By What Power Have You Done This
First B Jackson
2024-11-24

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Christ for me. Every day as I go my way, it is Christ. Do you know that song? No. Because it's a I think it's maybe just a chorus.

Oh, okay. But there are some other parts to it that I can't remember all the words. I was gonna I called my sister, and she couldn't remember all the words. So she plays piano since a two year old. Okay.

She plays by ear. Still for her church. Yeah. So, anyway, I'm I'm still looking for the words, the rest of the words.

You. Thank you. Thank you. Pray without ceasing. Rejoice always and be thankful for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Think recognizing the blessings is very very important. And Carl, usually when he says the word joy out loud, it's followed up by joy and it is grace recognized. Ain't that good? So count your blessings. Here we are.

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed. When you are discouraged thinking all is lost, count your many blessings name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord have done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God have done. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy? You are called to bear. Count your many blessings every now will fly, and you will be singing as the days go by. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God hath done. Buy. Your reward in heaven or your home on high. Count your blessings, name them one by one.

Count your blessings, see what God had done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many

blessings, see what God has done. So amid the conflict, whether great or small, do not be discouraged. God is over all. Count

your your many blessings, angels will attend. Help and comfort give you to your journeys in. Count your blessings, Couch them many blessings, see what God have done.

Amen. Amen. How about great is thy faithfulness?

Great is thy faithfulness. Oh, God, my father. There is no shadow of turning with me. Thou forever. Great is thy faithfulness.

Great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed, thy hand has provided. Faithfulness mercy and love. Great is thy faithfulness.

Great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, you mercies I see. All I have needed, thy hand hath rolled thy head. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. Pardon for sin and the peace that endureth, thine all dear presence to cheer and to guide.

Strings for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Blessings all mine with 10,000 beside. Is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Amen. Thank you. That's great. That's a have you ever seen a group of musicians get together and they go, oh, it's an a. Watch me for the changes.

Like, that one was in one, and then it was in another one, and then we were watching for she she did warn me ahead of time. Y'all can have a seat. We've got a few things to announce. We'll see what they are. Oh, I do wanna see you at Awana, but not this week.

That's not this week. We're not having it for Thanksgiving week. So we're off school. We're off of this. So we're not doing Awana this week.

That's already passed. This is up now. So the women's Christmas lunch, and always a good time. This will be a good time at Snow Kings Ballroom up here. Alyssa Hunter will be doing music, Deborah Buckingham will bring a message.

It's December 11 from ten to twelve noon. And Oh, I take that back. It says twelve to two. Twelve noon to 2PM. Wednesday the eleventh.

Seats are limited, so if you would, RSVP early by December 4. And that's at jhwomensbiblestudy.com. We can give you that again if you forget about it. Jhwomensbiblestudy.com is the place to RSVP. We do have copies of the church directory and they are momentarily accurate according to y'all.

Right? This is crowd sourced. You told us what you wanted us to put in there and we did. So that's what's in there. They're available at the back, back there and if they're not, let us know and we'll print some more.

The Buzzard Breath Chili Cook Off. Doesn't that sound festive and holiday like? Christmasy as it can be. Buzzard Breath Chili Cook Off and Christmas caroling. We will meet here and leave from here about 04:30, and chili is needed.

It is an actual contest. It is an actual thing where we set up and have sampler cups and we do vote on that. The Buzzard Breath Chili Cook Off and Christmas caroling is tradition around here. It's going to be this year, December 15 at 04:30. We'll leave from here and go caroling first and come back and eat around six.

So that's the deal. You can do one or the other or both. You can do what you want to. Oftentimes, when we go into town and we're singing, we gain more people while we're in town and we bring back more to eat more chili here. But that's coming December 15, which is not far away.

The Angel Tree for this year, 2025, Tanya is handling that. She's doing it and people have been asking her when that is starting. There she is right there in the back looking through the window, checking on my announcement. If you want to get her, you can call her on that number and she will not answer. No, I'm just kidding.

She might answer. She might answer. It's a possibility. You could text her on that number, she'll eventually answer it. (956) 357-3676 is her number and she knows what is going on and she's kinda in charge of.

Do have anything you wanna say out loud about it? Okay. It was more imminent than that. We're I will have them

check my end, and and I'm gonna be out of town. So text me or call me because I'm not going out of town where there's some crazy thing you can't interrupt.

Just call me. Let her know. Let her know what she and she'll she will answer you. I'm only joking about that, obviously.

So

weekly sermons are now available in podcast form, if you know what that is. And your that's a good way for you to get them. They're on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Amazon Music. It's available. And that's an easier format for a lot of people on their phone.

So that's amazing. Weekly sermons available in podcast form. Hey, thank you Blake for figuring that out, and Chris Darren for helping you figure it out. And thank you all for funding it to make it happen. Guess, that's a good one.

