ACTS 4:14

In Acts chapter four we are in the middle of the situation where Peter and John are being interrogated by the Jewish leaders. A lot of interest and commotion had been raised over the fact that someone had been healed by Jesus. Peter had been speaking to the people about Jesus risen from the dead, and Jesus still performing miracles. The Jewish leaders did not want the name of Jesus to be honored in public and they did not want the teachings of Jesus to be spread in public. Not much has changed. Similar things are going on today, The Bible says in Acts 4:14-18, “And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle has been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”

Again we see how deceitful and calculating were the religious leaders. The only reason that they did not persecute Peter and John more at this time was because of the multitude of people who had been astonished and impressed by the miracle of healing that had just taken place. Even more astonishing is the fact that the religious leaders knew there had been a miracle, and yet they still would not believe. Miracles are not what makes people believe. If you do not believe the truth because of responding honestly to what your heart is telling you, then you will not believe even if someone is raised from the dead before your very eyes.

The leaders of Jerusalem decided not to do anything more against the apostles at this time, but they decided that they would at least threaten the apostles, hoping that they could intimidate them into being quiet and into ceasing from teaching about Jesus. That is the way it works in a lot of our cultures today. There is some overt persecution, but a lot of it is on the level of threats and intimidation. That is why so few Christians witness on the job any more. They are intimidated, knowing that it is not approved of by the powers that be. The way that we should react today to such pressure to be quiet is the same way that Peter and John reacted. The Bible says in Acts 4:19-20, “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

When human beings told Peter and John to stop talking about Jesus, Peter and John gave two reasons why they would not stop. The first reason was that they had to make a choice between obeying God or obeying man. Everyone has to make that choice eventually. Here is a perfect example where the human authority structure must be set aside when it comes to a conflict between what God wants you to do and what a human being wants you to do: even if that human being is in authority over you. “No man can serve two masters.” That is what Jesus said. As an individual your number one responsibility is to God and to what He wants you to do. If Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, is your master, then there may be a time or two when you must go against those who are the lawfully constituted authorities. You should be an obedient and law-abiding citizen. But be careful. Sometimes there is a fine line, and you must always be ready to ask the same question that the apostles asked, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.”

Another reason that the apostles would not obey anyone who told them to cease speaking about Jesus is found when they said, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Why do Christians witness about Christ? Because they are honest, and an honest person must tell the truth. To cover up the truth would be dishonest in a sense. Always tell the truth, and then you will always be ready to speak about Jesus because He is the truth.

The Bible says in Acts 4:21-24, “So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. For the man was above forty years old, on whom the miracle of healing was showed. And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.” As soon as the apostles told the other believers about the threats that had been made against them, the believers had the right response. They turned to the Lord in prayer in their time of need.

They did not use the methods of the people of the world. They used the methods of the people of God. One of those methods is to trust in the Lord. Another important thing to do is to remind ourselves of God’s power. He created all things. He can do anything, so He can certainly protect us from any danger or threat. These first century believers turned to the scriptures to interpret what was happening to them. They quoted from the Psalms in Acts 4:25-26 and said, “Who by the mouth of thy servant David has said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.” The believers of the first century correctly saw that the political leaders of their day were in rebellion against God and Christ. You are either surrendered to God, or you are in rebellion against Him. Rebellion against God is as witchcraft. You cannot be saved unless you surrender your will to God. How foolish is the strong will of man. There is no logical reason for a human being to resist God. It can have only one logical conclusion. This quotation came from Psalm chapter 2. Psalm 2:4-5 also says, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure.” The judgment is coming.

The Bible says in Acts 4:27-28, “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together. For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council determined before to be done.” This is another passage in the scriptures that shows both the will of man and the will of God involved in every action that takes place. Human beings will be held responsible for their actions. Human beings have choices and will suffer the consequences of those choices. In spite of this God is still in control. The world is on God’s time-table. Because God is so powerful, and because He knows the end from the beginning, and because He is able to use all things for His glory, somehow God has established things so that man makes choices at the same time that God determines beforehand what will be. This certainly happened in the case of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. The Romans and the Jews took Jesus and crucified Him. They made the wrong choice, but God knew it would happen, God permitted it to happen, and God made sure that it happened. We serve a powerful God: the God who has all power. Just as God used the wicked deeds of the wicked to insure that God’s will and only God’s will happened in the life of Jesus, if you believe in Jesus and trust in Him, you can have assurance that God will work in your life in the same way.

There are no accidents. There are only opportunities to live by faith. This was a time when the apostles had their faith increased, and they were able to interpret the events that had been happening through the eyes of faith. They now knew that the biggest disaster of their lives, the death of Jesus on the cross, was allowed to happen by God for a very important reason. If you also are going to continue to live by faith in this world, then you must be able to interpret the disasters that happen to you with faith. Whatever has happened to you, God has allowed to happen for a good purpose. If you have faith, you will know that to be so. It is all part of God’s plan for this world of woe.

Continuing the prayer of these believers in the first century, they said to God in Acts 4:29-30, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings; and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy Word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” Fresh on the minds of the apostles no doubt had been the Great Commission that Jesus had given to them after His resurrection. They wanted to obey Him and to be His witnesses. Because He had died for them, they wanted to live for Him. But with these threats against them, they knew that they needed to be strengthened by God if they were going to open their mouths and say about Jesus what they ought to say. And so they asked that “with all boldness” they might speak the Word. Why do not more Christians witness and speak in public of the Lord? Maybe it is because they are not praying this prayer. If you pray this prayer and ask for opportunities to witness and ask for the boldness to witness, then almost miraculously you will see opportunities come your way. God will answer that prayer because it is His will already.

The apostles prayed their prayer to God, and like all prayers, their prayer was answered. Sometime God says “No” when we pray, and sometimes He says, “Yes.” In this case God gave the apostles what they prayed for. This is one prayer that God probably always says “Yes” to: the prayer for boldness to witness. Pray that prayer, if you dare, and see what God does in your life. Acts 4:31 says, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness.” Notice again the similarity between this event and what happened at Pentecost. The evidence of being filled by the Spirit was the boldness to speak the Word. One of the great purposes of the Spirit is to bear witness of Jesus: to get the Word out and to sow the seed. Jesus said of the Spirit, “When He is come, He will bear witness of me.” If you are filled with the Spirit, then you will bear witness of Jesus.

In most of the rest of the verses of this chapter the emphasis is once more on the fact of how much the early Christians in Jerusalem shared their belongings with one another. It says in Second Corinthians, “God loveth a cheerful giver.” It says in Proverbs, “The liberal soul shall be made fat.” It says here in Acts 4:32-33, "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”

The generosity of these Christians was one of the great outward evidences that these people had their hearts right with God. You have got spiritual problems if your heart is so cold or so hard so that you are not touched by the needs and difficulties of others. Materialism has gripped our society. It is a very selfish person who guards everything and never shares a bit of it. Some people think that the greatest sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was not the sexual perversion, but was rampant materialism. First Timothy 6:10 says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.”

If you are a giving person, then you are a gracious person. The word grace refers to the giving of a gift. The more that you give, the more that you are like God; and there is a lot more that you can give than just material things. You can give your time, you can give good counsel, and you can give from your heart. All good things come from God. Acts 4:33 says that “great grace” was given to these believers. Everyone who has been saved has received the grace of God through Christ. Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” Why is it that these believers not only had grace, but also had great grace? Maybe how loving and giving that they were had a lot to do with it.

If you have never received salvation by the grace of God through Christ, today you could turn to Him and receive His most precious gift.

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