Week 6, Acts 4:1 31 Hook

Transcription

1 Week 6, Acts 4:1 31 Hook Main point: Sharing the Gospel doesn t always lead to favorable responses, but God works through our faithfulness. Group Activity: Rejections are never easy. A study by the research company SuperBreak found that nearly one in four women has turned down a marriage proposal. 1 Another study conducted by VoucherCloud surveyed 2,144 Americans who had rejected marriage proposals in attempts to discover their reasons why. 2 Each person surveyed provided all of the contributing factors as to why they chose to say no; the results are below. Break your class into small groups and ask them to provide what they believe might be the top five reasons someone would reject a proposal. Once the groups have generated their answers, share the results below. Top reasons why the surveyed rejected marriage proposals: 5. Scared of the commitment 36% 4. Lack of trust in the relationship 39%

2 3. Bad wording of the proposal 51% 2. Poor ring choice 53% 1. Unromantic proposal setting 67% How do you typically handle rejection in your daily life? Describe a time when you shared the Gospel and were rejected. How did that affect you? 2

3 Week 6, Acts 4:1 31 Book Main point: Sharing the Gospel doesn t always lead to favorable responses, but God works through our faithfulness. Text Summary: Acts 4:1 31 In this text, we observe the responses of the lost who witness Peter and John s healing and Gospel proclamation in Jerusalem. Some respond in faith and conversion, while others respond in hatred, threatening the apostles with violence. We also observe the faithful response of believers in Jerusalem when they hear about the threats made against the apostles, which is a prayer for boldness and power in their ongoing witness. Acts 4:1 22 [Read] Sub-Point: Christians should proclaim the Gospel no matter what opposition they face. Verse 1-2 As Peter and John are in the middle of spreading the Gospel to the Jews in Jerusalem, the Sadducees came upon them. The word for this phrase in the original language carries a strength and suddenness, showing us that the Sadducees did not simply arrive to listen and learn, but to forcefully interrupt, making a scene. 3 To understand the scenario Luke paints for us, we must understand who the Sadducees are. In the first century, the Sadducees represented the conservative religious school of thought. They rejected the oral traditions of the Pharisees (the extra mandated rules surrounding the Law that were not found in Scripture) because they considered only the written Torah valid. They did not believe anything existed beyond the grave, and thus considered the ideas of demons, angels, immortality and Resurrection to be bogus concepts. 4 Because they belonged to the Jewish aristocracy, they wanted to make peace with the Romans in order to protect their fortunes. In return for their cooperation and support, Rome endowed their high priest and the rest of the Sadducees with substantial power. Verse 2 Given that their primary concern was the avoidance of Roman confrontation, we can see why they were annoyed with Peter and John s preaching! Though they likely had theological issues with Gospel proclamation, especially the Resurrection, their motivation for intervening was more political than it was religious. 5 Not everyone wanted to work in cooperation with Rome as the Sadducees did. Many wanted to overthrow Rome s power in order to gain independence. The Sadducees assumed that anti-roman Jews listening to Peter and John could be stirred to revolt, so they stamped out the Gospel preaching as quickly as 3 Polhill, NAC, Polhill, NAC, Polhill, NAC,

4 possible, creating what is considered the Church s first experience of persecution. 6 Though the air is politically charged, it does not stop Peter and John from boldly preaching the Gospel, and neither should our current environment discourage us from sharing God s Word, no matter how unreceptive our surrounding culture might be. Q: Describe your current political or social environments. How receptive are those around you to the message of the Gospel? Q: What are some reasons why people might defend their rejection of the Gospel? Verse 3 Peter and John are arrested for their preaching. The Sadducees, priests, and the temple captain are more than just indifferent or frustrated at the apostles; they hate them to the point of imprisoning them. More than just passively ignoring the Gospel, these Jewish aristocrats aggressively attack anything that could come in the way of their political leanings and benefits. While political leanings are not wrong by themselves, they become toxic when we allow them to replace God as our ultimate source of strength and direction. Q: How have you allowed political or social opinions to influence your faith and spiritual views? Verse 4 While the religious leaders rejected the message Peter and John were preaching, others accepted the truth of the Gospel and placed their faith in Jesus. We glimpse another powerful result of Peter and John s faithfulness to preach the Gospel: faith and conversion! If fact, Luke mentions that many of those who heard the word of the Gospel believed it, totaling 5,000 people. Given that the new converts have steadily grown from 120 to 5,000 (and eventually to many thousands ), 7 Luke is showing that the advancement of the Church cannot be stopped, just as Jesus promised (Matthew 16:18). Today, we must also prepare for divided responses among the lost when we share the Gospel: hatred or faith. When we experience these responses, we must remember that we are in good company, for these were the very same results of Jesus own ministry (John 7:43). Indeed, as Paul says, to some we are the fragrance of life, and to others, the stench of death (2 Corinthians 2:16). Q: How can you identify with Jesus and the disciples in your own experiences of rejection? Verses 5 7 Peter and John are questioned by a group known as the Sanhedrin 8 about the 6 Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word, chapter 7. 7 As seen in Acts 1:15, 2:41, 4:4, and 21:20, noted by Polhill, NAC, Polhill deems this entire group the Sanhedrin, though Luke does not use this term until v. 15. This term was also 4

