We can't help it Acts 4:13-22

Introduction

Peter and John had just spent the night in Jail and now had given there opening statement to the Sanhedrin. They had told them how the had healed this man in the name of Jesus who they crucified and buried and how he rose from the dead. He also reminded them that they were the builders that rejected the stone, and that stone was Jesus Christ.

This morning I want to preach on the subject “I can’t help it”

The Perception of the Apostles vs. 13-14

Before Peter and John started following Jesus they were fishermen. They had fished there whole life up to this point so they would have been considered ignorant in the teachings of the Bible.

They saw the Boldness or freedom from timidity that Peter and John had during the trial and in there preaching and perceived some things about them.

Side note *Isn’t it amazing the boldness you get when you're full of the Holy Spirit. Remember in verse 8 of chapter 4 the Bible tells us that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and then he preached a great message to them using an old testament messianic prophecy that was also used by Jesus.

They first thought they were unlearned or illiterate

They also thought they were ignorant or untaught men as well.

When you bring into consideration the setting of this book in those times the religious leaders took great pride in their knowledge of the law and the word of God. They would’ve gone to the best schools and been trained by the best of the best especially if they were a part of the sanhedrin. It would have almost offended them.

The religious leaders took great pride in their knowledge of the Bible and would've thought these men were making a mockery of the word of God by trying to teach it.

As the sanhedrin was watching them the Bible says they marvelled, that word means there attention was arrested by what was being said.

As they listened they stopped thinking of the guys as unlearned and realized that these men had been with Jesus.

When you have a true relationship with Jesus people can tell.

“Their boldness wasn't the result of their education or eloquence but of their close association with the risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Their time spent with Him had transformed them from ordinary fishermen into powerful witnesses for the gospel.”

I Cor. 1:27 “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”

I Cor 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

When people see you do they see that you’ve been with Jesus?

You must spend time with Jesus

You must spend time in His word, but you have to let his word get inside you as well.

Our boldness and effectiveness in sharing the gospel don't depend on our worldly qualifications or knowledge but on our relationship with Jesus.

When we spend time in His presence, seeking Him through prayer, studying His Word, and walking in obedience, we too can become bold witnesses for Christ.

They shifted their attention from Peter and John to the impotent man who was healed standing with them.

As they thought about what to say they couldn’t say anything. They were speechless at what God had done in and through the men.

The Threats of the Sanhedrin vs. 15-18

As they are trying to come up with the punishment for Peter and John they ask them to step out side so they can have a conference without them in the room.

They had to send them out because the trial again was just them trying to stop Christianity and they needed to come up with a reason to put them in jail.

They start by asking the question of what to do with them.

The religious leaders who normally had an answer for everything were speechless and thoughtless when it came to Peter and John.

The facts of the case

the had done a notable or apparent miracle.

There was no denying the miracle because the impotent man had been sitting outside the temple for many years and now he is in the temple worshiping God.

The miracle that they had done was made manifest or clear to everyone in Jerusalem.

This was the talk of the town. Everyone knew this man and there was do way they could say it didn’t happen.

They were aware that they couldn’t deny it.

How can we get what God is doing into our city to where the skeptics can’t even deny it?

They decided they couldn’t deny what had happened but they can’t try to stop it from spreading.

They were going to straightly or directly threaten them to try and stop it from spreading

They told them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus.

The devil wants us to stop doing the things of God

In Daniel 6 King Darius signs a decree that says that no one could pray to God for 30 days or they would be thrown in the lions den. Daniel went home opened his windows towards Jerusalem and prayed. He gets thrown into the den of lions, but God shut the mouths of the Lion and after he was taken up out of the Lions Den King Darius threw the ones who threw Daniel in the lions den and threw them in. Because of the Boldness of Daniel King Darius declared the God of Daniel the living God to the whole nation.

The boldness of Daniel lifted up the name of God and we are going to see the boldness of Peter and John is going to lift the name of Jesus.

What’s interesting to me is that these religious leaders couldn’t even say the name of Jesus. They were so worried about Christianity spreading that they threatened them to not even speak the name of Jesus.

I truly believe we are not to far from religious persecution even here in America. If you were to get arrested for speaking the name of Jesus would you continue to speak in His name or would you stop? I pay that we would boldly proclaim the name of Jesus despite the persecution that could come.

After they decided what they would do they brought Peter and John back into the room and commanded them or ordered them to not speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

Acts 5:28 “Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

Now it was time for Peter and John to respond.

The Response of Peter and John vs. 19-20

Peter and John ask the Sanhedrin what would be right in the sight of God, to listen to them or to listen to God. He tells them to pass judgement and to tell them.

None of the religious leaders would even bat an eye at this question if it were under any other circumstance, its better to obey God. In fact the Bible tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice.

When the going gets tough and persecution comes we will have to make this choice. Are we going to please man or please God?

vs. 20 tells us a lot about the Character of Peter and John

They say they can’t help but talking about Jesus.

The Disciple who denied Christ 3 times now can’t help but talking about Him.

Peter and John couldn’t contain the message that they received from Jesus. The things they saw and heard Jesus do gave them a passion they couldn’t contain.

Are we so passionate about what God has done in our life that we can’t stop talking about him?

Peter and John released vs. 21

They tried to threaten them again and then let them go.

They couldn’t find anything to punish them for so they had to let them go.

The testimony of what God had done spread to all the people in Jerusalem

The Bible says all men glorified God for what he had done.

How do we get a generation that doesn’t praise the Lord to praise him? We testify of what God has done in her life.

Conclusion Vs. 22

Isn’t it amazing the details the Bible gives us? It was a miracle when Peter and John healed the impotent man in the name of Jesus. It was a miracle that he immediately rose up walking, leaping and praising God but when you add in the detail that this man had been crippled for more than forty years begging for a little money and now he is walking in the temple he could never get in. In God’s perfect time in God’s perfect place he was healed and through the testimony of this event 5000 souls were saved.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve lived 40 years or even 80 years, you are not to young or too old for God to save from your sin. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. If you have never trusted Christ as your saviour come today and we can show you from the Bible how you can be saved.