Book of Acts Part 11

All right, let us pray and then we'll get into our study lord jesus again as we open up your word.

We ask that your holy spirit to help us to rightly understand what is revealed there so that we may properly believe.

Confess and do according to your holy word.

We ask in jesus name.

Amen.

When we were last studying the book of acts we were finishing up chapter two and I got

to give credit to dan johnston.

Jan dan johnson actually noticed something.

And had communicated it to my wife who communicated it to me.

So there's a little bit of a game of telephone going on here, but worth noting.

So.

I had made the the comment that the last part of acts in no way is teaching that we as

christians must be um socialists, you know or communists that we somehow need to Sell our

property and live in some kind of commune.

I would note that's cultish behavior.

Uh in and often.

Oftentimes that's the case but there's there's something really interesting here.

Uh, you'll note that it says.

And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

They were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had

need.

Well, there's a very very simple practical reason as to why that was happening.

Let me let me roll back up a little bit here.

Okay.

In the earlier part of acts chapter two You'll note that um.

That there were a lot of people in town.

From.

Out of town.

Okay.

And how is it that we each of us in his own native language parthenians medes elamites residents of

mesopotamia?

Judea capadocia ponchos in asia phrygia and pamphylia egypt and parts of libya belonging to syrene.

Visitors from rome both jews and proselytes cretins and arabians.

We hear them telling our in our own tongues the mighty works of god.

Now when we think of travel today, we somehow think that that's how travel occurred in the ancient world.

But the reality is this is that when people travel in the ancient world, they were gone.

For a.

Long time.

Okay, when we travel I think about our trip to jerby by the way who put together that memories book.

That was really good.

I like that.

It's it's fantastic.

Anyway, um.

When we traveled to germany, you know, we had to be at the airport at a particular time and then we flew

To a particular place and then we got on another plane.

We flew to another place and when it was time to come home.

We had pre -purchased our tickets ahead of time and we were back the same day, you know in the

ancient world um, there were no planes.

There were no trains.

There were no automobiles as soon as there's no uber.

Yeah.

And.

Yeah, and there's no steve martin or john candy and uh, and so traveling was uh, was a multi

-month long.

Thing.

Uh, and that being the case, uh, you know, they had a little bit more freedom and leeway.

Uh, you know, I could see some guy coming in from crete going.

Well, my wife's not expecting me back until christmas, you know.

So, you know, i'm you get the point, right?

So you have all these people their their entire lives have been turned upside down they're now believers

in jesus.

And they want to soak up all of this apostolic teaching.

And participate in the fellowship and all this kind of stuff.

Now eventually god's going to disperse them and you'll see that a little further on

into the book of acts because.

Uh that that was kind of a necessary thing.

But in in persecuting the church the church got dispersed and guess what all these people went home.

Guess what they brought with them.

Christianity.

Right, so you can kind of see what's going on here.

So they devoted themselves the apostles preaching teaching the fellowship the breaking of bread.

And all who believed were together had things in common and they were selling their possessions.

So note who's selling their possessions.

And you know selling, you know pieces of property and stuff like that.

It's the locals.

They're and they're doing that in order to be able to help meet the needs of the folks who are from out of

town.

And so this is making it possible for them to stay.

Making it possible for them to hear the word to soak this all in and and to be catechized

into the christian faith.

Yes, marilyn.

No, it did not.

No Right.

That's also correct.

They did not have to sell their property at the point of a gun.

Communism requires you to do that.

Okay.

So you get the idea so that I think that that is.

I love that little point.

So I Liked it so much.

I wanted to share with you, but we're on to chapter three now.

Okay.

Now I think the best way to compare to help us see what's really going on in acts

three is to remember What peter was like?

On the night that jesus was betrayed.

Okay.

I I won't pull the passage up.

I will just by way of memory remind you That when jesus is arrested

and he's put on trial peter decides to Surreptitiously slink into the

shadows and be there while jesus is on trial.

