I was thinking about Bro. Alain’s message this morning and what saddens me so much is how much of the Body of Christ is living in compromise and we don’t even realize it. And I thought about a Republican senator here in Ohio who came out strong and hard against homosexuality. He came out strong and hard against same sex marriage. And then his son tells him he’s gay and that he wants to marry this guy. So the senator said because his son is a homosexual, it caused him to rethink his views on homosexuality.
Ladies and gentlemen, when a person close to you comes out and says he’s living a lifestyle that’s in disagreement with the Word of God, there should be no re-evaluation. A person who comes out against what the Bible says is wrong. But what I appreciated about Bro. Alain’s message this morning is a message like that you have to present in love.
You don’t judge the person. Judging, ladies and gentlemen, is not your job. That’s not your job. Calling them on the carpet – that’s not your job. You are simply to tell them what the Bible says and then tell that you love them. When you’ve done that, you’ve done your job.
Now if you were to ask that Republican senator if he was living a compromised life, he would say “no”. He would tell you “I’m simply loving my son. I am not rejecting who my son is.”
The biggest thing we face in the Body of Christ is when we have people in our lives that we love, we have people in our lives that we cherish, and they come out in a lifestyle that goes against what the Bible says – nine times out of 10 we’re going to go with the person and not the Bible.
Years ago there was a pastor who had been caught in a lifestyle that was against scripture. And it involved him having to settle the issue out of court. So he goes back to his church and the first morning that he’s in the pulpit he says “I’m still the man.” And church clapped and yelled its support. That pastor, ladies and gentlemen, is living in compromise. His church is living in compromise.
Now I want to tell you something: whenever I stand in the pulpit to minister, whenever Bro. Alain stands in the pulpit to minister, whenever Pastor stands in the pulpit and ministers, go to the word and check us out. That is your responsibility. We do our best to sit at the feet of the Teacher and to teach what we hear but it is your responsibility to make sure that we’re teaching truth. That is your responsibility ladies and gentlemen. When you don’t do that you are telling your Father how much you love him by not going back and making sure that you are being taught truth.
When Bro. Alain was talking about abortion this morning, and it’s one of those subjects I talk about too, when you talk to a lot of people, now listen to me, abortion is not the issue. Do you know what the issue is? The woman’s right to choose. That is always how the argument is framed, as the woman’s right.
And it breaks my heart is that we, the Body of Christ, allow the conversation to be framed that way instead of saying it’s not about rights – it’s about life. It’s about life and you are choosing to kill a life. “But that’s my right.” Yes it is. That’s the right that this country has given you.
But if you are a Christian, you live in this country with this body but your residence is in heaven. You have to make decisions based on your residence not where your physical body lives. And that’s what we do every day in the Body of Christ. We compromise when we make decisions based on what we see in this world rather than what we see in the Bible about where we live spiritually.
We’re going to talk a little bit tonight about two guys who were faced with a decision – to do what they were told to do or to do what God had told them to do. And ladies and gentlemen, that is always going to be the choice. And the choice about doing what God wants us to do versus what is easy to do – what’s easy to do is why we live in compromise. What’s easy to do is why we’re not seeing God’s blessings manifest in our lives the way they can.
We have decided that God says “this” but I can get away with “that”. Barry, in John and Dorothy’s house, if John and Dorothy said “this” Barry couldn’t get away with “that”. Why do we think we can get away with “that” in God’s house?
Turn to Acts 4. We’re going to be in Acts 4 for most of the message. To give you a running start, Acts 4 really start in the neighborhood of Acts 2:41. And sometimes we get thrown off because the first word in Chapter three verse one is “Now”. We’re still in the same ballpark.
Peter and John have gone to the temple and they see the man sitting at the gate begging for alms. And the guy looks them expecting to receive money. But Peter says “Silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.
Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you “Did Peter have anything that you don’t have?” No. So when Peter said “such as I have give I thee” – we can give the same thing!
We’re God children and we pinch pennies. We’re God’s children and we pinch pennies! That’s wrong! That’s a sin! Do you hear me? God’s children should not be pinching pennies! If the Word of God means anything, God’s children should not be pinching pennies. So why are we pinching pennies? Because we really don’t believe “such as I have give I thee.”
