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so so Yeah. so so so so ♪ So thank you so much for being here today ♪ ♪ Children of the world ♪ ♪ Where have you gone this year? ♪ ♪ We are all very sorry today ♪ ♪ We are all very sorry today ♪ so so God is great! God is great! God is great! the the the Hey. StSq3 3.30 (-0.99") so Good morning. Welcome to Community Presbyterian Church. If you are visiting, and it's wonderful to look out and see visitors, we warmly welcome you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we come to worship today. My name is Pastor Cruz, and I look forward to greeting you after the service and perhaps meeting you if we have not yet met. Hopefully, you've had a chance to look over some of the announcements that are on the back of the bulletin. I want to make sure that you're all aware that we have our annual Thanksgiving Eve service right here on Wednesday night at 7 o'clock. That is in place of our normally stated monthly prayer meeting, which is always the fourth Wednesday of the month. In November, we do something a little special. We'll get together, we'll sing some good hymns and psalms, have a little devotional, and share together ways in which we're grateful to God for his kindness to us, his provision to us, and join our hearts together in thanksgiving and prayer. So I hope that you're able to join us for that. So again, that's Wednesday at 7 o'clock here in the sanctuary. We are beginning a coat drive also to help, once again, our friends at Woodward Elementary School. So we've done that the last two years for sure, maybe even the last three years. And it's been a wonderful way to connect with our community and to bless those dear students. And so if that's something you're interested in helping, you can give money towards it. I talked to Jennifer Westerman about that. And we'll have a team go out and buy some coats with that money. Or we'll get a list. Do we have it yet, Jennifer? We do have the list. OK. So talk to her again. And it will be posted soon. But there will be a list. There is a list that will say specifically we need a coat for a 10-year-old boy, for example, and that kind of thing. So if you want to go out knowing that there's somebody specific who needs help, or a first grader girl who needs a new coat, then you can go and help them with that and purchase the coat and bring it here. We're collecting them, or the collection will end the second Sunday of December. So please keep that in mind. I just want to say here, finally, that we've been learning a lot recently as we've been studying the book of Acts. We've been learning about the church, and we're seeing the emphasis on fellowship and life together, being shared together. And I want to encourage you today, especially maybe if you've been visiting for a couple weeks or maybe even months, and yet you haven't really yet got to know Most of the church or many people within the congregation, you kind of head out afterwards and head back home. I want to encourage you today to stick around for a few extra minutes. We have coffee and snacks in the fellowship hall downstairs. And get to know us, let us get to know you. Even stay for Sunday school. It's a small step, but it's an important step from experiencing the church not only as a place of worship or a place of study and learning, but experiencing the church as a family. We were even talking, the elders and I, before the worship service and Perry was mentioning, it's so important for all of us as Christians to recognize the church as a living organism, a breathing organism, something that's part of just what we do and who we are and to make these people our people. So I want to encourage you to do that by staying just a little bit longer maybe than you're used to today and saying hi to some folks. And another Encouragement to do that is the fact that today, at the start of the Sunday school hour in the adult class up here in the sanctuary, Ms. Hannah Vanderband, one of our teens, is going to be presenting very briefly about an upcoming trip she has to Uganda. She is going to Africa in January, a missions trip with some other folks. She's going to share with us about how that came about. how she learned about it, what they'll be doing, and ways in which we can be supporting her. So I'd love for you all to stay, at the very least to hear from her and to encourage her by your presence as she gives that brief presentation on this upcoming trip to Uganda. Otherwise, in terms of fellowship, there are two things you might have noticed in the bulletin we have coming up. A young adult hangout, college and career, 20s, that kind of idea, young adults at the cruises on December 3rd. And then our annual Christmas party is back after it was delayed last year. And the information for that is in the bulletin. So hope you avail yourself of the life of the church in those ways. But let's now stand as we hear God call us to worship. We've come to worship the living Christ. the reigning Christ, and we're told this in Philippians chapter 2, that God has exalted Him, that is Jesus, and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. This is what we are called to do. And if we are to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, we need the help of God and his Holy Spirit. So we say, Lord, open our lips. And our mouths shall declare your praise. Let us pray. Lord, we have been given just even a brief glimpse in this verse of the exaltation of Jesus Christ. And we would hail him as the matchless king throughout all eternity. We ask that you would aid us by your spirit to do that now, that we would. We would come to you with our eyes lifted to the heavenly places where Christ is and where we are seated with him as we've been united by your Holy Spirit to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Help us to exalt and revere his name. Inhabit the praises of your people, we ask for Jesus' sake. Amen. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, his son. