Introduction

Good morning, beloved family of Christ. It warms my heart to see each and every one of you here today, gathered in the name of our Lord, eager to hear His word and to grow in His love. We are here today, not by chance or by habit, but by the divine appointment of our Heavenly Father. Our gathering is a testament to the enduring power of faith, the unyielding strength of our collective belief, and the unquenchable thirst we have for the wisdom of God's word.

Today, we turn our hearts and minds to the book of Acts, specifically Acts 4:13-22. In this passage, we find ourselves in the company of Peter and John, two ordinary men with extraordinary faith. They stand before the Sanhedrin, not as mere men, but as living testimonies of the transformative power of Christ. They proclaim their identity in Christ, not with fear or hesitation, but with boldness and conviction. And they persist in their faith, not in the face of ease and comfort, but amidst fierce opposition.

Perception of Peter and John

In the eyes of the world, Peter and John were ordinary men. They were unschooled, untrained, and unremarkable in many ways. Yet, when they stood before the Sanhedrin, their boldness and courage were undeniable. The religious leaders were astonished. They recognized that these men, in their ordinariness, had been with Jesus. This is a profound realization. It tells us that being with Jesus, walking with Him, and spending time in His presence, transforms us. It changes the way we speak, the way we act, and the way we are perceived by others.

The transformation in Peter and John was not a superficial change, but a deep, inner transformation that affected every aspect of their lives. They were no longer defined by their lack of education or their humble backgrounds. They were defined by their relationship with Jesus. Their identity was no longer rooted in their past, but in their present reality as followers of Christ.

The religious leaders could not deny the change in Peter and John. They could see the man who had been healed standing with them, a living testimony to the power of Jesus' name. This was not a trick or a deception. It was a genuine miracle, performed by ordinary men who had been with Jesus. It was a sign that God was at work, not in the grand temples or the religious rituals, but in the lives of ordinary people.

The leaders were faced with a dilemma. They could not deny the miracle, but they also could not accept the message of Peter and John. They were threatened by the boldness of these ordinary men, by their courage and their conviction. They wanted to silence them, to stop the spread of their message. But they could not. The truth of their message, the power of their faith, and the evidence of their transformation were too compelling.

Peter and John were not deterred by the threats of the religious leaders. They did not back down or compromise their message. They knew that they had to obey God rather than men. They had experienced the transformative power of Jesus' presence in their lives, and they could not help but speak about it.

Proclamation of Identity in Christ

As we immerse ourselves further into the narrative, we find Peter and John standing before the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish religious court ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO