This man was a picture of the sinner, who is born spiritually lame.
God did an undeniable work in his life, but the ungodly, though religious, would not accept it. It is still the same today. God does great things, and still ungodly men will not accept what He does, and can do, for mankind.
For example, God has forgiven more ALCOHOLICS, DRUG ADDICTS, PROSTITUTES, GAMBLERS, LIARS AND THIEVES of their sins, than any institution or organization has ever thought of helping.
You would think that at least one U.S. Senator would go before the Senate, and say that the millions we have spent trying to cure the problems of mankind have not accomplished the job, but we have undeniable evidence of God's changing:
• Drunks into respectable men.
• Thieves into honest men.
• Gamblers into working men.
• Liars into men who speak the truth.
• Harlots into loving wives and mothers.
So let's encourage more of this.
But no, even though what God has done for people is indisputable, still lost men prefer to ignore God, and His power.
The fact is, if the Lord cannot deliver a man from his sin problem, certainly no man can.
God completely cured the lame man of his condition, and once He did, this man wasted no time getting to the temple to praise God for what He had done.
Then, instead of giving God the glory, look what they did in Acts 4:17b. We read, "...the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees…laid hands on them and put them in hold…”
Peter and John, who were used of God to do this great miracle, were put in prison. Once they turned Peter and John loose, let us see what transpired.
I. THE ASSEMBLING
Verse 23, "And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.”
Notice, once they were released from prison, the Bible says "... they went to their own company... "
That is, they had been with the devil’s crowd, but once they got away from them, they assembled with their own company. Christians are with the ungodly every day, but they prefer to associate with God’s people. The only time they prefer to be with the lost, is to witness to them. Let me give you an example:
Illus: A Christian man was in a restaurant. An ungodly man came in, and immediately began to talk indecently to several of the waitresses. Another man was there, who was threatening to do bodily harm to a man he disliked. There was another man there, who was talking about an affair that he had going on, that his wife did not know anything about. The Christian man was glad to get through with his meal, and get away from that ungodly crowd. He recognized that he did not have a thing in common with them.
Probably, if any of those ungodly people in that restaurant knew how this man felt about being around them, they would have thought something was wrong with him for feeling that way.
Christians do not have a thing in common with lost people. We do not even know where they are coming from most of the time.
They will go out and get in a fight with someone, and come out it with a bloody nose saying, "We sure had a good time last night."
What they call a "good time" is hard for us to comprehend. What they call a good time is certainly not what we call a good time.
Illus: People like this remind me of the story of the six-year-old who could not comprehend his teacher's instructions. He went home and told his Mother he had to have two guns to take to school the next day. The mother asked, “Why do you need two guns?” The child said, “Our teacher said that tomorrow she is going to teach us to draw!"
The Bible tell us that as soon as Peter and John got loose, they ASSEMBLED WITH GOD’S PEOPLE.
And the same thing happens today. When God’s people get a chance, they always want to assemble with God’s people.
Illus: The ancient proverb is still true: “Birds of a feather flock together.” You do not find a sparrow flying with a flock of buzzards.
You can always tell God’s people, by the kind of people they associate with. A man is known by the company he keeps.
Illus: In 1765, John Fawcett was called to pastor a small church at Wainsgate, England. He was with those folks seven year's, when he received a call to a much larger church. The little church paid him only a small salary, and he and his wife could barely get by financially.
When Dr. Fawcett received the call, he decided he would accept. As he and his wife were packing their few belongings in a wagon for moving, many of his members came by to say good-by, and again asked him to reconsider.
Touched by their love and tears, Mrs. Fawcett began to cry and she said, “John, I cannot bear this, these people need us here so badly.”
He said to his wife, "Yes, God has spoken to my heart also. Let's begin to unload the wagon.”
Shortly thereafter he was inspired to write the beautiful hymn, “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love! The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.”
Like Peter and John, who were detained by the worldly crowd, sometimes we cannot help but be detained by that crowd, but once we are free, we recognize the love that binds us all together.
In Hebrews 10:25, we read, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
We looked at THE ASSEMBLING of God’s people, now let us look at-
II. THE ACCLAIMING
Look at Verses 24-28. We read, ”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: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 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, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”
The best time to tell how we stand spiritually, is after we have been fried and tried. Now these disciples had been put to the test, and there are three outstanding things we learn that came from that test.
A. WHAT THEY HEARD
Look at Verse 24. We read, “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.”
WHAT DID THEY HEAR?
Peter and John related to them all of the events of the last few days, of how the Sanhedrin had risen up against them and had them jailed over night, and how they had been brought before the council, and how they were questioned about their authority to preach the message of the resurrection of Christ.
Persecution has always drawn the body of Christ closer together, and closer to Him.
Notice, the Bible says, “… they lifted up their voice to God with ONE ACCORD,”
lllus: John Wesley was riding along a road one day, when it dawned on him that three whole days had passed in which he had suffered no persecution. Not a brick or an egg had been thrown at him for three days.
