All right, very good. Please take your copy of God's Word out and turn to the book of Acts chapter 4.
Our text for today will be Acts chapter 4, verses 14 through 22.
But before we read the text and get into it, I'd like to begin by reminding you where we are in our text and what we have considered together in the past weeks.
If you have been here, if you have not been here, I hope this will serve you well by catching you up to where we are in our text as well.
Beginning three weeks ago on Easter Sunday, we started into chapter 3 and we saw the healing of a lame beggar.
This figure at the temple that sat always at the beautiful gate and Peter and John going up at the hour of prayer.
It must be three o'clock in the afternoon to pray, encounter this man, and he's miraculously healed.
And in so doing, God orchestrates the setting of a stage for Peter's second sermon.
So we look also at the beginning of Peter's second sermon in which he exalts Jesus as the Christ by speaking of him with five different titles.
And those titles are, and you can look there at the beginning of chapter 3 and spot these, God's servant, Jesus, which means salvation comes from the Lord.
Peter refers to him as the holy and righteous one, the author of life and the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one.
So he exalts Jesus Christ in his preaching.
Secondly, he indicts his listeners, this crowd that has gathered because of the healing of this lame man.
He indicts them.
He points out their guilt, beginning in verse 13 of chapter 3 and then 14 and 15.
See the phrases, you delivered, you denied, you killed.
And he's addressing specifically their misconception about who Jesus is.
The following week, we concluded our study of Peter's second sermon.
So this is two weeks ago now.
And we saw the conclusion of his outline.
So first, he exalts Jesus Christ.
Second, he indicts his listeners.
And third, he calls his listeners to repentance.
Verse 19 of chapter 3, repent, therefore, and turn again.
And he speaks of the restoration that accompanies repentance.
If you are a disciple of Christ, then you are commanded, not merely suggested, but you are commanded to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
None of us are outside of this.
This isn't just a sermon to observe for pastors only.
But all of us as disciples of Christ are commanded to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And we should follow this very same outline with some consideration to our particular listeners and those listeners' particular context.
For example, the gospel, if we're to present it in its entirety, and I'm saying this to you because I think many people believe they're presenting the gospel to their friends and their co-workers.
But what they're really doing is they're having a spiritual conversation.
They're not actually presenting the gospel.
They're not giving all of the information necessary for someone to come to believing faith in Christ.
And in its simplest form, and there's much to be said about this, needs to be God, man, Christ, repentance.
You heard me say to the kids this morning, ask your parents about God and ask your parents about yourself.
That conversation rightly leads us to speaking of Christ.
And as these little ones grow older, they need to be called to repent.
Well, that's what Peter's doing here.
He's using that format, God, man, Christ, repentance.
But he's being sensitive to the listener's context.
This is a Jewish audience.
They believed in the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God that had created the world.
They believed that He was holy and that He had a holy standard for them to live by.
They were aware of the law and they were also aware of their transgression of that law.
They knew that they needed a sacrifice for that.
And so Peter's able to come in the midst of that understanding of God and man and speak of Christ and then call them to repentance.
So being sensitive to that, you can see God, man, Christ, repentance, even in his outline.
And as he exalts Jesus, indicts the listeners, calls them guilty and calls them to repentance.
Now, last week, we began to study chapter 4, verses 1 through 31.
So it's kind of our larger, broader text over these past two weeks and now into next week as well.
And in that, at the beginning of it, we observe the arrest of Peter and John as a result of their preaching,
their overnight imprisonment, and the beginning of their trial before the Sanhedrin.
In verses 8 through 12 of chapter 4, we read and considered Peter's third sermon where he follows the exact same outline.
So this is number three, one on the day of Pentecost, second following the healing of the lame man,
and now the next day, his third sermon as recorded in the book of Acts.
Again, exaltation of Jesus Christ, the indictment of his listeners, now the Sanhedrin, the religious rulers, the court of Israel,
and then calling those listeners to repentance.
And, last week, I spoke to you of the normalcy of Christian persecution.
The normalcy of it.
Christian persecution should not be a foreign concept to us.
Persecution has been and still is the norm for the Christian church in the world.
Always has been and still is.
Broadly speaking, we looked at the statistics.
More Christians are suffering for the sake of the gospel in the world right now than are not.
But, the fact that this is not the case for the American church is not a factor of our political environment.
It is not a factor of our political environment that we don't suffer in that way,
that we're not persecuted because of the gospel.
Let me show you a bit more what I mean.
The persecution, hear this carefully,
The persecution of the citizens of God's kingdom always accompanies the coming of God's kingdom.
They're carried along together.
It's not optional.
Let this sink.
2 Timothy 3.12
I read this to you last week.
You need to hear these words and they need to resonate.
They need to bounce around inside of your head.
Paul, at the end of his life, he had suffered much.
He had certainly been persecuted.
He would be finally martyred not long after the writing of this second letter to Timothy 3.12.
And he said,
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Stages book.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
All will be persecuted.