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If you're able, let's remain standing and we'll sing together number 374. All hail the power of Jesus' name. All hail the power of Jesus' name when angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all. of Jesse's saved you by his grace. Whose love can ne'er forget the wormwood and the gall Go spread your trophies at His feet Crown Him Lord of all Go spread your trophies at His feet Crown Him Lord of all Let every kindred, every tribe, on this terrestrial wall, to Him all majesty ascribe, and crown Him Lord of all. To him, all majesty, ascribe and crown him Lord of all. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng we at his feet may fall, join the ever-blessed song God's people said, amen. You may be seated. As we've just sung, Jesus Christ is not only our Savior, He is our Lord. And so, that means we obey Him. We bow before Him. Seek to live in obedience to his commands. What are his commands? These are them. It's the scriptures. Every word that comes from the mouth of God is a word that is mediated through his son. This is the law of our king. And so we want to keep that in mind as we hear these words from Romans chapter 12, reminding us what it means to live as citizens in this kingdom of Christ. Paul says, I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, what is acceptable and what is perfect. This is what God expects of us, to give him not just a little, but to give him everything, to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. This is just another way of saying that we're to love the Lord our God with our heart, soul, mind, strength, everything in us, a living sacrifice. Our spiritual worship, true worship, Paul says, is to do this and to not be conformed to the world, not to live like the world, but rather to be renewed in your inner being from the inside out and the way you think to the things that you do so that you would know what is good, what's acceptable in the eyes of God, what is perfect even. That's a lot, and yet we're reminded, even in this verse, that the only way we can do this is by the mercies of God. Did you note that's how Paul prefaces this? He appeals to us by the mercies of God to present ourselves in this way. And so we now appeal to God's mercies. We recognize we've fallen short. We know we can't do it in and of ourselves, but he has given us this strength. He has given us his merciful spirit. A spirit that assures us that we've been forgiven where we failed. A spirit who gives us strength to set out again and to live in obedience to God. Let's seek this merciful God now in prayer. We're going to take a moment first to confess our sins, the ways in which we've fallen short privately, confessing particular sins particularly. And then we'll join together with the prayer that you see printed for you at the bottom of the page there. Let's pray. Let us confess our sins together saying, dear Lord God, we cannot count the sins that we have done and are still doing. We have forgotten most of them and no longer feel any guilt. Whatever is in us apart from your grace. is sin and condemned. Thus, we must all together despair of ourselves, our works, and our powers. We know not what else to do but to pray for your mercy. Our joy and comfort is that you grant the forgiveness of all our sins out of your pure grace when we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. This is the word that we hear in response to a prayer. Like that, a prayer appealing to Jesus Christ from Psalm 32, blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. How can that be true of you today, you want to know? It's through Jesus Christ. In the gospel, we learn of a Savior who comes. to be counted sin for us. How can there be no iniquity counted against us? Because it's all been moved to Jesus. God has imputed all of our sin, all of our filth, all of our all of our unrighteousness to the perfect righteous son of God. He bears it all. And so now when God looks upon us, he sees us through the perfect lens of the perfect son. He sees us as righteous in his sight. That's what it means to be justified. And if you are a Christian today, if you're looking to Jesus today, if you've prayed this prayer in faith today, I can declare to you as a minister of his gospel, you have the forgiveness of sins. You are no longer under the condemnation of God's law. and you are that one who is blessed because God counts no iniquity against you. Let's respond in Thanksgiving, singing a setting of that Psalm 32 and setting A, what blessedness belongs to him. The blessedness belongs to him who truly is forgiven. Transgressions have been cleared, then cover is his sin. How blessed is the one the Lord accuses not of sin, the man without deceit and plow, whose heart is pure within. I languished silent in my guilt, my days were filled with groans. Your hand on me, pressed day and night, and he dried up my bones. Why not my wickedness? I said I will before the Lord, Transgressions thou confess. You pardoned my iniquity, You may be found when guarding me, Lorraine. A gush of torrents will not harm. Guide me, give me peace. You keep me safe, surrounding me. With songs of my release. Instruction I will give to you, And teach the way to go. My watchful eye will guide your steps, My counsel you will know. Which cannot understand Your command The sorrows of the wicked man number shall abound. But those who trust in God the Lord, his mercy will surround. Be glad, you righteous, shout for joy, if the Lord Amen. Please be seated. Let's go to God in prayer. Lord, we are glad in you. We rejoice in you for your wonders shown to us. You are the almighty God, the everlasting Lord. And we thank you that although you are high and holy and dwell in unapproachable light, you care for the low and the downcast, and your ear is always open to the cry of the humble and needy. And that is us this morning. We are crying out to you, and so we do ask that you'd hear us. We ask that you'd hear us for our many needs. We lift up our Our physical needs, we lift up our mortal bodies to you. Some struggle with chronic pain in our midst or sickness or disability. Some are feeling the downward drag of aging and others facing the prospect of surgery or recovering from