Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts 4

*PERSECUTION, PRAYER, AND POWER*

Introduction:

1.

The early church had none of the “advantages” that some ministries boast of and depend on today.

a.

They did not have big budgets provided by wealthy donors.

b.

Their pastors lacked credentials from the accepted schools, nor did they have the endorsement of the influential political leaders of that day.

c.

Most of their ministers had jail records and would probably have a hard time today /joining/ our churches, let alone /leading/ them.

d.

What really was the secret of their success?

This chapter provides the answer: \\ The Christians of the early church knew how to pray so that God’s hand could work in mighty power.

2.       When asked to explain the secret of his remarkable ministry, the noted British preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon replied, “My people pray for me.”

3.       St.

Augustine said, “Pray as though everything depended on God, and work as though everything depended on you.”

Prayer is not an escape from responsibility; it is our /response/ to God’s /ability./

True prayer energizes us for service and battle.

4.       Once again, the focus of attention is on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4:7, 10, 12, 17–18).

In this chapter, we see what three groups of people do with His name.

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Acts 4:1-2 "1And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead."

1.

The priests were primarily Sadducees in their religious affiliation (5:17); so the principal accusers were Sadducees.

2.       These people were distinguished by several characteristics:

a.       a disbelief in a bodily resurrection and a denial of the existence of angels or spirits (23:8)

b.      loyalty to the Roman government

c.       a desire to maintain the status quo

d.      an association with the wealthy class

e.      adherence only to the Pentateuch.

3.       Captain of the temple

a.       Sadly they did not realize that there authority was no more.

b.

The temple belonged to the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses.

c.

The Messiah had come and God’s house in reality was the church’s.

!

Acts 4:3 "3And they laid hands on them, and put/ them/ in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide."

The two apostles were incarcerated overnight *because it was *already *evening, *that is, late afternoon (cf. 3 p.m. in 3:1), too late for a trial.

!

Acts 4:4 "4Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand."

1.       Two leading apostles were bound, but the Word of God cannot be bound!

2.       Philippians 1:12-14 "12But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things/ which happened/ unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; 13So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other/ places/; 14And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."

The Apostles: Defending His Name (Acts 4:5–14)

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Acts 4:5-7 "5And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

7And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?"

*/1.

/**/The court (vv.

5–7)./*

The court was essentially composed of the high priest’s family.

a.

The Jewish religious system had become so corrupt that the offices were passed from one relative to another without regard for the Word of God.

\\ When Annas was deposed from the priesthood, Caiaphas his son-in-law was appointed.

b.

In fact, five of Annas’ sons held the office at one time or another.

c.       Somebody has defined a “nepotist” as “a man who, being evil, knows how to give good gifts to his children.”

Annas certainly qualified.

*/2.

/*Men who are corrupted by nepotism~/respect of persons will always pervert judgement.

a.

They cared not for the truth

b.

Just as they did not a few months before.

*/3.

/*This was an official meeting of the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:15), the same council that a few months before had condemned Jesus to die.

a.       Now, ironically, they were facing two of Jesus’ prominent—and bold—followers!

In fact, these officials recognized Peter and John as the associates of Jesus (Acts 4:13).

Their question was legal, but they did everything they could to avoid admitting that a miracle had taken place (Acts 4:14).

They were evasive and merely referred to the miracle as “this.”

They were probably scornful as well, so that their question might be paraphrased, “Where did common people like you get the power and authority to do a thing like this?”

It was once again the question of “By whose name?”

After all, the Apostles might be in league with the devil!

Even Satan can perform miracles!

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Acts 4:8-14 "8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead,/ even/ by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

14And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it."

*/1.

/**/The case (vv.

8–14)./*

a.       Peter spoke in the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

b.

Note that Peter was again filled with the Spirit (see Acts 2:4) and would experience another filling before the day ended (Acts 4:31).

c.

There is one baptism of the Spirit, and this is at conversion (1 Cor.

12:13), but there must be many fillings of the Spirit if the believer is to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ (Eph.

5:18ff).

*/2.

/*Peter respectfully began with an explanation of how the miracle occurred.

a.       Certainly the members of the Sanhedrin had seen the crippled beggar many times, and perhaps they had even given alms to him and piously prayed for him.

b.

How was this well-known man healed?

“*By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth*!”

c.

Those words must have pierced the hearts of the members of the council!

d.

They thought they had finished with the Prophet from Nazareth, and now His followers were telling everybody that Jesus was alive!

e.      Since the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, Peter’s statement was almost a declaration of war!

*/3.

/*But the Spirit was telling Peter what to say (see Luke 21:12–15), and the apostle quoted Psalm 118:22 "22The stone/ which/ the builders refused is become the head/ stone/ of the corner."

*/4.

/*Definitely a messianic reference

a.       Matthew 21:42 "42Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?"

b.      1 Peter 2:4-8 "4To whom coming,/ as unto/ a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God,/ and/ precious, 5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

7Unto you therefore which believe/ he is/ precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence,/ even to them/ which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

*/5.

/*He made it clear that the members of the council were “the builders” and that they had rejected God’s Stone, Jesus, the Son of God.

a.

The image of “the stone” was not new to these men who were experts in the Old Testament Scriptures.

b.

They knew that the “rock” was a symbol of God

                                                                           i.