Acts 4 verses 1 to 12

Initially in order to understand today’s passage from Acts we need to recap on what’s just happened in the previous chapter.

Peter and John – on their way to the temple in Jerusalem meet a beggar – a man lame from birth. Peter says to him; “I have no silver or gold but what I have I give you - in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”

The man is completely healed and everyone comes running up to them in amazement. Peter explains to the crowd who has gathered that this man has been healed by faith in the name of Jesus.

He tells the crowd that they rejected and crucified the author of life but that God has raised him from the dead.

He tells them that although they didn’t realise what they were doing they must repent and turn to God so that their sins can be washed away and so that times of refreshing may come.

The priests and temple officials see the commotion and excitement and are annoyed to find Peter and John urging the people to believe in Jesus – and this is where today’s reading picks up from.

So what can we learn from this passage?

Firstly I think we need to take a step back and see the bigger picture of what is occurring in the book of Acts.

Acts is fundamentally about Holy Spirit inspired and empowered Christian living. The book of Acts demonstrates and recounts how the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Jesus - can work through Christians who live and walk in obedience to God.

So what we need to appreciate is that the type of things we read about in Acts and see God doing through the first apostles and disciples – He can also do through us - if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ – and are relying on his Holy Spirit to lead and empower us.

Just before today’s reading from Acts Peter makes it very clear to the crowd who gathered following the healing of the crippled man - that he doesn’t have the power himself to heal anyone but that the man has been healed by faith in the name of Jesus.

He says “why do you wonder at this or why do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk.”

We need to realise that the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Jesus which is living in Peter - is exactly the same as the Holy Spirit living in you and me. And He is the one who has the power to heal people and to touch their lives. Our part is to be open to his prompting and obedient to where he leads us.

More often than not He will prompt us to do seemingly small things – but when we obey his prompting – as we see in Acts – people’s lives can touched by God.

The writer to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever – so those things we see Jesus do in the book of Acts – he still does today where people have the faith in his name to receive it.

So I think the first thing for us to pick up from this passage and indeed the whole book of Acts, is that if we have the Spirit of Jesus living in us and are seeking to live in obedience to him – He can work through us – sometimes even in miraculous ways - if we are prepared to step out in faith.

You might be sitting here this morning thinking - not me – there’s no way God could work through me like that – but if you’re a Christian – that is completely untrue.

God can work through the shyest and seemingly most inconspicuous of his children if they obey the prompting of His Spirit.

Some of you will have heard of Jennifer Rees Larcombe who was completely healed from her life in a wheelchair by Jesus. She’s written an excellent book called Unexpected Healing which is a down to earth account of her sickness and eventual healing.

Well God chose a young lady called Wendy who was in her twenties and who hadn’t been a Christian very long and who had very low self esteem to impart the healing He wanted to give.

Wendy was so nervous about praying for Jennifer and her lack of Christian experience and knowledge that she tried to find someone else to pray for her.

Eventually she agreed to lay hands on Jenny and pray for her and God worked an amazing miracle through her. In fact Jennifer’s healing was so complete that even the muscles in her legs which had wasted away through years of inactivity – were completely restored.

You see - we of ourselves have absolutely no power to heal anyone let alone do any miracles. God is the healer and miracle worker but He chooses to work through human hands and bodies – those who believe in the risen Lord Jesus.

So firstly this morning I think that God wants us to realise that what we’re reading over the coming weeks in the book of Acts isn’t as far removed from our own circumstances today as we might at first think.

Of course we do need to be living in a close relationship with Him and seeking to serve Him in our lives but if we are doing this we musn’t limit what He may choose to do through us through unbelief or false modesty.

So over the next few weeks as we look at the book of Acts and see the range of things that God does - realise that it is Jesus at work in his church working through believers just like you and me – and Jesus hasn’t changed – and neither has his power or his gospel.

On occasion there may be dramatic healings – but more often the Holy Spirit will prompt us to do seemingly small things – perhaps to give someone a phone call or to offer to help someone or to offer someone some words of encouragement – and these loving gestures can be very significant in people’s lives.

