Let's Talk About Talking

Have you ever heard news that was so great that you couldn't wait to tell someone about it?

Have you ever seen something so amazing that you just had to tell someone about what you'd seen?

This month of September, we’ve been talking about how we can “Blast Off” in our relationship with God. How we can launch our faith to new heights!

And one great thing you can do involves telling someone great news!

There’s actually a story in the Bible that talks about this very thing. It speaks about two men who were so excited to tell people Good News that they wouldn’t let anything get in the way!

It comes from the book of Acts. NT OR OT? The book of Acts is right after the Gospels…what do the Gospels talk about?

The entire book of Acts is all about what happened after Jesus ascended into heaven and left his followers with this Good News: Jesus is alive!

One day, two of Jesus disciples, Peter and John, were walking up to the temple. There, a couple of people were carrying a man who couldn’t walk. Everyday, they would carry him to the temple and place him at the front gate so that he could beg for money from each person that entered.

When he saw Peter and John entering the temple he asked them for money. Then Peter looked straight into his eyes and say, “I don’t have any silver or gold, but I’ll give you what I do have. Get up and walk!”

Then Peter took him by his hand and helped him to his feet. The man walked and jumped and praised god.

And all of the people in the temple looked and could see this man, this man that usually was sitting at the front gate unable to walk, and they were amazed!

So they went up to Peter and John and asked them what happened. And Peter told them, “We didn’t heal this man. Instead, it was God who healed him!”

And they went on to preach this long sermon about Jesus dying for them and raising form the dead.

They were sharing the Good News!

But there was a problem…in the distance were some Jewish priests and the captain of the temple guard and some Sadducees. They ran up to the disciples and arrested them! They didn’t like that they were preaching about Jesus raising from the dead.

So they threw Peter and John into prison until the next day. But despite their best efforts, because of Peter’s words and God’s work, many people who heard Peter speak believed in Jesus!

The next day, they had Peter and John brought before them and they asked them, “By what power do you do this! In whose name did you heal!?”

And Peter responded:

It was Jesus! Because Jesus raised from the dead we can do these things in his name. And if you want to be saved, you need to believe in the name of Jesus!

They were sharing the Good News with these men who put them in prison!

The men were amazed by Peter and John’s words but they spoke to each other, “We can’t let what they are preaching spread! We have to stop them.”

So they spoke to Peter and John, “You can go, but don’t ever speak or teach about Jesus ever ever again!”

But Peter and John replied, “Should we obey you or God? We have no choice! We have to speak about what we have seen and heard!”

You see, even though the Sadducees threw them in prison and tried to keep them quiet, Peter and John said that they couldn’t help but share the Good News of Jesus.

They needed to tell people.

Just like when you hear really good news and you can’t keep it quiet, Peter and John couldn’t keep quiet about what Jesus had done!

And guess what? The same is true for you and me. We shouldn’t keep quiet about what Jesus has done for us! He’s died for us, and he rose from the dead, he’s forgiven us, and shown us grace, he helps us day after day and is always with us.

Is that Good News? Then we should share it with others!

How can you share the Good News with other people?

We can share God’s story!