Willing to Live Acts 4:1-12

Willing to Live Acts 4:1-12 The Church at Canyon Creek, Austin, Texas Monty Watson Easter, April 16, 2017

WILLING TO LIVE Acts 4:1-12 Today is Easter, the greatest event in Christian history, and the greatest event in human history. We can say that because Easter is the story of a divine rescue. It is about God s pursuit of those He loves. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). But God did not just send His Son, He sacrificed His Son. Jesus died for us! He was nailed to a cross for us. He paid the penalty for our sin. And He did it, so that we might be forgiven of everything we ve ever done wrong, so that we might have peace within and peace with God, and so that we might live forever with Him in heaven, in a place He called Paradise. And the proof that this is true is the resurrection. The resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God and that everything He said is true. As Christians, we are here today to celebrate Jesus. We are here to express our gratitude, to affirm our faith, and to renew our commitment to Jesus. And we get to do that in freedom and in comfort. That s not the experience of many Christians around the world today. Last Sunday, hundreds of Christians in Egypt were celebrating Palm Sunday, when suddenly bombs went off in two different churches north of Cairo. And ISIS proudly took responsibility for the attacks, which left 49 dead and over 100 injured. These people just went to church. With their families. And bombs went off. And people died. Going to church in Egypt, and in other parts of the world, is risky. A lot of Christians in the world live every day under the threat of persecution. But I m not going to ask you if you re willing to die for your faith. That s not the question at all. Our circumstances are different. We worship in freedom and comfort. We don t live under the threat of a bomb going off. The relevant question for us is not whether we are willing to die for Jesus, but whether we are willing to live for Jesus. And by that, I mean, giving Him first place in our lives. Trusting Him and loving Him and obeying Him in everything He asks. To live for Jesus is to love Him above everything else in our lives. Since you re here on Easter, you probably have a favorable view of Jesus. Most of us are Christians and we re here to celebrate Jesus. Some of you may still have questions and have yet to settle the faith issue, and I respect that. I m glad you re here and seeking answers. Some of you may be very skeptical, and you find it hard to believe, and I understand why. Christianity makes some incredible claims. Some of you are here to keep family tradition. And some of you are here with heavy burdens and wonder if God cares and if He can help. There s a broad spectrum of belief and emotion in this room. But most of us have a favorable view of Jesus. We believe in Jesus. The question is, to what degree? To what degree do you embrace Jesus? To what degree is He the foundation of your life? Jesus was willing to die for you, are you willing to live for Him? Trusting Him and loving Him and obeying Him. Giving Him first place in everything. 1 How big a deal is Jesus to you? Do you believe it and do you live it? That s what I want you to think about this morning as we let Peter tell us his story. 1

SO MANY OPINIONS Peter was a fisherman. He met Jesus one day at the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus invited Peter to follow Him. And Peter left everything to follow Jesus. He followed Him for three years. He heard every word and witnessed every miracle. Peter was an eyewitness to the crucifixion. He watched Jesus suffer and bleed and die. And, he was an eyewitness to the resurrection. Peter saw Jesus alive again! And he could not stop talking about it. Even when he was arrested and threatened, he kept talking about Jesus. When he was arrested a second time, and flogged with a whip, he kept talking about Jesus. 2 Two months after the resurrection, 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. These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. So, they arrested them But many of the people who heard their message believed it (Acts 4:1-4, NLT). This was just two months after the resurrection. And some believed and some were very disturbed. 3 Jerusalem was a divided city. We know what that feels like. We live in a divided nation. Last year s election proved that. We are divided over politics, over race, and over issues like healthcare and immigration, abortion and same-sex marriage. And, there are so many opinions about religion too. Some believe, and some don t. Denzel Washington does, but George Clooney does not. Tyler Perry does, but Bill Maher does not. Carrie Underwood does, but Emma Watson does not. Bono does, but Bill Gates does not. Again, some believe, and some don t. 4 For some, the resurrection of Jesus is true and it is their hope. But others, it is nonsense. Some believe and some don t. SO WHAT ABOUT JESUS? Peter believed. He believed because he was eyewitnesses. And he could not stop talking about Jesus. That s why he was arrested. When the religious council interrogated Peter, they did not ask him questions about the resurrection; they asked him about the healing of a lame man in front of the temple. You can imagine the excitement in front of the temple when a miracle happens. But the religious leaders were outraged because it drew attention away from what they were doing inside the temple. It would be like a food truck parking in front of a restaurant; the restaurant owner is going to get mad. The religious leaders had the corner on the God market, and Peter was infringing on their business. So they demanded, By what power, or in whose name, have you done this? (Acts 4:7, NLT). On the one hand they were demanding, Who said you could set up shop here? and on the other hand they were asking, How did you do that? And this is what Peter said. 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? 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 (Acts 4:9-10, NLT). 2

