You’re Filled. Now Act Like It. S5e28 Acts4:8.mp3

The same nasty administration that killed Jesus a few weeks prior, arrests John and Peter.  It must have been terrifying.  I wonder if they said these words, "I wonder if we get crucified tomorrow?" It might have been the scariest arrest of all time.

Similarly, we do not know what is going to happen to us today.  We do not know the challenges and temptations ahead.  We do not know how our faith and our FILLING will be tested.  

Peter is the unrivaled chief KNUCKLEHEAD in the gospels.  (In the Old Testament, he has many rivals.  David, Naaman, Jacob, and Sampson come to mind.) But here he is brave and specifically eloquent.  How?  He is filled.  The Holy Spirit is giving him a voice.  We have THE SAME FILLING.  The charge is, though we don't know what is going to happen in our near future, we DO KNOW WHO we are going into that near-future with:  The Holy Spirit.  Let us, like Peter, ACT LIKE IT.  

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Transcript

Michael Smith: 0:01

Good morning, my brothers and sisters, welcome to episode 2128 In the book of Acts, and we have been following the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the church specifically into Peter and John, who are giving a speech now before the council in chapter four of the book of Acts, listen with me, and then we're going to break it down. This is Chapter Four of the book of Acts. And as they were speaking to the people, the priests in the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed in the number of men who came to about 5000. Last we heard it was about 3000. On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Anis the high priest and Chi office, and John Alexander and all who were of the high priestly family. And when they had set them in the mitts they inquired by what power? Or by what name? Did you do this, then Peter, coma, filled with the Holy Spirit coma, said to them, rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it been known to you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised Him, the dead by him, this man is standing before you well. So the man they're talking about is the lame man who gets healed by Peter and John, then he attracts a crowd, then Jesus, then Peter preaches to that crowd all the way through chapter three of the book of Acts. But then the speech kind of edits de nuit de NUMA is interrupted by these guys here. And now in chapter four, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees they come upon him. And what is interesting is, what is the the the interruption the interruption? The reason is because of annoyance this provoking this irking, they were greatly disturbed. Why? Because the Jewish officials thought that this was a done deal, that this had been extinguished when they extinguished Jesus on the on the cross. So these guys are arrested. Now let's talk about that just for a second, they lose their liberty. I think it's the first official persecution consequence in their lives in the early churches lives. And it has to be the scariest arrest of all time. Why? Why wasn't Jesus's arrest worse than that? Well, Jesus, like six times through the, through the early gospel, say, Look, I'm going to get arrested in Jerusalem, we're going to go to Jerusalem, I'm going to get arrested, they're going to, I'm going to suffer, I'm going to die in three days, I'm going to rise again. So when Jesus got arrested, they knew exactly what was going to happen. Jesus, for sure did and the disciples eventually came to that knowledge. But these guys, they don't know what's going to happen. They know who they're with, which is the Holy Spirit, and who's indwelling them, which is the Holy Spirit and how things have changed because of the Holy Spirit, but they don't know what's going to happen. So we see some of the external things that are happening because of the Holy Spirit. In chapter two, the church was 3000 people, big 3000 men. And then now in chapter four, at the end of this speech, we see that pop up to 5000 Men, maybe 10,000. If you include women and minors. It's the it's the moment when the church goes viral, and we're going to lose count shortly after this. But here's my thought about numbers. What is the number that counts? It's just one it's one repentant soul. So Heaven is going to be full of believers who came there one at a time nobody is grouped into the Kingdom it's all about the hearing and believing that's from our side and the Holy Spirit helping on his side this effective call and the saving grace and then his His indwelling us but it happens one at a time. All right, so they don't know what's going to happen. They're in prison all day long. The the powers that be gathered the rulers and the elders and describes and where are they don't forget where they are. They're in Jerusalem. And who's in power. Well, it's the same guys that crucified Jesus. Not too long ago. We had Jesus walking around for four The days we had three days in the tomb we had one day of his torture and, and crucifixion then we have a couple days of waiting or maybe a couple of weeks. It doesn't doesn't say exactly how long they wait for the Holy Spirit, but it hasn't been very long. In other words, the same people are in, in power. So when these guys went to bed that night, I think they're asking this question, I wonder if I'm going to get crucified tomorrow. Now, the answer instinct for Peter is yes, he does get crucified, but the answer is not tomorrow. It happens. It happens later. Alright, and who are these guys and as the high priests so he wasn't high praise. They called him The High Priestess like we call President Obama President still. He stopped being high priest in 15 ad chi, if this is the high priest, he's, he's high priest until 36. AD and John is as Anna, his, his son, and he becomes high priest in year 36. So it's really this incredible high priestly family. It's the power that that that is super powered, it's the who's who have Jewish leadership. And here's what they want to know verse seven, by what power or what name did you do this? And if the if the answer is Jesus, remember, we killed him? And then the answer is here, Peter, comma filled with the Holy Spirit, comma, so we find him brave. We find him speaking, we find him filled. And remember, Peter was the number one example of knuckle headedness in the in the Gospels. Now, if you go back to the Old Testament, there's a whole bunch of candidates for King knucklehead David would be one name and Jacob Samson, those are ones I just thought of, but Peter, in the New Testament, He is the absolute unreal, unrivaled Ray knucklehead. That is in the Gospels. And then everything changes why? Well because he becomes filled. Remember the fire in chapter two, the the fire appears, and then it rested on him and they are filled, and it doesn't go away. And we see him now filled with the Holy Spirit. So here's my charge for the day is you don't know what's going to happen today. Just like these guys, when they got arrested, didn't know what's gonna happen today. But you know what, you know, with whom? That is the Holy Spirit. You're going to go through this day with so my charge, just like to Peter is to act like it acts like it if you will, because we're studying the book of Acts. So go do your day, being filled with the Spirit and I will see you tomorrow.