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This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to our church, it would be good for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
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What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what it means in our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book that highlights the beginning days of the church and gives us a template for how Jesus designed the church to expand, function, and accomplish the mission of taking the Gospel from our local communities to the rest of the World.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to www.mcf.life, where you can listen or watch all of the messages in this series leading up to today.
As we pick back up today, you may recall last week picked back up as we moved into , as for the first time the disciples faced the resistance that Jesus promised wold come.
A resistance that came as a result of a healing miracle that was performed by the Apostle Peter in chapter 3, resulting in the conversion of 5000 people who responded to Peter’s sermon.
1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
Luke describes the resistance as follows:
1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
Acts 4:1-
Luke says as Peter and John shared the good news of Jesus Christ, three different groups of people approached who had a problem with the message about Jesus.
the disciples of Jesus, for the first time began to experience the resistance that Jesus promised would come.
And as we learned, each group had specific issues with what Peter and John were sharing about Jesus. In fact, we learned they weren’t just upset, but they were ticked off. It’s as if Peter and John have walked into the temple wearing Jesus t-shirts and “Make Jesus Great Again” hats, and it ticked them off.
So, the question then is, “Why are they so ticked off?”
Well, for each group it’s different.
For the priests, they’re ticked off because faith in Jesus is moving people away from the temple sacrifice system. Because according to , Jesus is the final sacrifice needed for sin.
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law),
And if Jesus is the final sacrifice, then there’s no need for a temple system. Because instead of a religious system there’s a relational savior now, and his name is Jesus. And it’s ticking the priests off.
Hebrews 10:1-
The captain of the Temple is ticked because his job is to maintain order on the Temple mount. And what Peter and John have done has caused disorder. Peter and John have basically started a revival service on the temple mount, and it’s ticking him off.
And then finally the Sadducees are ticked off, because if this continues, Rome might get involved, and that’s the last thing the Sadducees want. Because as religious political leaders, they have an agreement with Rome. And the agreement is, as along as the Sadducees can keep the Jewish people quiet and submissive, Rome will continue to give the Sadducees power, influence, and resource.
But what the disciples are doing could disrupt this agreement.The message of Jesus could create a situation that gets Rome involved and robs the Sadducees of their cushy lifestyle and position. And their ticked off.
And as we learned last week, not much has changed since the first century. The truth is, regardless of the century, the culture, or the country, when you stand up for Jesus, when you make Jesus great, you’re going to tick some people off. And as a result, you’re going to face some resistance.
What kind of resistance? Well, as we learned last week, resistance comes in all shapes and sizes, but there are two specific types of resistance you can expect.
The first type of resistance is isolation. As we saw in our passage last week, when confronted by the three groups, the disciples were quickly arrested and put in isolation.
The first type of resistance you can expect is
And that’s the first thing the enemy is going to try and do when you start standing up for Jesus. He’s going to try and isolate you from the people who need to hear about Jesus. He’s going to isolate you from friends, from family, and those who you may influence with the good news of the gospel.
The truth is, many of you have experienced this in your own journey of faith. You’ve experienced the isolation that comes as friends abandon you because of your faith in Jesus. As family members shun you because you embraced a relationship instead of a religion.
Some of you have experienced it in the workplace as supervisors, co-workers, clients, and customers have started to treat you differently or avoid conversations with you because of your faith in Jesus. As a result, because of your faith, you’ve been isolated.
The truth is, the more you stand up for Jesus, the less popular you’re going to be in the eyes of the world. Jesus puts it like this:
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Jesus says, “Listen, your faith in me is going to run so contrary to the worlds standards and views, that it’s going to cause them to hate you just like they hated me.”
Why will they hate you? Why will they isolate you? Because the message of the gospel runs contrary to what they believe. The message of the gospel isn’t religiously, politically, culturally, or Hollywood correct. And when confronted with the gospel, the knee jerk reaction of the world is to isolate you.