We're thankful here. Would you stand? We're gonna sing the greatest thing. This one is a a triune, a trinity of things we're thankful for. Right?

Because it's the greatest thing is knowing you, loving you, and serving you. Sounds like three things, but really they're all the same. So would you sing with me?

The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you. The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you. I want to know you more. I want to know you more. The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you.

The greatest thing in all my life is loving you. The greatest thing in all my life is loving you. I want to love love you more. I want to love you more. The greatest thing love in all my life is you.

And that love needs an outlet. The greatest thing in all my life is serving you. The greatest thing in all my life is serving you. I want to serve you more. I want to serve you more.

The greatest thing in all my life is serving you.

Amen. How about Jesus, we just want to thank you. It seems to be a theme emerging here this morning. Yeah. Gratitude is the theme.

Yep.

Jesus, we just want to thank you. Jesus, we just want to thank you. Jesus, we just want to thank you. Thank you for being so good Jesus we just want to praise you Jesus we just want to praise you. Jesus, we just want to praise you.

Praise you for being so good. Savior, we just want to serve you. Savior, we want to serve you. Savior, we just want to serve you, serve you for being so good on last. Jesus, we know you are coming.

Jesus, we know you are coming. Jesus, we know you are coming. Take us to live in home

Y'all can have a seat and I'll invite the ushers to come forward. Steven, Francis, thank you. Would you pray with me? God almighty, we're so thankful to be here this morning, lord, and to sing you praises and to consider and count our blessings. New morning mercies, lord.

I'm so overwhelmed by that. You're so good to us. Lord, we want for the goodness that you have for this world, for the love that you have for the creatures of this world. Lord, we want to be reflecting your goodness and your glory and your just your majesty. Lord, may we act as mirrors.

May we act as mirrors that are reflecting your light into a very dark world. Lord, thank you. Don't know how to say it any other way. We're we're we're so grateful. In Jesus name, Lord, we ask that you'd accept these offerings, a little bit of what you've given to us, that you'd take it and that you would advance the gospel.

Lord, plan a, there's no plan b. That you would just be using your humble and obedient servants to do your will and your way. Would you do it? Amen. Wow.

Judy Basie's gospel rag. That's wonderful. That's wonderful. I like that. Acts four thirty one.

Oh, if it were only that simple. If it were just gonna be one verse, but it's not. That's just where we're gonna end. That's what you're looking forward to right there. Acts four thirty one.

I told you last week that we're starting chapter three verse one. The section is chapter three verse one through four thirty one but I couldn't do that in one sermon and have it end anywhere near normal time. So, we're going to split it into two parts and we did chapter three last week and chapter four is this week and I'm looking out and I'm not seeing as many of y'all that missed the first two and so in the first service, there are bunch of people I went into explanations. Acts one, you can remember is the Jesus saying to them, it's a restatement, stay in Jerusalem till you're imbued with power from on high. You're gonna be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts.

And then they replaced Judas. After the ascension, they replaced Judas. The lot, they did it by lots and the lot fell to Matthias. And so they replaced Judas with Matthias. Wonderful.

They did it in an unconventional to me method, but it was a very conventional method until Acts two. In Acts two, the day of Pentecost when the spirit of God, if you want to think about it this way, reversed Babel. Remember the Tower Of Babel when they were building up and they said, we are going to make this tower and it's going to be so awesome. We're going to be above God. And then God said, well, I'll try that with different languages.

Right? Separate the languages and then in a unifying move of the Holy Spirit, what had been forecast in Joel and in Jeremiah and through various other prophets, the spirit of God descends and lights among above them as tongues of fire and they begin speaking in other languages because there are people from all over, devout Jews from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem at that time and when they began speaking, they spoke in the languages those people understood. So it's a reversal of Babel. God by his spirit is allowing people to understand. Though the people who are doing the speaking that had been with Jesus were Galilean, Everybody heard it in their own language.

And my favorite summary of Acts two is, and they under and they were confused because they understood. They were confused because they understood what was going on. Now, what was going on is a proclamation of the good old gospel truth of Jesus' perfect life and his resurrection, his redemptive act and there were 3,000 added at least to their number that day. This is a summary statement of how they lived. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching.

Those are those original ones that had been with Jesus since the beginning, so we can call them capital a apostles. The ones that he had sent out, the apostles teaching. It was very much centered around the gospel truth of resurrection of Jesus. We saw it in acts one, acts two, and acts three, and we're gonna see it again in Acts four. Their proclamation is a proclamation of the redemptive act of God in Christ atoning death.

The apostles teaching and to fellowship, they got together not just at meeting times, but they got together. They were comforting and taking care of one another. They were sharing in their meals including the Lord's Supper, limited to that. Table fellowship is very important in the New Testament, especially in the book of Acts. The extension of the grace of God is shown in table fellowship throughout sharing in meals and to prayer.

