The Irrationality of Unbelief - Acts 4:1-22
This Sunday, Pastor Andrew preached from Acts 4:1-22.
As we have looked at Acts - up to this point in the book – we have seen how the Lord has worked powerfully to accomplish His purposes…it all seems to be happening without opposition.
First with the ascension of Christ – the disciples and apostles looked on as Christ ascended with a cloud taking him out of their sign. Then we have the day of Pentecost –the Spirit of God came powerfully, and Peter preached as that day three thousand people were converted. And then we saw how the man who had been born lame – was miraculously given strength to walk again – by the apostles. And so this is all to say – that so far, up to this point in Acts – we have only seen the success of the Kingdom of God. BUT, now what we will come to in Acts 4 – is the first hardship for the church…this is as Martin Lloyd-Jones makes note of - the First account of the persecution of the Church.
The question for us to consider – is how we as the church are to respond to the unbelief and hostility of the world?
I grew up a huge Wake Forest basketball fan. Not proud to admit – at times I may have cried when we suffered defeat. But the peak of my Wake Forest fandom – was the ACC tournament in 1994 when Wake Forest led by Randolph Childress – led the Demon Deacons to win the Championship against our biggest rivals – UNC-CH.
My parents that weekend were out of town – so they taped the game on VHS…and that tape became a family heirloom. So at times - I would sit down and watch the taped game…years after it actually occurred…
And im sure – if you are sports fan of some team – you have had a similar experience – as you watch an old game. That even though I knew the outcome – I would still at times fret or feel anxious – as the opponent would pull ahead or if a star player would go down injured…or get into foul trouble.
Even though I knew the outcome – I would still be anxious. But the reality was that The victory had already been won – so despite what I saw and even experienced – the result was secure.
I want us to see – this is a similar dynamic going on in the book of Acts. The Church of Jesus Christ – as it grows and as it moves forward – is going to encounter the hostility and opposition of the world – a heated and intense opposition – but what we must remember is that because the victory has already been won by Christ on the cross – the end result is secure.
If I could put it this way…
The world will oppose the church, but we have no reason to fear because Christ has overcome the world. Gospel proclamation will invite hostility from the world.
This hostility is part of God’s plan
As I mentioned earlier – Martin Lloyrd-Jones makes the point that chapter 4 marks “An account of the first persecution that was ever endured by the Chrisitan Church…”
And so, we are taught from the get-go an important truth about the church and the world and the purposes of God in it.Up to this point in Acts – the purposes of God have gone on unimpeded. The ascension, the powerful preaching of the Word, the salvation of thousands of people, the beauty of the early church’s life, the miracle of healing…
God’s purposes are clearly and in short order being accomplished…and no doubt, the church at this point would have been greatly encouraged because of this…
But – this was not to go on forever. The great enemies of God (The World, the Flesh and the Devil) – were not going to go down without a fight. They would eventually circle the wagons. And so, we see here this first clear opposition to the church as Peter and John are arrested and thrown in prison.
But there – is an important message for us…before we move from this fact of guaranteed opposition. It is that God does not intend for the Christian life to be a cake walk – but instead will bring about in His good purposes – times of trial for His people. And we must remember this is for our good. The trials, the hardships, the persecutions (whatever they may look like) – are used by God for the good of His church.
I was recently told of an experiment that happened in the 1980’s – a billionaire (Ed Bass) conceived of and built an artificial ecological environment in Arizona – called Biosphere 2 – to research the possibility of sustaining human life beyond our atmosphere – conceivably for something like life on mars. And it seemed to go well for some time. BUT one of the biggest issues they ran in to – is that the trees that they had planted – even though they had grown well – were falling all over the biodome causing damage and havoc on the other plant life. They realized or discovered that the reason for this weakness in the trees – was because there was no wind in the biodome. They realized that trees - had to withstand consistent winds in order to be strengthened – something that happened naturally in the world for them – this consistent friction and opposition would strengthen the trunk of the trees and cause the roots of the trees to become more established.
This is how Christ deals with us, his church. God allows opposition, persecution, sufferings – in order to strengthen His people – to grow us wide and to grow us deep in Him. Its why James tells us to count it all joy when ‘we’ face trials of various kinds.Think about how your own experiences with hardship…what do you do when facing trials in which you feel powerless, in which you feel weak and needy?What do you do? – You go to the Lord in prayer, you seek Him in His Word…you cry out in dependence.
So we must see here – at the beginning of this – that God has good and wise purposes for the hardships that will inevitably come upon His people. The hostility faced by the church is part of God’s plan.
Given that truth – we must also come to grips with the fact that this hardship
Will come by way of threats. At times the world persecutes us by invitation – which is harder to detect – but it also persecutes through force, coercion and harassment. Here in our text – we see persecution comes by way of harassment...pressure.
Peter and John, we are told greatly annoyed the captain of the temple and the Sadducees – because of the message – they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection. And so – without any explanation – we are told they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day.
