Matthew 16:20-23

6-24-07

Acts 4:32-37 

32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.

I became a Christian in 1970 just as the Jesus People Movement was taking off in California.  A lot of young people were coming to Christ on the beaches and there was a huge movement that has led to the contemporary Church today.  In that movement there were a lot of attempts all over the country to establish Christian Communes that would emulate what happened in the early Church as noted in these verses.  “All believers were united in heart and mind and they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.”  To my knowledge, none of those communes has survived to this day.  There are some new attempts and fellowships that continue to try to make it happen, but none really ever accomplishes what happened in the early church.  As a matter of fact, that kind of social unit did not survive beyond Jerusalem and the first church.  Why?  Because what we see in these pages is the work of the Holy Spirit drawing people together with a purpose for that day.  This is not an account to get us all to sell everything we have and move in together.  It is the story of the early church and what the Holy Spirit did as people gave themselves to follow Jesus.  Fact is, we don’t know what Jesus would do in our midst if everyone gave themselves over to following Him each and every day of their lives.  But what we can learn from these narratives is that God will do His work in us as we sincerely choose to follow Him.  It may not look the same and most certainly won’t be something to export to other churches.  But it will be God’s unique work in us.  Let’s not worry about emulating what the early church looked like.  Let’s just focus on letting God work in us and making us into the people He wants us to be today!

Acts 4:23-31

The Believers Pray for Courage
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry?
Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26  The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah.’*
27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

What would you pray under these circumstances?  Peter and John had just been warned by the Sanhedrin not to preach in the name of Jesus so they come back and tell this brand new fledgling church exactly what was said.  Its pretty neat to see what happened next.  They gathered together and they prayed!  They didn’t stand in the corner in fear nor did they ask each other what should be done.  They gathered together and they prayed!  They did not pray for protection against the Sanhedrin.  They did not pray for wisdom to know how to deal with the authorities.  They prayed for more boldness knowing it would get them in more trouble.  They prayed that further signs and wonders would accompany their preaching in the name of Jesus knowing it would create more issues for them with the Sanhedrin.  Instead of being afraid and going underground, they asked God to accomplish what He wanted done using them even at peril to their very lifes.  What would you pray under these circumstances?  Instead of focusing on how things effect us, why not focus on how things effect the Kingdom.  As you pray today, don’t get caught up in what you may need, but try and focus on what God may need from us!

Matthew 16:18-20 Part 3

6-17-07

Matthew 16:18 - part 2

6-10-07

Acts 4:15-22
15 But when they had ordered them to go aside out of the Council, they began to confer with one another,
16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 ”But in order that it may not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to any man in this name.”
18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 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;
20 for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.”
21 And when they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which they might punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened;
22 for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
(NAS)

You will always have people in life who have all the facts and still refuse to see the truth.  But since they have nothing to dismantle the truth and eliviate the truth, they will forbid it from being talked about.  When that happens we will have the same kinds of choices the Apostles had in this situation.  We can shake in our boots, fear for our lives and coware in the corner, or we can stand up for the truth.  When that happens to you, who will you listen to?  More and more we are being told to keep from talking about Jesus and the truth about Him.  We have choices to listen to the voices of our time or to the voice of our King.  The Apostles choice to defy those who would ask them to ignore the truth about Jesus.  Even if it meant death for them.  They chose to listen to God, not His critics.  Lets choose to do the same when we have the opportunity.  God bless your weekend!

Acts 4:13-14
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.
(NAS)

I love this text!  It makes me realize what can happen when we are yielded and walking in the Spirit of God.  Everyone in that room knew two things.  They knew Peter and John were uneducated and theologically untrained and they knew that a man had been miraculously healed.  They were speechless!  They were amazed!  They couldn’t figure out how such words could be spoken by such uneducated men, and even more than that, how is it that God would choose to use plain ordinary people without education to bring about a healing in this man’s life.  I guarantee you they were jealous!  I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that room!  What that tells each and every one of us is this:  It does not take a theologically trained individual to deliver the truth of who God is and the manifestation of what He can do in the lives of people.  We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for when we choose to let the Spirit of God use us.  I have seen paid staffers fail to get across the message of the Gospel to those who stand on the outside of our churches using their own strength and brilliance.  I have also seen the ordinary God loving people of the Church touch lives deeply.  Live up to your potential in the Spirit!  It works out so much better when the Spirit uses us.  And, it is such good news to know that ordinary, untrained and unworthy people like you and me can be used by our God to do the extra-ordinary.  Have a great day! 

Acts 4:12
12 ”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.”
(NAS)

I wanted to make sure you understood how emphatic Peter was that there is “No Other Name under heaven…….by which we must be saved.”  I can’t be any clearer, can it be?  Many today would argue Jesus is only one path to God!  Peter would say “absolutely, no other name!”  Some would say we all worship the same God!  Peter would say, “absolutely not!  Salvation is possible only through Jesus.  That makes only one path and one way and only one God!”  You see, the Scripture is either right or wrong.  It cannot be right in some things and wrong in others or it is not reliable.  How do you pick what is reliable and what is not?  Peter made it clear, “there is salvation in no other!”  But, what Peter thinks doesn’t really matter.  It’s what you think that matters!  Is the word of God right or wrong?  It makes a difference how you will live!

Acts 4:8-12
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people,
9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,
10 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.
11 ”He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very corner stone.
12 ”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.”
(NAS)

Do you want to know how you make a point with those who do not believe?  You speak in the fullness of the Spirit!  Jesus reminded His disciples in John 14-16 that when He was gone the Father would send the Spirit to comfort, to convict and to convince those to whom we would stand before and give accounting of our faith.  Peter is in those very circumstances, standing before the religious leaders of His day to give as answer for the things that were taking place.  What we need to see is that Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit.”  He did not try to convince them by his own words or rhetoric.  He was guided by God Himself!  As you have opportunity to share your faith and your story of what God has done in your life, don’t forget the promise of the Spirit is for your benefit.  You do not need to worry about how elegant or wise your words sound.   God has sent His Spirit who is here to give us the right words and witness on His behalf.  The next time you have that opportunity, may I suggest you stop and pray and look to the Spirit before you speak.   I guarantee you’ll make a point!  Just look what Peter did in the Spirit.  Imagine how it would have gone if he were on his own? 

Acts 4:4-7
4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 And it came about on the next day, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;
6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.
7 And when they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”
(NAS)

What a great question!  After healing this begger at the gate Peter preaches to all the people who would listen in the temple.  It resulted in five thousand men committing their lives to follow Jesus Christ.  That was some preaching!  I am guessing the  religious leaders of that day had never seen anything like this before and it really bothered them.  How did you do it?  What methods of control did you use to get these people to respond?  Each of them had been granted authority by the Rabbi they studied under?  Who is your Rabbi?  That tells me they couldn’t deny that Peter preached with an unusual demonstration of power and authority.  It should remind each of us that God will never withhold what we need to tell His story and to stand up for Him, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.  If it’s people at work or a next door neighbor, the same authority and power is available to us.  We may not see 5,000 come to Jesus, but we will see God at work in and through us.  What’s good enough for Peter ought to be good enough for us!  Have a great week!