Courage under Fire
Notes
Transcript
Hook:
Story - Courage under Fire
Review of Previous Last Week -
Lame Man looking for money, given a step of faith, Healed
People know him, gather around, looking for answers and hope, given a step of faith, did they take it? Some did, but not corporately
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. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
Crime and Arrest
Crime and Arrest
Crime? Was it a crime? No, but it was treated as one. Why were they arrested?
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.
It could be seen as a crime in a way. It was the responsibility of the leaders of the temple to make sure untruth (herrisy) is not taught. That though thereis great freedom of belief, all of it lies with in the acceptable window.
Peter and John were teaching outside the accepted window. What they were speakinf was truth, but it was unaccepted by the leaders they were souronded by. Add in the annoyance factor and it means they are definatly in trouble
In this so far we have the captian of the Temple- This postition had the responsibility by the Roman Goverment to protect, and secure the temple. He was over a group of solgers to keep an eye on things and put down any problems that may arrise. Though He would not work for those in the temple he would work closely with them.
the other group we see here are the saduces. This group of people who it apears to have claimed to have Zadok as their patrearch. Zadok had decended from the sons of Arron (the first High priest). Zodok was the priest during the days of King David who anointed Solomon (Solomon buildt the first Temple to God in Isreal) and was more than likly the first High Priest to serve in that first temple.
The Saducees wanted to connect themselves to a figure that was key in Jewish and Spriritual history thus giving them selves legitimcy in a world that craved God to restore isreal as He has promsed.
It does apear that they may have not been from the tribe of levie at all (tibe that contianed the priests). TW Manson sugests that they got their name from a word meaning “memebers of the council” thus they were esentialy non preistly people ralying under the flag of Zadok who desired money, power, and prestige.
This is not a harsh assesement. The Saducess were aristocrats. They were wealthy and made up of the high priestly families. They were in charge of the temple, its serices, and what it sold. They had worked to the top of the social lader by supproting the ruling powers of the day, right now that being the Romans. like any crime ring, they tolerated no threats to their position or wealth thus why they apposed Jesus so strongly.
Theologicly (their thoghts on God) they were significantly diffrent from the pharassies. Some og these are good was and some are not. The saducess belived in what hindus call Karma. They belived that God did not intervien in your life, focasing insted on what ever happened to you was based on your own good or evil actions.
The Saducees really only aproved of the pentateuch ( first 5 books of the OT) and only belived these laws should be concedered “manditory” But they also did not belive in angles, the resurection, or life after death.... This is why they were so Sad, you see.
So why did Luke say they Peter and John were arrested?
greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
They were annoyed! Annoyed they were proclaiming Jesus but even more that they claimed Jesus had rose from the Dead! They dont belive in a resurection. So they are placed in a holding cell untill the next day becouse it was already evening. not kick them out. Not send them home. Arest them becouse they healed a man, told everyone it was their fault for killing Jesus, and claimed Jesus rose from the Dead.
But it is to late, there are already 5k men who have trusted Jesus. How many are we up to now? Acts 2:41 Peter preaches and 3k trust Jesus. Now (Acts 4:$) Peter peraches and 5k men trust Jesus. that would be 8k but there is a couple things. In Acts 2:47 it also says people were being added every day to their number; and what about the women here? So we dont have an exact number but 10 to 15k would not be unreasonable of a calculation.
Night passes with Peter, John and the No longer lame man in prison. With a new day a new challenge emerges
Trial in the Temple
Trial in the Temple
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.
Everyone who is Important comes to this meeting. This is a slight and a threat to their power. It must not be allowed to stand. Thus just like the meeting of the familes in any good mafia movie, the heads and improtance of the sadducess gather together, to discuss the situation.
And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
No is this a bad question? Is this question evil? No. infact it is a reasonalbe even good question in many situations including where we worship and small groups. Was the power from God or Evil? Is the teaching going out solid with the scriptures or a miss understanding of what God says? What athority was given for what happened? These are imortant factors that we concider everywheer in our lives.