We must imagine for a second – what this would have been like. As we read through the account quickly – it seems they in effect are let go with a wrist slap. And its easy to think – that this was not that big of a deal. But the disciples and Peter and John did not know this would be the outcome of their detainment. They could have easily been thinking this was their final moments of life…they had just witnessed what these same men had done to Jesus just a few weeks prior – why would they not do the same to His disciples?
The whole event is meant to be an intimidation. That if they continued to teach about Christ and preach about the resurrection they would suffer as He did. In some ways They are given the night in a dingy, gloomy prison to “think things over…”
BUT here – is where we begin to get a glimpse of how the Gospel has changed these men…and how it strengthens us. Remember, Peter is the one who previously denied Christ – out of his fear of man – BUT now he is about to stand before the Sanhedrin in loving defiance to their demands. AND he can do this – because he has seen the power of God in Christ. At the end of our passage, he says – we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard…
And so, the power of God in Christ for Peter has put man in his proper place. To see that the greatest threats of man – can do nothing in the end to a child of God. Peter has come to understand as one puritan put it – The strongest man is but compacted dust. It is God we must fear and not man…
As we will face opposition, persecution from the world – we must not seek to endure it or overcome it by our own strength, will power – but we must set our eyes on Him who has already overcome the world – which is Christ. He is our strength, our power, our help.
This brings us to my second point…
The primary reason the world is opposed to you is because it is opposed to Christ.
The next morning – Peter and John – having stayed the night in the prison. Are brought forward before the Sanhedrin. These are the ruling, religious elites – of that day in Jerusalem. This is important – because in some ways they symbolize – man’s religious power in this world. And Luke, the author of Acts – is sure to name some names for us – to emphasize the power these men had in the community – and therefore the power they were wielding against the apostles. Look at some of the categories of people listed as well. We have rulers and elders – likely tribal chieftains – who held enormous respect and reverence from the people…likely wealthy – well to do people.The scribes as well…these would have been those trained in the Law (seminary trained, scholars) – and those who would have been interpreters of the Scriptures – teaching people how to live, what to do before God, etc.
And then Luke – names some of the men – Annas (who was in effect the high priest – even though his title had been taken away by the Romans) And Caiaphas – who was his son in law – and was the acting high priest – and then we have a couple of other men named John and Alexander. Likely they were named because of their influence, their status in the community. And the way they are listed out here – gives the impression that they thought themselves to be important and weighty – that they were serious men with serious power.
And this gives us – the background then – the appropriate context to their question in v.7. We are told: When they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Do you see what is behind the question they are asking? They are asking – why did you surpass us in performing this miracle… why did you not ask us permission…? Who gave you the authority to do such things…?
There is first something tragic about this – that these men are more concerned with their own authority and power – then they are about the well-being of those put in their care.
BUT What is implied in their question is – that they see themselves as the power brokers in all things religious and spiritual. That this area of the life of Jerusalem is their territory…and therefore they see anyone – who does not come through them – as a threat. Their main concern is not the things of God – but the things of man – they are concerned with their own kingdom.
And so Jesus (who was not one of the religious elites – did not come through the right man-made channels) – is a direct threat to their authority. And authority – is really boiled down a matter of truth. It asks: Who has the power, who has the authority – to determine right and wrong – truth from falsehood. To answer questions like: Who is God? What is He like? How are we saved? Where did we come from? One contentious point here with the Sadducees – was the reality of the resurrection – will there be a resurrection. The question of authority (that is being raised here) – is a fundamental question of life.
Man, by his fallen nature – desires to be his own final authority – because he desires to be God. Man wants to be the one to say what is true and what is false. This goes back to the garden – when Satan tragically, but successfully tempts and traps Eve by telling her – that when she eats of the forbidden tree - her eyes would be opened, and she would be like God, knowing good and evil. Being able to determine good and evil.
But Jesus – is King of kings – and Lord of lords. He has come to take back His throne – from Satan – and from man – who wrongfully usurped his power, his authority. Christ rules us – as our head – as our king – he rules our hearts. So, the opposition that the church will face/that the church will experience – is ultimately because Christ being zealous for his own glory and supremacy - has come to conquer as the rightful King. To take back the throne.
And so when as Christian we say – this is true, this is right because the Lord has said it in His Word – it is an affront to fallen man’s self-appointed power and authority to determine truth. This claim to authority is a dagger into man’s sinful pride (the Word of God – like a two-edged sword pierces man’s heart but for our good) AND it is wedged even deeper – here by Peter when he forcefully makes the point – that Christ is the only way for salvation.
The world is opposed to Christ and His gospel – not only because it is a battle over authority – but ALSO because the claims of Christianity are exclusive….
Peter makes this point in a couple of ways. First he says – that Jesus in being rejected by the Jews has now become the foundational piece of God’s building. He was the rejected stone by the builders – but this stone has become the cornerstone.
