The last time we were together, we began looking at ways of thinking that the Apostle Paul describes as “strong holds.” Found only in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “strongholds” are wrong thoughts and beliefs about God that have been emotionally hardwired into our minds that hinder, what 2 Timothy 2:4 describes is a desire “to come unto a knowledge of the truth.”
Strongholds are lies that have been engrained so deeply into our minds and belief systems that we believe they are true.
Second Corinthians 10:5 says when it comes to dealing with strongholds – and let’s see how Paul describes them – we must “cast down imaginations, and every high thing.” He says strongholds are “imaginations” and “every high thing.”
Let’s turn to 2 Corinthians 10. We’re going to read verses three, four and five.
(3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh;
(4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
(5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Paul is creating an image of a person forcefully pulling down and demolishing lies and wrong beliefs that have been elevated above the truth of God’s Word. Strongholds, as used here in Second Corinthians, are untruths about God that have been elevated above truths about God.
So, how do we deal with beliefs that are not true when it comes to God? We must demolish the untruth by imposing God’s truth on them and we do this by creating new strongholds in our minds based on God’s truth. And ladies and gentlemen, God’s truth is only found in God’s Word. God’s truth is only found in the Bible.
Today, we’re going to look at Acts 4 and the strongholds operating in the lives of Peter and John as they confront the religious leaders. But before we do that, let me remind you of the definition of Godly strongholds.
Godly strongholds are ways of thinking about God, based on His Word, that have been so engrained in our minds and belief systems that we know and confess that they are true.
Now turn to Acts 4. We’re going to read a chunk of verses, beginning with verse 13. But to understand the context of what we’re about to read, I encourage you to read Acts 3 and the first 12 verses of Acts 4 because I’m only going to touch on a few things from Acts 3.
Peter and John are walking toward the temple at the hour of prayer. They see a man who has never walked; he was born crippled.
Let’s read some of Acts 3. We’re going to pick it up in verse 2.
(2) And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb and carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which was called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered the temple;
(3) Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
(4) And Peter, fasting his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
(5) And he gave heed (The man did what Peter asked him to do.) unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
As the man asks for alms, Peter looks at him and says, and I love this.
(6) Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: (Now I want you to pay attention to “the such as I have” that Peter gives to the man.) In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
(7) And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
(8) And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping, and praising God.
Do you see what’s happening? Can you imagine the commotion this must have caused? A man that the people knew and walked past every day for years is now walking and leaping! Can you say running! And he’s praising God at the top of his lungs! Wow!
The wonderful and miraculous power of Jesus was on full display, ladies and gentlemen, simply because Peter said “What I have inside of me – a life that has power to bring the miraculous – I am going to share it with you.”
The same life that lived in Peter now lives in us! We have power – the same power – that can bring the miraculous! The power is in us, ladies and gentlemen. It is resident in our born again spirits! It’s the same power that lives in Jesus! It’s the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead! It’s now in us!
We can look at the cripple, we can look at the blind and we can look at the deaf and say “What I have, I am going to share it with you. In the Jesus’ name …” We see in these verses one of Peter and John’s strongholds.
Peter knew that his new nature was a house for the power of the living God! Ladies and gentlemen, your new nature is a house for the power of the living God!
Now say this with me. We’re going to confess and declare a new stronghold: “I am born again and I am a storehouse for the power of the living God! By faith, I release that power to heal the sick, to give sight to the blind and to cause the lame to walk. I believe this! The miracle-working power of Jesus lives in me and it freely flows through me!”
When Peter heals the lame man, it opens the door for him to deliver one of the most powerful “sermons” in the entire New Testament. And the response from the religious leaders was, shall we say, less than enthusiastic. Let’s pick this up in Acts 4 with 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 that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
The religious rulers send the Temple guards to seize Peter and John and to throw them into prison. And you know why? They were preaching truth. They were preaching that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Ladies and gentlemen, the time is fast approaching where preaching Jesus in this country will also lead to prison time and possibly, death. If that should happen before the Lord’s return, my prayer is that you will endure to the end and not relinquish your eternity with Jesus.
The religious rulers bring Peter and John before the ruling religious body and demand that they explain how they healed the lame man. Peter doesn’t mince his words. (Isn’t that just like him?) Let’s pick this up with verse 10.
