Review: Acts 1 - The Promise of Power - of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2 - The Presence of Power - the coming of the H.S.
Acts 3 - The Product of Power - the healing of the lame beggar.
Today… Acts 4 - The Persecution of Power - the response of the Jewish
religious leaders to the work of God through the Apostles.
*Things to remember in the "culture wars", the "civil war for values" that we face in today's society: (PP)

1. Recognize that Bible truth is always relevant to the present situation.
2. Acknowledge that Biblical principles can be drawn from the pages of Scripture to guide our lives today.
3. Decide to believe and obey the truths presented and allow them to change the way we live.
4. Discipline ourselves to the reality that if there is no continuing growth in our spiritual life and expanding integration of Biblical truth in the way we live:

1) We may not be saved - II Cor. 13:5.
2) We may have sin in our life - Omission / Commission.
3) We may need a fresh touch from God to stir us and move us to new levels of spiritual growth.



In our last study of Acts 3 we met a lame man who leaped. He was healed by the power of God and although he had been a crippled beggar for forty years, he could now walk and leap and praise God. We saw The Man's Transformation, The Multitudes Astonishment and The Message Presented.
What a wonderful miracle and blessing from God!!
We talked about our own deficiencies and how many of us have leaped in the past but how we are limping today. We diagnosed our problems and asked God to make us leap again.
Today, we learn the reaction of the Jewish religious leaders to the wonderful news of the lame man who could now leap for God. Let's draw some practical applications for our personal lives from this potent chapter of God's word.
Today we will make observations about our Master. We will see 1) The Glory of His Name, 2) The Greatness of His Fame and 3) Learn of His Grace to Remain.
READ - Acts 4:1-37 (Video)
As we Face the Pace of our generation we must focus on THE MASTER and find GRACE TO FACE THE PACE.
How do we find GRACE TO FACE THE PACE?
NOTE:

V13 - "they were marveling and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus"
V31 - "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit"
3) V33 - "and abundant grace was upon them all".

How do we find Grace to Face the Pace?
*First of all concentrate on:
I. THE GLORY OF HIS NAME - 4:1-12. (PP)
A. The anger of His foes - 4:1-7. (PP)
1. It was focused - 4:1-2.
They… "came upon them"… They… were "greatly disturbed"
a. The anger of the religious leaders was focused upon the teaching and proclaiming (preaching) of these men.





b. They were preaching that Jesus had risen from the dead.
c. This was contrary to their beliefs and disturbing to their established religious system.
d. The Sadducees were distinguished by several characteristics:
1) A disbelief in a resurrection and a denial of the existence of angels or spirits. (They were Sad-you-see)
2) Loyalty to the Roman government.







3) A desire to maintain the status quo.
4) An association with the wealthy class.
5) Adherence only to the Pentateuch.
(First five books of the O.T.)
e. Based upon these characteristics you can understand their anger with these "fishermen" for proclaiming the message of Christ.
1) The disciples preached that Jesus rose from the dead. The Sadducees hated this doctrine.
2) The disciples explained that we are to obey the government but we are to obey God first. The religious leaders wanted to maintain peace with Rome at any cost.
3) The religion of the Jews was long established and they did not want to disturb their traditions with new teachings. Jesus did not fit their mold.
4) The followers of Jesus were from the multitude: poor, uneducated, sick and outcast. The Sadducees were of the landowners and wealthy of Israel.
5) The fisherman quoted other Old Testament passages than the Pentateuch. The Sadducees stuck strictly to the first five books of the O.T.
6) The Apostles also spoke with the authority of the prophets of old which bothered the Sadducees greatly.







PRINCIPLE for the church today: When you go against the flow in the name of the Lord, expect opposition. (PP) (Appropriate His grace to face the pace of a godless society. Focus on the glory of His name, who He is and who you are in Him. Take time to be with Him.)
Illustration: A few years ago, a 105-year-old man was interviewed on The Today Show. The reporter commented, "I’ll bet you’ve seen a lot of changes in your lifetime." The man replied, "Yes, and I’ve been against every one of them."
To stay creative and fresh you must intentionally avoid a "hardening of the attitudes". You’ve got to keep growing and developing. Attitudes are like diapers: every so often they need to be changed or they start to stink.
The anger of His foes was focused and...
2. It was futile - 4:3-4.
"They laid hands on them"… "Put them in jail"… "Many believed"…
a. Because they were the established religious authority of the time, they had the power to lock people up.





b. They put Peter and John in jail.
c. Many believed the message anyway... some 5,000 not counting women and children. (Perhaps some 25,000 in all.)





