Acts 4 (part2)

Ok so I'm going to finish Acts 4 tonight so here it goes.

Acts 4:13-21 (NIV84)
"13 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. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”  18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old."

3.  The change that happened in Peter and John was bold and visible. They're change was so bold that the Sanhedrin were surprised that the apostles were uneducated.  Peter's speeches  made it look like he devoted his entire life to studying this new way of thinking. In reality Peter was changed from the inside out by the Holy Spirit living inside of him.  They were surprised that an ordinary man was changed by and extraordinary God.  Peter was an ordinary, uneducated coward.  But he became one of the most extraordinary people in the Bible, noted for his boldness and wisdom.  When God changes ordinary people, the world is astonished.

4. When the Sanhedrin told Peter and John to quit talking about Jesus, they refused.  They were so full of God that they couldn't hold it in.  

Jerimiah 20:9 (NIV84)
"9 But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,”  his word is in my heart like a fire,  a fire shut up in my bones.  I am weary of holding it in;  indeed, I cannot."

I think Peter and John felt like Jerimiah did.  Peter and John had an unrelenting passion to preach the name of Jesus Christ.

I want that same unrelenting passion.

Acts 4:23-31 (NIV84)

"23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “ ‘Why do the nations rage  and the peoples plot in vain?   26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together  against the Lord  and against his Anointed One.’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”  31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

5.  When the people found out that they faced opposition they prayed for boldness.

When I face opposition the first thing I usually pray for is justice.  I want God to eliminate my obstacles so everything becomes easy for me.  Really the thing I should be praying for is strength and boldness to face my opposition.

6. Their provision was spiritual.

This is what I was talking about earlier that provision is different than prosperity. God didn't bless them with a bunch of material things that would make it easier to spread the gospel, He gave them boldness.  Usually when I ask for provision from God I ask for material things.  But when I lack something spiritually, ironically, I don't usually turn to God for that.  I guess I need to trust God for spiritual provision as well as physical provision.


That's it again tonight, Thanks for reading.

-JDWayt