Now, somebody asked me last week after the service was over, why didn't it say singing? Well, I don't know why it doesn't say that, but I'm sure that that's a part of their fellowship because it says, and they sang a hymn and departed and it says, and they sang a hymn and some of the things that are quoted are obviously hymns. But it doesn't mention it. Apostles teaching fellowship, sharing in meals, and to prayer. Now, I will say this, many of their prayers are quotes from Psalms which are songs.

And songs are a great way to get information into your head. I still remember like some songs about times tables and some songs about all the different things we learn, history, and the the vacation Bible school songs that we learn. That's a lot of stuff there and songs do that, but this is what they were devoted to. Now, in chapter three, we see Peter and John walking into the temple as was their custom around the prayer time in the afternoon service of oblation and was about 03:00 in the afternoon and they saw and recognized a man who was there lame at the gate, the beautiful gate. They saw him and fixed their eyes on him and called his attention on them, look at us, and then made that bold proclamation that I don't have any money for you, silver and gold have a none, but what I do have, I'll give to you.

In the name of Jesus Christ. That's what they had. Rise and walk and they lifted him up and it was an authenticating miracle that authenticated the gospel message. And this is the way Peter describes it after the fact in Solomon's Colony to the assembled crowd that had just been in that same service. They're out now, they're accessible, pretty much anybody can be there in Solomon's Colony, not so for inside of the temple where the service was taking place and this is the way Peter describes it.

Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed and y'all know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus name has healed him before your very eyes. Do not question what you have seen, Only know this, it is by faith in the name of Jesus and faith in Jesus name. It's said two different ways. It's around the healing and I think that it's helpful to think.

Anytime you hit the word pistis faith in the New Testament, there will be scholars who argue, this is the subjective faith that we can that we have that we can place and stuff or that it is the objective faithfulness that we just sang about of God Almighty. So, yes, it's both of those things. The objective faithfulness of Christ that he was perfect and did not sin and had a perfect record that he could hand off by a sacrificial and atoning death, but faith must be exercised and placed in that faithfulness. Does that make sense? This is a statement of that.

That brings us up to some application that I drew, tried to draw it straight out of the text. I try not to go beyond what is written especially in the book of Acts. When we go beyond what is written anywhere, it's a problem. But in the book of Acts, we can out of the desire for novelty or power or show or fun, you might want to add a little bit of something. I'm resisting that temptation.

So I try to draw the application from the text. If you're looking at it from Peter and John's standpoint, my whole time preparing for weeks ahead of time for last week's message, I know that we have a spectrum of theological systems represented here in the church and it goes all the way from people who believe the charismatic gifts are for today and want to exercise them themselves, and we have folks who believe that they ceased with the closing of the canon and the original apostles and the early church, and I know that we have that spectrum of belief here. So I'm wrestling with this for weeks ahead of time. How do I present this? Well, say what it says.

That's my goal is I just wanna say what it says. So if I take application drawn from the text, and I'm looking at Peter and John in specific, the questions for self evaluation is, do I really see people who are suffering? That's something you can apply today. Do you really Do I really see people who are suffering? Do I want for them to see me?

When Peter said, look at us, you know, take a look at us and see us too. Now, the temptation when you see somebody who's suffering is to just kind of walk on past and hope they don't make eye contact. It's much easier that way, but you might miss the opportunity that God has. Right? Do I give what I have to help others in Jesus name?

That's a good question for self examination. Do I actually give what I have to help others? But it's in Jesus name. I do it because I know Jesus and because he said, whatsoever you do for the least of these, you've done it also to me. Do I do that?

Having been established on the good old gospel way. So not legalistic, feeling like I've gotta do it because the law says I'm supposed to and not licentious where we feel like I can do whatever I want to. I've got liberty in Christ to do whatever I want to. Libertine versus legalist. No.

Trusting in Jesus, trusting in the spirit that he said would guide us toward truth, guide us in the truth. Having been established in the good old gospel way, do I actually reach down and lift people up? Do I do that? And then if I do, do I credit Jesus with the saved or do I think, look at me, I'm pretty awesome. That's the question.

Do I reach down and lift people up? And if I do, do I credit Jesus with the same? Peter very plainly said, it is not by my power and it is not by my godliness. It's just in Jesus' name. He did it.

Now, was being obedient and he was walking it out. But if you're identifying with Peter and John now, last week, while I was in the soundcheck for the first service, I got just completely turned around because I thought, wait a second, what if we're not identifying with Peter and John, but we're identifying with the man that's been healed? That's something. So Kirk Weaver was here last week. He was sitting right there.

And he kind of when I made the turn, he said, oh, you need to put some I I had not prepared the slides for that because I didn't think about it beforehand. But I was surprised by God and learned something on Sunday morning and I really appreciated it. And then Kirk and I went back and forth about the questions. And if you're identifying with that healed man, do I really wanna be healed? That's a good question.