PRINCIPLE for the church today: Know that your consistent Christian testimony will influence people around you. (PP) (Ask Him for grace to face the pace. Keep on keeping on in the face of the opposition.)
3. It was formidable - 4:5-7.
They ganged up on them…
a. What an impressive crowd it was that gathered that day to intimidate these two Galilean fisherman.
b. The Sanhedrin was composed of 72 members with the High Priest, Sadducees and Pharisees.






c. This was the Jewish Supreme Court.
d. It was intimidating - V7 - they placed them in the center and began to ask them a question.





Note the Questions:
By what Power? In what Name/Authority?
What have you done?
PRINCIPLE for the church today: Do not allow yourself to be intimidated by people in high places, stand for what is right and stand against what is wrong. What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right. (PP) (Obtain grace to face the pace. Focus on Jesus Christ, not the opposition.)
B. The answer of His friends - 4:8-12. (PP)
1. Peter’s answer was powerful - 4:8.
Peter filled with the Holy Spirit.
2. Peter’s answer was pointed - 4:8-12.
a) Who was he addressing? - V8.
b) He asked, "Are we being called on the carpet for a blessing that was wrought upon a poor lame beggar?" - V9.
c) Do you really want to know "how" this man was made well? Then, I will tell you. (This was another opportunity to preach for Peter. Remember, this is the same man that denied even knowing Christ a few weeks back. ??? Or is it the same man?) (II Cor. 5:17)
d) It was by the power and authority of the name of Jesus that the man was healed.






e) Peter told them, Jesus is the one that you crucified. >>Pointed!!
f) The proof of His power is "standing here before you in good health" - V10. (He must have been with them.)





*About this time, the Sadducees began to look at each other and ask, "Whose idea was this anyway to bring these guys in here? This is embarrassing."
g) NOTE:
1) Their Guilt - 4:11a. They rejected Jesus - Jn. 1:11.
2) Their Glut – 4:11b. They were the "builders". They were the ones with the answers. They were the authorities.
3) Christ's Glory - 4:11c. He is the corner stone of all humanity and creation. By Him all things are held together/consist.







Colossians 1:14-17
14 in whom (Jesus Christ) we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together/consist.
4) God's Grace - 4:12. (READ)





Salvation in no one else - Jn. 14:6,
I Tim. 2:5, Prov. 14:12, 16:25.
Rom. 5:1, Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5,
Jn. 3:16, Rom. 10:9-10.
PRINCIPLE for the church today: Always be ready, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to give reasons for your beliefs. (PP) (Have grace to face the pace. Rely upon the Holy Spirit to bring you through. Share the gospel in word and deed.)
*Remember:
II. THE GREATNESS OF HIS FAME - 4:13-22. (PP)
A. The dilemma of the rulers - 4:13-16. (PP)
WHAT THEY SAW... - 4:13-14.
1. The men who had been with Jesus - 4:13.
a) The religious leaders were "astonished" at the boldness/confidence/courage of Peter and John.






b) Why were they so astonished?



In their opinion these were merely:
1) Uneducated/unschooled - agrammatoi - illiterate - men.







2) Untrained/ordinary - idiotai - idiot - men.
Illiterate Idiots
Can we fit the bill? Can we be "illiterate idiots" for Jesus?

WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES?
Salvation / Filled with the Holy Spirit.

1. Is this same power available to everyone? Yes!!!
2. Does anyone here have a valid excuse for not being used of God greatly?
3. Is a seminary education necessary to be effective in ministry? NO!
Again… what the Jewish Leaders SAW….
2. The man who had been brought to Jesus - 4:14.
a) The evidence was clear.
b) How could they deny this miracle upon the one who had been crippled for forty years?