it. We ask for health and for healing. We particularly think of the Morrisons, the Pilagros, who are under the weather with COVID. And particularly, we pray for your watch care over Charles, who is especially ill and has been fighting this for a while. But in all these weaknesses and afflictions, Lord, have mercy, we ask. We lift up our souls to you as well as we daily battle the effects of sin and the desires of sin. Forgive us for the many times that we are apathetic to it when we willingly go along with what we know is contrary to your will and to your word. Help us to know your word and to store it up in our hearts so that we would not sin against you. Help us to share with others the joy of knowing Christ. We thank you for the opportunity that we had to do just that. to present the wonders of the gospel in song yesterday, the holiday parade in Kalamazoo. And to be in front of thousands to declare that our hope is in the Lord, and indeed that he is the hope of the world. that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. We ask that through that simple means of caroling, Lord, that you would bring many to you. We also ask for the other outreach opportunity that we have jointly as a denomination right now going on with the thank offering this season. We ask that our hearts and our hands would be open to giving bountifully and cheerfully for the sake of your mission in the OPC, whether that's through preparing men for training in seminary, or for sending people overseas to do the work of foreign missions, or establishing church plants here in the country. Lord, whatever we set our hands to as a church, we ask that you would bless that work, that you would be in that work. We intercede and lift up the needs not only of the church, but also the nation. Watch over our land, we ask. We ask that you would spare us from ourselves, from things like complacency and materialism and hubris. We see sin abounding in so many areas of life. We see a revolution in the way people think of morality. Lord, keep us faithful, and in that faithfulness, Lord, would you use us as a witness to draw many to the better story that the gospel offers than the pathetic stories of happiness that the world offers. Pray for our elected officials, those who serve. Indeed, they are serving their citizens. Lord, we ask that you would use them to lead us well, we pray. And keep watch over the millions who will be traveling this week for Thanksgiving. Certainly, many traveling within the congregation set a hedge of protection about those who would who would be on the road or taking flights, Lord. And we also ask for a special blessing upon our upcoming Thanksgiving Eve service. And our earnest prayer is that it would set the tone for Thursday, on that day, that we would have the opportunity to say what we should say every single day. Oh, thank the Lord, for he is good. You are a good God. Lord, you are good because you have made a good world. Yes, we see the ways in which it has been affected by the fall, but we know that when you formed all things out of nothing, you said it is good. And even now, as sin is infiltrated and we see hardship, we see evil, we see wickedness, we know that there's a good providence that now is working all things for good. You are good. The psalmist tells us, you are good and you do good. And Lord, we know that supremely in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The one who alone of men could be called good, who came for us, who are worthless. who are enemies, who are wretches, and he set his everlasting seal of love upon us. We thank you in his name, even as we pray the words he taught us to pray, saying, our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Let us worship God now with the giving of our tithes and offerings. so so Let's pray. Father, we ask that you would bless each gift and each giver for your sake. That these monies would be used not for what we want, but that they would be used by you for what we need, for what the world needs. That they would be the means by which. We get the gospel into our hearts and get the gospel out to the world. We ask it for Christ's sake. Amen. Our hymn of preparation is number 265, In Christ Alone. Let's stand and we'll sing to God's praise as we prepare to hear him speak to us. He is my light, my strength, my song. His cornerstone, my solid ground. Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are still, when strivings cease? My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ, Christ alone who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe. This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones he came to save. Till on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. For every sin on Him was laid, Here in the death of Christ I live. There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious day Up from the grave he rose again And as he stands in victory Since curse has lost its grip on me high, the precious blood of Christ. No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. Let's pray together. Lord, we ask now, as we open up your holy scriptures, that the words of my mouth and the meditation of all of our hearts would be pleasing in your sight the Lord our rock and our Redeemer. Amen. Please be seated. I'd invite you to turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter four today. Definitely important to Keep your Bibles open today as we'll be taking a big passage of Scripture and jumping back and forth between various portions of it, reading verses 1 through 31, Acts chapter 4. We're picking up right where we left off at the end of chapter 3. Imagine that. 4 comes right after 3. And at the end of chapter 3, Peter and John were being asked by the witnesses that saw their healing of the lame man outside of the beautiful gate of the temple what that was all about. And now some more people want to know what this is all about. We read in verse 1, as they were speaking to the people, that's as Peter and John were speaking to the crowds that saw what had taken place, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And 