is the boldness? Where is the global-changing, soul-stirring, hope-giving, power of the Church? Let me tell you where I think it is, it’s in the wrong place. The Christian’s power and the Christian’s influence does not originiate in them. If you want to make a difference in the world that will outlive you and last for eternity, you need the power of Jesus Christ, plain and simple. Do you want to make a difference in the world? None of us should be able to look at the state of things in the world and be happy with what we see. Sin is untamed, wickedness is all around us and the Church needs an answer to this. I have told you pretty much every week that you have not been saved to sit on your couch. You haven’t been saved to watch the world go to pits. How wicked must we be to think that just because we have been saved that we can coast to eternity while the lost remain lost? God forbid we do that and I don’t care how old you are, if you are a Christian, empowered by the Spirit of God, you can impact the world around you. What is Peter’s answer to the question of where the Christian’s power and influence comes from? It is this, Acts 4:8-12
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 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. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 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.”
What is the answer? Jesus Christ, beginning, middle, and end. Christians with a big view of God, make a big impact on the world. Now notice quickly how significant this is for Peter. Peter could have ended his answer in the middle of verse 10. “What power or name did you do this?” Peter could have just said, “By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” but there isn’t a period at the end of that, there’s a comma. Peter, filled by the Holy Spirit, does something that he would not have done in the Gospels. Peter takes this moment to preach to the wickedness of the world. He takes this moment to point to Christ with extreme boldness. Keep in mind, Peter’s first response in the Gospels to opposition is fight or flight and he really does both! Not here though. Why? Because the Holy Spirit alive and breathing within the heart of the believer changes them to their innermost being. Believers with the Holy Spirit do big things, with great boldness, in response to what the Lord is doing in them and through them. Peter saw this moment as the greatest opportunity in the world to tell these people about the Gospel because look at who is there! You have some incredibly influential people there and Peter thinks, “I gotta take this opportunity because I might never get it again!” And that is why he preaches to these people and doesn’t just answer their question. If you are a Christian, you need to look at every situation that you find yourself in, with the same eye as Peter. You may never see these people again! So you need to make the most of the appointments that God is bringing to your life. You have to be faithful and you just have to trust God with the results. Where is your power going to come from? Where is your influence going to come from? True lasting power and true lasting influence comes from no other name but Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The more you rely on your own power, the more the Church believes that it can change the course of human history by a purely man-made power, the less of an impact the Church and you will have on those around you. G.K. Beale said, “One of the greatest obstacles to the spread of the gospel is the church itself.” How do you think the world will respond to Christ-empowered, bold witnesses of the Gospel? We find that answer also in Acts 4. Look again at Acts 4:13-14
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. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.
The World Cannot Deny What is Happening when Christians are Bold
The World Cannot Deny What is Happening when Christians are Bold
The world cannot deny what is happening when we Christians are bold. What can the world say against Christians that are boldly living out their faith? What wrongdoing can they charge you with? Nothing! If you are living out your faith, you will be fighting for morality, you will be pushing for justice, you will be loving your neighbor and praying for those that persecute you. What charge can they make against us? When Christians are living with Christ as the focus of all that they do, the world will be totally unable to make any charge against us. Look at what the leaders say in Acts 4:14-16
But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 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.
