[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 28th of July, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the video of our services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Three weeks ago we saw the help wanted sign Jesus posted in our scripture. Then the following week, we read through the job description a little. Last week we looked at what it means to truly work the fields. Today we'll see how the early church responded to the job offer.
All of our scripture this morning will come from the Apostle Luke’s Book of the Acts of the Apostles, because it gives us our best description and picture of the early church. Please listen and follow along as I begin with Acts chapter 4, verses 23 through 31, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
All of our scripture this morning will come from the Apostle Luke’s Book of the Acts of the Apostles, because it gives us our best description and picture of the early church. Please listen and follow along as I begin with Acts chapter 4, verses 23 through 31, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:
‘Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
--Acts 4:23-31 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, when Peter and John returned to their disciple brothers, they were all so joyful that they lifted their thanks to You in prayer. They recognized Your authority and control and asked You for the boldness to continue the work Jesus left them. Father, thank You for saving this scene for us, this example of how we can turn to You for help in our own labors. Please help us to be bold, too, as we try to share the Good News of salvation with others.
Now speak to us, Father, speak to our minds and our hearts, that we may hear Your message this day. Give us clearer vision into Your will for our lives. This we pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
Michael Cocoris, in his book, Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, shared a short lesson provided by an English preacher who was challenged by his monarch:
Hugh Lattimer once preached before King Henry VIII. Henry was greatly displeased by the boldness in the sermon and ordered Lattimer to preach again on the following Sunday and apologize for the offence he had given. The next Sunday, after reading his text, he thus began his sermon: "Hugh Lattimer, dost thou know before whom thou are this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch, the king's most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life, if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest, upon Whose message thou are sent? Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholdeth all thy ways and Who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliverest thy message faithfully." He then preached the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sunday, and with considerably more energy.
Henry the 8th is mostly remember for his many wives, but also for the huge disagreement he had with the Pope in Rome which led to the English Reformation and the founding of the Church of England, of which Henry appointed himself as head. Evangelist Hugh Lattimer also knew that, as king, Henry held the power of life and death over his subjects, including Hugh.
But Hugh also knew that God is truly the ultimate authority, who holds our very soul, our eternal life in His hands. So Hugh made the bold move to serve and please God rather than his earthly king.
Let me give you a little background on this morning’s scripture reading. Peter and John had entered the temple where a crippled man cried out to them for money, for charity. The man was in his 40's and had been lame since birth. Having no money to give, they healed him instead. Our Bible tells us more than 5000 people witnessed this and believed what Peter preached about Jesus.
Of course, all of this enraged the Jewish leaders, who had Peter and John arrested and brought before them. But they really had nothing they could hold against the disciples, so they forbade them to preach or heal in the name of Jesus anymore, then let them go.
And we read what followed. The disciples all came together in prayer, giving thanks and asking for boldness to continue their efforts. And the whole place shook as the Holy Spirit moved among them.
Much like Hugh Lattimer, Peter and John were bold in healing the lame man and preaching in front of that great mass of witnesses, all in the name of Jesus. The Jewish leadership had surely thought they’d put an end to all this Jesus stuff, but here were His followers, carrying on in His place.
From all this we can see that speaking out for Jesus may carry certain risks in this world. Paul was quite familiar with those risks. Almost immediately after his conversion, while he was still known as Saul, the persecutor of the church, he began to preach the truth of Jesus. When he went with Barnabas to Jerusalem, the rest of the disciples feared him and were not willing to give him a chance at first. Hear how Luke recorded this incident, in chapter 9 of the Book of Acts, verses 26 through 30...
The risks of being bold were great in those early days. Peter and others of the disciples were arrested again, and this time thrown in prison. But an angel of the Lord let them out during the night and told them to go preach in the temple. They did just that the next morning, and were arrested once more, again charged with preaching and healing in the name of Jesus after being told not to. Peter answered that charge quite succinctly, as seen in chapter 5 of Acts, verse 29...
Like Hugh Lattimer, Peter proclaimed that it is far better to speak for God, faithfully delivering His message, since He holds our eternal life in the balance, than to speak what man wants to hear, even if that man holds our earthly life in his hands.
The disciples were released, but only after being beaten and yet again ordered not to speak out in the name of Jesus. How did they respond? Listen to what Luke tells us in Acts chapter 5 verses 41 and 42...
Of course, since God is good, there are rewards for those willing to take the risks of doing the job Jesus assigned us. We already heard how over 5000 people came to Christ after Peter and John healed the lame man and they heard Peter speak the truth of Jesus. Listen also to what Luke tells us resulted from all this risk-taking, in Acts chapter 9, verse 31...
Sometimes we are able to realize our rewards during this life, but sometimes not until the next. The disciples all suffered greatly in this life, even as they carried out Jesus’ work with boldness. But Luke tells us that one result of their efforts was that all the churches in the region enjoyed a period of peace and were uplifted by the Holy Spirit. Not only that, but they grew, in the number of individuals within the churches and in the number of churches being created. And it all started with two men being bold enough to speak and act in the name of Jesus, no matter the personal cost.
