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[Music] welcome to everyone it's good to be in the house of our God on this Lord's Day just a reminder that our service this evening will be at 4 p.m. not 5 p.m. so please show up at 4 for our joint worship service with the Surry Reformed Baptist Church here and then we'll have some food and fellowship following the service well for our call to worship this morning you may turn in your Bibles to the book of Revelation Revelation chapter 5 Revelation chapter 5 I'll begin reading in verse 8 now when he had taken the scroll the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints and they sang a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and it made us kings and priests who are God and we shall reign on the earth then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne the living creatures and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them I heard saying blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the land for ever and ever then the four living creatures said amen and the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped him who lives for ever and ever well in this section of Revelation God is praised and glorified in Chapter four for his works of creation and here in chapter 5 he is glorified for the work of redemption through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ he is worthy to be praised because Christ has redeemed us to God by by his blood out of every tribe and tongue and people in Asia so let us join with the Saints in heaven today worshiping the God of absolute sovereignty supremacy and glory here on earth will please turn with me in your Trinity hymnal to him number 89 hymn number 89 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] oh well let us pray a great God and our holy father we thank you for the written word of God for it not only instructs us who you are but it instructs us how we are to respond we bless you and we praise you for the work of creation we know that you did all of this by the word of your power in the space of six days and all very good and it was all of nothing you didn't have prior matter to to put together but certainly God creation is of the Lord we thank you and acknowledge your Providence we know that you caused all things to work together for good for those who love you and to those who are the called according to your purpose the psalmist tells us that you are in the heavens and you do whatever you please and we know that you govern all your creatures and their actions according to your wisdom and your power and your glory and on these Sabbath days we come specifically and we remember the work of redemption it is the blood of Christ that has redeemed us to God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation maybe we never tire of hearing these things and may it never ever be the case that we don't respond with worship and praise and glory and adoration given to the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit for you are a great God you're a God who is to be feared a God who is to be revered a God who is to be glorified and a God who is to be rejoiced in for certainly you are most high and most blessed and you have dealt so graciously and so kindly with us we give praise to you on this Lord's Day asking that you would rend the heavens and come down and be found among your people in this place we see in the songs that you are enthroned upon the praises of your people and as we sing this morning and evening help us to do so in a manner that is consistent with the Word of God may it be a time of teaching and admonishing one another in these Psalms and hymns and may God be glorified and praised in the midst of it we ask as well father that you would just deal mercifully with us so we consider who you are and what the scripture declares concerning you so we see ourselves before your law we see our own transgressions and our lack of conformity to that law and so we confess our sins now asking for forgiveness in and through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ rejoicing Lord God that you are faithful and just to forgive those who do confess thankful that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared and even now Lord God may these things affect us in that way so that we may worship you in spirit and in truth we ask for those who've come here this morning Unforgiven those who are dead in their trespasses and sins we know it's not because of any good in man that that that obligates God to make him favorable toward men but it's solely and alone the grace of God Almighty we pray that today would be the day of salvation here and throughout this city and nation wherever your gospel is preached we pray that word would run swiftly and be glorified and that many from every tribe every tongue and people the nation would come and taste and see that the Lord is good we ask that you would deal mercifully in this congregation in the spiritual realm where we all come weary and heavy-laden we all come battling from the various things that affect us in this world and so we pray that today would be a day of refreshment for our hearts to administer unto each one of us she would fill us with the Holy Spirit she would grant us that comfort and that grace and that that blessed reminder of the stability and security that we have in in our Lord Jesus may the word be a refreshment to our own Souls and may you indeed build us up in our most holy faith further conform us unto the image of your beloved son and send us into this world to shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation and give us courage to hold forth your word of truth undertake on behalf of those struggling physically we know there are many needs in our congregation and our father we do pray for our sister Linda we pray for mr. Neufeld and mr. Proctor we pray for those who are weighed down with various physical burdens and cares and concerns and we just commit them to you asking that you would bless them in their physical and their physical being but even more God encouraged them in the inner man we rejoice that the Apostle said that these momentary light affliction they're nothing compared to the exceeding weight of glory that does await the people of God may this indeed be an encouragement to all of us with spiritual and physical trials knowing that heaven is in our future knowing that eternal state where we will be with Father Son and Holy Spirit where there will be no more sin no more sorrow no more death no more suffering or hunger or pain God may we oftentimes refresh our minds with these promises these covenant promises that are all realized in our Lord Jesus Christ may this be a great boon to us in this lower world and may we walk and leap and praise and enjoy the God of heaven and earth even here we ask that you would bless the churches we thank you for the story--it Reformed Baptist Church we look forward to seeing them tonight we do pray for that body that they would be faithful and useful in your hand in that community we also pray for the Saints and Vernon and thank you for that work and pray that you would establish it that you would supply to them those things necessary so that they may go forth in the fear of God and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit we pray that you'd be merciful to the governing authorities in our land the Apostle tells us to do so so that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives with all godliness and reverence so we pray for those in high places that you would put the fear of God in their hearts that they would bow the knee to the king of kings and Lord of lords and that they would govern according to righteousness and justice we live in a generation in a nation that is steeped in wickedness and lawlessness and ungodliness and we can only cry out to you that in your wrath you would remember mercy that you would send forth your word that preachers pastors churches would hold fast that word of truth that doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone a continual emphasis upon the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ these are the things needful righteousness and the part of government