(10) 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.
(11) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
(12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
I want you to see what Peter is saying to the religious leaders.
? You crucified Jesus – not the Romans.
? You crucified Him, but God raised Him from the dead.
? Jesus, the man you crucified, healed the man and that’s why he’s standing before you.
? You despised and rejected Jesus.
? There is no true salvation in the keeping of the Law.
? The man you crucified, the man you despised and rejected – His name is Jesus, and He is the only way to salvation and an eternity with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
What boldness! What an uncompromising stand! More importantly, what love and compassion! Through Peter, the Lord is once again trying to touch the hearts of the religious leaders, which had become callous and hard. He’s giving them another opportunity to recognize their error and repent. Oh, how God loved them!
There’s something in this account that I find very interesting. Peter’s healing of the lame man and powerful sermon and confrontation with the religious leaders occur after he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Remember the instructions Jesus gave to those gathered in the upper room? Turn to Acts 1, verse 8.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Ladies and gentlemen, if we want to say to the lame, the blind, and the sick, “such as I have give I thee,” then we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the manifestation of speaking in tongues?
If you have not, then say this prayer we me. And for those of you who have received the Him, pray this as a support to those who have not. “Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for filling me with the Holy Spirit, the power from on high, and giving me all of the spiritual gifts that I need. And because I have this infilling, I will make my life a witness for you, both in words and in deeds. And Holy Spirit, thank you for the gift of speaking in tongues. Amen.”
Now say this new stronghold confession with me. “I have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. I have received power from on high. Jesus works through me to heal the sick, to give sight to the blind and to heal the lame. I believe this! The power from on high lives in me and freely flows through me!”
Now open your mouth and begin to speak in tongues. The Holy Spirit won’t move until you open your mouth. Again, those of you who already have your Heavenly prayer language, begin to speak as a support to those who just received their prayer language. That’s it! That’s it! Praise God!
Now as we continue to record about Peter and John getting into the crosshairs of the religious leaders again, it will now mean a little more to you! We’re going to pick the record up in verse 13.
(13) Now when they (the religious leaders) 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.
How did they know that Peter and John had been with Jesus? The lame man was standing next to them. He was healed. Wasn’t that one of Jesus’ calling cards? Absolutely. And ladies and gentlemen, if we are Jesus’ disciples, like Peter and John were his disciples, shouldn’t this also be the thing that lets people know that “we have 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 hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
Peter and John walked in the power that resided inside of them – the same power that resides in each blood-washed believer today. And the religious leaders couldn’t disagree with what they saw or deny the power of Jesus that worked through them. After all, the “healed” stood with them!
Do you think it would be any different today? Do you think the Christian naysayers would be able to dispute the healing of one of their relatives? The power resides in us! In us!
I eagerly looked for the day when we are walking in so much of God’s love that we will see Jesus’ healing power flowing freely once again.
Verse 17.
(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.
(18) And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
(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:
(20) For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
This is the second time that Peter and John have gotten under the skins of the religious leaders, so much so that they threaten them again not to preach Jesus. But you know something ladies and gentlemen? When your life is not your own, when you know that you’ve been bought with a price, there is nothing anyone can threaten you with. And that’s what we see in Peter and John’s response. “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
I want to draw your attention to one word – cannot. It’s a combination of two Greek words. The first is dunamai, which means “to be able” or “to have the power to do.” The second is ou and it communicates an “absolute negation” of something.
Peter and John told the religious leaders, “There is absolutely nothing, and we mean nothing, that you can do to us to stop us from preaching the wonderful name of Jesus! We will continue to speak boldly and without compromise what we have heard our Lord say and we will do the works that we have seen our Lord do!” Wow!
Peter and John made their stand on the rock of Jesus’ sayings, on the rock of the words that He had spoken, on the rock of the words that He had told them to take into all the world! Shouldn’t this be the stand of every single Christian?
This leads me to another new stronghold declaration. Say this with me: “The Bible is God’s divine love letter to me. Every word in it is life and truth for me. I cannot speak anything other than life and truth. I believe this! God’s Word is truth and my heart, mind, and mouth are filled with that truth. It is the joy and rejoicing of my heart!”
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s be like Peter and John. Let’s stand firmly, boldly and lovingly with God and His Word because a dying world needs this from us!
