October 24, 2025 • 52 mins
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I need you to lean in for just a moment, because we’re standing on holy ground today. The Book says—in Acts, Chapter 4, verses 10 and 11—that this Jesus, whom you crucified, God raised up! And He is the stone that the builders rejected—but hallelujah! —He became the chief cornerstone!
They looked at Him and saw no value. They tossed Him aside like rubble on the job site. But what the world threw away, heaven anointed! What the council condemned, God crowned! Isn’t it just like our God to turn a rejected stone into the Rock of Ages?
Now Peter and John—oh, those brothers weren’t soft. They didn’t tremble or shuffle their feet. No! They stood toe-to-toe with power, unshaken, unapologetic, and on fire with the Holy Ghost. They opened their mouths and declared Jesus Christ—the Risen One—as the only name by which we must be saved.
That’s the kind of witness we need today! Not timid saints hiding in shadows, but bold believers walking in daylight! We don’t need more opinions; we need conviction. We don’t need more platforms; we need power.
So, I’ve got one question for you, church: Will you stand on the Stone that the world rejected? Because that Stone is now the foundation. And if you're going to build your life, build it on Christ—solid, unmovable, eternal!
Each month, Elder Tolliver offers a spiritually encouraging book to help you in your walk with Christ for any size donation. Please go to biblicaltalks.com website to take advantage of this opportunity.
Have a blessed day, and thanks for listening! Visit my website to learn more at https://www.biblicaltalks.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Biblical Talks.
Sermon of the Week.
Saints, I need you to lean infor just a moment, because we're
standing on holy ground today.
The book of Acts says inchapter 4, verse 10 and 11 says
this that Jesus, whom youcrucified, god raised up, and he
(00:22):
is the stone that the buildersrejected Hallelujah.
But he became the chiefcornerstone.
They looked at him and saw novalue.
They tossed him aside likerubber on the job site.
(00:42):
But what the world threw away,having anointedointed, what the
councils condemned, god crowned.
And that's just like our God.
That's how he works To turn arejected stone into the rock of
ages.
Now, in the book of Acts, peterand John, let's understand
something those brothers werenot soft.
(01:03):
They didn't tremble or shuffletheir feet.
They went toe to toe with power, unshaken, unapologetic and on
fire with the Holy Ghost.
They opened their mouth anddeclared Jesus Christ the risen
one as the only name by which wemust be saved.
(01:23):
That's the kind of witness weneed today, not timid saints
hiding in the shadows, but boldbelievers walking in the
daylight.
We don't need more opinions, weneed conviction.
We don't need more platforms,we need power.
So I got one question for thechurch of Jesus Christ.
(01:49):
Today Will you stand on thestone that the world rejected?
Because the stone is now thefoundation and if you're going
to build your life, build it onChrist Solid, unremovable,
eternal.
Today we have Pastor KevinSmith preaching a sermon called
(02:11):
Wanted, courageous Christian Men.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Acts, chapter 4, verses 5 through 13,.
Then we'll jump down to verses19 and 20.
Acts, chapter 4, beginning atverse 5.
On the next day, their rulersand elders and scribes gathered
together in Jerusalem with Annas, the high priest, and Caiaphas
and John and Alexander and allwho were of the high priest
(02:40):
family.
When they had set them in themist, they inquired by what
power or by what name do you dothis?
Then Peter, filled with theHoly Spirit, said to them,
rulers of the people and elders,if we have been examined today
(03:01):
concerning a good deed done to acrippled man, by what means
this man has been healed?
Let it be known to all of youand to all the people of Israel
that, by the name of JesusChrist of Nazareth, whom you
crucified, whom God raised fromthe dead, by him, this man is
standing before you.
Well, this Jesus Is the stonethat was rejected by you, the
(03:25):
builders, which has become thecornerstone, and there is
salvation in no one else, forthere is no other name under
heaven given among men by whichwe must be saved.
Now, when they saw the boldnessof Peter and John and perceived
that they were uneducated,common men, they were astonished
(03:49):
and they recognized that theyhad been with Jesus.
Wow, verse 19.
They're threatened, verse 18,.
First of all.
So they call them in charge ofnot to speak or teach at all in
the name of Jesus.
Now, verse 19.
But Peter and John answeredthem.
Whether it is right in thesight of God to listen to you
(04:13):
rather than to God, you mustjudge, for we cannot but speak
of what we have seen and heardthe word of the Lord.
Please be seated.
Thank you, praise team.
(04:34):
Once again, beautiful music.
I'm going to give you a bunch ofscenarios, brothers.
A bunch of scenarios, brothers,a bunch of scenarios.
People are talking about theseexciting things they did over
the weekend at work.
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They look at you.
What do you say?
Do you tell them about how Godblessed you at church?
You're a teenage, young man.
You're with your friends whoare talking about their
non-biblical sexual ideas andconquests.
They look at you.
(05:15):
What do you say?
Do you tell them what the Biblesays or do you make up your own
stories?
Or, even worse, do youparticipate?
You're a husband and father andyou sense God is giving you the
opportunity to start your ownbusiness or take another job,
(05:37):
but it's risky.
What do you do?
What do you do?
What do you do?
What do you do?
Again, husbands and fathers,god wants you to lead your
family spiritually.
Do you abdicate to your wifebecause she knows the Bible
(05:59):
better than you?
How about this?
You see someone or someone'sbeing mistreated at school, at
work or even in our city.
You're right there, you'reseeing it.
Do you look the other way or doyou seek to protect and defend
them?
How about this one?
I'm trying to find you.
I'm just looking.
I don't know.
(06:23):
Maybe you're teaching a Sundayschool class or leading a Bible
study and you realize the textyou are sharing will speak to
the sin of a person or personsin that group.
Do you skip it?
Gloss over it, because theywill, or others will say you're
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targeting them.
Welcome to my world.
By the way, to follow Jesustakes courage.
It's risky, but there is nocourage without fear.
Fear of loss is human, yet thegospel is meant to produce
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courageous Christian men.
God doesn't expect us to makeourselves courageous, but he
calls us to trust in him.
Courage comes by faith in theLord, not in ourselves or our
natural abilities, and so I sayto you today that such men are
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greatly needed and wanted.
Now, where are we in this text.
You're familiar with thispassage so I'm not going to be
able to point too much.
But you know, pentecost hashappened way back in chapter 2.
The Spirit is poured out on thechurch in Jerusalem where Jesus
was crucified, and now theapostles Peter and John are
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being called on the carpet,having been used by Christ to
heal a man who had been unableto walk since birth for 40 years
.
They are arrested.
They are put in jail until thenext day, because the arrest
took place, I assume, late inthe day and maybe the court
officials had all gone home fordinner.
(08:18):
So now it's morning and he mustgive an accounting.
First of all, faith producescourageous men who can stand
when opposed.
Verses 5 through 7.
If you have it in front of you,look down and look at it, and I
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want you to notice, as you lookdown at the text, notice the
list of the officers of thecourt before whom the apostles
must give testimony.
It's an impressive, impressivelist, isn't it?
I mean, think about it.
I mean I'm not going to gothrough all who they are, but
you get the idea here that yougot Annas, the high priest,
caiaphas, who was the formerhigh priest, john and Alexander,
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who were evidently influential.
John and Alexander, who wereevidently influential, the high
priest's family, so I guess theybrought his wife and extended
family members.
You've got to remember the guardwho brought them in, who
arrested them, was probablythere as well, and so they're
surrounded.
(09:21):
They're surrounded by thiscourt of Jewish officials and
they must give testimony.
Remember, jesus' crucifixionwas likely only a month and a
half past at this point.
So these are the officials thatkilled him.
These are likely members of theSanhedrin, which is the 70.
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So you get the impression herethat this is not a small group
of people.
This is a large crowd of peoplesurrounding these two men.
This is Jewish religious andgovernmental power at its apex,
and none of them are happy.
In their mind, though, theyhold all the cards, they are the
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authority here.
They flex their muscles alittle bit by having them
arrested.
Now they are coming in for thekill, to crush this movement,
this Jesus moment movement.
Right now.
They asked the big question inverse seven.
This is the big question herein this text by what power or by
(10:27):
what name did you do this?
That is the question.
Two things I want you to notice, brothers, about this question.
First of all, they are notconcerned with the good work of
healing that was done, eventhough it was a miracle.
They're not concerned with that.
You see, brother, you've got tounderstand all the good deeds
that was done, even though itwas a miracle, they're not
concerned with that.
You see, probably you canunderstand all the good deeds
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that you do.
If you dig wells in Africa, ifyou feed the homeless, if you
provide jobs for guys coming outof prison, if you give blankets
, if you try to reform thecriminal justice system, all the
good that you do listen, therewill be some in the world who
will pat you on the back for it.