Jesus asked that of guy in John five, beggar. Do you want to be healed? Am I open to a new and different way of living? Because it's gonna take a new and different way of living. The way that we've been accustomed to living may have to change.

In in fact, it probably will have to change. That man's life was very different after they healed him. I willing to receive help from others? That's a good question. Do I understand that I'm a child of God and allowing him to define me and not to be defined by my weaknesses?

Now, it's interesting they don't ever name this guy. I went back looking even tradition doesn't name this guy. Sometimes tradition adds a name where the Bible doesn't, but there's no name for this man. We know him as the healed man. Right?

So he's not identified anymore as that lame beggar. He was the former lame beggar, the healed man. Do I understand that I'm a child of God and allowing him to define me and not be defined by my weakness? Do I see a loving God moving in the lives of the people who are helping? And will I open myself up to a deeper relationship with Jesus, the healer, the one who can, the one who does, the one who wants to heal.

And if you see it and you say, healer, oh, I don't wanna I'm bristle at the thought. Every time someone gets sober, that's a miracle, and it's God who does that. We have seen people that were set free from a lot of besetting and obnoxious habitual sins and that's a miracle. When you get set free from that by God's grace, It's very much like this. So will I open myself up to a deeper personal relationship with Jesus the healer?

And I I could say that that it reminds me of all the 12 steps that we went through not too long back. And step 11 in particular is, am I seeking through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God? Praying only for his will for my life and the power to carry that out. That that is if we're identifying with the healed man. So last verse of chapter three, here we are and we'll get rolling.

When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel. This is in Peter's speech. Right? This is in Peter's sermon. He's when God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent them first to you people of Israel, he says in the temple, Solomon's colonnade.

He sent him to you first to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways. He sent John the Baptist ahead, sent him to preach forgiveness, he sent Jesus to live out a gracious and redemptive outward facing warm and embracing redemptive life. He sent him first to you people of Israel to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways. Now, when God raised up his servant Jesus, we mentioned briefly last week that a lot of the Jewish leaders of the time saw the servant, the suffering servant passages from Isaiah forty nine fifty three, the different ones 61. Those suffering servant passages, some of them had taken that on as their ethnic identity that they were the Messiah or that Israel was the Messiah.

And others had various other interpretations, but just saying when God raised up his servant Jesus kind of stands out. He sent him first to you, people of Israel. You should have known this. If you read Isaiah, you should recognize Jesus. So here we are in Acts four beginning with verse one.

It says, and now while Peter and John were speaking, what were they speaking? They were speaking this. When God raised up his servant, Jesus, it's all about Jesus. He sent him first to you. Now, while they were saying this, they were confronted by the priests and the captain of the temple guard, the goon, they're heavy, Right?

Muscle. And some of the sadducees. Now, in truth, knowing what we know of history, the priest, the captain of the temple guard, and the sadducees were all sadducees. They were all from the sadducees, all from the sadducee in line. Now, these leaders these leaders were the ones who were officially in charge.

You know, this is not long after the crucifixion. These names that are gonna be given in a few minutes are names we've read before in the end of Luke for the crucifixion passage. We read them at the end of the gospels because these leaders were the ones who are leading when Jesus was crucified. These leaders. So who are they?

The priest, the captain of the temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. These leaders were Sadducees. Now, if you don't know what that is, if you just read past the stuff you don't understand, the story is not near as good. Okay? And the Old Testament when I read and I go, oh, Amalekites and Hittites and Amaram, I don't know what that and I don't know any of the history of those, but I do know the history of this.

Like, when I'm reading it, it makes a difference if you know who they are and how they worshiped and what they believed. So the Sadducees I'm gonna read something for you. The Sadducees were the priestly and lay aristocracy who had ruled the Jews in religious and political matters, recognized that Rome was in charge, the Roman Empire. And then under them to help rule the people, they were kind of puppets in a way. They you keep the peace among your people or else.

And so they were the ones who were doing that. The Sadducees, priestly and lay aristocracy who had ruled the Jews in religious and political matters at the behest of the foreign overlords since the Hasmonean times, about a 100 40, a hundred and fifty BC, so a good while. They ruled and they did not believe that anyone except for the priests should be instructing the people in spiritual matters, which sets them at absolutely opposed to the Pharisees. Now, we hear a lot about Pharisees in this church partially because I think we're more likely to be a part of the sin of Phariseeism than Sadduceeism partially, but also because the Bible mentions the Pharisees more often. They were of the people.

They were seen by the people as being pious. When they're called out by Jesus, it's usually for their hypocrisy, not for but he doesn't usually disagree with them theologically, not usually. Sometimes, he does, but not usually. Usually, it's for their hypocrisy. The Sadducees on the other hand, he does call out for their theology.

