Holy
Boldness
Acts 4:1-21
How many of you
have seen someone step out and be bold and be successful and wished that you
were more like them? Do you feel like you can serve the Lord better if you were
more charismatic? I feel most unqualified to talk about this because I’m the
person with jitters whenever I have to speak in front of people. I hate
calling, I would rather text, I despise conflict more than anything! You may
not be an evangelist, but you are called to be a witness and there is available
to us in Christ a holy boldness.
Our passage for
today is Acts 4:1-21.
The priests
and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John
while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because
the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of
the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put
them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so
the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. 5 The next day the
rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the
high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the
high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began
to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter,
filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9
If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man
who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and
all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom
you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before
you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the
cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”13 When they saw the
courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men,
they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14
But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them,
there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the
Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these
men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a
notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading
any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in
this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak
or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is
right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for
us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Let’s pray.
When we want to
step out in Holy Boldness we need to examine 3 things:
1.
The Fire:
a.
In the wilderness, God was with
the Israelites as a pillar of fire by the night. He was still Emmanuel, He was
with them, by them, providing comfort and protection and sight. But in the New
testament, our prayer is that our spiritual eyes be opened, that the eyes of our
hearts be enlightened (Eph 1:18)
b.
At Pentecost, we see in Acts
2:3 “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to
rest on each of them”. Fire is used as an imagery of the Holy Spirit.
c.
Psalm 104:4 says that he makes his messengers (angels) as the winds and his
ministers flaming fires – who are these minister? 2 Cor 5:18 – “All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation:”. It is our calling to host the fire of God.
d.
So what will you choose? The Holy
Spirit will be your comforter, near you, beside you, but if you invite him
within you, you better be ready to be set on fire.
e.
What does this fire do?
i. Jer 20:9 “But if I say, “I will not
mention his word or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a
fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”,
ii. Acts 4:20 “As for us, we cannot help
speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
iii. 2 Corinthians 5:14 –“ For Christ’s love
compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all
died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for
themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” we are not our
own.
f.
Holy Boldness is not a result
of the exercise of our will or a personality trait, it is the result of
complete and utter yieldedness.
g.
Application Question: How
involved do you want the Holy Spirit to be in your life?
2.
The Faith:
a.
Notice that throughout the book
of Acts, every time the fire comes, the people speak. And even in this passage,
we see that peter filled with the Holy Spirit begins to speak – but what we say
is important.
b.
The Holy Spirit comes to glorify Jesus. In
fact the scriptures say in 1 cor 12:3 “no one is able to say, "Jesus is
Lord," if not in the Holy Spirit.”
c.
When we share the gospel in an
abrasive manner, to win an argument rather than a soul, we do not glorify
Jesus.
d.
How many of you have
experienced resistance to the gospel when you shared it?
e.
In verse 8-12, peter
essentially gives a gospel invitation to the people persecuting him.
f.
The opposition sprung from the
fact that Peter and John were proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus from the
dead. It was a messianic proclamation and it was offensive to their belief that
the Messiah was yet to come.
g.
In Acts 20:27 Paul says
to the Ephesian Elders “for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole the counsel of God.”
h.
In this generation, we have
become experts in the skills of peace and favour and are afraid of falling out
of favour with those around and above us. Though peace itself is a fruit of the
spirit, pursuing peace at the cost of truth is dangerous.
i.
We must be committed to the
truth – we must give ourselves to be changed by it. Our faith is rooted by
being with Jesus. Sometimes we don’t feel like we can witness because we
haven’t been with Jesus. Our first ministry is to the Lord.
j.
Emotionalism and eloquence can
move hearts but doesn’t break chains, only truth does. Paul says in Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings
salvation to everyone who believes”. Again in 1 Cor 2:1- 5 he says “When I came
to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you
the testimony about God...”
k.
Experience of resistance to the
gospel –
l.
Application questions
i. What do you really believe about Jesus? What do you struggle to
believe?
ii. What truth about Jesus do you experience the most resistance to? How
can you be a minister of reconciliation in proclaiming that truth?
3.
The Fruit:
a.
What are the areas of
fruitfulness we see in this chapter?
i. In verse 4 it tells us that the number of men who believed grew to about
five thousand. This is only the men without counting the women and children.
ii. The healing of the lame man
b.
Peter and John were seemingly
in big trouble, but the fruit was not hindered. It is important to consider
that our circumstances are not indicative of the fruit we bear. The fruit is
directly linked to abiding. It has to do with the good works God has prepared
for you to do as you abide in Him. Peter and John were in this predicament
because they were going to the temple to pray and did a good deed that was in
their path.
c.
Has the gospel changed your
life? Are you still growing or have you stopped? When people see the fruit in
your life, it will do 2 things for you:
i. It is undeniable v. 16 –““What are we going to do with these
men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a
notable sign, and we cannot deny it” 1 timothy 4:15 “diligent in these
matters and absorbed in them so that your progress will be evident to all.”
ii. It will speak for you v. 14 “But
since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them,
there was nothing they could say” have you heard the phrase actions speak
louder than words? That’s what we want – for our lives to be a defence of the
gospel.
d.
Application questions:
i. What was your last area of undeniable fruitfulness?
ii. What good works does God have for you to do today?
We need to
understand that the gospel is the hope of salvation. There is nothing else and
no other name given to men by which we must be saved. If we are to grow in this
Holy Boldness, we need to ask for the fire of God to dwell within us. We must
be committed to being changed by the word and to proclaim the whole counsel of
God, not just what is safe. And finally, we need to see progressive fruit in our
lives.
Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again), Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.
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