Acts Of The Apostles (5 Of 39)

We saw that when the Lord healed him, he went into the temple, "And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful. Gate of the temple... "

Anyone who knew this man, knew this was a miracle, because they knew he had been lame from the time he was born, and now they saw him walking. They never thought they would ever see him doing that.

Everyone who saw this miracle should have been rejoicing, but when Peter preached the truth to them, they became angry.

Those who rejected Christ should have at least admitted to themselves it had been a miracle. That could not be denied.

Instead, the church leaders and their cohorts joined hands against Peter and John, because they wanted to justify their evil deeds, and Peter and John were exposing them for what they were.

People have not changed. Consider the following example:

Illus: On April 3, 1991, the "Today's Show" dealt with teenage suicides. They showed how a vast majority of those who committed suicide, were homosexuals. They had a psychiatrist on the show, to help them in explaining why those perverted young people were committing suicide. She explained that society was not educated to being sensitive to, and accepting of, the homosexual people as good people. She blamed much of the suicide on right-wing preachers, who preached against homosexuality.

I guess she did not think that the God Who made us, should know what is best for us!

God commanded, in Leviticus 18:22, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

It is the same today as in the past, usually ungodly people outnumber God's people. Today, ungodly people control the air ways.

Remember, just because news reporters express their liberal views, does not mean they are right!

Homosexuality goes against all God has placed within us. The sin of homosexuality is such a deplorable sin, it takes it’s toll on people. A person can only live with so much guilt, before it becomes more than he can bear. Many homosexuals commit suicide, because it is such a disgusting sin, and they feel so guilty for allowing themselves to fall so low.

This is not the fault of the man who proclaims the truth of God's Word, as he warns people to turn away from this sin.

Let's take a look at the response of the ungodly, after God did the marvelous work of healing the man who had been born lame.

I. THE CHARGE

Look at verses 1-4. We read, “And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.”

Luke told Theophilus that the great miracle of the healing of the lame man, gave the disciples an excellent chance to be accepted by the multitudes.

They took full advantage of that, and began to preach that God could do a greater miracle than that.

They began to preach, “…Through Jesus the resurrection from the dead”

You would think, even though they perhaps might reject the miracle of the healing of the lame man, they would want to hear about the resurrection, because that was something that would affect all of them personally one day; but instead, they became angry at that teaching.

Look at verse 2. We read, “Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”

Why would they be angry about the preaching of the resurrection?

Possibly for two reasons:

A. BECAUSE OF MONEY

They stood to loose income, if many of the Jews turned to Christ, because the Christian Jews were using their money to spread the gospel, and help Christians who did not have enough money to live on.

A similar situation is spoken about in Acts 19. Paul went to that mighty town of Ephesus, and preached the gospel.

Look at Acts 19: 17-20, we read, “And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.”