a lack of of legislating immorality and the preaching of the truth of the gospel in the churches may this be the case for the glory of God and for the good of your people here on earth and we also pray for the persecuted church for brothers and sisters suffering in other parts of the world suffering in ways that we can't even conceive God we pray that you would come to the aid and the rescue of those who are in prison those who have lost everything for the cause of Jesus Christ and Lord God we pray that you would encourage their hearts and give them fresh resolve and and strength to stay the course to be persistent to be those who faithfully testify to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ even in in godless places and unbelieving places in places where there is great threat to their own safety and comfort and our Father bless us now help us to glorify you give us the grace to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ not to have wandering thoughts not to be concerned with things that are legitimate other days but even now Lord God may we be consumed with the worship of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well you could turn with me in your Trinity Psalter to Psalm 97 Psalm 97 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] we could turn with me in your Bibles to Luke's Gospel where in Luke chapter 22 Luke chapter 22 we'll pick up reading in verse 24 Luke 22 beginning in verse 24 now there was also dispute among them asked which of them should be considered the greatest and he said to them the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and those who exercised authority over them are called benefactors but not so among you on the contrary he who is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he who governs as he who serves for who is greater he who sits at the table or he who serves is it not he who sits at the table yet I am among you as the one who serves but you are those who have continued with me in my trials and I bestow upon you a kingdom just as my father bestowed one upon you that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on the thrones or sit on Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel and the Lord said Simon Simon indeed Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail and when you have returned to me strengthen your brethren but he said to him Lord I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death then he said I tell you Peter the rooster shall not crow this day before he will deny three times that you know me and went and he said to them when I sent you without money bag knapsack and sandals did you lack anything so they said nothing then he said to them but now he who has a money bag let him take it and likewise a knapsack and he who has no sword let him sell His garment and buy one for I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in me and he was numbered with the transgressors for the things concerning me have an end so they look Lord look here are two swords and he said to them it is enough coming out he went to the Mount of Olives as he was accustomed and his disciples also followed him when he came to the place he said to them pray that you may not enter into temptation and he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw and he knelt down and prayed saying father if it is your will take this cup away from me nevertheless not my will but yours be done then an angel appeared to him from heaven strengthening him and being in agony he prayed more earnestly then his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground when he arose from up from prayer and had come to his disciples he found them sleeping from sorrow and he said to them why do you sleep rise and pray lest you enter into temptation amen well the first thing that I'd like us to observe is something that is symptomatic I think and typical of people people in general and this may offend you I want to give you a bit of a trigger warning here but we are incredibly selfish and we are incredibly narcissistic and I think that's evident here in verse 24 now there was also a dispute among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest now you might say well those terrible disciples those horrible apostles how dare they say that sort of thing how dare we say the same sorts of things today wanting to be great wanting to be first wanting to make sure everybody knows how wonderful we are may I remind you of the context that we find Jesus and the disciples in he has announced to them on several occasions that he's going to be crucified at the hands of godless men he's just inaugurated the new covenant which is in his blood he has spoken of his own death his own demise his own utter abandonment from man and ultimately God the Father and these men are wondering who's going to be the greatest among that now again maybe you're the most humble soul in this place and you don't need to hear what I'm about to say the most of us the rest of us ought to take heed of what really lies in our heart and seek by the grace of God to mortify that wretched pride that always wants to be recognized as the best as the greatest as the first as the most important it is detrimental to our souls well-being that we seek to kill that sort of thing as it rises up in our hearts may god humble us and may God cause us to be a people that are not jockeying for position but a rather faithful and obedient to our master and then we see our Lord's words to them again it's just so gracious and so merciful if you look at verse 28 he says but you are those who have continued with me in my trials and I bestow upon you a kingdom just as my father bestowed one upon me so even when their jockeying for position and even when the the Lord Jesus gives them great instruction concerning the way that that the Gentiles function he doesn't dispossessed them he doesn't disown them he doesn't cut them off and say we were jockeying for position you desire to be great too bad for you no he says you have continued with me and I bestow on you literally I covenant to you a kingdom the Lord Christ covenants this kingdom to his followers and he conveys upon them great blessing and great mercy and great encouragement and then the final thing that I hope that we will appreciate when it comes to this particular section Jesus prayer in the garden father if it is your will take this cup away from me nevertheless not my will but yours be done those in the last hour would have to confess that this has spoken according to Jesus humanity the Lord Jesus Christ and his humanity Christ and the father if it is possible take this cup from me now he resolves to do the will of the Father he embraces what has always been the purpose and plan with reference to his role as mediator but we ought to see in this enormity of the suffering of the son of man and it's not necessarily the physical pain that he will undergo on the cross but it's ultimately the father forsaking him as he cries out on the cross you see what lay in Jesus future at least at this particular time was something increasingly or inestimable difficult we oftentimes talk about burying our own crosses I'm sorry but a cold is not a cross the cross meant crucifixion at the hands of godless men it meant a great deal of suffering and pain and torment but the added dimension the one which caused Christ to actually cry out from the cross was the abandonment of the father of the son and again not in terms of a breach in the Trinity not in terms of no love whatsoever but according to his humanity he suffered the wrath and the fury of God Almighty this provoked the Son of man to cry why hast thou forsaken me now again I don't want to minimize our pain our suffering our trials and our afflictions but we ought to be careful what we identify as a cross the cross had a specific meaning in the first century and the cross is something that is full of the vengeance of God the wrath of God the fury of God and it manifests ultimately the love of God for us and Christ's willingness to do what he says in this passage I didn't come to be served but to serve and to give my life a ransom for many that's what Christ says you want to be great in the kingdom be the