An Unstoppable Message

Introduction

How many of you have ever watched a court show on TV? From Judge Judy to Divorce Court and everything else in between, these shows are humorous at times but they also provide a tiny picture into the courtroom for those of us who have never been in one. Usually in these types of shows, there is a disagreement over an issue and one party (prosecution) attempts to prove their case to the judge while the other (defense) tries to argue that they did nothing wrong/do not deserve to be punished. Who is left to decide who is right and what must be done? Usually there is a jury who does this, but in these types of shows it is usually just a single judge. It’s always interesting to watch the dynamics of people who are on these shows as they make their case before the judge. Some people are very well articulated and calm while others resort to shouting and making personal attacks. Some handle opposition very well while others fall under pressure like a house of cards. Think of yourself being placed in such a situation where you are being put on trial for something before a judge - how would you react? Would you be the person who backs down or would you be the person who stands up? Would you be the person who speaks well or would you resort to personal attacks and the like?

Hopefully, we would be the people who stand boldly on the defense stand and always take the higher road as we speak the truth in love as Scripture commands of us. In the book of Acts we have seen the first signs of persecution for the early church as Peter and John have been taken into custody and spent the night in prison for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 2 weeks ago we noted how Peter stood before the Sanhedrin and declared that there is salvation in no other name than the name of Jesus Christ and how these Jews have rejected the cornerstone. They were put on the defense stand and questioned, yet they maintained their composure and presented the facts. Today we see the result of their defense and how their reply left the Jewish leadership speechless.

The message presented puts the Jews in a crucial situation: What should we do with Peter and John? They have been preaching about Jesus Christ - how should we proceed? There are times whenever we correctly identify how to proceed and there are other times where we fall short and do something incorrect. Did you know that every spring, nearly 10% of American adults get hay fever? These allergies occur whenever our immune system incorrectly identifies pollen as a bacteria and releases antibodies to fight against it. When our body incorrectly identifies the problem, histamines are released and we suffer symptoms like runny noses, sinus pressure, and itchy eyes. The body is responding to a message, but it responds incorrectly and the rest of the body pays the price! Likewise, whenever the Gospel message is presented, it demands a response. I pray that the Holy Spirit moves in such a way that this unstoppable message would be clear today and that you would discern and digest it appropriately unlike the audience in our text this morning did some 2000 years ago.

Acts 4:13–22 CSB

13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” 18 So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. 22 For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.

Gospel Proclamation Leaves the Opposition Speechless (13-18)

There are times in life where something happens and we are left speechless. Sometimes the thing is good and other times the thing is bad. A couple of months before Gabriel was born, Lindsey and I went to Wonder’s of Wildlife in Springfield. As everything owned by Johnny Morris, this place is incredible and genuinely takes your breath away at times. There are many cool parts of the aquarium and animal exhibits but the part that I will never forget came at the end of our time there as there is a big room with people standing around this huge circle. From a distance you see some water splashing from this circle but you can’t tell what is in the water! As we got closer, it became clear. This was a stingray exhibit that allowed people to gather around and touch the animals. I have no shame in saying that as a 23 year old, I had way too much fun doing this and spent a solid 30 minutes petting the stingrays but I’ll never forget the reaction a little kid made whenever he first touched a stingray. It was reminiscent of Charlie finding a golden ticket to go to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory - the kid was absolutely amazed and he was speechless as he smiled from ear to ear because he had just touched a stingray!

There are other times whenever we are speechless for a not so fun reason. Whenever I got caught playing hide and seek on the roof of FBC Ozark with some friends, I was asked what on earth we were doing up there and I was speechless. I had no excuse and literally nothing would come out of my mouth! Have you ever had a similar moment? Maybe something unexpected happens and you can’t even speak because you’re processing what took place. You’re thrust back on your heels by what has happened.

This is the scene we see before us in Acts 4 as the Sanhedrin have witnessed the healing of the lame beggar in Acts 3, they have heard Peter’s proclamation at the beginning of Acts 4, and now they find themselves absolutely stunned. In verse 14 of our text we see that these people “have nothing to say in opposition.” Think about this situation, here are the most highly trained experts out of all the Jews and they are listening to men who are “uneducated” and “untrained” - yet, they are amazed and have nothing to say in opposition! Why are they speechless? Because the disciples are led by the Holy Spirit. The disciples had something different about themselves as they talked about Jesus. Sure, they didn’t have the training these elites had, but that didn’t phase them. They had been trained by Jesus and they were continually led by His Spirit. The Jews had no answer for this.

