COMMITTED: PETER AND JOHN – COMMITTED TO SHARING THE GOSPEL
Text: Acts 3, 4
Just before Jesus ascended up to Heaven after His resurrection, He gave the disciples some instructions. In what has come to be known as the “great commission,” Jesus ordered the disciples to go and spread the good news of what they had witnessed first hand. He said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.“(Matthew 28:19, 20) The disciples must have thought, “How do we do that?” After all, they had just recently joined together again after running for their lives when Jesus was arrested. They had difficulty believing the reports that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. Jesus had gathered them together, confirming the stories that they had heard. Now he was about to leave them again. Jesus knew that they were apprehensive and overwhelmed, but he spoke words to reassure them and to focus them on their mission. “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).
According to a legend, when Jesus returned to heaven following his death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb, the angels gathered in amazement. They gazed at the wounds in his hands and feet, and shuddered to recall his suffering. Finally Gabriel spoke: “Master, you suffered terribly down there. Do they know and appreciate the extent of your sacrifice?” “No,” said Jesus. “Not yet. Right now only a handful of people in Palestine know.” “Then what have you done to let everyone else know?” asked Gabriel. “I’ve asked Peter, James, and John, and a few others to spread the news. They will tell others who will tell others until the message spreads to the ends of the earth.” But Gabriel, knowing the nature of human beings, asked, “What is Plan B?” “I have no Plan B,” replied Christ. “There is no alternative strategy. I’m counting on them.” Twenty centuries later, he still has no other plan. He’s counting on you and me. (Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and quotes.)
Think about it. If those original disciples had not been committed to spread the word about Jesus, you and I would not be followers of Christ today. We are the proof that they took this mission seriously and were committed to sharing the Gospel.
The scripture I want to look at tonight is found in the book of Acts chapters 3 and 4. Peter and John are going about their business, on their way to the three o’clock prayer service at the Temple. As the approach the temple, they hear a lame man begging for money. The man had sat there for years, begging for money, carried there by his friends or family. He thought that this would be just any other day, and it was, until Peter and John heard his cry. They stopped for a moment, looking at him, having compassion on him. Finally, Peter says, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” (Acts 3:6)
The Bible records the following: “Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.” (Acts 3:7 – 8)
When the crowd saw this man walking and heard him praising God, they were amazed! They had seen this same man laying there begging for money for years. They knew him well, and easily recognized him. They knew that a miracle had taken place!
Because Peter and John were committed to sharing the Gospel, they were willing to take the time to help someone in need. Notice that Peter and John weren’t just wandering around aimlessly…they were on their way to church to pray. But they realized that BEING the church was more important than GOING to church, and they took the time to stop and help someone that couldn’t help themselves. Peter and John had no money, but they had something way more valuable…they knew Jesus. They could have gone on to the Temple and asked the leaders to take up a collection for the man, but they knew that would only be a temporary solution to the problem. They could have gone on to the Temple and asked others to help them pray for the man. Instead, they introduced the man to Jesus, and called upon his power to help the man. Their prayer was answered instantly, and Peter and John suddenly had a new friend to go to the Temple with them.
It is important for Christians to take the time to help others if they want to be effective as a witness for Jesus. We spend lots of money doing things like Readyfest and free chili dinners for a reason. We are trying to glorify God by reaching out to others. We are attempting to look beyond our communities immediate needs, and to introduce them to the One that can take care of their eternal needs. Every person that we talk to, every bookbag we fill, every bowl of chili we give out – it is all a testimony of God’s love.
For it all to be worth something, it has to be done in the name of Christ. Peter and John didn’t just tell this man to rise and walk. They Peter said, “In the name of Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” The man praised God for the miracle, and drew the attention of the crowd around him.
Years before this incident, Jesus had this to say to his disciples: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14 – 16) Sometimes, before a person is able to see their spiritual needs, their physical or emotional needs must be addressed. As we work to see others enter His Kingdom and grow to become disciples, let us remember that we must first reach out to them with the love of Christ.
Secondly, because Peter and John were committed to sharing the Gospel, they took advantage of the opportunity that God had placed in front of them. Dozens, maybe hundreds, had gathered to see what the commotion was about. Peter and John looked at the faces in the crowd around them and saw amazement, confusion, and excitement. The Bible says, “Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd.” (Acts 3:12)
Peter began his statement by pointing out that God had glorified Jesus by healing the man in his name. Some of these people may have been in the crowd that had called out to Pilate, “Crucify Him!” Peter reminded them about what they had done, and declared that God had raised Jesus from the dead. He added, “And we are witnesses of this fact!” (Acts 3:15)
Instead of being judgmental and condemning the crowd for what they had done, Peter offers them some hope. In verses 17 through 20, Peter says, “Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah – that he must suffer these things. Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.”
For Peter and John, the opportunity that was placed before them was pretty obvious. There is a crowd of people standing before you, wanting to hear about the power of Jesus. How much easier could it get? But sometimes, the opportunities God places before us are not as easy to spot.
Waiting to be interviewed for a job as a wireless operator, a group of applicants paid little attention to the sound of the dots and dashes which began coming over a loudspeaker. Suddenly one of them rushed into the employer's office. Soon he returned smiling. "I got it!" he exclaimed. "How did you get ahead of us?" they asked. "You might have been considered if you hadn't been so busy talking that you didn't hear the manager's coded message," he replied. "It said, 'The man I need must always be on the alert. The first one who interprets this and comes directly into my private office will be hired.'" To sense the opportunities that God places in our path, we have to be tuned in to God. Pray for the ability to hear and see these opportunities as God provides them. Pray for a spiritual mind and heart to think and feel like God does. That will make you aware of the needs of those around you.