And he's warming his hands by a fire a charcoal fire and there's a little

there's a little servant girl.

Aren't you with jesus.

You have a you're a galilee and you have an accent just like him.

No, I never knew the guy.

I don't know what you're talking about.

You know, he denies christ three times.

Which tells you uh, he he was uh, he was afraid for his life.

Right, and then after the immediately after the resurrection.

Uh, you'll note.

Uh, let me let me pull this up.

Genesis.

Not genesis.

John john chapter 20 um, it it says it says this

regarding the uh, The apostles and where they were gathered on the evening of that day the day of the resurrection the first day of

the week.

The door is being locked.

Where the disciples were for fear of the jews.

They came and stood among them and said peace and he came and stood among them and said peace be with you.

So when jesus first appears to the apostles.

Where are they?

Hiding.

Oh mama.

I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law, right?

Okay.

Sing along if you know it.

I'm ready for a bass drum to kick in at this point, you know.

But the point is this they're they are legitimately terrified.

They're slinking in and out.

They're kind of they're being very careful.

It's like hey, I need some starbucks.

We're not gonna get any starbucks.

They'll recognize us, you know, you know, this this is the kind of stuff that's going on, right?

So that's let just kind of let this sink in because in very sharp distinction

Peter and john and the apostles these guys are

almost like Like they don't care what happens to them.

Kill me if you want, you know, that's just the kind of thing.

They're they're almost like, you know to the point of like being reckless.

But that's how much confidence they have in jesus.

They have they have had meals with him after the resurrection.

They've watched him ascend into heaven.

He they they've something dramatic has changed here in their behavior.

And I think this is part of the the great evidence for the resurrection itself.

Because these men all of them are willing to lay down their lives for the truth.

They're willing to lay down their lives whereas just a few weeks earlier they completely were

cowardly and And afraid for their lives.

So here's here's what happens.

So peter and john were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer.

Okay.

Quiz to see how much you guys are paying attention to catechesis and stuff like this.

Please tell me the time of the day 3 p .m.

It is 3 p .m.

How do you know there are two times for the hour of prayer 9 a .m.

And 3 p .m.

And this is in the afternoon.

So this is and this is the highly attended service.

So where are they preaching and teaching?

In the temple itself.

A place called solomon's colonnade, by the way.

So a layman from birth was being carried whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the

beautiful gate.

To ask for alms of those entering the temple.

Now, there are people who sit there and go.

Jesus healed everybody he ever came in contact with who needed healing.

No, he did not.

Jesus went in and out of the beautiful gate many a time and this guy it says was laid there

how often.

Like every single day jesus walked by this guy never healed him once.

Okay.

Seeing peter and john about to go into the temple He asked to receive alms which is the normal

operation for somebody who's you know, the the lame this is their vocation.

This is how they they they pay for their their their expenses.

So peter directed his gaze at him as did john And said look at us.

And he fixed his attention on them expecting to receive something from them but peter said.

You know, I cannot read this without hearing ken copeland twisting this text.

Have you ever heard ken copeland twist this text?

No, but this one's particularly blasphemous.

Let me read the text and i'll tell you how he he twisted.

Peter said.

I have no silver and gold.

But what I do have I give you in the name of jesus christ of nazareth.

Rise and walk.

Ken copeland has famously twisted this text and say I have silver and gold plenty.

It's it's it's utterly blasphemous.

So, uh, you'll note that apparently peter Missed the memo about the prosperity bit.

Okay.

And he's not experiencing his best life now or anything like that and because uh, His little money

belt is just empty.

He doesn't have any silver.

He doesn't have any gold.

He says I don't have any silver gold.

But what I do have I give you in the name of jesus christ of nazareth rise and walk.

Now a little quick question here.

Does this fellow?

Have faith in order to be healed.

No, this is a drive -by healing, okay.

It's a drive -by.