The next thing that strikes me about this passage is that immediately following this miracle Peter tells the crowd about Jesus – and many people come to believe.

In verse 4 of today’s reading we’re told that in the short time since Pentecost around five thousand people already have come to believe in Jesus.

So what we see in today’s passage and indeed throughout the book of Acts is God at work confirming the truth of the gospel that is being preached by healing and delivering people from the powers of darkness.

Nowadays in a lot of churches in the West we preach the gospel but we have perhaps lost to some degree the expectation for God to heal and deliver us – sometimes even in miraculous ways.

Our scientific reason and widespread scepticism about miracles or healings happening today probably limit what God is able to do among us.

However the pattern we see in Jesus own ministry, the pattern we see when he sent out his disciples to heal the sick and to preach the good news and the pattern we see in Acts - is of a God who doesn’t just want to save people’s souls but who also wants to heal and deliver people from the powers of darkness.

The proclamation of the gospel and the expectation to see God touching people’s lives go hand in hand.

So what does this mean for us? – Well the gospel is preached here at Brenchley so we too should be looking for God to touch our lives with his power to bless and to heal and to deliver us.

Obviously we have prayer for healing once a month at the communion rail and this is a very useful opportunity for God to be able to touch our lives.

I’d urge you to take advantage of this opportunity as many of you already do – but let the book of Acts increase your own faith and expectation for what God can do in your life and the lives of those you love.

And do feel free to ask either myself or Campbell or indeed any Christian person you trust and feel comfortable with to pray for you or a loved one if you have a need. You don’t have to wait for the fourth sunday in the month.

Of course we can never predict what God will do and we can’t promise that He will answer your prayer in the way you may want Him to - but I believe He wants to touch your life – whoever you are – to bless you or a loved one in some way.

And please – if God does touch your life in some way – do share what He has done for you with others. If you fel confident enough why not come up to the front on a sunday morning and share your experience. It’s a great encouragement for others to hear of these things.

And if you’re a Christian who’d like to see God working through you more to reach out to bless and help those around you - do come for prayer and ask God to fill you with His Spirit and empower you.

Whatever your request come to God because He loves you and wants to pour good things into your life and the lives of those you love.

So returning to today’s passage we see a man who has been healed, the gospel preached, and then of course opposition comes.

The priests the captain of the temple and the Sadducees we are told in verses 1 and 2 are much annoyed, so they arrest Peter and John and put them in prison.

And this unfortunately is also an inevitable part of preaching the gospel. Some people won’t like what we’re saying and will be annoyed and may even try to silence us.

Fortunately in this country we are unlikely to be put in prison, although increasingly Christians here are finding themselves in trouble for sharing their faith or beliefs or even for offering to pray for someone.

The good news for us is that although others may oppose us God will be on our side working for our good in the situation we face.

And if we are called to account for our faith He will give us the courage and words to speak in our defence.

I find it quite sad that the religious leaders still fail to recognise that Jesus is risen and at work and are blind to the evidence that is staring them in the face.

They have seen numerous convincing proofs that Jesus is the Messiah but they prefer to hold onto darkness and spiritual blindness and sadly some people can be the same today.

They’ve heard the gospel preached and the testimony of others but they don’t want to come to Jesus to receive the fullness of life and forgiveness he offers.

But as Peter makes clear at the end of today’s reading this is an extremely unwise thing to do. He says “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the only one who has died for you and for me - and who has offered his perfect life to God to atone for the sins of mankind.

As Isaiah says, “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; and the punishment that brought us peace was on him.”

He bore our sins in his body on the cross. Every sin that you and I have ever committed or will ever commit was put onto Jesus on the cross and he has paid the penalty for them on the cross – so that we can be forgiven and put right with God.

Notice in verse 12 that Peter says “there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

In other words it is essential that we are saved – because if we reject Jesus – we reject the only one who can put us right with God - and then one day we will have to face the consequences of our sin and rebellion against God on our own – with no one to save us.

I’ll conclude by using Peter’s words from Acts Chapter 3 – “repent therefore and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”

In the name of the living God. Amen.