Don't let American religious freedom numb you to this reality.
Now, many places in the world and throughout history, what was experienced as persecution was persecution of the body.
That's not a present reality where we live today.
And I'm not suggesting that it should be.
Please don't seek to go out and be beat up for your faith.
It may happen.
It's very possible.
Certainly, we don't receive systematic persecution.
Right.
The state is not persecuting Christians, throwing us in prison for the preaching of the gospel.
But there is and there should exist amongst us a persecution of the ego.
If you preach the good news of Jesus Christ boldly, you might lose your reputation, your status, your position, your job.
People might think that you're strange or narrow minded or judgmental.
They might label you unloving.
A difficult one for many of us.
People may just not like you.
I like to be liked by people, but they may not like me if I begin to exalt Christ and indict them for their sin against a holy God and call them to repentance.
It's the ultimately loving thing I can do for them, but they may not appreciate it.
So it's the it's the ego that has the potential of being assaulted here in the U.S.
If we're to boldly declare the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Some have suggested that the fear of persecution against the ego is a more stifling tool of the devil because it is not so clear an injustice as an assault against the body.
So catch what I'm saying.
I think I'm tracking with this idea that it's it's more stifling because an injustice against the body.
So let's say a man rushed the stage right now because I'm declaring the good news of Jesus Christ in my preaching and just clocked me in the face.
I believe I would tend to go, well, hey, suffering for righteousness sake.
Right.
How clear the injustice is on his part to attack me physically for simply declaring the truth as I understand it.
But it seems that it's subliminally restrictive when I'm afraid that that guy just might not like me.
He might cross his arms and walk out of here and never return.
He might speak poorly of me in the community and I entertain this thought in the back of my head and it could.
It has the potential to cause me to shrink back when I should push forward.
I will say to you honestly, in the times that I have shrunk back, when I should have pressed forward, when I haven't been bold as I should have been.
My concern was that I would get lumped in with other Christians.
It seems to me often that Christians that make the popular media are crazy.
And so often I go, that's not me.
Like, oh, please don't associate me with that guy or that lady.
I don't want to be associated with them.
I don't want to be seen as weird like them.
So I think I'm tracking on this idea that possibly this is the case.
But all the same, persecution of one kind or another should be the normative experience of the Christian life.
Should be normative, beloved.
Should be coming together on Sunday, having experienced the hostility of the world throughout the week.
That's why this should be such a refreshing time to be together because we look around at each other and we go, we're not crazy.
Everyone in this room believes what I believe.
And this is so charging.
We sing songs about it.
We hear the preaching of it.
And we go back out into our week ready once again to bear reproach for the sake of the gospel.
I'll give you just a quick example.
And this is kind of off the wall, but I thought of it this morning while we were singing.
So if you track with me.
Normally, day to day, I normally wear a pair of like trail running shoes and a little bit of the soles coming off of one of them.
It's a piece I can just glue back on really easily, but I just haven't done it yet.
And it's been doing that for about two weeks.
So it's a little flat.
So you catch them.
If you can catch it, it's coming from forward.
So when I shuffle my foot on the ground, it catches and does a little like boop with my foot.
Picturing that in your mind.
So I started walking different.
And this morning, I realized I'm not wearing those shoes, but I was also picking that foot up a little bit higher.
As I walked, I was doing a little more like lifting, not shuffling my feet, as I often do.
Because I had adjusted to a new norm.
And the problem is that we have a culture in our churches where we don't boldly proclaim the gospel everywhere we go.
And so therefore, we don't bear the reproach of Christ.
And it's normative.
It's normal that we don't do these things.
Rather than it being abnormal that we don't do these things.
That you come amongst a group of believers and you go, really?
All of you this week suffering for the sake of the gospel?
What's wrong with me?
And we're silent about it.
Right?
We don't go, look what the scripture has to say about this.
We very conveniently take 2 Timothy 3.12 and we go, well, maybe someday.
Could possibly be a thing that would happen.
We should be willing to do it.
He gives us no space for that type of interpretation, beloved.
If you don't like what I'm saying, your problem is with him.
Paul, the spirit of God that inspired him to say, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
The kingdom of God comes about accompanied by persecution.
And because it should be a reality, we begin to prepare for it.
It is my hope.
It is my prayer that we leave here today ready to go out and boldly proclaim the gospel and that you will be persecuted for that.
I hope it would be wonderful if each and every one of you, every single person you encountered, was favorable to the message of the gospel.
Already found in Christ or saying, tell me more.
I've been waiting my whole life to meet a person that would preach this good news to me.
But if you're propagating the gospel widely, I'm also confident that that will not be the case.
Right?
Will be persecuted.
To some people, they will want to shut you down as quickly as they can.
They don't want to hear it.
So we began to consider in these first one through thirty one, seven ways to honor God in the midst of persecution.
I promise I'm going to get to our text through this long introduction.
Seven ways to honor God in the midst of persecution.
