Soon after Peter and John were arrested and releases for preaching the Gospel they returned to their friends and began to pray. They addressed their prayer to a Sovereign God. They understood that God showed His sovereignty in the death of Jesus. In this death wicked men sinned by killing Jesus, yet in it all the plan of God was being carried out. Here we have an example of God’s servant, Jesus, being treated in a way no human would desire to be treated. In acknowledging that God was sovereign in Jesus’ death, Peter and John were acknowledging that service to God does not ensure personal safety. In light of this these apostles pray for something quite different than safety – for such safety may not be God’s will for their ministry. Here the apostles prayed for boldness, lest the threat of suffering produce timidity which is unfitting to Gospel proclamation. May we trust in a sovereign God as did these apostles – more concerned that the Gospel be boldly spread than that the messenger have worldly safety and comfort! To listen to this sermon, please click on the following link: Acts 4:23-37.
Peter and John were arrested by the chief priests and elders when they preached about Jesus. Peter and John were warned to stop, yet boldly defied the warning – saying they must obey God rather than man. From this instance much could be said, yet it will suffice to understand that preaching Jesus is a necessary component of Christian obedience to Jesus and that it must not be forsaken even if we must personally suffer in order to obey Jesus in faithfully carrying out the task. To listen to this sermon, please click on the following link: Acts 4:1-22.
In Acts 3 Peter and John are used of God to bring healing to a lame man in Jesus’ name. The sermon Peter preaches just after this centers on Jesus as the Christ. Peter teaches that God is clearly in favor of Jesus:God glorified Jesus, God raised Jesus from the dead, and healing is accomplished by the power of God working in Jesus’ name. In contrast, the hearers have rejected Jesus as the Messiah actively by insisting on His death while a convicted murderer is set free. The hearers are guilty of killing Jesus. In opposing God’s Christ, Jesus, the hearers have shown themselves to be the enemies of the God they claim to serve. The hearers are left with the necessity to repent and turn to Christ for salvation so their sins may be forgiven. Today, we preach the same gospel: to guilty men who are the enemies of God we preach the necessity of repentance and faith in Christ for salvation. May we not shrink from boldly proclaiming the good news that unbelievers don’t crave but desperately need to hear! To listen to this sermon, click on the following link: Acts 3:1-19.
Acts 2 records the coming of the Holy Spirit. Many amazing and miraculous events accompanied the coming of the Spirit on that day. Peter rose to speak and the name most frequent on his lips was Jesus. Peter, being filled with the Spirit, preached Jesus and the Lord added 3,000 to the church that day. We ought likewise to be faithful to preach Jesus and Him crucified to the end that souls are saved – all the time depending on the Spirit to cause unbelievers to repent by calling on Jesus’ name. To listen to this sermon, please click on the following link: Acts 2:1-41.
Sometimes we lose focus. We mean to do better, but we get off track. Then we operate out of habit rather than according to principle. Between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension He spoke to the apostles about the kingdom of God. He promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit and that they were to be witnesses. The kingdom of God, dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit, and our duty to be witnesses: these three must never fail to be characteristic of the lives of the followers of Jesus and His church. To listen to this sermon, please click the following link: Acts 1:1-11.