He does call out because they don't understand the scriptures that they purport to know. The Sadducees believed that the messianic age had dawned with the Hasmoneans in the second century BC, like I said, a 140, 150 or so BC. And anyone making messianic claims was at best mistaken and at worst, they were a political revolutionary that posed a threat to them in their comfortable position. In matters of doctrine, they considered themselves to be traditional and right. Actually, if you're looking at the spectrum theologically, you would have the pharisees are on the right and the sadducees are on the left.

That's the way we would probably think of them. They held only to the written Torah and they rejected the oral Torah and and the sayings of the fathers which the pharisees accepted. Okay? So one doctrine that they did not find in the written Torah was about resurrection from the dead. It's there, but they didn't see it.

They didn't see it because they didn't wanna see it. It's they've made up their mind. They've counted three. They're not changing their mind. They do not believe in resurrection.

They do not believe in angels. They do not believe in spirits. They have some things that they're just off about. The supernatural, generally they threw out and they're very worldly, wealthy. They sought sought to keep political power that they had and nepotism is a big part of that.

They trained up their family and they brought them into the positions. So they were Sadducees ists, let's say. So going forward from there. Now these leaders, they were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people. I could stop right there.

That's not the end of the sentence. But they were concerned just because Peter and John were teaching the people. They thought we're the only ones that are supposed to be teaching the people. We're the ones who speak for God. They what are these little peons doing?

We don't want them doing that. Come on. So they were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people in the first place. And then beyond that, these leaders were very concerned because they're sadducees and what they were teaching is that through Jesus, there is a resurrection of the dead. So that comes in against their understanding and their belief and they are not willing to change their mind even though Jesus was present for forty days after the resurrection and they had just seen a guy healed.

So they arrested him. Of course, that's what you do. Political thinking is we gotta do something about this, contain this situation. So they arrested him since it was already evening and they put them in jail until the morning. Now, last week I mentioned that Peter after the healing was speaking and preaching the gospel and he honestly was giving them an opportunity as the people of God in the temple of God.

He was giving them an opportunity to actually accept the truth of the gospel. I believe formally doing so. And these are the leaders. This is in the right place. It's with the right people.

And as he's presenting that, I think that there was a real possibility just like whenever we present the gospel individually to somebody. Either they're going to accept it or they're gonna reject it or they'll say, I'll hear more from you later. Right? He was he was I believe Peter was presenting it to his people, to his leaders, and throwing it out there for it to be accepted. But then chapter four starts and we see that the sadducees are having none of that because it doesn't fit their narrative.

So they arrest him and they since it was already evening in the Sanhedrin, I mean, no way. They're gonna meet in the evening. We don't do that except for they did when they were trying Jesus. Right? There's a little hypocrisy there too.

So they arrest him and since it was evening, they put him in jail until morning. We will convene in the morning. We'll get the word out, make sure everybody's here. But many of the people who heard the apostle's message believed it. So the number of men who had believed now totaled about 5,000.

I love that. When it looks like they're in peril. Now they do something amazing, they present the gospel and people are starting to come in and then there's opposition. Oh, isn't that just the way it goes? But Peter is very specific about saying the plan of God will not be thwarted by political means.

It will not be thwarted by any means. It's going to go forward. Many of the people who heard their message believed it, and so the number of men who believed, probably women and children in addition to that, now totaled about 5,000. Now the next day, next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. When we get priest and captain at temple guard and sadducees, and then we see the council of all rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem, that is talking about, most likely, talking about the Sanhedrin.

There may have been opposing voices there, but it's not likely. This is the governing council. Now, again, when Peter said it in the temple, that's one thing, but to say it to the Sanhedrin, he's gonna get a chance here in just a minute. The the council has convened and the Sanhedrin is getting together and they're going to be there in the midst. Now, if you look at I don't speak Hebrew.

I don't really know much. The NASI is the head person of the Sanhedrin. It looks like Nazi to me. I I don't really want to say that out like it's NASI. It's not Nazi.

I know that. N a s I, that that letter. That's the head person and that person would take the central seat. They sit in a semicircle. The would sit to the right hand of the head one of the Sanhedrin.

And then the 69 other members, this cracked me up. They, the remaining Dianim, they arranged according to their level of intelligence. So it get dumber and dumber the further out from the main guy. Isn't that crazy? It's the truth.

That's actually from from set from Sanhedrin four colon three. That's where it says, we're gonna sit in a semicircle, so we can all see each other's faces while we're judging me. That's the way they sat. That's 71 little dots. That's the seating chart right there.

That's the way they sat. This is from nineteen hundreds. It's a woodcutter etched on etching. And there's another one right here. And this is just kind of this is what the Sanhedrin in eighteen hundreds, this is what somebody thought it would look like.

