We Cannot Be Silent - [Acts 4:13-22]

I would invite you to take a Bible and open it up to the book of Acts, Acts chapter 4. If we think about persecution, I talk about this from time to time, but I think, you know, persecution, if I think about it in an American sense, what does it really mean?

And, you know, the first thing that comes to my mind, because this is how American I am, is, you know, they're going to revoke our tax-free status. That's persecution. I have a story here, historical story, about a couple of men here in England.

During the time of the Reformation, and that time immediately succeeding, people literally put their lives on the line for the truth. Queen Mary ascended the throne in England in 1553. In the following year, she had at least 200 people put to death, often by fire, for their religious convictions.

There's some persecution. To history, she became known as Bloody Mary, which you'll never drink again. Although, in truth, she killed very many fewer people than her brutal father did. But it was the godliness of many of her victims that made them stand out.

Mary's father, King Henry VIII, had separated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church, so he could get his divorce. But he hadn't reformed the Church's practices or doctrines. When he died, his son Edward became king.

Many of Edward's advisors tried to move the English Church in the direction of a more Bible-based Christianity. Two such men were Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer. Ridley had been a chaplain to King Henry VIII, and now he was Bishop of London.

He was a preacher, beloved of his congregation, whose very life portrayed the truths of the Christian doctrines he taught. He held a household Bible study with daily readings and encouraged Scripture memory among the people who came to those studies.

Hugh Latimer also became an influential preacher under King Edward's reign. He was an earnest student of the Bible, Bishop of Worcester. Thank you. And he encouraged the Scriptures to be known in English by the people.

And again, given the time, this was revolutionary. His sermons emphasized that men should serve the Lord with a true heart and inward affection, not just with outward show, as again was the custom of the day.

When Mary became Queen of England, she worked to bring England back to the Roman Catholic Church. One of her first acts was to arrest Bishop Ridley, Bishop Latimer, and Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, another name that you probably know but not central to our story.

They served time in the Tower of London, and then they were taken to Oxford in 1555 to be examined by the Lord Commissioner of the Divinity School there in Oxford. Janet and I have had the opportunity to be there in Oxford and be the place where they were burned to the stake, but I skip ahead.

When Ridley was asked if he believed the Pope was heir to the authority of Peter as the foundation of the church, he replied rightly that the church was built not on any man, but on the truth Peter confessed in Matthew 16, 18, that Christ was the Son of God.

Ridley said he could not honor the Pope in Rome since the papacy was seeking its own glory, not the glory of God. Latimer, when asked about the Catholic Mass, told the commissioners, Christ made one oblation and sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and that a perfect sacrifice, neither needing there to be nor can there be any other propitiatory sacrifice.

Both Ridley and Latimer were burned at the stake in Oxford on October 16, 1555. As he was being tied to the stake, listen to this prayer. Ridley prayed, O Heavenly Father, I give unto thee most hearty thanks that thou hast called me to be a professor of thee, even unto death.

I beseech thee, Lord God, have mercy on this realm of England, not on me, but on England, and deliver it from all her enemies. Ridley's brother had kindly brought some gunpowder for the men to place around their necks so that death would come more quickly.

But Ridley suffered greatly. The gunfire did not catch around his neck. He repeatedly called out, Lord have mercy upon me, I cannot burn. Let the fire come unto me, I cannot burn. One of the bystanders finally helped the flames to the top of the pyre to hasten his death.

Latimer died much more quickly, and as the flames quickly arose, Latimer encouraged Ridley, be of good comfort, Mr. Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England as I trust shall never be put out.

Well, I can't speak for England, but I will say this, that their example is in fact a fire. It is something that we ought to emulate. And I think we're going to see something of this in their predecessors as we look at Acts chapter 4.

The Boldness of Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin

Men who are fearless in the face of persecution and oppression. Acts 4 verse 13. Now when they, the Sanhedrin, saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.

And they recognized that they had been with Jesus, but seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had 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, and we cannot deny it. 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.

So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge.

For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them 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. Now, by way of review, in Acts chapter 3, Peter and John heal a beggar outside the temple. The man had been born lame and regularly begged for money.

After the apostles heal him, the three of them enter the temple grounds. Because the people recognize the man as being lame from birth, an astonished crowd gathers around as he excitedly moves about. Peter and John preach to the crowd about Jesus and are arrested.

The next day, Peter and John are tried by the Sanhedrin. The man that they heal is also there. We're not told why. We're not told if he was kept overnight or whether he comes as a witness. We just don't know.

