Acts 4

Now you see me now you don’t scene1, 2

Submerged

Get to the surface..

Annoying Teaching

Acts 4:1-2 (ESV)

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead

Last week .. peter asked what are you staring at? Sam

Came upon him (seized)

Background..just healed a guy there is a crowd.. those who killed jesus are coming for peter and the disiciiples

Greatly annoyed.. closed minds

Who was annoyed?

Those who did not believe in Christ

Story of the sower.. farmer sow’s seed.. some fell on path birds.. some fell on rock ..no roots so withered..some fell amongst thorns grew but got choked oout and some on good soil

Mark 4:13-20 (ESV)

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.[a] 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Jesus said whoever has ears let them hear..

There is success in persecution

Green mile

Acts 4:3-4 (ESV)

3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Religious persecution.. church vs church

Law church vs Christ church. Christ church vs progressive church..

3000 to 5000 men. But most likely. 10-13k men.women and children..

Peter goes from show the church how Christ heals physically to how Christ heals them spiritually.

Peter goes to Jail, God does the work of bringing the 5000.

Gospel tells me that I am incapable of saving myself. The Gospel tells me that I lack the capacity to do the good that is required of me. But the same Gospel also keeps me from despair—it tells me that there is One who has met the standard on my behalf. The Gospel declares that I have a Saviour, Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV)

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

.. what is it about our world and accidents..

Nascar.. then they get out of the car and fight..

People expect and want to see a fight.. but what if we just loved instead.. we have a moment to show the world whose we are..

Matthew 24:9-13 (ESV)

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

1 Peter 2:21 (ESV)

21 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.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Living a Christian life draws the world to you..

Do you love those around you?

Do you call sin a sin to those around you?

Know who is in control

Acts 4:5-7 (ESV)

5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem,6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

71 MEMBERS                  a.    24 chief priest (sadducees)                  b.    24 elders (pharisees)                  c.    22 scribes chief priest

Jesus

Son of God

Mark 14:61-62: “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’  And Jesus said, ‘I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’”

God

John 10:15 Esv

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;

Savior

Ephesians 2:4-7 (ESV)

4 But[a] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Govt vs God

these leaders rejected Christ and the gospel of God’s grace. Why? Because they hated him and his apostles. Friends, our times are no different. The vast majority of leaders–powerful people, politicians, legislators, philosophers, media moguls, judges, and theologians–hate the gospel, the Bible, and the messengers of the gospel. Why? Because they hate Jesus Christ, the only Savior. They reject Christ and the salvation that he offers. At the same time, however, they welcome every human solution to man’s problems. They offer clean needles, “safe-sex” condoms, and abortions for all. They work hard to give everyone access to the Internet, as if that would solve all man’s problems. The only thing they hate is the declaration of the truth from the Holy Scriptures.

God has in control who he wants

Nature vs God

Settles the storm

Trees of the fields clap their hands

Sun stops

Everyday you make choices, everday your choices control you.

If God is my choice each day, than I am under his control.

Work for the Lord.

Acts 4:8-10 (ESV)

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.

Need the Holy Spirit

Shaun White pic

Prayed and worshipped

Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Do good

Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV)

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Share with Everyone

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Luke 21:12-15 (ESV)

12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

Keep standing on the Rock

Acts 4:11-12(ESV)

. 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.”

Rock

Psalm 40:1-2,6-7 (ESV)

40 I waited patiently for the Lord;     he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,     out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock,     making my steps secure.

6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,     but you have given me an open ear.[a] Burnt offering and sin offering     you have not required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;     in the scroll of the book it is written of me:

Psalm 95:1 (ESV)

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;     let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Isaiah 32:2 (ESV)

Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,     a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place,     like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

1 Corinthians 10:4 (ESV)

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

Yoou will never be submerged in this world when you are standing on the Rock of Christ

Acts 4:1-12 (ESV)

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem,6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 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.”