Acts 4
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Time with Jesus
Time with Jesus
So we saw last week in chapter 3 that Peter & John prayed for a lame beggar & he had been healed & then we saw that Peter started to speak at Solomons portico, now as we look at chapter 4, we will see what unfolds, i want us to see the importance of spending time with Jesus.
lets read chapter 4, i want us to see the importance of spending time with Jesus.
Lets read chapter 4.
How could they tell that Peter & John had spent time with Jesus.
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.
The people had noted the boldness & courage of Peter & John & from that understood they had spent time with Jesus.
Jesus had been crucified within the last 2 months before this & the disciples had fled but here they are before the Sanhedrin.
It’s curious that people had noted because of their boldness that they had spent time with Jesus because to most people Jesus would have been just another religious man who had come & gone, he wasn’t what they thought he would be, He wasn’t the great political leader, the messiah who would lead them out from under the rule of the Romans.
Yet there was something about Peter & John when they came around, it wasn’t long before people started to realise “that they had been with Jesus”.
because they were full of the Holy Spirit they radiated Jesus wherever they went.
One of the things that was seen in Jesus was that he was a man of compassion. , , , , , , . , , .
54 times in the ESV, 81 times in the NRSV, 158 in the King James & 39 times in the Message. compassion is a big thing to God, i spoke not long ago about compassion & as followers of Jesus we should live out his example & be be people of compassion.
So how do people know when someone has spent time with Jesus.
3 things from .
if you have spent time with Jesus one of the characteristics that should be seen in you is compassion.
If we look at verse 22 it makes a point about the man being over 40 years old that was to show that he had spent a long time being lame, he wanted money to be able to continue living his life the way he had become accustomed to. Peter & John gave him Jesus & he was healed. note they didn’t just go by they spent time with him, showing compassion.
That’s the thing if youv’e spent time with Jesus then you can’t help but take on his characteristic of compassion towards others
COMPASSION
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COMPASSION
COMPASSION
Well one little fellow had heard that prayer so many times, he finally said, "Why doesn't Jesus ever come? You always invite Him to be our guest. Will He ever come?"
The Compassionate Young Boy
The Compassionate Young Boy
This superintendent said, "Well, He will come if we really want him to." This little fellow said, "Well, I'm going to put a chair out for Him." He put a chair right next to his chair and said, "This chair is for Jesus if He comes."
Submitted by Emmanuel Aghado
Well that same day there was a knock at the door, and they went to the door and there was an old man in rags there who was hungry and shivering and cold. The superintendent said, "Sir, come in and share a meal with us. We'd be glad to have you. Just come in here and sit down and warm yourself. We even have a chair for you. Sit right here." He put the man in the chair that had been set aside for Jesus.
Once upon a time, in a small village in Kenya, there lived a young boy with his step family. Due to the scarcity of water in the village, the young boy awoke early every morning, carried his pot and headed for the stream with the aim of fetching water for himself and his step family. Sadly for him, he alone had this task as a routine every morning and evening to fetch water froma distant stream while his step siblings were given other lenient tasks or even none. Yet, the young boy bore no grudge against his step family, loved them and carried out his task, diligently.
On his way back from the stream, he met an old man resting under a tree who beggedfor water to quench his thirst and he gave the old man. He met an elderly woman who begged for water and he gave the woman. This happens almost every time as he comes back from the stream; meeting peoplewho beg for thirst, yet he gave them despite his step mother’s torture on him for fetching half-filled pots that wouldn’t even be enough for the family.
One day, he couldn’t bear the torture from his step mum, so heswore never to give anyone water, but on his way back, he met a strange looking man who begged him for water. The strange man lay by the road sidewith an injury. The young boy remembered his vow – never to give anyone water – but contemplated for a moment and then gave the strange man some water.
When he got home, his step mum noticed the half-filled pots, and again pounced on him – this time with more cruelty. As she was beating this young boy, there was a knock on the door. It was the wounded strange man – a mail deliverer. Apparently, he came from the town with a letterfor the young boy. A letter containing a scholarship with additional cash gift for the young boy and would have died on the way if not for the boy’s help.