So they ask in Acts chapter 4 verse 7, By what power or by what name did you do this? Peter does three things. He turns the subject of the trial into the healing itself. He noted that it was a good deed.

Secondly, he also said, in verse 10, that they did this by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom the Jewish leadership had crucified but God had raised. And thirdly, he told them that Jesus was the only means of salvation.

And a couple of weeks ago when we were in Acts 4, I just focused entirely on verse 12. And like Peter before the Sanhedrin, I stressed three things. That Jesus was the singular, salvific and sufficient cause of salvation.

That he was the only Savior. And that he saves all who believe and that he saves them completely apart from any works by anyone. So this morning we have four short statements. I have four short statements from our text, which will help us frame this text.

And each contains an adjective with the letter S. Four short statements. So short statements that have an S in them. And they ought to encourage us to view the world rightly and to respond rightly in difficult situations.

The Unbelievers Are Stunned by Apostolic Boldness

First short statement, the unbelievers are stunned. I could have just said stunned because they're shocked. They're completely caught off guard. And what is it that catches them off guard? It's the courage of the apostles.

Look at our text. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, their courage. Again, keep in mind the setting. It really is kind of cinematic. Here's Peter and John and this man that they had healed.

And they're virtually surrounded by these men who are sitting in elevated positions above them with all the pomp and circumstance of a court. But they're not intimidated at all. In fact, our text tells us that they were bold.

They were courageous. Peter and John are on trial, and it's not like they could do anything to the Sanhedrin. So why are they so bold? How is it that they could just say what was on their mind as if they had really nothing to lose?

Well, first of all, we know from our text in verse eight that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. But they also had one advantage that's very helpful when you're in this kind of setting. That advantage is they had the truth.

They didn't have to make excuses. They didn't have to explain anything away. There's a nugget of value there for us when we're in difficult situations or when we're in situations where we can tell the truth.

The truth is a great defense. It's the best defense. Look again at verse 13. And perceived, the leaders perceived that they were uneducated common men. They were astonished that the apostles were uneducated.

It's an interesting Greek word. I don't know if I can say it or not. I've got it in the text. It's a. It's got the a positive, the negation. Agramatos, okay? Agramatos. So the idea being the negation of grammar, the opposite of being literate.

So they are illiterate. The picture is that they couldn't write. They couldn't read or write or do anything. Now, we know that's not true. But from these guys sitting up in the expensive seats looking down on them, these were uneducated Galileans.

They hadn't been through the rigorous theological training that these men had. But they had written or they would write. They hadn't written them yet, but they would write books of the Bible. It's not like they didn't know how to write.

But again, from the elitist position, these men were know nothings. And maybe this explains it. Verse 13. And they recognize there's a recognition or a consensus developing among us that are among them that these men had been with Jesus.

So if Jesus had been bold in defending himself and presenting the truth to the Jews, the leadership of the Jews, then so were these men. Of course, here's what they don't know. They don't know that Peter denied Jesus three times.

Why did he do that? Why was it that Peter denied Jesus three times? It was fear. If he was associated with Jesus, then he would also be arrested. He was afraid of being arrested. They didn't know that Peter hadn't gone to the crucifixion.

John did, but Peter didn't. Why didn't Peter? I think it's reasonable to think he was still afraid. The attitude of the Sanhedrin is typical though, isn't it? What do unbelievers think about believers?

Fools, unsophisticated, foolish, simple-minded, not smart. But here's what the Sanhedrin knows. That a miracle has happened. A wonder that could only happen by the power of God. But instead of accepting it, rejoicing it, even rejoicing for this man, they were out to get Peter and John.

There's a truth there too. This is a spiritual battle. These men, the Sanhedrin, hated Jesus. And more importantly, well, it's important that they hated Jesus, but they hate the very God that they profess to love.

These men, if you ask them, they would say they love the God of the Old Testament. Did they? No. They hated him. Jesus, if you recall in John 15, Jesus in the midst of trying to encourage the disciples who were discouraged because he's told them he's going to leave, and in verse 19 of John 15, he says this,.

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master.

If they persecuted me, and they did all the way to the cross, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. In other words, if they respect what I said, they will respect what you say.

They didn't, and they don't. In verse 21 of John 15, he says,. But all these things they will do to you on account, listen, of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. They don't know the Father, therefore they don't know me, but of my name, of my authority, of my person and work.

