We saw that when the Lord healed him, he went into the temple, "And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful. Gate of the temple... "
Anyone who knew this man, knew this was a miracle, because they knew he had been lame from the time he was born, and now they saw him walking. They never thought they would ever see him doing that.
Everyone who saw this miracle should have been rejoicing, but when Peter preached the truth to them, they became angry.
Those who rejected Christ should have at least admitted to themselves it had been a miracle. That could not be denied.
Instead, the church leaders and their cohorts joined hands against Peter and John, because they wanted to justify their evil deeds, and Peter and John were exposing them for what they were.
People have not changed. Consider the following example:
Illus: On April 3, 1991, the "Today's Show" dealt with teenage suicides. They showed how a vast majority of those who committed suicide, were homosexuals. They had a psychiatrist on the show, to help them in explaining why those perverted young people were committing suicide. She explained that society was not educated to being sensitive to, and accepting of, the homosexual people as good people. She blamed much of the suicide on right-wing preachers, who preached against homosexuality.
I guess she did not think that the God Who made us, should know what is best for us!
God commanded, in Leviticus 18:22, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”
It is the same today as in the past, usually ungodly people outnumber God's people. Today, ungodly people control the air ways.
Remember, just because news reporters express their liberal views, does not mean they are right!
Homosexuality goes against all God has placed within us. The sin of homosexuality is such a deplorable sin, it takes it’s toll on people. A person can only live with so much guilt, before it becomes more than he can bear. Many homosexuals commit suicide, because it is such a disgusting sin, and they feel so guilty for allowing themselves to fall so low.
This is not the fault of the man who proclaims the truth of God's Word, as he warns people to turn away from this sin.
Let's take a look at the response of the ungodly, after God did the marvelous work of healing the man who had been born lame.
I. THE CHARGE
Look at verses 1-4. We read, “And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.”
Luke told Theophilus that the great miracle of the healing of the lame man, gave the disciples an excellent chance to be accepted by the multitudes.
They took full advantage of that, and began to preach that God could do a greater miracle than that.
They began to preach, “…Through Jesus the resurrection from the dead”
You would think, even though they perhaps might reject the miracle of the healing of the lame man, they would want to hear about the resurrection, because that was something that would affect all of them personally one day; but instead, they became angry at that teaching.
Look at verse 2. We read, “Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”
Why would they be angry about the preaching of the resurrection?
Possibly for two reasons:
A. BECAUSE OF MONEY
They stood to loose income, if many of the Jews turned to Christ, because the Christian Jews were using their money to spread the gospel, and help Christians who did not have enough money to live on.
A similar situation is spoken about in Acts 19. Paul went to that mighty town of Ephesus, and preached the gospel.
Look at Acts 19: 17-20, we read, “And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.”
Again, as the Word of God grew, so did the opposition. People who were being converted left their idolatry, so those who made the idols were facing a real recession.
In verses 23-29, we read, "And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.”
Anytime you start to cut the devil’s crowd out of their money, they are going to get upset.
Illus: Hustler Magazine’s pornography editor, Larry Flynt, has done all he can do to dig up evil in the lives of conservative politicians. Why? Because he sees them as a threat to his pocket book, and he is trying to destroy them, before they destroy him.
Illus: Church history records stories of great revivals that caused men to turn from their liquor and sin. As preachers spoke out against prostitution, night clubs, dope, etc., God would convict hearts and many turned to the Lord. When this happened, the bar owners and liquor salesmen would use every means at their disposal to fight those preachers, and revivals, and they would make it hard on Christians.
How sad it is to know that not very many liquor dealers, tobacco salesmen, prostitutes, etc., have to fight very hard to defend their living any more.
Satan has so conditioned Christians, that they no longer are angry at sin. They no longer fight it. They may speak out against it, but no action is taken, on a large enough scale, to move the world to action against them, as was the case in the days of the New Testament church.
Oh, that. revival might again sweep our mighty nation!
There is another reason why people get angry when God's Word is preached:
B. BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Righteousness applies in two areas:
1. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to us once we become Christians. When God sees us, He does not see our sin, but the righteousness of Christ.
2. The righteousness that applies to the “right way of living.”
When a preacher preaches from this Bible, he tells people how they should live to please the Lord. But, most people do not want to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord; they want to please themselves. They get angry when the preacher tells them they need to accept Christ so their lives will change, because without Him they are not living right.
