I please the Lords to bless us
this evening as we continue our meditation in the Acts of the
Apostles and the fourth chapter. And this evening we read from
verse 13 to verse 23. And verse 13 continues the account
of Peter and John as they were speaking before the high priests
and other important individuals and they had come and they declared
what they were saying and now we read now, when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned
and ignorant men, they marveled and they took knowledge of them
that they had been with Jesus. Well it's a wonderful statement
and we can observe that Peter and John were very bold, especially
Peter, as he declared so clearly in the previous chapter, in whose strength that lame man
had been healed. It's interesting that there is
really quite an account about this lame man, a certain man
lame from his mother's womb. And the apostles, through the
work of the Holy Spirit, were able to heal him and that really
opened the avenue so then Peter could preach the Gospel, which
he did very faithfully and very honestly, And now we see there
was this gracious effect that these people, they saw the boldness
of Peter and John. They were unlearned and ignorant
men. They weren't scholars as such. Some of the apostles were,
but Peter was a fisherman. And we can see how the Lord used
him. how the Lord took those who were
virtually nothing and weakened themselves. The Lord made him
bold and made him strong. And we should not forget, of
course, that dear Peter had, of course, so sadly denied his
Lord and Master. But we see now, having been restored
from that situation, he was then bold to proclaim the great truths
of God, and sometimes that is true in our lives today, when
the Lord perhaps allows us to make mistakes, to fall, and to
do things which are not God-honouring, and then the Holy Spirit corrects
us and reminds us of the situation that we should have been in,
and how we haven't received that which we deserve for our sin,
the effect can be, just like it was with Peter here, to make
us bold in the things of God. And so, the outcome was that
these people, they perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, and they marveled. And the great issue was, and
they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. Now, it was through their conversation. Now physically, we of course
will not have been with Jesus in a physical sense, but it will
be a blessing if in a spiritual sense we have come and known
the blessing of the Lord and had something of fellowship with
him so that he is to us a very real saviour, a risen saviour,
a crucified saviour and he really means something to us and as
such we may then perhaps have been bold in declaring the Lord
Jesus Christ and blessed it will be if the effect has been to
perhaps people who may then question us Peter and John were being
questioned about their beliefs. We might be questioned about
our beliefs. And if we are to be faithful,
to be able to declare, as Peter was, and able to tell them so
clearly, as we considered last week, He said, if we this day
be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man by what
means he is made whole, be it known unto you all, and to all
the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth
this man stand here before you all whole. This is a stone which
was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the
corner. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name given under heaven,
given among men, whereby we must be saved." Very important words,
very succinctly put. and how these people understood
what they were being told and they realised and what they were
able to say that they took knowledge of them, that they had been of
Jesus. What a blessing that will be
if that testimony is spoken of us, not perhaps to us. You know, these were speaking
among themselves. If other people speak about the
things that we've been able to declare for the honour and glory
of God, and it's been very clear that we know the Lord Jesus Christ. So, we read on, and behold him,
the man which is healed, standing among them, they could say nothing
against it. That was a very clear evidence
that what had occurred was of God. It wasn't something which
was natural. It was above natural things.
It was by the Holy Spirit of God. And so, when they had commanded
them to go aside, out of the council, and they confirmed among
themselves, saying, what shall we do to these men? For indeed
a notable miracle has been done by them is manifest to all them
that dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it. Here we see the
people, the rulers, confessing they could not deny that which
had occurred. My friends, the Lord still does
great things today. He still works his great work
of grace in the conversion of sinners. And what a wonderful
thing that would be if there are those that come and say they
cannot deny that great work has been done, that change has occurred,
the evidence is there, but that it spread no further among the
people than a straightly thenceforth. Therefore, threaten them that
they speak henceforth to no man in this name Well, as James mentioned
in prayer, so far today, for the most part, we are free. I say the most part, we know
there have been those who've stood up and spoken and preached
the Gospel, and they've been arrested, and they've been charged
with doing those things against the law of the land. Thankfully,
those things have not been upheld, but we see the day and age in
which we live, the net gradually tightening upon us. The freedom
that we and our nation has enjoyed for centuries now, for honest,
we see it being eroded. It may be therefore that words
like this, which are written in that historical account, may
prove to have a sequence in a day and age in which we live. and
therefore we should remember such an account and be encouraged
by it because they called them and they commanded them not to
speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus well that is so
in other lands today it's not so thankfully yet in our nation
but it may be we see the gracious answer of Peter and John They
joined together here and they answered in unison and they said
unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken
unto you more than unto God, judge ye. Well, it was quite
clear, wasn't it? They were concerned to do that
which was in the sight of God. I know that you and I today and
in the days ahead may be always concerned to do that which is
right in the sight of God. And so, they were blessed with
this strength and confidence to be able to declare this truth. And they go on to say, for we
cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Well, by God's grace, as we may
have seen and heard the great truths of the Gospel, seen them
and observed them, to the preaching of the word, read them in the
word of God, experience them in our own heart, so that we
cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard. So, when
they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing
how they might punish them, because of the people, for all men glorified
God, for that which was done. For the man was above 40 years
old on whom this miracle of healing was shown. He wasn't a young
person, he'd been lying there and people had observed him for
all those years and now there was this amazing change, amazing
miracle which occurred in his life and they couldn't deny it.
And therefore, Peter and John were able to confirm the reason
for his healing was through Jesus of Nazareth. And then we read
this final verse. And being let go, they went to
their own company. It's a lovely statement, isn't
it? You see the disciples let go. They didn't say, Let's go and
enjoy ourselves now, we're free and we can, you know, have a
little rest." No, what did they do? They went to their own company. They went to the people of God.
They wanted to be with them. They wanted to tell them the
things which had occurred, how they'd been able to declare the
truth of God, to preach the gospel, and how It had been effective
in how they'd stood before these high priests and those learned
people, and they had let them go. The Lord had been with them. The Lord had influenced those
people. They'd let them go. And now,
being let go, they went to their own company and reported all
the chief priests and elders had said unto them. What a time
of rejoicing it was to realise how faithful the Lord had been. My friends, today we still have
a faithful God. A God who still stands by His
people as they declare His word and His truth. And may we know
it in our own lives and be able to praise and thank God for it
and remember being let go, they went to their own company. Amen.