Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts - 11

Acts 4:23-31

Introduction

The number one most often-made statement we have made as parents over the last twenty years is this question: who is the parent?

That is a great question because it establishes authority.

It shows clearly who is in charge.

Who is the parent?

Who is in charge?

This is the issue that the followers of Jesus have to face in Acts 4. For the last several weeks we have been following this single narrative that began in Acts 3. Today is the final text to close out that story.

Let’s review: at the beginning of Acts 3, the Apostles Peter and John are going into the Temple in Jerusalem when they encounter a beggar.

He has been lame from birth and has been begging here for over forty years.

Peter locks eyes with him and says in Acts 3:6 - I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you.

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!

And he does!

Peter reaches down and helps this man up, as the Lord miraculous heals him.

This lame beggar now runs, jumps, leaping around praising God.

This draws a crowd for obvious reasons.

These people in the Temple have passed by this guy every single day for over forty years.

They know him well.

Yet, here he stands.

Here he runs.

Here he is leaping and praising God.

They don’t know how to respond.

Acts 3:10 - They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

When Peter sees the crowd, he leverages the opportunity to preach to them about Jesus.

He preaches a Christ-exalting sermon on who Jesus is and what Jesus has done…and how these people had rejected Him and crucified Him.

He calls them to repent and trust in Christ.

Well, the Jewish powers that be don’t like this at all.

At the beginning of Acts 4, the religious leaders interrupt the sermon and arrest Peter and John.

The next day they gather the who’s who of Jewish society leadership and hold an inquisition.

Who do you think you are?

What gives you the right to preach in the name of this Jesus?

Peter responds by doing what Peter does…he preaches again, and he does not flinch in the face of their questions.

His boldness grows.

Acts 4:8-12 - 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 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.

11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.

12 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.”

Once again, the religious leaders do not know how to respond.

Their threats have not worked.

Their illegal arrest and holding of Peter and John did not work.

Every time they give these guys an opportunity to speak, they preach about Jesus.

They don’t quite know how to respond.

Acts 4:13 - 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.

And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

What a statement to be made about these followers of Jesus!

They are uneducated…true.

They are common.

The Greek word for that is idiotes.

They are just normal idiot guys, by comparison to the educated elite.

But two characteristics set them apart…they have been with Jesus.

Ultimately that is all that matters.

Jesus has transformed them.

They might be uneducated idiots in the world’s eyes, but Jesus has made all the difference.

And because they have been with Jesus, they are bold.

These men shouldn’t be bold.

They should cower in fear to the governing authorities.

They should bow to the power and authority of this group.

But they don’t.

This council doesn’t know what to do.

They can’t deny what has happened.

The lame beggar is leaping around still praising God, so they can’t really dismiss it all.

So they decide to threaten.

They decide to shut this Jesus-stuff down.

Acts 4:18 - 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Official persecution against the church has begun.

We don’t like what you are saying, so you are not allowed to say it any more.

But here is the problem with governing authorities trying to play power games with the Church…it doesn’t work.

Why?

Because the Church does not answer to the governing authorities.

Who is the parent?

Who is in charge?

Not them.

Acts 4:19-20 - 19 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, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Johnny did such a great job handling this text last Sunday.

Peter and John rebel…but they do so respectfully.

Listen, if you are really telling us to obey you rather than God, well…that is something you are going to have to deal with.

That’s a you problem.

But for us…we are going to keep preaching Jesus.

Johnny brought out a brilliant tension that exists with verses like this.

Peter, who says this here and openly defies the governing authorities, is the same Peter who writes later in 1 Peter 2:13-17 - 13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone.

Love the brotherhood.

Fear God.

Honor the emperor.

So which is it?

Do we comply with the governing authorities and submit to them, or do we rebel and defy them?

This is a question that has huge implications.

But thankfully the answer to this tension, to this dilemma is actually quite simple.

The normal default position for the Christian is going to be 1 Peter 2. We will lovingly and humbly submit to governing authorities.

According to Romans 13, those authorities have been placed there by God.

So we gratefully defer to them, even when we disagree with some of their policies.

I don’t like the tax laws, but I pay my taxes.

Those are not the things we rebel against.

But here is where we switch from 1 Peter 2 to Acts 4. Whenever the governing authorities command us to violate God’s commands…we respectfully defy and rebel.

Who is the parent?

Who’s in charge?

Not them.

When I am forced to choose between obeying God and obeying anyone/anything else, God always wins that debate.

In fact, it’s not even a debate.