It's a semi circle though, and the guy in the middle has got a preferred position and the person on his right hand has a preferred position, and then they get dumber the further out they go. They met in the Chamber Of Hewn Stone. This is of the temple grounds and that is the place. The temple of the Chamber Of Hewn Stone is big enough that they can have 71 people sitting in a semi circle and then Peter and John in the midst. And it says that other guy, the lame beggar that now is healed was clinging to them and it says later that he was among them.

So the three of them at least and maybe more were there in their midst. So Annas, the high priest was there. We've heard him from the gospels and along with Caiaphas, one of his kinfolks. We've heard of that in the gospels, along with John, along with Alexander and the other relatives of the high priest, that's just the way it goes in politics. They brought in the two disciples and they demanded, by what power or in whose name have you done this?

Now, by what power is by what authority? That's the word for power there. And in whose name have you done this? Now, they said it when they did it. They said it doubly so when asked how they did it.

There's no secret about how this was done. And I'm sure when they convened that council that they were saying, oh yeah, there's these two guys and they keep on talking about Jesus. They knew to answer this question. But they still ask it, by what power we are the great and mighty council? And in whose name have you done this?

And then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers and elders of our people. That's polite. That's actually respectful. It's winsome. It's not it's not brusque.

It's rulers and elders of our people. Now, do you think like I said, in in chapter three, I think he was formally presenting it to the people that mattered in the place that it mattered. And here he goes again, rulers and elders of our people. Are we being questioned today because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Is that what we're really all here for?

Do you want to know how he was healed? Do you really want to know? I mean, I think you know. I think you wouldn't have showed up if you didn't know what we're going to say. Do you want to know how he's healed?

Let me clearly state it to you. This fisherman, let me clearly state it to all of y'all and to all the people of Israel. Write this down. Transcribe this. Put it down.

Take the note. Let me clearly state it without being in any way unclear that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Nazarene, the man you crucified. And as he had said before, faith in the name of Jesus, faith in Jesus name, he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. And just like he had in the last chapter, he says, for Jesus or or he he attributes God's plan. So sovereign God knows what's gonna happen.

You fell right into it though you are absolutely responsible for his death. God is still revealing it through us to you and giving them a chance to turn. He's given them a chance to repent. Jesus is. I love that it says Jesus is instead of Jesus was.

And the hardest things about presenting a funeral is to say so and so was. For Jesus is the one referred to in the scriptures where it says, the stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. I laugh a little bit there because it says the stone that you builders rejected. He recognizes that the Sanhedrin is the formal governing body And they're the ones who were supposed to recognize them and they didn't. Actually, Psalm one eighteen twenty two, it's almost a direct quote.

It's got the you added in there. The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. And Peter says, the stone you builders rejected. Now there is salvation in no one else. What a statement.

Let me clearly state unequivocally, there is salvation in no one else. God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. It's Jesus or it's not salvation. This is a great verse. This is one of the Awana verses I believe and it's a good one.

To get this in your head and to get this through into your heart will allow for you to rest at night to know that the way, the truth, and the life is the place that you have is the is in whom you have placed your trust. There is salvation and no one else. Let me clearly state it. God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. It's either Jesus or it's not salvation.

So the exclusivity of the gospel as a concept in our time is probably the hardest thing to overcome in the society that we live in. So people want to be able to say, well, this is my truth. You can have your truth and I have my truth, but you cannot have two opposing truths. When we see Phariseeism, which I think we're more likely to fall in that ditch, usually, most of us, or Sadduceeism, those two systems are designed to oppose one another. They're not ever gonna come to the truth unless they recognize Jesus.

Jesus was constantly presenting to both sides. The exclusivity of the gospel is, it is Jesus or it's not salvation. Now, this, God did not have to make any way and he did make a way. And he made a promise with Abraham and with the line of Abraham and he gave the law through Moses and he had set up the kingdom that David would always have somebody on the throne throughout all eternity. It is the way and God had given them the forecast of all the prophecies and he's given them the sacrificial system and he's given them all the different ways to recognize Messiah when he comes.

And the exclusivity of the gospel says, legalism won't work. You just go and buy what you think is the system. Now, in his grace can do whatever he wants to but what he wants to do is save people in Jesus name. The members of the council were amazed. I bet they were.

This word has come up several times already. An accident will come up a lot But the members of the council sitting back in judgment rubbing their beards, I'm sure. They were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John. For they could see that they were ordinary men. Now, if you have in your mind that you're arranging yourselves according to intelligence and you are the 71 smartest people in the land, and you're vying for position to get closer to that guy, Looking at these ordinary fishermen, ordinary layman actually is a good way to translate that too.

They're just looking at they haven't they don't have any special training in the scriptures. They really don't have any special training from our perspective. They constantly been fighting with the Pharisees but for other reasons. They were ordinary men and they had no special training in the scriptures. They had not been to the rabbinical schools that were established and accepted by the Sadducees or they had a rabbi, Jesus, but they weren't trained formally.