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 believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000. On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem with Annas, the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, by what power or by what name did you do this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers of the people and elders, if we're being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to 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 in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Now, when they 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 can't 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. When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and 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 in the people's plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers are 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 people 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. 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. Well, this text, already exhilarating in and of itself for a number of reasons, takes on a whole other level of significance when you consider this is the very first instance of persecution that the Church ever has experienced. This is the first instance of persecution in the New Covenant Church. It's something that Jesus said to expect. And it's something with 2,000 years of history behind us. It's hard to imagine the church living without. And in reality, she never did live without it. I mean, think about it. Chapter 2 of Acts, the first Christian sermon, right? Chapter 3, the first miracle of the new covenant church. Chapter 4, persecution. All happening in quick succession. So as soon as kind of church ministry revs up, Satan gets to work. Persecution comes. Persecution begins here, and this and other difficulties will become the norm for the church throughout the rest of the Book of Acts. Next week, we're going to consider difficulties that kind of arise from within the church with Ananias and Sapphira in the church. That's next week. within the church their difficulties. This week we're considering difficulties from without the church, from outside of the church. And they come primarily from the religious leaders, the Jewish elites of that day, and they're really coming out in full force, aren't they, against the mission and ministry of the church. In response to Peter and John healing this man that they all knew, they'd all seen him every time they went to the temple. He's out there outside the beautiful gate. Now that he's healed, they're all up in arms about this. Look at those listed who stood in opposition to Peter and John, verse 1, it says, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them. And they put them in custody overnight. The idea isn't so much that they were thrown in prison as that they were kind of kept on standby. We need to deal with you, but we need to wait till the morning when we can convene a tribunal. So they're kept overnight. And then that tribunal in verse 5, look at who we read is there. Verse 5 tells us that it's made up of the rulers. That is the Sanhedrin, a group of 70 religious leaders, both Sadducees and Pharisees. presided over by the high priest. There are the elders, probably clan leaders that are mentioned as well, and scribes. Those are legal experts, people who wrote down the law of God and taught the law of God. And then verse 6 adds to this essentially all the members of the priestly family, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, who are all of the high priestly family. You remember that that job, that position of high priest, is one, not that you applied for, but you inherited. It came through your family line. And so essentially what we have here is everybody who had been priest or had the potential to become priest, they all came out for this event. Even Annas and Caiaphas, both instrumental in the trial of Jesus. And so we see how the church acts even as a common enemy for various types of religious leaders, bringing together people who normally did not get along with one another, like the Sadducees and the Pharisees, with a lot of political differences, theological differences. The Sadducees, for instance, denied the resurrection. They did not believe in a general resurrection from the dead. And so when they hear that you're preaching that there's a resurrection in Jesus Christ, Well, they're upset, right? They're riled up. Well, the Pharisees, they believed in the resurrection, but they're all about tradition and authority. And so when they hear that a man had been healed by what verse 13, if you look at verse 13, calls uneducated and common men, now they're riled up. Their issue is one of authority, or we could say jurisdiction. Who gave you the right? Remember, that's the question, verse seven. Did you see that? By what power or by what name? Show us your credentials. That's kind of what they're saying here. You see that a lot in TV shows. A crime takes place and the local police are fighting over the FBI. Who has jurisdiction? No, it's our case. No, it's our case. The Pharisees are saying, no, this is our land. This is our turf. What are you doing here healing people? So the whole force of religious leadership representing cultural and societal sway has come out against this sapling Christian community represented by Peter and John. Now, even considering the ubiquity of persecution and trouble in the church's existence, we ourselves can still be unprepared for it when it comes to us, or surprised when it comes to us. We have been blessed by God to live in a land that for many years has been very friendly to Christianity, has been called a Christian nation by some, and so we've kind of been lulled into a sense of comfortability, and so we get surprised, we get thrown off when these things happen. And so that's why we want to pay careful attention to today's text, because we can know how to prepare for persecution when it comes upon us. We see there's this sort of imprisonment, there's bullying, there's intimidation, there's threats, we're told, there's mocking. These are all