Alarmed, he stopped his horse, and exclaimed, “Can it be that I have sinned, and am backslidden?” Slipping from his horse, Wesley went down on his knees, and began entreating God to show him where, if any, there had been a fault.
A rough fellow, who knew Wesley and hated him because of his preaching of the gospel, heard him praying. He picked up a large rock and threw it at Wesley. It missed him, but landed beside him. When it landed beside him, he jumped up and said, “Thank God! It's all right, I still have His presence.”
Persecution outside of the church has always caused God's people to draw closer to God, and to each other.
Here God's people HEARD all about the things that had transpired in the last couple of days. But look-
B. WHAT THEY DID
Look again at Verse 24, we read, “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.”
The Bible says they came to God with ONE ACCORD.
It pleases God when His church becomes one in Christ.
When the church has problems, it is the result of people walking in different directions.
Illus: As youngsters we used to have “Three-legged” races. Two people would stand side by side, and tie their legs together in the center, leaving the outer legs free.
Several sets of folks would do this. Then we would all line up and race. The two who moved fastest, moving together, would be the set to win the race. It was really difficult to try to even walk like that, until the two people learned to walk together.
When God's people learn to walk together, "with one accord, " God does something.
Look at Acts 2. The church was in “One accord”, and God filled them with the Holy Spirit.
The devil knows the danger of the Church's becoming united, and he does all he can to SOW DISCORD among the brethren; getting them to go in different directions.
In verse 24, they all, "with one accord," began to praise the Lord.
We looked at what THEY HEARD, and WHAT THEY DID, but let us look at something else-
C. WHAT THEY BELIEVED
Look at verse 24 again. They said, “…Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.
Even though many were suffering persecution, some even jailed, etc., still they praised the Lord.
HOW COULD THEY STILL PRAISE HIM?
Because they knew Who He was. They recognized that He, the God Who made everything, was still very much in control.
In verse 27, we see that even as they remembered that, it seemed that Pontius Pilate, and many of the others were in control in their effort to kill the Lord Jesus. Yet in all of this, God, the Creator, was very much in control.
Today, when we face severe trials, we often forget how the Lord took care of His people through the ages. But if we will remember, then we, "with one accord”, will praise Him, because we know He can do the same for us.
In all of our church services, we do not praise the Lord enough.
Every week God does great things, but do we discuss those things? No!
We talk about sports, politics, races, etc., but we do not tell what God has done. But, when we gather together and praise the Lord, and talk "with one accord" about what God has done, it builds our faith.
If I can see how God has answered prayer in your life, it lets me know He can do the same in my life.
Those early Christians gathered in one place, and lifted up their voices to God with one accord, ACCLAIMING His greatness!
We looked at THE ASSEMBLING, and THE ACCLAIMING, but let us look at-
III. THE ACQUIRING
Look at verses 29-30. We read, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.”
Persecutions have always driven God's people to prayer, and God has honored their prayers.
Illus: Dr. Will Mayo, and his brother, Charles Mayo, were founders of the world famed Mayo Clinic. Dr. Will Mayo said one day, “I have seen patients that were dead by all standards. We knew they could not live. But I have seen a minister come to the bedside, and do something for him that I could not do, although I have done everything in my professional power. Something touched some immortal spark in him and in defiance of medical knowledge and materialistic common sense, that patient lived!”
Abraham Lincoln said, “Many times, my problems have driven me to my knees.”
Most of the great men and women of history, were men and women who placed great value upon prayer, because they had seen God work as a result of prayer.
These Christians, who had heard about Peter and John being locked up and threatened by the, Sanhedrin, sought the Lord.
Notice three things in this brief prayer:
A. THEIR PERSONAL REQUEST
In Verse 29, we read, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.”
B. THEIR PROBLEM REMEDIED
Look at verse 30, we read, “By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.”
C. THEIR PRAYERS REACHED
In verse 31, we read, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
Like all good Christians, when difficult times came, they SOUGHT THE LORD, that they might ACQUIRE the help they needed.
Last of all, let us look at-
IV. THE AFTERMATH
Look at verses 32-37, we read, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.”
The devil did all he could to make things turn in his favor, but look how the Lord used His people, and turned things around to God's good.
A. SPIRITUAL UNITY
In verse 32, we read, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”
B. SPIRITUAL UNSELFISHNESS
Look at verse 32 again, we read, “…neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”
These were some unselfish Christians.
Look at verses 34-37, “Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.”
C. SPIRITUAL SHARING
They not only shared their material blessings, they also shared their spiritual blessings. They shared the gospel of the Lord Jesus.
In verse 33, we read, “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”
Conclusion:
I. THE ASSEMBLING
II. THE ACCLAIMING
III. THE ACQUIRING
IV. THE AFTERMATH
