Boldness

Transcript

well good evening everyone uh it's nice x to be here it's nice to uh have my x opportunity to present the class um this x evening um on Sunday uh after service uh x brother Chris Clark came up to me I x don't know if Chris is on with us uh x tonight or not but brother Chris came up x to me after Steve had read the blurb x about my topic and he said to me do I x hear a little hint of your Pentecost x classes in the uh in the blur and I said x uh yes you do uh for those of you who uh x don't generally join us on Sundays x although are here on Wednesdays uh last x month we did a presentation uh entitled x uh for about four weeks entitled The x Power of Pentecost and it went from you x know uh the Feast of Weeks and a x consideration of what happens there x through to the Pentecost that takes x place in Acts chapters one and two so I x think uh I think Peter Pi I think Chris x picked up on uh some of the things about x Pentecost that I was emphasizing and x recognized in the title boldness in x Christ that that was a big part of what x I was talking about in Pentecost and it x really was um I was trying uh to make x the point that um although I didn't use x the word boldness and I didn't even x really consider it from that direct x perspective but I was talking quite a x bit about the idea that x um Pentecost gives us a golden an x opportunity to stand up and to proclaim x the gospel and to have uh confidence in x Christ uh that what we believe uh is x transformative and meaningful and so um x so yeah so that's that's part of what uh x I was considering when we were talking x when I put this class together in fact x we're going to take a look at Acts 3 and x 4 in just a few minutes which follows up x from Pentecost and the boldness of Peter x and John when they went into the into x the temple and just so we can talk about x uh boldness one of the points I was x making uh in the Pentagon class x Pentecost classes if you remember uh had x to do with the Feast of x Weeks and in Deuteronomy 16 and it says x this in um Deuteronomy 16 if I get this x to pop up there it x is remember the Feast of Weeks is really x what Pentecost was you know the New x Testament calls the Pentecost but in the x Old Testament was called the Feast of x Weeks because it was 49 weeks after x Passover and one of the things that it x that the rule of Pentecost um highlights x is the ideal of a free will offering x from your own hand it says in x Deuteronomy 16:13 and thou shalt keep x the Feast of Weeks unto the Lord thy God x with a tribute of a free will offering x of thine hand which Thou shalt give unto x the Lord thy God according as the Lord x thy God hath blessed thee all right so x what were we talking x about x uh what we were talking about was uh the x Feast of Weeks I apologize for the delay x I have no idea what was going on there x and now it's reading my words there we x go um so the whole key of of the Feast x of Weeks was the fact that that that uh x Pentecost was supposed to be a free will x offering um you know when Passover and x and Tabernacles comes in um it's not x about a free will offering but Pentecost x is all about a free will offering that's x what it is to walk in Christ it is to x live a life in which uh we are both x thankful and we are both transformed in x a way that we offer our lives as a free x will offering uh to the Lord and what x Pentecost talks about it says offer uh x according as the Lord thy God hath x blessed thee and so one of the questions x is is how has the Lord thy God blessed x us that we should be offering these x things as a free will offering well the x answer really is is Truth uh we have x been blessed to know the truth of the x Gospel to understand what the plan and x purpose of God is to understand what the x word teaches and we should be offering x up our understanding of Truth as a free x will offering now we do in many in many x cases offer up our understanding of x Truth as a free will offering for x instance none of us gets paid uh to do x any of these any of these things uh but x tonight what I want to focus on is what x it means to be bold in that offering uh x not the way uh the world thinks of x boldness but the way what it means to be x bold in in Christ x so um when we looked at the events uh x surrounding pentacon x uh in Peter's boldness when he preached x uh at x Pentecost um let's remember what he said x because you know when you look at it x from a perspective of boldness you can x see that Peter was being quite uh bold x in what he was saying he says uh x therefore let all the house of Israel x know assuredly that God hath made this x seen Jesus whom ye have x crucified both Lord and Christ and so x Peter doesn't pull any any pun es in his x preaching uh when he says listen this is x the guy you crucified you're the ones x that cried out crucify and crucify him x and God has made him Lord in Christ and x so Peter uh was quite bold in what he x had had to say but Peter was a was a x pretty bold guy uh generally speaking uh x so the boldness that he uh exemp x exemplified in Pentecost was it the same x type of boldness that he exemplified in x his in during