Peter was the most outspoken of Jesus disciples. He was the bold one. But when Jesus was arrested and crucifixion was imminent, Peter hid in the shadows. He even denied knowing Jesus three times. Where was Peter when Jesus was crucified? The Bible says he ran away and wept bitterly. 5 So, what changed Peter from crying in the corner to walking the streets talking about Jesus? The resurrection. When he was interrogated, Peter said, The man you crucified God raised from the dead (Acts 4:10, NLT). I stand here today believing that the resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God and that everything He said is true. The resurrection is the foundation of Christianity. 6 If there was no resurrection, there is no Christianity. If there was no resurrection, Jesus is still dead. 7 And there s nothing to believe. Logic demands that we admit that. If the resurrection of Jesus never happened, it would be foolish to believe it. But if it did happen, it would be foolish not to believe it! And, it would be foolish not to base your entire life on Jesus. But it did happen, and the resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God and that everything He said is true. Do you believe it that is true and do you live like it is true? Peter said, Do you want to know how he was healed? He was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:9-10, NLT). I stand here today believing that the resurrection proves that Jesus has the power to change lives. And we re so glad He does, because He has changed our lives, and knowing Him is so much better. No one could deny that the lame man had been healed. Every day, his family brought his stretcher to the temple and laid him there to beg for alms. Everyone knew this man. They had seen him for years in front of the temple begging for a handout. Now he was jumping up and down and praising God. It was a miracle, and it was undeniable. The religious leaders did not deny what happened; they just wanted to know how. And Peter said, By the powerful name of Jesus the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead (Acts 4:10). The resurrection proves that Jesus has the power to change lives, to put broken pieces back together. Whether you re 15 or 50 or older, all of us have regrets. All of us know what a messed up life looks like. Our circumstances may be different, but all of us have experienced the consequences of bad choices. I want you to watch the story of one young woman whose life was like that. Here is Kristin s story. [VIDEO] Did you hear her? I felt so bad that Jesus had to own me. You could see the shame and the regret she felt, and you could see the relief and the joy she felt as she talked about Jesus. Jesus really did die for me. Jesus changed her life. Your life may look a lot different from Kristin s, but all of us can identify with her, because all of us have regret. All of us have messed up. All of us have felt shame and guilt and regret over something. All of us are broken people, and Jesus heals broken people. The biggest problem in our lives, the great cancer in our lives, is our own sin. That s where the regret and shame and guilt come from. It comes from living without God. But no matter what you ve done or who you ve become, God s love is bigger. His love and forgiveness is bigger than your sin, your shame, or your regret. And He is willing to forgive you of everything you ve ever done wrong, and to give 3

you a new life. The Bible says, If anyone is in Christ (if a person believes in Christ), he is a new creation, the old is gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus has the power to change lives. He changed Peter s life, He changed Kristin s life, He s changed many of our lives, and if you turn to Jesus, He will put the broken pieces of your life back together and change your life too. Peter continued. I stand here today believing that the resurrection proves that Jesus is the only reliable foundation upon which to build our lives. Peter was an uneducated and nonreligious man, and yet he quoted the Hebrew Scriptures to Hebrew scholars. The stone you rejected has now become the cornerstone (Acts 4:11, NLT). 8 The Jewish establishment rejected Jesus and crucified Him as heretic. But the resurrection proves otherwise. The resurrection proves that Jesus is the cornerstone promised by God. Centuries earlier the Lord promised, I lay a stone in Zion (a leader from Jerusalem), a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will not be disappointed. Now to those who believe, this stone is precious (1 Peter 2:6-7). 9 Jesus is that cornerstone. He is the foundation of our faith. 10 Everything we believe, everything we trust, everything we hope, rests upon Jesus. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving to be the Son of God, we choose to believe in Him and trust Him with our lives and with our eternity. A cornerstone is the stone at the corner of a building that joins two adjacent walls. It is the first stone and must be perfectly laid. A cornerstone is the point of reference to which the rest of the building is measured and aligned. It is the stone upon which the entire building is built. This is a picture of the laying of the cornerstone of the Empire State Building. It was laid in 1930, and 102 stories rest on that stone. So the question is, is Jesus the cornerstone of me? Not just am I a Christian, but is my life aligned with Him? Is He the foundation of my life? Am I building my life upon Him? Most of us believe in Jesus, but to what degree? Jesus was willing to die for you, are you willing to live for Him? How big a deal is Jesus to you? Do you believe and do you live it? This is how the Apostle Paul answered that question. For the love of Christ compels me, because I am convinced that Jesus died for me, and He died for all of us, so we should no longer live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again from the dead (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, paraphrase). The love of Christ compelled Paul. It gripped him. The love of Christ was so captivating and so irresistible that it overwhelmed him. And he lived passionately for Jesus the rest of his life. He believed it and He lived it. Most of believe in Jesus, but too often there s a gap between what we profess and how we really live. It s the difference between being a casual Christian and a passionate Christian. When I say casual Christian, I m talking about being a 75% Christian. In school, 75% is a C. Guys may say 75% is great as a completion rate for an NFL quarterback. But what would a wife say if her husband was faithful only 75% of the time? A casual Christian lives a moral life, but not quite willing to do everything Jesus said. But the passionate Christian is so motivated by a love for Jesus that he s willing to do anything Jesus asks; no matter how sacrificial, no matter how unpopular. Jesus said, If you love Me, you will 4

