Acts 4 - Faithful Witness to Faithless People

Series Plan

Series idea: The aim of this series is to encourage believers to live out their faith despite cultural opposition. People will reject the gospel, but their faithfulness and boldness is never in vain. Scripture calls us to be a faithful witness among a faithless people.

Sermon 1: Verses 1-12 will explore the conundrum of rejection of the gospel, the mystery of God’s sovereign grace to use our faithful witness even when we think it doesn’t matter in order to interest disinterested people in Jesus Christ.

Some will say NO

Sermon 2: Verses 13-31 will explore the source of our confidence and power for witnesses to a faithless culture and God’s faithfulness to equip His people for the work of ministry.

Sermon 1 | Acts 4:1-12

Read Text / Pray

Intro

Illustration: saying “no” to a gift…

Giselle saying no to my gift. (leaf ring)

I redeemed myself in ring buying because she loved the her wedding ring… but my brother actually found that one…

Sometimes people say no to a gift….

Our culture has said “no” God’s gift.

Rejection or exchange for something else…

One word to describe the english context with respect to Christ: Disinterested.

english context very different than spanish context.

How can we be faithful witnesses for Christ in such a faithless age?

A struggle for many Christians

What might it mean or look like to live out our faith boldly?

A call to a bold faith

Recap

Lame man

2nd sermon

response of the people

Some will say “No”.

rulers, priests….

learned people! people who knew the scriptures…

ideological differences (Ressurrection from the dead)

they don’t understand it (by what name or power

Past hurts or disappointments with the church

“Greatly annoyed”

they were offended by the preaching of the gospel.

it was a truth that clashed with their own worldview.

Why do some people say no?

Theologians debate this answer…

not chosen? or did they not chose?

Illustration: good calvanists gets to heaven…

two lines: free will / predestination

gets to the front of Predestined line: why are you in this line?

I chose to be calvanist

Well if you chose it… you need to go to the other line…

Goes to free will line…

Why are you here: someone made me come here…

if they made you come here, you need to be in the predestined line.

Interplay between these two ideas…

what see in scripture

God calls and draws

John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

The concept of God drawing people to Himself is a significant theme in Christian theology. According to one of the articles, the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in this process, drawing individuals to God when they are "lost in darkness" This drawing power is described as essential, as without it, people would neither find their way to God nor even desire to do so. The article suggests that the Holy Spirit initiates this journey by giving people the desire to seek God

People say no or resist

Acts 7:51 ““You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.”

Hebrews 3:

Why do people resist?

Bothered by a different worldview

ignorance or don’t understand