the gospels and we're x going to look at those in a minute and x hopefully highlight the difference x between where the boldness uh comes from x remember at at this time when when Peter x spoke with such tremendous boldness it x says that 3,000 people gladly accepted x the gospel and were baptized and that as x we were pointing out is the power of x Pentecost it's it was the power of x Pentecost was Unleashed so to speak with x uh Peter's boldness at Pentecost and x Peter again did speak boldly but more x important we are emboldened ourselves to x let this wonderful truth Shine for x others to see both out in the world and x also within each other but again where x does this boldness come from and how is x it x manifested you know consider again with x all the different times in those three x and a half years that Peter was with x Jesus those those different times in x which Peter was was quite bold x uh in what he had to say look at some of x the things when you consider Peter and x his boldness I mean obviously he was x bold um when he got out of that boat you x know it took a lot of guts uh for Peter x to get out of that boat but of course no x sooner that he got that boat than he x started to sink and it took it took a x lot of guts for Peter to uh rebuke Jesus x when Jesus said that he was going to be x betrayed and x killed and yet Peter was rebuked for x saying it because his boldness was was x not just poorly Ted but was very self- x servant and it took boldness when Peter x spoke uh when Jesus was going to wash x his feet and Peter said you know you're x not going to wash my feet and Jesus had x to reprimand him again and say if you x don't let me wash your feet you can have x no part of x me and it certainly it took boldness x when Peter pulled out his knife and cut x the cut the ear of um the man in the x garden took a lot of boldness Peter was x Peter was a a a very uh bold x guy and consider probably his most bold x moment of all when Peter tried to tell x Jesus that he would never betray him in x Matthew 26 it says then saith Jesus unto x them all ye shall be offended because of x me this night for it is written I will x Smite the shepherd and the sheep of the x flock shall be scattered abroad Peter x answered and said unto him though all x men shall be offended because of thee x yet will I never be offended Jesus said x unto him verily I say unto thee that x this night before the [ __ ] Crow Thou x shalt deny me Thrice Peter said unto him x though I should die with thee yet I will x not deny thee likewise also said all the x disciples but was Peter bold sure he was x he was definitely uh x bold but he did deny him x so the boldness came from x Peter and not from Christ and that's the x emphasis in in in contrast to his x boldness when he preaches the x gospels right it says in Acts 20 uh 2:38 x again repent and be baptized every one x of you in the name of Jesus Christ for x the remission of your sins and ye shall x receive the gift of the holy spirit for x the promises onto you and to your x children and to all that are far off x even as many as the Lord shall x call then they that gladly received his x word were baptized and the same day were x added onto them about 3,000 Souls so he x had this tremendous boldness again but x this time it's not it's not about him x it's about Christ and this is the x essence of that boldness but again we x want to understand how the boldness x manifests itself and it comes out x beautifully in chapters uh three three x and four of of the Gospel of Acts where x the word boldness itself pops up a few x times as it is but just for a few x minutes let's just consider the way the x world uh sees boldness what what is x boldness to them right Society tends to x glamorize boldness so whether it's you x know the boldness of you know uh Sinatra x or John Wayne or the Iron Man or or you x know uh the Highwire x Walker or even you know Star Trek to x boldly go where no man has gone x before and as individuals ourselves like x this young lady here we tend to x accentuate our own x boldness we like people to think that we x have a lot of guts that we have a lot of x boldness well I told him don't you let x don't you know who you're talking to x don't you know what you know we tend to x have that that feeling within us that we x have to be bold and stand up for x ourselves x um that's what you you know might wonder x why that woman's there that's what x you're supposed to see in her on her x face we even have Expressions about x boldness that emphasize the same thing x there's a very famous expression that x goes all the way back to the Iliad and x the honesty which is fortune favors the x Bold so even way back when boldness was x considered you know a great Act of of an x individual Robert Frost once says x Freedom lies in being bold I found this x I found this one quote by this woman who x wrote a book there's a a bold young guy x right there don't mess with me and this x woman I I I don't um know the woman uh x but I thought her the way that she x expressed she she wrote a book called uh x the single woman life love and a dash of x sass her name is um Mandy hail but this x is