I have been frustrated trying to find solid information on Covid. I seem to be able to find lots of thoughts and comentary on what has been going on, but finding solid numbers and information is hard to find amongst the weeds.
knowing where they got their numbers, how they got theri numbers, and who endorced where, and how, can impact what we belive, what information we keep and what we throw out.
We need to have the same care as we weigh what we hear and read. Take the care with what I say and write, take that care with what you read and hear from others. Lets be rightly devind the word of God.... of track
But we also know they are looking for a way to discredit these guys. they alread see them as a threat and they are looking for a problem. The question they asked is not good, but the motive makes it a fishing expedition.
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.”
Peter answers filled with the Holy Spirit. He dosent know what he is going to say, but the Spirit fills in the gaps for him. Peter answers the Question as it is asked, not what may have been ment.
I love that he is respectful but does not pull any punches either. He tells them right out it was by Jesus the man was healed. But he also tels them some other very imortant things. Jesus is the Cornerstone of what he is teaching. What is a corner stone?
(a cornerstone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. - Wikipedia
Peter is saying Jesus is the model, the pattern of how we are to live, believe, and please the Father. All other factors and believes must be set in reference to Jesus. Thus Jesus determines the position of the entire faith. That is a bold statement, especially to a group that does not even believe in the rest of the Old Testament and denies an afterlife.
Placing Jesus in this position it is easy to say there is “salvation in no one else”. Salvation. This is a sermon all on its own, but suffices it to say… we are saved from an eternity of separation from God, starting at the moment a person trusts Jesus for that salvation until the end of eternity.
In this time period they were amazing masons. They would plan a building and cut every stone out at the quarry. then after all was cut, or as they were cutting they would ship the stones into the build site and start building as they arrived. Everything pre-cut, pre fabricated, and assembled at the location of the building. ONLY one of each stone was sent so they all fit together perfectly. If the builders of the building were to reject the stone that was to determine every other stone in the building the whole building would fail.
Thus when Peter says
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
then follows that up with
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.”
There is strong imagery of the only one stone being sent, its rejection, and the failure of the entire project; or Jesus being the only answer to the salvation problem we have, but being rejected by the Sadduccees and thus salvation failing for them. Only by placing Jesus in the correct place and aligning everything else around him is the hope for Salvation today, tomorrow and eternity.
This statement leads us into some interesting territory. Is that what we believe? In today's world, it is considered exclusionary to believe this… and it is. We at Crossroads agree with Peter. 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 all roads lead to heaven. Not all religions save or are even equal. Not all believes under the tent of “Christianity” are even true or equal. Nothing to Jesus can be added or modified. He is exactly as He should be the Cornerstone of our Salvation and faith.
Jesus+Anything=Nothing
Jesus+Anything=Nothing
Jesus +Nothing=Everything
Jesus +Nothing=Everything
What do they do? Do the listen and repent like the 5k men the day before? No of course not.
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.
The good news is they recognize something in these men. They see that they are normal regular guys with boldness. They are not educated in the classical or modern sense, but they had been with Jesus. This is Huge for us today. A massive education opens many doors in our world, but a day in day out life spent with Jesus will impact us in such a way where the markings on our hearts and minds will be unrepressable.
They were astonished at Peter and John because they did not have the education but they had boldness, passion, and accuracy in their thinking. They were able to go toe to toe with people often shirked back from due to a feeling of insecurity and unsuredness.
I have talked to many people that feel because they do not have education, or education in the “right” area they cannot talk about things of God or express their faith. Peter and John here are excellent examples. We need not have all the answers, we need to speak the truth to God’s glory.