They disrespect that. They don't believe in me. The unbelievers, our first short statement, are stunned. Secondly, the unbelievers are silenced. They are silenced. Look at verse 14. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

They know that these guys, Peter and John, are not messengers of God. They can't be. They know it, quote unquote, because these are not people like them. They're not educated. They don't know the sophisticated ways of the Sadducees.

They want to argue, but they can't argue with the work of God. The text says, But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. In other words, I want to argue, but here's this healed guy.

Can't say anything about it. James Montgomery Boyce noted the irony. The Greek word for standing, because the man is standing there, has the same root word as resurrection. Dead men do what? They lie down.

They can't stand up. Resurrected men, on the other hand, stand up. This man, Boyce said, was a living symbol of the power of Jesus Christ. He'd been raised by the name, by the power of Jesus Christ, and there he was.

They wanted to argue against it, but miracle, trump card. Couldn't say anything about it. This man had been crippled from birth, lame from birth, and he'd gone from a life of uselessness and despair to a life of joy and hope.

And for all their education and power, there was nothing they could say. Of course, what they should have said was, tell us more about this Jesus. By whose name, by whose power, you've done this work.

Or what must we do to be saved? Isn't that what we'd like all unbelievers to say? What must we do to be saved? How can we have the experience that you've had? How can we have the joy that you have? How can we know this Jesus that you talk about?

Now, as was their habit in these trials, after they got through with the interviews, the interrogations, they clear the courtroom, look at verse 15. But when they had 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, and we cannot deny it. Can't deny it. Why don't we admit it? Why don't we proclaim it? Why don't we tell everybody that this man who was lame has been healed by the power of God?

Can't do that. Why not? Because then it does a couple things. One is it authenticates these men in front of us, Peter and John, who are uneducated. They're not the right stock. And to give them authority, they know what the history of miracles is.

They know the history of Moses and Aaron, Elijah and Elisha. They know the miracles of Jesus. When people see miracles, when the Jewish people see miracles, what do they think? They think that God has sent a new messenger and a new message, and they can't have that.

That's a problem for them. They want to cover it up. They want to minimize it. Commentator Waters says this. He says, accepting the miracle would have meant that the Sadducees would have had to accept the doctrine of the resurrection.

They denied anything to do with any resurrection, let alone the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So to say, yes, this man has been raised, well, they said, Peter and John said, that it was by the power of Jesus, who was God raised from the dead.

That would be a threat to their power. Above all, the Sadducees were about maintaining their power. It would also affirm the gospel, right? If everything these men say is true about Jesus, then he's God.

He died for sin. He was raised from the dead. And therefore, that would affirm the gospel, and again, they're out of a job. I mean, it's one thing to say, we love God. It's another thing to say, we have to go find real work.

That wasn't good. But the unbelievers are stunned. Then they are silenced, silenced by this miracle. They have nothing to say. They have no argument. Third short statement, the unbelievers are scared.

What is it that people, often people in authority, sometimes not in authority, what if they're just bigger than you, stronger than you? What do they do when their authority is challenged? They issue threats.

And that's exactly what these men do in verse 17. But in order that it may spread no further, and by the way, let me just stop there. When we see in order that it, what, word of the miracle? They can't stop that.

The miracle is being talked about by everyone. Their concern is to stop all this Jesus talk. Let's not be talking about the resurrected Jesus. Let's not be talking about the gospel. Let's not be talking about what God is doing and has done in Christ Jesus.

That it may spread no further among the people. Let us warn them, that is to say Peter and John, to speak no more to anyone in this name. So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

I like this summary by James Montgomery Boice. He says, it starts, this trial starts out in verse 7. By what power or name did you do this? Again, notice how many times I say name. By what power or name did you do this?

The answer in verse 10, by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And then the application in verse 12, there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. And in verse 17, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.

The name of Jesus isn't some magical mantra. What it represents, though, is the power, authority of the second person of the Trinity. It represents the gospel. Again, there's no way to cover up the miracle, so let's make sure the name of Jesus is cut off, that it's not mentioned in connection to this miracle.

It's not the men, Peter and John, that are a direct threat. It is the resurrected, ascendant Jesus that is a threat. So they're going to warn the apostles not to talk about Jesus. Now, this word warning means that they threaten them.

They state an intention to harm if a condition is not met. In other words, if you fail to stop talking about Jesus, harm is going to come to you. We'll see the apostles' response in a moment, but let's go to verse 21 for a moment because we're going to see this anhedron sort of up its game.