what she had to say about x boldness line as you grow older that's x kind of interesting you learn as you x grow older that rules are made to be x broken be bold enough to live life on x your terms and never ever apologize for x it go against the grain refuse to x conform take The Road Less Traveled x instead of the road well beaten instead x of of the well-beaten x path laugh in the face of adversity and x leap before you look dance as though x everybody is watching March to the beat x of your own drummer and stubbornly x refuse to fit in is the boldness that uh x the world uh accentuates this idea of x standing on your own and uh marching to x your own drummer and all and all of x those types of things and it's probably x not fair to I mean I have no idea who x this woman is um so let's turn to x somebody that that you would know what x about the chairman of the board he he x wrote a song and he became famous for a x song that's really all about boldness I x did it my way and look what he says in x his in one of his verses for what is a x man and what has he got if not himself x then he has not that's human boldness to x say the things he truly feels and not x the words of one who kneels the record x shows I took the blows I did it my way x and that's the boldness uh that the x world glorifies that idea that I did it x my way and people belt out this song I x belted it out myself to be perfectly x truthful uh this idea of standing on x your own and being the boldest of the x Bold unfortunately Peter lives as a x classic example of somebody who was just x that type of bold and oftentimes paid uh x the price for us the boldness of itself x is not necessarily A Bad Thing uh it x took incredible courage incredible x boldness uh for Christ to allow himself x to be x crucified remember what it says of him x it says that he set his face like a x flint towards J Jerusalem when he knew x the day when he knew the day was coming x and it took incredible boldness on him x to keep his uh to say nothing at the x time of his trial right in fact it was x it was such a a bold and overwhelming x situation that pilot was amazed that he x didn't stand up for himself and so it x took tremendous guts and and and x boldness and and strength of character x if you will to do just that type of x thing and again of itself it's it's not x about about being bold but it's about x being bold For What and how does that x boldness manifest itself and again I x think the way it manifests itself in x chapters 3 and four of Acts really show x showcases what boldness in Christ is all x about as opposed to boldness in the x world and I think we can get confused x sometimes as brothers in Christ as to x what it means to be bold we think it x means to be like the world and be you x know fighting against the against the x windmills and all of that kind of stuff x and that's not what real boldness in x Christ is all about boldness in Christ x is being bold to be like Christ to be to x be of his character that's what it means x to be bold in Christ it doesn't mean to x pick fights and and all that that x entails and all the things that uh that x that woman says in her book about about x SAS and I mentioned that boldness is x actually mentioned three times in Acts x chapter 4 in the the chapters we're x going to look at in just a minute it x says in Acts 4 ver 13 now when they saw x the boldness of Peter and John talking x about uh the elders in the and the x Sadducees uh interviewing Peter and John x we'll look at that in a few minutes uh x they perceived that they were unlearned x and ignorant men and they marveled that x they took knowledge of them and and they x took knowledge of them that they had x been with Jesus in Acts 4:29 it's a x prayer uh spoken by everyone which we'll x look at also which is kind of x interesting it says and now Lord behold x their threatenings and Grant unto thy x servants that with all x boldness they may speak Thy word so x again it's not about boldness itself uh x we need to be uh bold Servants of Christ x in 31 it says and when they had prayed x the place was shaken where they were x assembled together and they were filled x with the Holy Spirit and they spake the x word of God with boldness chapter 4:3 31 x so again there's this great idea of x boldness that takes place but how does x it manifest itself does it manifest x itself in the same way is that you know x that kid with the superhero costume on x or does it manifest itself with a x boldness of of love and of Truth and of x standing standing up for what what God x has taught us is true so let's if you're x willing to take a look at chapters 3 and x four um I'll try to do this quickly x because we lost a lot of time but uh if x you want to turn to acts 3:1 or if you x don't want to turn to I'm going to put x up most of the words uh anyway but Acts x chapter 3 let me get my x uh Bible set up verse x one and again this is right after Acts x chapter 1 and two it's right after x Pentecost uh remember 3000 had been uh x converted at Pentecost and it says they x were all of One Accord together uh x working together and caring for each x other and then immediately up comes act