2007-03-18 -
Baldwin Christian Church
Scripture Reading - Galatians 6:1-10
Sermon - Acts
chapter 4
You and I have
different weaknesses and temptations, but there's one really big thing we have in common.
Everyone has this same problem; from that guy who wears the big white hat in Rome, all the way to
the person who never walked into a church; everyone in-between, you and I, we all have one thing in
common: We have all failed at receiving the Holy Spirit.
If I say, “You’ve
failed at receiving the Holy Spirit”, how does that make you feel? Some folks might say, “I've
loved Jesus as long as I can remember. The Spirit is with me. You're wrong to say that.”
Others will say, “I received the Spirit when I was saved. I know I'm going to be in
heaven”, and there are many who say, “You're talking fairy tales. I don't need a
spirit”. This surprisingly is the attitude of the men Peter and John have to deal with here in
Acts 4, the Sadducees.
Your
reaction ought to be telling you something about yourself. Do you think you've failed at receiving
the Holy Spirit? Do you disagree with that statement, or are you a little uncertain about it? The
funny thing is, I think the honest answers would come mostly from the folks who don't go to
church.
It doesn't matter if
you've never missed a church meeting your whole life, or never graced the doors of a church your
whole life. It wouldn't matter if you wore some tall, pointy hat, and stood on a balcony waving at
folks the rest of your natural life. Everyone has one evil thing in common; we don't seek out
the Spirit of God nearly as much as we could. We all fail at receiving Him, and I think this may be
the worst kind of evil. Why?
In Luke 7:23, Jesus
said “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me”.
In other words, “Blessed is he whosoever shall not fall away on account of me”.
Faith gets weak and dies without exercise. You can fall away while sitting in your pew, without even
realizing it, because it happens gradually over time, through contentment. Contentment can be
your worst enemy.
The Apostle Paul said,
“godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6), but that's not the kind of
contentment I’m talking about. We ought to be content, be satisfied with whatever we have -
in all earthly things (Phi 4:11, 1 Tim 6:8, Heb 13:5), but the Scriptures never tell us to
relax in our efforts in being “more like the Master” (Mat 5:48, Eph 4:11-15, Phi
3:12-18).
More like the Master I would ever be,
More of His meekness, more humility;
More zeal to labor, more courage to be true,
More consecration for work He bids me do.
Our Father gave His
word; He will see to our necessities and make sure we’re taken care of, so that we can
concentrate on improving our relationship with Him (Pro 3:9-10, Luke 12:27-34, 2 Cor 9:7-15). We
become evil whenever we become satisfied or stagnant in our spiritual walk. Does that sound harsh?
To the Laodicean
church (Rev 3:15-16), Jesus said "I know your works; I know that you
are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So then because you are
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth".
You can usually tell
when someone hates you. It’s a hard emotion to hide because it shows in people's eyes; it comes
out in their words and the way they act toward you. On the other hand, when someone loves you, it
takes time before you can know if they truly mean it or not. The worst kind of love is the
kind that keeps you guessing, the kind that shows just enough action to get by; that's the kind of
love that Jesus spits out, spiritually speaking. That’s the kind of love that He can’t count on,
the kind that always leaves a taste of doubt.
We say we love Him,
but how can He tell except by the honor of our lips? Well, we come to worship services, but what
else about us says we love Him? We give Him offerings, but He doesn't need them. We keep to
ourselves; living quiet lives as model citizens, but how does that compare to the way Jesus lived
His life? It's a scary thing to think about the ability our Father has to know every thought, and
the truth behind everything that motivates us.
The danger with
spiritual laziness is the fact that deception goes hand in hand with it. The moment we stop seeking
the Spirit of God, we become vulnerable to false beliefs and teachings. It's so sneaky that we don't
even have to hear deceit from anywhere else. That little argument will start in my own mind,
the one that says, “Well, the pastor keeps saying that we need more of the Spirit, and I know
that's true, but (fill in the blank)”. I deceive myself most of all in matters
of contentment, in maintaining the status quo. I’m content in thinking my faith gets exercised by
pew-presence and plate putting. I’m content to let others do the works of faith, while I hurry
home so I can do my own works. I get comfortable with the state that I’m in, and I convince
myself, “God sees what I'm doing, and He seems to be ok with everything”.
Seeking first the
kingdom of God can be a very uncomfortable thing, and our fallen nature prefers the way of comfort
instead. Spiritual sloth and deception feed off of each other. When Paul ran down the list of
spiritual armor that we need, he said, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith
ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph 6:16). When I get lazy
toward God, my shield of faith starts to drop down a little bit, and then I'm an easy target.
If we aren't
exercising our faith, we might as well not believe at all. Going through trials? Your faith is being
exercised.