So the meeting recognize their boldness and that they had been with Jesus. They also cannot deny the notable sign that was seen because the man as standing right there and everyone saw it. Why would they want to? This experience has the potential to upend their power and position in the Roman empire. they will protect it to their dying breath. “what shall we do?”. They want to protect their interests. They would deny it if they could, but they cant. What can they do?
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.
They cannot fix it, they cannot deny it, they can stop the spread… or so they think.
They command Peter and John not to speak, or teach in the name of Jesus. Why? Jesus is the Authority. He is the Key, the Cornerstone. By denying them the Name of Jesus they are trying to deny them the Authority and power of Jesus. They are trying to strip them of their mission. If they go along with it, it will stop the spread do they?
Peter and John are at a crossroads.
Cower or Power
Cower or Power
Will they cower before the mafia before them? Will they cave to the authority, riches and political clout telling them to stop?
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.
No they choose God’s Power over Cowering before these men. Sure worse things are on their way, including loss and death, but they have seen Jesus heal the broken, bring sight to the Blind; hearing the the Deaf, and Life to the Dead. They have seen Jesus back from the dead. No, there is no room for cower any more, they will choose the Power of God. No threatning, no phlosphy , no negotiation. They would stay with God’s Power though in the years to come it would cost them everything.
What about everyone else?
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.” And when they had prayed, 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.
Prayer and Worship
Prayer and Worship
They go home and tell everyone. What a story that had to have been. already 5k men were there to share what they saw and heard but now Peter and John are back.
What is the first thing they do after the Story? Pray and Worship. these are so fundamental in their life, they see God act and they go right to Him!
Wonderful… But what does that mean for us?
Times have changed but people havent
Just like Peter and John, there are people that want to shut up people who speak out for Jesus, even when done with respect and gentleness, because they are annoyed.
Just like like Peter and John you will be brought us on a Trial in the Court of Public opinion. People are not willing to allow their power, position, or money come to harm. They are looking for ways to protect it.
Just like with Peter and John you will be told to be quiet if you speak for Jesus. You will be told not here. not in that way. its not allowed here. You will be threatened, mocked, and even harmed at times. They will try to cancel you, silence you, intimidate you, all because of Jesus.
We Just like Peter and John have a Choice. Will we Cower or trust in the Power of God? Will we live a life of boldness? Will we speak Truth with Grace?
It is my prayer that we each like Peter and John would Choose a life of Boldness. Let them threaten. We have a risen savior. a savior who heals, protects, saves… today and every day through eternity. we have a Savior who is coming back for us, and any who would place their faith in Him plus nothing… because that equals everything.
Choose a life of Boldness
Choose a life of Boldness
Bulletin/YouTube Description
1) C_______________ and A_______________
2) T_______________ in the T_______________
3) C_______________ or P_______________
4) P_______________ and W_______________
Bottom Line:
Small Group/ Personal Study Questions
We grow best in the community. When we gather and discuss God’s word in a safe environment we grow more like Him. If you are here at Crossroads we encourage you to join a Small Group and talk over the Questions below. The Questions in Bold, are great places for your group to start. The other questions are for further study. May God Bless you in your pursuit of Him - Pastor Neil
1) Have you ever heard the sentence “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life”? Do you like it? why or why not? Is it true? What about it is true?
2) Read Psalm 2
3) The Psalmist asks a good question, why do the peoples plot in vain? Why do they fight against the Lord? Why does God laugh at them? In verse 4 it says “the Lord holds them in derision”. What does it say in your bible? What does derision mean? Why would God have derision for the nations of the earth? What does the psalmist say God will do? Why would He allow them to be broken? What does the Psalmist advice the kings and rulers of the earth to do?
4) Do we plot in vain? do we fight against the Lord? Why do we do that? Does God laugh at us? Does He have derision for us? Why or why not? How does the psalmist’s advice apply to us? How do we take refuge in Him?
5) How could taking refuge in the Lord assist us with choosing a life of boldness? Who could you be bold with this week to tell bout Jesus? Need help? Ask us, we want to help :)