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There may be many.
Your good works, man.
People will go.
Thank you so much.
Is that enough?
(11:29):
We're told throughout the NewTestament that we're to do good
works.
Let me give you one of myfavorite passages Titus 2.14.
Speaking of Jesus, who gavehimself for us, to redeem us
from all lawlessness and topurify for himself a people for
his own possession, who are notethat big word zealous for good
works.
Zeal speaks of a burning desireor burning passion.
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And the grace of God listen,brothers, the grace of God in
the gospel that attaches you toJesus, attaches you to Jesus,
should move in us.
Is that motivating force thatmakes us want to do good?
We have a, don't you A burningdesire To be used by God To do
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good, not just random acts ofgoodness, but planned acts of
goodness.
I hope that's you, but is thatall?
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Second thing I want you tonotice then that was number one.
They weren't concerned about thegood work.
They were more concerned withhow and why they did the good
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work.
That was the issue for them,brothers, what power or by whose
power and under whose authorityname did you do this?
Now, here's the ticket here.
They already knew that theapostles did this in the name of
Jesus.
They already knew.
That's why they were arrested.
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Chapter 3, go back and read it.
They already knew.
So why ask the question?
See, brothers, they hope anight in jail would have cooled
their zeal for Jesus.
They were trying to ice them.
You know about that rightfootball I mean american
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football if you're watching myfamily from england real
football, when, a, when, a, whena team gets close to the
somewhere close to the goal line, maybe 35 yards out, and it's
fourth down.
They know they can't get thefirst down, so they call in the
kicker.
Kicker comes in, he's got's gotabout a.
You got to add a few yards.
(14:07):
He's got about a 40-yarder.
But that's kind of a chip shotfor today's pro kicker.
He can do that in his sleepalmost.
So he left.
So the team lines up and justbefore the ball is hiked, the
other team calls timeout.
I mean, they're all lined upand ready to go.
The kicker's there, he'sfocused, he's doing this back
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and forth, he's ready to go andthey go timeout.
Then the kicker has to dosomething.
He goes to the sidelines.
Sometimes he's over there doingthis, you know, stretching,
trying to stay warm.
(14:47):
Right, they're icing him.
See, what they're doing isthey're hoping that that
distraction and that stallingwill cause him to lose focus,
will cause him to think too longabout what he's going to do.
So when he gets out there, heflubs it.
That's what's happening here.
They're icing the apostles andit's an intimidation tactic.
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They're hoping now they wouldbe too afraid to speak for Jesus
.
They just spent the night injail thinking about what could
happen to them and they'rethinking that, oh gosh, now we
got to.
So let's ask him again by whosename?
Now, brothers, this is thenature of government or
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corporate power.
Today, you can be Christiansprivately or even in church, but
don't bring it into thecommunity.
Don't bring it into theworkplace and certainly don't
bring it into the community.
Don't bring it into theworkplace and certainly don't
bring it into the government.
This is more and more ourAmerican culture, isn't it?
Sliding that way more and more.
(15:54):
Dr Boyce said it it may come atime when preaching the gospel
is seen as a hate crime.
Doing good is not the problem.
And, by the way, who determineswhat is good?
Right, that's for us.
We know.
No one gets angry if you feedthe homeless, but when you say
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you did it in the name of Jesus,that's a different ballgame.
Right, when you say it's forJesus' sake.
When they say, why are you here?
I'm here with my company, we'redoing this charitable work, but
(16:39):
mostly I'm here because I'm adisciple of Jesus Christ and he
calls us to kindness to those inneed.
Now it becomes an issue.
Now it becomes an issue, andeven that may be a little easy,
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just a little.
But what if you're in a placewhere Christ is not welcome and
you're doing good?
I'm talking about in America.
Now you know the bland blandthe freedom of religion.
What do you say?
I love what they said inchapter three.
(17:25):
After they healed the man, thepeople gathered around them.
In verse 16 they said said, howdid you?
They're looking at?
Peter says why are you lookingat us?
Is this by some virtue in us?
This man has been healed, hesaid.
And it is his name.
By faith in his name, jesus,this man has been made strong,
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whom you see and know.
And the faith that is throughJesus has given this man this
perfect health in the presenceof you all.
Listen to that.
By faith in Jesus, by faith inhis name, that's what gives us
courage, brothers.
It's faith in his name, notyour name, not my name.
I'm from New City Church.
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Who cares?
I want to New City Church.
Who cares?
I want to know too, and whosename did you do it?
Courage comes because we knowfaith in his name produces works
, and even sometimes miraculousworks.
We know, brothers, don't?
(18:31):
We know that God responds tofaith.
He responds to those who trustin him, who value him above all
things, and trust in him.
Something about faith justmoves our God's heart.
We say he.
We're saying when you say youhave faith in God, you're saying
he's great, you're saying he'sable.
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You're saying he's able, you'resaying you trust him.
Hebrews 11, 6.
And without faith, it isimpossible to please him.
For whoever would draw near toGod must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those whoseek him.
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We draw near to God throughfaith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
through faith in the work ofChrist for us, not because we're
good, but because he's good.
We draw near to God throughfaith in him and in that same
moment, we know that he rewardsthose who seek him.
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That gives courage.
God rewards seeking faith.
Do you know that, brothers?
So take heart.
Even in the face of opposition,speak the truth.
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Second, faith producescourageous spirit.
This is the key statement, akey statement in this passage.
It's verse 8.
Then Peter, filled with theSpirit, said wow, some of us are
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naturally outspoken, even whenwe shouldn't speak about the
things we're speaking about.
Some of us are more introvertedand we will not normally
volunteer any information aboutanything.
Some of us arenon-confrontational.
But see, those are all naturaltemperament issues.
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What we have here is notnatural, it's supernatural.
It's the Spirit of God at work.
Brothers, don't look at Peter.
Look at what the Spirit isdoing.
Look at what Christ is doingthrough them.
This is what this is about.
It's acts of the Holy Spirit.
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It's acts of Jesus Christ,small acts of the apostles,
romans 8-9.
Just in case you're not sureabout this, brothers Romans 8, 9
, you, whoever, are not in theflesh but in the Spirit, if, in
fact, the Spirit of God dwellsin you, watch this.
Anyone who does not have theSpirit of Christ does not belong
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to him.
If you are a Christian, if youare a disciple of Jesus,
brothers, believe it.
You have the Spirit.
The Spirit is in you and youare in Christ, meaning you are
able to grow in your ability tobe ruled by the Spirit rather
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than your sinful, selfishdesires of your flesh.
You are able.
You have what you need In youfor God to change you.
Do you believe that?
Do you believe that the Spiritof God can override your
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temperament?
Or are you using yourtemperament as an excuse?
I can't witness because I'mintroverted.
Who cares?
You are in Christ.
The Spirit of God is in you.
Never surrender to yourtemperament, never make excuses,
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but that's how my family was orhow my daddy was.
Who cares?
You are in Christ.
You are a new creation.
That's what I care about andyou should too.
I'm perfect.
Example Example number one Ihate public speaking.
At Temple University I almostfailed public speaking Because I
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got froze up, I got iced.
I froze up in front of people.
I hate speaking in front ofpeople, but put this in my hand
and the Spirit of God takes over.
I'm not.
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I'm still nervous, but I'm notscared.
Don't, let, don't, don't, don't.
Surrender to how you think youare.
Be what God has made you Now.
Now listen.
What does it mean?
Peter was filled with theSpirit.
We already saw in Acts, chapter2, that he'd been given the
Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
So what does it mean?
That he was filled?
What is this?
Well, the filling of the Spiritmeans the Spirit, when needed,
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gives his people extra abilityto speak or do for Christ and
his kingdom as we depend on him.
I've experienced I'm not tryingto make myself the example,
please.
I'm just trying to giveexamples, please.
I'm messed up too.
I'll tell you the truth.
How many times I step into thispulpit and I've been sick, I
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mean just feeling, or justdepressed down, beat down, can't
even sing from the pew there,how many times.
And then I step up here and theSpirit comes.
How many times?
And then I step up here and theSpirit comes.
Maybe you don't know it, but Iknow it.
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I hope you know it.
I hope it's obvious.
That's not just me, that's you.
His Spirit will fill you forthe task that God lays before
you.
I can't do it.
Okay, maybe you can, but I knowwho can.
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Peter, who denied the Lord whenfaced with public pressure, is
now unable to speak before thevery powers that had crucified
the Lord.
You don't think that's God thathad crucified the Lord.
You don't think that's God.
You don't think that's the Lordstanding up in him.
There's no way.