We really don’t believe that what Peter had, we have. We really don’t believe that what Jesus to Peter He also gave it to us. We really don’t believe that. Ladies and gentlemen, if you don’t believe that you are living in compromise.
So the man gets up and he’s leaping and praising Peter and John. No! He’s leaping and praising God! And Peter looks at the people and says do you think this man is standing here because of something I did? It’s not because I’m so wonderful and righteous. Jesus did this! Jesus! As you continue to read you find out that the religious leaders become very unhappy.
You would think that a miraculous healing would make them happy. “Oh my God! We’ve read about this in the scrolls. We read about this in the book of the prophets. We read about this in the book of the law. Oh my God and now it’s actually happening!” No. “These men are cutting into our income.” Five thousand men joined the church that day – five thousand tithers joined the church that day. Do you think the religious leaders were happy? Oh no!
That brings us up to chapter four. Verse one.
(1) And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
(2) Being grieved (being upset, being out of sorts) that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
(3) And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
(4) Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
Say it with me, 5000. Now if there were 5000 men don’t you imagine there were some women there? Don’t you imagine there were some children there? Now let me tell you about the culture – it is so different than what we see today. When the man made a decision, he made the decision for the entire house. So when these 5000 men came to Jesus, their spouses came to Jesus and their children came to Jesus.
Today you have husbands and wives who don’t even attend the same church. So you can image the type of doctrine going around in that house. It’s unbelievable. But that’s where we have come as a Body of Christ. This is where we are.
(5) And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
(6) And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
Ladies and gentlemen, what Peter and John did was a big deal! Do you see the gathering that took place? Annas. Caiaphas. John. Alexander. These individuals were “priestly royalty”.
Annas, five of his sons became high priests. It was because Rome gave them that authority to do so. And Caiaphas was Annas’ son in law. The priesthood had become a family business, something that you could pass down to your sons. This is what Peter and John face when they are called to task.
(7) And when they had set them in the midst (in the midst of all the priestly royalty), they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
You have all of these high priests sitting. And you have poor little John and poor little Peter standing before them. So they are asked by what power or what name are you doing this in. The interesting thing about this?
Do you remember the story of the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19? They decided they were going to cast out devils in the name of Jesus. And the devil said, Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are you? And the devil beats them up.
A person’s name represented something. Bro. Alain and I – we’re standing in Jim Martin’s pulpit. So Jim Martin has given us his name – his power, his authority – to stand in his pulpit. So depending on the name you will have credibility or you will not have credibility.
When I was growing up I lived in a neighborhood where all of the teachers in my grade school knew my mom and dad. My obedience to act right in school, to obey, was not based primarily on the teacher or the principal. That was not my motivating factor for obeying in school. Do you know what my motivating factor was? All my teacher had to ask me “You don’t want me to call Dorothy do you?” Done. Barry’s obedient! “You don’t want me to call John do you?” Those were the names that had power and authority in Barry’s life. John and Dorothy.
And that’s what the high priests are talking about. Whose name are you using that’s greater than ours?
(8) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
(9) If we this day be examined (if we are being interrogated, if we are being called on the carpet) of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
(10) Be it known unto you...
Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to listen to what Peter is saying. “If you are calling us on the carpet for what we have done ‘Let me be clear’”. “Be it know unto you” – “Let me be clear.” “Let me help you understand exactly why we were able to do what we have done.”
Be it know unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Peter says, “I’m going to speak plainly. I am going to be very clear about this so that there is no misunderstanding.” Do you see this? “This man is standing before you whole because of the man you crucified and who is now our risen savior.
How many in the Body of Christ would do that today? How many would take a stand like that? How many would draw a line in the sand like that? 90% or more would not.
(11) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Do you see the phrase “set at nought”? It means “to despise, scorn, or reject.” “This is the stone, high priests, that you despised, that you held in contempt, that you thought was worthless. This is the stone that made this man whole.”
(12) Neither is there salvation in any other:
He is talking to men who have put their lives on the line for the Law of Moses. And he’s telling them the law is not going to save you. “If the law is all you’ve got, you’re going to hell.” He’s talking to high priests ladies and gentlemen. Image that? These little nobodies telling the high priests that without Jesus they’re going to hell.
