The Message
Acts 4:1-4
April 15, 2012
It is obvious that when we read this passage it is a story about
How Peter and John were arrested for their sermon in the temple.
In fact all of chapter 4 follows this incident and reveals the outcome of it.
But in my estimation it is a mistake
To spend all of our time focusing on the arrest of these men
So as to speak only about persecution.
Rather, it seems to me that Luke’s purpose in presenting this story
Is not to talk about persecution, but rather to talk about
How little the persecution actually affected the message.
When you look at these four verses there is a great conflict.
It is the authority of the Jews vs. the power of God’s word.
And it is obvious that Luke wants you to see
That the message reigns supreme.
So tonight I want you to see the power of the message
That these men preached.
Now, when we talk about the message of the gospel,
You and I must understand that it is a polarizing thing.
While the gospel does unite us with fellow believers,
It first divides us from the world.
Jesus said:
Matthew 10:34-36 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.”
It is first a SWORD that divides,
Then for those who believe it, it is a STAFF that pulls together.
But it is polarizing.
On one hand the message of the gospel
Is the power of God for salvation.
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
But on the other hand the message of the gospel
Is the very cause of persecution.
Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”
Matthew 10:24-25 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!”
The message of the gospel is clearly the lightning rod of the church.
And the early church knew how valuable it was.
All you have to do is listen to the TERMINOLOGY USED
As the apostles talked about the message of the gospel.
Listen to Peter in his epistle:
1 Peter 1:24-25 “For, “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was preached to you.”
Listen to how Paul spoke to Timothy:
1 Timothy 6:20 “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”
2 Timothy 1:13-14 “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”
They saw the gospel as something powerful and something beautiful.
It was a treasure to be guarded and a truth to be proclaimed.
And the only reason I remind you of that is to say this.
In the early church the message was sovereign.
There is much talk today about being like the early church.
I don’t know if I’ve ever been in a meeting or at a seminar or at a conference
When in the conversation if the early church came up,
It was unanimously agreed that we should be more like them.
We obviously recognize that the early church had it figured out.
And it is because to them the message was sovereign.
If you want to contrast that to today, we can see a glaring difference.
Today, in the American church, the message is no longer sovereign.
METHOD is sovereign today.
Churches today easily get obsessed with fads and methods
Even to the exclusion of the gospel.
And the early church didn’t do this.
Now that is not to say culture was totally ignored.
• We all know Paul was aware of Jewish culture, that’s why he circumcised Timothy.
• We know that Paul was aware of Gentile culture, that’s why he at times lived as without the Law.
• They were ignorant of culture, but they certainly weren’t focused on it.
Their focus was the message of the gospel.
If you gave them the choice of being ignorant of the culture, or ignorant of the gospel, they would have chosen the culture every time.
The message reigned supreme.
And just for a short time tonight I want to show you why.
I want you to see why we focus our energy on knowing the gospel,
And not purely on knowing the culture.
If I know the culture, but not the gospel, I may go on mission and remain safe while I am there, but those I meet will not be safe for eternity.
Yet, if I know the gospel and not the culture, I may place myself in danger, but the gospel, which transcends culture, will get an opportunity to save souls.
There is nothing as important to the mission of the church
As a commitment to the message we are called to proclaim.
And tonight I want to show you why.
Four things
#1 THE MESSAGE WAS DELIVERED
Acts 4:1a
All we simply read is this:
“As they were speaking to the people…”
Now we could just start there, and that would be enough.
For even without the previous chapter, verse 4 gives tremendous insight,
For we know that Peter and John were
“proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”
However we are fortunate to know much more than that,
Since we have the luxury of studying chapter 3.
And without recapping the entire chapter, you remember what took place there.
1) Peter and John SEIZED their opportunity.
• Thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter was able to heal a man crippled in his feet by the name of Jesus.
• When that man was healed he went running and leaping through the temple and this draw a crowd.
• Peter and John did not take that responsibility lightly, they knew that God had appointed that crowd for a reason.
• They seized the opportunity.
2) Peter and John SHOWED people their sin.
• Not only did they explain how this man was healed, but Peter also managed to remind the people of their sin in rejecting the Holy One of God by handing Him over to Pilate while asking for the release of a known murderer.
• Peter didn’t mind telling the people that they were guilty of rejecting God, and His appointed Messiah.
• They showed people their sin.
3) Peter and John STATED the requirement.
• Far from being uncertain about the situation, they clearly told the people what they were required to do.
• “repent and return” where the exact words of Peter. And if you will, then God will “send Jesus” to bring about the period of restoration.