And when they had further threatened them, so they warned them, then they further threatened them. They let them go, finding no way to punish them. This is what they wanted. That's all they were about, was threatening them, punishing them, finding some way to scare them, to stop them.

By the way, when it says punish them, they would have put them in jail if they could have. Anything they could have done to stop them from proclaiming Christ. These men, Peter and John, were instruments of a stupendous work of the grace of God, and it was the talk of the town.

Well, what do unbelievers in authority do? Whether it's these men, the Sanhedrin, whether it's men in China, in India, anywhere. They do everything they can to stop the gospel from being spread. But these were men of God, dressed in their best clothes, you know, that they would wear to trial.

They're trying to suppress the truth of God. Meanwhile, the people are still celebrating, praising God for this amazing miracle. So the unbelievers are stunned. The unbelievers are silenced. The unbelievers are scared.

And when they're scared, they issue threats. The contrast, those, the believers, the believers are steady. They're sure they appeal to a higher authority. Verse 19, but Peter and John answered them, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you, rather than to God, you must judge.

As I thought about that, I thought, you know, here again, the picture is they're all surrounded by these men and they were dressed well. They had to show their authority by how they dressed. The setting would be impressive.

The idea would be to make them feel small, helpless, defenseless. And they're sitting in this, in the center of the circle, as it were. And what do they say? They kind of skip over the whole thing and they just go, you know what, your robes, your degrees, everything are very impressive.

And maybe if it were up to us, we just kind of cave in. There's a problem though. And the problem, and what you guys don't know, and what you refuse to believe, is Jesus was raised from the dead. We spent 40 days with him.

He taught us. We walked with him. He ate with us. He told us what to do. He gave us instructions. Which, by the way, is why we're here. We're following his directions. And then, not only was he raised from the dead, not only did we see him, not only did Thomas thrust his hand into the Lord's side, we saw all that, but when he was ready to leave us, he was taken up into heaven.

And then we got to talk to a couple of angels. Now, you guys are very impressive, but we've seen the resurrected Lord. We've talked to him. We've talked to angels. Should we listen to you? Can we ignore what we've seen, what we've heard?

No, no. Also notice, when they say, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, who are they talking about? Who are Peter and John talking about? They're talking about Jesus.

He's the one who gave them the Great Commission. He's the one who said in Acts 1, verse 8, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, which, the text tells us, Peter's filled with the Holy Spirit.

And you will be my witnesses where? In Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and to the end of the earth. I mean, they could look at him and say, I understand that you guys are concerned, but let me tell you something.

We're in the first quarter of this game, right? We're just getting started. You want to stop it? You can't stop it. This is the work of God. They reject the threats of the Sanhedrin. Verse 24. We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.

In other words, your threats are fine. Do what you need to do. But we're going to tell the truth. We're not going to be stopped. Their loyalty could not be to the Sanhedrin, no matter what the penalties might be.

They couldn't yield to the states. Fear man or fear God. Calvin said this. He said, peace is not to be purchased by the sacrifice of truth. We can't compromise on truth. Do we listen to God or do we listen to man?

And as I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks, do we face situations even now where the authorities insist we violate what God has said? God has clearly said something. And yet man says, the authorities say, something entirely different.

Yes, we have. We have those situations. One is an abortion. One woman, who is to be our incoming governor, said that Massachusetts could become a nationwide leader in abortion. She said, quote, Massachusetts recognizes access to abortion as a constitutional right.

And it's now enshrined in law, thank goodness, she said. A constitutional right to take an innocent life. We are all physically created by God. The truth about abortion, we're all physically created by God, even before our physical birth.

Psalm 139, verse 13 says, for you formed my inward parts. You've knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance. And listen, in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Every day written for me before I was born. Every preborn baby is just as much an image bearer as anyone sitting here. Genesis 1, 26, talking about image bearers. Then God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the earth and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. One more note on abortion, pass the sign all the time that says, reproductive rights are human rights.

Reproductive rights. The right to terminate human life is a human right. It's abominable. It's awful. And it's a lie. Thou shalt not commit murder. The government says it's a right. God says it's murder.

Homosexual marriage. Many of you would not know this, but in our last election in my humble hometown and in other places, because it's a congressional race, the Republican candidate for Congress was a homosexual man who is married.