least you want to be first be the last well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word and we thank you for this section of the passion narrative concerning our Lord Jesus Christ help us to pursue humility not because we read books or because we tell people but because we're in the business of killing pride may it not be the case Lord God that we want to be like the Gentiles so that we want to be the greatest or we want to be the most well known but help us to want to be faithful to our gone faithful to the Word of God faithful to persevere and do those things you call us unto and Lord how we thank you for what Christ went through on our behalf how we thank you that he took the punishment and the wrath that was due for us so that we might have everlasting life be with us continue with us now we pray through Christ our Lord amen well you may turn again in your Trinity hymnals to number 489 489 will use a familiar tune and will stand and sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well you can turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts Acts chapter 4 Acts chapter 4 we have seen in chapter 3 that Peter and John heal a lame man on the heels of that healing Peter then preaches in Solomon's porch the gospel of Jesus Christ as a result their popularity and notoriety going out the religious leaders get wind of this and they arrest Peter and John they put him in jail till they can convene the Sanhedrin which was the highest court in Israel the religious and political court that would convene to hear such things Peter makes an initial defense and then we'll see here in verses 13 to 22 the deliberation of the council how do these men deal with Peter and John based on their preaching and the healing of this lame man well I want to read beginning in verse 1 to remind us of the context now as they spoke to the people the priests the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead and they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day for it was already evening however many of those who heard the word believed and the number of the men came to be about 5,000 and it came to pass on the next day that the rulers elders and scribes as well as anise the high priest Caiaphas John and Alexander and as many as were of the family of the high priest were gathered together at Jerusalem and when they had set them in the midst they asked by what power or by what name have you done this then Peter filled with the holy spirit said to them rulers of the people and elders of Israel if we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man by what means he has been made well let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead by him this man stands here before you whole this is the stone which was rejected by you builders which has become the chief Cornerstone nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men they marveled and they realized that they had been with Jesus and seeing the man who had been healed standing with them they could say nothing against it but when they had commanded them to go out a side of the council they conferred among themselves saying what shall we do to these men for indeed that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it but so that it spreads no further among the people that excuse me let us severely threaten them that from now on they speak to no man in this name so they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus but Peter and John answered and said to them whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God you judge for we cannot but Speak the things which we have seen and heard so when they had further threatened them they let them go finding no way of punishing them because of the people since they all glorified God for what had been done for the man was over 40 years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed amen let us pray father we thank you for the written word and God we see the contrast between the righteous and the unrighteous the godly and the ungodly the wretch and the the righteous and we pray that we would appreciate what you're doing in this passage that we would appreciate what the Apostles did in terms of their service for the church and may we learn many things for our own faith in this 21st century context we do pray again that you would forgive us for our sins cleanse us from all unrighteousness and fill us with your Holy Spirit we stand in absolute dependence upon you we have great need of the Spirit to illumine our minds and our hearts and we would pray that you would grant us wisdom grant us help grant us grace and strength and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well as I've said these men had preached the gospel these men had in fact healed a lame man that was ultimately the name of Christ it was the power of Christ that was manifested in the healing of this man but this is what disturbed the religious leadership in the first century notice in verse 1 now as they spoke to the people the priest the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead you would think that the Apostles were out there advocating you know insurrection or rebellion or an actual destruction a physical destruction of the temple or that they were printing pornography or they were engaged in some other thing that was absolutely contrary to Judaism now they were greatly disturbed because of Christ that's what lay behind this entire section that's what their problem is in this deliberation they have a genuine issue they have a genuine or their own the genuine horns of a dilemma as they're trying to deal with these apostles on the one hand to silence them but on the other hand not to punish them severely because they just feel delayed man I mean they are in a conundrum so let's look at how they deal with it notice in verses 13 to 22 it breaks down into two broad sections first the deliberation of the council in verses 13 to 17 and then secondly the attempt to silence the Apostles in verses 18 to 22 note first with reference to the deliberation their knowledge you know even a Pharisee a scribe sad you see a religious leader in the first century can't miss certain things now you wouldn't know that from the Gospels because they missed a lot and turn what Jesus did what he taught but even they can't deny certain things concerning these Apostolic men in the first place they saw their boldness they saw the boldness of the Apostles no first third date now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John literally their freedom of speech their ability not to toe the party line their ability to speak those things that they know are contrary to the prevailing opinions of men they were true followers of Jesus they were true servants of the master the master was persecuted the master was ultimately crucified the master was ill treated but they didn't let that stop them they will testify boldly for the master because they follow in his train as we just sang in hymn 489 these men weren't milquetoast these men didn't cry these men didn't hide these men didn't whine they stood up in Solomon's porch and they said the reason that that formerly lame man is now leaping and praising God is because of Christ that Christ you crucified that Christ God raised from the dead that Christ that has held in contempt by the prevailing opinions of those in the leadership of Israel so now again just think through the Sanhedrin there 71 member of the most sort of powerful man in Israel at the time and they see Peter and John who brought it Peter and John who brought the the heat to some have said good preaching is they didn't shrink back they were bold but they also knew that they were uneducated man now I don't know that we're supposed to interpret this as a real sort of mean thing that they had said look at what the text says now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men it simply means the Apostles did not have the same sort of religious training that these religious leaders did they hadn't gone to the rabbinic schools they hadn't gone first for their undergrad and then to their post study that they didn't do that they didn't have PhDs they were Fisher men they were men who understood Nats they were men