I Will Not Be Silenced
Notes
Transcript
Preliminary:
Preliminary:
Introduction:
Introduction:
Suffering for the cause of Christ has been something that has been presented in terms that were either terrifying or extremely heroic
but either way - the whole idea is often misconstrued
The whole concept of Christianity is the Glory of God - who is receiving the glory? God or the person suffering?
As we read this passage this morning we will see an element of suffering for the cause of Christ - but in reality it is God getting the glory.
The setting of the story - In Acts 3 Peter and John after Pentecost are going to church to pray
Well it wasn’t a church like we think of it - but they were going to the Temple to pray
and as they are going there they see a man who is lame - and begging for money for food
Peter and John don’t have money with them but they offer Him Jesus -
If we took every opportunity like this - the world would be a different place wouldn’t it.
This was two men and we will see that impacted thousands - because of one taken opportunity - God help us recognize our opportunities
Peter and John extend to him healing in the Name of Jesus and he is healed - and
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
This caused quite a stir - people saw him walking and praising God and knew he couldn’t walk or leap
Peter then takes this opportunity to find a place to preach
and their prayer meeting is interrupted by a revival service
5 thousand men are brought into the Kingdom of God.
THis didn’t sit well with the religious leaders of Jerusalem - lets read
Lets read:
1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
I want us to look again this morning at Acts 4:19-20
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
We are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard
Now these men were not just being stubborn and hard headed - I’ve sometimes seen consistency used as an excuse and cover up for stubbornness and hard headedness - which in reality are opposed to Christianity
Being tenacious and settled - yes
But just being stubborn can lead in the wrong ways -
But I see three things God is trying to show us from this scripture about the importance of HIS WORD.
1 - They had a message worth telling
1 - They had a message worth telling
The message of things they had seen and heard.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
2 - They had a message they dared not “not tell” - Because of its source
2 - They had a message they dared not “not tell” - Because of its source
Look at their boldness in verse 11
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
The NAME - the Message is the stone - the CHIEF CORNERSTONE!!!
The council “you builders” - they were supposed to be building the religious and spiritual atmosphere of the people - instead they were rejecting the very Corner Stone -
The “cornerstone” is the principal stone around which construction during this time period. It was the focal point of a building - the thing on which it most depended for structural integrity.
To stop telling- to “not speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” would be to comply with the devil
It would have been a denial of everything they had seen and heard.
I hope we aren’t so quiet because we deny everything we have seen and heard
3 - They had a message they couldn’t stop telling
3 - They had a message they couldn’t stop telling
They couldn’t stop because they had been with Jesus
They were not formally trained people - Yet their time with Jesus had equipped them and emboldened them - They had courage to stand up for the message and for the Name -
The healing of this man - was so unthem - I know that isn’t a word - but it wasn’t Peter and John - It was Jesus
If their message, their boldness, their courage, their strength, their outward confirmation, came from Jesus - why would they stop telling.
My fear is that we substitute - instead of speaking in His name - we speak in so-and-so’s name. It is not wrong to borrow ideas and concepts from others, but we have to be careful that the reasons we have stopped telling isn’t because we’ve quit being with Jesus.
It was their spending time with Jesus that the members of the council recognized as what had made them different - or be able to speak with authority and wisdom
They couldn’t stop telling because it had impacted them
It was a message that had had an impact on their lives - it had transformed them - the things they had seen and heard had so inspired, energized, and transformed them they couldn’t stop talking about the message - couldn’t stop talking about what they had seen and heard.
Notice their reply - “You be the judge of rather it is right or wrong in the sight of God to hearken to you more than unto God -” In other words to be quiet rather than to speak.
These men’s lives had been in association and communion with Jesus and it had transformed them
Knowing and seeing the resurrected Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit into their lives “purifying their hearts by faith” had so impacted them - that God’s word was in Peter and John’s hearts like a burning fire - “and they couldn’t contain or be restrained.”
They had been witnesses of Jesus’ earthly ministry - traveling miles with him and at his commission for three years.
They had been commanded by their risen Lord to proclaim his name to the people
Can I just tell you that today we are not facing a Sanhedrin council but we are still up against demonic forces, That want us to hush - about speaking in HIS NAME -
Paul lists the dangers in Eph 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Satan and culture will try to put a “Gag order on us”
But we like these men - we must not be hushed up
Acts Explanation of the Text
They cannot allow themselves to be silenced as a result of a gag order issued by human beings, when the exalted Jesus, who sits on David’s eternal throne at God’s right hand, had bestowed upon them God’s Spirit, in whose power they speak and teach.
Some people are silenced by intimidation - fear, pressure, control, manipulation
Sometimes people are easily silenced because they haven’t seen or heard anything.
Allowing Satan and the world to place a “gag order” on us - or to be quiet is to deny our experience with Jesus - just as these disciples faced the dilemma - to not speak would have been denying all they had seen and heard.
I love the prayer of these men later as they gather and tell the other disciples what had happened to them -
Their prayer expresses a concern that this great message would lose its power and impact on their life -
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
These Spirit filled believers weren’t asking to be able to be silent- they asked for more boldness -
They prayed that Jesus would look at the threat - look at what we were said - and grant us more boldness to speak more clearly, articulately more boldly without fear of what people will think or do to us for speaking in His name -
God answered their prayer
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Notice they spake the word of God with boldness after again being filled with the Holy Ghost - This should show us again the importance of being in God’s presence
Do you spend enough time in God’s presence where people can tell you’ve been with Jesus -
I’m all for reading - that is one thing I think the modern church is lacking. Our quality of reading material has been sacrificed for quantity
The Christian bookshelf is bulging and weighted down with tons of books - but not near as much content
But as important as it is to read - it was not their spending time in the books that the council recognized
There was no Bible School or Seminary, or University attachment to the men’s abilities
as good and important as these may be
IT WAS THEIR TIME WITH JESUS AND BEING EMBOLDENED AND FILLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Can I tell you methods, modes, and movements may change - but this does not
If we are going to have a message that won’t be stopped
its going to be because we have been impacted by HIM
If we are going to have a message that can’t be hushed its going to be because we have been spending time with HIM
IF we are going to have a message that we are unable to contain
Its going to be because THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OVERFLOWING OUR LIVES!!!
I know that testimonies are hard - it has been our tradition although I see glimpses of similar activities in the early church - where people came to church to edify one another
They had seen and heard things that week in their times with God that they couldn’t wait to share -
Sometimes I think our testimony - our sharing time has suffered not because the activity is out of date - but that we have neglecting seeing and hearing things in our times with God
I want to challenge you to seek times this week when you can boldly share - because you have a message that can’t be stopped, and won’t be stopped
Not some marketing campaign - but the message of Jesus Christ the cornerstone
Pray for boldness - pray for opportunities - take time to spend with Him to see and hear things