Now, what does the Bible say about marriage? Is there such thing as homosexual marriage? The law says there is. The authorities say there is. What does the Bible say? What does Jesus say? In Mark 10 verses 6 to 8, but from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.

Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. That word wife is his woman. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. The authorities say homosexual marriage exists.

The Bible says it does not. God says it does not. How about so-called transsexualism? I mean, this very idea that a man can become a woman or a woman can become a man, what is that rooted in? Besides bad biology, it's also rooted in the idea that I don't like how God created me.

This is the ultimate statement of I'm going to undo what God did. When I read Romans 1 at the beginning of the message or started, I had in mind how it develops here. Romans 1 21. For although they, mankind, knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

And then God gave them up, or in other translations, God gave them over three times. What does that mean? It means they refuse to worship God. They become darkened in their minds. In other words, they harden their hearts and God hardens their hearts.

And then it says God gave them up. God gave them over. God gave them new levels of depravity, which they willfully, joyfully jumped into. Romans 1 28 -32. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to do what ought not to be done.

They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Though they know God's righteous decree, they know the law, that those who practice such things deserve to die. They not only do them, but give hearty approval to those who practice them. Our culture says, if you don't approve of people who not only mutilate their own bodies, but also mutilate the bodies of children.

I've seen experts, so-called experts, say that children as young as three and four have the mental capacity to make these kind of decisions. Well, what does that mean? That means they're coming for your kids.

That means they're coming for your kids. Because if a child can discern something like this at the age of three or four, then what can't they do? What can't a child do? And the answer is nothing. Without getting more descriptive than that, there isn't much depravity left to uncover.

How much has our world come to hate God? So much so that if you don't give hearty approval to those who even will perform irreversible surgery on children, you are condemned. You're called some kind of phobic.

There's a real sickness in this world, and that sickness is sin. What is our response to that? How are we to handle such situations, such ideas, such wickedness? One pastor said this. He said, To make peace with a depraved world is to betray God.

And that's right. We can't just rail against everything. But we ought not to disobey this principle either. In Isaiah 5 verse 20, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. We can't do that. Who put darkness for light and light for darkness.

Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. We can't call evil good. We have to call it what it is. It's evil. Our response ultimately to all these things, because they are sin problems. They're rebellion against God.

Paul wrote this in 2 Corinthians 10 verse 3 and following. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. These people are not our enemy. It's their ideas. It's their rebellion against God.

Verse 4. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments. And if we don't destroy people, we destroy arguments in every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.

And take every thought captive to Christ. Getting back to our text again and again. The name of Jesus comes up. What do we do? We come in the name of Jesus. We proclaim the person and work. That is to say another way of saying the name of Jesus.

We tell people about what Jesus has done. We tell people that no matter what they've done, there's forgiveness for them. Even as if we are sitting being judged by the Sanhedrin. And it might feel like that a lot of times, right?

You might feel like you're in a pit looking up at all these people. And all they're doing is telling you how terrible you are for doing what? For saying what God says. For agreeing with him. For proclaiming the truth that God saves sinners and among whom I am the foremost.

I'm a sinner. I'm a hypocrite. That doesn't make what you're doing right. You need to repent of what you're doing and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not better than you at all. God has shown me grace and I'm here to proclaim that grace to you.

We have to oppose these ideas. We have to come against when people say this is true. This is good and this is right. And the Bible says, which is to say that God says it's wickedness. It's evil. It's blasphemous.

It is utter rebellion and sin. We have to say it's wrong. And we have to say repent. And we have to say the good news is there is forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ. Believe on him. Believe on what he's done.

Believe in his perfect life, his substitutionary death and his resurrection and you will be saved. Let's pray. Father, oftentimes we are overwhelmed as we think about the wickedness and the darkness that so envelops our world.

Even if we personally are not oppressed. We see the war against truth. We see the war against the gospel. We see the war against your son. Father, we are not helpless because you are not helpless. Your truth will prevail.

Make us ambassadors for the gospel. Eager proclaimers. Fearless. Bold. Even as Peter and John. Give us your spirit. A spirit of boldness, not of timidity, but also a spirit of graciousness. A spirit of understanding.

Father, we would pray that our leaders, our government. Those in authority would repent that they would come to faith in Christ. We pray that you would transform our towns, our state, our nation. Whether it's one person at a time or dozens or hundreds or thousands.

But that we would see people flee to the cross. That their foolish minds would be illumined. Lord, we pray that you would grant these things by your power and for your glory. In Jesus name. Amen.