who understood boats they were men who understood fish I mean if you you know lock them down on their area of expertise they could tell you whatever the sea of gallilee contained in terns of fish that they knew but in terms of theology in terms of understanding the old testament in terms of interpretating that old testament they were uneducated and untrained men literally it's uneducated and untrained it's it's probably more like they were they were lay men the word untrained is literally where we get the word idiot but it didn't mean that at this particular time it meant something like Lena these guys are our lay men they're not one of us they don't have advanced degrees they haven't gone through the approved schools they don't know who the hell L is or should mine they don't know what all that stuff is and nevertheless they're bold men see it's a it's a wonderful thing to be with Jesus isn't it good I mean that's ultimately what's in stay at stake here it's because they had been with Jesus being with Jesus helps you to overcome your uneducated Ness and your untrained Ness time sitting at Jesus feet is far surpassing or far surpasses everything you'll get elsewhere and then notice what else they knew well just just going to flesh that out John 7:15 the Jews marvel even at Jesus saying how does this man know letters having never studied see they said the same thing about Jesus he he's a carpenter and in Nazareth he's a he's a carpenter from Galilee how does he possibly know any letters having never studied and then later on John in John's Gospel in 749 the religious leaders basically write off everybody in Israel because they don't know the law they didn't mean they didn't know the Ten Commandments they didn't mean they couldn't recite to you that you shouldn't commit adultery they didn't know it because they hadn't studied it like this grew and that's kind of the the thrust here they perceived the boldness around they see the boldness of Peter and John and then they think to themselves they're uneducated and untrained they're they're hillbillies you know they probably said this with a bit of a smile you know yeah they're just they're just from Galilee I mean that's how they wrote Jesus off isn't it he's from Galilee Galilee was Eastern Kentucky - you know Jerusalem which would have been New York City you wander into New York City from Eastern Kentucky and they don't typically marvel at you because you're the bat you know the paradigm of wisdom and knowledge and training and learning what skid-man is similar to even a chill wacky at an event Coover I I couldn't chew a cumulus dairy farm everybody in chillax a dairy farmer - people who live in Vancouver they just have this view I mean if that many people dairy farm how could we possibly live be so many thousand so happily couldn't move she see there's this kind of parochialism about it and there's this kind of pride about it and there's this kind of arrogance about it that you know these men have a bold mass but but they're on the train they're uneducated they're dude there's just fishermen they're rabble they're out of their league they're out of their element they're in a position or place where well they're just not to be and then notice they had known or rather they knew that they had been with Jesus well sort of pull some more out of that later in terms of application that's what the text says they perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men and they marvel they marveled because uneducated and untrained men were beating that make no mistake about this these uneducated and untrained man were besting the Sanhedrin probably had been a long time since they had seen that kind of fervor with reference to preaching imagine going to one of these lectures that these guys put on it would bore you to tears because they didn't understand the very old testament that they said they lived by are they they adhere to now peter gets up and says the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus the Old Testament finds its yay and amen in Jesus everything the prophets and the law spoke of finds its realization in Jesus that's thrilling that's encouraging that's building one up and so now these aren't educated untrained men Marvel they're provided an opportunity for these guys to marvel because they're actually beating that they're taking away from their power structure and their authority and then he goes on to say and they realize that they had been with Jesus now how does that make sense in the context remember we're not dealing with a span you know Jesus died and he rose and he ascended on high and then 20 years later we have the book of Acts that that's just not the timeline it's it's months remember these same religious leaders were the same guys in the Sanhedrin that tried our Lord Jesus Christ we see it there in verse 5 that the reference is to Caiaphas into Anna's those are the same priests that are referenced in the gospel narratives concerning our Lord Jesus what did they learn in life in the Ministry of the Lord Jesus they learned that he was brilliant they learned that he was wise they learned he was skilled I've already quoted John 7 how does he know this having never studied letters how can he possibly prosecute the truth of the Old Testament in this way having never gone to the rabbinic schools how did he learn this fashioning you know tables and chairs and whatever else he did in his father's carpentry shop how does he know this stuff but know it he did and they understood that they could not speak against Jesus in terms of biblical interpretation they didn't agree with him they didn't like it they didn't receive it and embrace it but they certainly could not dispute with him in terms of the finer details of the interpretation of the Old Testament so the Sanhedrin presently sees the same thing they had been with Jesus the way that Jesus was wise the Jesus way that Jesus was knowledgeable the way that Jesus did what he did in terms of his teaching Jesus obviously passed this on to his apostles exactly that's what he did that's that's why the three years or one of the reasons for the three years they didn't go to seminary they didn't go to you know abroad they hung out with Jesus best senator Mary Ann on Cemetery seminary training ever they were with Jesus if anything it ought to teach us with reference to seminary or teaching ministerial candidate that there were Jesus first and foremost they're men of Prayer they're men of the Bible they're men of good theology not simply so they can teach but they follow in the heels of Ezra Ezra the scribe according to Ezra 7:10 he set his heart to study the law of God to do it and then to teach that the statutes in Israel there's a conspicuous pattern there there is a conspicuous pattern there he studies the law to do it and then to teach you see they had been with Jesus they had the savor the aroma of those who had been with Jesus now note the problem and the solution for the Sanhedrin in verses 15 to 17 verse 14 tells us what their problem was and seeing the man who had been healed standing with them they could say nothing against it that's their problem and I think the text is beautifully beautifully conspicuous here he's standing he didn't used to do that did he he used to lay by the gate called beautiful and he used to hold out his palm and he used to beg for alms and now in verse 14 he is with Peter and John either he had been arrested along with them or he is a witness he's certainly not a witness for the prosecution because he's standing and they know this is a problem they cannot deny it all throughout this passage one wonders that if this had not been as publicized that they would have denied it I think they would have so the problem is very simple it the whole key to interpretation in this passage is found in verse 21 notice because of the people because of the people if it hadn't been so widely disseminated they'd have no problem they could deny the authority of the Apostles they could deny the doctrine of the Apostles they could deny the teaching of the Apostles except for this pesky fact that man who was over 40 years old who had been lame who had been who had been made who had been making his life