The opportunity to help the lame man led to the opportunity to address the crowd that assembled as a response to the man’s healing. The opportunity to address the crowd led to another opportunity to address the religious leaders at the Temple. As they were speaking to the crowd, the Sadducees sent some of the Temple guard to arrest Peter and John. The charge was preaching about the resurrection, something that the Sadducees adamantly denounced. But God’s message had been shared. The Bible says, “But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children.” (Acts 4:4)
In order to get the opportunity to speak to the religious leaders, Peter and John had to spend the night in jail. Because they were committed to sharing the Gospel, they were willing to suffer. Decades later, the apostle Peter would write, “For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:19 – 21)
To Peter and John, spending the night in jail was nothing if they had the opportunity to speak to others about Jesus. So they willing sat there all night in the darkness and filth, encouraging one another, and praying to the Lord. They realized that this was all part of God’s plan, and they rejoiced that God was allowing them to play their part in it.
Thousands had been saved because Peter and John were willing to help someone and take advantage of the opportunity God had given them. Suffering was worth it if it meant that still others might be saved.
What would you be willing to suffer in order for thousands of people to be saved? Would you be willing to spend a night in jail? Would you be willing to miss a meal? What about sacrificing your time or giving up some of your possessions? Would you allow yourself to be beaten or burned at the stake if you knew that 1000 people would believe?
Now let me ask you this. What would you be willing to suffer in order for just one person to be saved? Many Christians have loved ones that they pray for. They ask the Lord to save them, and that is a prayer that God wants to answer. But sometimes, our suffering might be part of the answer to that prayer. If you are not willing to sacrifice and suffer for your friends and family to be saved, you are wasting your time. If you are not willing to put aside what YOU want in order to do what GOD wants, you are hindering God in answering that prayer.
The next day, Peter and John got their chance to speak to the religious leaders. Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. These men had been there during the trial of Christ and had been instrumental in securing his crucifixion. Peter and John knew that, but because they were committed to sharing the Gospel, they spoke without fear.
It had been days ago when Peter had stood before a crowd of onlookers and denied that he even knew Jesus, but now, he spoke with confidence and courage. What made the difference? The answer is found in verse 8. “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them….” Jesus had told the disciples before he was crucified to expect to be brought before religious and political leaders. His words to them were, “But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:17 – 20)
Through Peter and John, the religious leaders were told that the lame man had been healed through the power of Jesus. They were reminded of their conspiracy in arranging for his execution. They were pointed to the Hebrew scriptures and shown how that Jesus was a fulfillment of prophecy. Finally, they were presented with the fact that Jesus was offering them the only way to salvation.
Sometimes when we talk to others about the Lord, we are afraid of saying the wrong thing. Or maybe, we are afraid that we won’t know what to say at all. We can take comfort in the fact that if God has arranged an opportunity for you to speak to someone about the Lord, he will give you the words to say to that person if you are willing to listen to Him. Witnessing without the Holy Spirit’s leadership can lead to disastrous results, but telling others about Jesus as you follow the Spirit’s guidance leads to people considering their spiritual condition. Although some opportunities fall into our lap, there are other opportunities that we should pray for God to provide. A believing wife should pray for opportunities to witness to an unbelieving husband. You should pray that God would arrange the perfect opportunity for you to speak to a co-worker about salvation. And when the opportunity arises, you should act upon it.
R. A. Torrey, an American evangelist, pastor, and writer in the late 18 and early 1900’s, once said, “I waited and watched fifteen long years to get my chance to speak with one man. Never a day passed in all those fifteen years that I did not speak to God about that man. At last my chance came, and it was my privilege to lead him to Christ.” If you have a lost loved one that needs to hear the Gospel, pray without ceasing, and keep your ears and eyes open for opportunities. When God opens the door, step through it without fear, knowing that the Holy Spirit will give you the words you need.
Notice that Peter and John were just ordinary men that had been with Jesus. This amazed the religious leaders. Verse 13 says, “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” Don’t be discouraged that you are not educated, or that you haven’t memorized two dozen Bible verses, or that you don’t understand the finer points of eschatology. Do what Peter and John did – they relied on the Holy Spirit, and spoke about what they personally knew. You should do the same.
When they were commanded to never speak in the name of Jesus again, Peter and John replied, again without fear, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We CANNOT stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19, 20)
Peter and John were committed to sharing the Gospel, no matter what it cost them.
Finally, because Peter and John were committed to sharing the Gospel, other believers were inspired to witness for Christ. Peter and John were released without incident, and immediately went to their brothers and sisters to tell them what had happened. Together they prayed to God, quoting from the scriptures, and recognizing God’s will at work in the things that they had seen and experienced. As they closed their prayer, they asked for the courage to share the Gospel without fear as Peter and John had, and asked for the ability to draw others to Christ by doing good deeds. They prayed, “And now, O Lord, …, give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29, 30)
This was a prayer that God was excited to answer. The believers meant what they had said and committed themselves to sharing the Gospel. The Bible says that, as they finished their prayer, the place where they were meeting shook and that they were all filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. They all went out and preached the word with boldness.
I firmly believe that we are living in the last days before Christ returns. I don’t know how much time we have left – maybe a century, maybe 25 years, maybe 10 minutes. At any rate, we should be praying for God to provide opportunities for us to tell others about Jesus. We should be alert and watching for those opportunities to present themselves, and then boldly step through the door of opportunity, knowing that the Holy Spirit will give us the words that we need.
The apostle Peter wrote, “Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!” (1 Peter 3:13 – 17)
Thousands were saved, because Peter and John were committed to sharing the Gospel. They were willing to help others and take advantage of the opportunities God provided for them. They were willing to suffer so that others could hear the message of Christ. They spoke without fear because they were filled with the Spirit, and they became an encouragement to the other believers to speak without fear as well.
Time is running out. Are you committed to sharing the Gospel?
