Acts 4:1-12
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Introduction:
Persecution of the Church began in Jerusalem… Acts 4
The Church was at best, just weeks old… 1000s of brand new believers
And thats when persecution began
Nero (A.D. 67)
Fed to dogs
covered in wax to be lit as torches in the night
Domitian
They were seared, burned, boiled, scourged, stoned, hanged, impaled, pulled apart
Mid-2nd Century
Beheadings
Persecution has continued up until this very day… and Satan who is the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air is always after those who profess the name of Jesus
But amidst a world that hates:
The Bible, the Church, the Lord of all the earth
This hatred had a beginning, and we’ll read of where that starts this morning in Acts 4.
Persecution takes many forms
Its not always death… it can be rejection, hatred, abuse.
Some weeks are okay and others can be difficult.
I think… in some way, as God’s people we would be better off facing harsher treatment
Maybe then we’ll take a stand.
Maybe then we’ll seek out the favor of our God
Maybe then we’ll come to TRULY understand what it means when James says:
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Context:
The early Church exploded on the scene
3000 people heard the gospel preached and believed and continued in the apostles doctrine, the breaking of bread and prayer.
And daily more and more were being baptized into the Church
And where did they meet? … in this case the Temple!
A massive courtyard under whats called the porch of Solomon.
They gathered there at the time of evening sacrifice… the hour of prayer… 3pm
Peter and John heal the lame man
A sermon was given! … “Repent and return!”
If you do:
1. Your sins will be forgiven
2. Judgement will be avoided
3. And you shall be blessed!
Acts 4:4 “4 Many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”
This is a HUGE threat to the Jewish system!
Congregating in their temple…
Teaching that the man they crucified has risen!
Verse 1-2:
Priests: Carry out daily services in the temple
Captain of the guard: Police… enforcing order
Sadduccees: Ran the entire temple operation
“Being greatly disturbed”
The people in charge are troubled, agitated, angry
Acts 4:13 “13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”
What disturbed them? … 3 things from verse 2:
1. “They were teaching the people”
2. “They were proclaiming Jesus”
3. “Resurrection from the dead”
Verse 3-4:
“They laid hands on them”
Means they were arrested… put in jail till the next day
Peter and John were pulled away from preaching, pulled away from the crowd, and thrown in jail
5000 men, probably thousands more of women came to know and trust in Jesus as their Messiah
Persecution in the early church began in these 4 verses…
and down to about verse 12, we read of how they handled that persecution.
So this morning I want to share with you some practical ways, to handle persecution.
Because if you are a true Christian today then persecution is knocking at your doorstep every day
2 Timothy 3:12 “12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.
13 “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.
14 “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;
15 for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.
16 “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,
17 and you will be hated by all because of My name.
18 “Yet not a hair of your head will perish.
19 “By your endurance you will gain your lives.
So lets look together at how these 1-2 week old Christians dealt with it, and learn some lessons from these great people of faith
They were submissive
5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;
6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.
7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”
They were submissive… no resistance.
When persecution came they DEALT with it without riots of violence and uproar!
The Sanhedrin sat in a circle
70 members… 71st being the high priest… the odd vote to decide
Annas, the high priest
Ex-high priest… like an president that still bears the title
You may remember that when Jesus was first taken to trial, Annas was the high priest
Caiaphas, the current high priest… son-in-law of Annas
John and Alexander… 2 sons of Annas
Peter and John
Although they’d been arrested… here they stand in the CENTER of 71 men on TRIAL…
But oh if you could imagine the scene and picture them there,
It may not be a worship setting, but there they PREACHED and delighted in sharing the Gospel
They didn’t riot / become violent… they were submissive to authority, and God opened up a door for them
“By what POWER, or in what NAME, have you done this?”
WHAT… an opportunity
2. They sought strength from the Holy Spirit
Acts 4:8 (NASB95)
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them
In the middle of being hated / judged / persecuted… Peter found strength in the presence of God!
Now of course this verse is saying Peter spoke by INSPIRATION to them… but notice that in the MIDDLE of this trial… Peter doesn’t rely upon his own strength / words
He recognized that this was beyond him! Beyond his capabilities, beyond his power, beyond his wisdom, beyond his control… so he yields himself to the Spirit of God
And being FILLED with the Spirit, he gained the strength to speak what we are about to read.
When we’re facing hardship… who else is there to turn to?
We have our family / friends, but God is the source of our spiritual strength
13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
3. Boldly proclaim the gospel
For Peter and John, their lives were on the line! They could’ve said:
“Yeah, we’re really sorry. We didn’t have a permit, we caused a scene, probably should’ve done it elsewhere.”
“We’ll move over to the hillside or somewhere else to get out of y’all’s hair”
“We won’t talk about the resurrection here in Jerusalem, we’ll figure something else out”
No. When given the opportunity, Peter boldly proclaimed the gospel… no MATTER the consequences.
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people,
9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,
10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
11 “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.
12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
The BOLDNESS of Peter!
“If we are on trial today for doing a good deed, then what does that say about this court? What does it SAY?”
He FLIPS the judgement back on them!
“If thats why we’re here… then let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom YOU crucified!…”
Not the Romans, but whom YOU crucified… ‘by this name this man stands here before you in good health’
Peter says, it was by the name / power / and authority of Christ that this took place.
Had not they seen the miracles? Having condemned Jesus for raising Lazarus and for healing on the Sabbath?
They had… and Peter accuses them of killing their own Messiah (thats what Christ means.)
The very Messiah that you killed is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, which became the chief cornerstone
Chapter 5, verse 30, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.”
You killed Him, chapter 2. You killed Him, chapter 3. You killed Him, chapter 4. You killed him, chapter 5.
In the face of the most severe persecution, there’s no tamping down the message. Why? Because sinners have to be indicted for their crimes.
They must repent if they are to be saved, and that’s where he comes in verse 12, “And there is salvation.” There is. You see how that verse begins? “And there is salvation,” for even you. There is salvation.
In persecution, how do we respond?
With submission, knowing God who is over all SEES you and CARES for you
Lay your heart upon God, who is able to strengthen you amidst any circumstance
Do not forsake your God.
May your faith grow through various trials, and may we always be willing to testify to the world of the great salvation Jesus provides
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.
Acts 4:3 “And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening.”
12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.
13 “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.
14 “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;
15 for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.
16 “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,
17 and you will be hated by all because of My name.
18 “Yet not a hair of your head will perish.
19 “By your endurance you will gain your lives.