begging for alms at the beautiful gate he's standing right here you see their problem kids they want to deny the Apostles but in order to deny the Apostles they'd have to you know turn back time and get rid of this healed man they probably prefer that he never got healed I mean this is this just pathetic it's kind of symptomatic of what happens today facts are pesky pesky things aren't they you know Peter even says that if we're on trial today for a good deed done to a lay man this is where we fall in this is the the place to which we've degenerated we have to defend ourselves because a man that was formerly lame can now leap and praise and worship God that this is how far we fall in and in first century Israel but but that's their problem the problem confronting the Sanhedrin was strapped standing right before their eyes he had been healed as well the problem was such that they could not deny the validity of the healing that's their problem in to verse 14 they could say nothing about it jesus said in Luke 21 15 after talking about giving the spirit to the apostles so that they'd be able to make a defense for themselves he says for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist you can't change thoughts this man who was lame this man who only begged this man who only laid on his mat is now standing before the Sanhedrin so what do they do well Peter and John we want a sidebar you have to step out we got to orchestrate this we got to manipulate this we have to engage in damage control and we don't want you in earshot so you know close the door on your way out so much for a man getting to meet his accuser face to face but this is precisely what happens notice verse 15 when they had commanded them to go aside of the council they conferred among themselves saying the question concerns what shall we do to these men a medal a certificate of appreciation a free lunch a good for you remember what's the crime up to this point they've healed all amen oh yeah they preach some things that well we're gonna see that's their issue it's not the healing of the lame man it's the doctrine it's the preaching in this name that's what's subversive to the Sanhedrin but but up to this point well what shall we do to these men nobody of those 71 said we ought to congratulate them we've never seen something like that that's great this guy who was formally begging and you know eking out a subsistence lifestyle a man who couldn't walk I saw him leaping and praising and worshipping God well we should praise God for this how come that doesn't arise what why is that not an option why is following the lead of the people who glorified God over this something that wasn't even open to that again it's their power it's their position it's their prestige it's their their place that's being threatened and they don't like it I've said on several occasions in our studies and acts Luke is giving us a decisive shift of leadership or a decisively a shift in terms of leadership it's not to temple and it's certainly not the Sanhedrin its Christ and His apostles now notice we see the nagging problem they have verse 16 what shall we do to these men for indeed that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it I do think the implication is if it wasn't that well known we would deny it never happened no proof no witnesses no corroboration no evidence it never happened but they couldn't get rid of all Jerusalem they couldn't ask everybody to go away while they dealt with the Apostles they have a nagging problem Daniel Bock says Peter and John claimed that the Cure had been affected by the power of Jesus name the judges or their judges were in no position to deny the claim and we see the problem is exacerbated by that reality that everybody in Jerusalem knew it remember chapter 3 verse 1 it's not just telling us oh I just happen to be this gate havin to be call beautiful it's setting the scene for us that this man had been there as furniture the last statement in our particular narrative that he was over 40 it's both the reason why the people were praising and glorifying God for this miracle of healing but it also underscores their nagging problem it wasn't like some guy that just showed up I mean you probably all drive around Chilliwack from time to time and you see the same sort of people that perhaps are on certain corners and other times you see people that you've never seen before I see it here we get people that are pretty regular visiting the back of our church building and other times I haven't seen them before you know there's a difference between somebody that's been sort of rooted into a community for 40 years and somebody that's only been there for 40 minutes the Sanhedrin has big problems I want you to feel that with me I want you to get that I want you to understand that because it does result in what Calvin says he says here we may see an evil conscience for being destitute of right and reason they break out into open tyranny so you know we talked about religious freedom and we talked about freedom of speech these guys certainly didn't have it in fact that's one of my things along the way is we need to be reminded on what a blessing the freedom of speech and religion are we take that for granted you can't take a Bible in to Saudi Arabia at least you couldn't in the 80s if you TD wide they're from from England on the list of forbidden items when you went on a TV why the Saudi Arabia it was a Bible No alcohol no pornography no drugs no Bible see we have freedom of religion and freedom of speech and I'm not suggesting they're not trying to encroach upon it I get that I understand that and it's horrible which is why first Timothy 2:2 matters do you pray for kings and all who are in authority so that we the people of God can live peaceable and quiet lives you know godliness and reverence oh you know they got around to both editions we don't want anything to do with them we're gonna Baptist no we're not in a Baptist brethren we're reformed brethren and we pray for the governing authorities because Paul tells us to do so we have the example in the Prophet Jeremiah the Jeremiah's told the write a letter to the exiles what are they supposed to do they're supposed to pray for the city that they are captive in not for its overthrow being overthrown but so that they won't be molested so that they won't be affected so that they won't be ruined so that they may be able to worship God even in that place that is not conducive to the worship of God you see what we have in this example or in this passage is an example of tyranny now the desire to stop the spread of the gospel notice in verse 17 so they understand their problem verse 17 says but so that it spreads no further among the people let us severely threaten them that from now on they may speak to no man in this name so this is obviously the desire to stop the spread of the gospel it's not the the report of the miracle necessarily when they threaten them later and say you can't go out and tell anybody this he's not talking about the healing of a man at that point it's talking about preaching Jesus Christ as Messiah now again in case you've missed the dilemma facing this people facing the Sanhedrin the people all saw this happen so if they punished Peter and John how is that going to affect the people be kind of like if you went to a you know one-year-olds birthday party and protested what did the one-year-old do I say this thinking this may actually happen in the present political climate but it's you know completely outlandish protesting a one-year-olds party Wow good for you Percy two men that were the agents of the healing of another man what what kind of girls do that see that's what's driving the sanhedrin they have a particular political problem at their hands on the one hand if they persecute Peter and John everybody's gonna say are you guys monsters but on the other hand if they don't stop Peter and John the gospel of this name continues to go forth so I say there on the real on a real horns of the horns of a dilemma that means you got two options and both are equally bad now let's see how they deal with it what we know what we'll do well what will threaten them and it's literally will threaten with