One summer evening, during a violent thunderstorm, a mother was tucking her small boy into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, “Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?”
The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. “I can't, Dear,” she said, “I have to sleep with your daddy.”
A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice: “The big sissy.”
I guess there some men who never grow up. On the other hand, there are some men who are not intimidated by anybody. There are some men who are not afraid of anything.
Let me tell you: those are the kind of men and women we need in the church today that finds itself in a society that is becoming increasingly hostile towards the things of God.
The question is: where do we find the courage to stand up for Christ today? Where to we find the courage to stand up for what’s right when all the rest of the world is cheering for what’s wrong? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Acts 4, Acts 4, where we see Peter and John boldly standing up for Christ in their day.
Acts 4:1-3 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. (ESV)
That is, too late for a trial.
Acts 4:4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. (ESV)
Let me tell you: Peter and John were incarcerated, but they’re not inhibited. 2,000 men trusted Christ that day. There were 3,000 converts the first time Peter preached (2:41), making a total of 5,000 believers at this time, and that doesn’t even include the women and children! Howard Hendricks calls it the law of spiritual thermodynamics – the greater the heat, the greater the expansion. Peter and John were incarcerated, but not inhibited.
Furthermore, they were interrogated, but they’re not intimidated.
Acts 4:5-6 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. (ESV)
This is the Jewish Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of Israel, the same people who sentenced Jesus to death just a few weeks before this.
Acts 4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (ESV)
In other words, “Under whose authority did you heal the lame man?” (It’s the miracle described in the previous chapter.)
Acts 4:8-12 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (ESV)
Peter tells them, in no uncertain terms, that the lame man stands whole in the name of Jesus. It is a bold witness in the face of certain death. Peter is not intimidated at all – not like he was just weeks before, when he stood in the courtyard of this same place and denied even knowing who Jesus was.
Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit, actually accuses his accusers. He accuses them of putting him on trial for “a good deed” (vs.9). He accuses them of crucifying their Messiah, the One God raised from the dead (vs.10). He accuses them of rejecting the One God has made foundational to His plan (vs.11). They’ve rejected the very “cornerstone” of their existence!
There is an old legend about the building of this Temple here in Jerusalem. The huge stones for it were shaped at a quarry away from the Temple, and then sent to the Temple where they were pieced together – like one giant 3-D puzzle.
When one particular stone arrived on the scene, the builders couldn’t figure out where it fit, so they threw it away. They rejected it, because it was an odd size and shape.
Later, they went to lay the cornerstone, but they couldn’t find it. They looked all over for it and were very surprised when they found it on the scrap heap. It was that odd shaped stone they had earlier rejected.
That’s exactly what the rulers of the Temple did to Jesus. They said, “He’s odd. He doesn’t fit our idea of a Messiah.” So they tossed Him aside. But Jesus turned out to be the very cornerstone, the very key to God’s eternal plan.
PETER IS VERY BOLD HERE.
He doesn’t mince words. He is very straightforward. He accuses the Jewish Supreme Court of putting him on trial for “a good deed.” He accuses them of crucifying their Messiah. He accuses them of throwing away God’s Cornerstone, and he accuses them of rejecting their only means of salvation. In verse 12, Peter is very clear: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
My friends, Jesus is the only way to heaven. Moses won’t get you there. Mohammed certainly won’t get you there, and Buddha won’t even get you close. I know that doesn’t fly in our so-called “tolerant” society, but the Bible makes it very clear: Jesus is the only way to heaven!
The sad thing is: most American Evangelicals don’t believe that anymore. According to a recent report (June 23, 2008) released by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, more than half of evangelical respondents said that “many religions can lead to eternal life”. This is despite the fact that the central evangelical doctrine is that Jesus is the only path to eternity with God. (Adelle M. Banks, “Pew Report Shows Americans Are Religious in Unpredictable Ways,” Religion News Service, posted on www.christianitytoday. com, 6-23-08; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s why nobody is listening to us evangelicals anymore. The name of Jesus is not all that important to most of us.
Well, let me tell you, it was very important to Peter, John, and everyone else in the first church. They KNEW there was no other way to heaven, and they were unstoppable. They were incarcerated, but they’re not inhibited. They were interrogated, but they’re not intimidated.
And they were threatened, but they’re not thwarted.
Acts 4:13-14 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. (ESV)
The Sanhedrin observed Peter and John’s confidence. They observed Peter and John’s contact with Jesus. The high court observed the cured man, and they were speechless!
Acts 4:15-22 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old. (ESV)
Peter and John were unstoppable. They took an uncompromising stand for Christ, even at the risk of their own lives.
