They Had Been With Jesus

This was sparked from another sermon I read. Same title but not the same sermon.

“THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS!”

LWC, May 17, 2009 AM

INTRODUCTION:

I’ve heard it said that “BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER!” It’s true. You won’t see an Eagle hanging out with a Buzzard! You won’t see a Cardinal buddying up with a Hawk! It just doesn’t happen!

I’ve also been told that “YOU’RE ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE YOU HANG AROUND WITH!” I believe that as well! I’ve hung out with some people in my days that were a little unsavory to say the least and I began to be associated with them! “Hey! You’re the one that hangs out with that ...Guy!” There are some people I want to be associated with and there are some I do not!

Peter learned about “ASSOCIATION” the day of Jesus’ Crucifixion! Somebody saw him who had seen him with that man, JESUS! They insisted he was one of those who traveled with Him so he must be “ONE” of them, he denied it ever happened but we know it did! But Peter, eventually got it together and never again was he ashamed of who he hung out with or was associated with.

We need to be careful who we hang out with and are associated with, but that’s not the topic of my sermon this morning! Well, it is but not in that direction!

Of all the people we need to be associated with one might think church people, but no! You hang with Church people that might be good or that might be bad!

One might think conservatives, but no! You hang out with conservative thinkers then you start thinking conservative! Good! At least in my book!

One might think the wealthy so maybe some of that wealth might rub off on us, but no! You hang out with the wealthy you might learn something about money! That’s not a bad thing!

Now, understand these are not necessarily bad or the wrong people, but there is one who takes preeminence over all of them! JESUS!

Let’s look at what happened to two of the disciples that hung with Jesus!

Peter and John found themselves in JAIL! Other times they both were beaten and jailed but this time they found themselves in JAIL! That’s not where Christians should be! But that’s where they were over night!

Finally, they were brought before the Religious Leaders of the day, these were the same that crucified Jesus! They were questioned repeatedly on what they preached, spoke about and taught to the people. The problem the Religious Leaders had was that many people, about 5,000, believed what they heard!

How is that the people believed what they heard? THEY BELIEVED BECAUSE OF THE PASSION OF THE MEN & THEIR TESTIMONY OR EXPERIENCE & THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN THEM!

FOLK, NEVER COUNT OUT THE POWER OF THE

HOLY SPIRIT WHEN YOU ARE DOING GOD’S WORK!

You see the educated Religious Leaders of the day knew these guys were un-educated! They knew they were just lowly fishermen but there was something unique, something different, something amazing about them.

They questioned them and asked them, “BY WHAT POWER OR BY WHAT NAME HAVE YOU DONE THIS!” I BELIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT PUT THOSE WORDS IN THE MOUTHS OF THOSE EDUCATED IDIOTS, THOSE RELIGIOUS WORKERS OF INIQUITY! BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT DETERMINED THAT IT BE SPELLED OUT BY “POWER & NAME!”

PETER, THAT SAME ONE WITH THE IDENTITY CRISIS JUST A FEW DAYS EARLIER, SPOKE WITH A “POWER” NOT OF HIS OWN BUT A POWER COMMANDED BY HIM & HIS SPIRIT AS HE IS GIVEN THE WORDS TO SAY BY THE “HOLY SPIRIT!”

HE SAID, “LET IT BE KNOWN TO YOU ALL....!” OH, FOLK! THIS MAN HAD SOMETHING THEY NOTICED! THIS MAN HAD SOMETHING THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND!

HE SPOKE A “BOLDNESS” THAT NOT ONLY IMPRESSED THEM BUT MADE THEM A LITTLE UNEASY IF NOT A LOT UNEASY! HE SPOKE A “BOLDNESS” THEY DIDN’T EXPECT FROM SOMEONE UNLEARNED!

HE SPOKE A “BOLDNESS” BECAUSE HE HAD SOMETHING “UNIQUE” AND NOT OF THIS WORLD!

HIS WORDS WERE BOLD, POWERFUL, CONVICTING & OVERWHELMINGLY TRUE! HE SAID...

“Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the

name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazereth, whom YOU crucified, whom

GOD raised from the dead, by Him this man stand here before you

whole, (speaking of a man whom God had healed through them). This

is the same stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become

the Chief Cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:9-12

Those they stood before were amazed and marveled. Scripture says...