Sometimes I'll hear a
message from behind the pulpit, and it convicts me, or in the words of an old hymn that we sing. It
seems like every time I feel convicted and broken, and I start to consider my spiritual state, it
never fails; at some point in my conversation and confession with God, I’ll think of someone else,
and see my sin in comparison to their sin. Even when I'm doing the right thing, comparing my
sins against the sinless life led by Jesus, I still have to fend off the temptation to rest
in the fact that someone else is a worse sinner than me. You know those thoughts, the ones that say,
“Lord, have mercy on me. Please forgive me, for I have...” (Then the prayer stops in its
tracks because you’re suddenly reminded of somebody else who did the same thing or worse.)
“Oh, and Lord, speaking of forgiveness, did you see what old so and so did?” It’s in our
nature to find comfort through looking down on others, the ones we see as being worse sinners than
we are, and its evidence of a lack of the Holy Spirit.
Acts chapter 4 is
another example of what everyday ordinary people like us can do when the Holy Spirit fills us. We
can see the weaknesses of Peter and John before the day of Pentecost, and the change afterward. The
pastor was right; we do need more of the Spirit. Why? If we’re receiving the Holy Spirit, we will
be pouring Him out and asking for more filling.
If you asked me to
describe pastor Ray in two verses, I would probably give you 2 Peter 1:10-11...
2 Peter 1: 10-11
...give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things,
ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We all take these
things too lightly; we presume that we’re already accepted into eternal glory, but the Scriptures
say, give diligence, work hard to make your calling and election sure, for that’s how
heaven opens up for you.
As this chapter
begins, we find diligence paying off for the early church. The disciples continued praying together
and preaching to the people at the great temple in Jerusalem. On this day, a huge crowd gathered
around Peter and John when they performed a miracle, and they took the opportunity to preach Jesus
to them. A forty year-old man, lame from birth, was healed, and the guys were making sure everybody
knew that all the credit goes to Jesus.
When we measure
ourselves against Jesus, we know that we fall short, but we also need to see the lack of Spirit we
have compared to these regular guys, Peter and John. They also were sinners saved by grace, with the
same access to the same Spirit as we have. The one thing that we’re all guilty of – is
not receiving the Holy Spirit. They performed mighty works of God, being filled with the Holy
Spirit. They are good examples of where we should be in the Spirit.
James says that we
have not because we ask not, or we ask for things to serve our purposes instead of God's
(James 1:5-8, 4:3). We won’t take two seconds every day to ask for a filling of the Holy Spirit
because we're too busy. Not really! Do you think Peter and John had stress in their lives? Their
Master just died, and left them in charge. Christianity survived and grew because people were not
too busy to ask for the Spirit, and they were not afraid to preach repentance and the remission of
sins.
1. And as
they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon
them,
2. Being
grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3. And they
laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4. Howbeit
many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5. And it
came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6. And Annas
the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the
high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7. And when
they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
Now just so you know,
this was a legitimate legal proceeding. According to Deuteronomy chapter 13, the teachings of a
miracle worker must be examined, whether they were leading men away from God. If so, the penalty was
death. If not, the miracle was presumed to be from God.
8. Then
Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of
Israel,
9. If we this
day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10. Be it
known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before
you whole.
Here is a world-class
guilt trip if ever I saw one. Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost when he said these things. We
Christians today are either afraid of putting people on a guilt trip, afraid to call sin what it is,
or we’re unable to voice it in meekness, in such a way as to cut people to the heart. It’s the
lack of the Spirit, a lack of workmanship in God's Word.
11. This (Jesus
of Nazareth) is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of
the corner.
12. Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby
we must be saved.
Whenever anyone says
there are many ways to heaven, you know they didn’t get that from the Bible.
13. Now when
they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men,
they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
This is one of the
times you can see God's sense of humor. (1 Cor 1:27 God hath chosen the foolish things of the
world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty)
14. And
beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
For forty years, up to
this day, the man had to be carried everywhere, but today he was standing beside Peter and John,
another witness to the power given by the Spirit of God.
I believe this is
telling us that we have failed at receiving the Holy Spirit. In verse 8, we see that Peter was
filled with the Holy Ghost. He stood before the same men who had condemned his Lord to die, but he
boldly preaches the name of his Lord. Not only did he preach, he did it in a way that nothing could
be said against it.
Nothing like this has
ever happened in my life, I confess to you. Maybe there have been some works of the Spirit, but
nothing that took this much faith and courage. I’ve never been filled with the Holy Ghost like
Peter was. If this is the measure, then I have failed at receiving the Holy Spirit. How about you?
