Missions Paul

Acts 4:13

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

No high flying qualifications, no top-notch references, just very ordinary men. I am not sure what ordinary means. But they were ordinary. But they had been with Jesus and as a result they were courageous.

The first people to go to Jesus after his birth were not royalty, but shepherds. They were lower class citizens who often failed in fulfilling the duties that was expected of the Jew. However they came together to bow down and worship Jesus.

Often the Church wants stars not servants. It wants status to be high. Achieving is an overarching desire. But no matter how gifted, the aim is to have the most charismatic, the most popular, the loudest person on the stage. However, what the Church needs are people who have been with Jesus.

Have you been to Jesus today?

Acts 4:12
“Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

There is only 1 character in the Christmas story whose name means ‘saves’.
No one could save the people from Roman oppression.
No one could save the people from burdensome religious laws and duties.
Not one person could save.
Except Jesus.
It would be difficult perhaps to look at the Christ-child and see a Saviour. A baby does offer hope and a future but no one knows it’s true potential.
People still struggle to see the Saviour in this season.
How can this Jesus save me?
But just as in that first Christmas in order to see a Saviour one had to bow down and worship, in surrender and by faith to say, “I believe you are the Saviour, you are my Saviour.”
Nothing has changed. We still need to come that way.
The Saviour is still here. Faith has not gone from the story.

Acts 4:11

He is” ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’

He is.
He is Jesus.
He is Immanuel.
He is the king of the Jews.
He is great.
He is Son of the Most High.
He is Saviour.
Titles found in the Christmas story.
And today …
He is the stone which has become the capstone.
He is the all-important one.
He is what holds everything together.
He is the foundation.
He is everything that your life needs.
He is.

Acts 4:10

“then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”

This is not magic.
This is not some Greco-Roman deity.
This is not us calling on evil helper spirits.
This is not anything to do with us.
How does this man stand before you today?
It is because of Jesus.
Once crucified by you but now raised by God.

This is not some make believe story that the whole world celebrates.
Trimmings, lights, festivities and food, there is a reason for this.
The root of the activity of this time of the year is in the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, a week of evil and debauchery. (For those who would much rather change it to happy holidays and remove Christ from the season may have second thoughts if they knew that during Saturnalia much human sacrifice, rape and other wickedness was celebrated.)
But how does this man or this woman stand here today? The many thousands who are standing this Christmas having been healed, rescued and saved. How has that happened?
It is not because of the root of the activity but the root of the story that Christianity has chosen to celebrate at this time of the year.
They are standing because of Jesus.
A virgin birth. Which some disbelieve.
A sinless life. Which some disbelieve.
A sacrificial death. Which some disbelieve.
A resurrected ascension. Which some disbelieve.
A coming King. Which some disbelieve.
But that is why they can stand. That is why I am standing.
So turn on the lights, hang the decorations, put out the food and let us celebrate as we announce, “This man (or woman) stands before you today because of Jesus who man has always tried to get rid of but who has always failed!”

Acts 4:9

“If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed,”

There it is right in the middle of this verse, I haven’t seen it here before, an “act of kindness”.
I remember when pastoring my Church we would set aside a month for ‘random acts of kindness’ and it was so encouraging to see people who perhaps were previously shy in evangelism suddenly realise it is not hard to be a witness, just be kind.
Kindness is to step aside from your life to engage in another’s.
Kindness is to come down, not in a patronising way, but in a selfless manner.
Kindness is not to hold on to what you have but to empty yourself so that others can hold what they have never held.
Kindness is to move across the room, to leave the room, to walk across the street, to journey, crossing borders and cultures very different to your own.
Kindness is humility.
Kindness attracts the dirt and the mess of life.
Kindness is good news to the poor and a release to those who are held back.
Kindness opens eyes, lifts burdens off people and helps the cripple stand again.
Kindness can often be misunderstood and even criticised.
Kindness can be killed off but kindness will still keep coming back.
Kindness came and Kindness will come again.
The birth of Jesus, the Act of Kindness, nothing random about that.

Acts 4:8

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!”

