Acts 4 - Ordinary People Who Had Been With Jesus | Judah | Gospel Boom Bap

The same miracle that produced wonder in the people produces opposition from the leadership. And the opposition produces the first real test of what the early church is made of. *What happens:* *The Arrest — Acts 4:1-4* — The priests, the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees arrive while Peter and John are still speaking. They are disturbed because the apostles are teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead — something the Sadducees flatly deny. They seize Peter and John and put them in jail until the next day. But many who hear the message believe and the number of men grows to about five thousand. *Before the Sanhedrin — Acts 4:5-12* — The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law gather in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest is there. Caiaphas. John. Alexander. The whole ruling family. They bring Peter and John before them. By what power or what name did you do this? Peter filled with the Holy Spirit addresses them. It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth — whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead — that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is the stone you builders rejected which has become the cornerstone. Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. *The Council's Dilemma — Acts 4:13-22* — When the council see the courage of Peter and John and realise they are unschooled ordinary men they are astonished and take note that these men had been with Jesus. Since the man who was healed is standing right there they have nothing to say. They send them out and confer. What are we going to do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign and we cannot deny it. So they warn them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John reply — which is right in God's eyes to listen to you or to Him? We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. They are threatened further and released. *The Prayer — Acts 4:23-31* — Peter and John return to the other believers and report everything. They raise their voices together in prayer. Sovereign Lord you made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant David — why do the nations rage? Herod and Pontius Pilate met together to conspire against your holy servant Jesus. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now Lord consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they pray the place where they are meeting is shaken. They are all filled with the Holy Spirit and speak the word of God boldly. *The Sharing Community — Acts 4:32-37* — All the believers are one in heart and mind. No one claims that any of their possessions is their own but they share everything they have. With great power the apostles continue to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace is so powerfully at work in them all that there is no needy person among them. Those who own land or houses sell them, bring the money and put it at the apostles' feet and it is distributed to anyone who has need. Joseph — a Levite from Cyprus whom the apostles call Barnabas meaning son of encouragement — sells a field and brings the money. --- *The lesson Acts 4 lands on:* Acts 4 answers the question the authorities were really asking. How do you stop this? You can't. And they know it. The man who was healed is standing right there. The crowd has seen it. Five thousand people have already believed. The miracle is undeniable. The message is unstoppable. And the messengers — unschooled ordinary men — have a boldness that makes the most powerful religious court in Jerusalem fall silent. The prayer at the end of the chapter is the key to everything. They don't pray for safety. They don't pray for the threats to stop. They pray for boldness. The response of the early church to opposition was not retreat — it was prayer that asked for more of exactly what caused the opposition in the first place. And when they prayed the place shook. Unschooled ordinary men who had been with Jesus. That's the whole explanation. That's all Acts 4 needs. --- "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." — Acts 4:12 BSB "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." — Acts 4:13 BSB "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." — Acts 4:29 BSB --- Find Us 👉 https://beacons.ai/rhythmandbible Shout Us A Coffee ☕ 👉 https://ko-fi.com/rhythmandbible