11-10-2019 Veteran's Day 2019 Acts 4

I think sometimes we take our freedom for granted ....for over 200 years America has lost many men and women to war so we could have our freedom today.

So far, the freedom that they bought we can come together and praise God...the one who blessed this country.

To remain a strong nation, America needs people who are leaders, who stand up for what is right. We need leaders who put others’ needs ahead of their own

Without courageous leadership, even the most technologically advanced military will stumble, as will every school, business, every church, and even family. America’s continued success depends partly on today’s young people becoming the leaders we honor and the leaders we need them to be whether spiritual or militaristic.

May I have the veterans in this church here today please rise?

I am not a veteran ...the closest I have been to being a veteran is… Civil Air Patrol.

Freedom has a high price which I have not paid....Mankind, over all, wants to hold others in bondage so the most powerful, the richest, can dominate and make the less blessed serve them as slaves; however, we have laws in our land and ....so far to a good degree to protect us from that. Although many of us would agree that American government is far from perfect today, it’s still far better then many of the other countries around the world.

We are all stirred by tales of valor and bravery that our veterans have endured. U.S. Veterans can serve us also as an example to what depth of a Christian walk we ought to live. For example, we all wish we were braver. As children, most boys played like they were a soldier in the thick of the battle or a ship’s captain riding a storm. But our daydreams never gave us courage to face up to the school bully—it somehow takes more than a young imagination to be courageous.

Transition:

We need to raise more spiritual leaders in this country and it starts here.

The Apostles demonstrated a valor and a bravery worthy of our attention. So instead of continuing in Revelation, I thought it best after prayer to take this morning and see how we here at Grace Baptist Church measure up.

In the early chapters of Acts, we find that the once cowardly disciples of Jesus, who had locked themselves in the upper room for fear, now stood boldly before the very men who had condemned the Lord. They were no longer cowards. With astonishing bravery, they declared the resurrection of Jesus.

Let’s turn to Acts chapter 4 and I want to try to cover the majority of the chapter, but let’s go ahead and start with verses 10-12

Acts 4:10–13 ESV

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.

here is courage in action

I have often wished for the boldness to confront the world with my faith in Jesus Christ. Serving God is never cowardly business. The question is, How do I become brave? brave enough to serve Him in every circumstance? Brave enough

Transition:

there are three things I want to look at this morning which both honor our veterans, and honor our Christian walk. As we walk in the spirit the first thing we see in Acts is:

I. A PUBLIC CONCERN (vv. 1-4)

It is the military’s duty to have a concern for the safety of the public while risking themselves to ensure safety.

The chief priests and rulers were angry at the apostles first because the apostles were teaching the people. These rulers cared little for the masses of people.

Acts 4:1–3 ESV

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.

The apostles were well aware of the risk they put themselves in by speaking about Jesus, but it did not stop them. They were well aware that they could get arrested, and that is exactly what happened, but notice that God did not abandon them.

Acts 4:4 ESV

But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Concerned for the safety of Jesus’s name, these war heroes did not have the fear of man and this bore fruit.

John wrote in 1 John 4:18 that love overcomes fear.

1 John 4:18 ESV

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

That is what happened to the apostles. When Peter and John met the crippled man at the Temple gates, they looked on him with compassion and healed him in the name of Jesus. They were not disgusted that he was a beggar. Peter and John were concerned about the man. They were not fearful of the authorities; they only cared about a man in need.

When we begin to see people’s needs with the eyes of compassion, our love will overcome our fear of man.

ILLUS:

In his sermon, "The Gospel of Jesus Christ," Wayne Ward told about going to a home to invite a family to church. In answer to his knock, he heard little feet running to the door and a mother’s voice calling, "Jimmy, come back from that door! Don’t you touch that door!"

"Not often do I pray for little boys to disobey their parents," Dr. Ward said, But on that morning, he slipped. He found himself praying: "Lord, let this boy open this door. I need to talk to these people. They need Jesus, and they need the church."

I have sometimes thought of that prayer when I stood at an unfamiliar door and was tempted to pray, "Lord, don’t let them be home." In those moments I have felt my fears turn into concern as I prayed, "Lord, let these people be home so I can tell them about You and invite them to Your church."

Transition:

In order to have that kind of a concern for strangers, conviction must be present

II. A PERSONAL CONVICTION (vv. 19-20)

Every good soldier has a personal conviction to serve his people and his country, and it takes character for that kind of sacrifice

Let’s skip to verse 19:

Acts 4:19 ESV

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,

These are mighty bold words

You can hear the conviction in Peter’s words as he spoke these words. In later years, when writing his second epistle, Peter declared "We are ewitnesses of His majesty." Peter was there on the mountain when Moses and Elijah appeared and Jesus was transformed into His glory before their eyes.

Acts 4:20 ESV

for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

How is that? how is it that the apostles can only speak the truth and nothing else?

It is a Divine human cooperation-- it takes the holy Spirit plus our character

What kind of character am I referring to?

Self-Discipline

This term self-discipline can be traced to the word disciple, which is of course a person who follows the instructions of their teacher. Discipline is all about following the right instructions so that you achieve the right goals. Self-discipline can be defined as the ability to direct your thoughts, emotions, and actions toward a meaningful purpose. You do the hard things even when you don’t want to. In short, self-discipline is willpower. It is a deep sense of commitment. A commitment to your creator.