the sorts of obstacles we should be ready to face as we live for Christ in a world that hates Christ. How can we be faithful? How can we persevere? That's what we want to search this chapter to find out. And so I want us to note five things that we can draw out from this text that makes for a faithful and even bold and courageous response to persecution. We're best prepared for persecution by learning from those who have been faithful witnesses, who have gone on before. So that's what we're doing today. We want to learn how to be faithful, how to be bold. Five things that we see from them that we can do today. First, notice that Peter and John are committed to the Savior. That's the first, that's the most fundamental thing. They're committed to Jesus. It was Jesus that got them into trouble in the first place, right? He's the reason they're in prison, because they were proclaiming a resurrection in Jesus, verse 2. And yet, Even as they stand before this intimidating council of religious rulers, they do not waver in their commitment to Christ. Look at what Peter says in verse 9 in response to their questions. Verse 9. Well, actually, first he begins there by kind of drawing out the absurdity of this trial. He's saying, are we being examined because somebody is healed? Is this court convened because a lame man is walking? Is that what you want to know? You want to know how that happened? Is that what we're in trouble for? Fine. If that's really what you want to know, I'll tell you. What does he say? Look what he says in verse 10. 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, the one who God raised from the dead, by him, by this man in this name, this man is standing before you well. By him, Peter says, by Jesus. He commits himself to the Savior, even in the face of opposition. This is the same answer he gave to the crowds in chapter 3, verse 16, when they wanted to know, how did you heal this man? And they all come to him. And he says in verse 16, in his name, and by faith in his name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given this man perfect health in the presence of you all. Let's think about this. It's one thing to be committed to Christ and see miracles happen in response, right? I'd believe in Jesus. I'd follow Jesus if good things like that happened all the time. But what if it's not only good things that come in answer to our faith, but bad things? What if pressure comes in response to that? Are we willing to still stand by our faith in Jesus Christ? Maybe some of you remember George Bush, the father, George H.W. Bush, famously said in a campaign, read my lips, no new taxes. And yet two years later, as he felt the pressure of trying to work with congressional Democrats, he introduced new taxes. Maybe we could say, yeah, I can campaign for Jesus, but can we stand by him when the heat turns up? What if believing in Jesus, claiming Jesus puts us on the trial of public, or in the court of public opinion? What if our reputations are at stake, or our livelihood is at stake? Because if you think about it, at this precise moment now in chapter 4, from one perspective, Jesus isn't doing anything for them. Right? They're not gaining anything. There's no advantage to claiming Christ from one perspective. Not socially, not politically. What do they have to gain by being committed to Christ at this moment? It only makes their lives more difficult to stand by Jesus, and yet it's their faith in him that causes them to commit to the Savior. Their situation doesn't change who he is. Christ is their rock, Peter says in verse 11, the cornerstone of their faith. He's the cornerstone of everything, actually. And the leaders can reject him all they want, but that does not change the fact of who he is. Peter is saying there in verse 11, Not only is Christ my cornerstone, but he is the cornerstone, and this situation doesn't change that. Several decades later... Polycarp would make the same declaration. He was Bishop of Smyrna, the last surviving member of the early church that personally knew the apostles. And in AD 156, as an old man, he was thrown before the lions in the Colosseum and told to declare Caesar is Lord, or he would be eaten. And his reply was, 86 years I have served Christ, and he has done me no wrong. So how could I now blaspheme my Savior and my King? Are we there? Are you there, friends? Is Jesus that real to you? The lines are growling in front of you, and you say, like Polycarp, bring him on. Because Jesus is who Jesus is, and the lines don't change that. Does he mean that much to you? Well, if you know him as Savior, he will. In the fires of persecution, our understanding of the saving work of Jesus is really tested. Because if we believe that Jesus saves us from death, then the threat of death loses its punch, right? Now it's all bark and no bite. Because there's salvation in Him, how could we not be committed to Him, even if death is on the line? And this is what Peter hones in on. Not only does he not deny Christ, but he underscores the reason that he does not deny Christ. In verse 12, look there with me, there is salvation in no one else For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Boys and girls, men and women, memorize that verse. Because this is it right here. This is Christianity right here. This is what we believe, the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. You see how Peter underscores this, there's this double negative. There is salvation in no one else. There is no other name. You can't get around it. The name of Jesus is the inescapable decision point concerning salvation, one commentator says. And Peter's logic is going like this, if you've been following it. He says, Jesus is the only man who could have healed this cripple. And therefore, he's the only one who can heal your soul. He argues from the lesser to the greater. Just as you see this man standing well before you right now, if you want to stand on the last day, it's through that same name, Jesus Christ. He's the only one who can save you. Your job's not going to save you, your marriage won't save you, your political party. won't