Think about the people that God uses to proclaim the Gospel. In the New Testament we see several different types of people: We see the PhD (Paul) and we see the GED (Peter). We see doctor and the tax collector. We see men and women. We see Romans and Jews. We see old and young. This is the amazing thing about Christianity - it’s not just for the elite or just for the poor - it is for all who repent of their sins and place faith in Christ as Lord. This is confusing to some people, sadly. Some people think that education is a bad thing. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say negative things about seminary because they genuinely think that education and learning more is a bad thing. On the flip side, I’ve met some people who think that education is something necessary. As if every single Christian has to go through a 4 year program of sorts. We know that these extremes are both unhealthy and wrong. These Jews could not believe that a group of untrained people were able to preach and teach with clarity and power. The Holy Spirit changes things and it doesn’t matter what your past or strengths are, a person called by God and committed to following the Holy Spirit’s guidance is a dangerous individual!

As the Jews are speechless, they try to determine how to proceed. They are amazed and can’t explain what has happened, but something must be done! On the one hand, they can’t deny what has been done. A man has been healed of a serious condition in a public fashion - there’s no way to deny what they have seen. Yet, they also cannot let the disciples continue to share the Gospel and have thousands and thousands of Jews convert and follow them. They are left with a choice. Verse 18 tells us their decision

Acts 4:18 CSB

18 So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

They ordered the people to stop teaching or speaking about Jesus Christ. This is what we’ve seen throughout the book of Acts thus far. There has been Gospel proclamation left and right and these leaders are fed up with it. Yet, they couldn’t do anything more severe than issue them a verbal warning to stop preaching about Jesus.

Whenever the Gospel is preached, we’ve established that there will be some consequences. From rejection, isolation, persecution, or even death, Christians have gotten into trouble over the years just for teaching about Jesus Christ to others. Just as Peter and John got put on trial for preaching about Jesus, there are Christians today who do the same. One such individual tells her story as she grew up in North Korea with a Christian family - something extremely rare! The family would study Scripture and sing worship songs quietly in their apartment with other believers. One day, while this young girl was at school, the government found out about the Bible her father had and took him. The family was able to escape shortly after this, but their father likely died for his faith and was never seen again. He routinely said, “Even if I face death, I will follow Jesus.”

We know that whenever this is our proclamation, others will take notice! Paul, in Acts 17, preaches the Gospel and we see a couple of different responses.

Acts 17:32–34 CSB

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” 33 So Paul left their presence. 34 However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

What are the different responses to the Gospel?

Some will mock. Some will long to know more. Some will believe.

While these Jewish leaders did not believe in Jesus Christ, because of Peter and John’s devotion to share the name of Jesus, many lives were changed and, in time, some of these very leaders would come to know Christ as Lord.

Whenever we share the Gospel, it can be easy to share our testimony and consider that sharing the Gospel. What Jesus has done in your life is your story, yes, but every story is a little different. Whenever we have the opportunity, friends, let us commit ourselves to share the truth of Scripture with others. That Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death that He did not deserve to die, that He was buried and rose on the 3rd day, and that He has ascended and will come back some day! We must share the good news of Jesus Christ and how He and He alone saves sinners. This message will leave people speechless as they see, possibly for the first time, the love and grace extended by our Lord and Savior. However, it is not enough to simply preach the Gospel once or twice. We must continue to share this good news.

Gospel Proclamation Demands Action (19-22)

Even though these individuals are commanded to not speak or teach about Jesus Christ, they say that this is not an option. To the Jewish leadership, they view this as a simple choice - stop speaking about this. You can do other things, just stop talking about Jesus! To the early church, though, this was their very way of life. As Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

If you are in Christ, you are a new creation and you cannot not talk about Jesus!

Peter and John declare as much in their reply as they say, “we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you saw something you weren’t supposed to see and you were sworn to secrecy? Perhaps you were sneaking around your parents’ room around Christmas time and you stumbled across your siblings’ Christmas presents and your parents made you promise not to tell your brothers or sisters about what you found and saw. Maybe the stakes were raised a little bit to the point where you saw something seriously bad - a text message, email, someone cheating on a test, someone being dishonest at work and you are left with a fundamental choice: What should I do about this situation?

On the one hand, it would make things so much easier to just go on with things as if you never saw what you saw. That would be the easy way out for yourself and for others. However, you’d know in the back of your mind that you probably should’ve done something about it. On the other hand, if you do speak out, you know that there will likely be a consequence. Maybe the person who was cheating will deny that allegation and turn it on you. Maybe the person being dishonest is doing so on orders from your boss and you could be the one to get fired for not turning a blind eye. We are always faced with difficult situations where we must decide how we will proceed, knowing full and well that what we do will cost us.

In Scripture, we see time and time again that sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is costly. We see that here in the first few chapters in Acts. We see it with the life of Paul as preaching the Gospel puts him in prison, chains, and eventually it gets him killed. The same happens with many of the early church leaders as they were burned at the stake, fed to lions in gladiator games, and crucified. They knew full and well that preaching the Gospel would have a consequence, yet they echoed the statement of Peter and John in Acts 4:20 - we are unable to stop speaking. As long as there is breath in our lungs, we will be sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others!

