“Bold For Christ”
Acts 4:10-14
What would it take for you to become bold for Christ?
As we look at our text today I am leaning in the subject of being a witness for Christ.
On the morning of August 7, 1974, French acrobat Philippe Petit walked the more than 130 feet between the Twin Towers on a high wire approximately one-quarter mile up in the air. Thousands of commuters stared up, gasping in amazement. In a span of 45 minutes, he crossed between the towers eight times. He became so comfortable in the act that he got down on one knee and laid down on the cable.
I heard a preacher, some years ago, called a women up to the platform. He asked her if she would walk a beam that was placed between the two towers. For 1000, 10,000, or 1 Million.
Her reply each time, “absolutely never.” Then He said, what if you were on one tower and someone had your child on the other side and said “If you don’t walk over here your child will be dropped.” She began to cry and said “Yes I would walk across the beam.”
The point is, each and every one of us have a point in our lives that would cause us to do whatever it takes.
What about standing up for Christ?
What would you do to warn someone whose home is on fire and you knew they were inside?
I am not trying to guilt trip anyone, I just want every one understand how important being a witness is.
1 Peter 3:15-16 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”
Vs. 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.”
As we saw last time Peter simply spoke the truth about the crucifixion of Jesus and the victory that occurred when He rose from the grave.
Vs. 11 “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.”
We looked at several passages that prophesied that there would be one who would become the “head of the corner.”
In other words, the Church established was from Jesus and not any other and that He alone is the Head.
The leaders of the Temple had nothing to do with what Christ came to establish.
Vs. 12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
In the world today we hear statements like “there are many paths that lead to heaven.”
I have a problem with that and any other idea that there are different paths leading to the throne of God.
Vs. 13 “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.”
In the history of the Jewish people, there is spoken of a time in each young man’s life when they would be sent to the Temple and the teachers of the Law. There they would be evaluated and few were chosen for an education and service to the Temple. The rest would return home and learn the family skill and trade.
Such would be Peter and John as well as the others who would be called into the service of the Lord’s work.
Boldness - freedom in speaking, unreserved in speech, openly, frankly, without concealment
Perceived - to detect, to lay hold of with the mind
Unlearned - illiterate,
Ignorant - a common person without any formal education who lived a simple life outside of public service.
They marvelled - They wondered that men who had not been educated in the schools of the rabbis, and accustomed to speak in public, should declare their sentiments with so much boldness.
That they had been with Jesus. –
Every commentary I have looked at made the remark about being seen with Jesus, but I personally think it is much deeper than that.
Imagine the impact that Jesus had of these men and so many others.
Their prayer life changed
Their daily activities have changed
Their outlook have changed
Their love for people have changed
Their boldness have changed
WHY? “They had been with Jesus.”
This would be an observation throughout the first generation until such a time as seen in Acts 11:26 “And when he had found him (Saul/Paul), he (Barnabas) brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
Vs. 14 “And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”
Last observation:
Nothing could be said against the man that was healed.
Conclusion:
I ask a simple question; “What changed when you trusted Christ as your Saviour?”
If there was no change on the outside then there was no change on the inside.
Jesus will accept any into His family as they are, but He will not leave us in that condition.
Rom 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
They were bold because they knew Jesus.