Was he scared?
I'm sure his heart was thumping, but courage is not the absence
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of fear.
Courage is not giving in to thefear.
Joe Rigney in his book Couragehow the gospel Creates Christian
Fortitude this won't be on thescreen, he says.
Courage always appears in theface of real danger.
No fear, no courage.
It's when you're scared.
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It's when you're scared of loss.
You're scared of embarrassment.
This is America.
They probably won't kill us,right, probably won't kill us,
but they'll make you feel bad.
They'll make you feel stupid.
They'll deny you that promotion.
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You may even lose your job.
Fear is real and so is courage,and so is courage when we
prayerfully, by faith, livinglives to honor Jesus by
following his word.
We are in the place where hisspirit can fill us when we need
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him.
Did you hear what I just said?
Let me back up and say it againwe are prayerfully, by faith,
living lives to honor Jesus.
Yes, we fail, but we're livinglives.
That's our goal.
Living lives to honor Jesus,following his word.
That means we're in the word,in that place of humility and
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service and being available toGod.
We are in the place where hisspirit can fill us when we need
him.
He isn't likely to fill you ifyou're keeping him like this.
I mean he can I don't know, theLord knows, but I'm just trying
to tell you that's not thelikely place you need to be if
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you want to be filled by theSpirit.
To be filled by the Spirit is tobe submitted to the Lord and
saying this is me, here I am,take me and use me for your
glory.
Every day, do you get?
I want to challenge you withall my heart that every day you
wake up, say to the Lord I'myours, do with me what you will.
My tongue, my hands, my feet,I'm yours.
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I hope you'll pray that,because if you don't, brothers,
so often we just get in.
We, you know, we got that brainright Work, focus, focus, focus
.
If the first focus is Jesus, ithelps us.
It helps us all right.
If the first focus is Lord.
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Thank you for another day.
Allow me, will you use me today?
Because that's what it's about,right.
We're Christians.
It's about him.
It's about being at hisdisposal're Christians.
It's about him, about being athis disposal every day.
It's about getting glory to him.
It's about walking worthy ofthe name of Christ, as Paul
tells us in Ephesians, chapter 4.
That's what it's about, right.
That's what makes us tick toglorify the name.
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It's not a walk of perfection.
The apostles had moments offailure too.
Notice what happened to pauland barnabas.
They split up.
Notice what happened as peterconfronts paul.
I mean paul confronts peter.
You know all these thingshappened.
The apostles were not perfectmen, but they were at the lord's
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disposal here.
They were at the Spirit'sdisposal and they're standing
before these people and theSpirit comes with power to fill
them to speak.
He speaks with courage becausehe trusted in the name of Jesus.
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Notice what happens when theyreturn to the church to tell
them what happened.
I told you to keep your fingerin that chapter.
I hope you got it before you.
Here's what happens they leavehere and they go back to the
church.
I'm jumping ahead.
I want you to know this.
They go back to the church andthey tell them what happened.
This is down in the samechapter, beginning in verse 23.
(29:29):
I'll just read a couple verses.
When they were released, theywent to their friends and
reported what the chief priestsand elders had said to them.
When they heard it that's thewhole group they lifted their
voices together to God and saidsovereign Lord, who made the
heaven and the earth and the seaand everything in them.
I'm not going to read all therest of that, but you read it
for yourself.
They go to prayer.
Why?
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Because they're scared.
They go to prayer and noticewhat they start with God is in
control.
Brothers, when you're scared,when the fear grabs you, when
you're afraid and you're nervousabout standing for Jesus in
some way and you're tremblingbecause you know there might be
loss, listen, the Spirit willfill you as you cry out for help
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.
I like to say it like this Lord, send reinforcements.
Now notice if you were to dropdown to verse 29 to 31,.
Here's how they finished theprayer.
And now, lord, look upon theirthreats and grant to your
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servants to continue to speakyour word with all boldness,
while you stretch out your handto heal, and signs and wonders
are performed through the nameof your holy servant, jesus.
And when they prayed, the placein which they were gathered
together was shaken and theywere all watch this, all filled
with the Holy Spirit, andcontinue to speak the word of
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God with boldness.
It's right there.
I need this, you need this.
Fellas.
Fellas, will you start prayingtoday?
Don't miss, if you can help it,pray every day.
Lord, fill me with your spiritfor your purposes that I may
(31:23):
speak forth and live forth theglory of Jesus standing upon the
gospel and his truth.
I gotta ask you a question theglory of Jesus standing upon the
gospel and his truth.
I got to ask you a question Areyou at the Lord's disposal?
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Third, faith produces courageousmen who are faithful to the
gospel.
I mean, maybe that goes withoutsaying here, but I got to point
it out.
I mean it's beautiful.
Verses 8 through 12 here Peterstands up, he's filled and he
begins to speak.
Listen, bro.
Before the gospel is bad,before the gospel is good news,
it's bad news.
You have to grasp the bad newsif you're truly going to be
(32:06):
overwhelmed by the good news ofthe gospel that's redundant, I
know.
To be overwhelmed by the goodnews of the gospel, that's
redundant, I know.
See, you can start by tellingpeople that God loves them, no
problem.
But if you never get to whythat is strange if you never get
to the fact that they don'tdeserve it, if you never get to
(32:29):
the point in saying divinejustice, then the gospel that
you're sharing will lose some ofits impact.
As a matter of fact, sometimes Ithink we are encouraging a
sense of entitlement from Godrather than a sense of humble
reverence and awe at Christ'ssacrifice.
We got people who think thatGod owes them in the church.
(32:49):
They get up mad when God don'tdo what they pray.
That you, you mad because Goddidn't answer your prayer with
the word you wanted to hear.
So that means you think he owesyou.
That's not reference, it'ssomething else and you fill in
(33:11):
the blank.
But I want you to noticesomething here too.
Luke records this in chapter 3.
Not only was this man theyhealed lame.
That would have been enough.
Luke says he was lame frombirth Demonstrates the magnitude
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of the miracle.
Right, it's undeniable.
They say that.
They admit that the leadersadmit.
Right, it's undeniable.
They say that, they admit that,the leaders admit that it's
undeniable.
You see, good deeds done by Godbear his fingerprint.
But you know what's going onhere.
The lameness of this man frombirth is also the spiritual
(33:59):
condition of all of us.
We're all lame from birth,brothers, unable to help or heal
ourselves, unable to saveourselves.
Jesus in the gospel reveals ourlameness and that makes us
uncomfortable, even angry andhostile.
That's what was happening withthe religious leaders.
(34:21):
You see, in the face of thename of Jesus, they were
helpless, they were frustratedalready, and now here he comes
again.
We thought he was dead, theyfelt impotent, they felt
(34:44):
impotent, and that is thereligious leaders and
authorities today who are notwalking with Christ.
Lameness, and nobody likes to beshown to be lame.
But once we surrender to Jesusand his love, his mastery, we
realize that it was good that wesaw how weak and lame and
(35:07):
beggarly we were.
It's a good thing when yourecognize that's called being
poor in spirit.
It's a good thing, brothers,when you recognize how messed up
you are, how weak you truly are.
It's a good thing for you torecognize that you're lame.
It's a good thing for you torecognize that you're lame.
It's a good thing becauseyou'll call out for the healer.
Have you grasped this truth foryourself?
(35:30):
Because that's where couragewill begin.
Peter, by faith, entrusted hisfaith to the Lord and goes right
in for the hard truth.
This man was healed by the nameof Jesus, the same Jesus you
rejected and crucified, butraised from the dead.
And you can find salvation inno one else in all of creation
(35:51):
other than in the name of Jesus.
That's paraphrased, but that'swhat he said to him.
Boom Ow.
By calling him Christ, peter wassaying he was the Messiah and
that you rejected and killed.
That's bad news.
They needed to hear it so theycould repent of their sins, and
(36:14):
that is why all humanity needssalvation and a Savior, because
we've all killed Jesus.
It's our sins, the sins of theworld, that took him to the
cross.
And God is holy and sinrepulses him.
It breaks his law, whichreflects his character, and it's
not good for humanity.
(36:34):
It says we will not have you torule over us.
Sin says you will not run mylife, I'm going to do it my way.
That's what sin says.
And the gospel confronts uswith God's holiness and our
foulness, but then it says hereis Jesus, the son of God.
(36:55):
Come to save you from God'sjustice and your foulness.
We're often nervous and evenafraid to speak to people about
Jesus when all they can say tous is leave me alone.
How much more if they're openlyantagonistic.
Did Peter and John have a deathwish?
They wanted to be martyred forthe faith.
(37:17):
Ha ha, kill me for Jesus.
There have been people likethat for the faith.