save you. Your good works, your church membership, your church attendance, none of these things will save you. Your health cannot be trusted in or rested upon. A political summit that makes more than likely empty promises about fixing the environment, it's not going to save you. There is salvation in no one else. Today, if you want to Know that when you die, you're going to heaven. That when you die, you're actually going to live forever. If you want to know that for sure, if you want to have that assurance, that certainty, you need to know Jesus. You need to know the name of Jesus. And if there is salvation in no one else, how could we ever compromise on our Savior? That's what we see from these disciples. They're committed to Christ. They're committed to the Savior. Second thing, during this difficult time, we see them committed to the mission. Verses 15 through 18, the leaders put their heads together and they decide that the easiest thing to do to handle this situation is just to intimidate the men into silence. They're saying, just leave well enough alone. We've been getting along fine without you. We have a system of doing things here. Can you just go out in the world and not mention this again? They're free to go, but verse 18 says they were charged not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. What did Peter and John think of that proposition? What would you think of that proposition? In many respects, this is the line that we're expected to tow today, right? The world says, fine, go ahead and believe it. I mean, clearly, we're not going to change your mind. Just don't talk about it. Just don't tell anybody about it. Don't bother me with your belief. Freedom of belief is alive and well today in America, but freedom of a religion, that is, the freedom to exercise our belief, I think we sense that there's pressures now and then, here and there, certain places. We're feeling that kind of, it's getting encroached on. Are we free to proselytize, to share our faith, to proclaim the message and to live the mission? Here's a thought experiment for you. What if you weren't free to do that? Would your life look any different? Would you care? Would your Christian life look any different at all if you were commanded not to speak about Jesus and you complied? Would there be any difference from the way you're living now? I think there's a temptation to think that if we were in the Apostle's shoes and given the same instruction, to think that we'd gotten off the hook. I mean, this is the best case scenario. I stood by Christ. I told them what I believed. I told them who I believed in. I told them who he was. I didn't compromise in my faith. And look, they didn't beat me up. They didn't throw me in prison. They didn't fine me. They just told me not to talk about it anymore. I mean, this is great. Peter recognizes that to comply with that arrangement would be the same as denying Christ. That would be the same as compromising your faith in Jesus. And so what does he say in verse 19? Whether it's 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. He's saying if you want to find fault in us, you have to figure that out for yourselves. But here's something we have figured out. We have to talk about This man, what boldness, what conviction I have lacked that many times in my life. Maybe you, like me, have experienced times where you've had the opportunity to speak and you haven't taken it. Isn't it the case that so often we are silent before we're even silenced? Could we make this our theme verse instead? Wouldn't that be a great thing if this is a verse we all clung to as a church? I can't but speak of what I've seen and heard. We can't but speak of what we've seen and heard. Maybe that's what Kalamazoo needs. You know what's interesting is Bill and I are doing a, we always do a pulpit exchange the Sunday after Thanksgiving. And so because the print shops are going to be closed and stuff like that, we need to get our bulletin information in soon. And so Bill said, what are you going to preach on? I'll tell you what I'm going to preach on. So I said, I'm going to preach Acts 4, 1 through 31. We cannot be silent. Next Sunday night at Emmanuel. And Bill wrote back, he said, you're not going to believe this, but I'm actually preaching Acts 4, 1 through 31 this Sunday at Emmanuel. This is what we need to hear. We cannot but speak of what we've seen and heard. If I'm silent, maybe the reason is that I really haven't, with the eye or the ear of faith, seen and heard what the apostles saw and heard. And so I have to go to the scriptures. I have to pour through the gospel accounts. I have to see Jesus. I have to learn about Jesus. I have to see him hanging there for me, groaning there for me, dying there for me. Once I see that, how could I ever be silent? They're committed to the Savior. They're committed to the mission. Thirdly, look at verse 23. Very briefly here, you might have even missed it. They're committed to the church. What do they do the minute they're released from custody? When they released, verse 23, they went, where did they go? To their friends. It's a profound little statement. Literally, it reads, they went to their own people. You remember John 1, Jesus came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Same word here. They went to their own, went to their family, They went to where they belonged. What's interesting is that they had a family to go to in the first place. They had a community that they belonged to in the first place. How can you expect to stand for Christ in a hostile world if you're doing it on your own? You can't. It won't happen. But God puts an army behind our backs. It's called the church. If we would just have it. But many Christians seem to think that they can do this whole enterprise like a lone ranger. So the question today, do you have a support system? Do you have a people who are your own? I'm not just talking about a place that you kind of saunter in and out of once a week. But are these your people? Do you know them? Do they know you? Can you pick up the phone and call somebody and say, This is going really