Or if you prefer, seven ways to handle persecution.
We looked at the first three last week.
The first one was to be expendable.
Right?
And this is implied in the text.
Look at verse four of chapter four.
It's implied, but I believe it's there.
I don't think I'm taking liberty with the text at all.
Verse four.
After their arrest, Luke records the arrest and imprisonment.
But many of those who had heard the word believed.
And the number of the men came to about five thousand.
Right?
I talked a little bit last week about the varying ways we could count the number of the church in that day.
But it's a massive, massive number.
Be expendable.
Hold your life loosely for the sake of others.
Don't be so concerned about the way people view you because they're dying.
Be willing to be ridiculed for the sake of others.
Consider this.
If you're in Christ, it's possible that you picked up a copy of God's word and you read the scripture for yourself.
You read the gospel in the scripture.
But more likely, someone shared the gospel with you.
Someone taught you the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And by the inworking of the spirit and God's grace, you responded in faith.
Someone was willing to bear the reproach of Christ for you.
They were willing to do so.
Fortunately, you responded favorably.
You didn't take him out back and beat him up.
But you were not likely the only person that that good news was preached to.
The person that taught you the gospel was likely teaching other people the gospel as well.
And that person probably met with opposition to the message of Christ.
Someone was willing to bear reproach for you.
Hold loosely to your life.
Be expendable.
Secondly, we looked at being filled with the spirit.
We see that in verse 8, that Peter was filled with the spirit.
And I certainly can't talk about this at length.
Many Sundays.
We ask that question, what does it mean to be filled with the spirit?
And I've been saying to you and establishing for you that it is not this extra spiritual experience.
It's not this second normative Christian experience where you reach a whole new plateau and plane.
It's not a thing that's meant to be sought in the midst of a service by a certain set of incantations or meditation.
It's not nearly that complex.
If you're in Christ, you have been baptized in the spirit.
One time thing.
Being in Christ, you have the spirit of God.
And you can be filled with him or not.
It's a matter of walking in obedience or not.
If you want to hear more about this, Acts 2, 1 through 12, the second sermon, you can find it online.
I talk about it a bit more.
But just quickly, in order for you to study this yourself, I want you to look in Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, Romans 8.
Feel free to talk to me about it more as well.
But be filled with the spirit.
Have the word of God saturate you deeply.
Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, these parallel passages.
And have it come out of you.
Have it so worked into you that it comes out of you.
Romans 8.
Set your mind on the things of the spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.
Thirdly, be bold.
Be bold.
What a great deal of boldness on Peter's part in front of these men.
This is a big deal.
Again, God orchestrating the miracle itself to bring them to being able to preach in front of this great crowd at the temple.
And now the Sanhedrin.
Now these religious elite, this ruling party, right?
In cahoots with the Romans.
And they're sitting in front of this group, 71, 70 men plus the high priest.
No way they could have called this audience together on their own, right?
This was a work of God.
And here, Peter, the one we read this morning, denying Christ three times before his crucifixion.
Now, having seen the resurrected Christ, is bold.
Man, this was a group to stand in front of.
It would have been frightening to be standing in front of these men.
The closest equivalent I can draw to it is maybe a joint session of Congress and the Supreme Court.
And then we'll just toss the president in the mix, all sitting in a big half circle asking you questions.
Right?
And you're meant to respond.
And boy, does he respond with great boldness.
Verse 11, this Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
And he's citing from Psalm 118, 22, which says the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Peter does not remove the offense of the gospel.
In fear, he doesn't shrink back.
He presses forward.
He speaks the truth.
He boldly indicts them.
He's saying to them, you are fulfilling Psalm 118, 22.
You, you're the builders.
You've rejected the cornerstone on which the whole temple of God is built.
He presses forward instead of shrinking back.
He goes on to say, verse 12, there is salvation in no one else.
Now, remember, these men are saying to him, they're concerned about the teaching of Jesus.
These men were integral to the crucifixion of Christ.
These men hated Jesus.
And he says, there is salvation in no one else.
For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
If you don't hang all of your hope of salvation in the personal work of Jesus Christ, you will be destroyed.
And opponents to this will say, how very narrow.
Why couldn't God make many, many ways?
But the question we should be asking is, why did God make a way at all?
Praise God forevermore than he made a way.
And he made a specific way.
And it's in faith in the personal work of Jesus Christ.
So those were last weeks.
We're caught up now.
This week, I'm just going to address one additional point from the seven.
Because the structure of the text lends itself to that.
And you've all been so very gracious.
As I've been taking huge bites out of these narratives.
And we have a members meeting following the service.
So we're just going to add one.
So in the seven ways to honor God in the midst of persecution,
the one we'll add today is number four.
Be obedient.
Okay.
My text for this morning is verse 14 to 22.
But I would like to begin reading in verse one.
So Acts four.
One through 22.
And as they were speaking to the people,
the priest 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 5,000.
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,
all who were of the high priestly family.