Ha ha, kill me for Jesus.
There have been people likethat, by the way, even today.
No, that's not what was goingon.
Gk Chesterton said it sowonderfully Courage is almost a
contradiction in terms.
It means a strong desire tolive, taken the form of a
(37:46):
readiness to die.
Man, I love that guy.
He's dead, but I love him.
A strong desire to live, takenthe form of a readiness to die,
that's what Peter is exhibiting.
He wanted to live, but he alsofound something worth dying for,
(38:11):
something, bruce, worth takinga risk for, and so he's able to
preach the gospel, the bad newsand the good news.
He was able to bring it down,bring it down clear, and he
didn't let anybody escape.
Well, I'm going to end withthis real quick.
(38:31):
Faith, lastly, producescourageous, ordinary men who
live in the presence of Jesus.
Verse 13 is a beautiful passage.
Now, when they saw the boldnessof Peter and John perceived that
they were uneducated, commonmen, they were astonished oh,
(38:51):
what, what?
And they recognized oh, I seethat they had been with Jesus.
Oh, boy Striking.
Now these men actually livewith Jesus.
Okay, it could be they'resaying that.
Maybe they're saying, hey, Iremember that guy.
(39:17):
I don't think so, though.
I think it was the character ofthese men and their background
Common, ordinary men, uneducated, didn't go to seminary.
They were the hoi polloi, thecommoners.
The commoners, they werenobodies, people from the hood,
(39:46):
people from rural areas.
Their families weren'tconnected, there was no money in
the family, they didn't haveany pool, no juice.
They were just ordinary folk,fishermen.
A trader, a tax collector, azealot who by any means
necessary, get the Romans out.
He was one of them too, peterand John, just fishermen.
(40:11):
And he said and look how boldthey are speaking to us.
They're speaking to us likethey got something.
Boldness means confident.
It means freedom in speech.
They were not whispering orhemming and hawing or trying to
make an excuse.
They owned it.
It's Jesus that did this.
It's Jesus.
(40:32):
I want you to know.
It's Jesus.
And it made an impression onthat group.
They thought it couldintimidate them.
But you can't intimidate menwho trust in Jesus, because
Jesus would not be intimidatedby anybody.
(40:56):
The Spirit of God will fill youBecause you live with Jesus.
You are walking with Jesus.
You are walking with Jesus,brothers, every day.
Do you understand the Spirit ofGod, ministers, the presence of
Jesus to you?
You may not feel his presenceall the time, but if you are in
(41:18):
Christ, his presence is with youall the time.
But if you are in Christ, hispresence is with you all the
time.
And when we open the word orwhen we pray, we are recognizing
that presence.
We are recognizing we are doinglife with Jesus, we're giving
ourselves to him, we're gettingto know him better, because he
(41:39):
knows you but you don't know him.
So he's revealing himselfthrough your life, through life
circumstances that come your way, especially your heart, just by
the way that come your way.
Jesus is revealing himself toyou as you trust him, as you
open the word of God and youbehold him, you say, oh, that's
what you're like.
I mean, I can pray this, I cantrust you.
(41:59):
See, that's how we're growingin our knowledge of Jesus.
We're walking in his presenceand he's going to shape you and
mold your character.
I didn't say you did it, I sayhe's doing it.
The fruit of the Spirit is whathe puts in us, but it's as
we're available, as we'resubmitting, as we're saying Lord
, do it.
You're walking with him.
(42:19):
Do you get it?
Are you walking with the Lord?
Is he real?
It was the only real on Sundaymorning in this service.
Well, I got to quit, I got toend this.
That clock is not right.
(42:43):
Jesus is looking for giants.
He is not looking for giants,but ordinary men whom he will
make into giants that he mightget all the glory.
Ordinary men, ordinary people,ordinary brothers, who say for
Christ I'll live, for to me, tolive is Christ and to die is
(43:07):
gain.
Ordinary men saturated by thegrace of God, who recognize that
I have nothing, lord.
I deserve nothing from you.
But oh, I deserve nothing fromyou, but oh, I receive
everything you want to give me.
I receive it all.
I have every spiritual blessingin the heavenly places.
(43:30):
In Christ I have his presence.
Dr Boyce said it so wonderfullythe world thinks that it can
stop a spiritual movement bythreats, force, imprisonment and
death.
But it cannot.
A good idea, especially a truespiritual idea, will always
spread.
They couldn't stop it andthat's what happened.
(43:53):
The Roman Empire was turnedupside down.
This little beginning, thissmall group of disciples in this
city, became this movement thatswept the entire Roman Empire
and swept the entire world.
That little brittle group rightthere of terrified disciples
boom and they spread, and you'rea proof of it Sitting right
(44:17):
here.
Do you do what people expect youto do or do you do what Jesus
empowers you to do?
Brothers, there's a difference.
Don't let the world dictate toyou what it means to be a man.
It will take courage to be menof God, men of his word.
(44:41):
It takes courage to be men ofGod, men of his word.
It takes courage to hold abiblical sexual living, to hold
biblical views of gender, tohold to biblical views of family
, to hold to biblical views ofethics, right and wrong, to hold
to biblical truths about God,christ, salvation.
It takes courage, brothers, toresist greed, suffers, ambition
(45:02):
and lust.
It even takes courage now tohold to a biblical view of the
church and why we need her.
In all of these areas, you willface steep spiritual opposition
from the enemy of your souls andsometimes even sadly, from
(45:25):
people in the church.
But fear not, jesus is with youand he will give you the courage
and the fortitude you need asyou walk with him, because our
weapons are mighty.
Paul said it best, 2 Corinthians10.3.
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war
(45:48):
according to the flesh, for theweapons of our warfare are not
of the flesh but have divinepower to destroy strongholds.
We destroy arguments and everylofty opinion raised against the
knowledge of God, and we takeevery thought captive to obey
Christ.
Nothing can stop the weapons ofthe word and spirit and love
(46:10):
and the love of Christ that wefight with brothers.
Nothing can stop the message offorgiveness and grace and mercy
in the name of Jesus that wefight with brothers.
Nothing can stop it.
And mercy in the name of Jesusthat we fight with brothers.
Nothing can stop it.
Ian Bounds has a book calledPower Through Prayer and he says
(46:33):
this I'm paraphrasing, I'madding my own Kevin Smith thing
to it the world is looking, theworld and sometimes even the
church are looking for bettersystems, better strategies,
better programming, better AI,but God is looking for better
(46:55):
men.
Men are God's method, but here'sthe truth he creates the better
men by faith in his son.
He makes better men.
We don't make ourselves better,that's cosmetic.
(47:17):
He moves in our hearts to makeus better and we'll be better
men for our families.
Better men meaning men of God,men of courage, men who will
stand on Christ, because ittakes courage to be a father.
It takes courage to tell yourchildren no.
(47:38):
It takes courage to let themtalk to you when they're being
disrespectful, because you knowthey got something to say,
because they're hurting.
It takes courage to let themtell you and not blast out, to
hold it.
It takes courage to know whoyou are in Christ, to lead your
(48:00):
family.
To be called all kinds of namestoday, that's patriarchy.
God called you to lead Whateverthe world says.
God called you to lead.
If you have a family, he calledyou to lead Whatever the world
says.
(48:20):
God called you to lead If youhave a family.
He called you to lead withgentleness and respect and love,
self-sacrificial love,according to the word of God.
But it takes courage.
Will you call out to Jesus forthe courage you need, father,
(48:44):
help us, help us.
It's so easy to give in today.
It's always been easy, I guess.
Father, the pressures of theworld are real,
misunderstandings of what itmeans to be a Christian held by
people around us, real angeragainst Christ and the church,
(49:09):
even real people have been hurt,real.
But you still call us to followand you knew it all would
happen.
And you show us in your wordthat it does happen, but you
still call us to be men ofcourage, to walk with you in
(49:29):
faith.
So, lord, will you do it To mysons in the faith?
Will you do it To my brothersin the faith?
Will you do it To my fathers inthe faith?
Will you do it To my fathers inthe faith?
Will you do it?
Give us courage In Jesus' name,amen.
Speaker 3 (49:51):
Hello, my name is Michelle Tolliver and Biblical
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(50:12):
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(51:19):
Thank you for listening toBiblical Talks.
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Thank you for listening toBiblical Talks.
Welcome to Biblical Talks.
Sermon of the Week.
Saints, I need you to lean infor just a moment, because we're
standing on holy ground today.
The book of Acts says inchapter 4, verse 10 and 11 says
this that Jesus, whom youcrucified, god raised up, and he
(00:22):
is the stone that the buildersrejected Hallelujah.
But he became the chiefcornerstone.
