Phyllis
08-19-2004, 08:23 AM
Acts 4:1-6, "1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the leading
priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees came
over to
them. 2They were very disturbed that Peter and John were claiming, on the
authority of Jesus, that there is a resurrection of the dead. 3They arrested
them and, since it was already evening, jailed them until morning. 4But many
of
the people who heard their message believed it, so that the number of
believers
totaled about five thousand men, not counting women and children.[1] 5The
next
day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law
met
in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John,
Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest."
The Apostles could not have a greater audience than the one in which they had
presently all of the nations leaders the Sadducees who denied the
resurrection. The Sadducees were mostly aristocratic, wealthy, landowners. To protect
their power and position and wealth, the firmly opposed any overt opposition to
wealth (John 11:47-48), but it is significant to note; however, is that the
religion of the Sadducees was mainly based upon social custom. They believed only in the
written law not the oral tradition so vital to the Pharisees. In contrast to
the Pharisees, they denied the existence of angels and the spirit world (Acts
23:8)..
Mark 11:9-11," 9But when these things begin to happen, watch out!
You will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues. You will
be accused before governors and kings of being my followers. This will be your
opportunity to tell them about me.[1] 10And the Good News must first be
preached to every nation. 11But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry
about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not
you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit."
Jesus had here promised the disciples of Christ not just these
disciples in this situation but all those for all time who would stand
before there persecutors the strength and the mercy to carry on. Power is fleeting for
God humbles the powerful and gives to the weak. He uses the willing not the
powerful those who are childlike and real before God shall be used by Him the
greatest.
Acts 4:7-12, "7They brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what
power,or in whose name, have you done this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them,
"Leaders and elders of our nation, 9 are we being questioned because we've done a good deed for a
crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state
to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power
of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from
the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'[2]
12 There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven
for people to call on to save them."
The Council then questioned them by what power of whose name have you done this is
important. In Jewish custom if a miracle was to occur, the person committing
the miracle would then have to be tested to see if the teaching was in fact for
real. If the teaching of the teacher who did the miracle was wrong then they
were to be stoned. So here we see that this is much more than just another
event that occurred, but a significant event that we should take notice of.
Acts 4:13-22, "13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men
who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been
with Jesus. 14 But since the man who had been healed was standing right there
amongthem, the council had nothing to say. 15 So they sent Peter and John out of
thecouncil chamber[3] and conferred among themselves.16 "What should we do with
these men?" they asked each other. "We can't deny they have done a
miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But perhaps we can stop
them from spreading their propaganda. We'll warn them not to speak to anyone in
Jesus' name again." 18 So they called the apostles back in and told them
never again to speak or teach about Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, "Do you
think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about the
wonderful things we have seen and heard."21 The council then threatened them
further, but they finally let them go because they didn't know how to punish
them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God 22 for this
miraculous sign--the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty
years.
The evidence for Christ was overwhelming because of the testimony of
the Apostles here. This goes to show us that it is our testimony that is
profoundly influential in the nature of our Christian lives. When we walk
closely with God will be met with opposition on all fronts, yet it is
through abiding in Christ and in letting the Holy Ghost operate through us that we can
endure the attacks that may come our way on our journey.
. The leaders of the nation had heard the
Gospel of Jesus Christ yet they failed to realize was that this Gospel was the very
thing that they had so wanted, yet they rejected. It goes to show even further
that while education is important in some respects, for the propogation of the
Gospel it is intimacy with our Lord Jesus Christ that ought to be of primary
concern to us as we walk towards heaven's gates. There is a time and
a season under the sun to do everything, and while these Apostles were
released they were given conditions yet to them Peter and John said , "19 But Peter
and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We
cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard" And
so it is with us who love our Lord. Let us be about the work of preaching His Word
to the nations that others may in turn see the evidence for Christ and turn in
repentance and faith in His name. The evidence of which the Apostles gave to
the Council was overwhelming, and it is still today.
A changed life is the greatest testimony of the evidence of Christianity. It
is there in those who have passed the old bags of life unto the Cross of
Christ, carried the Cross, and thereby realized that in this life, is merely a
matter of surrendering our will, our desires and all that we are to the Lord, that in
time we will be perfected as we stand before Him If we desire to be such a great
testimony by surrounding ourselves with such a great witness then we would
naturally in turn as well, be about being the testimony as well to the
nations which need the testimony of God's Word to the nations, in love, for the
souls ofthe nations.