threatenings with reference to them and the threat did not concern reporting the miracle of healing but rather the preaching of the name that was behind the healing bark again says the warning is designed to intimidate the Apostles with the leadership's priestly authority over Judaism it's a power move will threaten them with threatenings and will tell them you need to be quiet you need to be silent you cannot exercise your freedom of speech which as I understand it the Jews themselves enjoyed a great deal of under the Roman government the Romans weren't down with Judaism the Romans weren't worshipers of alongside of Judea a Jew the Jew Dias the Jews rather no they didn't do that but they tolerated the religion they tolerated the people they tolerated this particular movement and gave them a modicum of respect in terms of freedom of religion and freedom of speech now let's look secondly at the attempt to silence the Apostles verses 18 to 22 so they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus I think if we lived in the former Soviet Union or we lived presently in a Muslim country or our nation's deep in Islam or we lived anywhere else we'd probably be able to resonate with this a lot more than we do do you hear what's at stake their commanding them you're being forbidden from preaching in this name again the healing of the lame man is a problem but it's a symptomatic problem of a larger issue the larger issue is these men hated Christ like they hated him in his earthly ministry they now hate the apostles of Christ like they hated Christ in his earthly ministry their desire is to stop the spread of the gospel their desire is to stop the salvation of men it's a grave grave situation now let's see how the Apostles respond verse 19 Peter and John answered and said to them whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God you judge for Wiimote we cannot but Speak the things which we have seen and heard Socrates is reported to have said essentially the same thing when he was brought up on charges in his time he essentially said you guys judge he's not saying you no judge in the sense that you know let me know if it's right around this Stern it for yourselves examine the situation for yourselves look at it from this vantage point you're asking us Peter and John to choose either God or men and know what Peter and John are doing they are putting God and men at the opposite ends this religious leadership this Sanhedrin saw themselves as the great ones in Israel Peter now in many ways says something extremely subversive he puts God on one side and them on the other if it's right to listen to you more than to God you judge what's he saying you and God aren't saying the same thing you may think you're the voice of God you may think you have royal authority you may think you have this priestly authority but you don't you have positioned yourself contrary to God Almighty Bach again says the leaders are to judge that is on stand that the Apostles must follow God rather than a human ruling I love it for we cannot but Speak the things which we have seen and heard praise God Almighty for the courage of Peter in John praise God Almighty for the fact that he filled them with the Holy Spirit praise God that when they are looking at the threats of this religious council that actually has a great deal of response or atiim power to make life miserable for them they don't kowtow they don't roll over they don't say well you win they said no you judge for yourselves if it's right for a man to position himself aa peson to God this is there you know Luther here I said I can do no other unless my conscience is captivated by the Word of God I can't change I have to do what God says can brother and I praise God that those kinds of men are in our history I praise God for a nation's praise God for Luther praise God for Kelvin praise God for Spurgeon praise God for Peter and John that they were bold and they were courageous and they didn't roll over all over the world today we have people rolling over where all the government says we have to do this and we have to do that again I don't think the passage teaches us always reject and rebel against government thought Gill I think hits the nail on the head he says it is not tonight that magistrates are to be hearkened to and obeyed but not more than God or in things that are contrary to his nature will law honor and glory you see it's not teaching us that at every step Christians must disobey the civil government well the ecclesiastical government no do what they say insofar as they don't contradict God but the moment they contradict God what do you do say well you know the government says I can't say that homosexuality is a sin so I'm not going to say it what I can't say that Jesus is the only way of salvation so I'm not going to say it of course we say it if we ever stop saying it we have betrayed our trust we no longer deserve to be a church if ever there was a time where we ought to see the withdrawal of lamp scans it's when men compromise the very truth of God's Holy Word it's happening everywhere isn't it it's happening all over see it I mean turn on the Google oh this person this person this group this formerly you know consistent conservative evangelical denomination is now denying this is now denying that why are they doing this because Uncle Sam says they have to cuz Justin Trudeau says they must we must obey God rather than men again insofar as men tell us things that are consistent with God's love do it don't be that wingnut either that goes and peels off and you know no civil God no God ordained civil government Jesus speaking his wisdom and Rob Proverbs 8:15 says by me Kings reign Romans 13 there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God mention this in Proverbs recently all you know while some of us may romanticize about anarchy it's not the biblical way God created civil government and insofar as they do not tell you to sin against God do what they say but when they tell you to stop doing what God says that's when you Peter and John we must obey God rather than man they'll say this again in acts 5:29 that's the the paradigm that's the operating instruction that's how we are supposed to go they reject the Sanhedrin they profess their allegiance to Christ and as Gill says this shows their great fidelity and integrity their inviolable attachment to Christ and their fearlessness and but of the displeasure and wrath of men now I doubt well I shouldn't say that because they've already met Jesus but this probably wasn't what they were inclined to hear from people they tried it probably wasn't the case that when the Sanhedrin actually got involved in something they had persons tell them things like this you know they're probably reeling from the what do you mean you're not gonna do what we say well what do you mean you're gonna challenge our authority what do you mean you're gonna do what we tell you not to do again that dilemma hasn't gone away if we punish them it's like the kind of person you know that kicks a kitten we don't want to be perceived as the kind of person that kicks a kitten it's bad if a monster as people are they typically don't kick kittens people that kick kick kittens you know there's just something bizarre about that or puppies who would kick a puppy these guys if they could but they can't and they know that if we punish Peter and John we will be perceived as puppy kickers among all Israel and we can't allow that because we're in this with reference to control power authority but on the other hand we can't let them go we can't let them keep preaching in this name you said look I love it it's a delicious problem that these guys have they're just pressed their VAX these two untrained and uneducated met these Hillbillies from Galilee these fishermen have put us in this position exactly his in God grand is any wonderful isn't he glorious he doesn't raise up an army of PhDs to march onto the Sanhedrin and say all right we'll have a Writing Competition no to two hillbillies stand up and say we're here because of the name of Jesus and it just rocks that they don't know what to do we can't punish them we can't beat them we can't put them in prison I know what