If you do not control your emotions, your emotions will control you.

Recognizing this, a self-disciplined leader whether spiritual thinks before they act. They choose to resist sudden impulses in order to fulfill their long term goals. A disciplined leader remains cool and collected, even in a heated debate

John C. Maxwell, in his book: The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player says:

“If you do not control your emotions, your emotions will control you.”

or a great women once said,

“Your emotions are a gift from God, not a guide”

Integrity

The most basic textbook definition would be being the same in any context. A more biblical definition would be: Integrity is the willingness to do what is right, even when no one is watching. Think of it as the backbone to your conscience guiding your every decision. A person of integrity is honest and morally courageous. They can be counted on to fulfill their responsibilities, even in difficult circumstances. They don’t blame others for their mistakes, and they don’t take credit for someone else’s work. As the Civil Air Patrol teaches, Integrity is the cornerstone of military service.

Volunteer Service

Our sacrifices teach us that the needs of the people we reach take priority over our individual wants and desires.

1 Peter 4:10 ESV

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

1 Peter 4:11 ESV

11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

To put it even more simply, Volunteer Service is about “selflessness.” C.A.P. says, “It’s the difference between “giving” and “taking.”

Attitude

The state of mind that lies behind your every action. Your attitude affects how you see the world. To the CHRISTIAN who has a negative attitude, the world is hopeless and not even God can help. Every day begins with what is wrong with so-and-so, what I don’t like about this person or that person. Likewise, no problem overcomes the CHRISTIAN who maintains a positive attitude. They control their thoughts and feelings rather than allow negativity to imprison them. How? through an unwavering trust in our Lord. Although attitude is something that exists in your mind, it is visible to the people around you. Facial expressions, gestures, posture, and tone of voice reveal your attitude. It is especially important for spiritual leaders to maintain a positive attitude because all attitudes, good and bad, are contagious.

In sports, the concept of the “home field advantage” illustrates this point. As fans cheer, their enthusiasm inspires their team, whose performance increases as a result.

If you have trusted Christ as Savior, you, too, know He is Lord and Christ. You know He has forgiven your sins. You know and remember answered prayers. And so you can have the courageous conviction that He will care for you. This is courageous character!

Transition:

With a public concern, and a personal conviction, one last element we see from these Bible veterans is

III. A PRAYERFUL COMMUNION (vv. 23-31)

After their release, the apostles gathered with the church for prayer. Boldness in witnessing begins on our knees. Let’s look at their example

Acts 4:23–24 ESV

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,

The first thing we see is their prayer starts with unified praise

Acts 4:25–26 ESV

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’—

Now they move to acknowledge God’s sovereignty in dealing with his enemies. David wrote of it -- Psalm 2:1–2 is quoted here.

Acts 4:27–28 ESV

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.

The disciples witness and testify to it: They saw Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish leaders conspire against Jesus.

Acts 4:29–30 ESV

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.”

Here the prayer moves to a petition: asking for God’s strength in dealing courageously with their enemies

Acts 4:31 ESV

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.

Our prayer life will be the key to our courage. Our time with our Savior gives us the boldness and the courage to do what is right. When I am having difficulty telling people about Jesus, I am usually neglecting my prayer life. When I am faithfully spending time with the Lord in prayer, my prayers give me the desire to witness.

So What?

Will we commit this morning to there three things? A Public Concern, A Personal Conviction; and A Prayerful Communion. If we will make that commitment, we will see an increase in the quality and effectiveness of our prayer life as we walk in the Spirit.

Why "walk in the Spirit?” Like a muscle, your spirit grows stronger as you exercise purity along with The Holy Spirit. By overcoming small challenges in your daily life, you strengthen your character so that when something unnerving happens to you one day, you’ll be ready for it emotionally and spiritually. Some of the benefits of walking in the Spirit include:

A Clear Conscience

Break promises and soon you’ll be called a liar. Guilt will weigh you down until you confess and repent. Have “short sin accounts!” confess immediately and repent wholeheartedly. Walking in the Spirit means your conscience is clear. You’ll enjoy freedom from shame and embarrassment, and you’ll be confident in your actions.

A Good Reputation

People who walk in the Spirit build good reputations. They earn trust and respect by doing the right thing, and spiritual leaders take note. A good reputation opens doors that are closed to people whose sense of honor is questionable.

A reminder though is needed that even Paul was slandered constantly in his ministry because Satan is the accuser of the brethren. Our opinion of ourselves does not come from man but from God and who He says we are in His Word. We are called, chosen, valuable, and precious to Jesus. Let’s let our reputation be one that show a mighty faith in the Lord and in his Word.

Trust and Respect

If you and the people around you walk in the Spirit, you will be creating an environment of trust and respect. This translates into a life that is less stressful and more rewarding. Friendships will be stronger and deeper. You and the church will be more successful because the Holy Spirit is motivating everyone to do their best.

IN Conclusion:

Beyond the Holy Spirit, it is Character

It is a pre-requisite for leadership and raising up a new generation of outstanding spiritual veterans. One's character is reflected by their actions. What do our actions say about us?

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