Sermon Tone Analysis

Today’s Main Idea

Resisting God’s power is utterly futile, and yet, people do it anyway!

Outline

This text teaches us four lessons about God’s power as it relates to human power...

Lesson #1

#1 - God’s power threatens puny human power!

4:1-7

The whole reason Peter and John are speaking to these people is because God used them to heal a cripple man - A miraculous thing had just occured.

This drew the attention of the religious leaders (priests, levitical police officer, and the “skeptical” sect of Jews (Sadducees) - Interestingly, there is no mention of the Pharisees.

The Sadducees were known for their denial of things supernatural.

One of the main “triggers” for this group was Peter and John “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead”

The Sadducees were extremely against this idea.

But notice that there was a miracle done and they are choosing to be nit-picky about doctrine!

Peter and John must have been teaching for a few hours.

They started at 3pm and were arrested in the evening.

Verse 4: “But” - While being arrested at first appears to be a defeat, Luke makes says “but” this whole ordeal led to the addition of 2,000 men (not including women and children) into the church.

So even though the religious leaders are coming in and flexing their muscles, the game has already been played, the timer has run out, and Peter and John have scored 2,000 souls for a win.

Trust me, the religious leaders are well aware of this fact!

Verses 5-6: All of the supposedly powerful people and powerful family come together to interrogate this new threat to their power!

Verse 7: Notice the question: “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

They are essentially asking two things:

“How did you heal that man and captivate this crowd?”

“Who sent you?”

God had already claimed a victory over this entire situation before it even started.

His power was on display for all to see.

And now, the people who were used to having an appearance of power are threatened.

Their power is puny compared to the power God has exhibited.

The power wasn’t only on display through the lame man’s healing; it was primarily on display in that 2,000 religious men (who likely screamed “crucify him, crucify him” to Pilate weeks before) are now born again disciples of Jesus Christ.

Application

Have you ever been jealous because God was using someone else to do something amazing?

Have you ever been treated poorly because someone seemed threatened by what God was using you to do?

Lesson #2

#2 - Authentic anointed servants point to the Anointer and not themselves!

4:8-12

Notice how Luke identifies the Holy Spirit being present in this situation!

The Holy Spirit is the leader and the power who made all of what transpired possible.

Repeat after me: NOT PETER!

Luke is pointing to the Holy Spirit in Peter and Peter and the Holy Spirit will now point directly at Jesus!

You’ve heard of the Christmas season, “Jesus is the reason for the season”,

Well, Jesus is the reason for this healin!

Peter summarizes the gospel message “Jesus was crucified (by you) and God raised Him from the dead”

This is the reason this man has been healed!

What could be a better purpose for healing than it being meant to point to the gospel of Jesus.

The Gospel gives glory to God!

This will sound controversial: God cares more about His glory and fame than he does about you and me being healed from an infirmity.

But this fact is actually the enabler for our healing.

His care for us to heal us like this man experienced is a byproduct of his pursuit for his own glory.

Peter and John refuse to take glory for themselves!

There are many people who claim to have a calling, an anointing, or a life purpose that involves “Big things for God” but in reality, it’s really about big things for themselves.

God is simply their license for doing what they want to do! Christians who want to serve God need to understand that they are not the center of their calling, their anointing or their purpose: Jesus is!

MOTIVE CHECK - Are the things you feel called to do for God swelling up within you from a hunger and thirst for Him to get more and more glory and praise!

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I cringe sometimes when I hear Christians talking about how they feel created by God to do big big things for Him.

(Admission: That was once me!) - Notice that the main emphasis is on “big big things” and not a “big big God” worthy of my praise and my life.

Now, Notice how Peter talks about the “big big thing” that God used them to do.

“a good deed done to a cripple man, by what means this man has been healed ” - Peter doesn’t say: “I healed this man because I’m called by God to perform big miracles.”

Peter is sort of vague about the miracle while being explicitly specific about Jesus!

By indicating that “salvation is in no one else...”, Peter is extending a call to the religious leaders to repent and believe in Jesus!

Peter and John are actually concerned for the religious leaders’ souls and eternal destination.

They aren’t seeking glory over loving people.

Their desire to see Jesus glorified has a natural result of them wanting to see other people saved!

Peter put the Sanhedrin on trial by preaching the gospel to those same men who condemned Jesus Christ and made themselves enemies of God

Applications

Are you more concerned with getting credit than with God getting glory?

Are you willing to overlook the humanity of others in order to make a name for yourself?

Search your heart - be honest with yourself and with God?

What is your motivation for success?

When you feel the drive to be successful or do big things for God, pause, and seek to discern what is driving you!

When you see that God’s glory is not your motivation or you passion for what you wish to accomplish, maybe reconsider where you are going and what you are doing.

Lesson #3

#3 - When sinners can’t deny God’s power, they will try to resist it!

4:13-18

The religious leaders are trying to make sense of why and how average normal men would be chosen instruments of God -

According to their lineage, status, and education, the religious leaders should have been the ones God chose to use.

But what an amazing thing to be said of Peter and John: “they recognized that they had been with Jesus”

Being with Jesus is better than having the stamp of approval from the world.

Lineage, status, and education don’t compare to being close to the infinite God of all of creation!

They cannot deny that God has done something spectacular and miraculous.

And they can’t deny that these men are God’s ambassadors.

The religious leaders “commanded them...” wow.

κελεύω; διαστέλλομαι: to state with force and/or authority what others must do—‘to order, to command

What will they do now since they can’t deny it??

Their gonna try and resist it!

“Maybe we can convince them to stop!”

“They called them” and “charged them...”

ἀπαγγέλλωb; παραγγέλλω: to announce what must be done—‘to order, to command.’

It seems they wished to guard their status as religious authorities even at the expense of obvious truth.

This whole exchange is like watching a toddler wearing a Captain America costume try and beat up a MMA cage fighter.

He believes he can do it.

But it’s futile.

Or a pretend fire fighter trying to put out a raging fire with a little squirt gun.

He’s got the outfit on, but he’s no match for the flames.

Peter and John have literally shown these leaders that God is behind what has happened.

Not to mention, they testify to the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead.

These are the same people who tried to frame others for Jesus’ missing body!

These religious leaders aren’t picking a fight with Peter and John, their picking a fight with God Almighty!

Application

I’d say these religious leaders are drunk with pride, power, and a desire to control.

Have you ever been drunk with pride, power, and a desire to control?

Have you ever experienced working with someone who was?

Don’t allow yourself to crave power or to preserve what power you have.

When that happens, people tend to wage war on God and hurt other people!

If God has given you authority over someone or some business, use that authority like Peter and John used what authority Christ gave them: seek to bless others and give God immense glory!

Lesson #4