They looked at him and saw novalue.
They tossed him aside likerubber on the job site.
(00:42):
But what the world threw away,having anointedointed, what the
councils condemned, god crowned.
And that's just like our God.
That's how he works To turn arejected stone into the rock of
ages.
Now, in the book of Acts, peterand John, let's understand
something those brothers werenot soft.
(01:03):
They didn't tremble or shuffletheir feet.
They went toe to toe with power, unshaken, unapologetic and on
fire with the Holy Ghost.
They opened their mouth anddeclared Jesus Christ the risen
one as the only name by which wemust be saved.
(01:23):
That's the kind of witness weneed today, not timid saints
hiding in the shadows, but boldbelievers walking in the
daylight.
We don't need more opinions, weneed conviction.
We don't need more platforms,we need power.
So I got one question for thechurch of Jesus Christ.
(01:49):
Today Will you stand on thestone that the world rejected?
Because the stone is now thefoundation and if you're going
to build your life, build it onChrist Solid, unremovable,
eternal.
Today we have Pastor KevinSmith preaching a sermon called
(02:11):
Wanted, courageous Christian Men.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Acts, chapter 4, verses 5 through 13,.
Then we'll jump down to verses19 and 20.
Acts, chapter 4, beginning atverse 5.
On the next day, their rulersand elders and scribes gathered
together in Jerusalem with Annas, the high priest, and Caiaphas
and John and Alexander and allwho were of the high priest
(02:40):
family.
When they had set them in themist, they inquired by what
power or by what name do you dothis?
Then Peter, filled with theHoly Spirit, said to them,
rulers of the people and elders,if we have been examined today
(03:01):
concerning a good deed done to acrippled man, by what means
this man has been healed?
Let it be known to all of youand to all the people of Israel
that, by the name of JesusChrist of Nazareth, whom you
crucified, whom God raised fromthe dead, by him, this man is
standing before you.
Well, this Jesus Is the stonethat was rejected by you, the
(03:25):
builders, which has become thecornerstone, and there is
salvation in no one else, forthere is no other name under
heaven given among men by whichwe must be saved.
Now, when they saw the boldnessof Peter and John and perceived
that they were uneducated,common men, they were astonished
(03:49):
and they recognized that theyhad been with Jesus.
Wow, verse 19.
They're threatened, verse 18,.
First of all.
So they call them in charge ofnot to speak or teach at all in
the name of Jesus.
Now, verse 19.
But Peter and John answeredthem.
Whether it is right in thesight of God to listen to you
(04:13):
rather than to God, you mustjudge, for we cannot but speak
of what we have seen and heardthe word of the Lord.
Please be seated.
Thank you, praise team.
(04:34):
Once again, beautiful music.
I'm going to give you a bunch ofscenarios, brothers.
A bunch of scenarios, brothers,a bunch of scenarios.
People are talking about theseexciting things they did over
the weekend at work.
(04:54):
They look at you.
What do you say?
Do you tell them about how Godblessed you at church?
You're a teenage, young man.
You're with your friends whoare talking about their
non-biblical sexual ideas andconquests.
They look at you.
(05:15):
What do you say?
Do you tell them what the Biblesays or do you make up your own
stories?
Or, even worse, do youparticipate?
You're a husband and father andyou sense God is giving you the
opportunity to start your ownbusiness or take another job,
(05:37):
but it's risky.
What do you do?
What do you do?
What do you do?
What do you do?
Again, husbands and fathers,god wants you to lead your
family spiritually.
Do you abdicate to your wifebecause she knows the Bible
(05:59):
better than you?
How about this?
You see someone or someone'sbeing mistreated at school, at
work or even in our city.
You're right there, you'reseeing it.
Do you look the other way or doyou seek to protect and defend
them?
How about this one?
I'm trying to find you.
I'm just looking.
I don't know.
(06:23):
Maybe you're teaching a Sundayschool class or leading a Bible
study and you realize the textyou are sharing will speak to
the sin of a person or personsin that group.
Do you skip it?
Gloss over it, because theywill, or others will say you're
(06:45):
targeting them.
Welcome to my world.
By the way, to follow Jesustakes courage.
It's risky, but there is nocourage without fear.
Fear of loss is human, yet thegospel is meant to produce
(07:11):
courageous Christian men.
God doesn't expect us to makeourselves courageous, but he
calls us to trust in him.
Courage comes by faith in theLord, not in ourselves or our
natural abilities, and so I sayto you today that such men are
(07:35):
greatly needed and wanted.
Now, where are we in this text.
You're familiar with thispassage so I'm not going to be
able to point too much.
But you know, pentecost hashappened way back in chapter 2.
The Spirit is poured out on thechurch in Jerusalem where Jesus
was crucified, and now theapostles Peter and John are
(07:56):
being called on the carpet,having been used by Christ to
heal a man who had been unableto walk since birth for 40 years
.
They are arrested.
They are put in jail until thenext day, because the arrest
took place, I assume, late inthe day and maybe the court
officials had all gone home fordinner.
(08:18):
So now it's morning and he mustgive an accounting.
First of all, faith producescourageous men who can stand
when opposed.
Verses 5 through 7.
If you have it in front of you,look down and look at it, and I
(08:39):
want you to notice, as you lookdown at the text, notice the
list of the officers of thecourt before whom the apostles
must give testimony.
It's an impressive, impressivelist, isn't it?
I mean, think about it.
I mean I'm not going to gothrough all who they are, but
you get the idea here that yougot Annas, the high priest,
caiaphas, who was the formerhigh priest, john and Alexander,
(09:01):
who were evidently influential.
John and Alexander, who wereevidently influential, the high
priest's family, so I guess theybrought his wife and extended
family members.
You've got to remember the guardwho brought them in, who
arrested them, was probablythere as well, and so they're
surrounded.
(09:21):
They're surrounded by thiscourt of Jewish officials and
they must give testimony.
Remember, jesus' crucifixionwas likely only a month and a
half past at this point.
So these are the officials thatkilled him.
These are likely members of theSanhedrin, which is the 70.
(09:42):
So you get the impression herethat this is not a small group
of people.
This is a large crowd of peoplesurrounding these two men.
This is Jewish religious andgovernmental power at its apex,
and none of them are happy.
In their mind, though, theyhold all the cards, they are the
(10:06):
authority here.
They flex their muscles alittle bit by having them
arrested.
Now they are coming in for thekill, to crush this movement,
this Jesus moment movement.
Right now.
They asked the big question inverse seven.
This is the big question herein this text by what power or by
(10:27):
what name did you do this?
That is the question.
Two things I want you to notice, brothers, about this question.
First of all, they are notconcerned with the good work of
healing that was done, eventhough it was a miracle.
They're not concerned with that.
You see, brother, you've got tounderstand all the good deeds
that was done, even though itwas a miracle, they're not
concerned with that.
You see, probably you canunderstand all the good deeds
(10:48):
that you do.
If you dig wells in Africa, ifyou feed the homeless, if you
provide jobs for guys coming outof prison, if you give blankets
, if you try to reform thecriminal justice system, all the
good that you do listen, therewill be some in the world who
will pat you on the back for it.
(11:08):
There may be many.
Your good works, man.
People will go.
Thank you so much.
Is that enough?
(11:29):
We're told throughout the NewTestament that we're to do good
works.
Let me give you one of myfavorite passages Titus 2.14.
Speaking of Jesus, who gavehimself for us, to redeem us
from all lawlessness and topurify for himself a people for
his own possession, who are notethat big word zealous for good
works.
Zeal speaks of a burning desireor burning passion.
(11:53):
And the grace of God listen,brothers, the grace of God in
the gospel that attaches you toJesus, attaches you to Jesus,
should move in us.
Is that motivating force thatmakes us want to do good?
We have a, don't you A burningdesire To be used by God To do
(12:18):
good, not just random acts ofgoodness, but planned acts of
goodness.
I hope that's you, but is thatall?
(12:41):
Second thing I want you tonotice then that was number one.
They weren't concerned about thegood work.
They were more concerned withhow and why they did the good
(13:02):
work.
That was the issue for them,brothers, what power or by whose
power and under whose authorityname did you do this?
Now, here's the ticket here.
They already knew that theapostles did this in the name of
Jesus.
They already knew.
That's why they were arrested.
(13:23):
Chapter 3, go back and read it.
They already knew.
So why ask the question?
See, brothers, they hope anight in jail would have cooled
their zeal for Jesus.
They were trying to ice them.
You know about that rightfootball I mean american
(13:46):
football if you're watching myfamily from england real
football, when, a, when, a, whena team gets close to the
somewhere close to the goal line, maybe 35 yards out, and it's
fourth down.
