Boldness in the face of resistance
Readings: 11:25
Sermon: 32:35
Readings: Acts 4:1-22, Acts 4:23-31, Psalm 2
What kind of resistance do you experience in your faith life? Resistance can be everywhere, as we meet it in ourselves and all around us in this world. This resistance, whether inside of us or out, isn't often honest about what is trying to do, because if it was we wouldn’t give it the time of day. This resistance stands in the way of Jesus, his Good work, his miracles, a relationship with him, and even his name. Why? Well, the truth that we need to realize is that the world, and too often we, have different priorities from God. We want different things. We might say we want truth, love, and peace for all, but our lives rarely show that. Too often we want to uphold ourselves, our truth, our way, our peace, and our ideas of truth. In that, so many people actually stand in opposition to God and to one another and even ourselves. We have become lonely islands in an individualistic society that creates in our image rather than God’s. That is exactly what we see in this exchange between the religious leaders and the apostles.
Here are the disciples having just healed a man after he suffered from a 40-year-old affliction in his legs. The apostles follow up by sharing and teaching about how this man was healed. With something so much greater than Tylonal, why would anyone resist this? Why would anyone stand in the way of such an obvious good as a healing?
Too often we want the result without the reason, especially when the reason demands something from us. The reason this man was healed is Jesus, it was done in his name, through a relationship with Jesus, and the creative restorative work that comes through God and His Spirit. These people resist this kindness because they don't want to face the reason, and what Jesus’ name means. If Jesus is the ruler and savior of us all, it would mean that our life isn’t their own. It would mean that we need to humble ourselves and listen to Jesus. It would mean our authority is lacking and in need of His greater authority.
I would suspect that if we really looked deeply at ourselves we are more like the religious leaders than the apostles. I suspect our greatest resistance would be within ourselves. We can experience this every day when we decide we have no time, when we decide that we think we know better than God, when we want something more than a relationship with God, or when we don’t step out in faith to do the work of God. That is really where we need to start, with ourselves. As Jesus often tells us, we need to look inward and judge ourselves removing the plank in our own eye first before judging others.
Even still it doesn’t seem as if the disciples judge those who are trying to judge them. Instead, they point out the truth. What they did was kindness in Jesus’ name. Jesus’ death was caused by those who reject him, but his resurrection was caused by God and so now they are doing the goodwill of God. This is the truth: proclamation and good work in the name of Christ, are an immense kindness - sadly this is one kindness that many people can reject. We can even reject how important Jesus' name and work are, which means we don't often experience their amazing and powerful consequences.
King David foretold long ago: that the one we reject will become the chief cornerstone. A cornerstone is a stone, which supports the entirety of a building. This tells us why Jesus is so important because, without that stone that is Jesus, everything else will fall. A house will not stand without the strength of that stone that supports all the others and that is true for our house as well, without Jesus our hearts and lives will fall. That sadly was a truth about the temple of God that they were in. These religious leaders tried to uphold it with things other than God and roughly 40 years after this scene Rome would tear the temple down. Jesus as he walks into Jerusalem says, “If only now you would know the things that lead to peace”. We know the foundation that will withstand the test of time and will hold out through all struggles and yet we still turn to fickle authorities, like ourselves. We still trust in our own way, instead of really recognizing the only lasting foundation and that salvation is found in no one else, but in the name of Jesus.
This is always our decision. It is always our choice to follow something other than God, to become the opposition. It can be hard to make a different choice than the self-absorbed ways that have been ingrained in us. It can be hard to overthrow the ideals and thoughts we have built our life on and start building it on Christ the sure foundation, but that is why praying for boldness and courage are so important. We need to be bold and courageous to be different, to change, to trust, to look beyond the moment, and to see and create God’s kingdom in our midst. Peter and John were bold in their trust in God and what was the result just in this text - healing, 2,000 more people believing, praise for God, and so much more.
One of the difficult results of their trust is that it created more opposition, but notice what comes alongside this resistance. The religious leaders do all they can to stop them, and we will see resistance grow as the gospel spreads, but that is the thing, the gospel keeps spreading, people keep meeting Christ and more and more hearts are changed. God works powerfully despite the opposition almost because of it sometimes. What started with 1 - John the baptist, lead to Christ who brought in 12, then 70, then a multitude, at Pentecost it led to 3,000 and now only a few days later it leads to 5,000 following Jesus.
This reminds us of what the apostles’ prayers in our second reading are all about: God’s authority is greater than all of theirs and ours. If we follow Jesus, working kindness and speaking in His name, there is no authority that can really stand in our way. Sure they can tell us not to speak, sure they can pull us away from our work and proclamation for a time, sure they might even speak against us and try to make us ashamed or isolated, but God’s word and work in Christ and us is far more powerful than all of that resistance and the gospel will keep working despite them.
Why wouldn’t we be more courageous? We should pray for boldness. With Jesus Christ standing with us, who could ever stand against us? If we are doing the work of building God’s community and sharing his kingdom of truth, peace, and love, what greater work could we do? Against such things, there is no law. And these are the very things that are the fruit of the Spirit in us if we are willing and brave enough to follow and work with God.