• But Peter was clear about what was expected.
• They stated the requirement
4) Peter and John STOOD on Scripture.
• It wasn’t just their opinion that was given to the people. Even as apostles with authority, they still appealed to the word of God.
• Peter quoting from Deuteronomy about the coming prophet that the people were to listen to or die.
• And Peter informed them again that they had blown it.Telling the people, (3:25) “It is you…” they were talking to.
• And reminding the people that “God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”
And so don’t miss the fact that the message was delivered.
Peter and John were faithful to give this crowd the truth of the gospel.
If they hadn’t the whole thing would have been for not.
We would have had a grateful cripple, and an amazed crowd,
And probably some popular apostles, but that is all.
They had to proclaim the message and that is what they did.
The Message was Delivered
#2 THE MESSAGE WAS DISTURBING
Acts 4:1b-2
“the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”
Now one thing we must notice immediately as that even though
The gospel is “good news” it is greatly disturbing to some people.
You must understand that the gospel is no “feel good” message.
The gospel confronts sinners in their sin and requires them
Not only to repent, but to die that they may be re-born.
• The gospel tells sinners to leave their sin.
• The gospel tells idolaters to leave their idols.
• The gospel tells the greedy to leave their money.
• The gospel tells adulterers to leave their lust.
• The gospel tells drunks to leave the bottle.
• The gospel tells hypocrites to leave their reputation.
• The gospel tells the living to die.
The gospel confronts men at their most painful and vulnerable part
And demands a change.
It leaves no sin untouched, it leaves no closet closed,
The gospel exposes and lays men bear.
It insults men, humiliates men and condemns them
All before it leads them to salvation.
And we must understand that.
If the gospel doesn’t disturb sinners then rest assured it is not the gospel.
If the gospel doesn’t offend sinners then rest assured it is not the gospel.
We have now heard Peter preach twice
And both times he exposed the worst in those he spoke to.
The gospel message was disturbing.
And that is Luke says about the leaders here.
(2) “being greatly disturbed…”
“disturbed” comes from a Greek compound word
The first part means “through” the second means “to work hard”
It carries the meaning of being worn out, being fed up.
Another time this word is used is in Acts 16:18
Acts 16:18 “She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.”
The idea here is that these “priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees” had had enough.
They had taken all they were going to take.
In their mind Peter was insulting them over and over and over
And they were finished.
That is why they interrupted them while they were speaking.
There may have been a point where they thought not to interrupt,
But that point had long passed they were “greatly disturbed”
And we know why.
1) “because they were teaching the people”
These were the priests and the Sadducees, the educated,
Those who were important.
And they most certainly did not like these “uneducated and untrained men” (4:13) having the audacity to teach people; especially in the temple.
It was jealousy.
Acts 5:17 “But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.”
Peter and John were insulting their high position.
Who were they to tell these men to repent?
Understand that sometimes we disturb men when we preach the gospel simply because we have the audacity to tell them anything.
There are some who never let us get to the offensive parts of the gospel,
They are simply offended that a nobody like you
Would have the audacity to try to tell them something.
See the gospel doesn’t require that men be worldly educated,
Nor does it require a sharp intellect.
The gospel just requires that it be proclaimed.
It can even come from the mouth of a donkey
If God wills it so and it is still effective.
And a world that loves accolades hates that fact.
They were disturbed because Peter and John
Had the audacity to teach the people.
But that is not all.
2) “they were teaching the people…the resurrection from the dead.”
Now, not only did Peter and John have the audacity to preach,
But they were preaching doctrine that the Sadducees did not agree with.
Matthew 22:23 “On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him,”
Acts 23:6-8 “But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!” As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.”
Sadducees didn’t believe in resurrection
(That’s why they were Sad-You-See)
Here we have Peter and John teaching something they did not believe.
Peter and John were challenging what they had been teaching the people.
Peter and John threatened to make them look bad.
The gospel demands a change of belief
And if you are one who has been adamantly teaching what is false,
It requires you to eat a lot of your words.
That is another reason it disturbs.
But that is not all.
3) “teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection…”
And this is even worse.
• Now, not only did they steal their thunder by teaching…
• Not only did they embarrass them by teaching different truth…
• But now they sought to condemn them as murderers of Jesus…
It is no wonder they were disturbed.
They brought up Jesus and that was all it took.
They were annoyed when they started teaching…
They were even more annoyed when they taught resurrection…
But when they brought up Jesus, that was the final straw!!!