They understood that following Jesus Christ is more than just living a good life - have you heard someone say that actions speak louder than words? Taking this out to its logical conclusion, a Christian might think that their actions are more important than words and that they don’t have to verbally share the Gospel so long as they love others and act well. This is a partial truth. We are called to love our neighbor and to be salt and light - our actions matter greatly! But, so do our words. We cannot say that we’ll just love like Jesus and call it good because there are so many people confused as to who Jesus is and what it means to be a Christian. Therefore, our words matter greatly! We must share what the Gospel is, we must share how Jesus is the only way one can be saved, we must share that we are dead in sin regardless of how many good things we do! These are things that we cannot share through action, we share them through our words - your words matter greatly!

To quote Tony Merida, “If you are faced with an absolute decision in which you must obey God or the authorities, you can be certain that obeying the Lord is the right path.” Even though this was risky, it was right. Thankfully, in God’s provision and protection, the Jews release Peter and John because they could not punish them. They could not explain what had happened to this 40 year old lame beggar so they were forced to let them go.

Notice the similarities in the messages preached in Acts 2 and Acts 4. Peter preaches about how the Jews are guilty of rejecting and killing Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. He continues to say that God raised Jesus back to life and that Jesus is the foundation upon which our faith must be built. Both passages include these key points and we know that these points are crucial for people to understand today as well. We are sinners, we have fallen short as Romans 3:23 tells us and because of this, we deserve to be separated from God. Yet, we see that from the beginning, God’s plan was to send Jesus Christ to die for sinners like you and I! This is the best news of all and Peter has preached this news twice so far and notice the different responses to this unstoppable message:

In Acts 2, we see this response to the Gospel

Acts 2:37 CSB

37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

In Acts 4, we see this response to the Gospel

Acts 4:17 CSB

17 But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.”

Do you see the striking difference here? In Acts 2, the Jewish audience is pierced to the heart - they are convicted - and they want to know what they must do in order to be saved. Peter tells them that they must repent! Praise the Lord that 3,000 did exactly this. In Acts 4, though, we see a different story. Instead of asking what they must do, these leaders tell them to stop speaking about Jesus completely.

Here we find the first rejection of Jesus by these Jews in the book of Acts. This theme will recur many times throughout this book and we know, sadly, that many people today reject Jesus as Lord as well. Even though people reject the Gospel message, what are we called to do? Continue to share the Gospel. Continue to love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us. Continue to be salt and light in a world of darkness and despair. Most of all, though, we must continue to act and not lose hope. Imagine if Peter and John had abided by the command to stop talking about Jesus given by these Jews. What if they had obeyed? The book of Acts would stop after 4 chapters instead of 28 - they knew that this was not an option, and friends, this is not an option available to us as well. We are to be Christ’s witnesses and to continue to preach the good news.

Conclusion

Just as the Jewish leaders could not explain away the miracle that had taken place, there are people in our world who cannot explain away the power and presence of God. Paul, in Romans 1, notes that every single human knows deep down that there is a God. We cannot explain Him away - yet, this is exactly what people attempt to do. Further, since they can’t explain Him away, they try to silence people who are passionate about the good news of Jesus Christ. Something along these lines: you live your truth, and I’ll live mine. Maybe that’s true for you, but it’s not true to me. Sadly, some Christians live under threat of persecution like Peter and John were under here and simply saying the name of Jesus Christ can and will lead to prison or to death. Friends, the Bible is clear that there is salvation through Jesus Christ and through Him alone - it is our mission to make much of Jesus Christ in word and in action because we have been called by the King of Kings.

2 closing points of application for us from this text

Be diligent in how you respond to the Gospel!

These Jews did not respond to the Gospel appropriately. They were told the truth and instead of responding correctly, they told the disciples to stop talking about Jesus. There is a temptation for us to respond incorrectly to the Gospel as well. There is a temptation for us to misunderstand the Gospel to the point where we think that we’re good enough people on our own that we don’t need Jesus to save us - we just need Jesus to be a nice guy or our friend. Church, we need a savior because we are dead in sin! We have to, as Bonhoeffer talked about decades ago, be honest about the fact that we have failed and realize that it’s alright because there is a savior strong enough to redeem us.

Proclaim the Gospel to yourself and others!

Because we have fallen short, we need to be reminded of the Gospel news each and every day. Sometimes we think that the Gospel only needs to be shared to those who are not in Christ, but we need the Gospel every day too. Peter and John knew that their calling was to make disciples and part of that process included proclaiming the Gospel. They could not and would not be silent about this matter because it is the most important message anyone can ever hear - after all, the Greek word for Gospel - euangelion - means “good news.”

Christ has promised to build His church and He said that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Friends, we have an unstoppable message to share. A message that gives life, hope, and grace. A message that changes lives. A message that is too important not to share.

I pray that God would give us boldness to obediently share the truth of Jesus Christ with others and give God the glory in the process - let’s pray.