Acts 4-6

November 15

Acts 4-6

"But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”" (Acts 4:19-20, NIV)

 

The apostles and the early church faced persecution, floggings, imprisonment, and threats from political and religious leaders because of their devotion to Jesus as Lord. They preached the Word of God boldly as they were called before people who had convicted Jesus and had him crucified, but they did not back off of their message.

 

We are told; "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13, NIV) They were unschooled ordinary men who stood before the religious leaders with boldness and wisdom. It was obvious they did not receive this power or wisdom on their own. It was noted that these men had been with Jesus.

Do we focus our lives on obeying God or obeying people? Does peer pressure influence the way we act, what we say, and what we do more than the Word of God? Peter and John and the other followers of Jesus knew what they had seen and heard. They had been with Jesus and knew He was the promised Messiah, they knew He was the Son of God. They refused to change their story, even if it cost them their life.

People noticed the difference in their lives. They saw boldness and wisdom. They saw Peter who could not keep his foot out of his mouth before Pentecost, now boldly proclaiming the truth of the Gospel to any who would listen.

What is God calling us to do? At the end of Luke’s Gospel and the beginning of Acts Jesus tells the disciples they will be witnesses, in Matthew He tells them to go and make disciples. In Mark He tells them go into all the world and preach. In John, He says as the Father has sent me, I send you. God is calling all of us to tell our story about how Jesus came and died and rose on the third day and the effect His actions have had on our lives. As we spend time with Jesus in bible reading, devotions and prayer, people will notice a difference in our lives and note that we have been with Jesus.