That word “neither” is the Greek word “ou” and it means “an absolute negation.” Peter is telling these men that there is no other way to heaven but through Jesus. No other way. None.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none (It’s the same Greek word “ou”.) other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
I don’t care what Oprah says. I don’t care. The Bible says that if you don’t go by way of Jesus, you don’t go. Period.
(13) Now when they saw
The word “saw” means the men were listening to what Peter was saying. Remember they asked Peter and John by what power or by what name are you doing these things. So they are listening to their response.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Do you see the word “boldness”? It’s the Greek word “parrhesia”, and it means “to be frank, blunt, without ambiguity”. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s not the Body of Christ today. If that was the Body of Christ today, what we’re seeing happening in this country would not be happening.
If this were the Body of Christ today, we would draw a line in the sand and say this is what the Bible says about “X, Y, Z” and that’s what I say about “X, Y and Z.”
My life changed, ladies and gentlemen, on March 17, 2012. That was when Candace died. And my life changed in a way that I didn’t foresee until now. When Candace died that showed me that the battle we’re in is more real than I could ever have imagined. He’s after the children.
When my baby girl died that Saturday, it was like I had been hit by Muhammad Ali. Once I got up off of the floor and realized this is what’s happening in the realm of the spirit, ladies and gentlemen, I didn’t care anymore what people thought about Jesus or what they thought about what Bible says. I didn’t care anymore.
I don’t care anymore about whether or not you believe what the Bible says because I am going to tell you what it says. I’m going to tell you what it says. Barry was living a life that he thought he was walking line in line with Jesus. But when Candace died it showed me how much of my life I had been living in compromise.
I said no more. My baby girl went to heaven before I did. It’s not supposed to work that way! So I said from that day forward until the rest of my life, Satan is going to know that Barry Johnson is in town. He’s going to know it because I am not going to compromise.
I’m going to make you angry. I’m going to make you upset. I am going to tell you what the Word of God says. You don’t have to like it. But know this: once I tell you what the Word of God says about anything you’re responsible for it. So when you get to heaven he’s going to say “Do you remember what Barry told you – Jesus knows my name because I’m standing for him – do you remember what Barry told you this and this? Why didn’t you listen to him?”
My point is this: at some point in your life ladies and gentlemen where the Bible says “this” period.
Let’s read verse 13 again. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
(14) And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
(15) But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
(16) Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle (They recognized it but their hearts were so hardened.) hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
(17) But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
What was it that they did not want to spread any further? Jesus. It wasn’t the miracles. The miracles were a result of preaching Jesus. They reasoned that if they could stop the preaching of Jesus they could stop the miracles.
If you stop speaking the Word, you will stop the manifestation in your life what the Word can produce. Do you hear me? The world wants us to stop speaking what the Bible says because when we stop speaking what the Bible says what the Bible can produce in our lives will not be produced and Jesus will not be able to signs, miracles and wonders through us.
That’s why the enemy of soul does not want us speaking what the Bible says. He wants us to be afraid to speak the truth to whomever because we want to satisfy them rather than satisfy God. Bro. Barry what do you mean?
If you are unwilling to let a person know that Jesus is the only way to heaven, regardless of what they believe, you’re satisfying that other person because you’re not giving them the Word of God. We’re living in compromise.
Let’s read verse 17 again. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that speak henceforth to no man in this name.
Do you see the phrase “straitly threaten them”? It’s the same Greek word repeated twice. It is “an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage”. Now I have a question for you. Is a threat truly a threat if the person does not have the power and/or authority and/or influence to carry it out?
Do you think these religious leaders had the power and/or authority to make good on their threats? You better believe they did. And yet, we see how Peter and John stood in the face of these threats don’t we? Do you think most of the Body of Christ could withstand such threats?
(18) And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
Do you see where the persecution is coming from? It’s the religious leaders. Where do those of us, who are doing our best to stand on what God says in His Word, get the most persecution? Other Christians.