Illus: As one preacher was preaching, two lesbians jumped up and left the meeting as if they had left the roast in the oven burning. But, after the meeting, they came back and wanted to talk to the preacher. They were angry; especially the one who looked like "Butch." When they got through expressing that anger, he told them they took it upon themselves to attend a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church, and asked them what they had expected to hear. One of them said, "We know what we do is wrong, but we did not come to church to be condemned, we came to hear how God loves us!" The preacher assured them that God did love them, but the lifestyle they had chosen was disgusting, and God expected them to confess that sin, and be free from it.
When Paul began to preach the resurrection, the religious crowd of that day realized that such a message could definitely be a threat to them. They stood to lose some members from their flock, so they did not rejoice; they had the disciples arrested, and charged them with heresy.
Well, the Word of God had already done it's powerful deed. Verse 4 says, "Howbeit, many of them which heard the word believed, and the number of the men was about-five thousand.”
We looked at THE CHARGE in verses 1 through 4, but now let us look at-
II. THE COUNCIL
Look at Acts 4:5-12. We read, “And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 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. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 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.”
Jesus had warned the disciples while He was here on earth, that they would be delivered up before councils, and tried as common criminals.
Now they could relate to what He had said. The council asked Peter and John, ”By what power, or by what name, have ye done this.”
In other words, “Just who do you think you are? Who gave you the authority to preach the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus?”
That is a fair question, but it would have also been fair to ask the Saducees just who had given them the authority to preach if there was no resurrection!
Illus: Reminds me of a young girl who was to say a prayer at her high school graduation. The principal said, “In order not to offend the Jewish parents, I want you not to mention the name of in your prayer.” She said, “I will be glad not to mention the name of Jesus in my prayer. But I understand a Jewish classmate is going to close in prayer, and I must insist that she mentions the name of Christ, or else I will be offended.”
So the disciples have every right, to ask them who gave them the authority to say they cannot preach the resurrection of Christ.
Illus: The chief teaching of the Saducees was that there is no resurrection, and that is why they are “Sad-you-see...”
Seriously, they believed there was no resurrection, and they felt they had the authority to peddle their damnable, and hopeless religion on everyone else.
Illus: Suppose someone asked us that same question. “By what power or by what name, have you done this?" Suppose we answered that we had been given that authority by the President of the United States. We would feel comfortable with that authority.
But, the fact is, we have a greater authority than the President of the United States, we have the Lord Jesus, the Creator of life, Who gave us this authority.
Sometimes, we go about spreading the gospel as if we had been told to mind our own business, because that is what we are doing.
It is the business of Christians to boldly proclaim this gospel, and not let those who reject it intimidate us. We must not be silent. One of the last things the Lord did, was give us authority, and commanded us to preach the good news of the gospel.
Look at Mark 16:15-16. We read, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Christians have the greatest authority that can be given to mankind!
III. THE COURAGE
Look at Acts 4:13-15, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves.”
The last time Peter was near that judgment hall, he had been asked if he was a disciple of the Lord Jesus, and he turned coward and denied that he even knew of this man.
Look at the new Peter, filled with God's Spirit now!
He stands before them without even a tremor. They accused him, and he, in return, accused them!
In Acts 4: 8-12, we read, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 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.”
Such courage the Holy Spirit gives us, but also look at
IV. THE CONFUSION
Look at Acts 4:16. We read, “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.”
The lost world does not know what to do with us. They know what it would be like if Christians were not around.
(1) Look at all the Orphanages they have started.
(2) Look at all the hospitals they have built.
(3)Look at all the lives that have been change for the better.
(4) Look at the wonderful message they spread.
(5) Look at the joy they bring to a society.
They lost world does not know what to do with Christians.
They cannot live with us, and they certainly cannot live without us.
V. THE CONNIVING
In Acts 4:17-22, we read, “But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 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. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, 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. For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was showed.”
A. THEIR RESPONSE
In verses 17-22, the ungodly council got tough with the disciples.
B. THE REPLY
In verses 19-22, the godly gave a firm reply. They could not help but speak the things they had seen and heard!
Conclusion:
I. THE CHARGE
II. THE COUNCIL
III. THE COURAGE
IV. THE CONFUSION
V. THE CONNIVING
