Acts 4:23-33 - Overcoming our fear in telling the Good News
Acts 4:23-33 - Overcoming our fear in telling the Good News
By Pastor Lee Hemen
July 31, 2011 AM
Fear can be something that can control our lives. Fear can keep us from the joys that God has for us. One of the greatest joys of all is the ability to tell another person about our faith in Christ. Yet, fear may have kept us from it. Do you know what fear stands for? False Expectations Appearing Real! Think about it for a moment. What is the worst thing that could possibly happen when we share our faith? Does fear paralyze you from telling others about Christ? We can overcome our fears of telling others about Jesus.
Peter and John were threatened by very powerful men. They could have had them killed immediately for speaking about Jesus. However, they not only overcame their fear they also spoke boldly about their faith! How did they do it? Were they special? No. They knew some things that can help us this morning to overcome our fear of telling others about Jesus.
READ: Acts 4:23-33
Facing threats and commanded not to speak about Christ Luke tells us “On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.” Shouldn’t these men have had more sense than this? My Mama would have said that they “Didn’t have enough sense to pound sand down a rat hole!” Indeed, it doesn’t take much intelligence to pound sand down a flea-bitten rodent’s burrow! What did these men know that could possibly help us to be as “bold” in sharing our faith? Well, first they knew…
I. God is in-control of every situation! (Vv. 23-24)
1. God’s sovereign power is always mightier than our biggest fears!
1) Peter and John told their friends what God had done. When the other disciples heard this, “they raised their voices together in prayer to God.” They immediately recognized where their help came from. Like the Psalmist would ask and answer, “Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2 NIV) “Sovereign Lord,” they said. In doing so, the disciples were confirming that God was ruler of all things! In fact, God had “made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them!”
2) Nehemiah would declare, “You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you!” (Nehemiah 9:6 NIV) and Jeremiah would cry out, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” (Jeremiah 32:17 NIV)
3) Nehemiah understood because he had to go and ask a King, who viewed himself as a god, in order to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem! Jeremiah recognized that when no one else would listen to his words and witness, God was still there! The disciples realized an important fact for anyone who desires to share their faith without fear: God was, and is, in-control of every situation! He is in control of the outcome not us! We are to share only the good news!
EXAMPLE: There is an awful feeling that comes over you when you know that the brakes of your car do not work. Especially if you are doing about 40 miles an hour down a steep grade on a very curvy dirt road on a dark night! I remember vividly turning every shade of green when I put my foot on the brake pedal and it went “squish” to the floorboards! Dale, Denise’s brother, calmly asked me, “Is there something wrong?” Yes, just a tad. I no longer had control of the car’s ability to stop! In those kinds of situations, I don’t know about you, but I like to be in control! Yet there are times when we have to understand that we are no longer in control and that God is. The disciples understood this and knowing this to be true can help us to overcome our fear of sharing our faith.
Any coach will tell you that knowing your opponent is half the battle. This is why sports teams spend a lot of money scouting out the competition. In baseball, they keep track of how each batter hits, what pitches he is likely to miss, and where he hits the ball if the pitch is up, down, inside, or outside the strike zone. The same is true for telling others about Christ, not in throwing the right pitches, but in understanding what Peter and John realized. They knew that…
II. God’s plan includes opposition! (Vv. 25-28)
1. The fear of God can make us a hero or the fear of men can make us a coward!
1) The disciples asked, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot (meletao - revolve in the mind) in vain?” Indeed, they stated that even Herod and Pontius Pilate had conspired against Jesus. The answer to them was obvious as to why they acted so foolishly: “They did what Your (God’s) power and will had decided beforehand should happen!” God was not only in control but He knew that evil is always against godliness! Since the beginning, evil has set itself against God.
2) Jesus tried to teach His followers that “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19) Even King David had asked God, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.” David saw it as foolhardy. However, those opposed to God will always be in opposition to his will!
3) The things the world loves are the things that are here and now. It is literally the things of the “flesh.” Paul would say that it was Christians “who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3 NIV) There is no middle ground where Christ is concerned! We may think that we can escape notice by remaining neutral, by not sharing our faith, but God knows. Furthermore, when we do not share we are telling God that we fear the world more than we care for his cause! God already knows we will face opposition! In fact, God’s plan includes opposition!
EXAMPLE: Opposition can take many forms in life. From a tree that seems to appear out of nowhere while sledding down a hill to the bully down the street that decides to take a distinct dislike to you, your family, and your little dog too! Bad things happen when we live our lives. Yet when we declare our faith and trust in Christ, we now have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within us. As believers, we enjoy his seal. When we declare our faith, we immediately declare whose side we now stand on. We are born again. We are against sin and evil, and are for God and righteousness. There is no getting around the fact. There is no middle ground. You cannot compromise righteousness. Jesus said the opposition will find you if you decide to live for him. We can take comfort in knowing that God’s plan includes opposition.