Which will eventually lead to a second type of resistance. Because if isolation doesn’t work, then the next step is to threaten our faith.
That’s what happened to Peter and John. Because after spending a night in jail, Peter and John were then brought before the religious leaders and threatened. Luke writes:
17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
Now Peter and John are being threatened and warned. Now they are being told, “You better stop spreading the message about Jesus, or else...”
Or else what? Well, as we’re going to see throughout the book of Acts, “Or else” comes in all different shapes and sizes as well. For some it will be threats of violence. For some threats of financial loss. For some threats of social outcast. And for some, threats of death.
For some Christians, it’s going to be, “Or else we’re going to beat you.” And they did.
For other Christians, it could be, “Or else we’re going to ruin you financially.” And they did.
For other Christians, it could be, “Or else we’re going to ruin you financially.” And they did.
For some, it’s going to be, “Or else you’re going to lose social status.” And they did.
For some, it’s going to be, “Or else you’re going to lose social status.” And they did.
Or else we’re going to beat you.
And for some Christians, it could be, “Or else we’re going to kill you.” And they did.
And for some Christians, it could be, “Or else we’re going to kill you.” And they did.
And the truth is, we see the same types of “Or else’s” today.
And the truth is, we see the same types of “Or else’s” today.
Almost on a daily basis Christians around the world are warned to keep their message and their beliefs to themselves, or else.
Or, “Or else we’re going to financially ruin you.”
Or,
Or else you’re not going to be popular at school.
Or else we’re going to sue you, like they did to the Christian florist in Seattle and the Christian Baker in Colorado.
Or else we’re going to
Or else you might not get that promotion. Or else you might lose your social status. Or else we’re going to sue you, like they did to the Christian florist in Seattle and the Christian Baker in Colorado. Or else we’re going to kill you like they are in countries like China and Saudi Arabia.
Or else you might not get that promotion.
Or else you might lose your social status.
Or else we’re going to sue you.
Or else we’re going to kill you like they’re doing in countries like China and Saudi Arabia.
You see, nothing has changed. The threats are still coming and will continue to come as long as people like you and people like me stand up for Jesus.
And the truth is, we could get discouraged when resistance comes. We could lose faith. And that’s exactly what the enemy is counting on. He wants us to give up. He wants us to fold. He wants us to pack up and go home. And if we do that, he wins.
But what we have to realize, is in that moment of resistance, the resistance isn’t a sign of defeat, but of soon coming victory.
That resistance isn’t a sign of our demise, but of our growth.
I mean why else would the enemy be messing with you? Why would he be trying to isolate you? Why would he be threatening you? Why is he coming after your family? Why is he coming after your marriage?
Here’s why. Because when you stand up for Jesus, when you’re all in, you’re on his target list. But the good news of the gospel is, in the midst of the resistance, Jesus stands with you.
And contrary to what the devil wants you to believe, Jesus isn’t a defeated savior. No. He’s a risen and victorious savior. Jesus puts it like this:
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus has overcome the world. Jesus has defeated the enemy. So resistance isn’t a sign of defeat, but of soon coming victory in our lives and in our community. And that is something that should bring great hope, strength, and encouragement to our faith. Because the greater the resistance, the greater the victory.
However, we
But the truth is, while that should encourage us, we still have to deal with the resistance. We still have to deal with the isolation. We still have to navigate the threats.
So, a good question might be, “How do we do that? And what’s the proper response to resistance?”
In other words, when somebody resists, isolates, sues, threatens, arrests, or attacks us because of our faith, how should we respond? How do we respond when resistance comes?
That’s our focus today. And to learn what the proper response is, we’re going to go back to the Peter and John’s situation as they respond to the resistance they were facing. A response that led to victory and helped them prepare for future victory.
So, to help us learn how to successfully respond to resistance, we are going to look at it from two different angles today.
