Recognizable Christianity
Notes
Transcript
Handout
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and comprehended that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
Introduction:
Introduction:
The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been the focus of this historic account of Peter and John.
They gave the lame man the Gospel and healed him.
6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”
The preached the Gospel to the crowd that gathered.
13 “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.
14 “But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
15 but put to death the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.
16 “And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which is through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
They used the Gospel as their defense when arrested.
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 Gospel is not the message for the end of life! It is the message for the entire life of the Christian!
10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
What does this abundant life look like?
Notice the wording of our text:
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and comprehended that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
1. Christianity requires confidence!
1. Christianity requires confidence!
Websters 1828:
“1. Having full belief; trusting; relying; fully assured.”
The difference between confidence and arrogance is experience.
An arrogant person trusts in themselves regardless of experience.
A confident person has done the research, attempted and failed, or attempted and succeeded.
You can be humbly confident!
The Greek word:
parrēsia: freedom of speech, confidence Original Word: παρρησία
Transliteration: parrēsia
Phonetic Spelling: (par-rhay-see'-ah)
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Short Definition: freedom of speech, confidence
Meaning: freedom of speech, confidence
This Greek word is often translated as “Open, bold, or public.”
Example:
20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret.
Peter used this word in his sermon on Pentecost.
29 “Men, brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
Peter was confident in his interpretation of Scripture!
A Christian should be confident in what the bible says!
Faith is much more than simply what you believe. It is where you place your loyalty!
I believe the Bible, therefore, I am loyal to it’s message.
I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, therefore, I am following Him.
We should be confident in our salvation!
16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
28 And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He is manifested, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
2. Christianity is much more than an academic study.
2. Christianity is much more than an academic study.
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and comprehended that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
Notice the words “uneducated and ordinary.”
Some Christians misunderstand the King James translation of this verse.
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.
The text is NOT telling us to be ignorant and unlearned.
What is IS telling us is that Peter and John were ordinary men, without a college degree, who understood the subjects that many have invested years of study.
It needs to be said that education is not a bad thing! Even now in this sermon we are studying and expounding the truths the historic written text of Scripture.
There is a need to study history, science, manuscript evidence, etc to understand the history of Christianity.
In fact, it should be mentioned that the church has really dropped the ball in the area. When schools started teaching Darwinian Evolution, we failed to respond academically.
Christians do not have to sacrifice science and history to believe the Bible. The Bible is a book of law, history, science, poetry, philosophy. methods of warfare, self help, proverbs, music, love stories, adventure, and much more! To study the Bible is truly to study every subject needed in life!
*** The point is this:
The rulers of the people were impressed that these ordinary men, without formal education, were acquainted with the subjects of the scholars!
They noticed the same thing about Jesus!
14 But when it was now the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.
15 The Jews then were marveling, saying, “How has this man become learned, not having been educated?”
16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but from Him who sent Me.
17 “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God or I speak from Myself.
18 “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Notice verse 15! How did he know these things without being formally educated?
Jesus said it was because He knew the Father!
3. Our knowledge and confidence is gained by personal experience!
3. Our knowledge and confidence is gained by personal experience!
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and comprehended that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
These men were boldly preaching the Scripture, without formal education.
How did they do this? By being eye witnesses to Christ!
15 but put to death the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.
They were witnesses of the resurrected Christ.
They were also witnesses of His preaching, his healing miracles, his transfiguration, His private time in prayer, His testings and true character, and so much more!
In a simple statement: They KNEW Him!
3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
How can we know Him? Do we all have to attend a seminary, master the original languages, and join a religious order like the Pharisees?
NO!
Here is what we must do:
1. Live in the Scriptures.
1. Live in the Scriptures.
Read it!
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
Memorize it!
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
Teach it to your children!
7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
2. Have a life of prayer!
2. Have a life of prayer!
Notice that I did not saying a “time of prayer.” Make prayer a part of your life!
Talk to God about everything!
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
3. Serve Christ among other disciples!
3. Serve Christ among other disciples!
We are talking about Peter and John in our text.
All 12 of the disciples banded together and served Jesus as church!
The model hasn’t changed! Christ expects us to join the church, participate in the work, grow together!
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
4. Don’t lose the wonder of the Gospel!
4. Don’t lose the wonder of the Gospel!
1 And when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with superiority of word or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the witness of God.
2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
4 and my word and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 so that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
We are a church full of ordinary people. But we can make an impact on this community! How? By being recognizable Christians!
Christ has always called the ordinary people to do an extraordinary work! Let’s be known as people who “have been with Jesus!”