This is the best drive ever in human history and you're gonna note this guy's an innocent victim of being

healed.

Okay, so there goes the idea that in order to be healed you have to have faith.

That that's completely out of the question here, too.

Because this guy had he was just doing his daily business as a lame dude.

Okay asking for alms.

He doesn't he doesn't have faith for healing.

Peter just gives it to him.

Here you go I'm gonna heal you and he heals him.

Okay, and you'll note as an apostle of jesus christ this Ability to work miracles

at will was one of the signs of the apostles.

This is not a general thing given to the entire church.

And I would note all the people out there claiming to be, you know to be healers and stuff like that.

You know, this is not a miracle.

Okay lengthening.

Somebody's leg is not a miracle.

Okay, this is an undeniable miracle here.

You got a guy who's lame.

Everybody knows him.

They knew his name.

I don't know what his name was because it's not listed.

Maybe it was fred, you know.

Most likely an israeli name his name is itzhak or his name was shlomo.

That's solomon or maybe you know, maybe his name was john or pet, you know, you know or simeon you get the

idea here.

So.

So peter took him by the right hand raised him up.

And immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.

And leaping up he stood and began to walk.

And entered the temple with them.

Walking and leaping and praising god.

This is one of the few times that we actually get the real like in the moment response from the person who's

healed.

Okay, and this guy's lost it.

Whoo.

I can walk.

I can walk.

Praise god.

Yay, you know.

Yeah, yeah, that's right, you know.

So all the people saw him walking of course, they all know who he is.

How many of those people have given him money along the way, you know.

And and they saw him walking and praising god and they recognized him as the one who sat by the beautiful gate of the temple.

Asking for alms and they were all Filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened

to him.

Now.

Here's where we got to point something out here.

The miracle isn't the point.

The miracle isn't the point.

The miracle validates a message.

Okay, if you you'll note that they've recently reopened notre -dame cathedral.

Okay, notre -dame cathedral is one of the most notable historic artifacts that we have of the

ancient.

Of the the medieval world and it is a true gothic cathedral.

If you were to look at the the out the structure of notre -dame from the outside.

You have these things called flying buttresses coming off that are supporting the structure

and making it possible For them to build it way up high get the ceiling way up and then open

up the the walls so that you can put.

Um, you can put stained glass in there without the flying buttresses.

There would be no way to have the cathedral that higher to have those stained glass because you need to have load -bearing

walls.

And stuff like that.

So what the architects did is they took these flying buttresses and had them carry the load

For the structure and make it possible to open things up.

But you're gonna note.

The the main feature of notre -dame cathedral is the cathedral.

Okay, the flying buttresses support the cathedral but nobody sits there and goes.

I I gotta go see those flying buttresses.

You know i'm gonna fly all the way to paris.

I'm going to learn french so that I can look at a flying buttress.

Okay.

Except for really nerdy architect people, okay.

Right, but you get the average person doesn't do this.

Same thing with miracles.

Miracles are not the point.

They are the flying buttresses that support the message.

You're going to note then that this miracle Is going to lead to a message.

And so here's the thing.

When somebody comes to you claiming to be able to perform miracles listen really carefully to their

message.

Because if they're not preaching christ in him crucified for our sins if they're wrongly handling

biblical texts.

That's a false sign in a false wonder that is supporting a false message.

Okay, you know, I think back to martin luther.

Martin luther was challenged by some papists.

Okay, we call them papists sometimes.

High mucky mucks of cardinals and you know and people like that in the roman catholic church and they asked

luther.

What miracles do you prove do you do to prove that the gospel you're preaching is correct?

Which by the way is a darn good question.

Because at least they knew enough biblical stuff to kind of note this that you know.

The miracles need to be done to support the message and that's their function and luther goes.

Those were done by the apostles.

Because the gospel I preach is the gospel that they preached.

So the miracles that we point to that support our gospel.