What is at stake here is more than what we see within the confines of these few
verses. While the established church in America is fastly leaning towards
liberalism and the like and in turn denying the Word of God they so aptly
claim to preach it is the reality and our focus and mission as believers to be
ready in season and out of season to repove and correct those who stand in error.
While the greatest testimony of God's grace may be to see the exchanged life
the greatest testimony a person can have is to know God's Word inside and out,
thereby knowing God intimately in terms of knowledge and experience of what
Hehas done and what He will in turn do throughout the ages. In this we can
trust that knowledge is not merely head high, but heart level,
When we understand that God does not merely want us to know more about
Himself,but to kneel more before Him in prayer and worship then we will naturally in
turn be driven to our knees, . It is in this
though that the Apostles were our example, for they were men of prayer and study of
God's Word who knew God intimately not just because they were with Him, but
because the evidence that they witnessed, the miracles, the teaching, death,
resurrection and Ascension of Jesus were so overwhelming that they were
changed forever by the life of Christ.
It is the same today, if you walk with Jesus
your testimony matters, it matters cause the evidence for Christ's claim on your
life is at stake. So believer take seriously your faith, study it, and own it.
Don't hide behind your Pastor's knowledge, study what your Pastor is saying, and
study the Word for yourself, for we all have a responsibility to know what we
believe, so that we can in turn share it with others. The reality is that the
evidence for Christ is on the line. Will you stand or will you fall? The evidence
also demands a decision to follow in obedience to carry the Cross and be a
servant or to fall away and not.
If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior today, I invite you
to. If you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today, all
you must do is decide today that you want to change your behavior, and believe
upon what Christ did for you today by tearing apart the veil that separated you
from Him, thus enabling you to enter into His presence. Then you must
obey acts 2:38 and repent, be baptized in Jesus name for remission of sins,
and be baptized in the HolyGhost. This is the plan of salvatoin and the
only way to be saved. If you did that today let us know
God bless
Sister Phyllis
priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees came
over to
them. 2They were very disturbed that Peter and John were claiming, on the
authority of Jesus, that there is a resurrection of the dead. 3They arrested
them and, since it was already evening, jailed them until morning. 4But many
of
the people who heard their message believed it, so that the number of
believers
totaled about five thousand men, not counting women and children.[1] 5The
next
day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law
met
in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John,
Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest."
The Apostles could not have a greater audience than the one in which they had
presently all of the nations leaders the Sadducees who denied the
resurrection. The Sadducees were mostly aristocratic, wealthy, landowners. To protect
their power and position and wealth, the firmly opposed any overt opposition to
wealth (John 11:47-48), but it is significant to note; however, is that the
religion of the Sadducees was mainly based upon social custom. They believed only in the
written law not the oral tradition so vital to the Pharisees. In contrast to
the Pharisees, they denied the existence of angels and the spirit world (Acts
23:8)..
Mark 11:9-11," 9But when these things begin to happen, watch out!
You will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues. You will
be accused before governors and kings of being my followers. This will be your
opportunity to tell them about me.[1] 10And the Good News must first be
preached to every nation. 11But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry
about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not
you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit."
Jesus had here promised the disciples of Christ not just these
disciples in this situation but all those for all time who would stand
before there persecutors the strength and the mercy to carry on. Power is fleeting for
God humbles the powerful and gives to the weak. He uses the willing not the
powerful those who are childlike and real before God shall be used by Him the
greatest.
Acts 4:7-12, "7They brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what
power,or in whose name, have you done this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them,
"Leaders and elders of our nation, 9 are we being questioned because we've done a good deed for a
crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state
to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power
of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from
the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'[2]
12 There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven
for people to call on to save them."
The Council then questioned them by what power of whose name have you done this is
important. In Jewish custom if a miracle was to occur, the person committing
the miracle would then have to be tested to see if the teaching was in fact for
real. If the teaching of the teacher who did the miracle was wrong then they
were to be stoned. So here we see that this is much more than just another
event that occurred, but a significant event that we should take notice of.