Did Peter have
problems after this day? In other words, was he continually filled with the Holy Spirit? No,
I think Peter had problems like we all do. Paul had to correct him (Gal 2:11.), and he had more to
learn about the heart of God.
15. But when
they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16. Saying,
What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest
to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
How many times did
Peter get this response - "what shall we do?" (Contrast with the heart of those in 2:37)
In this case, the words came from corrupt men who feared the people more than God. The men on this
council were pathetic; they knew their power over the people was slipping away, but instead of
aligning themselves with Jesus, they were trying to hold on to their status, to keep what they had.
They lived in fear of the people instead of God; their power crumbled, and just as Jesus said,
within forty years, even their great temple was flattened.
They acknowledged the
miracle, only because they couldn’t deny it or disprove it, but they don’t say a word about
Jesus. Peter had just slammed them, saying that they crucified Jesus, but now He is alive. Not a
peep about that, it tells me they knew it. They set guards on His grave, but they had no body, no
proof that Jesus was dead. If they did, they would have used it to silence Peter.
17. But that
it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to
no man in this name.
18. And they
called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
What fear these men
had of Jesus, to do something so silly! If they weren’t afraid, they would have allowed the
disciples to say whatever they wanted, wherever they wanted. All they cared about was their selves.
19. 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.
20. For we
cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
The Bible tells us to
obey the powers that be (Rom 13:1-7, 1 Pet 2:13-17), but this is the only time we’re justified in
disobeying them, when they stand between God and us. Jesus commanded His disciples to be witnesses
for Him (Matt 28:19-20, Acts 1:8), and the authorities commanded them not to. They had to choose;
they could only obey one.
What would it take to
get you to stop talking about Jesus? Be honest; would embarrassment be enough? How about contempt?
Scorn? Threats? Prison? Torture? Death? I don’t know about you, but I think embarrassment would be
enough to make me shut up, and that’s because I’ve failed at receiving the Holy Spirit. Peter
and John were filled with the Spirit, so they were willing to put their lives on the line.
21. 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.
22. For the
man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
23. And being
let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said
unto them.
If Peter and John
feared what men could do to them, it must have looked pretty bad when they were dragged before the
same council that delivered Jesus up to be crucified. According to man’s wisdom, this was a recipe
for disaster, but what actually happened in there?
Filled with the
Spirit, Peter was able to preach about Jesus to the leaders of the Jews, and it was effective…
Acts 6:7
…the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a
great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
A forty year old man,
lame from birth, carried every day to lay at the temple gate so he could ask for alms; I wonder how
many times Jesus passed right by this guy, but he asked for alms instead of healing. On this day,
the lame man stood next to Peter and John, a testimony to newfound faith and the healing power of
Jesus. These religious rulers were afraid of Jesus and His teaching, but today they had to admit
that a miracle was done in His name. They were confused and powerless; all they could do is make
threats, and if you can imagine it, Peter and John are even bolder now. Just read chapter 5 if you
want to see for yourself.
Can you just see John
looking at Peter as they walked out, saying, “Hey Pete, these guys want us to stop teaching in the
name of Jesus” (insert hearty laugh from Peter). Did they tremble and shake at the government,
or at their high calling? Folks, none of you is any lower or higher than Peter and John. They were
just regular guys, chosen to serve the Lord as fishers of men. Couldn't you say the same thing about
yourself? What keeps you from asking Him to fill you with His Spirit everyday? Who is it that wants
you to live your life as a wishy-washy Christian? You have access to the greatest untapped power
ever known! The One who created the heavens and earth offers us His power, but we don't use it. Are
you like me, and you just don't think it can work through me? How do you think Peter felt, who
denied his Lord three times?
God was glorified on
that day because these disciples weren’t afraid to make the right choices, and speak up for what
is right. I can just see Peter and John walking home rejoicing and laughing at the whole situation.
When they were reunited with the rest of the disciples, I’m sure there were jaws dropping to the
floor as they told what happened.
24. 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:
25. Who by
the mouth of thy servant David hast said (in
Psalm 2), Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26. The kings
of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his
Christ.
27. 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,
28. For to
do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
29. And now,
Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak
thy word,
30. By
stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of
thy holy child Jesus.
These disciples saw
their circumstances being fulfilled in the second Psalm. They put themselves in position to
understand this through prayer, fellowship, meditation in the Word, and receiving the Holy Spirit.
When you see what’s happening to you in a Scriptural context, you can draw peace, boldness and
power from that. The wrath of men may come against you, but you know its God’s hand setting the
limits and directing the purpose. When you realize that, when it sinks in, that whatever comes
against you has been allowed by God’s hand, you can be at peace even in the lowest times of your
life. You understand that the damage and suffering will not be permanent, so you’re led toward
fulfilling His purpose in it, in walking where He walks.