A common complaint among churches today is that we are aging out, our numbers are shrinking. Young people are not coming in, not staying even after being raised in the church. But I have to ask, are we going out to them, as Jesus commanded us? Are we living our lives the way our Bible tells us we should so that others can see Jesus in our actions?
Are we speaking out for truth, for justice, for Jesus? It’s easy to sit back and complain. It takes courage to go out and make things happen. Now is the time for boldness. Be bold, family, be bold! In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You are the Creator of all, and none can stand against You. Thank You, Father, for granting us salvation through our belief in Your Son Jesus. Now please give us the boldness to put our belief into action. Please forgive us when we are too timid or afraid to speak out, to tell others just what Jesus means to us. Help us be more bold in our interactions with others.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our disobedient ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, before You left this earth to return to Your Father in heaven, You gave us a job to do. You commissioned us to go out and tell all the world about You, sharing with them all that You said and did. Thank You, Lord, for promising to always be with us. Please stand by our side and help us carry on the work You began.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Now speak to us, Father, speak to our minds and our hearts, that we may hear Your message this day. Give us clearer vision into Your will for our lives. This we pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
Michael Cocoris, in his book, Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, shared a short lesson provided by an English preacher who was challenged by his monarch:
Hugh Lattimer once preached before King Henry VIII. Henry was greatly displeased by the boldness in the sermon and ordered Lattimer to preach again on the following Sunday and apologize for the offence he had given. The next Sunday, after reading his text, he thus began his sermon: "Hugh Lattimer, dost thou know before whom thou are this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch, the king's most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life, if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest, upon Whose message thou are sent? Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholdeth all thy ways and Who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliverest thy message faithfully." He then preached the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sunday, and with considerably more energy.
Henry the 8th is mostly remember for his many wives, but also for the huge disagreement he had with the Pope in Rome which led to the English Reformation and the founding of the Church of England, of which Henry appointed himself as head. Evangelist Hugh Lattimer also knew that, as king, Henry held the power of life and death over his subjects, including Hugh.
But Hugh also knew that God is truly the ultimate authority, who holds our very soul, our eternal life in His hands. So Hugh made the bold move to serve and please God rather than his earthly king.
Let me give you a little background on this morning’s scripture reading. Peter and John had entered the temple where a crippled man cried out to them for money, for charity. The man was in his 40's and had been lame since birth. Having no money to give, they healed him instead. Our Bible tells us more than 5000 people witnessed this and believed what Peter preached about Jesus.
Of course, all of this enraged the Jewish leaders, who had Peter and John arrested and brought before them. But they really had nothing they could hold against the disciples, so they forbade them to preach or heal in the name of Jesus anymore, then let them go.
And we read what followed. The disciples all came together in prayer, giving thanks and asking for boldness to continue their efforts. And the whole place shook as the Holy Spirit moved among them.
Much like Hugh Lattimer, Peter and John were bold in healing the lame man and preaching in front of that great mass of witnesses, all in the name of Jesus. The Jewish leadership had surely thought they’d put an end to all this Jesus stuff, but here were His followers, carrying on in His place.
From all this we can see that speaking out for Jesus may carry certain risks in this world. Paul was quite familiar with those risks. Almost immediately after his conversion, while he was still known as Saul, the persecutor of the church, he began to preach the truth of Jesus. When he went with Barnabas to Jerusalem, the rest of the disciples feared him and were not willing to give him a chance at first. Hear how Luke recorded this incident, in chapter 9 of the Book of Acts, verses 26 through 30...
26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. 30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.
--Acts 9:26-30 (NKJV)
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
--Acts 5:29 (NKJV)
The disciples were released, but only after being beaten and yet again ordered not to speak out in the name of Jesus. How did they respond? Listen to what Luke tells us in Acts chapter 5 verses 41 and 42...
41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
--Acts 5:41-42 (NKJV)
31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
--Acts 9:31 (NKJV)
A common complaint among churches today is that we are aging out, our numbers are shrinking. Young people are not coming in, not staying even after being raised in the church. But I have to ask, are we going out to them, as Jesus commanded us? Are we living our lives the way our Bible tells us we should so that others can see Jesus in our actions?
Are we speaking out for truth, for justice, for Jesus? It’s easy to sit back and complain. It takes courage to go out and make things happen. Now is the time for boldness. Be bold, family, be bold! In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You are the Creator of all, and none can stand against You. Thank You, Father, for granting us salvation through our belief in Your Son Jesus. Now please give us the boldness to put our belief into action. Please forgive us when we are too timid or afraid to speak out, to tell others just what Jesus means to us. Help us be more bold in our interactions with others.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our disobedient ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, before You left this earth to return to Your Father in heaven, You gave us a job to do. You commissioned us to go out and tell all the world about You, sharing with them all that You said and did. Thank You, Lord, for promising to always be with us. Please stand by our side and help us carry on the work You began.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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