Determination To Make Christ Known
Acts 4:8-22
INTRODUCTION
By a show of hands how many of you like fishing?
Explain how Arnhem Land ruined me!
Well, I want to tell you a story about three people who went on a fishing trip together: A priest, a pastor, & a rabbi went out in a boat to catch fish. They tried every kind of bait, but the fish wouldn’t be in it! So after awhile, the priest got out of the boat and walked across the water to a better place. Then the rabbi got out & walked across the water to a good spot. The pastor thought to himself, ‘I’m not going to be left out of this’, so he stepped out of the boat - & BLOOP! sank. He floundered around, climbed back into the boat, & tried again - and again & again & again. Exhausted & just about at drowning point he got ready to try yet again! The priest looked at the rabbi, the rabbi looked at the priest & the priest said, ‘You reckon we should tell him where the stepping stones are?’
This morning we’re going to look for the stepping stones - stones that provide help in making Jesus known. I have called today’s message, ‘Determination to Make Christ Known’. The priest and the rabbi knew where the stepping stones were to enable them to fish – let’s find some stepping stones to help us present Jesus Christ.
I suppose the first question we need to address is this - should we in fact have a holy determination to make Christ known?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
Turn to Acts chapter 4, where we’ll try to discover some stepping stones.Penny will read vss 8-12 and John Doodt vss 13-22.
Listen carefully to the Word of God as it is read to us. See if you can discern critical truths, stepping stones, to help us in our quest to make Christ known.
(READ – ACTS 4:8-12 FOLLOWED BY 13-22)
We heard in those verses a portion of Peter’s address to the Sanhedrin. What was the Sanhedrin? A lame man had been healed (we reed about that in chapter 3), and the Jewish authorities go ballistic! Yet nothing could silence Peter and his colleagues. They were ‘Determined to Make Christ Known’. Why were they determined to make Him known?
Well verse 11 gives us our first stepping stone and part of the answer as to why these men were determined to make Christ known. Their eyes had been opened to the fact that this Jesus was the one spoken of by the prophets – at your own leisure look up Ps 118:22; Is 28:16; 1 Cor 3:11 and Eph 2:20 where we are told that -
1. HE (that is Jesus Christ) IS THE FOUNDATION STONE
You see the primary stepping stone is Jesus Christ Himself. He (verse 11 tells us) is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Or the cornerstone, or the foundation stone – the primary stone is none other than Jesus Christ. Peter and John were determined to make Him known not because they wanted the challenge, or to win the theological argument, but because they knew Him to be essential.
We need to understand that Jesus is essential. And that should compel us to make Him known.
So the chief stepping stone we discover from God’s Word when looking at the example of Peter & John is to see that all things hold together in and through Jesus. And in presenting Him we need to convey that.
In your own mind ask yourself this question right now, ‘Do I believe that Jesus is essential?’ If you answered ‘yes’, then you have a responsibility to communicate that to others.
He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.
The second stepping stone we discover in looking at the example of Peter and John is to -
2. PRESENT JESUS AND HIM ALONE
This is not fashionable! We live in an age of tolerance & acceptance & equality. An age that does not know the meaning of love. An age where truth takes second place to feelings & love is determined by feelings.
Listen to Isaiah 45:22
Listen to John 10:7-9
Listen to John 14:6
Rescue is found in a Person, & there’s only one person in whom it’s found. That may not sound politically correct, but it’s true! The Spirit proclaimed through the apostle Peter, Salvation is found in no one else, there is no other name under heaven given by which we must be saved.Deliverance comes in the Person of Jesus Christ. Not through any other person, or creed, or church, or system or works. It’s only found in the Person of Christ.
A way in helping us to become determined in making Christ known is to see Him as the only answer to man’s need. Answer this question honestly before God – ‘Do I see Him as the only way?’
The third stepping stone we discover is that in order to be effective in making Christ known we need to -
3. LIVE A LIFE WHICH PROVES JESUS
We are to live as those who are new creations. We need to live as those who are born again by the Spirit of God.