Were performed by the apostles themselves.

So we don't have to perform miracles today and I would note.

Anybody putting a burden on you saying you need to perform signs and wonders and stuff like this.

I don't know how to do that.

Okay, only god can do that.

And if god wants to perform a sign or a wonder through me, he's welcome to.

But why is it on me that i've got to do it?

I can't nobody does this except for god.

Anyway, which peter is going to say by the way.

So.

Here's what happens while he clung to peter and john.

All the people utterly astounded ran together.

To them in the portico called solomon.

So they're in solomon's portico as part of you know.

With kind of a colonnaded section of the temple which is going to have good acoustics.

It's going to have shade.

You know and cover from rain and the elements and stuff like this.

This is where they were meeting and preaching.

And so now peter is going to preach a message and no everybody's got the attention.

You remember you fred frank can walk.

Now what frank can walk?

Yeah, he's right over there.

Let's go see what's happening.

Okay, you get the idea.

So When peter saw this he addressed the people.

Men of israel, why do you wonder at this?

Why do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety we've made him walk.

The god of abraham the god of isaac the god of jacob the god of our fathers glorified his servant

jesus.

Whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of pilate when he had decided to release him.

Now let's stop here for a second here.

I point this out every time and it's worth continuing to point out.

How how uncharitable of peter.

How dare he?

Blame the people that were there for turning jesus over to be crucified.

Most of them weren't even up that on that friday morning.

They hadn't even had their coffee yet.

Okay, now granted maybe one or two of the people present there in the temple were also there at jesus's trial.

Why is peter indiscriminately blaming me?

For for having jesus crucified.

Because we're all responsible.

His indiscriminacy.

When it comes to blaming everybody present for a very specific sin.

That we can legitimately argue.

There is a bunch of people there listening to peter who weren't there on good friday morning.

They were not there.

I wasn't there.

You wasn't there.

Yeah, but i'm still responsible.

You're still responsible.

I remember that movie the uh, the passion of the christ.

What a brutal movie that was.

Horrifying.

Uh, so it is mel gibson.

He he makes one cameo appearance in that movie.

And he was responsible for putting that thing out and so the cameo appearance that he made is is that.

It was his hands that was holding the hammer that drove the nails into christ's.

Hands.

That was his appearance.

He knew full well that that would was the right role for him.

So when we get when we roll around back to good friday, which is really not that far away

You know next next sunday's transfiguration pre -lent starts after that We will be fully into

lent the first week of of march.

And then you know, it's just a matter of weeks before We we come back around

to those readings the passion sunday and and good friday when you hear the crowd.

Speaking.

And you hear the crowd demanding that they release barabbas.

That's your voice.

That's mine.

And that's the point that peter is making.

It doesn't matter if you were there or not.

These sins like adam's sins are imputed to us.

So when somebody says Oh, man, we got to hate the jews because the jews are responsible for killing.

Jesus sit there and go you moron.

You're the one who's responsible.

So am I?

Okay, and then point them to this text and explain it out, right?

And I think.

Considered the words that were spoken by the crowd in matthew's gospel.

Let me get there.

I think it's 27.

Hang on.

I said Jesus delivered to pilate and judas hung himself.

Go down do likewise jesus before.

Sorry, sorry.

You got to hear the inner dialogue.

Sorry.

I don't know what happened there.

So here's what it says at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted

and they then had a notorious prisoner by the name of.

Barabbas.

Which his name means literally son of the father.

Let that one sink in this.

You can't make this stuff up.

Okay.

So when they had gathered pilot said to them whom do you want me to release for you?

Barabbas the son of the father or jesus who's called christ.

For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.

Besides while he was sitting on the judgment seat his wife had sent word to him Have nothing to do with that righteous man.

I've suffered much because of him today in a dream.

Interesting strange things are afoot, right?

Now the chief priest and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for barabbas and to destroy jesus.