They couldn’t deny what happened, it was standing right in front of them! What were they going to say to the Apostles? Don’t help people? That would go totally against their own Law! What could the say? The only thing they could say was, “Don’t preach about the name of Jesus!” How do Peter and John answer? The only way that they should! Acts 4:19-20 “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, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”” Faithful Gospel witness is going to require boldness from each and every one of you. Peter and John saw firsthand what Christ was capable of doing, they knew Him, the loved Him, they saw that He really made a difference, to not speak of what they had seen and heard would be to deny Him entirely! Are you going to deny your Lord by staying silent? You can’t! Many within the Church has done that far too long! May we all be like Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:16 “For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” Do you want to make a difference in the world? Do you want to be salt and light in a world that needs it? Be bold! The great missionary William Carey famously said, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” Why should we? Because our God is an awesome God! Paul says in Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ordinary People Praying for Extraordinary Things
Ordinary People Praying for Extraordinary Things
I mentioned this last week, God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people. We see this in the observations made by the rulers of Peter and John. Luke tells us that the leaders noticed that they were uneducated, common men. This means that Peter and John did not grow up in the Rabbinic school, they weren’t what we would called seminary trained but they didn’t have to be! They had lived, seen, and worked with Christ Himself and they had been empowered by the Spirit of God. Understand, it is ok for you to be ordinary when you serve an extraordinary God. You don’t need to know a lot of things to change the world, you just need to know the right things and to ask for the right things. You don’t need a lot of prestige, you don’t need a lot of resources, you don’t necessarily need to have a lot of studying, although more is certainly better than less, you just need bold faith in our limitless and awe-inspiring Savior. Each and every one of us, as ordinary as we may be, can benefit from the prayer of Acts 4:29-30
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Christians, we can either run away from confrontation or we can ask God to provide us the strength and boldness to run towards it in the name of Christ. Our task is pretty simple: We speak the words of Christ with boldness, while God Himself empowers and brings forth the change. Peter and John didn’t heal anyone. It was Christ Himself working powerfully through them. All they did was take the time to address this man and God did the work. Attempt big things for God and trust Him to bring about change. You and I won’t save anyone, but God is mighty to save. The very God of Acts 3 and 4 is the God that is over all things today. The world will not always be happy with what Christians do and the stand they make for the Lord but that doesn’t matter. We are on this earth to please our Commanding Officer. We answer to God first and our lives testify to the change that God makes in us. Will it be difficult to stand against the tide? Sometimes it will be and many of you probably already know this. The world throws a lot at our faces and tells us to conform but we are here to live for Christ and by His Spirit, we can be emboldened to live and swim against the tide. John Knox, the great Scottish preacher and reformer said that a man with God is always in the majority. If God is for us, who can be against us? James Montgomery Boice said this, “Jesus was and is upon the throne. He is the King. He is ruler in Zion. Servants you can bind, but the Word of God is not bound. And that unleashed, unbound, powerful Word of the Gospel reached out from Jerusalem, that remote city of the Roman Empire, to permeate and eventually to transform the entire world.” The Gospel can still do this today! The Gospel can transform the world and you, as ordinary as you may think you are, can do extraordinary things through our extraordinary Savior. One last thing and then we will be done for today.
We Must Obey God! (Acts 5)
We Must Obey God! (Acts 5)
How do we answer the world? What else do we say or do when Christians are told to keep their thoughts and faith to themselves? Let’s quickly read Acts 5:27-32
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Here in Acts 5, the Apostles are once again arrested and brought before the leaders and they command that they do the same thing. They are to stop preaching about Christ but Peter declares the warcry of each and every one of us: We must obey God rather than men. There isn’t an option. You don’t live for men here but live for God over there. Our allegiance is to God alone. Do we respect and honor those in authority over us? Absolutely! But the moment they command us to live contrary to the Word of God, we must put our foot down and say, “No, we must obey God rather than men.” Let me just say this in closing, if you are a Christian, you are a witness of Jesus Christ. God has reached into your heart and has made you new. He has brought you from death to life, and this is no small change. This is the most important change that could ever happen to you. If you are a witness of Jesus Christ, you shouldn’t be able to stop worshipping and exalting and talking about your King, about the One who has changed you so greatly. Peter told the court, “Even if we wanted to, we couldn’t stop talking about this!” That is how focused they were on Christ. They was how greatly they had been impacted by Christ. What about you? How big of an impact has Christ had on your life? Let me just say that I wouldn’t know where I would be without Christ. I don’t know if I want to know where I would be without Christ! Praise be to God, that He saw me where I was, that He knew me before time began, and loved me with a perfect love. Now I strive in all my ways, and I don’t always do it perfectly, but I strive in all my ways to have my life reflect the greatness of the God who saved me. And I strive to have every moment of my life be a moment filled to the brim with a God-given boldness that only He can provide. May you strive for the very same. Let’s go to the Lord in prayer and may we ask that He give us the faith to be strong and the strength to be faithful.