They know they can't get thefirst down, so they call in the
kicker.
Kicker comes in, he's got's gotabout a.
You got to add a few yards.
(14:07):
He's got about a 40-yarder.
But that's kind of a chip shotfor today's pro kicker.
He can do that in his sleepalmost.
So he left.
So the team lines up and justbefore the ball is hiked, the
other team calls timeout.
I mean, they're all lined upand ready to go.
The kicker's there, he'sfocused, he's doing this back
(14:27):
and forth, he's ready to go andthey go timeout.
Then the kicker has to dosomething.
He goes to the sidelines.
Sometimes he's over there doingthis, you know, stretching,
trying to stay warm.
(14:47):
Right, they're icing him.
See, what they're doing isthey're hoping that that
distraction and that stallingwill cause him to lose focus,
will cause him to think too longabout what he's going to do.
So when he gets out there, heflubs it.
That's what's happening here.
They're icing the apostles andit's an intimidation tactic.
(15:10):
They're hoping now they wouldbe too afraid to speak for Jesus
.
They just spent the night injail thinking about what could
happen to them and they'rethinking that, oh gosh, now we
got to.
So let's ask him again by whosename?
Now, brothers, this is thenature of government or
(15:34):
corporate power.
Today, you can be Christiansprivately or even in church, but
don't bring it into thecommunity.
Don't bring it into theworkplace and certainly don't
bring it into the community.
Don't bring it into theworkplace and certainly don't
bring it into the government.
This is more and more ourAmerican culture, isn't it?
Sliding that way more and more.
(15:54):
Dr Boyce said it it may come atime when preaching the gospel
is seen as a hate crime.
Doing good is not the problem.
And, by the way, who determineswhat is good?
Right, that's for us.
We know.
No one gets angry if you feedthe homeless, but when you say
(16:17):
you did it in the name of Jesus,that's a different ballgame.
Right, when you say it's forJesus' sake.
When they say, why are you here?
I'm here with my company, we'redoing this charitable work, but
(16:39):
mostly I'm here because I'm adisciple of Jesus Christ and he
calls us to kindness to those inneed.
Now it becomes an issue.
Now it becomes an issue, andeven that may be a little easy,
(17:01):
just a little.
But what if you're in a placewhere Christ is not welcome and
you're doing good?
I'm talking about in America.
Now you know the bland blandthe freedom of religion.
What do you say?
I love what they said inchapter three.
(17:25):
After they healed the man, thepeople gathered around them.
In verse 16 they said said, howdid you?
They're looking at?
Peter says why are you lookingat us?
Is this by some virtue in us?
This man has been healed, hesaid.
And it is his name.
By faith in his name, jesus,this man has been made strong,
(17:47):
whom you see and know.
And the faith that is throughJesus has given this man this
perfect health in the presenceof you all.
Listen to that.
By faith in Jesus, by faith inhis name, that's what gives us
courage, brothers.
It's faith in his name, notyour name, not my name.
I'm from New City Church.
(18:08):
Who cares?
I want to New City Church.
Who cares?
I want to know too, and whosename did you do it?
Courage comes because we knowfaith in his name produces works
, and even sometimes miraculousworks.
We know, brothers, don't?
(18:31):
We know that God responds tofaith.
He responds to those who trustin him, who value him above all
things, and trust in him.
Something about faith justmoves our God's heart.
We say he.
We're saying when you say youhave faith in God, you're saying
he's great, you're saying he'sable.
(18:51):
You're saying he's able, you'resaying you trust him.
Hebrews 11, 6.
And without faith, it isimpossible to please him.
For whoever would draw near toGod must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those whoseek him.
(19:13):
We draw near to God throughfaith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
through faith in the work ofChrist for us, not because we're
good, but because he's good.
We draw near to God throughfaith in him and in that same
moment, we know that he rewardsthose who seek him.
(19:35):
That gives courage.
God rewards seeking faith.
Do you know that, brothers?
So take heart.
Even in the face of opposition,speak the truth.
(19:55):
Second, faith producescourageous spirit.
This is the key statement, akey statement in this passage.
It's verse 8.
Then Peter, filled with theSpirit, said wow, some of us are
(20:19):
naturally outspoken, even whenwe shouldn't speak about the
things we're speaking about.
Some of us are more introvertedand we will not normally
volunteer any information aboutanything.
Some of us arenon-confrontational.
But see, those are all naturaltemperament issues.
(20:44):
What we have here is notnatural, it's supernatural.
It's the Spirit of God at work.
Brothers, don't look at Peter.
Look at what the Spirit isdoing.
Look at what Christ is doingthrough them.
This is what this is about.
It's acts of the Holy Spirit.
(21:04):
It's acts of Jesus Christ,small acts of the apostles,
romans 8-9.
Just in case you're not sureabout this, brothers Romans 8, 9
, you, whoever, are not in theflesh but in the Spirit, if, in
fact, the Spirit of God dwellsin you, watch this.
Anyone who does not have theSpirit of Christ does not belong
(21:27):
to him.
If you are a Christian, if youare a disciple of Jesus,
brothers, believe it.
You have the Spirit.
The Spirit is in you and youare in Christ, meaning you are
able to grow in your ability tobe ruled by the Spirit rather
(21:48):
than your sinful, selfishdesires of your flesh.
You are able.
You have what you need In youfor God to change you.
Do you believe that?
Do you believe that the Spiritof God can override your
(22:11):
temperament?
Or are you using yourtemperament as an excuse?
I can't witness because I'mintroverted.
Who cares?
You are in Christ.
The Spirit of God is in you.
Never surrender to yourtemperament, never make excuses,
(22:31):
but that's how my family was orhow my daddy was.
Who cares?
You are in Christ.
You are a new creation.
That's what I care about andyou should too.
I'm perfect.
Example Example number one Ihate public speaking.
At Temple University I almostfailed public speaking Because I
(22:58):
got froze up, I got iced.
I froze up in front of people.
I hate speaking in front ofpeople, but put this in my hand
and the Spirit of God takes over.
I'm not.
(23:21):
I'm still nervous, but I'm notscared.
Don't, let, don't, don't, don't.
Surrender to how you think youare.
Be what God has made you Now.
Now listen.
What does it mean?
Peter was filled with theSpirit.
We already saw in Acts, chapter2, that he'd been given the
Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
So what does it mean?
That he was filled?
What is this?
Well, the filling of the Spiritmeans the Spirit, when needed,
(23:52):
gives his people extra abilityto speak or do for Christ and
his kingdom as we depend on him.
I've experienced I'm not tryingto make myself the example,
please.
I'm just trying to giveexamples, please.
I'm messed up too.
I'll tell you the truth.
How many times I step into thispulpit and I've been sick, I
(24:17):
mean just feeling, or justdepressed down, beat down, can't
even sing from the pew there,how many times.
And then I step up here and theSpirit comes.
How many times?
And then I step up here and theSpirit comes.
Maybe you don't know it, but Iknow it.
(24:38):
I hope you know it.
I hope it's obvious.
That's not just me, that's you.
His Spirit will fill you forthe task that God lays before
you.
I can't do it.
Okay, maybe you can, but I knowwho can.
(25:02):
Peter, who denied the Lord whenfaced with public pressure, is
now unable to speak before thevery powers that had crucified
the Lord.
You don't think that's God thathad crucified the Lord.
You don't think that's God.
You don't think that's the Lordstanding up in him.
There's no way.
Was he scared?
I'm sure his heart was thumping, but courage is not the absence
(25:25):
of fear.
Courage is not giving in to thefear.
Joe Rigney in his book Couragehow the gospel Creates Christian
Fortitude this won't be on thescreen, he says.
Courage always appears in theface of real danger.
No fear, no courage.
It's when you're scared.
(25:55):
It's when you're scared of loss.
You're scared of embarrassment.
This is America.
They probably won't kill us,right, probably won't kill us,
but they'll make you feel bad.
They'll make you feel stupid.
They'll deny you that promotion.
(26:16):
You may even lose your job.
Fear is real and so is courage,and so is courage when we
prayerfully, by faith, livinglives to honor Jesus by
following his word.
We are in the place where hisspirit can fill us when we need
(26:38):
him.
Did you hear what I just said?
Let me back up and say it againwe are prayerfully, by faith,
living lives to honor Jesus.
Yes, we fail, but we're livinglives.
That's our goal.
Living lives to honor Jesus,following his word.
That means we're in the word,in that place of humility and
(26:58):
service and being available toGod.
We are in the place where hisspirit can fill us when we need
him.
He isn't likely to fill you ifyou're keeping him like this.
I mean he can I don't know, theLord knows, but I'm just trying
to tell you that's not thelikely place you need to be if
(27:19):
you want to be filled by theSpirit.