31. 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.
I can’t help but
think this earthquake was a happy little recognition, a belly laugh from God. They were all filled
with the Holy Spirit, again! Peter and John were diligent, going up to the temple daily, looking to
share Jesus with anybody who would listen, seeking first the kingdom of God, and it paid off.
32. 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.
People, relationships,
these are much more important than things. Everything is God’s, we are only stewards of what He
entrusts us with. All the miracle working, the magnificent preaching and great speeches, none of
that matters without love; here are 5000 people of one heart and soul, with everything in common –
one Spirit.
33. And with
great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was
upon them all.
34. Neither
was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them,
and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35. And laid them
down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36. And
Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of
consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
37. Having
land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
In this country today,
the church isn’t being persecuted like they were. Our greatest enemy is within us, the need we
feel to be accepted by the world, gluttony, luxury, and a lack of meekness. It makes waves when
someone risks everything in faith, and they can be an effective witness because the world is curious
about the source of courage. On the other hand, the half-hearted, self-centered Christian, the one
who looks the other way and makes compromises, that person is not respected, but is despised, and
makes a great opportunity for the enemy to speak evil against Jesus Christ.
When your Messiah is a
person, you cannot maintain the status quo. You have to come to know Him. He’s more than a savior.
He is a friend, one who stands beside and comforts you, one who gives you wisdom and all things
whatsoever you ask in His name. He is the one who will judge you, so you cannot simply maintain the
status quo in your life. You’re either for Him or against Him, and that implies movement! Your
life has to change with this knowledge. If you stay the same, He says that He will spew you
out of His mouth. He has no need for the status quo. He wants laborers.
Why should this be
important to you? Why should you and I be hungering and thirsting for the things of the Spirit?
Well, I could try to
guilt you into this, reminding you what Jesus did to spare you from eternal separation from God the
Father, eternal immersion in the lake of fire, and why you should be forever indebted to Him.
I could remind you
that it’s our duty; after all, at best we are all unprofitable servants (Luke 17:5-10). I could
appeal to your sense of logic, reminding you about how much time you spend every day just working to
pay for car insurance, homeowners insurance, health insurance, and life insurance. You “hedge your
bets”, “play it safe”, and “feather your nest” in worldly matters, but how much effort do
you put into heavenly matters, the only truly unselfish things – the things of the Spirit? How
much of yourself do you invest in making your calling and election sure?
I could show you
examples of those who thought they had it, but didn’t (king Saul, the “Lord, Lord people”,
Ananias and Saphira, the seven sons of Sceva, etc.). I could show you where the Apostle Paul said
that he didn’t think he had enough of the Spirit; even after all he’d been through for the name
of Jesus (Phi 3:8-16).
I could point out
Scriptures showing the utter futility of fighting against God (Acts 5:34,39, Acts 23:9, Rev 12:7-17,
Rev 16:9-21). I could do all these things, but you have to decide for yourself that you need more of
the Spirit. You have to decide for yourself that nothing in this life is more important than that,
and you have to ask the Father to fill you, that He might be glorified.
I could give up, but
I’m not done yet; I have one more plea to make today. Let’s look at Galatians 5:16-18.
Galatians 5:16-18
Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye
cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
If you’re asking the
Lord to fill you every day, you’re more likely to be receiving the Spirit, and more likely to “walk
in the Spirit”. This passage tells me that when I don’t walk in the Spirit, I’m not
able to do the things I want to do. Is there anything more frustrating than that? We all hate it
when we can’t do what we want to do! If you take nothing else from this message today, remember
Galatians chapter 5. When we walk in the flesh, it seems that we’re doing what we want to do, but
its temporary, and the end of it is death. When the dark days come, when nothing seems to be going
your way, remember why, dust off your Bible and read that chapter. Remember this promise in God’s
Word, and give it a try – walk in the Spirit. If you find yourself in a time when it feels like
everything you do backfires, like you see your enemy every morning when you look in the mirror,
remember these verses, and know that as long as you walk in the flesh, you are your own worst
enemy! If you can admit to that, there’s no reason to wait for dark times; read Galatians 5 this
evening, and start walking.
One of the biggest
lies the devil tells is that you become like a robot if we submit ourselves to Christ. The opposite
is true, but he won’t tell us that. Deep down, you know what’s right. Read Galatians chapters 5
& 6, and learn how free you can be.
Take cookie dough ice cream for example; deep down you know it’s bad for you, but there’s so much pleasure in eating it. You can keep on eating and eating, and at some point, it loses its flavor. You get sick of it, and the end of it is death by congestive heart failure. The things of the Spirit are the exact opposite of cookie dough ice cream. The things of the Spirit will never get old, no matter how much you consume.