And when they had set them in the midst,
they inquired,
by what power or by what name do you do this?
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.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John
and perceived that they were uneducated,
common men,
they were astonished,
and they recognized 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.
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.
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 the sign of healing was performed
was more than forty years old.
Beloved, this is God's word to us.
It was written for his glory and our good.
And we would all do well to listen to it
in order to believe its promises
and obey its commands.
All right, beginning in verse 14.
Now, remembering that they're before the Sanhedrin,
these 71 men,
this highly intimidating situation.
Recognize that's where they are
and that it was customary
to assess claims of miracles.
If miracles occurred in this day,
it was normative that the Sanhedrin
would call together
the people who were supposedly responsible for it
and assess the claim of it.
They knew that God was a miracle-working God.
And if someone was to come and perform a miracle,
it was possible
that they were sent on behalf of God,
that they were a prophet of God.
This is likely the reason that the man was with them.
You see that in verse 14.
But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them,
he didn't wander his own way into this meeting.
He was brought in
and he was there with them to be assessed.
But remember,
this is not ultimately
why Peter and John are on trial.
So this is the normative thing that would be going on.
Like, miracles have been performed.
People are saying there's a miracle that's happened.
And we need to get together.
We need to gather everyone together.
The Sanhedrin, we need to gather together.
And we need to check this out
to see if it's a true claim or not.
And we know that's not the primary reason.
Back in the beginning of chapter 4.
Remember, they were annoyed.
They were greatly annoyed with them.
And they seized them.
And they arrested them.
They were annoyed with them for three reasons.
They were teaching.
It's not a thing that common men did.
In verse 13, we saw that they were uneducated,
common men.
They weren't trained in their rabbinical schools.
And they didn't have these clout
of a professional theologian.
They were amazed by Jesus as well
when He came into synagogues
and into the temple.
And He spoke as one with authority.
That's what they're referencing.
One who had been granted authority to.
Rather than just speaking what God had said
in His Word.
They were teaching.
Second part of verse 2
because they were teaching the people.
They were teaching about Jesus.
They were proclaiming in Jesus.
This one that they had put to death.
That they had deemed a false prophet
and killed.
And they were teaching about resurrection.
The Sanhedrin was made up
primarily,
not in entirety,
but primarily
of Sadducees.
And Sadducees were a sect of Judaism
that did not believe
in the resurrection from the dead.
I didn't think that was a possible thing.
So, they're teaching.
They're teaching about Jesus.
And they're teaching about resurrection.
That Jesus Himself was raised
from the dead.
So, they're greatly annoyed with this.
They're greatly annoyed.
But they have nothing to say
in opposition.
Here's the man standing before them.
We find out at the end of our text,
verse 22,
that this man had been crippled
for 40 years.
From birth for 40 years,
he was a figure at the temple.
Always was at the beautiful gate.
They themselves would have seen them.
So, here he is standing with them
and they're seeing.
They're saying,
yes, that's the guy.
And they've healed him.
And they're saying to us
that they healed him
in the name of Jesus Christ.
So, they have nothing to say.
So, what do they do?
They, in verse 15 and on into 16,
they took a recess.
They sent him out
and took a recess.
They conferred amongst each other
to figure out what in the world
they should do.
Verse 16,
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.
It's evident to everyone.
Many thousands
had witnessed the man healed.
We see that there
at the many who believed
at the preaching of Peter.
Many thousands
had witnessed the man healed
and the news of his healing
had spread.
All the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
the city was abuzz
with this miracle.
miracle.
They couldn't deny it.
There were too many witnesses.
It's not that they didn't
want to deny it.
They would have gladly
just dismissed it.
They would have gladly
just said,
this didn't happen at all.
This affirms the case
against us.
We could just deny it,
but we can't.
Because if we do,
we'll lose power.
Everyone will think
we're crazy.
The Sadducees also
could not deny
the resurrection.
We're going to see this
throughout the book of Acts
when the apostles
stand in these councils
before the Sadducees.
They would have loved
to have denied
the resurrection
to present the proof
that the resurrection
had not happened.
But they don't.
They never do.
They never bring it up
because they couldn't.
It was impossible
for them to do so.
This is a bit of a side note,
but a commentary
on this text
by F.F. Bruce,
who was a 20th century
Scottish Bible scholar
I commend to you.
He wrote,
it is particularly striking
that neither on this
nor on any other
subsequent occasion
did the Sanhedrin
take any serious action
to disprove
the apostles'
central affirmation,
the resurrection
of Jesus.
Had it seemed possible
to refute them
on this point,
how readily
would the Sanhedrin
have seized the opportunity?
Had they succeeded,
how quickly and completely
the new movement
would have collapsed?
So they can't.
They can't go after that.
They're not even here
able to go after
the fact that a miracle
had been performed.
And Peter is saying
it happened in the name
of Christ.
And so,
what do they do?
Verse 17
into 18.
But in order that it
may spread
no further
among the people.
