If you’re alive, if you’re a Christian, living Godly, you
live with death threats.
Peter and John were arrested, and severely threatened
not to speak, at all, in Jesus’ name. (Acts 4:17,18,21). You better shut
up, or we’ll do to you what we did to Jesus!
Their threats were obvious; ours, not so much, but still
just a real.
What are you talking about?
What death threats?
If they’re real, what do we do?
What do we say?
How do we pray?
Glad you asked.
Peter and John were released from jail, and the first thing
they did was get together with their Church family and say a prayer.
Today we pick up at the house shaking end, the amen,
to that powerful, precedent setting prayer that’s just as relevant today, to
us, as it was to them, back then.
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats…
They were talking about threats from the religious
hypocrites, that arrested them—the ones that crucified Christ.
Wait, that was them, back then, but you said all
Christians live with death threats. This is 2024, we live in America; we don’t
have death threats… yet anyway.
Two things about that.
2 Tim. 3:12, says, all who live Godly in
Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
That’s pretty clear. No matter when or where we live, if
we’re living Godly, in Christ Jesus we will suffer persecution.
Even here and now in America in 2024 or whatever nation, in
whatever year.
If we’re not experiencing some friction with the
world, perhaps we should ask if we’re doing it wrong. Are we looking and acting
and sounding so much like the world that we’re not actually living Godly in
Christ Jesus?
Okay, fine, so maybe we could be a bit bolder in our
testimony. But even then, that probably won’t result in death threats.
You said, all Christians, living Godly, deal with death threats.
Right. Thanks. That brings us to the second thing.
They were arrested for talking about Jesus. Not because they healed a man, but because they said, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you killed, but God raised, He is the One, who healed this man. Acts 4:10.
The threat was for the purpose of getting them to shut-up
about Jesus.
Peter and John clearly said, they wouldn’t shut up.
Acts 4:19-20
Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you
judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
They were true to their word they didn’t shut up, and didn’t
stand down, even while being boiled in oil, crucified upside down, burned
alive, torn asunder, beheaded, stoned to death.
They remained faithful, for they knew their Lord had risen
indeed and was waiting to greet them.
They obtained Life, by accepting death.
However, others obtain death, by accepting life.
Jesus puts it like this:
Matthew
16:24-26
“If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross
and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 What will it
profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a
man give in exchange for his soul?
All who live Godly in Christ Jesus, live with death threats.
Their threats, were more out loud and obvious.
Ours are more silent and sinister.
Both threats are for the purpose of censoring and
silencing God’s Word from being spoken.
Words are powerful, especially God’s Word.
The world was created by the Word of God. Hebrews 11:3
God’s Word is Life. John 6:63.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that
proceeds from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4.
The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God
and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:1,
14.
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It
shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it
shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11.
The threat to them:
Stop talking about Jesus or we’ll kill you.
Okay, kill me.
They die and receive Life.
The threat to us:
Stop talking about Jesus or you’ll turn people off, push
them away. Just love everyone. Coexist. Get along. Don’t judge. Be nice.
Inclusive. Accept everybody. That’s what Jesus would do, they say.
In other words, become lukewarm. Those the world ignores and
Jesus spews us out. Revelation 3:16. Jesus, always faithful, semper fi, stands
and knocks at the door, they built and shut and locked, to keep Him out. He
could bust down the door, but He won’t. Rev. 3:20
All who live Godly in Christ Jesus, live with death threats.
The threat to them, killed the body, but didn’t touch the
soul.
The threat to us, saves the body, but destroys the soul.
Both threats are for the purpose of censoring and silencing
God’s Word from being spoken.
So, we meld into the world.
But Jesus said we’re to stand out, make a difference, be
salt and light.
But we don’t want to offend, so we won’t talk about the Way,
the Truth, the Life.
But that’s the opposite of Jesus’ final command before
ascending into heaven.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of
the earth.
Witness, is the Greek word, martus; from
which we get, martyr. Because Christ’s witnesses became almost
synonymous with martyrdom.
Imagine, the organ softly plays, Just as I am… You
raise your hand, walk the isle, say a prayer. Everyone cheers. They give you a
Bible. The angels rejoice.
Then, the preacher says, “Okay, now prepare to die.”
Wait. What?
Well, he doesn’t. But he should.
By the way, guess where the Church is growing fastest today?
Not in “Christian” countries, but communist. Persecution
produces growth. Is that what it’ll take for America to wake?
Christianity isn’t for the wimpy; it’s for witnesses,
martus…martyrs. Soldiers, warriors, willing to lay down their life, as
Christ did His.
Witnesses, are those who testify what
they’ve seen and heard. Exactly how Peter and John responded when they were
threatened to keep quiet.
Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you
more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:19-20.
