Acts 4:13
From time to time I will repost a blog. It can be a reminder to those of you who have read it and it can be a new truth to share with our new visitors. I pray that all will be challenged to live whole heartily for the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a wonderful thing for others to recognize about us, “That we’ve been with Jesus.” We often become more like that which we expose ourselves to. The more time we spend with the Lord Jesus the more our lives will reflect His life. The benefits will be many and it will be to His glory and it will in turn benefit those around us. The most ordinary man, woman, boy and girl will accomplish extraordinary things in and through Christ. We should have a white hot desire as we grow each day in Christ Jesus to make an impact on those around us. A Holy Ghost filled life will make the impact that God wants to work out in the lives of those He brings across our paths.
Peter and John were ordinary in the sense of how many measure the worth of those in society. They would not have come from the finest stock, neither would they have attended the finest school nor set at the feet of the greatest minds of their time. They were fisher men who worked with their hands, men whose brows would have been well acquainted with sweat and whose backs would have known the pangs of a long hard day. Yet there was boldness on display. There was spiritual weight to their words and these things were brought about by the fact that they had been with Jesus. I want us to give thought to what such a relationship with Christ gave to these men and what it will give us even today.
I. Boldness to stand your ground- (Acts 4:1-4) “And they spake unto the people, the priest, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard believed; and the number of men was about five thousand.” One will stand even in the face of opposition.
II. Boldness to speak the truth- (Acts 3:13-15) “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy one and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.” These words from Peter would have rained down upon the Jews like molten lava. Some would have felt conviction others would have been contentious. One will speak even in the face of opposition.
III. Boldness to share the gospel- (Acts 4:12) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” One will share even in the face of opposition.
I want to ask you to go over these scriptures and read how God worked in a powerful way through these ordinary men. God gave Peter the boldness to stand his ground and in doing so Peter spoke the truth and in speaking the truth he shared the Gospel. Don’t look to replicate the life of any other saint, desire to do those things God has for you to do and be who God has created you to be. Never let fear or doubt take away that which God wants to do through you. Dear believer, your life is not an ordinary life, it is not an accident. Each day is an opportunity to do that which God has called you to do. Seek His face, desire to do His will, be filled with the Holy Spirit and your desires will be God’s desires making it the best life that you could ever imagine.