APPLICATION
Is the evidence clear in your life? Is your life an undeniable evidence of the power of God to change and remake a person?
*The dilemma of the rulers...
WHAT THEY SAID... - 4:15-16.
3. "We cannot deny this miracle". AMEN!!

B. The decision of the rulers - 4:17-22. (PP)
1. It was despotic - 4:17-18.
a. They opposed the salvation of God and the Son of God.
b. They gave a dictate contrary to the will of God.
c. They sought to control the disciples by their mere majority and influence in society.





APPLICATION
Do we have parallels of this in the U.S. today?
Right is being trampled upon because of the opinions of a misguided minority or because of the silence of a moral majority.
*Remember: Romans 8:31, God and you make a majority.

*The decision of the rulers:
2. It was defied - 4:19-22.
a. Promptly so - 4:19-20.

b. Properly so - 4:21-22.
PRINCIPLE for the church today: We must obey God rather man. We must base all our opinions and convictions upon the Word and not upon current currents. If "Caesar" demands that we do something morally or spiritually wrong, we must disobey. (PP) (God will give you grace to face the pace.)
*NOW… How do we find:
III. THE GRACE TO REMAIN - 4:23-37. (PP)
Amid all the conflicts of culture confronting the first century church... they found GRACE TO REMAIN faithful to the Lord and His Word.
**HOW DID THEY DO IT????
A. They had fellowship - 4:23-30. (PP)
1. In suffering - 4:23.
a. They shared their problems.
b. They shared their victories.
(Relationship/Fellowship/Love)
2. In supplication - 4:24-30.
a. They recognized that God is sovereign - V24.
b. They recognized God's plan in allowing opposition to the Messiah and His people - VV25-28. (Esp. V28 -"predestined")
c. They asked for confidence/courage to speak the Word - V29.
d. They asked for more signs and wonders in the name of Jesus, more evidence of His power - V30.





PRINCIPLE for the church today: We must not neglect assembling of ourselves together. We must encourage one another in the Lord. We must ask God to show Himself through us and our church. (PP) (Grace is available to face the pace. We can find it in the Local Church.)
B. They had the filling - 4:31 – (READ). (PP)
1. The empowering of the Holy Spirit.
2. The gifts of the Spirit.
3. The fruit of the Spirit – spoke the Word of God with boldness!



*Lord, Light the Fire Again! – Song.
C. They had the family - 4:32-37. (PP)
1. A mystical oneness - 4:32.
a. Unity in mind and heart - psyche mia - one mind - one "psyche".





b. They shared their possessions.
ILLUSTRATION
Aristotle is reputed to have defined a friend as "one soul dwelling in two bodies."
The family that is described here in Acts 4 is a body of believers with "one soul". It is a group of individuals who no longer major on their individuality but have but "one soul". This is a mystical oneness that cannot be explained.

2. A ministerial oneness - 4:33.
a. They had the power and witness of the Apostles teaching them the doctrines of God.





b. They had the grace of God resting upon them.
c. *Read Acts 2:42 - They had a unity, they were of one heart and mind in the Spirit.





1 Corinthians 1:10
10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Romans 16:17
17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.
Hebrews 13:7 & 17
7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
17 Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
3. A material oneness - 4:34-37.
a. A spontaneous expression of oneness - 4:34-35.

b. A specific example of oneness - 4:36-37.
1) Here Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement, is introduced.
2) We will note next week the contrast between this Godly example and that of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5.








PRINCIPLE for the church today: We should seek to be one with the people of God and thus meet the needs of others and have our needs met. (PP) (God's grace is sufficient for the pace we face.)
If we follow this principle, we will maintain the GRACE TO REMAIN... to continue, to fight the good fight of faith, to finish the course.
Illustration:
In studying groups, anthropologists have found parallels between the behaviors of human groups and the behaviors of animal groups. One such parallel is a flock of geese which has important lessons for all of us.
"As the goose flies" (PP)
FACT #1
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for those following. By flying in a V formation, the group adds 71% greater flying range than if it flew alone.
LESSON #1
People who share a common direction, are on the same page, who have a sense of community or common-unity can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
FACT #2 (PP)
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.
LESSON #2
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation (in church, in Bible Study, in Prayer) with those who are headed where we want to go and be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.
FACT #3 (PP)
When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another flies at the point position.
LESSON #3
It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. With people as with geese, we are interdependent on each others skills, capabilities and spiritual gifts.