x chapter 3 so it's not long after x Pentecost at all I don't believe that x acts chapter 3 uh steps in and remember x when we talk about yeah the Pentecost x was over at the end of Acts chapter 2 x but the period of Pentecost continued on x and continues on to this day we live as x we pointed out in The Penton Pentecost x class in the period of Pentecost until x the in gathering takes place and we're x called uh to the Judgment seat of Christ x so we are still in uh x Pentecost and so Acts chapter 3 starts x out this x way now Peter and John went up together x into the temple at The Hour of Prayer x being the ninth x hour now before we get into the lame men x that they meet it's interesting that it x starts off that way why does it give us x the information that they went together x at The Hour of Prayer being the ninth x hour which is I believe 3m. why does it x give us that piece of information it x certainly couldn't have been connected x to the healing of of the lame man x um so why does it tell us that they went x to the temple to pray it being the ninth x hour well I think I think there's two x reasons for it I think because it was x not their plan to perform x Miracle it wasn't like they went there x and said hey let's go let's go to the x temple and see see what uh trouble we x can we can rack up or let's see what x what uh we can take these gifts now and x make something happen that's not the x reason that they went they went because x it was The Hour of Prayer and if you x were going for the purpose of making up x a stir or of healing somebody and x creating something something that way x then you wouldn't do it at the ninth x hour you wouldn't do it late in the day x you do it in the morning so you could x deal with the repercussions of it in x fact they end up being a locked up x overnight because it got too late so I x think that's why it's told us x specifically that were going to the x temple in The Hour of Prayer because x that's what they were going there x for but something happened it says and a x certain lame man from his mother's womb x was carried whom they laid daily at the x Gate of the temple which is called x Beautiful to ask arms of them that x entered into the x temple so x again the the the facts that Luke gives x us always have a purpose I know that's x that sounds that sounds basic enough but x it's really easy for us to just sort of x look at something and go oh that you x know I don't know what that is but just x move on notice it says a certain man lay x from his mother's womb was x carried well why does Luke tell us that x the man was lame from his mother's x womb when it again when it comes to the x miracle that doesn't really make a x difference it's not like if he'd only x been lame for an hour uh Peter and John x wouldn't have healed him so then why x does it tell us that the man was lame x from his mother's x womb and I believe the reason is this x because this healing is not going to be x about x Sin this healing is going to be about x the grace and kindness of God and you x say what's that to do with the fact that x it was from his mother's womb remember x um the man born blind in John chapter n x in John chapter 9 remember the man's x born blind and the disciples say to x Jesus Jesus who sinned this this man or x his parents that he was born blind and x the answer of course is as Jesus said x neither you're not you're not born blind x because in the case of uh John chapter x nine either this man's going to committ x a sin sometime later so he's suffering x for it beforehand or his parents x committed some sin so therefore the man x was born blind as punishment for the x parents that's not the way our God x works he doesn't work that way x and so specifically we're told that this x man was lame from his mother's womb so x that we won't think about or we won't x get caught up in the idea that somehow x this man needs his sins forgiven now of x course he's a sinner like anybody else x but that's not what this miracle is x supposed to be representing again this x is Pentecost this is this is a miracle x that by the grace of God is being x performed onto this man who by the way x never asks to be x healed he's asking for arms right x and yet and yet he's healed so that we x won't get caught up in the idea of of x forgiveness of sins it says in Acts x chapter x 3:3 now you're going to want to open x your Bibles because you can't see my x slides x anymore uh it says who seen Peter and x John about to go into the temple asked x in arms and Peter fastened his eyes upon x him and with John and said look onto x us look on us and he gave heed unto them x expecting to receive something of them x then said Peter Silver and Gold Have I x None but such as I have given thee in x the name of H such as I have give I Thee x in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth x rise up and walk so let's consider there x a couple things there notice again the x man's not asking to be healed not that x he doesn't want to be healed but that's x not what he's thinking about when they x come to him notice he's the one that x that instigates the conversation Peter x and John are going there to