rough for me. I want to let you know what happened. I need your prayer. I need your support. I need your help. Are you committed to the church? Well, there's a fourth thing. We see that in verses 24 through 30, that when the church gathers together, that they're committed to the will of God. committed to Christ, committed to his mission, his people, and now the will of God. They submit to God's plan, and we see that the disruption by the religious leaders hasn't disrupted their faith at all. They prove that because they go to God in prayer, right? You'll note that a significant portion of this prayer is taken up with the quotation of scripture, specifically Psalm 2. Why do the Gentiles rage? Why do the nations rage? It's a psalm about people trying to dismantle the reign, the lordship of Christ in the world. And the early church is experiencing a fulfillment of what that psalm spoke of, people plotting against the Lord and his anointed. And they say, and Jesus is your anointed, and they killed him, and now they're coming after us. But they pray in confidence. because they know how this is all going to play out. They don't quote the rest of the psalm, but you know how it goes. You know the very next line, right? They gather together against the Lord and against his anointed, and the Lord, he sits in the heavens. What does he do? He laughs. He thinks it's pretty pathetic that these mere humans are trying to conspire against the plan of the Almighty. And the church joins God's confidence here by praying the psalm. They are peacefully submitted to God's will, which ensures that Jesus shall reign. Wherever the sun doth its successive journeys run, his kingdom spread from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more. They know God's will is all about keeping Christ on the throne, and so we can submit to it. Come what may. If Jesus reigns, all will be well. If Jesus reigns, the mission goes on. Do you notice that in the prayer? Look at what they pray for. What is their petition? As they face persecution, what do they ask God for? They don't ask God to stop the persecution. Now, I'm not saying that that would be a wrong thing to pray for. I don't think that's a wrong thing to pray for, but that's just not what they pray for. That's not where their focus is. Verse 29, we see, They ask that the Lord would help them to speak even with more boldness. They want more of that boldness so they can keep doing what the church is meant to do, to tell people that Jesus is Lord. And so they don't pray for less persecution, they pray for more opportunities for witness. It's astounding. So they say, verse 29, now, Lord, look upon their threats, consider their threats, bear them in mind, but specifically, here's what we want. 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. They're committed to God's will, even if it has further trials in store for them, as long as Jesus and His name are proclaimed, the rest can come what may. They're committed to the will of God because they know it is good and it is glorious. And so we step back now as we've considered this chapter and we think, wow, how did they do it? Perhaps we feel as though our witness pales in comparison to theirs. After all, what have we seen from them so far? We've seen them committed unflinchingly to the name of Christ, to the work of his mission, to the fellowship and communion of his people, committed even to the will of God, even though that will can be at times very difficult. What have I done? Who am I compared to these apostles? Well, lest we get too starry-eyed as we consider the early church, and lest they themselves get puffed up with a sense of their own abilities, there's a powerful reminder at the very end of our text that teaches us where all this strength, where this fortitude, indeed, where this faith in the midst of fiery trials, where it comes from. Remember, there's a fifth component that we need to consider, five things that we need for a faithful witness in the face of persecution. We need to see here not just the things that they were committed to, but finally, and especially, consider that the spirit of Christ is committed to them. Look at verse 31 with me. 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. We see in response to their prayer, three things happened. First, there's an earthquake. This has been God's symbol from of old that he's present with his people. Mount Sinai shook when God came down to covenant with his people. Now the earth shakes again as an unmistakable indication that he is with them, he's heard them, he's for them. Unless they think that their success is all about themselves, God shakes the very foundations of their world to say, no, guess what? It's all about me. And though that's a terrifying phenomenon, it undoubtedly had the effect of instilling courage in the people, which is indicated by the final line of the verse. It says they continued with boldness. The ancient commentator John Chrysostom commented this, that the ground was shaken made them all the more unshaken. There's a second thing then. The ground shakes, and then they're filled with the Holy Spirit. It's a fresh filling. from that which they received at Pentecost. This is not the first time they're receiving the Spirit to do their mission. In fact, we've seen the Spirit the whole way through this chapter. Remember verse 8, when Peter is called to give an account of what he's done, they're not his words. What does verse 8 say? It says, then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, filled with the Holy Spirit. You see, friends, the Spirit is always there right when we need him, which is to say all the time. But this was a fulfillment of Jesus' own promise to his disciples. Do you remember in Matthew 10, he's talking to Peter and John and the others, and he says, there's going to come a time when you were dragged before councils and in the synagogue, and there'll be governors and rulers, and they're going to put you on trial. Does that sound familiar? And what does Jesus say? When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you're to speak or what you're to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father speaking through you. That's a promise that's still there for us today. Paul writes in 1 Timothy, you've received not, 2 Timothy, chapter one, you've received not a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of boldness. That's how we can speak when otherwise we would be silent. That's how the church grows, even in the face of opposition. Did you notice that in verse 4, right after we're told that Peter and John are kind of put in custody overnight? Verse 4, but many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000. 