No special training in scripture. They also though recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. And I think that men who've been with Jesus, people who had been with Jesus. When I see that I think, may that be said truthfully of each of us that's gathered here this morning. May it be that people, when they see us, they recognize us as someone who's actually spent time with Jesus.

Later on when Paul's writing his letter to the Ephesians and he says, be imitators of God therefore, as dearly beloved children. The way that you get to be recognized for being with Jesus is because you act like Jesus and that may we be recognized as someone who's been with Jesus. Spending time with him in prayer, spending time with him reading about him in his word, Old Testament, New Testament, all of it. Looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith helps for people to recognize Jesus in us. So they also recognize him as men who had been with Jesus and and I I should say, they were also there just a few weeks before and they recognize him as men who had been with Jesus, the one they crucified.

They they knew these people. They were people. They weren't just factions. They were people that could see people. They recognized them as people who had been with Jesus.

But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, isn't that comical? So I've got Peter and John. I wish we could just get rid of these guys. They're really inconvenient for us. Man, this is gonna make this next go around hard.

I wish that we could just put them aside. But there's that guy, and he's right there with them in the middle of the semicircle. And he's clinging to them, and he's jumping up and down. He's dancing, and he's praising God. That's what the text says.

Right there in the chamber of hewn stone, this respectful body, supreme court of the land. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. What are you going do? So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves. I'd call this the executive session.

Get rid of the people we're talking about so we can talk about them freely. And apparently, some folks in that circle, that semi circle must have come to be a believer or at least a truth teller when Luke has interviewed them because he knows what was said in the executive session. And he says, what should we do with these men? They ask each other. We can't deny that they performed a miraculous sign.

Wouldn't even try that because everybody could see that guy sitting out there for years and years and years. He's been sitting there lame and some of us have given and some of us have walked past, some of us have prayed for him such a pitiful soul that he is. Obviously, sinful because he's harmed and maimed. Maybe it's his parents. Someone walked right past him.

They all knew it. They didn't even try to deny. We can't deny that they have performed. It's it is funny though. They just told him again it was Jesus that did it.

He told them before that it was Jesus that did it. It's not by my power, not by my godliness, but Jesus did it. We can't deny that they have performed a miraculous sign. They don't want to attribute it to Jesus' name And that everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. The church was 3,000.

Now it's 5,000. The problem's getting bigger. But to keep them, the apostles, from spreading their propaganda, also known as the gospel. But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus name again. Surely, they'll listen to us supreme court of the land.

So they called the apostles back in. They commanded them never again to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus. Don't do it again. But Peter and John replied, do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? Now, if you're the body that believes that you speak for God, that's pretty hard take because it's saying you're you're not speaking for God.

You're you're against him. Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We can't stop telling about everything we've seen and heard. And if you read the book of Acts, they can't stop talking about it. They're just gonna keep on doing it.

Even as stones are being flung at Stephen, he goes into one of the most marvelous sermons that you've ever heard. We can't stop telling about everything we've seen and heard. And so the council then threatened them further. You better. You better not.

The wagging of the finger becomes stronger, but they finally let them go. Why? Because they didn't know how to punish them without starting a riot. Fear. Fear of the Romans, fear of the people.

The crowd is growing that agrees with them and we don't want to lose power, maybe this will blow over. So they don't know how to punish them without starting a riot for everyone around was praising God for this miraculous sign, the healing of a man who had been lame and it goes on to say, not just a little while for more than forty years. Undeniable. Undeniable. Walking in not walking.

Sitting, being carried around for more than forty years. And as soon as they were free, Peter and John returned to the other believers and he told and told them what the leading priest and elders had said. Was that gossip? I'm like, was it gossip? They they had had an executive session that came back in.

They just told them exactly what they said. No. That's not gossip. As soon as they're free, they just told what the leading priest and elders have said. That's what they said.

They said, don't do it anymore But what are we gonna do? We gotta do this. This is what Jesus said to do. No, it's not gossip. I that that is a question that I've had multiple people come to me in the past year when they're going through hard times and they're saying, I've been they keep on wagging their finger and they keep on saying that what I'm doing is gossiping and I'm dying here and I need somebody that'll help.

And so when they come, they say, they keep on telling me this gossip if I say anything about them. But what I'm saying is true and it affects my life. That's it. Was that gossip? No, it wasn't.

I just wanted to throw that in there. Side note, when they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together, unified in prayer to God. Oh sovereign Lord, creator of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. Does that sound familiar? That, does that little line sound familiar to you?

Probably does if you watch The Chosen. If you watch The Chosen, they tend to use that line as the beginning of the blessing whenever they're saying a blessing over the meal. But it also is from Psalm one forty six. It's actually the next slide. It's Psalm one forty six six but I want to read this song because whenever in the New Testament, you hear somebody quote a song, a Psalm, when they quote it, the rest of the crowd already knows that song.