5 healing they performed and the Gospel message they shared. The primary question they are asked is By what name did you do this? (v. 7). As discussed in the last lesson, invoking a name meant releasing the presence and power of the person who bears that name. Those questioning the apostles want to know whose power and presence was released in this healing. Verse 8 13 Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit (v. 8), who empowers his speech and enables Peter to defend the message behind his good deed (v. 9). Peter tells them plainly whose name he is ministering in (v. 10) and concludes that there is no other name in the world apart from Jesus that can save and heal (v. 12). Despite opposition, Peter and John boldly share the Gospel with these angry elitists so that they, too, can hear of finding life in his name (John 20:31; 1 John 5:13). Though the religious leaders continue to reject the message, Peter and John remain faithful to their calling. Likewise, though the outcome of our own sharing may not always be what we hope, Jesus calls us to remain faithful to our mission as His ambassadors. Q: When have you boldly shared the Gospel without experiencing the outcome you desired? How did this experience impact you? Verses When the leaders see the boldness of the ordinary apostles, they cannot help but acknowledge that Peter and John must have been with Jesus (v. 13). Though the Sanhedrin desire to extinguish the Gospel movement s catching fire in Jerusalem, they cannot. They have no words to argue against the miracle they have witnessed and the message they have heard (v. 14). Their hands are bound because of the good work done by the apostles. The religious elite cannot ignore that a man who was lame for more than 40 years is now leaping and walking in front of them. It would look odd to punish the apostles for helping this man, especially in a culture that applauded the value of helping the lowly. Verses Although they cannot deny the power of the Gospel (v. 16), the Sanhedrin try to stop it from spreading further by deciding to threaten the apostles (vv ). For Peter and John, however, there is no stopping them until the entire world has heard the truth about Jesus (vv ). In the end, the Sanhedrin find no way to punish them (v. 21). Through these verses, we see that when we faithfully witness, the Gospel is faithfully spread, even despite those who try to stop it. Q: How have you seen God bring good fruit from your witness despite attempts to stop you? Acts 4:23 31 [Read] Sub-Point: Christians can always rely on God s power to work through their faithful obedience. Verses 23 24a Peter and John are finally released after their first experience of public used for minor, local courts. However, it seems that this particular gathering was the supreme court of the land, which held jurisdiction over the temple area where the apostles healing and Gospel-proclamation was performed. 5