The governor again said to them, which of the two do you want me to release for you?

And they said.

Barabbas.

Pilate said to them then what shall I do with jesus who is called christ.

They all said let him be crucified.

And he said why?

What evil has he done?

They shouted all the more let him be crucified.

So when pilot saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning.

He took water washed his hands before the crowd saying I am innocent of this man's blood see to it yourself.

And all the people answered and listened to this one.

His blood be on us and on our children.

And then he released for them barabbas having scourged jesus delivering him over to be crucified.

His blood be on us and on our children.

Now that is a statement that cuts two different directions.

In the waters of baptism christ's blood is on us and on our children.

But not for the purpose of judgment.

His blood is on us.

For the purpose of cleansing us of our sins and washing away our iniquity.

And reconciling us to god.

May christ's blood be on us and our children but for the unbelievers.

You'll know all of humanity is held culpable for this.

But for those who do not repent and believe christ's blood is on them and their children

not for good.

But for judgment.

All right.

Kind of speaks of cain and abel doesn't it?

All right.

So g so again peter the god of abraham the god of isaac the god of jacob the god of our fathers glorified his

servant Jesus whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of pilate when he had decided to release him.

But you denied the holy one.

And righteous one and asked for a murderer to be granted to you and you killed

the author of life.

Now wait a second here if jesus is the author of life doesn't that make him god.

Whom god raised from the dead to this we are witnesses.

And his name by faith in his name has made has made this man strong whom you see

and know.

And the faith that is through jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

And now brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance as did also your rulers.

But what god foretold by the mouth of all the prophets that his christ would suffer he thus

fulfilled.

Repent therefore.

Turn back that your sins may be blotted out.

The times of refreshing may come from the presence of the lord and that he may send the christ appointed for you

Jesus whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all things About which god spoke

by the mouth of his holy prophets.

Long ago moses said.

The lord god will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.

You shall listen to him and whatever he tells you quoting deuteronomy 18.

And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be

destroyed from the people.

And all the prophets who have spoken from samuel and those who came after him also

proclaim these days.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that god made with your fathers saying to abraham.

And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

God having raised up his servant sent him to you first.

To bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.

Well, i've never heard heard joel osteen ever preach anything like that.

Yes.

It may be.

There's a there's a good chance of that now.

There's there's a good chance that some of these people are now hearing peter preach the second time.

Okay, that's absolutely within.

The.

Reasonable expectation.

So as they were speaking to the people.

Okay, now the the soundtrack goes dark.

All right, okay.

As they were speaking to the people the priests and the captain of the temple and the sadducees came upon them

greatly.

Annoyed now.

I know what this feels like because from time to time I somehow get my wife into this state.

But.

Thankfully she can't throw me in prison before but.

So they're very annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in jesus the

resurrection from the dead.

They're doing what they're telling people if they they believe in jesus that they can be resurrected too.

Just like jesus.

And they're just going.

Okay, because you got to remember.

Just a few months earlier.

They were thinking we finally got rid of that guy.

Yay.

No more jesus.

Yes.

Right.

I'm sure on good friday.

They gave a toast and you know, they were.

They were clinking glasses and just going.

Finally we're through with that fellow.

Nope, he came back from the dead.

And now the disciples are his apostles are and they're preaching the resurrection and they're preaching christ.

So.

Greatly annoyed people with power have a tendency to do this.

So they arrested them.

Okay now here's the thing.

What's the crime here?

Is the crime making you annoyed?

Okay, where in scripture does it say thou shalt not annoy?

Yeah.

There is a way in which you can annoy that does break the fourth commandment.

There is a way to do that.

Okay.

Yeah, he would.

No.

No.

Okay.

So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day for it was already evening.

But many of those who had heard the word they believed and the number of men came to about five

thousand.

We've just added a couple more thousand men to christianity, but that's also going to include women.

So now we've got a really big mega church.

Okay.