In the ancient world – without a cornerstone – your building would not be able to be built let alone stand. You cannot build without the foundational piece…the cornerstone. Therefore Peter is saying here – that if you attempt to build your life on anything else than Christ it will eventually crumble/fall apart…our lives are meant for God – we were made to serve Him and not ourselves. To serve anything but the Lord – is a sure way to implosion. In this way – Christ is the only sure footing for life. AND The world hates this – because it is in active rebellion to Christ…the very opposite of living for Him. And to be told – He is what we were made for – strikes at the very heart of man’s pride.
But even more than that – Peter goes on to say explicitly about salvation – There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. This is what draws the ire of the world – because it is saying –your only hope – the only way that you can be saved from your sin, from death, from hell (which is what we all deserve) – is to turn to the one you have offended, it is to turn to Christ by faith. Peter clearly says this is man’s only hope.
This is why the world hates the church – as it preaches Christ! The more faithfully and clearly we preach the gospel – in some ways the more we will draw the hatred of the world. Ultimately, the world doesn’t hate the church – because we try to do good things in the community OR because we try to be good neighbors OR even because we may vote a certain way. It hates the church because we make the exclusive claim that – all men in order to be saved must come to Christ in repentance and faith.
Is this your hope here this morning. Have you come to Christ. If not, I want to offer you – salvation in the name of Christ. All that is required is for you to turn to Him – in repentance and faith – and you will be saved. This is the free and gracious offer of the gospel. All those who would come to Christ – will be saved.
And then finally we see here – as our text wraps up – that despite the world’s fiery opposition… its efforts are finally and ultimately futile…because God is in control
The world’s opposition is ultimately futile
The Sanhedrin continue to be frustrated and somewhat amazed – as they consider Peter and John. We are told in the text that they perceived that they were uneducated, common men. This does not necessarily mean that the Sanhedrin saw the apostles as dumb, stupid men – (even though they likely held them in contempt) but instead they saw them as uneducated because they did not go to the same schools that all the other leaders went to. They were not educated in the tradition of the religious elite of Jerusalem. They were only common, ordinary working-class people from the countryside. AND yet the astonishing thing – is that they were able to teach and preach with power. And we see in our text the reason for this – all the way back in v.8 – as Peter responds to the Sanhedrin. He was filled with the Holy Spirit…as he begins to speak to the council.
We believe – that as Christian we are all indwelt by the Spirit of God. BUT at this point in redemptive history – the apostles were at times uniquely filled with the Spirit and carried along as they spoke and wrote the Word of God. This is the backdrop for our understanding of the nature of the Word of God. In the Scripture it is obvious that we have human authors – but they all spoke for God as they werecarried along by the Spirit of God to write what they wrote (2 Peter 1) – so that the Scriptures are themselves the Word of God.
But this detail – of Peter being filled with the Spirit – is a reminder of why the opposition of the world – is ultimately a futile endeavor. It is because the church is the one institution in this world where God has guaranteed its success. God Himself will see to the gathering and perfecting of His saints, He will see to its triumph over the world, the flesh and the devil – he will see to it that it is built up and matured in Christ.
What great encouragement we have then – even when we face the harshest of trials. That God will use everything for the glory of His name and the good of His people. As we let this truth set in – and grasp it by faith – we are filled with boldness…as Peter and John are.
The fact – that Peter and John are perceived as common, ordinary and uneducated men – is a reminder that God uses what is common – to accomplish His purposes – so that He gets the glory. He uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary…the salvation of His people…so that His name may be lifted up and not the wisdom and power of man.
And in this way then – every Christian, man and women, boy and girl – no matter your station in life is encouraged to contribute to the growth of the church…
Obviously, the apostles are set aside for a unique purpose. But they do set a pattern for us – in how we are called to contribute…and witness. Here at the end of our passage.
We read – that after the Sanhedrin warns them…charging them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. The Apostles simply respond by saying – we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.
The Lord will grow The kingdom through the faithful witness of ordinary men and women like you and me – as the people of God speak about what they know to be true in Christ. What they have seen with their own eyes and heard with their own ears from the Word of God about Christ and His gospel.
Even though our conversion stories may all look different – we can say that we have all come to faith in the same way – by hearing…Paul writes in Romans – faith comes by hearing… we must remember then that this is how more will be added to our number and how we ourselves will grow in grace – through the preaching and sharing of the gospel, the preaching of Christ.
We can apply this in a couple of ways. Not only – are we to consider ourselves in this – that we should think about how we attend to the Word of God on a regular basis for our own sanctification. BUT – it also encourages us in our efforts of witnessing – that we can share what we know about Christ. – and we can simply invite neighbors to Church – where we know Christ will be proclaimed…where the Word will be opened. Pray for those opportunities. And act in faith – reach out to those around you – share Christ, invite them to Church.
This is the amazing thing then – that we see in our passage. That despite the World’s fierce opposition – through the simple and faithful witness of God’s people – the Lord sees to it that His Kingdom grows – from Judea to Samaria and to Roanoke – and the ends of the world.
