Acts 4

11/2/07
Acts 4 –

During the dialogue following Peter’s second sermon, he and John and taken into custody because the religious leaders are, “greatly annoyed” at the spreading of Jesus’ resurrection. But it’s late, so they just throw them in jail until the next day. We then find two apostles in front of a council that will judge them, as is a quite frequent sight in this new spreading of the Gospel. Peter, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” then makes it quite clear that Jesus did the healing, and “Oh, lets not forget…you killed him. You should call on his name, because it is clearly powerful, and there just happens to be no other name that will get you to heaven.

The reaction of the council is hilarious and somewhat terrifying.

Sadducee #1, “Ok, these guys are bold, they have that going for them.”
Sadducee #2, “True, but they are clearly common men, and uneducated.”
Sadducee #3, “Yea but they were also clearly with Jesus.”
#2, “Alright so what are we going to do?”
#3, “Well they clearly did something amazing…”
#1, “Yea, lets tell them not to do that anymore.”

Literally they see the apostles’ works, see that they knew Jesus, and just missed the point all together. Completely dictated by what they (as righteous religious men) saw as necessary for their culture, they actually tell them to stop. The application here clearly stands that there are some who will oppose the Gospel with all that is inside them, and some that may just do it because they will not understand.

I love Peter’s response – “we cannot help” but preach. And even more beautiful, he doesn’t use the word preach. He says they cant help but speak about things they have seen and heard. He doesn’t limit preaching to a podium. He sees it as talking, for the salvation of souls.

Everybody is happy when they are released, and there is a very Jewish prayer.

Here the role of leadership is clearly seen. Peter and John were noted for their boldness. Then the people also prayed and received boldness. Leaders must lead. Fact.

Then everything gets communist and shared, which helps set them apart from their culture. How they spend and give their money really shows where their hearts are at. Take for example the son of encouragement that gives a whole fields profit to the Apostles.

God uses people. God also recognizes that money gets things. God doesn’t want money. God wants people, and their hearts. God did not grow up in a nunnery in the woods, He understands that money is a demand for goods, but ultimately wants a pure heart – out of which will flow gentleness and giving to others.