prayer but x it's the man that calls upon and asks x for arms which he did he did x regularly and then Peter it says that x Peter fastened his eyes upon him with x John and said look on us and why would x that have been important do you think x why would it have been important for x them to look that Peter says look me in x the x eye because something miraculous is x about to happen and this man to know x that this is where it's coming from and x this is what it's about so he's he's x grabbing his attention there's all kinds x of people walking by and if Peter didn't x grab his attention he would have had no x idea why all of a sudden he could stand x up and walk if the heal if the miracle x was performed and so Peter goes up to x him and says look at me look right at me x he says I got nothing to give you except x one x thing in the name of Jesus Christ of x Nazareth x stand up and x walk and and that's x Pentecost right because Peter is is is x performing a good will offering a free x will offering with the way that the Lord x had blessed him he now has the power to x heal and so not not to forgive Sins Not x as as some act like that as a simple x Free Will offering he goes over to this x man and he says say you know x what I can heal you this I can do for x you I got no x money but I can do this and then notice x what it says x next it says in verse seven and he took x him by the right x hand and lifted him up and immediately x his feet and ankle bones received x strength why does it tell us I I always x ask this question because it always x fascinates me why does it tell us that x he took him by the right hand x right you think about it the author is x Luke right so Luke is the one that's x telling us that he took him by the right x hand and yet Luke wasn't there so when x Luke was putting the account together x about what had happened in Acts chapter x 3 whoever it was that gave him the x account maybe whoever it was maybe it x was Peter or maybe it was John or maybe x it was one of the people there whoever x it was very specifically said to Luke so x then Peter took him by the right x hand and lifted him x up so why by the right x hand well because that's representative x of x Christ Christ is God's right hand and we x know Peter was going to make it very x expressly known when he speaks later x that it wasn't by him or by John but by x Christ and so Luke gives us this little x piece this little tidbit here that says x he takes him by the right hand because x it represents Christ and that's that's x that's the inference here and the x expression that Peter gives us a little x bit later it's just one of those x beautiful connections that the word of x God offers up and then it says and x immediately his feet and ankle bones x receive strength so Luke is telling us x what part of it was of the man that x didn't allow him to walk remember it x said that he had been lame since the x womb but it didn't tell us where he was x lame it didn't say it was his knees it x didn't say it was his hip it didn't tell x us but now Luke is telling us x specifically that it was in the feet and x ankle bones that needed to be healed why x why does he make that x point and the point is this brothers and x sisters because the sacrifice and x resurrection of x Christ makes us a new man who for the x first time can stand up in faith on his x feet and walk this man represents all x those who could never stand before x because because of the x flesh because of what the flesh is all x about this Mortal weak flesh he's x representative of it in the same way x that we look at the the man born blind x and we should see ourselves in the man x born blind that we could never see until x Christ called us it's the same thing x here we x are the impotent man we are the man lame x from birth I was completely lame until x the word of God came I could not stand x up and walk we don't have true boldness x without it we have we have self-centered x ego that's all we x have but when we have strength through x Christ look what x happens and he leaping up stood and x walked and entered into the temple x walking and leaping and praising God and x all the people saw him walking and x praising God if you can't get turned on x by the joy that this man is x expressing as he's literally leaping he x is over 40 years old we learn later has x never taken a step in his entire life x he's been carried everywhere and popped x down and left to x beg and now at this moment two minutes x ago he had no idea this was going to x happen just a couple minutes before and x now he can stand up and he's jumping and x leaping and overwhelmed what an x incredible incredible moment and it x didn't go x unnoticed it says in verse 10 of chapter x 3 and they knew that it was he which sat x at Ms at the beautiful gate of the x temple and the people were filled with x wonder and amazement at at that which x had happened onto x him and as the lame man which was healed x held Peter and John all the people ran x together onto them in the porch which is x called Solomon's greatly wondering it x didn't go unnoticed at x all everybody saw it they out side at x the at the gate beautiful