If I were to go, you all know what that song is. Right? Come on, you do know that song. I can't get no satisfaction. Come on.

Am I that bad? There's there's if I were to give you just a few chords, you'd know a lot of songs. But if I gave you a line from a song, all afternoon you'd be singing that song. So if this one is, oh sovereign Lord, creator of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them, yes, it does sound familiar. I'm gonna read you the whole Psalm.

Praise the Lord. Let all that I am praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. Does this sound like the guy who's dancing around? Yeah.

Who's just been healed? I'll sing praises to my God with my dying breath. Don't put your confidence in powerful people. There's no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth and their plans will die with them.

But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord, their God. He made heaven and earth to see and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners.

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. Literally sounds just like him, doesn't it? The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and the widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

The Lord will reign forever, and he will be your God, o Jerusalem, throughout the generations. Praise the Lord. Amen. Oh sovereign lord, creator of heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them, but you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant saying this, why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

Let me say this, if you seek to do good in Jesus' name, you will receive opposition, it will happen. You will be aggravated or there will be people to aggravate you. It will happen. Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste the time with futile plans?

That's Psalm two, another messianic psalm that they would have known and should have been understanding. Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepared for battle. The rulers gathered together.

Literally, Sanhedrin means those who sit together. They gather together against the Lord and against his messiah, against his anointed one which means messiah or Christ in Greek. In fact, they're praying still. Oh, sovereign lord. In fact, this happened here in this very city.

We recognize that for Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate, the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, they were all united against Jesus, your holy servant whom you anointed, but everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. There's nothing that escapes God's plan. And now, oh Lord, hear their threats. They're the ones in charge, they've got the captain of the temple guard, they've got the police force there with them, and now, hear their threats and give us your servants actually, and now, oh Lord, hear their threats and give us your servants what? What are they what are they gonna pray for?

They're gonna pray for protection? Are they gonna pray for safety? They're going pray for bigger guns, better captains of the guard. What are they praying for? Boldness.

Courage. Great boldness in what? Preaching your word. May we never step to the right nor to the left but just keep on saying, lord, what you have said. Recognizing that some of it's in the old testament, bring it back up.

We're going to keep doing that. They're going to keep doing it throughout the book of Acts. I hope I keep doing as long as I have breath. And now, oh Lord, hear their threats. Give us your service.

Great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power. We wanna see people getting sober. We wanna see people getting healed. We wanna see people, Lord, authenticating messages.

That's what they're praying for. We wanna see it happen because we want it to authenticate the gospel message. Stretch out your hand with healing power. May miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant, Jesus. This is exactly what the council had told them, don't do.

And after this prayer, the meeting place shook and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and then they preached the word of God with boldness. They got what they prayed for. God is sovereign and he is able and by his spirit, he will direct, but it also takes us actually doing it. So they're praying about it and then they're doing it. And we'll see that that is the way that the gospel goes forward all throughout the book of acts and all the time since then.

It's the way it goes forward. Some people will reject it, but some people will accept it, and some people say, I'll just have to hear more on this later. I don't think I'm able to get it yet. Can I pray for us and I'll have you all stand? And Judy, would you come forward?

I forgot which song we're playing. Give thanks for the grateful heart. Okay. That's good. Give thanks for the grateful heart.

Give thanks. We'll sing that in just a minute but can I pray for us? Lord God almighty, may we be polite and winsome and bold. May we be unafraid to speak your word with courage and confidence, with love, with a redemptive purpose in mind, and may we, Lord, be willing to take whatever that brings. Would you comfort our hearts when we are trying to do the right thing and we receive opposition whether that be official or unofficial where whether it even be friendly fire.

Lord God almighty, would you do in your name, in our hearts, what it is that you want done so that in your name, the gospel could go forward. Well, we're so thankful lord. In Jesus name, amen. Would you sing with me?

With a grateful heart. Give thanks to the holy one. Give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ his son. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the holy one.

Give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ his son. And now let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us. And now let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us.

Give thanks.

And I wanna close with a benediction from Colossians. Carl, can you click on that? There it is. Colossians three. Now, as Amos, the prophet said, I was minding my own business when the word of the Lord came to me and I have the feeling that Peter and John were minding their own business when they saw that man and they recognized that that was what it was that God had for them right there that day.

I'm saying this to you, whatever it is that you do, whatever it is that you do, whether it's in word or indeed, may you be doing all of it in the name of the Lord Jesus and may you be giving thanks to God the Father through him. Lord God Almighty, would you receive the praise, the glory, and the gratitude that we have for you? And Lord, we're asking that you would show us what are the steps you'd have us walk in. Show us your way and give us the power to do it. In Jesus name, amen.