They say there is love in sharing…they say where there is love there is life. Your everyday good deeds are never in vain for they shall return to you even when you’re not expecting it.
After this was over, the little fellow looked up at the superintendent and said, "I see it all so clearly now. Jesus couldn't come Himself, but he sent this man to take his place." You know Jesus said "If you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto Me."
e) we don’t have compassion on someone for what we might get back, we should have compassion when it costs us, even a beating.
2. if you have spent time with Jesus one of the characteristics that should be seen in you is Courage.
Peter & John preached the gospel in chapter 3 7 were arrested for it in
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
In this chapter they are held & then brought before the sanhedrin( The Jewish high court of justice) 5-7 & Peter & John stand tall, he’s bold, he’s full of the Holy Spirit. 8-12.
They had the courage to stand & speak the truth although everyone was against them.
There will be times when you will have to stand alone, stand for what is right although everyone else may not see it. tell the truth although there may be a cost because people have believed the lie.
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A true story of courage
0 Brave Soldiers for Christ”
0 Brave Soldiers for Christ”
The book Jesus Freaks recounts the story of The Thundering Legion. In the winter of 320 AD in Sebaste Armenia, the eastern portion of the Roman Empire (modern day Turkey), 40 Roman soldiers who had given their hearts to Jesus were confronted with a demand to make offerings to Roman pagan gods. Their story is a testimony to the strength of the Jesus’ joy and its impact on others.
The Roman governor stood resolutely before the forty Roman soldiers of the Thundering Legion. “I command you to make an offering to the roman gods. If you will not, you will be stripped of your military status.”
The forty soldiers all believed firmly in the Lord Jesus. They knew they must not deny Him or sacrifice to the Roman idols, no matter what the governor would do to them.
Camdidus spoke for the legion, “Nothing is dearer or of greater honor to us than Christ our God.”
The governor then tried other tactics to get them to deny their faith. First he offered them money and imperial honors. Then he threatened them with torments and torture with the rack and with fire.
Camdidus replied, “You offer us money that remains behind and glory that fades away. You seek to make us friends of the Emperor, but alienate us from the true King. We desire one gift, the crown of righteousness. We are anxious for one glory, the glory of the heavenly kingdom. We love honors, those of heaven. You threaten fearful torments and call our godliness a crime, but you will not find us fainthearted or attached to this life or easily stricken with terror. For the love of God, we are prepared to endure any kind of torture.”
The governor was enraged. Now he wanted them to die a slow, painful death. They were stripped naked and herded to the middle of a frozen lake. He set soldiers to guard them to prevent any from coming to shore and escaping.
The forty encouraged each other as though they were going to battle. “How many of our companions in arms fell on the battle front, showing themselves loyal to an earthly king? Is it possible for us to fail to sacrifice our lives in faithfulness to the true King? Let us not turn aside, O warriors, let us not turn our backs in flight from the devil.” They spent the night courageously bearing their pain and rejoicing in the hope of soon being with the Lord. [One account states the soldiers sang the words Forty brave soldiers for Christ, forty brave soldiers for Christ over and over as they endured their persecution.]
To increase the torment of the Christians, baths of hot water were put around the lake. With these the governor hoped to weaken the firm resolve of the freezing men. He told them, “You may come ashore when you are ready to deny your faith.” In the end, one of [the forty] did weaken, came off the ice, and got into a warm bath.
When one of the guards on the shore saw him desert, he himself took the place of the traitor. Surprising everyone with the suddenness of his conversion, he threw off his clothes, and ran to join the naked ones on the ice, crying out loudly, “I am a Christian!”[1]
“Forty brave soldiers for Christ,” could you, would you sing that song in the face of persecution? When the hot baths of this world are paraded before you, will you stay the course and be sustained by Jesus’ joy, or will you run from your Savior to the comfort of this world? What would you do, what will you do? I pray you choose to say, “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.