Knowing God is in control and knowing the opposition helps with our confidence a lot. What about ourselves though? You know what I mean. We may wonder, “What if I am too chicken to say anything?” Knowing and doing are two different things, right? Well did you know that God has planned for that as well? The early disciples knew where their daring do came from! They knew that…
III. God gives us a boldness to share! (Vv. 29-33)
1. Courage isn’t the strength to go it on our own, rather it’s the sense to go and rely on God!
1) Who did the disciples go to when they needed help? The Lord! They said, “Now, Lord” (kurios - meaning Master) which meant they wanted God to consider the threats being lodged against them for his namesake because they were now his servants! They wanted to “speak” God’s Word “with great boldness” (parrhesia - publicly with frankness, bluntness)! Many of them did just that! Far too often, we fail in sharing our faith because we think others will think less of us if we do. Yet, I have discovered that folks respect a person who, like Paul who said, “Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12 NIV) Respect from others comes when they see what you truly believe!
2) Notice too, the disciples were not shy about it either. They asked God to “Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” They petitioned the Lord to manifest His power with supernatural force! Remember that when Jesus had earlier sent them out to minister, He reminded them to “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8 NIV) Our problem is we forget to ask Jesus to remind us of the power we already enjoy to share our faith!
3) We should never be shy in asking for God’s help in sharing our faith! Paul was never shy about asking God or others for boldness in his witnessing! He wrote, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel!” (Ephesians 6:19 NIV) The writer of Hebrews reminded his readers, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV) James would say, “You have not because you ask not!” (James 4:2-3 MKJV) God gives us a boldness to share!
EXAMPLE: There is a difference between boldness and foolishness. Boldness knows the bicycle will stay up when you pump hard and fast enough on the pedals. Foolishness is when you head for the nearest hill your first time on a bike without knowing how the brakes work! I know, because I received the bumps and bruises to prove it! In faith, boldness knows God has given each of us the ability and means to tell others about Christ. It’s ours for the asking! Foolishness is not sharing our faith, being afraid, and allowing others to die in their sins! God has given us the boldness to share!
CONCLUSION:
Did you notice what the final outcome was? “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly... With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” (vv. 31, 33) What many believers have forgotten is what an old preacher once said, “It is the pastor’s job to fill the pulpit and the member’s job to fill the church!” Why? He went on to say, “Because a church is no stronger than the fear that exists in the pew and no bigger than its visitation!” Yes, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. Then, they immediately began to speak the word of God boldly! We have seen for ourselves that God is in control of every situation. God’s plan includes opposition, and God gives us the boldness to share!
----
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2011 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
July 31, 2011 AM
Fear can be something that can control our lives. Fear can keep us from the joys that God has for us. One of the greatest joys of all is the ability to tell another person about our faith in Christ. Yet, fear may have kept us from it. Do you know what fear stands for? False Expectations Appearing Real! Think about it for a moment. What is the worst thing that could possibly happen when we share our faith? Does fear paralyze you from telling others about Christ? We can overcome our fears of telling others about Jesus.
Peter and John were threatened by very powerful men. They could have had them killed immediately for speaking about Jesus. However, they not only overcame their fear they also spoke boldly about their faith! How did they do it? Were they special? No. They knew some things that can help us this morning to overcome our fear of telling others about Jesus.
READ: Acts 4:23-33
Facing threats and commanded not to speak about Christ Luke tells us “On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.” Shouldn’t these men have had more sense than this? My Mama would have said that they “Didn’t have enough sense to pound sand down a rat hole!” Indeed, it doesn’t take much intelligence to pound sand down a flea-bitten rodent’s burrow! What did these men know that could possibly help us to be as “bold” in sharing our faith? Well, first they knew…
I. God is in-control of every situation! (Vv. 23-24)
1. God’s sovereign power is always mightier than our biggest fears!
1) Peter and John told their friends what God had done. When the other disciples heard this, “they raised their voices together in prayer to God.” They immediately recognized where their help came from. Like the Psalmist would ask and answer, “Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2 NIV) “Sovereign Lord,” they said. In doing so, the disciples were confirming that God was ruler of all things! In fact, God had “made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them!”
2) Nehemiah would declare, “You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you!” (Nehemiah 9:6 NIV) and Jeremiah would cry out, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” (Jeremiah 32:17 NIV)
3) Nehemiah understood because he had to go and ask a King, who viewed himself as a god, in order to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem! Jeremiah recognized that when no one else would listen to his words and witness, God was still there! The disciples realized an important fact for anyone who desires to share their faith without fear: God was, and is, in-control of every situation! He is in control of the outcome not us! We are to share only the good news!
EXAMPLE: There is an awful feeling that comes over you when you know that the brakes of your car do not work. Especially if you are doing about 40 miles an hour down a steep grade on a very curvy dirt road on a dark night! I remember vividly turning every shade of green when I put my foot on the brake pedal and it went “squish” to the floorboards! Dale, Denise’s brother, calmly asked me, “Is there something wrong?” Yes, just a tad. I no longer had control of the car’s ability to stop! In those kinds of situations, I don’t know about you, but I like to be in control! Yet there are times when we have to understand that we are no longer in control and that God is. The disciples understood this and knowing this to be true can help us to overcome our fear of sharing our faith.