keep My commandments (John 14:15). The passionate Christian obeys Jesus because he loves Jesus. A casual Christian is a good person and avoids big sins, but rationalizes little sins and tends to blend in with the crowd. A casual Christian dreads getting caught. But the passionate Christian dreads the thought of offending his holy Father. A casual Christian believes the Bible is true, but is selective in how it shapes his life. But the passionate Christian reads the Bible like food for the soul. King David said his delight was in the word of God, and that meditated on God s word day and night. 11 Jesus had a word for casual Christianity; He called it lukewarm. And here s what He said about being lukewarm. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold I am about to spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15-16, NIV). Casual Christianity is superficial. It s looking the part. It s going through the motions. And it makes Jesus sick. Jesus was willing to die for you, are you willing to live for Him? And by that, I mean giving Him first place in your life. Trusting Him and loving Him and obeying Him in everything He asks. To live for Jesus is to love Him above everything else in your life. The last thing Peter said was this. I stand here today believing that the resurrection proves that Jesus is the only way of salvation. There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12, NLT). There is salvation in no one else. Some people think church is irrelevant. A lot of people are offended by the accusation of sin and don t think they need saving. But everyone needs saving, because everyone has sinned and made a mess of their lives in ways they can t fix. Only Jesus can fix what s wrong. No one else. I need a Savior, you need a Savior, everyone needs a Savior. If you re not a Christian at this point in your life, Jesus wants to be that Savior for you. This is what He wants to do for you. He wants to free you from sin and guilt and regret, just like He did for Kristin. If you accept Jesus, He will lift all of that off your shoulders. You will feel such relief and such peace. He wants to be your Savior, because if you don t accept His payment for your sin, you ll have to pay it yourself. Jesus wants to spare you from the punishment of hell, that place the Bible calls eternal torment, a place of eternal separation from God. If you accept Jesus, you won t have to fear that anymore. And Jesus wants to bring you home. Back to God. As a child of God. Forgiveness, peace, heaven. There s only one way. There is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12). Jesus was so clear. I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me (John 14:6, NAS). I realize resurrection is an incredible, impossible claim. I understand why a person would be skeptical. And I admit, if the resurrection of Jesus never happened, it would be foolish to believe 5

it. But if it did happen, it would be foolish not to believe it! And, foolish not to base your entire life on Jesus. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin. And He supernaturally rose from the dead proving to be the Son of God and proving that everything He said was true. And the moment you believe in Him, you will be forgiven of everything you ve ever done wrong. You will experience peace within and peace with God. And you will have the hope of spending eternity with Him in a place He called Paradise. And all you have to do is confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you shall be saved (Romans 10:9, NLT). We want to help you in any way we can. If you re ready to believe and put your faith in Jesus, we d love to help you do that. If you have questions, we d love to sit down and talk with you. If you a problem or some need in your life, we want to help and pray with you. If there s any way we can help email us at church@tcacc.net or text us at 512-710-7430. CONCLUSION As Christians, we gather today to celebrate Jesus. We affirm our faith and take our stand with Peter. We believe that the resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God and that everything He said is true. We believe that the resurrection proves that Jesus has the power to change lives. We believe that the resurrection proves that Jesus is the only reliable foundation upon which to base our lives. We believe that the resurrection proves that Jesus is the only way of salvation. If you believe, then go and live like you believe it. 6

NOTES 1 See Ephesians 1:18. 2 See Acts 5:40-42. 3 Jerusalem was divided. Some were very disturbed and others who heard the message believed. The same thing was true a few years later in Athens. Some laughed in contempt and some believed (Acts 17:32, 34). And the same thing was true in Rome. Some were persuaded and others were not (Acts 28:24). 4 The Bible predicts this. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18, NAS). 5 See Matthew 26:75. 6 See these references, which prove the centrality of the resurrection in the first days of the early church Acts 1:3, 2:24, 2:31, 2:32, 3:15, 4:10, 5:30, 10:40, 13:30, 17:31. 7 See 1 Corinthians 15:13-19. 8 See 1 Peter 2:7. 9 But to those who do not believe, The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and, a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense (1 Peter 2:7-8). The Jews rejected Jesus and had Him crucified. To them, He was a stumbling block, and to Gentiles, He was foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). Jesus will be either the foundation of your life or a stumbling block. And many people stumble over Jesus and are offended when Christians insist that Jesus is the only way to God. We understand that. But Jesus made it clear. I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me (John 14:6). So, Jesus will be the cornerstone and the foundation upon which you build your life, or He will be a stumbling stone and a stone of offense. Accept Him or reject Him. Believe in Him or be offended by Him. But know that your decision will determine the foundation of your life and your eternal destiny. When it comes to construction, nothing is more important than the foundation. 10 See 1 Corinthians 3:11. 11 See Psalm 1:2. 7