If Peter and John had not wanted to disturb people
All they had to do was not teach, not teach the resurrection,
And never mention Jesus.
But to present the gospel
It was inevitable that someone was going to be disturbed.
The Message was Delivered, The Message was Disturbing
#3 THE MESSAGE WAS DESPISED
Acts 4:3
How bad did these men hate the message they were hearing?
So bad they arrested the messengers.
That is another reality of the gospel.
Since it confronts men at their deepest point and exposes their darkest secrets, generally speaking there are those who despise it.
• Men don’t like to be embarrassed
• Men don’t like to be humiliated
• Men don’t like to be condemned
And too often instead of pointing their aggression towards sin
(the real enemy) they point their aggression towards the message that exposed it.
Paul actually hit on this in the 7th chapter of Romans when he spoke about the Law (which is part of the gospel)
Romans 7:9-13 “I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.”
Sin is the problem, not the truth.
(That would be like blaming the MRI for finding a tumor)
And yet the reality is that when their sin is exposed
Men commonly turn on the message that exposed it.
That is what happened here.
They despised the message.
But since you can’t do anything about the message itself,
The only option is to stop the messenger, and that is what they did.
“And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day…”
And this is actually a fairly common occurrence for the early church.
Listen to some of the hostilities they face.
Acts 4:17-18 “But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.”
Acts 5:28 “saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
Acts 5:40 “They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.”
Of course we know that before long
They actually moved beyond warning, flogging, and arrest.
Acts 7:54-58 “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.”
And following this event the attacks grew really strong.
Acts 8:1 “Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
But you get the point, the message we preach is a disturbing message and therefore it is often a despised message.
Do not assume that preaching this message will make you popular.
Do not assume preaching this message will make the crowds love you.
It is a despised message.
And I really feel the need to prepare you here, as this was an area
That I was grossly underprepared when I began the ministry.
It literally shocked me deeply
The first time I proclaimed the gospel and was hated it for it.
Today, you can actually go to a church, preach the message
And have people in that church angry at you for doing so.
And that is the church.
That is to say nothing about preaching the gospel message
In public venues like a funeral or a wedding or something like that.
People will actually accuse you of being “unloving”, “unchristian”,
“un-Christ-like” and all sorts of other thing.
You need to know the message is despised,
But just because you are despised for preaching it
Does not mean you are wrong or unfaithful to Jesus.
Man’s applause has never been an indicator of Christian faithfulness,
I could probably make a case that it is an indicator of the opposite.
Luke 6:22-23 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.”
Luke 6:26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”
So just because people hate you for what you proclaim,
Don’t let that deter you.
Know ahead of time that they will.
Even Jesus told the eleven the night before He died:
John 15:18-21 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘ A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.”
John 16:1-4 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”
Just understand that the message we preach is a disturbing message
And therefore it is often a despised message.
And the only recourse that can often be taken
Is to try and silence the messenger.
That is what happened here.
The Message was Delivered, Disturbing, Despised
#4 THE MESSAGE WAS DILIGENT
Acts 4:4
And don’t you love this?
They could stop the messenger, but they could not stop the message.
2 Timothy 2:8-9 “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.”
Paul knew this first hand.
He had personally tried to stop it and couldn’t.
He tried to kill Christians and stop the message,
But the message broke him.
That is why Paul was so passionate about the message.
1 Timothy 4:13 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.”
2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
Paul knew the power of the message was how God honored it,
And once it got out, there was no stopping it.
In fact, the only thing that can stop the gospel message
Is a church that fails to share it.
Because once it’s out, it’s like trying to put toothpaste back in a tube.
There is no stopping it.
And that is certainly true here.
So what you arrested the messengers.
“many of those who heard the message believed”
And this is why we are committed
To the message and not the method.
If we make the method sovereign,
Then things like being arrested most certainly stop us.
But if the message is sovereign, nothing can stop it.
We must be committed to the message,
The early church most definitely was.
In fact, if you fast forward to after Peter and John are released
And they return to the church.
Notice the prayer:
Acts 4:29-31 “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”
They didn’t pray for protection so that they could keep up their ministries.
They prayed for boldness so that they would be able to
Keep getting the message out in spite of the persecution.
They knew that getting the message out was priority #1
The message was sovereign, because even persecution could not stop it.
And that is our encouragement this evening.
• Be true to the message.
• Even if it disturbs those who hear it.
• Even if it is despised by those who heart it.
Be true to the message because the message is diligent
And will accomplish its work even on the day when methods fail.
Acts 6:7 “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”
So be true to the message, it is sovereign.