Jesus tells us:
Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil
man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the
abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:37
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you
will be condemned.
Words are powerful.
What comes out of our mouth determines what’s in our heart.
If that’s scary, if you’re not so proud of what comes out,
let’s remedy that.
Let’s deposit some Good Treasure, some Good Seed, some Good
Word.
So, when the threats come, and the fear rises, the Good inside
will come out, and produce Faith not fear.
What are some threats that try to silence us from speaking
the Word of God?
Illness.
Do we speak the Word with boldness? Or, the doctor’s report
with fear?
We live in a broken world with corrupt bodies, so bones will
break, sickness will come, we may die of disease, but as children of God we
shouldn’t go down without a fight.
We must stand in faith, Trust His Word, more than the
doctor’s report.
Be willing to die in faith rather than live in doubt.
We want to leave it all on the field, run until we’re done,
so when we meet our Lord, we can say we fought a good fight, finished the
course, without missing one step, or one breath of all that He had planned for
us.
And if we do that, we can be sure, we’ll hear Him say, Well
done.
So, from now on, when sickness comes calling, boldly
proclaim:
Do we repeat the fear triggering, faith robbing threats? Or,
do we speak His Word with boldness?
Then, there’s the fear of what others will think if I talk
about Jesus.
The fear of offending, is subtle, but powerful.
I don’t want to offend them, so I’ll just befriend them.
No, I can’t ask them to Church, that’d be awkward, I don’t
want to make anybody uncomfortable. That might push them away.
If we could see how thin the line is between here and
eternity, we’d change our tune.
Yes, it takes discernment, God’s timing, His love, but we
must walk with eternity in view.
If the woods were on fire and headed this way, would you
fear offending those in the line of fire? I can’t knock on their door, I don’t
want to make them mad; it’s late, they’re probably sleeping or watching TV.
Make them mad! Save their life!
Okay, back to our text.
Pause and put yourself in their sandals.
Everything was awesome, the Church was growing by leaps and
bounds, literally, with the lame man leaping. Acts 3:8.
You were simply sharing the Good news of Jesus. And then
Jesus, through His Holy Spirit in you, did an amazing healing miracle.
But, for that Good deed you were arrested. Spent the night
in jail. Now you’re tired, hungry, dirty, stinky.
But at least you’re free. It didn’t turn out like that when
this same mob arrested Jesus not so long ago.
So, you’re thankful to be free, but don’t ever want to go
through that again.
What do you do? How do you respond? How do you finish this
prayer?
Now, Lord, look on their
threats, and grant to Your servants…
A really good lawyer so we can sue the socks off those
hypocrites for false arrest.
Angels, strong warrior guardian angels, to smite them, and
protect us.
Favor with our 5,000+ followers so they’ll sign petitions,
and protest and picket, the temple and shame those losers.
An escape route out of the city to a nice quiet country villa by the sea to live in peace.
Wisdom to keep our mouths shut so we can just go along and
get along.
No! None of that. Nothing like that.
29 …that with all boldness they may speak Your
word,
Lord we’re in this relationship with You for better or
worse. We’re not backing down.
Lord, grant us Holy Boldness.
Holy Boldness is evidence of being filled with His Holy Spirit, because God is Love, and perfect Love casts out all fear. 1 John 4:8, 16, 18.
Lord, give us boldness, to speak Your Word.
That is a self-perpetuating, faith building prayer.
To speak His Word, we must know His Word.
To speak His Word is to hear, His Word.
Hearing His Word gives birth to faith in His Word. Romans 10:17. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word (Rhema: spoken Word) of Christ.
Faith in His Word results in speaking His Word. Luke
6:45. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Lord, grant that we may boldly speak Your Word.
30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs
and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant
Jesus.”
They asked for healings, signs and wonders, through the name
of, the authority of, Jesus, for the purpose of boldly speaking the Word of
God.
31 And when they had prayed, the place
where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
God immediately granted their request; the place shook and they
were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus said you’ll be filled with the Holy
Spirit and be My witnesses.
In Acts 2, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke
in tongues the wonderous works of God.
Now here in Acts 4 they are filled with the Holy Spirit and
boldly speak the Word of God.
Are we speaking the wonderous Word of God?
They are the early Church, they are our prototype, and they
prayed this way.
We should too.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8.
Hebrews 4:16-17
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but
was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore
come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to
help in time of need.
Let’s pray.
Lord, we ask You grant us boldness to speak Your Word
without fear, that You stretch out Your hand to heal, and that signs and
wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant, Jesus, so You are
glorified, and of all those You’ve given us, none are lost.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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With All Boldness, Part 2, Acts 4:29-31
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Boldness, Part 2, Acts 4:29-31
This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to
sow.
Thank you for sharing.
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