Acts 4:13-22, "13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men
who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been
with Jesus. 14 But since the man who had been healed was standing right there
amongthem, the council had nothing to say. 15 So they sent Peter and John out of
thecouncil chamber[3] and conferred among themselves.16 "What should we do with
these men?" they asked each other. "We can't deny they have done a
miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But perhaps we can stop
them from spreading their propaganda. We'll warn them not to speak to anyone in
Jesus' name again." 18 So they called the apostles back in and told them
never again to speak or teach about Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, "Do you
think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about the
wonderful things we have seen and heard."21 The council then threatened them
further, but they finally let them go because they didn't know how to punish
them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God 22 for this
miraculous sign--the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty
years.
The evidence for Christ was overwhelming because of the testimony of
the Apostles here. This goes to show us that it is our testimony that is
profoundly influential in the nature of our Christian lives. When we walk
closely with God will be met with opposition on all fronts, yet it is
through abiding in Christ and in letting the Holy Ghost operate through us that we can
endure the attacks that may come our way on our journey.
. The leaders of the nation had heard the
Gospel of Jesus Christ yet they failed to realize was that this Gospel was the very
thing that they had so wanted, yet they rejected. It goes to show even further
that while education is important in some respects, for the propogation of the
Gospel it is intimacy with our Lord Jesus Christ that ought to be of primary
concern to us as we walk towards heaven's gates. There is a time and
a season under the sun to do everything, and while these Apostles were
released they were given conditions yet to them Peter and John said , "19 But Peter
and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We
cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard" And
so it is with us who love our Lord. Let us be about the work of preaching His Word
to the nations that others may in turn see the evidence for Christ and turn in
repentance and faith in His name. The evidence of which the Apostles gave to
the Council was overwhelming, and it is still today.
A changed life is the greatest testimony of the evidence of Christianity. It
is there in those who have passed the old bags of life unto the Cross of
Christ, carried the Cross, and thereby realized that in this life, is merely a
matter of surrendering our will, our desires and all that we are to the Lord, that in
time we will be perfected as we stand before Him If we desire to be such a great
testimony by surrounding ourselves with such a great witness then we would
naturally in turn as well, be about being the testimony as well to the
nations which need the testimony of God's Word to the nations, in love, for the
souls ofthe nations.
What is at stake here is more than what we see within the confines of these few
verses. While the established church in America is fastly leaning towards
liberalism and the like and in turn denying the Word of God they so aptly
claim to preach it is the reality and our focus and mission as believers to be
ready in season and out of season to repove and correct those who stand in error.
While the greatest testimony of God's grace may be to see the exchanged life
the greatest testimony a person can have is to know God's Word inside and out,
thereby knowing God intimately in terms of knowledge and experience of what
Hehas done and what He will in turn do throughout the ages. In this we can
trust that knowledge is not merely head high, but heart level,
When we understand that God does not merely want us to know more about
Himself,but to kneel more before Him in prayer and worship then we will naturally in
turn be driven to our knees, . It is in this
though that the Apostles were our example, for they were men of prayer and study of
God's Word who knew God intimately not just because they were with Him, but
because the evidence that they witnessed, the miracles, the teaching, death,
resurrection and Ascension of Jesus were so overwhelming that they were
changed forever by the life of Christ.
It is the same today, if you walk with Jesus
your testimony matters, it matters cause the evidence for Christ's claim on your
life is at stake. So believer take seriously your faith, study it, and own it.
Don't hide behind your Pastor's knowledge, study what your Pastor is saying, and
study the Word for yourself, for we all have a responsibility to know what we
believe, so that we can in turn share it with others. The reality is that the
evidence for Christ is on the line. Will you stand or will you fall? The evidence
also demands a decision to follow in obedience to carry the Cross and be a
servant or to fall away and not.
If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior today, I invite you
to. If you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today, all
you must do is decide today that you want to change your behavior, and believe
upon what Christ did for you today by tearing apart the veil that separated you
from Him, thus enabling you to enter into His presence. Then you must
obey acts 2:38 and repent, be baptized in Jesus name for remission of sins,
and be baptized in the HolyGhost. This is the plan of salvatoin and the
only way to be saved. If you did that today let us know
God bless
Sister Phyllis