Sermon Tone Analysis

*More Power*

*Acts 4:1-31          June 11, 2000*

 

*Introduction:*

 

Just how powerless are you anyway?

Do you feel powerless in life?

Do you feel like a victim of everybody else's agenda for you - the victim of many competing desires?

Do you get tired of pleasing everyone else all the time?

When you speak, do you feel that no one listens?

When you try to act, does it seem that it makes no difference?

Has it seemed like your past has spoken louder than your future?

You are saved, and you want to serve God, but you feel like you can't even get your own life together - let alone try to help someone else?

Christ's message had enough effect on you to get you saved, but that's about as far as you go, you think?

You acknowledge that he gave you, and all of us, a commission, but you think you can't speak well, you're not trained enough, and you don't have the time even if you had the confidence?

If this is you, then you must hear today's message.

I want to start this morning by asking one of us to come up and give a short testimony.

This is a person who has heard a message from God over the last several years as God has spoken the truth to her about her feelings of powerlessness.

Those of you who have known her can testify yourselves to the change that has taken place in her life as God has transformed her.

But let us hear from her ourselves --- (Patricia Jones).

Patricia is a living testimony to all of us that we are not as powerless as we think we are.

And even if this is not you now, I know that we can all identify with her because we were all there at one time or another, by some degree or other.

But you still need to hear this message because you are probably not as far as you think you are.

Or perhaps the direction you have gone in serving Christ has not been quite up to your expectations – or his.

This morning's passage in Acts 4:1-31 continues on after Peter and John miraculously healed the crippled beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful.

He got up and went with them into the temple courts praising God.

This sets up another opportunity for Peter to preach to the people.

God has staged another event to get the attention of the crowd, like at Pentecost.

This is Peter's second message, and it greatly adds to the success of the first.

The number of men increase to 5,000 from the 3,000 added at Pentecost (we must surely need to expand this figure to include women).

His message has profound effect.

It is so successful that it even gets overt opposition.

It is a marvelously courageous message of truth and conviction.

And to the amazement of all, it comes from a man who is obviously an unschooled, ordinary man (2:7, 4:13).

So what question will this passage answer for us?

 

*Big Question:*

 

What must we understand about the effect of Christ's message?

*I.

Cycle One*

 

*          A.

Narrative (vv.

1-7)*

 

Before we get into today's passage, we must take a look at a few key points in the message that Peter was prompted by the power of the Spirit to speak to the people that day in the temple courts, who were amazed when they saw the crippled beggar walking and praising God.

Now, those who were amazed were not the only ones who took notice of the message.

We can look ahead in verse 4:4 and see that many (2,000) of those who were amazed that day were convicted at the preaching of Peter and believed in Jesus.

But there was another group that was not amazed.

They were the priests and Sadducees in the temple compound who were threatened by Peter's preaching.

They were so disturbed by it that they came up to Peter and John with the captain of the temple guard and arrested them even while they were still speaking.

But Peter had given enough of the message through the power, enablement, and provision of the Spirit for those 2,000 to believe in Jesus even after the fact - without an altar call, if you will.

Sometimes we forget that the message speaks for itself – we are just the vessel through which it is spoken.

Do you remember what one of the distinguishing characteristics is regarding the theology of the Sadducees?

In Luke 20:27-40, Jesus responds to the hypothetical question of the Sadducees who say there is no resurrection.

His answer silenced them then when he said, "But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

But now that the issue is proven because Jesus himself rose from the dead, the issue is far from dead for the Sadducees.

Truly, they are threatened.

They didn't want to believe then.

(They were like modern day people who believe once you are dead, you're dead.)

And they refuse to change their position now that the evidence is in.

If they can hold on to their position, they can continue denying the truth.

And to deny truth is to deny responsibility – for the death of Christ.

To protect themselves, they needed to shut Peter up before any more truth gets out.

They have a vested interest, and so Peter and John end up in jail until morning.

Now, you will recognize a couple of these names that Peter and John must answer to in the morning – kind of like Jesus had to do.

It is interesting that Jesus told his disciples, "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said.

"Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"  "We can," they answered.

Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, (Mark 10:38-39 NIVUS)

Caiaphas and Annas were the high priest and his father-in-law who condemned Jesus and sent him to the Romans to crucify.

Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people (John 18:14).

Certainly, they too had a vested interest in trying to keep Jesus dead.

Strangely enough, they ask a question that seems to demand the truth.

But it is a truth they are afraid to hear.

Like a person who stands before a judge knowing they are guilty, they can’t sleep until they hear the verdict.

Indeed, they will get the answer to their question, "By what power or what name did you do this?" – that is, raise this crippled beggar to his feet.

*B.

Implication*

 

The effect of Christ's message is profoundly powerful because it either saves those humbled by it or disturbs those threatened by it.

*C.

Illustration*

 

*D.

Application*

 

There is power in this message that Peter brings.

Power can go one of two directions.

It can work for you, or it can work against you.

It can save you, or it can disturb you.

When you submit to it, it works for you.

When you fight it, it works against you.

The question to be decided is whose power will prevail?

I think we can all surmise that the high priest and his cohorts are on the wrong side of any real logic here.

The power they are up against is pretty awesome.

And I think they might be getting that same drift.

Indeed, Peter is about to confirm it for them.

*II.

Cycle Two*

*          A.

Narrative (vv.

8-22)*

 

          Now we hear clearly about the source of Peter's power.

He is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Better yet, he is ignited by the Holy Spirit.

He is on fire for the truth, and nothing could stop him from answering this question, "By what power or what name did you do this?"

He has seen Jesus raised from the dead.

This resurrected Jesus has restored his life from the despair of denial.

Now he has been anointed by the Holy Spirit to proclaim what he knows without doubt.