First, we’re going to answer the question, “How should I respond in the face of resistance?” And the second question we’re going to answer is, “How do I proactively prepare for resistance?”
Because the truth is, resistance is an ongoing reality for the Christian. It doesn’t just happen once or twice, but throughout the course of our life. And so not only do we need to know how to respond in the midst of resistance, we need to know how to proactively prepare for it.
With that said, let’s begin as we answer the question, “How should a Christian respond to gospel resistance?”
And to do that, let’s go back to as we watch Peter and John respond to the resistance they are facing. Picking back up in , Luke writes:
5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
“On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them...’” (ESV)
Acts 4:5-
In this passage, as Peter and John are brought before their accusers, we see the first foundation for our response. And I would state it like this:
HOW TO RESPOND WHEN RESISTANCE COMES
Response #1 - When facing resistance, don’t stand alone, instead stand in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In verse 8, Luke writes:
“Then Peter, filed with the Holy Spirit said to them...” (ESV)
What I want you to notice first, is when faced with resistance, Peter responds under the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, Peter doesn’t face the resistance under his own power. Instead Peter stands in the power of the Holy Spirit.
So, what’s this saying? What it’s meant to highlight for us is the necessity and importance of spiritual empowerment. This is why Jesus told the disciples in to wait and do nothing until they had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Remember? He said:
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
:
Why wait for the Holy Spirit? Because without the Holy Spirit, they wouldn’t be able to face the resistance to come. In those moments they will need the Holy Spirit.
So, what will the Holy Spirit do for them in that moment of resistance? Jesus tell us. In Jesus says:
11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Jesus says in those moments of resistance when you are questioned and threatened, the Holy Spirit will teach you what to say. In other words, He will give you the boldness, the confidence, the wisdom, the discernment, and the words to speak. In that moment, you don’t need to worry because The Holy Spirit will do all the talking.
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
And isn’t that exactly what is happening in th
And so because Peter and John are filled with the Spirit, they are now able to stand confidently. Why? Because they know the Holy Spirit will help him. They know they’re not alone.
And what was true for Peter and John must be true for us as well. The fact is, in order to face gospel resistance, we have to to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We have to be empowered.
The question then is, “How do we do that? How do we get empowered?”
Well, we talked a lot about that in , and you can go back and listen to those messages, however I will say if you want to be empowered, it begins with being “All In”.
In other words, if you want the Holy Spirit to empower you, if you want to be filled and empowered with the Spirit, you have to be the kind of Christian that is sold out for the mission Jesus has given us.
Let me explain it like this. Imagine for a moment you’re a soldier in the army, and as a soldier you’re given a mission. And the mission is to go into a certain country and set people free.
Now, If that’s you, and that’s the mission, isn't’ it true that the army is going to give you the equipment and resources you need to accomplish the mission?
For example:
They’re going to give you the proper gear to wear.
They’re going to give you the weapons you need. Maybe some grenades and a rifle.
They’re going to give you night vision goggles so you can see the enemy in the darkness.
They’re going to give you a sniper who is watching over you taking out enemies ahead of you.
The fact is, in order for you to accomplish the mission, the army is going to equip you with the tools to successfully accomplish the mission.
But what would happen if you decided to go off mission. What if you decided to make your own missions. You decide, “You know what, I’m not going to obey the official mission orders, instead I’m going to do what I want. In fact, I’m going to go AWAL.”
Let me ask you, If you did that, would the army continue to equip you?
The answer is no. Why not? Because as a soldier, the army only equips soldiers who are committed to their missions. Outside of that, they don’t equip you.
And the same is true for Christians. The fact is, God has given us a specific mission to accomplish. He’s called us to go into our communities and the world, and deliver a message that has the power to set people free.
And in order to help us accomplish the mission, God has equipped us with the Holy Spirit. A powerful tool and ally who has the ability to see the enemy when we can’t. Who has the ability to go ahead of us and protects us from unforeseen traps. He’s a spiritual Navy Seal. But in order to have access to the Holy Spirit, you have to be a Christian who is committed to the official mission.