FACT #4 (PP)
The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those in front to keep up their speed.
LESSON #4
We need to make sure our "honking" from behind is encouraging. The power of encouragement is a powerful tool to promote healthy relationships and productivity.
FACT #5 (PP)
When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese follow it out of formation to give it protection and stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. They then catch up with the flock or join another.
LESSON #5
If we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times, as well as when we are strong.

Let’s all fly together in a Victorious "V" for the Lord!!
CONCLUSION:
Have you been up against it this week?
Have you had your back against the wall for the Lord lately?
Are you standing for right and finding yourself knocked down?
Have you been out of formation?
Do you find yourself out of step?
Illustration:
Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California recently stated: "One of the most common mistakes Christians make is that they think they can live their lives off a single commitment they made years ago.
My spiritual birthday is January 23, 1960. The first ten years of my Christian life, I tried to live on the basis of that one decision. I thought it was enough to carry me the rest of my life. I wondered why I wasn’t growing as a Christian and becoming all that God wanted me to be.
I prayed, but I didn’t see that many answers. Then in 1970, I discovered that the Christian life is a continual renewal and daily recommitment to Christ. It’s not just a once-for-all decision."
Hold on to THE GLORY OF HIS NAME and THE GREATNESS OF HIS FAME and He will give you THE GRACE TO REMAIN.

Let the Apostles and the early church teach us to: (PP)
1. Face our foes.
Don't back down, ask God for power and strength to face that situation, that person, that policy... that problem.



Confront the culprit. Have courage to contend.
2. Point out our problems.
Don't back away from the obvious. (Name them, list them, deal with them one by one... face your foes.)



3. Get grace from God.
Be where you should be to receive the grace of God. Open yourself to His blessing and encouragement. Don't deny yourself the blessings of His grace.



Do you have grace to face the pace?

Follow the example of the first century church - you will have it.



END












FRESH POWER FOR THE CHURCH TODAY
HOW TO FIND
GRACE TO FACE THE PACE
Acts 4:1-37
Pastor Mike Padgett

*Rely on:
I. THE GLORY OF HIS NAME - 4:1-12.
A. The anger of His foes - 4:1-7.
Focused: ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
PRINCIPLE: When you go against the flow in the name of the Lord, expect opposition.
Futile: ________________________________________________________
PRINCIPLE: Know that your consistent Christian testimony will influence people around you.
Formidable: ___________________________________________________
B. The answer of His friends - 4:8-12.
Powerful: _____________________________________________________
Pointed: ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
PRINCIPLE: Always be ready, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to give reasons for
your beliefs.
*Remember:
II. THE GREATNESS OF HIS FAME - 4:13-22.
A. The dilemma of the rulers - 4:13-16.
What the saw: ________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
What they said: ______________________________________________
B. The decision of the rulers - 4:17-22.
Despotic: ___________________________________________________
Defied: _____________________________________________________
PRINCIPLE: We must obey God rather than man. We must base all our opinions and convictions upon the Word and not upon current currents. If "Caesar" demands that we do something morally or spiritually wrong, we must disobey.

How did they find...
III. THE GRACE TO REMAIN - 4:23-37.
A. They had fellowship - 4:23-30.
Suffering: _____________________________________________________
Supplication: __________________________________________________
PRINCIPLE: We must not neglect assembling of ourselves together. We must encourage one another in the Lord. A good place to do that is in the Local Church.

B. They had the filling of the Holy Spirit - 4:31.
C. They had the family - 4:32-37.
Mystical Oneness: _______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Ministerial Oneness: _____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Material Oneness: ______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

PRINCIPLE: We should seek to be one with the people of God and thus meet the needs of others and have our needs met.
CONCLUSION:
1. FACE YOUR FOES.
2. POINT OUT YOUR PROBLEMS.
3. GET GRACE FROM GOD.