To be filled by the Spirit is tobe submitted to the Lord and
saying this is me, here I am,take me and use me for your
glory.
Every day, do you get?
I want to challenge you withall my heart that every day you
wake up, say to the Lord I'myours, do with me what you will.
My tongue, my hands, my feet,I'm yours.
(27:39):
I hope you'll pray that,because if you don't, brothers,
so often we just get in.
We, you know, we got that brainright Work, focus, focus, focus
.
If the first focus is Jesus, ithelps us.
It helps us all right.
If the first focus is Lord.
(28:00):
Thank you for another day.
Allow me, will you use me today?
Because that's what it's about,right.
We're Christians.
It's about him.
It's about being at hisdisposal're Christians.
It's about him, about being athis disposal every day.
It's about getting glory to him.
It's about walking worthy ofthe name of Christ, as Paul
tells us in Ephesians, chapter 4.
That's what it's about, right.
That's what makes us tick toglorify the name.
(28:23):
It's not a walk of perfection.
The apostles had moments offailure too.
Notice what happened to pauland barnabas.
They split up.
Notice what happened as peterconfronts paul.
I mean paul confronts peter.
You know all these thingshappened.
The apostles were not perfectmen, but they were at the lord's
(28:45):
disposal here.
They were at the Spirit'sdisposal and they're standing
before these people and theSpirit comes with power to fill
them to speak.
He speaks with courage becausehe trusted in the name of Jesus.
(29:08):
Notice what happens when theyreturn to the church to tell
them what happened.
I told you to keep your fingerin that chapter.
I hope you got it before you.
Here's what happens they leavehere and they go back to the
church.
I'm jumping ahead.
I want you to know this.
They go back to the church andthey tell them what happened.
This is down in the samechapter, beginning in verse 23.
(29:29):
I'll just read a couple verses.
When they were released, theywent to their friends and
reported what the chief priestsand elders had said to them.
When they heard it that's thewhole group they lifted their
voices together to God and saidsovereign Lord, who made the
heaven and the earth and the seaand everything in them.
I'm not going to read all therest of that, but you read it
for yourself.
They go to prayer.
Why?
(29:51):
Because they're scared.
They go to prayer and noticewhat they start with God is in
control.
Brothers, when you're scared,when the fear grabs you, when
you're afraid and you're nervousabout standing for Jesus in
some way and you're tremblingbecause you know there might be
loss, listen, the Spirit willfill you as you cry out for help
(30:16):
.
I like to say it like this Lord, send reinforcements.
Now notice if you were to dropdown to verse 29 to 31,.
Here's how they finished theprayer.
And now, lord, look upon theirthreats and grant to your
(30:39):
servants to continue to speakyour word with all boldness,
while you stretch out your handto heal, and signs and wonders
are performed through the nameof your holy servant, jesus.
And when they prayed, the placein which they were gathered
together was shaken and theywere all watch this, all filled
with the Holy Spirit, andcontinue to speak the word of
(31:03):
God with boldness.
It's right there.
I need this, you need this.
Fellas.
Fellas, will you start prayingtoday?
Don't miss, if you can help it,pray every day.
Lord, fill me with your spiritfor your purposes that I may
(31:23):
speak forth and live forth theglory of Jesus standing upon the
gospel and his truth.
I gotta ask you a question theglory of Jesus standing upon the
gospel and his truth.
I got to ask you a question Areyou at the Lord's disposal?
(31:43):
Third, faith produces courageousmen who are faithful to the
gospel.
I mean, maybe that goes withoutsaying here, but I got to point
it out.
I mean it's beautiful.
Verses 8 through 12 here Peterstands up, he's filled and he
begins to speak.
Listen, bro.
Before the gospel is bad,before the gospel is good news,
it's bad news.
You have to grasp the bad newsif you're truly going to be
(32:06):
overwhelmed by the good news ofthe gospel that's redundant, I
know.
To be overwhelmed by the goodnews of the gospel, that's
redundant, I know.
See, you can start by tellingpeople that God loves them, no
problem.
But if you never get to whythat is strange if you never get
to the fact that they don'tdeserve it, if you never get to
(32:29):
the point in saying divinejustice, then the gospel that
you're sharing will lose some ofits impact.
As a matter of fact, sometimes Ithink we are encouraging a
sense of entitlement from Godrather than a sense of humble
reverence and awe at Christ'ssacrifice.
We got people who think thatGod owes them in the church.
(32:49):
They get up mad when God don'tdo what they pray.
That you, you mad because Goddidn't answer your prayer with
the word you wanted to hear.
So that means you think he owesyou.
That's not reference, it'ssomething else and you fill in
(33:11):
the blank.
But I want you to noticesomething here too.
Luke records this in chapter 3.
Not only was this man theyhealed lame.
That would have been enough.
Luke says he was lame frombirth Demonstrates the magnitude
(33:37):
of the miracle.
Right, it's undeniable.
They say that.
They admit that the leadersadmit.
Right, it's undeniable.
They say that, they admit that,the leaders admit that it's
undeniable.
You see, good deeds done by Godbear his fingerprint.
But you know what's going onhere.
The lameness of this man frombirth is also the spiritual
(33:59):
condition of all of us.
We're all lame from birth,brothers, unable to help or heal
ourselves, unable to saveourselves.
Jesus in the gospel reveals ourlameness and that makes us
uncomfortable, even angry andhostile.
That's what was happening withthe religious leaders.
(34:21):
You see, in the face of thename of Jesus, they were
helpless, they were frustratedalready, and now here he comes
again.
We thought he was dead, theyfelt impotent, they felt
(34:44):
impotent, and that is thereligious leaders and
authorities today who are notwalking with Christ.
Lameness, and nobody likes to beshown to be lame.
But once we surrender to Jesusand his love, his mastery, we
realize that it was good that wesaw how weak and lame and
(35:07):
beggarly we were.
It's a good thing when yourecognize that's called being
poor in spirit.
It's a good thing, brothers,when you recognize how messed up
you are, how weak you truly are.
It's a good thing for you torecognize that you're lame.
It's a good thing for you torecognize that you're lame.
It's a good thing becauseyou'll call out for the healer.
Have you grasped this truth foryourself?
(35:30):
Because that's where couragewill begin.
Peter, by faith, entrusted hisfaith to the Lord and goes right
in for the hard truth.
This man was healed by the nameof Jesus, the same Jesus you
rejected and crucified, butraised from the dead.
And you can find salvation inno one else in all of creation
(35:51):
other than in the name of Jesus.
That's paraphrased, but that'swhat he said to him.
Boom Ow.
By calling him Christ, peter wassaying he was the Messiah and
that you rejected and killed.
That's bad news.
They needed to hear it so theycould repent of their sins, and
(36:14):
that is why all humanity needssalvation and a Savior, because
we've all killed Jesus.
It's our sins, the sins of theworld, that took him to the
cross.
And God is holy and sinrepulses him.
It breaks his law, whichreflects his character, and it's
not good for humanity.
(36:34):
It says we will not have you torule over us.
Sin says you will not run mylife, I'm going to do it my way.
That's what sin says.
And the gospel confronts uswith God's holiness and our
foulness, but then it says hereis Jesus, the son of God.
(36:55):
Come to save you from God'sjustice and your foulness.
We're often nervous and evenafraid to speak to people about
Jesus when all they can say tous is leave me alone.
How much more if they're openlyantagonistic.
Did Peter and John have a deathwish?
They wanted to be martyred forthe faith.
(37:17):
Ha ha, kill me for Jesus.
There have been people likethat for the faith.
Ha ha, kill me for Jesus.
There have been people likethat, by the way, even today.
No, that's not what was goingon.
Gk Chesterton said it sowonderfully Courage is almost a
contradiction in terms.
It means a strong desire tolive, taken the form of a
(37:46):
readiness to die.
Man, I love that guy.
He's dead, but I love him.
A strong desire to live, takenthe form of a readiness to die,
that's what Peter is exhibiting.
He wanted to live, but he alsofound something worth dying for,
(38:11):
something, bruce, worth takinga risk for, and so he's able to
preach the gospel, the bad newsand the good news.
He was able to bring it down,bring it down clear, and he
didn't let anybody escape.
Well, I'm going to end withthis real quick.
(38:31):
Faith, lastly, producescourageous, ordinary men who
live in the presence of Jesus.
Verse 13 is a beautiful passage.
Now, when they saw the boldnessof Peter and John perceived that
they were uneducated, commonmen, they were astonished oh,
(38:51):
what, what?
And they recognized oh, I seethat they had been with Jesus.
Oh, boy Striking.
Now these men actually livewith Jesus.
