STAND UP AND PRAISE
GOD
Acts 4:23-31
Upon the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus, the
early church had it's start.
When the Apostles began preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ
there immediately
arose a conflict with the Jewish leaders and the chief
priests.
Peter and John at the gate of the temple healed a 40 year
old man, lame from birth.
The man in front of many witnesses, who had never walked
before, came into the
temple walking, leaping and praising God. Peter and John
took no credit, but preached
Jesus.
TAKE
NOTE, WALKING, LEAPING AND PRAISING GOD
Peter and John preached that Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior was crucified at the hands of the Jewish leaders and the Chief Priest.
Many Jews believed in Jesus and this upset
the ruling Jewish leaders. They took hold of Peter and John then
threaten them not to
mention the name of Jesus.
YOU CANNOT STOP THE GOSPEL, DON'T TRY
V:23. " On their release, Peter and John went back to
their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to
them."
A. No one can stop the spread of the Gospel, because it is
powered by the Holy Spirit.
1. The ruling Jews
used their threats of persecutions to try to prevent the spread of the
Gospel.
2. No weapon formed
against us can prosper.
B. Peter and John undisturbed by the threats, told the
congregation of believers what
the chief priest
and the elders, the enemies to the cross said.
1.You cannot let
nobody discourage you from talking about your Jesus.
2. I cannot stop taking about Jesus because
it like a fire shut up in my bones.
3. I cannot stop
taking about Jesus because He has been too good to me.
4. I cannot stop
taking about Jesus because He is the
light that world needs.
5. I cannot stop
talking about Jesus because He told me to keep on talking.
GIVE GOD THE CREDIT
V:24. " When they heard this, they raised their voices
together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you
made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them."
A. When people tell
you to quit talking about Jesus, get on your knees and pray.
1. The devil is
busy and the only way to rebuke Him is to stay connected with Jesus.
2. The ruling
Jews had proven that they could kill the body, but they had no power
over the
soul.
3. We need to
fear God and not man.
a. God can
kill the body and the soul.
b. Man can do
no more than what God allows him to do.
B. To stay strong in
the Lord, you need constant prayer.
1. You need to remind yourself that we serve a
God that is the creator of everything.
2. You need to
remind yourself that we only exist to give God glory.
3. You need to
remind yourself that when you stand for
God in the mist of the enemy
that
God stands with you and He gets the glory.
4. The threats of
man are God's opportunity to be glorified.
5. You need to
remind yourself that enduring trials and tribulation increase your faith
in God.
GOD ALLOWS OPPOSTION TO GLORIFY HIMSELF
V:25. " You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth
of your servant, our father David: "'Why do the nations rage and the
peoples plot in vain? "
A. Through out the
ages God has given us His Word through His prophets.
1. Throughout the
ages God has shown us His power over creation.
2. Throughout the
ages God has shown the world that no one can stand against Him.
B. The enemy rage and
plot against God and His people continuously.
1. Satan and His
demons influence others to fight against God and His people.
2. Why do we
listen to Satan who has already been defeated?
3. It is the lust
of the flesh that influences us to
believe we can disobey God and win.
ALL AUTHORITY BELONGS TO THE LORD
V:26. " The kings of the earth take their stand and the
rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One."
A. Anytime we sin, it is against the Lord.
1. It is the
rulers of this world who sometimes think they are above the Lord.
2. They fail to
realize that the position and authority they have was given to them by
the Lord.
3. It is pride of
man that God hates.
a. It is our
pride that makes us think that we are more than others.
b. If our
objective in life is to gain power and authority over others, we miss the
point of
our purpose set by the almighty God.
4. God has set the
rulers of this world to be just leaders and role models for
righteousness.
B. It is easy to
forget that the true authority is the Lord.
1. When our focus is our gain, then the Lord
cease to be our ruler.
2. When the Lord
cease to be our authority, then Satan takes His place.
C. We are living in a
time when the law is to separate the Church from the state.
1. In the beginning,
the Church was the state.
a. God gave us
His commands to govern ourselves according to His
righteousness.
b. God
promised the Israelites success in the promise land if they followed
his
commands,
2. The reason we
are in the miserable state we are in is because we try to operate
without the
Church.
3. The state
operates according to the flesh, and therefore is opposed to the God.
4. The flesh is an
enemy to the anointed one.
THE PLAN TO DENY JESUS BACKFIRED
V:27. " Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel
in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed."
A. The truth should
always be told.
1. The leaders and
the chief priests of Israel
did not want to hear the truth about what
they did.
