“But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20.
Some of you know that every Saturday night we attend an online Bible study where we go verse by verse through difference books of the Bible. Three of us take turns teaching a chapter a week in the book we are studying. We have currently spent the last two and a half years going through the Psalms. Previously, while studying the Book of Acts I had the opportunity to teach Acts chapter 4. The discussions that night centered on the idea that as Christians we should be bold and uncompromising regarding how we declare the wonderful message of Christ to a world that desperately needs to hear it.
I know I speak of this often, but it is important that as Christians we never compromise in any area of God’s Word, especially regarding the reality of Christ and the work He did on the cross, bringing redemption for all who truly call on Him. It is critical that we present the light of truth both in words and actions, no matter the cost. In Acts 4, Peter and John are speaking to the people in Jerusalem regarding Jesus Christ, how He was spoken of by the prophets of old. However, not all were pleased by what they were hearing. The Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees and the Captain of the Temple were greatly annoyed and ultimately had them arrested and placed into prison until the next morning.
What happens after the Jewish leadership convenes again in the morning is what I want to focus on. First, they asked about the healing of the lame beggar at the gate of the Temple.
“ By what power, or in what name, have you done this?“ Acts 4:7b.
Peter’s response shows how we need to respond when dealing with those who want to shut us down. First, he submitted to the Holy Spirit.
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people,’” Acts 4:8.
We must be led by the Holy Spirit in everything we do, especially in spreading the gospel. As I like to say, it is better to be led by someone who knows everything than by someone who does not. And because of this, they were able to be bold and understand what needed to be said.
“ if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name this man stands here before you in good health. ‘He is the STONE, WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:9-12.
What boldness was shown here. The answer Peter gave was no doubt the last thing the Jewish leadership expected or wanted to hear, feeling they would be able to intimidate them into silence. However, you see Peter and John were not intimidated. On the contrary, they did not compromise in any way. When the leadership saw the boldness of Peter and John, they were the ones who had nothing to say in opposition because the man who was healed was standing beside them.
“Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.” Acts 4:13-14.
So the Jewish leadership commanded the Apostles to leave, while they conferred with one another.
“saying, ‘What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them it is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” Acts 4:16-17.
Which the Jewish leadership did. However, Peter and John did not assent to their command.
“But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.’”
Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer, one of the most influential Christian thinkers of our day, put it well when he said in his book “A Christian Manifesto”, in paraphrasing what was said by Peter and John,
“We are to obey the laws of man where they do not go against the laws of God.“
And God has called us todo the following during our life,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.
No matter what anyone says to us, we must never deviate from the truth, as well as the calling He has given us. It is important we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our steps, bringing forth the Word of God in a way that will help people understand and accept it. We must not confuse anyone with so-called knowledge but allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in presenting the truth to others, for the Word of God is clearly the Lord’s wisdom. Also, we must be willing to sacrifice our comfort, goods, and possibly our very lives to fulfill the calling He has given us. We must never compromise, we must be “All In”. There is a phrase I have used many times in discussions with fellow Christians regarding our devotion to God and His calling to us.
“We must be all in, or we are not in at all.”
Peter and John, in the above verses, show us how we are to respond to those who try to silence us. Notice they did not argue, insult or berate the Jewish leaders. In love, they told them the truth of the Gospel while telling them,
“for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20.
And we see in the final verses regarding this incident.
“When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.” Acts 4:21-22.
In closing, we must not look at sharing the gospel as something we do every now and then. It must be something we do as an ongoing work, a picture of who we are. And we should share this truth by our words, and also by how we live. It must be done in love for those we are ministering to, giving them the opportunity to see the love of God in us, through what we are sharing with them. We should not present it in an argumentative way, but such that they see the love of God in us, as well as our love for them. We should present it in the words we say as well as the life we live.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Colossians 4:2-6.
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