Unintimidated Preaching (Part A)

John 12 verse 39 therefore they could not believe they would not believe. It's not Calvinist albinism is twisting use of Scripture deeded it uses the idea of sovereignty and turns it into tyranny is it just does many things like that. What what is happening here is John is linking what was prophesied by Isaiah to the behavior of the people who decided to go to the point of no return. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston because the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of acts. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of acts chapter 4 as he begins his message on intimidated preaching the book of acts chapter 4 first 22 verses 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, 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 in the number of the men came to be about 5000, and it came to pass on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes as well as Annas the high priest Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priests were gathered together at Jerusalem 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. I would means he has been made.

Well, let it be known to you all 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 and when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceive that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled, and they realize that they had been with Jesus in seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it, but when they had commanded them to go outside 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 was so that it spreads no further among the people. 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.

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 he had done the man was over 40 years old, on whom this miracle of healing had been performed on intimidated preaching. They were reckless than that. They were fearless. This is the beginning of persecution against Christianity, and this chapter.

Of course continues. What began in the previous chapter in the first verse as they were going into the temple and the head healed this beggar.

This lamb lame beggar and caught the attention of the authorities and they were arrested. So looking at verse one. Now, as they spoke to the people. The priest the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them being greatly disturbed. Verse two that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Well, as I mentioned, this is the first persecution of the infant church. The religious leaders, particularly the Sadducees, they were in great conflict with what was being preached. It's been an information war since the Garden of Eden. Since that servant engaged Eve the priest they were present for this arrest because of where Peter was preaching is on the Temple Mount, the Sadducees, their present because of what Peter was preaching and of course we have the temple of God, the police that are doing the arresting these Sadducees, they are the largest antagonist in the book of acts they did not believe in the supernatural. They do not believe in angels.

They did not believe in the resurrection they did not believe in miracles.

They were the modernist of their day and they also rejected Scripture scriptural tradition from the prophets of things that were taught. However, they did acknowledge Moses because they had to have just a you know enough religion to be accepted by the people. They were usually wealthy had a lot of power. They were skeptics coffers.

They were not only skeptics. They scoffed also as I mentioned, pretending to respect Moses. But really they were about themselves and the fact that they deny the resurrection from the dead, the very thing Peter and John were preaching got under their skin. This is documented their position against the supernatural and the Gospels of Paul will deal with them in acts chapter 23 it's the Pharisees against the Sadducees quite wisely.

Anyway, these Sadducees, they relished all the natural answers of human beings without God.

This is important to us because there these type of people if they're always around here, to this very day. Those who think that their you know well I'm very analytical and very logical and well rest of us are not nearly vertical.

That spiel before all of this is relevant to me. Peter's teaching on the resurrection clashed with their beliefs. While there are other things we preach that clash with beliefs of others and we are to still preach it on intimidated preaching and since the resurrection, the keynote of the apostles preaching is that Jesus Christ was murdered and he got up after he had died, he rose again Charles Spurgeon in 1888 he preach this in one of his sermons and the religious establishment did not care for Charles Spurgeon. He was to successfully preaching Jesus and not successful enough that preaching religion and ritual and what he has to say. You be the judge of how relevant it is to this day. Again, preached in 1888 Sadducees whether broad school. The liberals, the advanced thinkers. The modern thought people of the day if you want a bitter sneer, a biting sarcasm or a cruel action.

I commend you to these largehearted gentleman there a liberal to everybody except to those who hold the truth and for those they have a reserve of concentrated bitterness which Farr excels. Wormwood and gall. They are so liberal to their brother arrow just that they have no tolerance to spare for evangelicals. Even with the clumsy reading.

I think you get the point. This is what Spurgeon had to deal with. We have to deal with it. The apostles had to deal with. This was a Christian, I shouldn't be so shocked when I find things in the headline in the governmentwide Christians. Although the taking of reload what you expect the enemy to try to do what is going to be our response to this.

That's what I'm more interested in Pharisees, they led the nation against Christ with the Sadducees are leading the nation against the church and that is one of the differences between the book of acts and the days in the Gospels when Christ walked the faxed prove the resurrection to those living in Jerusalem at the time of the resurrection. Russell would've been no discussion would've been absurd resurrection is authority. It is a threat to the unbeliever. If Christ did rise and you don't believe what's going to happen to you.

That's what the resurrection preaches he was crucified for sinners he rose again because he is a son of God, and if you don't bow to him something to be good for you.

The wrath of God will abide on you every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.

