Sermon Tone Analysis

A Question of Authority

(Acts 4:1-12)

August 1, 2021

Read Acts 4:1-12 – Peter and John have just healed a lame man and then preached Jesus.

But now, the first persecution.

The temple authorities and Sadducees threw them in jail overnight.

The issue is authority.

We all choose some ultimate authority on which we base their lives.

At a high level, the choices boil down to two.

Human wisdom, in many flavors of philosophy, psychology, religion, all based on human thought and experience – or God’s revelation.

It’s man’s authority or God’s authority.

Most get it wrong.

One popular TV pastor wrote in Self-Esteem: the New Reformation: "It was appropriate for Calvin and Luther to think in a God-centered way.

But classical Christian theology has erred in its insistence that theology be God-centered and not man-centered.

Sin is any act or thought that robs [any] human being of his or her self-esteem.

[Hell is when a person] has lost his self-esteem."

Sin is having a bad self-image!

When an interviewer suggested the Bible defines sin differently, like 10 Commandments, he said: “I hope you don't preach that stuff.

If you do you'll hurt a lot of beautiful people.

Just because it's in the Bible doesn't mean that you need to preach it."

Whoa!

A pastor saying the Bible a waste of time!

Human wisdom has merit when subordinate to God’s Word.

But at best, it’s limited and flawed.

Commit to it and you’ll find yourself hopelessly deficient in eternal truth.

Note how this was true of the apostles’ accusers.

The Derisive Attack

As Peter finished, trouble arrived. 1) “And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them.”

These guys considered the temple their domain, so here they come – priests, head of security and Sadducees, the ringleaders.

They were not happy.

The Pharisees opposed to Jesus on religious grounds.

He didn’t keep the law as they defined it.

The Sadducees had issues both political and religious.

They were the aristocracy, descendants of the priestly nobility – educated, wealthy, elite – the blue bloods of their time.

And bc they had wealth and position, they were unprincipled collaborationists who had long ago gotten in bed with the Romans.

They hated them, but they would have sold their mothers to protect their power.

They were a minority, but they controlled Jewish political and social life.

Much of their wealth came from elicit business within the temple itself.

They were control freaks who did not want anyone rocking their boat.

Spiritually, Sads denied the supernatural, demons, angels, resurrection and afterlife.

They were: 2) “greatly annoyed bc they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”

Jesus’ resurrection as the proof others would be resurrected.

They were appalled that men with no theological training were teaching heresy.

Then to be credited with healing a lame man – on their territory – it was all too much.

So, they threw them in jail.

5) On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes (71-member Sanhedrin) gathered together in Jerusalem, 6) with Annas the high priest (emeritus) and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family (the top of the Jewish aristocracy).

7)And when they had set [not sat] them in the midst [typical Sanhedrin trial where the accused stood in the center of a semicircle of elevated seats] they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

Simple question.

But once you know the background, you can almost hear the derision in their voices.

“This is our domain.

You have no right to come and undermine our teaching.

Who gave you that authority?

Let’s have His name?” It’s not a question; it’s an attack.

They are pitting their human authority against the authority of God, and human authority is a jealous god, often blinding men to truth.

The disciples have made clear that they did this in the name of Jesus– Acts 3:16b: “and the faith that is thru Jesus has given the man this perfect health.”

And they’ve clarified Jesus fulfills the OT prophecies concerning a coming Messiah.

So it’s the age-old issue of human wisdom vs. divine revelation.

“Who you gonna believe, men or God?”

With the proof of the healed man staring them in the face, they choose their own wisdom over God’s revelation.

They were directly challenging the apostles claim that God did this.

Human wisdom is a jealous god.

It’s not interested in Truth; it’s interested in Power.

So it has always been.

The lie Eve fell for in Eden was Gen 3:5: “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So, who you gonna believe?

God’s revelation – “Don’t eat that one tree” – or human wisdom, “Eat it and you’ll be as smart as God.”

We all know how that turned out.

Human wisdom is a wonderful gift – when submitted to His authority.

But it’s devastating when made ultimate; destruction cannot be far behind.

This battle never ends.

A few years ago there was the Jesus Seminar, initiated by some of the smartest theologians of our time.

Their goal was to determine which sayings in the gospel, Jesus actually said.

Committees examined the words and then voted – did Jesus say it or not?

They actually put it to a vote!!

They used four colored marbles to vote.

Red meant He said it.

Pink – kind of sounds like Jesus, but we’re not sure.

Gray – probably didn’t.

Black – Jesus never said this.

I kid you not, that’s what they did.

Long story short – their red-letter NT doesn’t have much red.

Everything got cut that didn’t fit their expectations.

And bc their basic premise was He couldn’t have been God, all supernatural claims were cut, along with any moral judgments not PC today.

In the end, they couldn’t even agree among themselves.

It all fell apart.

It’s tempting to say, “They lost their marbles,” but so it is when we reject the plain, historically verifiable Word of God and subject it to human authority rather than the other way around – whether the issue is Creation, Evolution, sexual morality or whatever.

Human wisdom beneath God’s authority is a wonderful gift.

Human wisdom judging God’s authority is a disaster.

II.

The Divine Answer

So, Peter answers by pointing out they’d done nothing wrong.

They are being tried “concerning a good deed done to a crippled man” (9).

It’s a gentle reminder of the unfairness of the charge.

They hadn’t robbed a bank; they’d healed a lame man!

Then, he preaches the same sermon he’d given to the crowd!

Boldly!

The coward from 2 months ago stands and delivers!

Why?

What changed?

Two things.