When the Pressure Is On...

C. Casey I. Fenn

Ambassadors of the Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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READ Acts 4:1-31

Introduction

You wouldn’t think healing a disabled beggar would create such a stir. But it did.

Peter and John had been on their way to the temple to worship when a beggar who couldn’t walk cried out for a little money. He got more than he bargained for when Peter looked at him and said, “I don’t possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus the Nazarene-walk!”

And he did. The man got up and began dancing around, shouting and praising God.

But boy did it cause a stir.

People heard the commotion and started gathering around Peter and John and the healed man. And as Peter looked around, he saw another opportunity. Now was his chance to proclaim the good news of Jesus - the savior who was able to save from sin and even heal the lame.

So he did. He preached a powerful message about Jesus. He pointed the crowd to what God was going in their midst. He called them to repent and entrust their lives to King Jesus.

But it was right about that time when the religious leaders showed up. And they didn’t like what they were hearing. They felt like Peter and Jesus’ other followers were preaching blasphemies. They were threatening to lead the people away from the temple. Away from their leadership and control.

So they threw Peter and John in jail for the night to shut them up.

Pressure is Part of the Christian Life

You know, sometimes I think we look back at the highs of the early church - or even historic Christians like Martin Luther - and we imagine them as some kind of supermen. We think that they leapt from great feat to great feat, never touching the ground.

Meanwhile, we seem to live our lives on the ground. At times, it feels like we can barely jump.

We read passages like Acts 2 or 3 and we see the highlights… We see Peter preaching to thousands. We see new followers of Jesus joining the church each and every day. We see Peter and John healing a crippled man.

And we think to ourselves, “There are days I can hardly get out of bed.”

We imagine Peter and John and the rest of the disciples as untouchable. But if we’ll read closely, it’s clear that Peter and John felt the pressures of life just like we do. They didn’t skate from one miracle to the next. They had problems. They knew challenges. They faced persecution.

You see, pressure and problems are part of the Christian life.

When Jesus said “Follow me,” he didn’t promise that life would be a bed of roses. In fact, he specifically said that we would face problems if we choose the way of God’s Kingdom...

“In the world you have tribulation...” - John 16:33

“If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you...” - John 15:20

“Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...” - 2 Tim 3:12

Yes, the Kingdom of God is here. And we already enjoy many of its benefits. But as long as sin and Satan are loose in this world, we will continue to face problems and persecution and pressure.

The early church faced it. And so has every generation since.

The secret of the early church was not avoiding problems. In fact, sometimes it can seem like they sought them out. After all, Peter and John must’ve known that going into the temple during the busiest time of the day, healing a disabled man, and proclaiming the gospel to everyone who gathered wasn’t exactly a way to remain inconspicuous.

No, Peter and the rest of those Christians didn’t avoid pressure. They just understood how to withstand it.

And we see their secrets here in Acts 4.

When The Pressure Is On… We Fellowship

The Sanhedrin left Peter and John in prison overnight. They thought that this would show them they meant business. But what they didn’t realize is that they were

When The Pressure Is On… We Worship

When The Pressure Is On… We Pray