6 opposition (v. 23). Upon sharing the threats made to them, Peter and John s faith-family lifted their voices together to God and prayed (v. 24). We must note here that they prayed together. In times of crisis and persecution, the Church comes together to pray corporately in one accord. Prayer is a tool God gives us to express our faith in Him and experience His power. Q: In times of difficulty, what or whom do you turn to first for help or relief? Q: Whom do you pray with when you have a need for God to intervene in your life? Verses 24b 30 Those in attendance begin their prayer by exalting God as sovereign creator over all of history and time (v. 24b). Our prayers should be grounded in our great God, not our circumstances. Second, they acknowledge God not only as Creator, but as the God who speaks into creation s history through people by His Spirit (v. 25a). Third, these believers pray Scripture back to God, basing their intercession on His Word (vv. 25b 26). Referencing Psalm 2:1 2, they recall that in the past, great rulers have tried to thwart God s plans by threatening His chosen people and anointing kings, always to no avail. They now apply the same concepts to their current situation, trusting that as God s purpose prevailed in Christ s death and Resurrection, it will also prevail now despite the threats of the Sanhedrin (vv ). 9 Finally, we see that instead of praying for relief or removal from their circumstances, they pray for further courage and boldness in their witness of the Gospel, regardless of persecution (vv ). In the face of great threat, the Church didn t ask for escape, they asked for empowerment. Q: When you cry out to God during difficult times, how do you typically ask Him to intervene? What do your prayers for help sound like? Q: What are some Bible verses that remind you of God s faithfulness and power to accomplish His plans for salvation? Verse 31 God answers their petition by shaking the ground, a signal of His presence among them (cf. Isaiah 6:4; Exodus 19:18). He then fills them with the Holy Spirit, giving them boldness to continue spreading the Gospel. May we, like these believers, pray for the courage to stay faithful even in crisis, and also experience the God-given boldness required to do so! 9 According to Polhill in NAC, 149, the raging nations represent Gentile rulers and the soldiers who, acting in Rome s name and authority, executed Jesus. Herod represents the kings of the earth. Pilate represents the rulers, and Christ is the anointed one, as verse 27 helps us see. 6

7 Q: How have you seen God respond after bringing your needs to Him in prayer? Q: Can you think of a time when you felt God s presence in the midst of trial or persecution? Share with the group if you are willing. Q: How has God given you boldness to continue witnessing despite the possibility of rejection? 7

8 Week 6, Acts 4:1 31 Took Main point: Sharing the Gospel doesn t always lead to favorable responses, but God works through our faithfulness. Historic Event: We never know what will happen when we open ourselves to bold obedience. It was May of 1934 and a family in Charlotte, N.C., had allowed some believers to use their dairy farm as a site to meet and pray. As one of the dairy farmer s sons stood and listened to the hymns being lifted, a believer in the midst of the worship lifted up a prayer. He asked that God would raise up someone from Charlotte to preach the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. Fast forward four months. The city of Charlotte serves as host to Mordecai Ham, a traveling evangelist. Ham was different from many other preachers; known as a fighter, he would boldly call out and confront those involved in sin. Not surprisingly, Ham s message was often met with hostility; his life was threatened and his reputation under constant attack. 10 The farmer s son knew of the preacher s style and so decided to sit in the choir loft behind Ham; if the evangelist couldn t see the boy, he could not confront him. However, as the preacher presented the Gospel, the farmer s son felt that every word was directed to him. And so, at the age of 15, the young man gave his life to Christ. The bold prayers and preaching brought a young Billy Graham to his knees, giving the world one of its most famous evangelists. 11 Lesson Conclusion: This passage teaches us what to expect when the Church remains faithful to the mission of Gospel proclamation. No matter what opposition tries to stand in the way, God advances the message of the Gospel through the proclamation and prayers of the Church. We can be encouraged that the same Spirit of God that was powerfully at work in the apostles lives still dwells in us today as we continue to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Challenges Evaluate your environment How well do your current environments (work, school, family, friends, etc.) respond to the message of Christianity? What is it that they reject? How might those around you be negatively influencing your presentation of the Gospel? Pray that God gives you a heart to share His Word in humility so that the Holy Spirit can work through your witness to sift hearts and expose their willingness or refusal to believe. Pray with others People all around us face threats for spreading the Gospel. Perhaps it s a

9 missionary you know who faces the threat of persecution overseas, a colleague who has dealt with ridicule at work for sharing the Gospel, or a child who faces bullying remarks at school for being a Christian. In these situations, the Church is called to pray for those braving all the risks associated with bearing witness to Christ. Choose a few trusted friends and gather to pray for those in your life who face these types of trials. Rely on God for boldness When we find ourselves ostracized for our faith, we usually pray for God to remove us from the circumstances all together. However, Acts 3 teaches us to pray instead for God to grant us boldness and staying power in the midst of difficulty. This makes our witness all the more effective. Take time to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you with boldness in your witness. Remind yourself that God is your source of power and security, no matter how tempting it is to run or seek other ways of alleviating the circumstances. 9