interestingly x Enough by the way it is only in this um x story where that gate is called x beautiful and that word beautiful when x you look at where it comes from it comes x from the idea of blooming beauty isn't x that x spectacular that that's what and it says x it twice the gate beautiful the blooming x gate and the people saw it and this guy x is different than the man Born Blonde in x this x regard when we considered in the past x the man born blind the man born blind x was invisible virtually nobody knew the x guy was even there even his neighbors x couldn't tell after he got his sight if x he was the same guy he had to go around x and tell people yeah I'm that guy that's x not this guy everybody knows this guy x everybody that walked in that gate day x after day month after month Feast after x Feast for 40 plus years would see that x same man sitting there begging x arms and now all of a sudden he is x walking into the temple and he is x jumping up and down for joy and they are x amazed by x it what an incredible x thing what what what an amazing moment x to have been there to see to see such a x thing and we are there we can appreciate x it we should appreciate it because we x should understand that that's the same x strength that we've been given so in x Acts chap 3:12 it says x this and when Peter saw it he answered x unto the people he said ye men of Israel x why Marvel ye at this or why are you x looking so earnestly on us as though by x our own power or Holiness we had made x this man to x walk now think about x that the first thing Peter says is why x are you Amazed by this you know it only x been a few months before that Jesus was x performing these same t x Miracles right I mean we're Pentecost is x 50 days after Passover we're probably no x more than a week or a little period of x time like that afterwards so we're not x that far from when Jesus was walking on x the earth performing these same types of x Miracles but there's something that x happens when when you have a leader x that's doing something x spectacular and then that leader dies x and I think it was Gia that actually x pointed it out he said look we've had x had these guys come along before they've x been wonderful and then they're gone and x then their whole movement goes x away but not this x time this time they're going to be those x that are going to walk in Christ's feet x like x Peter and by the grace of God like like x you and x I and so of course they're amazed x because they must have thought to x themselves well that's the end of x him and it wasn't by any means the end x of him plus it was just a remarkable x situation x anyway but Peter says what are you why x are you marveling at this why do you x think it's why do you think it's me I'm x just like x you he says the god of Abraham and of x Isaac and of Jacob the god of our x fathers hath glorified his son Jesus x whom you delivered up and denied him in x the presence of pilate when he was x determined to let him go pilot was going x to let him go and you said x no but you denied the Holy One and the x just and desired a murderer to be x granted onto x you and killed the Prince of x Life whom God has raised from the dead x where are we our Witnesses you know x Peter didn't have to say x anything right he wasn't he didn't have x to x speak he could have just let the whole x thing just just happen and say well I x can't say anything because if I if I say x anything next thing you know we're going x to get in trouble and he he hadn't x planned for this to x happen so then why did he say why did he x speak why and speak so boldly look at x you you you denied him you asked for a x murderer instead you x killed the Prince of x Life x why I I'll tell you why brothers and x sisters because of x Christ because what Christ had x done because of all that Christ had done x because of who Christ x is he couldn't not x speak because of who Christ was in the x gospels he spoke in boldness because of x who he thought he x was but now he's in a situation x eventually as we know he's going to pay x a price for it but it doesn't matter x what the price x is because as the expression goes we can x do all things through x Christ but without him it's x meaningless so of course Peter had to x say what was true and he had just done x it you know in in the previous iteration x and had had saved 3,000 by doing it and x now of course we know this time he saves x 5,000 but he doesn't just leave it there x because that's not what it's about he x just left left it there and just walked x away and said yeah you crucified him and x now we can do this kind of x thing x now and through faith in his name hath x made this man strong whom you see now x and see and know whom you see and know x because they knew this x man ye the faith which is by him uh ye x the faith which is by him hath given him x this perfect soundness in the presence x of you all and now Brethren I want that x through ignorance you did it as also did x your rulers but those things which God x before had showed by the mouth of all of x his prophets that Christ should x suffer he hath so x fulfilled repent ye therefore and be x converted that your