Let me put it to you this way: the biggest problem for those of us who are trying to living the way the Bible says – our biggest problem is with our family.
(19) But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Peter is saying “Let me make sure I understand you correctly. I will do what you tell me to do or I will do what God tells me to do. Is that about right? Well, let me say this, I’m stepping out of this decision. You’ll have to make this one. But let me tell you what my decision is.”
(20) For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
On the surface it sounds like Peter is saying that I can only speak what God says. It goes deeper than that. Do you see the word “cannot”? It’s the combination of two Greek words.
The first is “dunamis” which means “to be able, to have power, whether by virtue of one’s own ability or resources, by permission of law or custom, or simply because they can.” The second Greek word is “ou”, which we have looked at before.
This is what Peter and John are saying: “We cannot but speak what we’ve seen and heard. We have no other choice.” They are telling the religious leaders they have no choice. But Bro. Barry they had free will. They could have made a decision to do something different. No they couldn’t because they said they had no choice.
Why did Peter and John not have a choice? There is no name in heaven and earth by which salvation is available. There is no other name in heaven and earth that you can get born again. We believe that. We have seen Him. We have lived with Him. We have walked with Him. We have no choice!
If you aim a gun at my head right now, I have no choice. It’s not an option. I have no choice. Peter and John are doing what Jesus did. Jesus said “My will is to do the will of the one who sent me.” Jesus said “I had no choice.” If you don’t have a will, what do you not have ladies and gentlemen? You don’t have a choice!
What is it going to take for us as a body to realize that when we make a decision that we don’t have a choice – that what God’s Word is all that matters? Until we get there, there is no the works that I do you will do also. Until we make that decision, we can do 2 Corinthians 3:18 all day long but we will not be changing from glory to glory because we have not made the decision that we have no choice.
How do you get to the place where you make a deliberate, unwavering, uncompromising, no going back decision that you have no choice but to say what the Bible says?
Go back to verses 10, 11 and 12. “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Look at First John 4:17 and 18. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness (speak plainly, bluntly) in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
This is how we come to an uncompromising place. It’s because of the love that’s living in us.
(21) So when they had further threatened them (This is the second time we see the word “threatened”.), they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
(22) For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
(23) And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
(24) And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
(25) Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
(26) The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
(27) For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
(28) For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
(29) And now, Lord, behold their threatenings (This is the third time this word appears in this passage.): and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
(30) By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
What we have just read is Mark 16:15-18.
One more verse. John 14:30. We’ll read it first from the King James and then from the Amplified Bible. This is what the disciples were saying to the religious leaders
King James – “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”
Amplified – I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me].
Here in Acts 4, the word “threaten” was used three times after each one Peter and John essentially say “Your threats don’t matter. We’re still going to do God’s word.”
In the movie the Dark Knight, the last movie that Heath Ledger did. He played the Joker. Batman has him in a room beating the snot out him and the Joker is laughing. Batman is telling him all the things he’s going to do to him. I want you hear what the Joker says.
“You have nothing that you can threaten me with.”
Ladies and gentlemen, that should be us. There should be nothing that this world can threaten us with to move us off of what the Word of God says. There should be nothing the family can threaten us with. We should be at the place where we say “Let me be clear: you have nothing to threaten me with!”
When we get to this place, life is sweet. Fear doesn’t rise up and take over you. There is nothing you can threaten me with. But I’ve got this gun Barry pointed at your head. “Pull the trigger.” The only thing you are going to do is let me see my Father sooner. If you think pointing a gun at my head is going to cause me to respond to you differently – it is not going to happen.
The next time the enemy breathes threats, tell him “You have nothing you can threaten me with. I am God’s son. I am God’s daughter. You have nothing. You have nothing that can draw me away from the table of my Father.”
When this is you it’s game over for Satan.
And then you’ll start living differently too. You will begin to walk the same way Jesus walked.
I’m closing. When Candace died the fear of death died for Barry. The fear of death died for Barry. My baby girl is in heaven with Jesus. Do you think that I am now afraid to die? Death is not a threat to Barry. Death can’t threaten Barry. I’ve already walked that path. When you get to the point that death is just one of those things that will happen you will live boldly for your Father.
Amen!