we'll do we'll threaten them some more what's the endgame here they got to do something to try and silence Peter and John but also this might be precedent if they threaten them again and again and again if they find themselves in this position again and again and again they can now turn up the screws and hold that in contempt of court see these guys are playing the long game and so far as they're able to try in silence and quash the that the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord so that's what the problem was that's what their solution was and praise God that the Apostles did not roll over but rather they took seriously the mandate that Christ had given to them I want to close with just a couple of things first the benefits of being with Jesus the benefits of being with Jesus now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men they marveled and they realized that they had been with Jesus I would suggest at least from this passage there are three things we ought to appreciate as benefits of being with Jesus first the wisdom granted to understand the Word of God the wisdom granted to understand the Word of God remember Peters not just standing up there saying you know I had a vision I had a dream I had it this idea no he's interpreting the Old Testament and showing how it finds its fulfillment in this recent Jesus of Nazareth whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead brethren being with Jesus produces the wisdom of being able to understand God's Word so what aren't we to conclude if somebody's not really bright when it comes to the scriptures it's not cuz they didn't go to Bible College it's not because they didn't go to seminary because they don't spend time with Jesus see Jesus is that kind of person when you spend time with him he sort of rubs off on you you all have that sometimes kids you have friends like that or siblings like that you know you might not necessarily be the kind of person that throws rocks at windows and you happen to be around some of it it's just kind of like I don't know what happened I just got caught up in the moment cuz cuz of that that's always cousin you let's not be that kind of person that shifts blame on everybody else but but people affect us don't they isn't like proverbs tells us and so many instances too to watch the company we keep people affect us who we spend time with gets into our DNA what do we like it or not for good or ill see when you're with Jesus wonderful thing happens you start to understand Jesus word I always like to caution new believers or people that aren't you know that far advanced in terms of their theological understanding it takes time the first time you study two plus two equals four you didn't know quantum physics there's a there's a process you don't yell at a baby that just learns how to crawl and say you should be running by it know you know that there's a process Christian's get down on them so I should know more well maybe you should but at the same time spend time with Jesus read scripture and you'll see that being with him produces this good fruit psalm 19:7 the law of Yahweh is perfect converting the soul the testimony of Yahweh is sure I love this next phrase making wise the simple is that what happens here before the Sanhedrin with reference to Peter and John Psalm 1 1999 and 100 I have more understanding than all my teachers for your testimonies are my meditation I understand more than the ancients because I keep your precepts I understand more than the ancients why because of this commitment to the Word of God you see this is a benefit of being with Jesus secondly the boldness granted to preach the word what do you think they were bold this way is it native is it in Haran no because later on in their prayer what are they praying to God specifically for grant boldness to us Paul asks this in the book of Ephesians pray that that that utterance will be given to me so that I'll speak the gospel as I ought to speak with all boldness see Paul and Peter and John and those guys they didn't you know weren't fall out of the the boldness tree they weren't man you know we're eight foot tall and bulletproof they weren't the kind of guys that they were fishermen they were you know men that were of a more simple caste they were men that hadn't been trained in the great schools so in order for them to speak the truth boldly they need to be with Jesus so maybe that's why we're wimps why we won't pray at Tim Hortons why we won't talk to any about the gospel why we won't take a stand in our generation is because we don't spend any time with Jesus see remember that Noah was a preacher of righteousness in his time we've seen this over the last few night a few Wednesday nights yeah you ever think about what no I had to do and then I don't know your span he had to collect the wood to bring the wood to wherever he was making the art that actually make the art all the while he's preaching righteousness I mean talk about a tough job right talk about a difficult calling but he did it these men fishermen they weren't those who faced the Sanhedrin I doubted any dinner table when they were used their parents said okay now when you stand before the Sanhedrin you're gonna need a special dose of boldness so you work on that out in the shack they didn't have that they knew Christ supplied that boldness for them so when they go to prayer they don't stop asking God for more boldness so they can face similar situations in like manner being with Jesus produces boldness and being with Jesus produces a commitment of the commitment and fidelity to persist in preaching the word even at the expense of personal safety and comfort you see that's what it will ultimately cost them personal safety and comfort well like personal safety and comfort I think I'm not against per I like my personal safety and comfort we all do it's in us we bear God's image God's not about us going out to sacrifice needlessly our personal safety and comfort we're told to love one another as we love ourselves what does that mean we don't typically poke ourselves in the eye with forks we don't typically ingest things that are gonna that are gonna kill us we don't walk under you know pianos hanging by a bungee we just don't do that personal safety and comfort or something that are sort of built into us something also built into us when we spend time with Jesus is the willingness to forgo personal safety and comfort in order to stand fast on the word we need that we need to be committed we need to be faithful to preaching the truth as it is in Jesus how do we do that spend time with Jesus now secondly the liabilities of opposing Jesus if on the one hand we have in the Apostles the benefit of being with Jesus on the other hand with the Sanhedrin we have the liabilities associated with opposing Jesus first an attempt to stop the spread of the word of God again this is an unenviable position for anybody to want to be in right this is akin to kicking puppies we want to stop the spread of the Word of God really that's how you want to proceed you can't just admit you were wrong you can't just say for a moment Wow we missed Jesus in the scriptures we repent we want to believe no no no that can't be you apostles are wrong so we're gonna stop the spread of the Word of God again they don't look at it that way they don't think they're actually stopping the Word of God but that's exactly what they're doing another liability of opposing Jesus is the threatening of the true servants of God the threatening of the true servants of God right it's not what they're doing they threatened with threatening they they wagged their fingers right at them and say no more preaching in this name whatever you do when you leave this place no more preaching in this name what's the implication if you preach in this name bad things are gonna happen see that's kind of a focus of power right the the idea behind government power and unfortunately in ecclesiastical power at times at least in this particular Mulga Meishan is coercion the state doesn't you know ask you to pay your taxes I mean they do but you know if you don't you're gonna go to jail right coercive power is behind us when they're wagging their finger telling