x sins may be blotted x out and so just like with all the x prophets just like with everything that x Christ did there's an open and and hard x honesty that Peter hits them with and x then then it's like yeah but there's x still hope there's still x opportunity you know you did it in x ignorance just like Jesus on the cross x saying forgive them for they know not x what they do you did it in ignorance and x so did the rulers now this is what you x do is you repent and be converted that x your sins may be blotted out and of x course he says uh a little bit more x after that but let's move on to what x happens in Acts chapter 4 x and as they spake unto the people the x priests and the captains of the temple x and the Sadducees Came Upon them being x grieved that they taught the people and x preached through Jesus the resurrection x from the dead so you have you have Peter x and John who have just healed this man x who's been impotent he's been lame his x entire x life and you have the man who had been x laying his entire life and he's leaping x for Joy he is so overwhelmed and you x have all the people that are there it's x the third hour it's the it's the time of x prayer there's many people coming to the x temple and they're all amazed and x wondered and overwhelmed by the x miraculous event that has taken place x and then Along Comes the leaders and x they're x grieved grieved that that this is that x this is being uh this is being done what x a con x it must have been and it didn't go x unnoticed because 5,000 people said I I x can't I can't see it that way and nor x should we see it that way obviously it x says in verse three and they landay x hands on them and put them in hold on x the next day for it was now even time so x again you don't start these things at 3 x o'clock in the afternoon that that's x what you're x planning of course that wasn't what they x were planning that's the whole that's x the whole point but they get locked up x overnight x how be it many of them which heard the x word believed and the number of them was x about x 5,000 same number as those that uh the x feeding of the 5,000 notice the number x of the men was x 5,000 so you have this marvelous x marvelous uh event that takes place and x and they're put you know they're put in x hold uh over overnight for having done x this good thing so of course they come x to Peter and let's let's pick up on that x for a minute and we're going to pick it x up on verse five of chapter x 4 and it came to pass on the marrow that x their rulers and elders and scribes and x Annis the high priest and Caiaphas so x we're not we're not talking about a x different set of people now and John and x Alexander And as many as were in the x Kindred of the high priest were gathered x together at x Jerusalem and when they had set them in x the midst they asked by what power or by x what name have you done x this and Peter filled f with the Holy x Spirit said unto them ye rulers of the x people and Elders of Israel and I love x this next line if we this day be x examined for the good deed done to the x impotent Man by what means he is made x whole be it know unto you all and all x the people of Israel that by the name of x Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you x crucified whom God has raised from the x dead even by him do this man stand here x before you whole so Peter's not allow x him to change the subject they're like x so so who who's on whose authority you x given this and Peter says if we here x because we did this for this guy which x is what the whole thing was all about x this guy was just you know laying by the x by on the by the temple and we gave him x strength the Lord Jesus Christ gave him x strength to walk if we're here for this x good deed then just you should know that x it's because of x Jesus that we did it x so he doesn't he doesn't let them change x change it he says this is the stone x which was said at not of you Builders x which is become the head of the corner x neither is there salvation in any other x for there is none other name under x Heaven given unto men whereby we must be x saved so there's nothing x else this is the only name there is is x the Lord Jesus Christ x and yet everything is possible with x Christ and Peter is speaking with x tremendous boldness but he's he's he's x not being arrogant he's being honest x he's not he's not making a name for x himself he's making sure that everybody x understands that it is through Christ x that these things are possible I mean x it's it's a tremendous testimony but x it's not the same boldness that he was x exe he was exemplifying before now now x it's all about now it's all about Christ x and about bringing glory and honor to x God through his son so then it goes on x goes on from x there but when they had x um but when they had commanded them to x go outside out of the council they x confer among themselves saying what x shall we do to these men for that indeed x a noble Miracle ha been done by them is x Manifest to them all that dwell in x Jerusalem and we cannot deny it look at x where they've placed x themselves an incredible Miracle has x taken place and they placed