But what does that mean – what does that kind of life look like?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
In which verse is this kind of life recognised in Peter and John?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
Yes, verse 13.The healing of the lame man was a wonderful miracle. The Jews admitted this in vs 16. But this wasn’t the only miracle, for in vs 13, we read about two men of whom the only explanation was Jesus Christ. They were new creations in Him. And Jesus was manifest in their lives.
’Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ (2 Cor 5:17)
Did you hear that? If you belong to Jesus Christ you are a new creation! There was a day when heaven was full of rejoicing – the day you were born again – the day you were made afresh (see Lk 15:7).
What was the secret of Peter & John’s radiant testimony! The secret was they ‘had been with Jesus’ - in other words, they were living in close fellowship and communion with their Lord – and it showed!
Are you living in close fellowship and communion with your Lord? Are you determined to make Christ known?
If you are, you will be determined to live in close relationship with Him and you will be determined to live a life which proves Him. And if you are living in close relationship with Him you cannot but be determined to make Him known.
The next stepping stone is in vs 14 – what is it?
(ALLOW RESPONSES)
It is the principle, that in being determined to make Christ known we should -
4. DO THE WORKS OF GOD TO PROVE THE REALITY OF JESUS
We read in vs 14 that those who were opposing Peter & John had nothing to say – they were speechless! Why? Because in front of them stood Peter and John’s proof of their claims. The presence of this healed man was indisputable proof of the truth of Peter’s message.
Listen to Mark 2:5-12
In three of the gospels we have this account of Jesus being accused of blasphemy after saying to a paralytic, ‘son, your sins are forgiven’.
How does Jesus prove His claim?
He proves His claim by doing works that confirm it.
How can we prove the reality of the living Christ? Changed lives is the answer. They’re an unanswerable proof to the truth of the message.
So what if there appears to be no fruit for our labours? If there’s no healed ‘lame’ man? What then of demonstrating the reality of God?
You are the healed lame man! This is a tremendous thing about being in the Lord’s work – as I work for Him, that very same work produces fruit in my own life!
And further, in your endeavour to serve God faithfully even though ‘there be no grapes on the vine’ you’ll be making it remarkably clear that you do indeed ‘Serve a risen Saviour, He’s in the world today.’ A Saviour who is able to give you a determination to be true to Him even when He does not appear to be blessing your efforts.
In endeavouring to make Christ known we must do the works of God to provide indisputable proof of the truth of our message. And we need to note that being determined to make Christ known is in fact one of the works that God desires – and He will use that work to point people to Jesus.
Finally, verse 19 makes it clear that if we are to make Christ known we need to -
5. BE COMMITTED TO THE THINGS OF GOD
We would do well to keep the truth of verse 19 always before us – ‘is this thing right in the sight of God?’ Will what I propose please Him? If I do this, will I be breaking any of His commandments? Here is a test which should guide us in every decision we make - in business, in the home, in personal life and in Church life. Is it right in the sight of God to sign this contract! to accept this offer? to read this book? to develop this friendship? to join this Church? to spend this money? Will it please Him? Will it honour the Holy Spirit?
CONCLUSION
The challenge this morning is to use the stepping stones – be determined to make Christ known. The Priest and the Rabbi were determined to catch fish and they knew the path that was necessary. The Pastor was determined to catch fish too, but he didn’t know of the stepping stones.
If you are not already determined to make Christ known – please make it your goal to develop this determination. Throw yourself on the mercy of God, plead with Him to give you a heart to present Jesus.
Ask Him to help you to -
Understand Jesus to be essential – that all things are dependant on Him!
Ask Him to help you to -
Present Jesus And Him Alone – people need to hear the truth!
Ask Him to help you to -
Live A Life Which Proves Jesus – cultivate your relationship with Him!
Ask Him to help you to -
Do The Works Of God To Prove The Reality Of Jesus – people need to see our works and glorify God!
Ask Him to help you to -
Be Committed To The Things Of God – is this right in God’s sight?
LET’S PRAY
