Bold servants of the great one...

“The Audacity of Christian Preaching”

(Acts 4:13-22, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 17, 2011)

13 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.

14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 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. 17 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.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

19 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, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

21 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. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John (13)

Peter's message to the powerful Sanhedrin, the ruling council in Jerusalem that had condemned Jesus and handed Him over to the Romans, was very plain and bold: 1. Jesus is the Messiah, 2. You crucified Him, 3. God raised Him from the dead, and 4, He is the reason that this man who was lame from birth is leaping for joy.

These men were speaking as citizens of heaven. They were still here on earth. You don't have to leave the earth to live as a citizen of heaven. You can even hold on to your passport here on earth. Paul did. He told others that he was a citizen of Rome on occasion. Yet he, Peter, John, and many Christians down to the present hour, live best on earth by breathing the air of heaven.

People who live only out of their citizenship on earth would have acted differently than Peter and John did that day. They would have found a way to leave Jesus out, to leave the cross out, to leave the resurrection out, and to just shrug their shoulders about the healing of the man. When they were asked by what name it was that this man had been healed, it would have been safer to say, “I don't exactly know.” Maybe they could have answered with a response or an inquiry that might deflect attention to a more safe topic of discussion.

Peter and John were bold, and they were addressing some of the most contentious spiritual issues of all time. Is Jesus the Messiah? Who is responsible for His death? Did He actually rise from the dead? How did He do it? What is salvation? They answered these questions simply and directly, as if they were sure of the answers. This was noticeable. They were uneducated, common men, so the way they spoke and their unearthly simplicity and boldness was astonishing.

The passage says something very striking about the disciples: The members of the council “recognized that they had been with Jesus.” You can take that as a plain statement of fact, or you can connect it with the first sentence: “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.” This was the kind of reaction that the people in Nazareth had when a man that they thought was the local carpenter ended up being the Messiah. This was the reaction that these disciples even had when they saw that the wind and the waves responded when Jesus said, “Peace, be still.” Now the disciples, Peter and John, have this same Spirit of heaven in them that Jesus had.

But seeing the man who was healed... (14)

The natural inclination of the religious leaders would have been to show disrespect toward these common men. But there was a significant problem. The fact of divine healing was standing beside them. The church was displaying the reality of heaven before the eyes of men.

But when they had commanded them to leave the council... (15-18)

The council dismissed Peter, John, and the man who had been healed, and they deliberated concerning this case. They acknowledged that the fact of the miracle was undeniable. All the inhabitants of Jerusalem knew that this man had been given an astounding gift.

What could these leaders do? They hoped to at least limit the damage that this report would cause for their anti-Jesus efforts. How could they stop this news from spreading? Of course there was no way to accomplish that goal. Any action they could take would only cause the news to spread more quickly. The man who had been healed was a notable fixture in Jerusalem. His remarkable healing and the arrest of Peter and John were surely fast-spreading news items at the point that this meeting was taking place. The best thing they could have done to limit the impact of this event would have been to ignore it.

Instead, they determined that they would warn Peter and John about speaking and teaching in the Name of Jesus. This instruction did not take into account the courage that God had given these men already. There is nothing that men can do to prevent the ultimate victory of God's kingdom.

But Peter and John answered them... (19-20)

The warnings of the council did not stop Peter and John. Their response continued in the way of men who are taking directions from heaven. They showed none of the fear, anger, resentment, or mean-spiritedness that is so prevalent in every age. “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.” Simple, respectful, determined, and Christ-like.

And when they had further threatened them... (21-22)

The council continued with their failing strategy; warnings and threats. The truth is that there is no way to effectively punish people who are walking through earth with their feet on heaven's path. They keep on going, though everything may seem to be falling apart all around them. The people noticed all of this. They were praising God about this astounding mercy that He had granted to a man who had been paralyzed for his entire life, more than forty years!

Powerful enemies of Christ and His gospel suppose that they are the highest authorities. They expect the church to act according to common expectations of life under the sun. Too often we give them what they expect. God will not go along with this. He entered into this fallen world for a purpose, and He aims to accomplish His goal. He continues to give generous indications that He is with us, not only in the power of answered prayer, but in the determination of His persecuted church to listen to Him, and to keep the faith. The church, though weak and unimpressive in the world's eyes, has this great fact on our side: We are the body of Christ. Our Head is God's Son. He has the power to heal and to keep. He blesses us with His Holy Spirit.

1. Why was the council shocked by Peter and John?

2. What do we learn from the deliberations and decision of the council?

3. How do Peter and John react to the council's determination?

4. How did the opinion of the people restrict the options of the council?

OT Passage: Jeremiah 38:14-23