Yeah.

Now in a situation like that You just go for the leaders and hope that the rest gather, right?

So on the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in jerusalem with annas the high

priest Caiaphas John and alexander and all who were of the high priestly family

and when they had set them in the midst.

So here they bring them all out.

And who's who was there?

Peter john.

And the guy who got healed.

Okay, I want you to keep this in mind.

They didn't let him go home that night.

Okay.

Well, what did I do?

You got healed.

Is that a sin?

Is that is that a crime?

I got healed.

You're going to jail.

Why?

You know, okay.

Yeah, when you get greatly annoyed you become stupid.

I'm just saying okay.

Right.

How dare you get healed by jesus in his name?

Okay.

So when they had set them in the midst they inquired.

And here it comes.

And you can just almost hear the smarminess of the question by what power?

Or by what name did you do this?

I.

Love peter's response filled with the holy spirit.

Now, you're gonna note here phil.

We got this little tag here.

Okay, it's it's sufficient to say that all scripture is god breathed but god breathed here to point out.

Everything he's going to say is going to be given to him by the holy spirit.

Now this is important because jesus gave very specific instruction to his his apostles.

When they arrest you and when they persecute you and they put you on trial.

Don't rehearse what you're gonna say.

I'm gonna give you words in the moment.

Okay, so peter didn't sit there and go.

We need to call our attorney.

Does anyone have the number for saul goodman?

We need to get okay.

You know and you know and saul shows up in the middle of the night and they're working on their defense.

None of that.

Okay.

Peter peter had to tell that poor fellow who got healed.

Just relax.

We got this, you know.

God will get us out of this.

Okay, so peter's.

Enjoying his night stay and the this comfy prison with the rats and the smell of urine

and poop and all that kind of stuff.

Anyway.

Okay, so peter filled with the holy spirit said to them rulers of the people the elders if we're being

examined today concerning a good deed done by a Done to a crippled man and by what means this

man has been healed note the absurdity of the way he set this up.

Okay, let it be known to all of you and all the people of israel that by the name of jesus christ of

nazareth Whom you crucified? Whom god raised from the dead by him this man is

standing before you well.

This jesus is the stone that was rejected by you the builders which has become the

cornerstone.

And there is salvation and no one else for there is no other name Under heaven given

among men by which we must be saved.

There goes hinduism, right?

And there goes the emergent church.

Okay.

You know, uh, yeah, I I would note this.

Okay.

Hang on a second.

I gotta I gotta hunt this down because I can't.

Okay if I go to amazon .com amazon .com.

And I look for brian mclaren.

And I want generous Orthodoxy.

What a stupid name for a book.

Okay.

All right.

So when the emergent church movement comes on the scene this is the book that everyone's reading and I

just listen to the title a.

Generous.

Generous orthodoxy.

Okay, and and it says why I am a missional evangelical post protestant liberal

conservative mystic poet poetic biblical charismatic contemplative Fundamentalist calvinist

anabaptist anglican methodist catholic green incarnational depressed yet.

Hopeful emergent unfinished christian.

Why i'm a flaming snowflake?

Okay.

Do y 'all see the problem here.

Okay, and in this book, I kid you not I can give you my copy if you want to read it.

Okay, mclaren argues That there are followers of god in the name of

allah.

And when this came out.

That same year when this book came out mclaren to live his theology

Chose that he was going to observe ramadan with his muslim neighbors.

Yeah.

That's the syncretism.

Patrick, okay, you get the idea but yeah, this is a mess.

Okay.

So when those guys started coming out of the woodwork and this is one of my early Adventures in dealing with tony

jones and doug padgett I quoted this passage.

There's salvation in no one else.

So there's no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved to which they

attacked Me by basically saying those words don't mean what you think they mean.

How many times i've heard that argument?

Yeah.

It it legitimately is the bill clinton defense, okay.

I did not have sexual relations with that woman.