And that’s the challenge for a lot of Churches and Christians. Because sadly, a lot churches and Christians have gone off mission. Some have even abandoned the mission.
3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
They’re no longer focused on reaching the lost. They’re not longer focused on leading people to Jesus. Instead, they’re making their own missions. They’re doing church to meet their own needs. They’re trying to build their own kingdom. Trying to fulfill their own passions and desires. And as a result, they’re off mission. If fact, they’ve gone AWAL.
And the fact of the matter is, if you want to be a church or a Christian that God equips, you have to be “All In” and committed to the mission God has given us. Only then will Jesus equip you with His Spirit. Only then will Jesus fill you and fill our church with the empowerment we need.
So, if you want to be filled with the Spirit, it starts with you being committed to the mission of gospel expansion. And if you’re committed to that, then all you have to do is ask for help, and God will fill and empower you with His Spirit.
All that to say, our response to resistance begins with our reliance on the Holy Spirit.
This leads to a second response:
11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Response #2 - When facing resistance, stand on the truth of God’s Word, and don’t sugar coat it.
Luke writes:
9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
What I want you to notice, is when confronted with resistance, Peter doesn’t back down from the truth, and he doesn’t Sugar coat it. In fact, he tells it how it is.
When asked by what authority he’s doing all this, Peter basically says, “Here’s the deal guys. You want to know how this man was healed? He was healed by the power of Jesus Christ. You remember Jesus, right? He’s the man you falsely accused and crucified. The one you rejected. The one God raised from the dead. Remember Him? That’s who healed him. It’s by His name that that this man was healed. And not only that. But it’s by His name and His name alone that our spiritual relationship with God can be healed!”
What I want you to notice is, Peter doesn’t back down. Instead, he tells them the truth, and he doesn’t sugar coat it.
And to be honest, that’s the challenge in the American church today. The truth is, we’re more concerned about offending someone rather than telling them the truth. And even when we tell them them the truth, we tend to sugar coat it. You might be wondering, “Pastor what does it mean to sugar coat the gospel?”
To sugar coat the gospel means you don’t tell people the whole truth out of fear of offending them.
For example:
You tell them Jesus loves them, died for them, and wants to have a relationship with them.
But you don’t tell them about sexual purity.
You don’t tell them homosexuality is a sin and not something you’re born with.
You don’t tell them homosexuality is a sin and not the way you were born.
You don’t tell them abortion is murder not a choice.
You don’t tell them getting wasted on the weekends is a problem.
You don’t tell them going to “R” rated movies and filling their mind with profanity and sexual immorality isn’t something God wants us to do.
You don’t tell them God wants them to give 10% of their income to the church.
You don’t tell them
You don’t tell them their religious roots do nothing to save them.
You don’t tell them while they were infant baptized, they need to be baptized as an adult.
You don’t tell them the truth. You give them just enough to fill good about Jesus without offending their lifestyle, but in the end it doesn’t lead them to true salvation. If anything, it leads them to a false gospel.
And I’m telling you right now, if you’re not bold enough to tell people the truth, you’re not doing them any favors, and you really don’t care about them. In fact, if you’re not going to tell them the whole truth, then don’t tell them anything. Because you’ll end up doing more harm then good as you lead them into a false gospel. A gospel that says you can love Jesus and still live like the devil.
You see, that’s the difference between our church and a lot of other churches. We're not afraid to tell people the truth. We tell people how it is. And as a result, we tick some people off.
Now, some might say, “Yeah pastor, but aren’t you afraid you’ll offend people? Aren’t you afraid people will leave and not come back?”
Honestly, no. And here’s why. If I don’t tell them the truth, they’re never going to be set free from sin and bondage. Because when you don’t tell people the truth, they stay in their sin. So I guess I’d rather offend them than lave them in a place that is leading them to eternal destruction.