Any coach will tell you that knowing your opponent is half the battle. This is why sports teams spend a lot of money scouting out the competition. In baseball, they keep track of how each batter hits, what pitches he is likely to miss, and where he hits the ball if the pitch is up, down, inside, or outside the strike zone. The same is true for telling others about Christ, not in throwing the right pitches, but in understanding what Peter and John realized. They knew that…
II. God’s plan includes opposition! (Vv. 25-28)
1. The fear of God can make us a hero or the fear of men can make us a coward!
1) The disciples asked, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot (meletao - revolve in the mind) in vain?” Indeed, they stated that even Herod and Pontius Pilate had conspired against Jesus. The answer to them was obvious as to why they acted so foolishly: “They did what Your (God’s) power and will had decided beforehand should happen!” God was not only in control but He knew that evil is always against godliness! Since the beginning, evil has set itself against God.
2) Jesus tried to teach His followers that “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19) Even King David had asked God, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.” David saw it as foolhardy. However, those opposed to God will always be in opposition to his will!
3) The things the world loves are the things that are here and now. It is literally the things of the “flesh.” Paul would say that it was Christians “who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3 NIV) There is no middle ground where Christ is concerned! We may think that we can escape notice by remaining neutral, by not sharing our faith, but God knows. Furthermore, when we do not share we are telling God that we fear the world more than we care for his cause! God already knows we will face opposition! In fact, God’s plan includes opposition!
EXAMPLE: Opposition can take many forms in life. From a tree that seems to appear out of nowhere while sledding down a hill to the bully down the street that decides to take a distinct dislike to you, your family, and your little dog too! Bad things happen when we live our lives. Yet when we declare our faith and trust in Christ, we now have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within us. As believers, we enjoy his seal. When we declare our faith, we immediately declare whose side we now stand on. We are born again. We are against sin and evil, and are for God and righteousness. There is no getting around the fact. There is no middle ground. You cannot compromise righteousness. Jesus said the opposition will find you if you decide to live for him. We can take comfort in knowing that God’s plan includes opposition.
Knowing God is in control and knowing the opposition helps with our confidence a lot. What about ourselves though? You know what I mean. We may wonder, “What if I am too chicken to say anything?” Knowing and doing are two different things, right? Well did you know that God has planned for that as well? The early disciples knew where their daring do came from! They knew that…
III. God gives us a boldness to share! (Vv. 29-33)
1. Courage isn’t the strength to go it on our own, rather it’s the sense to go and rely on God!
1) Who did the disciples go to when they needed help? The Lord! They said, “Now, Lord” (kurios - meaning Master) which meant they wanted God to consider the threats being lodged against them for his namesake because they were now his servants! They wanted to “speak” God’s Word “with great boldness” (parrhesia - publicly with frankness, bluntness)! Many of them did just that! Far too often, we fail in sharing our faith because we think others will think less of us if we do. Yet, I have discovered that folks respect a person who, like Paul who said, “Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12 NIV) Respect from others comes when they see what you truly believe!
2) Notice too, the disciples were not shy about it either. They asked God to “Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” They petitioned the Lord to manifest His power with supernatural force! Remember that when Jesus had earlier sent them out to minister, He reminded them to “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8 NIV) Our problem is we forget to ask Jesus to remind us of the power we already enjoy to share our faith!
3) We should never be shy in asking for God’s help in sharing our faith! Paul was never shy about asking God or others for boldness in his witnessing! He wrote, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel!” (Ephesians 6:19 NIV) The writer of Hebrews reminded his readers, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV) James would say, “You have not because you ask not!” (James 4:2-3 MKJV) God gives us a boldness to share!
EXAMPLE: There is a difference between boldness and foolishness. Boldness knows the bicycle will stay up when you pump hard and fast enough on the pedals. Foolishness is when you head for the nearest hill your first time on a bike without knowing how the brakes work! I know, because I received the bumps and bruises to prove it! In faith, boldness knows God has given each of us the ability and means to tell others about Christ. It’s ours for the asking! Foolishness is not sharing our faith, being afraid, and allowing others to die in their sins! God has given us the boldness to share!
CONCLUSION:
Did you notice what the final outcome was? “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly... With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” (vv. 31, 33) What many believers have forgotten is what an old preacher once said, “It is the pastor’s job to fill the pulpit and the member’s job to fill the church!” Why? He went on to say, “Because a church is no stronger than the fear that exists in the pew and no bigger than its visitation!” Yes, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. Then, they immediately began to speak the word of God boldly! We have seen for ourselves that God is in control of every situation. God’s plan includes opposition, and God gives us the boldness to share!
----
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2011 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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