The work of the Holy Spirit is often lost because of the sole focus on Pentecost in Acts 2.
Similarly the Holy Spirits presence in Christmas is often forgotten too.
Here’s a reminder, read each one slowly and listen:

To Zechariah (regarding his son John the Baptist, forerunner to Jesus): “he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.”

To Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you …”

Of Mary: “before Joseph and Mary came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.”

To Joseph: “what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit”
Elizabeth, on Mary’s visit: “and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit”

After Zechariah’s speech came back and John was born: “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied”

A righteous man in Jerusalem called Simeon: “the Holy Spirit was upon him”

At some point Simeon had a divine experience: “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

When Jesus was 8 days old: “Moved by the Spirit, Simeon went into the temple courts” (it was there he met Jesus, Mary and Joseph and praised God).

Today the Holy Spirit is still moving on people, revealing things to come, enabling prophetic words, doing what man cannot do.

And back to our verse today. The Holy Spirit is still filling our lives and enabling us to speak to those in greater authority than ourselves and even perhaps to people who intimidate us, to rulers and elders of people.
Come Holy Spirit.

Acts 4: 7

“They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

So they are brought into the centre of the room for their inquisition.
The most important question was trying to answer what or who was behind the healing of this crippled man. Was this natural healing? Divine or from the devil?
At the time as throughout the history of the Bible, names were very important. They did not just identify who the person was but expressed the very nature of that person and what they would be able to do.
The power of the person is in the name.
So if the name is removed then there will be no power.

“You are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”

There is power in the name of Jesus. Power to save.
Power to save from wrecked lives and sickness. Power to save from impossible situations. Power to raise the dead. Power to release the crippled lives.
Christmas is about a name, Jesus. In that name is the power for anything.

Acts 4:6

‘Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family.’

Annas the high priest: he had probably been appointed high priest by the ruler Quirinius. His name means ‘grace of God’.

Caiaphas, his name means ‘searcher’ and remarkably and unknowingly prophesied the death of Jesus as an act of God’s grace during the trial of Jesus.

John, his name means ‘loved’. Most probably the one who replaced Caiaphas as the next high priest.

Alexander: not much is known about him.
Other men: men of the household of the high priest.

These gathered in Jerusalem to discuss the claims that Jesus who they had seen crucified was apparently alive.
Jesus has always attracted discussion on who he is.

On this day the grace of God, the searcher, the loved and the unknowns gathered.

Dear Lord
May this Christmas see the ‘grace of God’ fall upon those who ‘seek’ because you ‘love’ the whole world even the ‘unknowns’ within it.

Acts 4:5

“The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.”

My favourite day of Christmas is always the day before the Day. Christmas Eve contains preparation and anticipation, excitement and relaxation. Some may balk at the last word, but it should! The carols and readings and above all the focus on why we are doing this, that is my favourite time, getting ready for the next day.

In our verse today, the day after a remarkable response to Peter’s message the religious leaders met together: It is true that tomorrow your enemy can gather. That can be your next day experience. But think again what your next day can also hold!

In your next day:

1. God will do what He said He will do.
Exodus 9: 5-6 The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” And the next day the Lord did it.

2. God always has provision for your tomorrow.
Numbers 11:32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp.

3. The presence of God in your life tomorrow determines the victory you shall have.
1 Samuel 5:3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place.

4. We are people of the next day. It is only tomorrow and then Jesus will come again!
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Acts 4:4

“But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.”

Not everyone who heard believed but many did.
In the first sermon Peter preached 3,000 believed, this has now grown to 5,000 not including women and young people.
Many will hear the Queens Christmas Day message, last year it was 7.8 million. They will hear but I am not sure how many will believe. A recent UK survey on the decline of Christianity predicts at the current rate then no one will be a Jesus believer by 2067.
Pope Francis last week said that this year Christmas would be a charade because no one understands peace in the world anymore.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.” That was the message and it still is.
Houses are already lit with bright flashing lights.
Work places are already having their parties to celebrate.
Schools and Churches are already acting out the story.
But have they got it? Do they believe the message?
Have we told them?
Will we be able to tell just one more person this year what Christmas means? Will we be able to speak the true message? It’s the only way to get more believers.

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