Let's restrict it
to Jerusalem,
the city of Jerusalem.
Let's squelch
the rumor
that someone
was healed
by the power
of Christ.
Let us warn them
to speak no more
to anyone
in this name.
So they did.
They called them in,
charged them not
to speak or teach
at all
in the name
of Jesus.
These men
were not concerned
with the truth.
What opportunity
they had
before them
to witness
their miracle
working God
performing a miracle
in their midst.
even being offered
the opportunity
to repent.
Chapter 4,
verse 12.
To turn from their sin
and turn back to God.
But they were not
concerned with the truth.
They were concerned
with their power
and the holding of it.
They were wealthy men
because of the positions
that they held.
If the people
were convinced
that Jesus was the Messiah,
the Sanhedrin
would certainly
have been held
culpable
for his death.
He just wanted it
dismissed,
swept under
the rug.
The sooner the movement
could die,
the better for them.
So they command them,
don't speak anymore
in this name.
I think it's of
interesting note
at this point
to see.
We're going to see
again in the book
of Acts,
again and again
and again.
The apostles
had to be commanded
to stop speaking
of Jesus.
Jesus.
And today we have
to command people
to speak of Jesus.
They were so enthralled
with who he was
to them.
They loved him
so immensely
that they wouldn't
shut up.
At the threat
of their life,
they would not
be quiet.
And we see some
of that in the
response,
verse 19 and 20.
Peter and John
answered them.
So Peter's preached
this sermon before,
but now Peter
and John,
and I don't want
you to picture this
as like the creepy
talking at the exact
same time,
but I think what Luke's
trying to communicate
is that they were
unified in their
obstinance.
They were both
equally bold.
One of them spoke up,
we're not sure which,
likely Peter.
Peter talked all the time.
They said,
whether it is right
in the sight of God
to listen to you
rather than to God,
you must judge.
He's saying to them,
you guys decide,
should we listen to you
or should we listen
to God?
I love what John
MacArthur said of this
position that he puts
them in by saying this.
He says,
by such an appeal
to the divine judge,
the apostles impaled
the Sanhedrin
on the horns
of a dilemma.
He sets them up
for failure.
Either they have
to deny God
or they have
to deny themselves
as proper judges
over Israel.
Peter and John
spoke on behalf
of God
in Jesus Christ.
They put the Sanhedrin
in a position
to worship
their own power
or the God
of all power.
And sadly,
the Sanhedrin
chose the former.
verse 20,
for we cannot
but speak
of what we have
seen
and heard.
So compelling
and so moving
to them.
The good news
of the gospel
of Jesus Christ
and the effect
that it had had
on them.
They couldn't help
but speak
about it.
And here they stand,
verse 19 and 20,
boldly before
their government.
These men
had Christ
put to death.
Little help
from the Romans,
of course.
But had Christ
put to death
and here they stand
in defiance
of their government.
Now a note on that.
We're told in the scripture
to obey our government.
Are we not?
Peter himself
writes in 1 Peter 2,
13-17.
I'll shorten it
for the sake of time.
Through 15.
Be subject
for the Lord's sake
to every human institution,
whether it be
to the emperor
as supreme
or to governors
as sent by him
to punish
those who do evil
and to praise
those who do good.
14.
13 and 14.
Be subject
for the Lord
to every human institution,
whether it be
to the emperor
as supreme
or to governors
as sent by him
to punish
those who do evil
and to praise
those who do good.
Paul wrote
something similar.
Romans 13-1.
Let every person
be subject
to the governing authorities
for there is no authority
except from God
and those that exist
have been instituted
by God.
So we're told
the scripture
to obey the government
but
not at the cost
of disobeying God.
So if any government
in the world
or if our government
speaks in direct opposition
to the command of God,
we're freed from obeying
that command
in order to obey
the command of God.
And we see them doing that.
This wonderful example
of that here.
Standing up to the Sanhedrin's
command to no longer speak
in the name of Christ.
For we cannot but speak
of what we have seen
and heard.
And the last part of the text,
they further threatened them.
They're bold in this proclamation.
They threatened them
a little bit more.
Probably with the threat
of imprisonment
and possible death.
Let them go.
You'll find no way
to punish them
because of the people.
Because they're afraid
of what the people
are going to say about them.
They're afraid of losing power
in the eyes of the people.
Because they were all
praising God
for what had happened
for the man on whom
the sign of healing
was performed
was more than 40 years old.
It was a very significant miracle.
It was a massive, massive miracle.
From birth,
he couldn't walk.
Now he can.
This old man
has been sitting,
excuse me if you're over 40.
It's a very significant miracle
is the point.
You've been crippled
for a very long,
long time.
So the exhortation
is to be obedient.
Let me add to that.
Be obedient at all costs.
So here they are,
Peter and John
in unison saying,
we know what you're telling us to do
but we must obey God.
We must speak
of what we have seen
and what we have heard.
We must tell people
of the only way
to salvation.
The cost is too high.
The war is too precious.