This doesn’t mean all resistance is bad though. Notice, that this resistance (though sinful in its intent), empowers the disciples to pray and as a result, they give themselves even more to Jesus. Then the very earth is shaken and changed and so are the disciples as they are empowered even more through the Holy Spirit. When we do come against resistance it is important to recognize why. In this case, resistance was the religious leaders lacking authority and where it came from to begin with and it empowered the disciples to trust in God's great authority even more. Sometimes, resistance comes because we need to change and grow even more in faith. Sometimes, resistance comes because we haven’t understood the full extent of God’s love. Sometimes resistance comes because God is still breaking through.
Most often, resistance comes from within ourselves, when we haven’t fully committed ourselves to God. Even the disciples, who seem to be unphased by the religious leaders, use it as an opportunity to commit themselves even more to God’s way, which they met in Jesus Christ. So they submit themselves even more and remove their personal resistance.
So the truth is that our faith will face resistance in this world, often resistance to the very best things, like the good news, which we know comes from God. This resistance will keep coming and sometimes it is scary, but even still the biggest resistance is within ourselves. We get scared of what could result, or we get trapped within ourselves or the culture. We need to spend time getting to know God in Christ and then we need to be bold in sharing him. We need to step beyond the fears we have within ourselves and proclaim and act courageously in the name of Jesus. There is no other name by which we and others are saved. So doing this work is the greatest kindness. We know the greatest authority in our creator. We know that through him our work of building his Kingdom can never truly be stopped, but will be fruitful and multiply. So, let us all pray for boldness and step out proclaiming and serving in the name of Jesus Christ, the one whom the world killed and yet God raised from the dead. AMEN
Bible Study:
Acts 4:1-22, Acts 4:23-31, Psalm 2
Acts 4:1-22
Vs. 1-2 Who are the priests, captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees? Why is this important? Why would they be disturbed? Why are so many disturbed by these teachings?
Why did the apostles find it important to teach these things? Why are they important to us?
Why would they seize Peter and John for this? What could happen to us when we share faith in Christ?
Vs. 3 Is it significant that they were imprisoned in the evening? Why is this detail included?
Is it significant that the temple guard probably locked them in the temple overnight? Why?
Vs. 4 Despite the resistance from so many, the number of people who believe keeps growing: 1 - 12 - 70 - to many - then 3,000 at Pentecost - 5,000 today. What does this tell us about the resistance we experience when sharing faith in Christ?
What should we do when we meet resistance?
Vs. 5-6 We hear about a great cast of characters: Elders, rulers, teachers of the law, the high priest, his father and family, and a few others named but undefined (including Alexander a Greek name). Who are these people? What does it tell us about the kind of opposition and authority the apostles were facing? Would this worry you? Why?
Vs. 7 By what power or what name do the apostles do these things? Couldn’t the religious leaders just have listened to hear this? Why do they imprison them to ask this question? Why this question? What does this tell us about these authorities and the resistance we face when sharing Chirst?
Vs. 8 What does it mean that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit? How would we know this if it happened to one of us?
How does Peter’s address show his feelings for them?
Vs. 9-10 What does Peter’s words tell us about their resistance? (Act of Kindness, healed, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, you crucified, God raised from the dead)
Vs. 11 Why is this Psalm quote important? Why would someone reject a stone? How does that relate to Jesus? Why do we or others often reject Christ?
What does it mean for something to be the chief cornerstone?
Vs. 12 What does it mean that salvation is found in no one else? What does this mean for our life and destiny - along with everyone else? Do we believe this?
How does this reality show our witness to be even more important?
Vs. 13 Why would both the apostles courage and their lack of schooling astonish these leaders? Where does their knowledge and courage come from? Why is that astonishing? What does that mean for us?
Vs. 14 How could our good work and the work of God in our midst silence opposition? Why is it important for good work and prayer to accompany our proclamation?
Vs. 15-17 What do these leaders seem to care about? Do they care about the truth or what is right?
Why is the name so important?
V. 18-20 What does the apostles’ response tell us about what they care about? What does it mean to be a witness?
Vs. 21-22 Remember the man healed was lame since birth and now was healed at 40 years of age. Why does it make this act even more miraculous? What is the result and why is this important to God and the disciple’s purpose?
Acts 4:23-31
Vs. 23 Why was it important for Peter and John to share with the others what had happened? What would this do for their faith and experience?
Vs 24-28 In the disciples’ prayer, they compare human leadership with God’s leadership, sovereignty, and reign. Why is it important for us to understand this difference? How does it challenge us to live differently in this world? Look particularly at all God does with his reign.
Why is the Holy Spirit important in this?
Vs. 29-30 They pray for boldness and godly work before safety. Why? What do we desire first as Jesus’ followers? What do we pray for?
Why is the name important in this prayer?
Vs. 31 What is significant about the result of their prayer? What does it mean for the earth to be shaken? What does it mean that they are filled with the Holy Spirit even more?