2. I can imagine
the chief priests and ruling Jews being upset when their plan backfired.
a. They killed
Jesus and thought His teaching would die with Him. Mark 3:6
b. They killed
Jesus and the 12 Apostles immediately began preaching
Jesus
Christ and Him crucified.
c. The death
and resurrection of Jesus propelled the Gospel truth.
d. The
teaching and the miracles of Jesus was powered by the Holy Spirit.
B. The rulers of Israel
could not see Jesus in the Old Testament Scriptures because
the scriptures
were second to their traditions. Mark 7:13
1. They used the
scriptures to justify their inaccurate and sinful traditions.
a. God said that
we shall have no other gods before Him.
b. Jesus claim
to be the Son of God, opposed their traditions and not
scripture.
2. Jesus was born in
the flesh with them, but since His teaching attacked their traditions
they rejected
Him.
3. Since Jesus
teaching and miracles drew large crowds who believed in Him,
they felted that their
position and authority was in jeopardy. Mark 11:18
4. They couldn't see
the truth because they were blinded by their ambitions.
a. In fact, they
couldn't see the truth because God left them blinded by
their
traditions so that the scriptures could be fulfilled. John 12:40
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER THE FOR GOOD OF BELIEVERS
V:28. " They did what your power and will had decided
beforehand should happen."
A. The Chief Priest
and the Jewish leaders thought they were destroying Jesus, but
they were
playing the hand the Lord had given them to promote Jesus. Mark 8:31
1. Jesus said, if
I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me.
2. If they had
read and understood the scriptures they would have known that
God set them
up to crucify Jesus so His blood would atone for the sins of
the entire
world. Isa 53:3-12
B. If they had read
and understood the scriptures, they would have known that Jesus
was the Messiah
(Dan 9:26 ) and that John the Baptist
was His forerunner (Mal 3).
1. If they had
read and understood the scriptures, they would have known that
what God plans
He executes.
2. If they had
read and understood the scriptures, they would have known that they
were living in
the exact time frame of the coming of the long awaited Messiah.
Dan 9:24-25.
C. We need to be sure
that we read and understand God's Word.
1. The Word says
in all your getting, get an understanding.
2. The Word says,
study to show yourself approved, so that the man of God
can rightly
divide the Word of truth.
V:29. " Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable
your servants to speak your word with great boldness."
A. This is a very
necessary prayer for any believer who openly confess Jesus as Lord
and Savior.
1. When you stand
for righteousness, folk who practice unrighteousness will attack
you.
2. We need the
strength of the Lord to boldly stand against the wise of the devil.
B. We cannot run this
Christian race by ourselves.
1. The Apostles
empowered by the Holy Spirit were able to stand against the
persecution of
their Jewish counterparts.
2. They boldly
professed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
3. At the same
time the Apostles preached the wrongful crucifixion of Jesus by the
Chief priests
and the Jewish leaders.
4. The Apostles
proclaimed Jesus knowing that they would die for their profession.
V:30. " Stretch out your hand to heal and perform
miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
A. The death of Jesus was not the end of miracles but the
promotion of miracles
by the Apostles
throughout Jerusalem and the world.
1. Miracles at the
hand of the Apostles was the drawing card that brought large
crowds to hear
the Word of God and to confess their faith in Jesus.
2. Peter preached
and 3000 were saved. He preach again and 5000 were saved.
Acts 2:40, 4:4
B. God stretched out His hand and drew men to Himself.
1. No one can come
to Jesus unless he is drawn by the Father.
2. I Stretch out my
hand to thee, no other help I know.
PRAYER WORKS
V:31. " After they prayed, the place where they were
meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the
word of God boldly."
A. After they
prayed.....
1. Prayer changes
things.
2. Prayer changes
our behavior.
3. Prayer is our
first line of communication with the Father.
4. Prayer keeps
us connected with God.
5. Prayer keeps
us focused on the Lord.
B. Prayer can shake
up the community.
1. They assembled
together and prayed and they were empowered by the
Holy Spirit.
2. Prayer draws
the power of God into our lives.
3. Prayer draws
the protection of God into our lives.
4. Prayer draws
the direction of God into our lives.
5. Prayer drives
fear out of our lives.
C. It is the power of
the Holy Spirit that enables us to stand boldly in the face of
the enemy and
proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior.
1. It is a Holy
Spirit filled life that produces the fruit of the harvest.
2. The harvest is
bringing folk out of the dark into the marvelous light.
3. It is a Holy
Spirit filled life that praises God and glorifies Him in all things.
4. It is a Holy
Spirit life that give God honor in mist of troubling situations.
DON'T BE SHY, PRAISE GOD
DON'T BE AFRAID, PRAISE GOD
BE BOLD, PRAISE GOD
BE THANKFUL, PRAISE GOD
PRAISE GOD JUST BECAUSE HE IS GOD
Rev M. Mitchell,
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
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