We must speak
in the name of Christ.
Be obedient at all costs.
And what does that obedience
look like in this context?
It's boldness
in the face of persecution.
That's the way
in which they were obedient.
That's the way
they're going to continue
being obedient.
In the rest of our text
through verse 31
next week,
we're going to see them
pray for even more boldness.
Thank God for their boldness
and they're going to pray
for even more boldness.
So obedience at all cost
is boldness
in the face
both in the midst of
and in the threat of
persecution.
So I want us to see
two things quickly
kind of in summary.
First,
the command of boldness
in the face of persecution.
This is obedience.
The command of boldness
in the face of persecution
and the example of boldness
in the face of persecution.
The command of boldness
in the face of persecution.
We are,
beloved Christians,
disciples of Jesus Christ,
to live and serve
the lost world
just as our Lord did.
That is the point,
the ultimate point
of what we're doing
together today.
The exaltation of Jesus Christ,
the glory of God
in the salvation
of His people.
That's the work
that we're about.
We gather today
not to feel good
about ourselves.
We didn't gather today
to meet with friends.
So I sure hope not.
We gather today
to worship the Lord,
to be equipped,
to be sent back out
to the world.
We're gathered to go.
Gathered to go.
We shouldn't neglect gathering,
but we also shouldn't neglect
the going.
We're to live and serve
the lost world
just as our Lord did.
Mark 10, 45,
Jesus says,
For even the Son of Man
came not to be served,
but to serve
and to give His life
as a ransom from me.
That's why Jesus came
to the earth,
to ransom the church
to the glory of God.
In 1 Timothy 1, 15,
Paul states,
Jesus Christ came into the world
to save sinners.
In John 20, 21,
Jesus says,
As the Father has sent me
into the world
to be a ransom for many,
to save sinners,
even so,
I am sending you.
The book of Acts
is about that.
Jesus Christ exalted
at the right hand of the Father
sending the Spirit of God
to His people
so that He's multiplied
across the planet.
Hands and feet,
moving,
mouthpieces,
preaching
the good news of Jesus Christ.
He has multiplied Himself.
He does that
even in our suffering.
As the Father has sent me,
even so,
I am sending you.
You're familiar with Matthew 28,
18-20?
Jesus issues the marching orders
to the apostles
and the church.
This is for each one of us,
beloved.
All authority in heaven and earth
has been given to me.
Go, therefore,
and make disciples
of all nations,
baptizing them
in the name of the Father
and of the Son
and 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.
This command for us to go
is sandwiched on either side
by Christ's authority
and His presence,
power and presence
on either side of us
to go and carry
the good news
to all nations,
raising up disciples.
I hate that I have to say
disciples of Jesus Christ
make disciples of Jesus Christ.
Duh.
But that doesn't seem to be the case.
This is to be the activity
of all of us.
The primary task
of the disciple of Jesus Christ
is to propagate
the gospel of Jesus Christ
far and wide
in order to make disciples.
Do you share Paul's sentiment
that he expresses
in 1 Corinthians 9.16?
Do you share this?
For if I preach the gospel,
that gives me no ground
for boasting,
for necessity is laid upon me.
Woe to me
if I do not preach
the gospel.
This weekend
at the biblical counseling
and discipleship training
that a number of us
from our church
participated in.
It's a wonderful thing.
I'm going to encourage you
to go to it next year.
One of the speakers
said multiple times
that a common question
he asks
counselees,
those he's counseling,
and I really love this,
would you rather
glorify God
than breathe?
Would you rather
glorify God
than breathe?
Because of what
he's done for you,
the way in which
he's expressed
is great love
for us.
Is that so precious
to you?
Christ must be
magnified in my life.
I'd rather do that
than breathe.
In John 15.8,
Jesus states,
By this is my Father
glorified,
that you bear
much fruit,
and so prove to be
my disciples.
And he says
in John 14.15,
If you love me,
you will keep
my commandments.
Now, beloved,
it's the normative
response.
It's the thing
that should be
happening.
We properly
treasure the gospel
as we should.
Really understand
our sin.
Really get
our depravity.
What we've been
saved from.
Eternal damnation.
Eternal separation
from him.
But because of what
Christ did on our behalf,
we can have life
and life everlasting.
Love Christ
for that.
He should be
most pleasurable
for us.
We'll keep
his commandments.
But one follows
the other.
In front of your
bulletin,
you can see
just two quotes
I'll read.
Love is not
just a sentiment.
This is Martin Lloyd-Jones.
Love is not
just a sentiment.
Love is a great
controlling passion
and it always
expresses itself
in terms
of obedience.
He's speaking
of our love of God
here.
It's of no value
if I just tell my wife
Sam, I love you,
and I do nothing
to actually show her
and express to her
my love of her.
The same is true
of God.
You cannot just
say it.
There has to be
some outflow
of that.
Who we are in Christ
produces this love
and produces
the work
we're meant to be
about.
Quote by Augustine
is a typo.