Okay, it could be they'resaying that.
Maybe they're saying, hey, Iremember that guy.
(39:17):
I don't think so, though.
I think it was the character ofthese men and their background
Common, ordinary men, uneducated, didn't go to seminary.
They were the hoi polloi, thecommoners.
The commoners, they werenobodies, people from the hood,
(39:46):
people from rural areas.
Their families weren'tconnected, there was no money in
the family, they didn't haveany pool, no juice.
They were just ordinary folk,fishermen.
A trader, a tax collector, azealot who by any means
necessary, get the Romans out.
He was one of them too, peterand John, just fishermen.
(40:11):
And he said and look how boldthey are speaking to us.
They're speaking to us likethey got something.
Boldness means confident.
It means freedom in speech.
They were not whispering orhemming and hawing or trying to
make an excuse.
They owned it.
It's Jesus that did this.
It's Jesus.
(40:32):
I want you to know.
It's Jesus.
And it made an impression onthat group.
They thought it couldintimidate them.
But you can't intimidate menwho trust in Jesus, because
Jesus would not be intimidatedby anybody.
(40:56):
The Spirit of God will fill youBecause you live with Jesus.
You are walking with Jesus.
You are walking with Jesus,brothers, every day.
Do you understand the Spirit ofGod, ministers, the presence of
Jesus to you?
You may not feel his presenceall the time, but if you are in
(41:18):
Christ, his presence is with youall the time.
But if you are in Christ, hispresence is with you all the
time.
And when we open the word orwhen we pray, we are recognizing
that presence.
We are recognizing we are doinglife with Jesus, we're giving
ourselves to him, we're gettingto know him better, because he
(41:39):
knows you but you don't know him.
So he's revealing himselfthrough your life, through life
circumstances that come your way, especially your heart, just by
the way that come your way.
Jesus is revealing himself toyou as you trust him, as you
open the word of God and youbehold him, you say, oh, that's
what you're like.
I mean, I can pray this, I cantrust you.
(41:59):
See, that's how we're growingin our knowledge of Jesus.
We're walking in his presenceand he's going to shape you and
mold your character.
I didn't say you did it, I sayhe's doing it.
The fruit of the Spirit is whathe puts in us, but it's as
we're available, as we'resubmitting, as we're saying Lord
, do it.
You're walking with him.
(42:19):
Do you get it?
Are you walking with the Lord?
Is he real?
It was the only real on Sundaymorning in this service.
Well, I got to quit, I got toend this.
That clock is not right.
(42:43):
Jesus is looking for giants.
He is not looking for giants,but ordinary men whom he will
make into giants that he mightget all the glory.
Ordinary men, ordinary people,ordinary brothers, who say for
Christ I'll live, for to me, tolive is Christ and to die is
(43:07):
gain.
Ordinary men saturated by thegrace of God, who recognize that
I have nothing, lord.
I deserve nothing from you.
But oh, I deserve nothing fromyou, but oh, I receive
everything you want to give me.
I receive it all.
I have every spiritual blessingin the heavenly places.
(43:30):
In Christ I have his presence.
Dr Boyce said it so wonderfullythe world thinks that it can
stop a spiritual movement bythreats, force, imprisonment and
death.
But it cannot.
A good idea, especially a truespiritual idea, will always
spread.
They couldn't stop it andthat's what happened.
(43:53):
The Roman Empire was turnedupside down.
This little beginning, thissmall group of disciples in this
city, became this movement thatswept the entire Roman Empire
and swept the entire world.
That little brittle group rightthere of terrified disciples
boom and they spread, and you'rea proof of it Sitting right
(44:17):
here.
Do you do what people expect youto do or do you do what Jesus
empowers you to do?
Brothers, there's a difference.
Don't let the world dictate toyou what it means to be a man.
It will take courage to be menof God, men of his word.
(44:41):
It takes courage to be men ofGod, men of his word.
It takes courage to hold abiblical sexual living, to hold
biblical views of gender, tohold to biblical views of family
, to hold to biblical views ofethics, right and wrong, to hold
to biblical truths about God,christ, salvation.
It takes courage, brothers, toresist greed, suffers, ambition
(45:02):
and lust.
It even takes courage now tohold to a biblical view of the
church and why we need her.
In all of these areas, you willface steep spiritual opposition
from the enemy of your souls andsometimes even sadly, from
(45:25):
people in the church.
But fear not, jesus is with youand he will give you the courage
and the fortitude you need asyou walk with him, because our
weapons are mighty.
Paul said it best, 2 Corinthians10.3.
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war
(45:48):
according to the flesh, for theweapons of our warfare are not
of the flesh but have divinepower to destroy strongholds.
We destroy arguments and everylofty opinion raised against the
knowledge of God, and we takeevery thought captive to obey
Christ.
Nothing can stop the weapons ofthe word and spirit and love
(46:10):
and the love of Christ that wefight with brothers.
Nothing can stop the message offorgiveness and grace and mercy
in the name of Jesus that wefight with brothers.
Nothing can stop it.
And mercy in the name of Jesusthat we fight with brothers.
Nothing can stop it.
Ian Bounds has a book calledPower Through Prayer and he says
(46:33):
this I'm paraphrasing, I'madding my own Kevin Smith thing
to it the world is looking, theworld and sometimes even the
church are looking for bettersystems, better strategies,
better programming, better AI,but God is looking for better
(46:55):
men.
Men are God's method, but here'sthe truth he creates the better
men by faith in his son.
He makes better men.
We don't make ourselves better,that's cosmetic.
(47:17):
He moves in our hearts to makeus better and we'll be better
men for our families.
Better men meaning men of God,men of courage, men who will
stand on Christ, because ittakes courage to be a father.
It takes courage to tell yourchildren no.
(47:38):
It takes courage to let themtalk to you when they're being
disrespectful, because you knowthey got something to say,
because they're hurting.
It takes courage to let themtell you and not blast out, to
hold it.
It takes courage to know whoyou are in Christ, to lead your
(48:00):
family.
To be called all kinds of namestoday, that's patriarchy.
God called you to lead Whateverthe world says.
God called you to lead.
If you have a family, he calledyou to lead Whatever the world
says.
(48:20):
God called you to lead If youhave a family.
He called you to lead withgentleness and respect and love,
self-sacrificial love,according to the word of God.
But it takes courage.
Will you call out to Jesus forthe courage you need, father,
(48:44):
help us, help us.
It's so easy to give in today.
It's always been easy, I guess.
Father, the pressures of theworld are real,
misunderstandings of what itmeans to be a Christian held by
people around us, real angeragainst Christ and the church,
(49:09):
even real people have been hurt,real.
But you still call us to followand you knew it all would
happen.
And you show us in your wordthat it does happen, but you
still call us to be men ofcourage, to walk with you in
(49:29):
faith.
So, lord, will you do it To mysons in the faith?
Will you do it To my brothersin the faith?
Will you do it To my fathers inthe faith?
Will you do it To my fathers inthe faith?
Will you do it?
Give us courage In Jesus' name,amen.
Speaker 3 (49:51):
Hello, my name is Michelle Tolliver and Biblical
Talk's book offer for the monthof October is Free at Last.
The Gospel and the AfricanAmerican Experience by Dr Carl
Ellis.
The words of Martin Luther KingJr's I have a Dream speech have
become enshrined in US history.
But after the end of King'sgeneration of leadership, what
happened to the African Americanstruggle for freedom?
(50:12):
Like the ancient Israelites,the African American community
has survived a 400-yearcollective trauma.
What will it take for them toreach the promised land that
King foresaw to be truly free atlast?
In this classic historical andcultural study, Dr Carl Ellis
offers an in-depth assessment ofthe state of the African
American freedom and dignity,stressing how important it is
(50:35):
for African Americans to reflecton their roots.
He traces the growth of theblack consciousness from days of
slavery to the 1990s, notingespecially the contributions of
King and Malcolm X.
Ellis examines elements ofblack culture and offers a
distinctive perspective on howGod is active in culture more
broadly.
Free at Last, concludes with acall for a new generation of
jazz theologians and culturalprophets to revitalize the
(50:58):
African American church andexpand its cultural range.
The book also includes ahelpful glossary of people,
events and terms.
Ellis writes it is my prayerthat the principles contained in
this book will play a role inbuilding bridges of
understanding and facilitatingreconciliation where there has
been alienation For any amountof donation to Biblical Talks.
We will send you the book.
Please go to biblicaltalkscomand click the Donate here tab.
(51:19):
Thank you for listening toBiblical Talks.
We will send you the book.
Please go to BiblicalTalkscomand click the Donate here tab.
Thank you for listening toBiblical Talks.
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