H HIGHLIGHT: 1 Acts 4:1-37 (NLT) LEADER: Below are excerpts from the overall passage for use with the APPLICATION and RESPOND. It will be beneficial for the group to read the whole passage to understand the entire context. 1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. 4 But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000. 5 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. 7 They brought in the two disciples and demanded, By what power, or in whose name, have you done this? 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. 12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. 13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. 15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves. Page 1" of 6"
16 What should we do with these men? they asked each other. We can t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus name again. 18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard. 21 The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God 22 for this miraculous sign the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years. 23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. 31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. 32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. 36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement ). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. E EXPLAIN LEADER: Feel free to use any of the Explain materials to guide discussion as it is needed or to expound on a certain area of the text as it comes up during your Life Group time, but the purpose of this section is to deepen your own personal understanding of the Word. Your members have access to all of this material as well. Acts 4 can be fully appreciated only when it is seen in the light of events two months earlier. A chaotic night of confusion and horror began in the upper room as Jesus and His disciples gathered to celebrate the Passover Feast what we now call the Last Supper. The disciples wrangling about which of them would be greatest in the Kingdom is squashed by Jesus the Greatest when He stoops to wash their feet even Judas. Jesus tells them that He is leaving them, but not as orphans. But it sure seems like they are alone when the stillness of Page 2" of 6"
the Garden is shattered by flashing lanterns and clanging swords and the kiss of betrayal. Jesus is arrested and there is a mockery of a trial, the flogging, and the crucifixion. For Peter, it was the end of the road with Jesus. He had turned his back on the very best thing that ever came into his life. He cursed and swore that he didn t know who Jesus was. And there was that look one he would never forget: the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter (Luke 22:61). Jesus had heard it all. All the disciples turned their backs on Jesus like rats jumping off a sinking ship: hiding in fear (Mark 14:27; John 20:19). vv.1-12 Peter and John (and the young church) are in a collision with the authorities. No doubt some of these rulers, elders, and teachers of religious law had been part of that council that called for Jesus crucifixion. Something was different this time. Rather than being cowed into silence, Peter and John boldly taught that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. And they would not back down: we can t help it; we know what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:19-20). So Peter and John were thrown into jail, but the word of God was not bound. The church was growing like crazy to about 5,000 men, not counting women and children. What can transform men from reeds blowing the breeze to oaks that can stand any hurricane blast? The resurrection of Jesus. It s the knowledge that He has no rival; [He] has no equal. Peter and John would not back down the bluster of the Council. Peter and John had the truth: Jesus was greater than the people who had killed Him two months before because He was no longer dead (vv.10-12). Peter and John and untold numbers throughout the centuries have lived and died for Jesus the King of kings, and Lord of lords. The church does not put its hope and its boldness in wishful thinking; it finds its strength in the living Christ and His Spirit that fills each member (v.8). vv.13-22 A good portion of the men on that Council were Sadducees rationalists in religion. They did not believe in the resurrection (see Luke 20:27). Religion was simply for ethical reform. If it helped them in their personal endeavors great. If it got in the way disregard it. So they were disturbed (v.2) by what was going on. And they were anxious about this new-found boldness of the disciples of Jesus. These were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures, but they had been with Jesus. When Jesus tangles with a man, he is never the same. Peter and John were different. And right in the middle of the Council is the man who had been healed in the name of Jesus (3:6) the name they had believed would be forever erased from men s minds by the cross. There was nothing they could say. If you call a tail a leg, how many legs has a dog? Five? No; calling a tail a leg don t make it a leg (attributed to Abraham Lincoln). Better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to say something and be proved a fool. We can t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. Likewise, the church has no argument unless she has a healed man. That s our business: in the name of Jesus, helping people who have been crippled by sin (their own and others ) to get up and walk again. It s better than any argument. A changed life. So the Council sends Peter and John away with the empty threat, don t speak to anyone in Jesus name again! For Peter Page 3" of 6"
and and John, the answer was simple: do we listen to you who carry a big stick and may even use it, or do we listen to God who raises the dead? vv.23-31 Peter and John return to the sweet fellowship of the Body of Christ. What refreshment they must have received after such intense grilling from the Council. They told the others what had been said, and then they prayed not for deliverance; not that the Council would put down their big stick. They were tired of living in fear, so they prayed, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in preaching the word. They had determined that even the crime at Calvary was determined beforehand that God s hand rules. Therefore, all other opposition such as what they were experiencing will turn out to be swayed by that same Mighty Hand (see Philippians 1:27-28). The enemy doesn t have to use the big stick if he can make us afraid. But even if he does (whether it s a gun or intimidation), our courage will be our only effective witness. vv.32-37 In these verses we see the love that each member of the church has for the others. We are one body. We take care of each other. We encourage each other. We honor each other as being more important than ourselves (Romans 12:9-13). A APPLY LEADER: Be comfortable with some silence as people think back to the sermon or reread the text. If no one has an answer, be prepared to share what challenged you. 1. What stuck out to you or challenged you in what you heard in the sermon or read in the text? 2. What fears (the idea of losing something you have) or lusts (the desire for something else/ more) might keep you from this kind of boldness? Page 4" of 6"
3. The Council could not deny that Peter and John had been with Jesus. Years ago this question floated around youth groups and college ministries across the country: if you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? What kind of evidence will convince the enemies of Jesus today that their doom is sealed (Philippians 1:28 New English Bible)? Not that they will come over to Christ s side, but that they will have no doubt as to where you stand. LEADER: Be prepared to share where you see the Holy Spirit at work in the life of your group members. Specifically, where do you see love for Christ, repentance, change, and a willingness to serve others? (Matthew 7:15-23; Galatians 5:19-26) Evidence I m a Christ Follower: R RESPOND 1. Where do you need the gift of boldness today, this next week? What will it look like for you? A word or an act of love that you have been reluctant to give? A witness you have failed to give because of fear, embarrassment, or timidity? Maybe it s a reconciliation or restitution that must be performed at a great cost of pride. Taking a stand for what you believe at home or at work or among those people whose approval you desperately crave. Or maybe it is stepping out in faith to confront some social evil even at the loss of financial loss or security. Prayer: God give me boldness in this week. Reveal to me the power of your Gospel and grace and give me the strength to share both. 2. Once that is vividly in your mind, pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31). He is faithful to give you the power to act and speak with boldness. Perhaps you will need to call on your Life Group to join you in prayer (Acts 4:23-24, 29). Leaders: Reread vv. 23-24, 29 - Encourage each person to right out a Boldness Report (How God gave you Boldness when it was needed) this week and revisit it next time you Page 5" of 6"
meet. Spend time lifting your voices together in prayer to God as you celebrate what he has done. My Boldness Report: Page 6" of 6"