There should be
an E at the end
of his name.
Augustine,
if you prefer.
Wicked men
obey from fear.
Good men
from love.
Good men
from love.
So we have a
command to boldness
in the face
of persecution.
Don't think
yourself exempt
from this.
It's for your
good.
Then we have
the example
of boldness
in the face
of persecution.
1 Peter 2
21.
Peter writes,
For to this
you have been
called,
because Christ
also suffered
for you.
He's talking
about suffering.
For to this
you have been
called,
because Christ
also suffered
for you,
leaving you
an example
so that you
might follow
in his steps.
Jesus Christ
is the great
example for us
of boldness
in the face
of persecution.
Turn with me
if you will
please in your
copy of God's
word to Matthew
chapter 26.
Amen.
I had every
intention of
this being
a short
sermon.
Hang with
me.
Matthew 26
beginning
in verse
36.
It's a picture
of Jesus
in the garden
of Gethsemane
before the
eve of his
crucifixion.
It's the night
before.
Most of you
are probably
familiar with
the story.
Think about
him as an
example of
boldness in
the face
of persecution.
Find
yourself in
the garden
in this
place.
Verse 36
and Jesus
went with
them to a
place called
Gethsemane.
He said to
his disciples,
sit here while
I go over
there and
pray.
And taking
with him
Peter and
the two
sons of
Zebedee,
he began
to be
sorrowful
and troubled.
He's
anticipating
what's
coming the
next day.
Then he
said to
them,
my soul
is very
sorrowful,
even to
death,
remain here
and watch
with me.
And going
a little
farther,
he fell
on his
face and
prayed,
saying,
my
father,
if it
be
possible,
let
this
cup
pass
from
me.
Nevertheless,
not as
I will,
but as
you will.
He's
saying,
if it's at
all possible,
if there's
any other
way for
this to
be
accomplished,
this is
the way
we know
that this
had to
happen in
this way.
Jesus
himself
said,
if I
can avoid
the
persecution,
can we
do this
another way?
Is there
any other
way to
do it?
But I
prefer what
you will.
verse 40,
and he
came to
the
disciples
and he
found them
sleeping
and he
said to
Peter,
so could
you not
watch with
me one
hour?
Watch and
pray that
you may
not enter
into temptation.
The spirit
indeed is
willing,
but the
flesh is
weak.
Again,
for the
second time,
he went
away and
prayed,
my father,
if this
cannot pass
unless I
drink it,
we understand
that to be
the wrath
of God,
your will
be done.
If this
cannot pass
unless I
drink it,
your will
be done.
And again,
he came and
found them
sleeping,
for their
eyes were
heavy.
So leaving
them again,
he doesn't
even wake
them up
that time,
so leaving
them again,
he went
away and
prayed for
the third
time,
saying the
same words
again.
So three
times he
said,
is there
any other
way for
this to
happen?
I would
prefer to
avoid the
persecution,
but your
will be
done.
Then he
came to
the disciples
and said
to them,
sleep and
take your
rest later
on.
See,
the hour is
at hand,
and the
Son of
Man is
betrayed
into the
hands of
sinners.
Rise,
let us
be going.
See,
my betrayer
is at
hand.
So we
ask that
the Lord
would take
the persecution
from him.
He doesn't
do so,
and he
boldly
faces it.
The will
of God,
that the
people of
God are
persecuted
for the
sake of
the
gospel.
Jesus is
our great
example in
this.
Hebrews 12,
1 and 2.
Therefore,
since we
are surrounded
by so
great a
cloud of
witnesses,
let us
also lay
aside every
weight and
sin which
clings so
closely,
and let us
run with
endurance the
race that
is set
before us.
This is
what I've
been talking
about.
This is
the race
set before
us,
this battle
that we're
in to
preach the
good news
to the
whole world.
Looking to
Jesus,
the founder
and perfecter
of our
faith,
who for
the joy
that was
set before
him,
endured the
cross,
despising the
shame,
and is
seated at
the right
hand of
the throne
of God.
So we see
Jesus looks
to the joy
that is
before him
and the
exaltation
of his
person at
the right
hand of
God in
order to
endure the
suffering that
will come.
He has an
eternal
mindset.
He has a
concern for
the will of
God and the
glory of
God.
And so he
suffers well.
He's obedient
at all
cost.
Jesus is
certainly the
greatest and
highest example
of this.
There are
lesser examples.
I want you to
be encouraged by
these things.
They can be of
massive encouragement
to us.
To know about
the persecution
that happens in
the world around
us makes me
being called
weird so
inconsequential.
people.
You familiar
with Voice of
the Martyrs?
You can
subscribe to
this for free.
This is a
cool organization.
Persecution.com
They'll send you a
deal like this.
I think it's
monthly that it
comes.
They tend to
stack up on my
desk and I
read them and
then go back.
I don't even
know where we're
at in the
April.
Monthly.
These will
come to you.
Great resources.
Great videos.
