Bold Witnesses

Sovereign Lord, please open our eyes as we read your word and help us to see how powerful you are. Give us a fresh view of how wonderful the Gospel is and fill us with your Spirit so we have the desire and power to share it with others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

This morning, we will be considering 5 lessons from Acts 3-4. Acts (written by Luke) traces the spread of Jesus' message from Jerusalem to the entire world. It emphasizes that the gospel is for everyone and is all about how the risen Lord Jesus himself continually builds his church through the Holy Spirit empowering God’s people. So let’s dive straight in.

One day, two of Jesus' followers, Peter and John, went to the temple to pray at 3pm. As they approached the entrance, they encountered a man who couldn't walk and had to be carried on a stretcher. This man relied on asking people for money at the temple gate every day. When he saw Peter and John, he did what he usually did: he asked them for money. Peter and John stopped and approached the man, possibly recalling a similar incident in the book of Luke when Jesus healed a man who couldn't walk. Peter said to the man "Look at us." The man expected money but received something more valuable. Listen to what Peter said (Acts 3.6):

I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!

Peter took the man's hand, just as Jesus did in Luke 8 when healing Jairus's daughter. The man stood up, and his ankles and feet became strong. They all entered the temple, with the once-lame man now walking, leaping, and praising God. Onlookers were amazed, recognizing him as the man who used to sit by the temple gate unable to walk. Now, he was completely healed, jumping around as if he'd never had a problem. The main lesson here is clear: Do we notice people around us who are in great need?

The healed man couldn't walk, had no money, and couldn't help himself, but his greatest need was to hear about Jesus Christ of Nazareth and the forgiveness He offers. Peter and John saw, cared, and loved him. They had something he desperately needed, and it wasn't material wealth or physical healing; it was the message of Jesus. Do you see people in need around you? Will you take the time to notice, care for, and love those around you? Will you seize the opportunity to share the message of Jesus, who can meet all their needs?

Watch this video clip (from The London Institute of Contemporary Christian Culture who have kindly given permission for it to be shown).

Who do you meet in your week? This could be on your street or flats, at work, at school, or through a hobby or group you’re part of. Have you ever wondered how many of them are Christians? God wants to use you every day, no matter where you are, not just when you're in a church. Will you pause, observe, show care, and share love with those around you? Will you actively seek and seize the opportunity to introduce them to Jesus, who can meet all their needs? That is lesson one:

1. Do we notice people around us who are in great need?

Let’s read on (Acts 3.11-12):

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?

When Peter noticed their reactions, he challenged them, saying "Don't keep staring at us! We're not so powerful or favored by God that we healed him. It was God's doing. This miracle was the result of Jesus' power, the one you handed over to Pilate for execution. You turned away from God's Holy and Righteous One and requested the release of a murderer. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We're witnesses to this; we saw Jesus alive. This man believed in Jesus's healing power, and that's why he was completely restored." In a talk that has many similar elements to his sermon on the day of Pentecost, Peter urged the people to turn from their sins and trust in Jesus, explaining how the Old Testament prophets pointed to Him. Acts 3.19:

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out

That brings us to our next lesson here, which is:

2. When God does something amazing, seize the opportunity to speak about Jesus, making it clear that He's the one who did it.

The God at work in the Book of Acts is our God. There are numerous miracles and extraordinary events in Acts. There are no promises that God will always work in exactly the same those same way. But God is powerful, he can do all things and is still at work today as he was then. So, we can pray for and expect His help in challenging situations. God is amazing and still does incredible things. When people notice his work (just as they did with Peter and John) we should share that it's Jesus who accomplished it.

What kinds of remarkable things can God do? I remember when we wanted to buy 3 Osborne Road for ministry and had to raise £1 million pounds in a matter of weeks. When the estate agent heard we had done it, he recognised that God had done something rather amazing. That was an opportunity to share with him the message of Jesus. But it isn’t always as flashy as that. Here's another scenario: Imagine a student returns home at the end of term having become a Christian. Their parents notice signs of them being more considerate, more responsible, different. The astonished parents ask "What happened to you?" It's the perfect time to say "Jesus did it!" Or perhaps you get alongside international students at the Globe Café or volunteer with Safe Families and someone questions why you’re helping those in need. Or someone observes how you handle stress at work or during exams. They see you working hard yet remaining calm, even making time for church. Whether it's facing cancer or various hardships, others may wonder what's different about you, and you can say "Jesus did it."

These opportunities of course won't arise if we only spend time with other Christians or fail to speak about Jesus when people see God's work in us. We should do both, practicing our second lesson: when God does something amazing, seize the opportunity to speak about Jesus, making it clear that He's the one who did it.