themselves x on the outside looking in we can't deny x it but that it spread no further among x the people let us straightly threaten x them that they speak henceforth to no x man in this name and they called them x and commanded them not to speak at all x nor teach in the name of x Jesus x so this is this is where we never want x to be x but this is where they they put x themselves and then Peter again uh but x Peter and John answered and said unto x them whether it be right in the sight of x God to hearken unto you more than unto x God judge x you for we cannot but speak the things x which we have seen and x heard in other x words we have no x choice we have this is this is x truth and that's truly where we are as x well isn't it we have no choice this is x truth and if somebody wants to know what x it is we're happy to talk about it now x we don't get we don't get persecuted uh x for for speaking the truth x today but we want to make sure that we x are speaking and living the truth both x without and x within there should be no fear and what x we do and in the walk that we x have and and sometimes in in our x community I see decisions made based x upon x fear based upon what ifs well you can't x do that because what if somebody doesn't x understand what if what if this and what x if that it's not that complicated x brothers and x sisters we're here to speak boldly of x the things concerning Jesus Christ all x the wh x ifs they're all about somebody else x they're all about fear and we should x never be about fear but our boldness x doesn't come from oh we we we we know it x is right or we have some sort of uh x special knowledge or special x something it's not it's not about that x it's about x Christ it's about everything he has done x everything he's doing that's what gives x us the boldness and the strength to x speak words of x truth and that's what should be driving x us each and every day notice notice what x happens with them we'll pick it up in x verse four x um verse x 23 it says in being let go they went to x their companion company and reported all x that the chief priests and Elders had x said unto x them when they that H and when they x heard that they lifted up to their voice x with god with one Accord and said Lord x Thou Art God which Hast made Heaven and x Earth and the Sea and all that is in x them is who by the mouth of thy servant x David hath said why did the Heathen rage x and the people imagine a vain thing x before I go on let me let me point one x thing out about this because it's an x interesting Dynamic that's going on here x it says they lifted up their voice to x God with one x Accord and then there's several verses x of quotes of what's being x said so did the entire congregation that x was there all simultaneously and x miraculously all start saying the x same 10 11 12 13 vers x verses and I I don't think that's what x it's what it's saying what it's saying x is whether one person was saying it or x then one person spoke and then another x person spoke and then another person x spoke it wasn't that you it wasn't like x a universal uh uniform x prayer it was everybody felt the same x way what was being said by each x individual that spoke was exactly what x the other person was thinking and was x feeling for whatsoever thy hand and thy x counsel determined for to be done and x now Lord behold their threatenings and x Grant unto thy servants that with all x boldness they may speak Thy Word by x stretching forth thine hand to he to x heal and that signs and wonders may be x done by the name of thy holy Child Jesus x and when they had prayed again it's all x of them the place was shaken where they x were assembled together and they were x filled with the holy spirit all of them x and they spake the word of x God with x boldness that's x what we're called to do that's the x example that we're called to x emulate That's The Power of x Pentecost x that's the x blessing that we've been blessed x with and we shouldn't we should be like x the leaping lame x man or like the man who was born blind x that could x see it should change us forever what's x happened to x us and while we are incredibly humble by x the fact that we can be Sinners and yet x still be forgiven and yet still be x called and yet still have a purpose and x yet still be able to do all things in x Christ it should make us bold in our x walk and when we people get caught up in x things that are unimportant for what x we've been called to do we have to be x able to say that that's not about what x I'm about that's not what my calling is x about that's not what we're about we're x not about division we're not about x second guessing we're not about calling x out we're about praising the name of God x and bringing glory and honor to him and x telling people the good news just the x way Peter did just the way John did just x the way Paul x did just the way a Remnant has been x doing for 2,000 x years praising God and bringing glory x and honor to x him by by studying this word of Truth by x teaching it by talking about it and by x reflecting it because as we reflect the x word of Truth we reflect Our Savior the x Lord Jesus x Christ