Where can we get this courage to face all & not deny Jesus, where do we get the courage to lead our families & friends out of the kingdom of darkness & into His Kingdom of light. It’s only from spending time with Him, with Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit.
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.
Verse 13
They had shown compassion & courage because they had been with Jesus, courage that wasn’t there before when they ran away. These men weren’t warriors they were fishermen, Tax collectors, carpenters, they were scared for their lives.
Peter denies Him 3 times, what about when he was on trial, when he was on the cross where were they, nowhere.
They had been there when he made blind eyes see & when he calmed a storm, when he fed thousands twice they were there. When he called out Lazarus from the grave they were there, They saw him walk on water, He was the one who said follow me & they did but at his most needy time where were they.
but hey things changed in them after Jesus appeared to them, things changed when they were all of one mind & accord.
They were now bold & full of courage where before they had been afraid.
Instead of having a boldness because of a physical Jesus walking beside them, they now had boldness, courage because of Jesus being in them, being filled with the Holy Spirit had made them aware of who they carry with them at all times & that they could spend time with Jesus anytime.
They went out preaching Jesus, people could tell there was something different about them, that was because they had been with Jesus.
If you are not spending time with Jesus then people will recognise this when you try to tell them about him.
Every day we need to spend time with Jesus, in his presence, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit every day, if you think a one time infilling of the Spirit is enough, your wrong, everyday.
If you want to tell people about Jesus & actually have them listen & here what you have to say, then you need to spend time with the one your’e talking about, the more time you spend with him the more of his characteristics you will take on.
He will give you boldness to share the cross, He will give you the words to say & that takes commitment to Him.
How can you tell someone has spent time with Jesus? Commitment.
The disciples were completely sold out for Jesus, they left everything behind to follow him, nothing meant more to them than Jesus, not there family, health, wealth or even death was above his name, most of them were killed while preaching Jesus.
Peter crucified on a cross upside down, Paul beheaded, Andrew crucified, Thomas pierced by spiers of four soldiers, Philip scourged & crucified, Matthew stabbed in the back, bartholomew either crucified or skinned alive & beheaded. James at the age of 94 stoned & then clubbed to death, Simon the zealot crucified, Thaddaeus crucified, james Beheaded, Matthias stoned, John died of old age after being boiled alive.
if a law was passed today that made it ellegal to speak about Jesus would it make any difference to your life, It didn’t matter to the disciples they were committed to the cause, the law said they couldn’t but they did, life for them would have been simpler if they hadn’t.
we need to committed like these men, all they wanted to do was please God, the same thing happens in chapter 5:28-29.
But when someone has been with Jesus, all that matters is that they obey.
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Are We Obeying?
Are We Obeying?
S. D. Gordon, in his Quiet Talks on Power, says that a prominent clergyman in New England tells this experience: "In the house of his pastoral work he was called upon to conduct the funeral service of a young woman who had died quite unexpectedly. As he entered the house he met the minister in charge of the mission church where the family attended, and asked him, `Was Mary a Christian?' To his surprise a pained look came into the young man's face as he replied, `Three weeks ago I had a strong impulse to speak to her, but I did not; and I do not know.' A moment later he met the girl's Sunday school teacher and asked her the same question. Quickly the tears came as she said, `Two weeks ago, Doctor, a voice seemed to say to me, "Speak to Mary," and I knew what it meant, and I intended to, but I did not, and I do not know.' Deeply moved by these unexpected answers, a few minutes later he met the girl's mother, and thinking doubtless to give her an opportunity to speak a word that would bring comfort to her own heart, he said quietly, `Was Mary a Christian girl?' The tears came quick and hot to the mother's eyes as she sobbed out, `One week ago a voice came to me saying, "Speak to Mary," and I thought of it, but I did not do it at the time, and you know how unexpectedly she went away, and I do not know."'—The King's Business.
I asked earlier how do we know that someone has spent time with Jesus?
Compassion, Courage, & Commitment to Jesus thats how we know.