But for many of those it will be too late will have no choice but to bow before God after 2000 years.

Those refusing to bow to Jesus are still greatly disturbed that the followers of Christ still preach that he is not on the cross is why the crucifix is an insult to the scriptural teaching is not on the cross. It wasn't on there but for about six hours, not 2000 years.

It is a very important part of what we have to say to those who don't believe Noel shouldn't expect them to just say oh okay thanks for explaining it to me now. I am a believer to know it's not that easy.

Satan is very protective of his territory and we should be very much protective of what the Lord wants us to do in spite of that's why these men are on intimidated there so focused on preaching the message. Verse three and they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day for it was already evening. What was three in the afternoon when they first engage the lame man and then give time for the preachings of the sun is going down in the day is ending the Jewish day from sunup to sundown. They are now arrested and they will spend the night in in jail. These rulers, Sadducees menu, if not most of the Pharisees and scribes. Some did convert a but they became a problem to old old habits of very hard to break these rules long ago forfeited their right to rule Israel and not because people say so, but because they want against truth. They protected their position. Instead of believers may struggle with truth, we struggle to to get it all right with these these chaps they stop struggling, they were satisfied with being antichrist.

They were satisfied with seeing a miracle performed and trying to get rid of all the evidence they so many miracles performed Jesus when he is was preaching in Jerusalem of the triumphal entry goes into the city, riding on a donkey. We understand that Palm Sunday moment as we call it the Greeks them wanted to see them and in the you know likely did not, but there's an interesting statement that John makes about all this that Jesus did all these miracles in Jerusalem and around Jerusalem.

And they still some of them.

Many of them of the people would not receive him and John says this in John 12 verse 39 therefore they could not believe they could not believe is not Calvinist Calvinism is twisted in an abusive with the Scripture to it in abuses with the idea of sovereignty and turns it into tyranny is it just does many things like that but what is happening here is John is linking what was prophesied by Isaiah to the behavior of the people who decided to go to the point of no return that although all God had done for them. There was nothing that was going to sway them back in. God warns of this in his Scripture. This would happen with Farrell, hardening of the heart. Hardening of the little finally, there was a point of no return. So once again, John 1239 therefore they could not believe that this spooky that a human being can be so determined to be antichrist that the tale has been told for that individual that we don't know when these times come John writing on the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but we certainly can say it's coming for many people. Truth is the foundation of of of the authority for the religious leaders. Truth is the foundation but when you decide to build on some other foundation other than truth. You fall into this category. They discarded that very thing that this interest in truth, allow them to be corrupt so that they could hold the power I've said it many times. If you decide you are going to be led by the Holy Spirit you going to make some enemies of not ruffle friendships with believers with believers. There will be believers that won't like you say no I'm not led to do that. That was what can be wrong. Why not I need you to do this I need to listen to God and then I gonna like it. And this is an integral part of our faith is being led by the spirit of God and not only by what seems to be right and so we put it on our T-shirts and coffee mugs. You know, lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge the Lord well being led by the Spirit says I'm not leaning on my own understanding. I can say many times God just speaks to me and I don't so you so when we saw Peter walk into the temple I get back to that, finish it up. He was in the temple. He looks at this man witness he get the gall to tell him to rise up and heal him. How you do that there plenty of beggars and lame people around, but he did he did it to this one will when God wants his servants to move.

He gives this to them and I can say in bleeding the church or times a God just tells me things I did. I just know this is what to do and is the tunnel vision. After that, I don't care about what anybody thinks this is what has to happen so for the individual Christian YouTube there times you just know this is what I have to do. I gotta get the thought of God. I'm not going to do that. This is being led by the spirit.

Anyway, their arrest did not undo what the Holy Spirit did do an conversion of this multitude, the number of the men came to be about 5000 verse four now the Greek word for men is gender specific.

It is male.

These are males because that's how they counted in those days, it does not mean women were not being converted lives, sisters, moms, neighbors, but it's just saying these are the men that were converted, you combine this however many were converted at Peter's preaching here after healing the lame man with acts 115 with her was 150 and then asked 242 about 3000 were safe and you have probably a universal church now of about 10,000 people is universal because it's not just in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Many of those pilgrims who were converted went back to where they live. Many state and that becomes a problem we get to chapter 6, a logistical problem which Satan was trying to twist into a spiritual issue so the church it is. It is growing, you have the Galilean Christians that are not in this number and the church is spread out. They will then build these local churches, the church in Antioch will be a thriving church and why that church drives because it has Jews and Gentiles alike in that church.