First, telling people the truth doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk about it. You can tell the truth in love. In fact, the Bible tells us to do that. Paul writes:
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Paul says speak the truth in love. In other words, be honest, but also be thoughtful and loving. And if you do that, people will
Since coming to MCF or since you put your faith in Jesus, you’ve felt the attack of isolation.
Titus
7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
Paul says presenting the truth can be done with integrity, dignity, and sound speech.
Second, if I don’t tell people the truth, nobody is going to get set free.
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
And that’s the mistake a lot of Christians and pastors make. Out of fear of offending we avoid the truth. In fact, people are looking for Christians and churches like that.
Paul writes:
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Paul says there are people who are looking for a pastor who will sugar coat it. People who want a pastor who will tell them what they want to hear. A pastor that will say:
It’s ok to sleep around.
It’s ok to watch or look at whatever you want.
It’s ok to go to any movie you want.
It’s ok to be gay or transgender.
It’s ok to be gay.
It’s ok to gossip.
It’s ok to cut people down on Facebook.
It’s ok to only give what you feel like giving to the church.
It’s ok to live however you want.
It’s ok to only give what you feel like to the church.
It’s ok to live however you want.
That’s what some people are looking for. I don’t want to be that kind of pastor or church. I want to be a pastor and church that tells people the truth. Why?
Because the truth is the only thing that will set people free from sin. Jesus says:
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The truth sets people free. Anything less keeps them in bondage. The Apostle Puts it like this:
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
So, if you ‘re going to combat resistance, you have to combat it with truth. You have to expose the darkness. You cant’ shy away or sugar coat it. That won’t lead anybody to Jesus.
This leads to a third response:
“No, you shouldn’t be sleeping with your girlfriend, but as long as you plan on
Pastors who tell couples it’s ok to sleep together as long as you plan on getting married. In that case, God understands.
Pastors who tell people,
19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Acts 4:
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
Response #3 - When facing resistance, stand on the evidence of truth.
Luke writes:
14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.
He goes on to say in verse 21:
21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
The fact of the matter is, it’s hard for people to resist the truth when there is evidence for the truth.
When Peter and John were brought before their accusers, while the accusers were ticked off by what had happened, they couldn't’ argue with the evidence. Because standing beside Peter is a formally crippled man who is now walking. And Peter’s accusers don’t know what to say.
And the same is true for you and me. When resistance comes, when people question, ridicule, make fun of, or threaten our faith, all we have to do is point to the evidence.
And the evidence starts with your life. In that moment you can say, “Then explain to me how a person like me, who used to be a drug addict is no longer a drug addict? Explain to me how my marriage was on the brink of divorce, but is now reconciled. Explain to me how I was about to die, but now I’m healed. Explain to me how I went from being a drunk crazy person to a person who has been set free. Explain to me how my depression turned into joy. Please explain to me why I’m no longer the same person.”
Do you see what I’m saying? Part of responding to resistance is pointing people to the evidence of our faith. Evidence that can’t be argued with or even explained.
One of the greatest joys I have as a pastor is watching people come into this church hardened, hopeless, and helpless. But then they meet Jesus. And literally in a moment they become a different person. To watch as their hardness vanishes and their countenance changes. To watch as hopelessness turns into hope. To watch as their worldview and values change. To watch as they literally turn into a different person.
Spiritually speaking it’s like those before and after pictures you see of somebody whose been on drugs.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
It’s the evidence of what Jesus can do in a life. It’s something you can’t argue with or even explain. Luke writes:
21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
Acts 4:
So, that’s how we respond when gospel resistance comes. We stand in the power of the Holy Spirit, we lovingly tell people the truth, and we point people to the evidence of our faith.
But here’s the deal, in order to be ready and respond in this, we have to be proactively preparing for the resistance to come.