Ms. Lewinsky.

He parsed that one out.

Okay, this is word games.

It's nonsense.

What does the apostle peter say eyewitness of the resurrection?

The man who just a few weeks ago was hiding out and biting his fingernails and in complete anxiety.

And he gave up jesus three times because a girl asked him if he knew him.

He now says there is salvation in no one else.

There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Are you saying that my hindu neighbor is going to hell?

Yes.

You better preach christ to him because he has no hope otherwise.

You've been tasked with the job of proclaiming repentance and the forgiveness of sins in jesus name.

And telling the good news of what christ has done.

It is not your responsibility to make them believe it's your responsibility to preach the message to preach the gospel.

Right.

So invite ramesh over For barbecue ask him to

bring the curry and during the conversation tell him about jesus.

Right.

Now when they saw the boldness of peter

boldness Who's giving him that boldness the holy spirit?

Man.

He's gone from being a coward And a denier of christ boldly proclaiming that there is salvation

in no one else and doing it It to the face of the very people who crucified

christ The actual conspirators who were responsible for putting him to death.

When they saw the boldness of peter and john They perceived that they were uneducated men.

I don't know.

How did they figure that out?

Because peter kept saying y 'all.

Okay.

I don't know.

Huh.

Easy easy, you know.

Because they taught gooder than peter, okay.

Okay, first thing that knows.

These guys are uneducated.

Right and they're common men.

And they were astonished.

That's kind of the miracle here.

They're speaking with such sound words despite the fact they're uneducated common men and they're astonished so they

recognize.

Ah, they'd been with jesus.

Okay, but seeing the man who was healed standing beside them and you can just see the guy going.

Do I am I do I need to say anything here?

Right, so you can just see them looking at him and i'm going.

Okay.

When they saw the man who was healed standing beside them They had nothing to say in opposition.

But when they commanded them to leave the council they conferred with one another saying what shall we do with these men?

For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of jerusalem.

We cannot deny it.

I don't know.

The reasonable thing at this point is to go We repent we want to join we want to

please jesus forgive us.

Okay, that seems like the reasonable thing.

Because.

They can't deny the miracle has happened.

I would note many of today's charismatic miracles.

Okay, you can't confirm that anything has happened.

Okay.

There's like no way to confirm it.

Right.

I mean, I think back to a couple years ago.

Bill johnson Speaking at a church in missouri.

Okay, it was a joplin.

Maybe I think that may have been joplin or.

Anyway, he's he's teaching there and at this conference a woman who had

lost three of her toes.

Had people pray for her and she claimed that her toes were growing back.

Okay.

And of course.

No evidence was given.

And so bill johnson, I kid you not from the stage at bethel Said that she

had received her toes back.

And so some atheist guy gets on the internet puts together a website called show us the toes .com.

Or show me the toes .com and and and here's the funny bit the website's still there.

And.

And they refused To show any evidence that the toes had

grown back.

You know why?

Because the toes hadn't grown back.

So.

The guy who put the website together Legitimately had snagged a photo of this

woman's toes from her facebook feed of what they look like before the thing.

And then two -ish years later Was able to get another recent photo and

guess what there's no change.

Yet bill johnson said that god had given her had you know had grown her toes back.

Okay.

That's just annoying that's that falls down to the category of a false sign in a false wonder, okay.

But here you have the guys who who legitimately concocted the scheme That led

to christ's crucifixion.

They are conferring among themselves going we can't deny that a miracle has been done here.

There's no way to deny it.

Are they going to repent.

Are they going to believe?

Not on your life.

But in order that it may spread no further among the people let us warn them to speak no more

to anyone in this name.

Sin makes you really stupid.

Just dumb.

It's like what?

If this doesn't talk about hard -heartedness, I don't know what does.

A real miracle has happened.

We can't deny it.

We need them to stop talking about jesus.

Don't you think?

That if christ is healing people.

