Fed-Up, Filled-Up, Fired Up

FED-UP, FILLED-UP, FIRED UP

Acts 4:7-31

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: TEA PARTY FOR DAD

1. A mother had gone shopping and left dad in charge of their 2½ year-old daughter. Someone had given her a little tea cup set as a gift.

2. Daddy was in the living room watching TV, when his little girl brought him a cup of tea, which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, Mommy came home.

3. He told her about the father-daughter tea party and with raised eyebrows she said, “Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?”

B. TEXT

7 [The Sanhedrin] had Peter and John brought before them ...to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders... 10 know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:7-12-13,18-20,23-24,31

C. THESIS

1. We are going to see 3 things about the early church; first they got fed-up with the world, then they got filled-up with the Spirit, and then they got fired-up to witness.

2. The title of this message is “FED-UP, FILLED-UP, FIRED-UP.”

I. FIRST, YOU MUST GET FED-UP!

A. FED-UP WITH THE WORLD

1. The first reason those disciples went to the Upper room is because they were fed up with the world! Everyone say, “Fed up with the world.”

2. 1 John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” You’ll never find a man who loves this world who really loves God.

3. I’m fed up with the world, a world often hostile to God and His church. A world that loves darkness and hates the light. I’m fed up with the world!

4. The Govt, the media, the education system, and now even corporations are promoting immorality and twisted thinking. This country is like a great ship that is leaning – first one way, conservative – and then leaning back the other way – liberalism. Finally – in 2024 – it appears our ship is “righting itself,” straightening out.

a. Many institutions are now throwing off DEI, CRT, and the promotion of transgenderism.

b. Louisiana passed a law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in every school classroom.

c. People are turning against “soft-on-crime” prosecutions.

d. People are openly talking about relationship with Jesus, our nation needing revival, and praying at political conventions.

5. But there’s a lot still to do: people still think more of trees and blue whales than unborn babies; and a record number of Christians suffered violent attacks in the last year*. More of our missionaries have been deported from Muslim countries this year than ever before. 2ndly...

B. I’M FED-UP WITH DEAD RELIGION

1. Many churches have cratered to our wicked culture and this year a number of well-known Christian pastors have had to step down due to scandal.

2. John the Baptist was, in his day, fed up with religion. In Mt. 3:7 he called religious people of his day ‘vipers’ or ‘Snakes!’ Jesus called them “white-washed walls.”

3. A man can be religious ... and not know God. A woman can be religious ... and not be born-again. A man can be religious ... and not be moral. The Early Christians – they couldn’t go back to the Temple – back to a dry lecture or a ritual!