So, how do we do that? As we close this morning, I’d like to suggest three steps you can take in order to be proactively prepared for gospel resistance.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR RESISTANCE:
STEP #1 - Make sure you are spending time with Jesus.
What I want you to notice is the observation Peter and John’s accusers made concerning their words, attitude, and actions. Luke writes:
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
Luke says as Peter and John speak and stand on the evidence of truth, the religious leaders are astonished. Why are they astonished? Because Peter and John are nobody’s. They are uneducated, common men. And it perplexes the religious leaders because they are speaking with an authority and boldness that doesn’t typically come from common uneducated men.
But there is one striking difference between these common men and other common men. Because in their moment of astonishment, they recall these are the men who had been with Jesus. Why do they recall this? Because apparently Peter and John are acting and sounding a lot like Jesus.
Here’s what this is saying. Regardless of who you are, what your religious background is or isn’t, what you know or don’t know about the Bible, or how long you’ve been a Christian, if you spend time with Jesus, it’s going to change you, and it will play out in your witness. People are going to notice and be astonished as your words, actions, and deeds begin to play out in a supernatural manner.
Here’s the simple truth - The more time you spend with Jesus, the more effective you will be as a witness for Jesus.
So, that being the case, let me ask you something, “When people see you, when they interact with you, do your words, actions, and deeds remind them of Jesus?”
I think that’s a question every Christian should be willing to ask themselves.
Because if you’re spending time with Jesus, then it should play out in everything you are. His truth, his ways, and His hope should make you a beacon of light in a dark world.
Jesus puts it like this in :
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
What you have to ask yourself is, “Does my life reflect that I have been spending time with Jesus?”
And when I say “spending time with Jesus”, I’m talking about your prayer life. I’m talking about your devotional life. I’m talking about you going out of your way to make your relationship with Jesus a priority in your life.
Do you talk to Him? Do you ask Him to give you greater insight and wisdom? Do you ask Him what He thinks about your decisions and your lifestyle choices?
I saw a post on Facebook this week. And it said something to the affect, “What if everybody treated their Bible like their smartphone? If they were always referencing it. Always looking at for messages from God. Always carrying it around like it was the most important possession in their life.”
All I’m saying, is if you want to be an effective witness, you have to spend time with the person your witnessing about. Because how in the world can you boldly and effectively tell somebody about Jesus when you’ve spent no time with Him?
Would people say, “That guy/gal have apparently spent a lot of time with Jesus?”
This leads us to a second step in preparing for resistance:
Step #2- Make sure you are spending time with fellow believers.
Luke writes beginning in verse 23:
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Acts 4:23-
Luke says as soon as Peter and John were released, the first thing they did was go and find their friends.
So, who were their friends? Was it their Facebook friends? Was it their friends at the bar? Was it their friends out at the Legion? Was it their friends down at the coffee shop? No. It was their friends who were believers just like them. Other men and women who were “All In”. People they could spiritually identify with.
People they could spiritually identify with.
Here’s what this is saying to us. If you want to be prepared for resistance. If you want to be able to stand strong for Jesus. Then you have to spend time and surround yourself with people who are of the same spiritual mindset. People who understand what you’re going through. People who can identify with the resistance.
And again, that’s the challenge for a lot of Christians. Because unfortunately, too many Christians surround themselves with the wrong people or go to the wrong sources for support when facing resistance. People who don’t believe like they do. People who are living for the world and not for Jesus. People who aren’t “All In”.
Now, when I say that, am I saying you shouldn’t ever be around non-believers? Concerning this the Apostle Paul writes:
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
What Paul is saying is, “In order to reach people for Jesus, we have to interact with non-beleivers.” So, I’m not saying you can’t be friends with non-believers. What I’m saying though is, they can’t be your best friends. The people you confide in. The people you seek counsel and support from. Because the truth is, they’re not "All In” like you are.
Here’s the deal. If you want to be prepared for the attack of the enemy, you need to surround yourself with friends who understand the attack. Friends who can support you, encourage you, and bring strength into your life. People who will stand by you and face the attack with you.
Because more than anything the enemy wants to get you alone or with the wrong people. I see it all the time. Because when you’re alone or with the wrong people, he can bring greater discouragement and destruction into your life. \
But when you’re surrounded by other Christians, it’s more difficult for him to get to you. It’s more difficult for him to discourage you when your surrounded by people who love you.
That’s why Peter and John went and found their friends. And that’s where we should go as well.
That’s why church and being here on Sunday morning is so important. That’s why coming on Wednesday night is so important. That’s why being in a Life Group is so important. All of these represent opportunities for you to surround yourself with like minded people of faith who can bring strength and encouragement to your life. Who can help you navigate the attack the enemy has brought upon you. Because if he’s attacking you, he’s attacking all of us. And the fact is, our ability to stand against the enemy is better together than apart. And the proof of that comes in what happens next for the disciples as they employ a final step.
Because if you’re going to prepare for resistance:
STEP #3 - Make sure you pray together for future boldness and strength.
Luke writes:
24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Acts 4:24-
Luke says not only did they go find their friends, but when they found them, they prayed together.
And in this amazing corporate prayer, the disciples reached out to the greatest source of strength and hope. In this moment they corporately cried out to God, and in the midst of resistance, they declared the victory of God. In this prayer they recounted the victory of the cross. In this prayer they declared, “We are no longer slaves to fear, slaves to worry, or slaves to their threats. Because we are children of God.”
And after declaring the victory of the cross they asked God to continue to help them speak the world wit hall boldness. They prayed, “God stretch out your hand to heal. Perform signs and wonders through the name of Jesus.” They cried out, “God we need your help!”.
And in that moment God responded. Luke writes:
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Notice what happened. In response to their cry for help, God repeated what he’d done in . God filled them with His Spirit so that they could continue to speak the word of God with all boldness.
Here’s what this is saying to us. If you want to be prepared for resistance, we need to continually pray that God would fill us with His Spirit. Because wasn’t a one time occurrence. Being filled with the Spirit is a continual necessity.
Again, a challenge for a lot of Christians. And it’s a challenge because we tend to go to far before filling up again.
In other words, a lot of Christians are like the person who fills up their car with gas and then drives it until the needle is well past the "E”. To the point they barely make it to the gas station as they coast in on fumes.
I see Christians do that all the time. They go weeks without coming to church. Days without opening their Bible. They rarely spend time with other Christians and hardly ever spend anytime with Jesus. And then life goes sideways, the marriage begins to fall apart, the kids are a mess, they suffer a loss, and they think, “I better go to church this weekend.” And then they coast in here on fumes.
That’s not how God wants us to live. And it’s not going to prepare us for resistance. What God wants us to do is be committed to daily fill ups. He wants us to keep the needle on full, all the time. And the only way you can do that is if you are committed to praying with other believers. Committed to spending time with Jesus. Committed to asking God to daily fill you with His Spirit. You can only do that if you’re “All In”. Then and only then will you be prepared for the resistance to come.
So, let me ask you, “How prepared are you? Are you surrounding yourself with the right people. Are you spending time in Christian fellowship? Are you praying with other believers? Are you daily filling up the tank.
Or are you running on fumes. Are you barely making it? Are you at that place when the attack comes you’ve already lost the battle because you weren’t prepared.
As we close this morning, my prayer would be that you’d be commited to being prepared. Because like it or not, there is a real enemy out there. And if you’re going to follow Jesus, you can expect his attack. You can expect some resistance.
The question though is, will you be ready when the resistance comes. And not only will you be ready, but will you be ready to stand strong in the power of the Spirit and the truth of God’s Word. Because in the end, the only thing that sets people free and breaks the power of resistance is the truth.
Let’s Pray
1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.