you that you can't preach in this name anymore what ought they to conclude if we do they're gonna step it up in terms of punishment so they're in this position now again kicking puppies we're gonna threaten the servants of God reminds one of john 16:2 and three i think a political figure in america once cited this i think he was thinking he was citing john 3:16 but he actually started John 16 he he didn't cite the verse he cited the reference and he wanted to come across with John 3:16 God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son but he actually cited 16 3 which says and these things they the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God's service and these things they will do to you because they have not known the father nor me it's great the mistake isn't it you want to be looked at as the great Bible Belt sort of guy quote John 3:16 and you're actually quoting a tax that highlights the the depravity of man and wanting to exterminate the true servants of Jesus Christ and then as well the actual placement of oneself in opposition to God see here's the chief liability of opposing Jesus you put yourself contrary to God see one God Father Son Holy Spirit to oppose Jesus is to oppose God to oppose Jesus is to oppose the father to pose Jesus is to oppose the the Holy Spirit to oppose Jesus is to set oneself in the devil's camp and that's precisely what these men are doing I would suggest another liability of opposing Jesus is the curse of living by political expediency now think with me for a moment why do they do what they do because of the people the people saw what had happened and the people glorified God over what had happened because this man who had been healed had been 40 years in this condition in other words the enormity of them of the miracle spurred the people to glorify God in a consistent manner and yet the Sanhedrin when they are trying to figure out what to do with Peter and John they're afraid of the people see brethren I have this zany idea that if we're actually committed to God most high and we actually believe the implication in Romans chapter 8 will do what God says because God says it and it's right if God is for us who can be against us right isn't that Scripture isn't that what the Bible teaches us if God is for us who can be against us remember Mary Queen of Scots says I fear the prayers of John Knox than an army of 10,000 soldiers praise God for John Knox praise God that he instilled that kind of fear and that godless woman that she would rather meet an army of ten thousand soldiers than that man at prayer where's that kind of Prayer where's that kind of commitment where's that kind of perseverance with reference to the Word of God where are the kind of men that say here I stand I can do no other we're the kind of man with Peter and John that say you judge whether it's right or wrong for us to to obey you more than God but for us we can't stop preaching and teaching the things that we have seen and heard this necessity is laid upon me Paul says for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel how about Paul Romans 1 I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek brethren in your prayer closets do you pray for those kinds of men I think we pray for the things that we find important we pray for this we pray for that we pray for this we pray for that do you pray that God would raise up men that have the kind of blood and grit and determination that the Bible sets forth as the true heroes and do we pray that God would send them forth what do you think the answer in our generation is to the problems of society if you say more government I have a bridge to sell you I also have some wonderful swampland to sell you that's not going to bring the healing the health and the prosperity dare I say it that men need it's the gospel of Jesus Christ God raised men up to send them forth so that they'll preach to every tribe tongue people and nation if ever there's a text we need to get in our minds and hearts it's yeah Acts chapter 4 19 and 20 you judge whether it's right or not for us to listen to you more than to God but for us well we can't neglect this we can't stop doing this we're not gonna we're not going to refrain from declaring the glory of Jesus Christ and then I would suggest fifthly by way of a liability of opposing Jesus is the tendency to abuse power and engage in overreach I think that comes from the tax brethren this is a tyranny when group a man tell to man that they can't speak or they can't teach in this name what do you call that it's overreach it is an abuse of power it is something that men who reject Jesus Christ oftentimes will gravitate to see there's there's always got to be a power it's always got to be a sovereign it's either God the truth sovereign or it's man who sets themself up in competition with God and then try to control others and then the third observation I want to make before we close is that what Peter just cited to them is taking place remember in verse 11 Peter uses psalm 118 22 as the theological rationale for what is happening before our eyes they are not stopping they are being consistent they are going to continue to reject the chief Cornerstone Jesus used psalm 118 22 in his ministry Jesus showed how they were the builders of the house that had actually become the opposers of the chief Cornerstone the rejecters of the chief Cornerstone Peter interprets what's happening here before the Sanhedrin in like manner and now given the opportunity to demonstrate whether or not psalm 118 22 is being realized and fulfilled in their nets these men dig in their heels heels and they show themselves as despisers of the chief Cornerstone rejecters of the chief Cornerstone and rejecters of his apostles they are men who have placed themselves in opposition to the living in the true God we as God's people need to come to this passage and say thank you Lord for giving it to the Apostles to rightly understand the Old Testament to rightly interpret it for us and to give us the body of New Testament teaching that we can synthesize with the old and produce that one document that testifies from you see that Christ Jesus is king Christ Jesus is Lord Christ Jesus is Savior and if you are not one who is in the custom of being with Jesus may I say to you today is the day of salvation stop opposing stop resisting stop despising this chief Cornerstone and come to him we saw that on Wednesday night there's a parallel between Genesis 7 and Matthew 11 what does God say when he tells Noah to come to the ark he says come to the Ark what does Jesus say in Matthew 11 come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden Jesus Christ is an art for all of God's know us the way the Christ is by faith do not respond to spies do not reject do not disdain him but rather believe the gospel well let us close in a word of Prayer father we thank you for your word we thank you for the boldness the courage the wisdom that you granted to Peter and John I pray that you would help us to possess these things as well help us to see the shortcomings in our lives and the pray that you would supply what is lacking as well father we pray that you'd raise up a whole host of men that are committed to the Scriptures men that want to preach and teach the gospel God we pray that you'd send them forth because the the harvest is plentiful but laborers are few and we would pray that you would supply what is lacking we ask that you would go with us help us to glorify you today bless our service with the Brethren tonight and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you can take your hem book and turn to the doxology and will stand and close our service by singing praise to our triune God [Music] the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen Father thank you for this time that we gather together thank you that you are in the presence of your people thank you for your grace and your mercy and the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord when you go with us now may cause your face to shine upon us may we know your peace and your presence in our lives and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen please be seated for a brief time of meditation