And good things are happening.

Maybe we need to just hand the temple over to the apostles for the good of the people.

Right you this is.

But who are they thinking about?

Themselves.

You know the satanic trinity.

Me myself and I.

Okay.

So they called them and they charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of

jesus.

Yeah.

Now peter gives a great answer.

Peter and john answered them both of them.

Whether it's right inside of god to listen to you rather than god.

You must judge.

For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.

And when they had further threatened them.

Don't you dare tell anyone else about jesus.

You know, right right.

They let them go finding no way to punish them.

Duh.

They didn't do anything wrong.

Okay.

Because of the people for all were praising god for what had happened.

For the man on whom the sign of healing was performed was more than 40 years old.

I hate that verse.

Makes it sound like this guy's ancient.

I almost got 17 years on him.

Okay.

He's like.

Thanks luke.

If only I can figure out the mystery.

Right away.

Yeah, this wasn't a progressive miracle it happened instantaneously.

Okay.

And of course he was really old.

And.

All right now when this goes down

the disciples, you know, they're released and so they go back to the fellowship.

They go back to be with the church.

And here's where the humility of the apostles really comes out.

They know full well, they heard every one of those threats and those threats are still ringing in their ears.

Right.

And they were told in no uncertain terms you stop preaching in the name of jesus or

Else and i'm sure with those threats some of the or else's were spoken.

You know, we'll flog you the way we flog.

Jesus.

We crucified him.

We'll crucify you too, right?

These are the kinds of threats that probably went down.

So when they were released they went to their friends and they reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

And when they heard it they lifted up their voice together to god and they said sovereign lord who made the

heaven and the earth And the sea and everything in them And who through the mouth of our father david your

servant said by the holy spirit Why did the gentiles rage and the people's

plot in vain the kings of the earth set themselves?

And the rulers were gathered together against the lord and against his anointed, right?

Why?

Why?

And so what are they doing.

They're praying and humbly praying for god to help them.

They're not sitting there going well.

What we need to do is we need to decree and declare over the satanic Principalities that are over jerusalem right now and tear down

beelzebul and do this and come deep to create declare and declare that.

And all that kind of nonsense.

Spiritual warfare is done on your knees brothers and sisters.

So they prayed.

And this prayer continues for truly in the city there were gathered together against your holy servant jesus.

Whom you anointed both herod and pontius pilate along with the gentiles and the peoples of israel.

To do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

And now lord look upon their threats.

And grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.

Let us not be afraid.

Please give us the strength to continue speaking with boldness.

While you stretch out your hand to heal.

And signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant.

Jesus.

And when they had prayed.

The place in which they were gathered together was shaken.

And they were all filled with the holy spirit and continued to speak the word of god with boldness.

So god answers their prayer the spirit comes again.

Gives them boldness.

So that they can continue to preach with boldness in the face of these very real threats and you're going to note There's going to be

an escalation of retaliation against the against the christians as things move forward.

So let's let me do this.

I'm going to check any questions over here.

And.

And.

Yeah, barry says I found out about his universalism and asked an associate pastor from greg boyd's

church.

And he confirmed that brian is a progressive universalist and I would avoid greg boyd like the plague.

Um, he's a open theist.

And he his view of god is that god isn't sovereign.

God doesn't know what's happening.

He doesn't know what the future is.

And so, you know, you know this past week, you know, you had that.

The.

Plane hit by that helicopter in.

In the in the open theism of greg boyd.

God would have jesus would have literally said.

Oh, wow.

I didn't see that coming.

Okay.

Kid you not.

So yeah stay away from boyd boyd's boyd is Every bit as dangerous as mclaren and mclaren

and boyd hang out together.

And they were they were kind of preaching buddies when the emergent church was a thing.

So keep that in mind barry boyd is not sound he's a very very dangerous man.

All right.

We're gonna end here lord willing.

We will see you all next time.

Peace.