It was the kind of stand Dietrich Bonhoeffer took against Hitler’s government in the 1940’s. As a church leader, he refused to go along with Hitler’s scheme to win the people through the pulpits in Germany. Bonhoeffer was arrested and sentenced to death, but his life and testimony still have a profound effect on many today. He took an uncompromising stand for Christ.
It was the kind of stand 6-year-old Ruby Bridges took in 1960 when she became the first person of color in the U.S. to attend an all-white school in New Orleans, Louisiana. The night before, her mother tried to reassure her, saying, “You know Jesus faced the mob too, baby. Just like you. You know what he did? He prayed for them. Because the Bible says, ‘Bless them that persecute you. Bless and curse not.’”
The next day an angry crowd in front of the school waved Confederate flags and hollered, “Go on home!” Even so, Ruby stepped out of the car with four federal agents surrounding her. As they walked through the crowd, one woman spit on the ground. Another yelled that she was going to hang the little girl. A thrown tomato exploded on a post by the front door, and they walked through under the icy stares of the school staff. (Ruby Bridges, Disney, 1998, written by Toni Ann Johnson, directed by Euzhan Palcy)
This brave little girl, from a Christian home, took an uncompromising stand for what was right, and helped to stem the tide of racism in our country.
Just a few years ago, Franklin Graham said, “I believe that a time is fast approaching – I think it will be in my lifetime – when the preaching of the Gospel is referred to as hate speech. The public proclamation of biblical injunctions against homosexuality, abortion, and other moral issues will be banned by our politically correct cultures. Preachers of the Gospel could be imprisoned and jailed for adhering to the Bible. It is already happening in some countries” (Franklin Graham, “I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel”, http://billygraham.org/story/i-am-not-ashamed-of-the-gospel, Posted December 21, 2009)
Do you know? He is absolutely right! Just take a biblical stand on marriage today, and you are fined, maligned, and harassed by people who label biblical values “hate speech”.
In a society increasingly hostile to biblical values, it will take some courage, real courage, to stand up for what’s right today. The question is: where do we find that kind of courage? Where do we find the courage to stand up for what’s right? Where do we find the courage to stand up for Christ right here in Rice County? Well, let’s read on and see where Peter and John found it.
Acts 4:23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. (ESV)
Peter and John had a group of believers they could go back to. They had a group of friends who listened to them and supported them in everything. And that’s exactly where we find our courage as well.
WE FIND IT IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SAINTS.
We find our courage in our friendships with other believers. We find strength when we get together with God’s people.
God never intended for us to go it alone. The Bible says, “Don’t neglect to meet together… but encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25). We find en-COURAGE-ment when we get together with God’s people.
On September 12, 2011, Brandon Wright, a 21-year-old Utah State University student, was driving his motorcycle to the school's computer lab when a BMW pulling out of a parking lot collided with him. Both vehicles burst into flames. The BMW driver quickly escaped from the car, but Wright was trapped under the 4,000-pound sedan. Take a look at this video to see what happened next (show video clip of “Burning Car Lifted off Man”)
The horrific accident drew an immediate crowd of students and construction workers. One passerby walked around the burning vehicles to survey the situation and saw a motionless body, apparently dead, beneath the BMW. Another individual, testing his strength, attempted to lift the car, but without success. A handful of others joined the effort but could not budge the car. A young woman lay on the ground to peer under the car and saw evidence that the trapped victim was still alive.
The flames were intense at the front of the car, where the motorcycle also lay on the ground burning. Nevertheless, at this point a dozen members of the growing crowd joined shoulder to shoulder at the side of the car, lifted in unison, and tilted it high enough to allow another rescuer to pull Wright to safety.
When the city's emergency responders appeared on the scene, they doused the flames and transported Wright to Intermountain Medical Center, where he was treated for two broken legs and a fractured pelvis.
Logan city’s assistant police chief, Jeff Curtis, said, “Every one of those people put their lives in danger. Those people are heroes.” (John Gonzalez, Associated Press, 9-13-11; The rescue was captured on video by Chris Garff who was looking out of a 9th floor window of a nearby building taking a break from producing a promotional film for the university – www.youtube. com/watch?v=aIGTyANMFb4; www.PreachingToday.com)
Each one by himself could do nothing; but together, they found the courage and the strength to rescue a man who was about to perish in the flames.
That’s the way it is with us in the body of Christ. Each of us by ourselves can do nothing; but together, we find the courage and the strength to rescue people who will otherwise perish in the flames of hell without Christ.
