Is God Our Passion? Part VI

¹ Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, ² being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

  
⁵ And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, ⁶ as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 

⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: ⁹ If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, ¹⁰ let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. ¹¹ This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ ¹² Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶ saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” 

¹⁸ So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. ²⁰ For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” ²¹ So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. ²² For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

  
²³ And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. ²⁴ So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, ²⁵ who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

      ‘ Why did the nations rage,
      And the people plot vain things?
       ²⁶ The kings of the earth took their stand,
      And the rulers were gathered together
      Against the LORD and against His Christ.’^[ Psalm 2:1, 2 <sup>]

27</sup> “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. ²⁹ Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, ³⁰ by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” -Acts 4:1-30

Here, Peter and John are arrested. They are put on trial and told to stop preaching.

Peter, who before had sworn he didn’t know Jesus when confronted, not only professes Jesus, but boldly tells the religious leaders that he will not stop preaching Christ. Peter went on to preach for the remainder of his life, and was finally put to death. Tradition states that he was crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die as his Savior.

With the exception of John, who died an old man in exile (and Judas who hung himself), all of the apostles were martyred (killed for their faith). They willingly died for their Lord.

The Four Seasons of the Church Part I

 

 ¹ There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ² a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, ³ a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

                                                                                              Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

Disclaimer: In using the above text, I do not mean to imply that the decline of any church is according to God’s plan.

Spring: A time of new life and new growth

Summer: Steady vibrance and growth

Fall: Things are beginning to fade, and die

Winter: No growth, death, stagnant;- life is in survival mode

Spring

Acts 1:12-14.

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. ¹³ And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

The first thing these men did was to gather and pray. They had been told to go back to Jerusalem and wait. They did as they were told and they prayed. Remember, the Pharisee’s and the Romans were an even greater threat to them now. Jesus had been crucified and then His body was no longer in the grave.

Word on the street was that Jesus had returned. Peter and the others were hiding, and with good cause. They had no idea what was about to happen but, they were obedient.

Are we willing to be obedient and gather and pray? Are we willing to trust that God is going to do something bigger than anything we can imagine? Despite what the circumstances look like, we can trust God. What a blessing it will be if we only trust Him and act in obedience.  

Acts 2:1-13.

 ¹ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵ And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. ⁷ Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” ¹² So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
¹³ Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

These faithful followers were gathered in prayer when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Since this was the first time the Holy Spirit indwelled man, God chose to do it in a way they could not doubt. This was a major event in time to say the least. This was what Jesus had promised. Jesus dwelt with man, but the Holy Spirit would dwell within man.

If Jesus came to our worship service and told us to gather on a Tuesday night, would we be there? Would we began catching up on all the news or gossip?

Or, would we join together in prayer, seeking God’s direction? If we truly believe God can and will do something big in us and through us, shouldn’t we do all we can to prepare for it?

Acts 2:14-42

¹⁴ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. ¹⁵ For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
       ¹⁷ ‘ And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
       That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
      Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
      Your young men shall see visions,
      Your old men shall dream dreams.
       ¹⁸ And on My menservants and on My maidservants
      I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
       And they shall prophesy.
       ¹⁹ I will show wonders in heaven above
      And signs in the earth beneath:
      Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
       ²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness,
      And the moon into blood,
      Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
       ²¹ And it shall come to pass
      That whoever calls on the name of the LORD
      Shall be saved.’

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— ²³ Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ²⁴ whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. ²⁵ For David says concerning Him:


      ‘ I foresaw the LORD always before my face,
      For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
       ²⁶ Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
      Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
       ²⁷ For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
      Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
       ²⁸ You have made known to me the ways of life;
      You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

²⁹ “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, ³¹ he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
³⁴ “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:


      ‘ The LORD said to my Lord,

      “ Sit at My right hand,
       ³⁵ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” ³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ⁴² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

This is one of my favorite passages in all of scripture. When Peter, crazy, foot in the mouth, arrogant, sink in the water, sword wielding Peter, spoke out in a new boldness, and proclaimed God’s truth, he didn’t even have to give an altar call. The men stood up and asked what they needed to do to receive Jesus.

Wouldn’t it be great if every Sunday, during the sermon, people would stand up and ask what they needed to do to be saved? They couldn’t even wait until Peter had finished. That was some sermon.

I wonder if any one of us could go into a public square and start preaching, and form a three thousand member church. Of course this was God’s doing and not Peter’s, but, are we willing to do this if God calls us to? Would we be willing to do it if ninety nine people got saved? What about one? My prayer is that we would; and will.