Pray for these
people.
I can guarantee
you they're
praying for us.
They pity us
for not
getting to
experience the
reproach of
Christ the
way they do.
Pray for
them.
Be encouraged
by them.
Another resource
I want to
commend to you
is Fox's
Book of
Martyrs.
Thumb through
these pages
and then try
to put American
Christianity in
the context of
the history of
the church.
Something's
really wrong
with us in
that way.
I want to
read one to
you quickly.
There were
ten systematic
persecutions
by the Roman
Empire.
This one
happens in
the seventh
systematic
persecution.
It's under
the emperor
Decius
and in
Asia under
the governor
Optimus.
It's
80-249-251.
This took
place.
Short little
account.
Two quick
paragraphs.
A weak
Christian
Nicomachus
was brought
before Optimus
and ordered
to sacrifice
to the
pagan idols.
Nicomachus
replied,
I cannot
pay the
respect to
devils that
is due
only to
the
Almighty.
It's a good
start, right?
He was
immediately
placed on
the rack
and after
enduring his
torments for
only a short
time,
recanted his
faith in
Christ.
As soon as
he was freed
from the
rack,
he was seized
with a great
agony and
fell to the
ground and
died.
Okay, so
there's the
weak Christian
Nicomachus.
seeing what
seemed to be
a terrible
judgment,
Denisa,
a 16-year-old
girl who
was among
the observers
exclaimed,
are young
people in the
room?
Are you
hearing?
Denisa,
a 16-year-old
girl,
yells out,
Oh,
unhappy
wretch,
why would
you buy
a moment's
ease at
the expense
of a
miserable
eternity?
When
Optimus
heard this,
he called
her to
himself,
and when
Denisa
confessed that
she was a
Christian,
he had her
beheaded.
Are you
more like
Nicomachus
or Denisa?
Christian,
we are to
be obedient
no matter
the cost.
The companion
to the coming
of the kingdom
of God is
Christian
persecution.
The kingdom
of God
will come
with or
without you.
I pray that
you would
choose to
be a
minister of
reconciliation
and not
sit idly
by on
the sidelines.
Your
momentary
comfort is
not worth
trading for
the
astounding
joy you
can have
in Christ
even now
in the
midst of
such
suffering.
Remember
what Jesus
said in
John 15,
If the
world hates
you,
know that
it has
hated me
before it
hated you.
If you
were of
the world,
the world
would love
you as
its own.
But because
you were
not of
the world,
but I
chose you
out of
the world,
therefore
the world
hates you.
Remember
the word
that I
said to
you,
a servant
is not
greater
than his
master.
If they
persecuted
me,
they will
also
persecute
you.
If they
kept
my word,
they will
also keep
yours.
do
not
continue
to go
on from
this
day
willing
to be
complacent
and
comfortable.
Be
bold
for the
sake of
others,
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ,
the glory
of his
name,
and be
prepared.
You
will
be
persecuted.
If you
have not
placed
believing
faith
in
Jesus
Christ,
this
is
not
a
good
evangelistic
sermon.
you
need to
know,
though,
that there
are
people
in
this
room
that
are
willing
to
risk
everything.
And I
mean that.
I know
people in
this
room
who are
willing
to
risk
everything,
their
lives,
the
lives
of
their
families,
so that
you
would
repent
and
believe
in
Christ.
When
we
come
to
you
with
the
good
news
and
suffer
for
it,
or at
least
are
willing
to
suffer
for
it,
we
are
saying
in
me
behold
the
love
of
God.
I
care
about
you
deeply
and
as
I
sacrifice
to
come
to
you
and
preach
to
you
and
risk
my
reputation
or
my
status
or
my
position
or
my
job
behold
the
love
of
Christ.
Repent
and
believe.
It's
not very
evangelistic
in the
world's
terms,
I
should
say,
but
I'm
unwilling
to
neuter
the
gospel.
The
call to
follow
Jesus
is a
call to
die.
You
know
that.
Not
enough
churches
are
saying
that.
A
lot
of
churches
are
saying
the
risk
of
following
Jesus
is
that
someone
with
their
head
bowed
and
their
eyes
closed
might
peak.
That's
the
potential
risk
you
face.
Most
places
in the
world
to
follow
Jesus
means
to
be
disowned
by
your
family.
It
means
you
can't
go
to
university.
It
means
you
may
be
beaten
in
the
street
and
left
for
dead.
It
may
mean
you
are
imprisoned.
It
may
mean
you're
beheaded.
Horrible
atrocities.
It's
a call
to die.
It's
a call
to hold
our
lives
loosely.
It's
a call
to
give
them
up
for
the
!
of
our
king.
And
if
you
don't
find
Christ
precious
enough
to
give
up
everything
to
gain
him
then
you
don't
deserve
him.
Because
the
call
to
follow
Christ
is
a
call
to
die
but
it's
also
a
call
to
a
measurable
joy
in
him
here
and
forever
more.
Let's
pray
together.