Many people heard Peter and believed, about 5,000 in fact. However, not everyone was happy. The priests, Sadducees, and temple guards were annoyed and arrested Peter and John. Why? Because they talked about Jesus, not because they healed someone. The issue was that they healed in the name of Jesus. The next day, Peter and John faced the religious leaders. It must have been terrifying, standing where Jesus had once stood before his trial and crucifixion. They boldly spoke about Jesus (Acts 4.7). The leaders asked:

By what power or by what name did you do this?

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied, "It was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the man you crucified and God raised from the dead, that this man is now well." (Acts 4.8). This wasn't what the leaders wanted to hear. They hoped to silence Peter and John, but Peter challenged them: "You killed Jesus, but he is the cornerstone of our salvation. Only Jess can save us; there is no other name." (Acts 4.12):

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Why were Peter and John so courageous? They had a mission from Jesus to share the good news. We should do the same – that is our third lesson:

3. We need to tell everyone that believing in Jesus and his death for our sins is the only way they can be saved.

We often try to live as if God doesn't exist, just like those who rejected Jesus. But we must repent and seek forgiveness. How? Jesus was crucified for our sins, died, but was raised by God. This shows that his plan to save us worked. We, who were once spiritually dead, can also come alive. Can you explain this message to someone clearly? How can we share this message? Invite people to church, invite and then come with them to a Christianity Explored course, or share your own conversion story with them. Perhaps there is no better way than to gift them a gospel and read it together. That’s what Pete Alston is aiming to help us to do in his EQUIP session on using the Word one to One materials. Why not sign up today? Remember, we can't control people's responses; it's God's job to grant faith. Our role is simply to share Jesus. No matter how we do it, we need to tell everyone that believing in Jesus and his death for our sins is the only way they can be saved. Without being confident of this this belief, we won't realize the great need all around us.

Peter and John, who hadn't attended school and were considered ordinary, faced threats and orders to keep quiet about Jesus. But they were different because they had spent time with Jesus and were empowered by God's Holy Spirit. They responded by saying they couldn't obey the orders to be silent. They had witnessed Jesus' miracles and teachings, and they were compelled to share this. Acts 4.19-20:

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.”

Like them, we too may face opposition if we speak in the name of Jesus. It's easy to do good things, but when we do them in Jesus' name, we can encounter resistance. We're in a spiritual battle, and the enemy, the devil, tries to silence us because when we stop talking about Jesus, the church's growth is hindered.

4. We have a powerful enemy trying to silence us, but the Holy Spirit is even more powerful and will help us continue sharing Jesus, no matter the cost.

Remember Ephesians 6.10-12:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Standing firm means we won't stop sharing what we've seen and heard. Perhaps you too are suffering because of your belief in Jesus right now. This account should help you to make some sense of your suffering. The church has suffered this way from the very beginning; this is the norm for church life in the world; it did not defeat Christ’s purposes then and thus it will not do so now. If you’re not suffering now, then this will help prepare you for when it comes in the future. It’s never easy to work out how to respond well in the midst of the storm once it has hit. And so, we come to the final part of this account, which is beyond what was read earlier. Here is a model of how to respond when tough circumstances come. Acts 4.23-31:

When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,and the peoples plot in vain?The kings of the earth set themselves,and the rulers were gathered together,against the Lord and against his Anointed’—for truly in this 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, 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.

Peter and John returned to the other believers and shared what happened. How did they react? They all prayed together to God because they knew they needed help to talk about Jesus. We also need assistance, so let's follow their example.

In the early 1960s in Russia, Baptist Christians were suffering. Baptist ministers sought a meeting with Khrushchev (the Russian leader at the time) to appeal for help. When they met him, Khrushchev surprised them by opening a Bible and reading passages about Jesus's followers facing persecution. He said, "If you really believe this book, you should never have come to me. You go to Him." Khrushchev was right; God is in control, and when we face ridicule for sharing our faith, we should kneel and talk to the One who truly controls everything. He will help us continue speaking about Him to others.

And note they didn't pray for God to punish their enemies. Instead, they asked for help to speak boldly about Jesus. This is lesson 5:

5. We need to pray for God's help to keep speaking about him to others.

To speak with confidence, knowing that He has promised to give it. They ask him for boldness, because he has promised that he will give it. Acts 4.29 should be our prayer:

….grant to your servants the courage to keep speaking your word boldly.

It's a great prayer to remember and to pray for ourselves and our church. We don't know what challenges we'll face this year, but our prayer should be to continue sharing Jesus, believing that He is the only way to salvation. Let's pray for boldness and for the Holy Spirit to make us people who can't help but speak about what we've seen and heard.