3,000 at Pentecost, now we have 5,000. Does that mean a 5,000 additional, and now there's 2,000 more? Who cares? There's a lot of people here. And how's that happen? I mean, shouldn't this be the time the church is shrinking back? Their leaders are getting arrested and going to be put on trial? How does this happen? The Spirit is how? The Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Christ is what instills the church with faith in the Word of Christ, and that's what gives the growth. And this knowledge, knowing that they've been filled with the Spirit, leads to a third response to the church's prayer. At the very end, it says, and they continue to speak the word of God with boldness. Why are they bold? Well, I think in large measure, it's because they realize it's really not about them at all. Not really, not ultimately. I might not have very much confidence in myself, but I'm not doing the work. I'm not that confident in myself. You might not be that confident in yourself, but I'm confident in my God. He does the work. I'm confident in Him. I can be bold in Christ. I can be used by Him. I could be an instrument. I could do just that. That much I can do. Why? Because I'm bold in the Lord. I'm bold in who he is. I'm bold in what he's told me, what he's promised me. And I know that he will never, ever leave me or forsake me. You see, friends, we need to get to this place personally, all of us, communally, as a church, as a congregation. We need to get to the place where we can say, we can commit ourselves to Christ and to his mission. and to his people and even to the will of God, no matter what. Why? Because I know that God is first and foremost and always committed to me. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for the witness of the church which instructs us. We can learn so much about what it means to be faithful. when faithfulness does not come easily to us. But what we see in this chapter, and indeed we see it in every page of your wonderful book given to us, is your faithfulness to us. We see the church growing because you have committed yourself in covenant to your people. Lord, would that give us what we see the apostles have here, astonishing boldness, great boldness. Lord, give us the courage that can only come from your spirit that would keep us from ever being silent. Might we always proclaim the name. Amen. Number 284, our final hymn today. You servants of God, your master proclaim. Let's stand together. Yeah. Yeah. And publish abroad His wonderful name, The name all-victorious, Jesus, His soul, His kingdom, His glorious end, rules over all. God ruleth on high, Almighty to save, Still He is love, He is love. We have the great congregation, His triumph shall sing, Ascribing salvation to Jesus our King. Salvation to God who sits on the throne. Let all cry aloud and honor the Son. The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim. Fall down on their faces, the worship go hand in hand. us adore and give him his mark all glory and power and wisdom and might all honor and blessing with angels above and thanks never ceasing for infinite love amen Remember, we do invite you to join us for a time of fellowship, getting to know one another, growing in our commitment to one another as a church. And don't forget that we'll hear a presentation momentarily about the work of the church even in Africa. So join us for that. But for now, receive your Lord's benediction. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his everlasting peace. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. I think I'm gonna go cry Yeah. ♪ And I know that I'm not alone ♪ ♪ And I know that I'm not alone ♪ ♪ And I know that I'm not alone ♪ Okay. Oh yeah. Okay. Thank you very much. Yeah. Yeah. th th th I'm not in a lot of mood right now. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. So, we're going to talk about who's going to come in and who's going to leave. I love it. Oh no. Yes. Yes. Well, Kristen knows, and she wants to fix it. We have a film that we're working on. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's going to be a four-hour film. It's So, and all of the original characters. I'm going to show you one time now. I'm going to show you one time now. I'm going to show you one time now. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Here I am. I'm I'm Ha ha ha! Oh, there you go. And now that we know the truth of this, let's find the truth. For this talk, we're going to go back to the very beginning of the pandemic. We're going to be talking about kids, and we're going to be talking about vaccines, and we're going to be talking about the use of vaccines. Oh, that was fun. So I think a lot of what we're doing is focused on healing the country. We had a wonderful time. We don't want to be discriminated, but there were a lot of people. We all saw what was going on here. That was the second greatest healing process in the world. He said, well, there's something I need to tell you. You know what I mean? And I said, well, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But the word is, Yeah, right. Do you mind if I just go ahead and move it? I don't know. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He's just a guy that I hate so much right now. He's just a guy that I hate so much right now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I agree with all of this. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if you can hear me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's not good. It's not good. No, none of this stuff.