We dare not be timid or complacent these days. People are in desperate need of Jesus, the only one who can save them from their sins. So find the courage to take a stand for Christ. Find courage, 1st of all, in the fellowship of the saints. Second…
FIND COURAGE IN YOUR FAITH IN THE SOVEREIGN LORD.
Find a holy boldness in the belief that God is in charge. Find the strength to stand in the knowledge that Jesus has it all under control. That’s where the first church found it. Look at how they responded to the news of the Sanhedrin’s threats against them.
Acts 4:24-28 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. (ESV)
They said to God, “You are the owner of the earth, and You ordained the death of Your Son.”
Acts 4:29: And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants [protection and safety]. Is that what your Bible reads? No! Grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness…
Acts 4:30 …while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
They ask for boldness to keep on going. They ask for confidence. They ask for courage, because they know God is in control. They know that everything is part of His wonderful and gracious plan.
Their faith in the sovereign Lord gave them the courage to keep on speaking the truth despite the threats against them. And that’s where we find the courage, as well. We find it in the belief that God is in control.
In 1967, a student named Libby attended a missionary conference with her boyfriend, Tom; and during the final commitment ceremony, both of them submitted their lives to serving Christ. Soon after that, they got married; and for 30 years, Tom and Libby Little served in Afghanistan, providing vision care to the people of Kabul throughout seemingly endless wars and conflict.
In August 2010, shortly after conducting a two-week medical camp in a remote valley of northwestern Afghanistan, Tom and his medical team were ambushed and killed. Later, when Libby received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her husband, she said, “Although Tom was killed in 2010, he had already surrendered his life to God's good purposes way back in 1967.” (Alec Hill, “The Most Troubling Parable,” Christianity Today, July/August 2014; www.PreachingToday.com)
Tom and Libby truly believed that their good God is sovereign, and that faith gave them the courage to continue serving Him through one endless war after another.
Do you want the courage to serve Christ in a hostile world? Then find that courage in the fellowship of the saints. Find that courage in your faith in the Sovereign Lord. And finally…
FIND COURAGE IN THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Find the strength to stand in god’s sustaining presence. Find a holy boldness in God’s Holy Spirit. That’s where the first church found it.
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (ESV)
The Holy Spirit gave them the boldness to speak God’s Word, and God’s Spirit can give us that same boldness. He can give us that same courage to witness with confidence.
On July 15, 1986, Roger Clemens played in his first All-Star Game. He was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, not used to swinging a bat, because of the American League’s designated hitter rule. But in the second inning of the All-Star game, he found himself at bat. He took a few uncertain practice swings and then got ready for his first pitch. Dwight Gooden was on the mound. He had won the Cy Young award the previous year. He wound up and threw a sizzlin fastball past Clemens.
With an embarrassed smile, Clemens stepped out of the box and asked Gary Carter, “Is that what my pitches look like?”
“You bet it is!” replied Carter.
Clemens quickly struck out, but he went on to pitch three perfect innings and become the game’s most valuable player. He later said, “From that day on I pitched with far greater boldness than I ever had before.” (Craig Brian Larson, Arlington Heights, Illinois. Leadership, Vol. 12, no. 2; www.PreachingToday.com)
Sometimes we forget how powerful our witness can be, especially with the Holy Spirit’s help. The Word of God and the Spirit of God, when they come together, are unstoppable.
So find your courage today. Find courage in the fellowship of the saints. Find courage in your faith in the Sovereign Lord, and find courage in the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Phillip Yancey, in his new book Vanishing Grace, talks about the former Soviet Union’s most renowned sculptor, Ernst Neizvestny (show picture). He had designed Nikita Khrushchev’s tombstone, but eventually ended up in Switzerland under forced exile. Knowing the sculptor's talent, the authorities tried at first to hold on to him.
“We need Neizvestny,” said one official, “but we cannot use him. We must create a Communist Neizvestny.”
His final break with the regime took place over a commission he did for a Communist Party building in Turkmenistan. Neizvestny constructed a huge sculpture some fifty feet high and fifty feet wide, that covered the entire facade. He submitted the design in sections, each of which was approved by Party officials. Only at the unveiling did they see it as a whole – and gasped in horror. A huge cross (show picture) covered the front of the Communist headquarters.
“A cross?” said Neizvestny. “Can't you see it's a face?” But, knowing his Christian beliefs, authorities took it for a cross and expelled him from the country. The cross stayed in place. The state that opposed it did not. (Phillip Yancey, Vanishing Grace, Zondervan, 2014, page 272; www.PreachingToday.com)
The Bible says, “Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).
How about it? Will you take a stand for Christ today in our world? If you will, then the world cannot stand against you.