And Satan tried to bust that up by sending Christians up there to investigate them.

I mentioned that we distill a lot more action to come when when the Holy Spirit is it separate to meet Saul and Barnabas or Paul and Barnabas.

Eventually Satan was going to come at that relationship to and will will get getting ahead of it anyway. Who can tell how many people have been saved since the apostles were unleashed on Jerusalem and then the world today's liberal news media had they been around for this they would criminalize the converts they were there to cause a riot. They were there, fingernails, and 30 of split ends and the hair just says stupid things they would just end and there will be an audience or hotels more like we see it today while my wife took a picture of someone at the gas pump yesterday that had a abiding sticker on the car and I do not want to mock the person with a look like the cousin it they had the hair on you can see their face on the trend of just describing the first thought and there was no one around and had the mass gone. Of course in road cones around them and and you just say their people that love Kool-Aid.

They just will drink anything in.

This is spiritual. This demonic activity in the days of Christ said when he threw out a lot of demons. I'm glad were not like that today will slowdown their maybe we are. Problem is, they vote. That's why vote to it three times anyway verse four and it came to pass on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes verse six, as well as Annas the high priest Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were the family of ivories were gathered together at Jerusalem who does a magnificent job he is saying. Let me show you what these these men were up against. In this verse does of these of the nation supreme leaders.

This is like the Supreme Court and lower courts all gathered together, and they're all cronies.

The family of the high priest, you kidding me. If you've ever worked somewhere. Family run business some family think they do it better than they have certain rights. It is their family would start other families man the nepotism is is just too much to deal with this. What I want to bring out of this where it says as well as Annas the high priest Caiaphas, John Alexander, can we know the first to Annas and Caiaphas were very much part responsible for the arrest and crucifixion of Christ. The devil's dual they're at it again.

Annas is the father love Caiaphas. He was the high priest of Rome didn't like him sleep pointed Caiaphas in his place, but he still the people's high priest and so that they are in cahoots. These two and the rest at John Alexander, whoever they are, were, they were no doubt present for the murder of Christ and they tried to rid themselves of Jesus and now the trying to rid themselves of the disciples of Jesus, Peter had already charged these men and the nation with killing Christ in chapter 3 he will do it again in this chapter, and he would do it again in chapter 5, Peter did not like them. He loved the Lord and all he could seem to think about is you guys are killers of the one I love and I'm supposed to love back. And to do that.

I want to point out how creepy you are because I can't heal you if you don't acknowledge that there is something wrong with you anyway. It is unfortunate that the new King James version here, the translators omit two of the conjunctions and AMD Chi in the Greek may be pronounced differently and good for them is that repetition of of conjunctions probably send on that read that the supposed to make the point.

It emphasizes the point I want to read it from the King James version which captures and retains the conjunctions acts chapter 4 and five their rulers and elders, and scribes, and Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and as many as were of the can you see that and and Angela Lucas pouring it on is a lesson. These guys are indicted.

These of the guys and they aligned up so he deliberately uses that repetition to emphasize the turnout of Kents to fishermen for healing. Somebody in the world is insane and they they think that they're not anything else.

I think the, the inmates have run the asylum and the same people locked away opposition in high places.

This is the message of this opposition is responsible for the blood on the cross and yet they knew about the empty tomb look the other way you say how can people be so messed up what was happening in Ukraine. There is a very real Satan and he loves world leaders will take anybody can get what he can do a lot of damage to one person in history is replete with this. It says here in verse six and as many as were of the family of the high priests were gathered together at Jerusalem. There's another conjunction and as many the family of Annas. They voted anyway.

He wanted them to vote.

It made him rich with wealth. Verse seven and when they had set them in the midst, they asked by what power or by what name have you done this. Now this was a fair question, but this court of inquiry was corrupt, coming from honest men.

It would've been a nice was the wonderful opportunity to share.

Deuteronomy 13 tells that you know that there are signs and wonders gone and it's not in the name of Yahweh than that person is a false prophet if they have dreams, even if it comes true because there are spiritual activities so you know they're using the law of Moses to go against men who actually have seen Moses there's no one in Israel that has seen Moses that is alive except John, Peter and James John's brother and this is Peter and John, of course, I think James was pretty much a stabilizing force amongst the apostles, not James the brother of the Lord. James the brother of John. His death was really a big thing but he was us because he's very quiet. You don't hear him say much but is always there, why is he always there between Peter and John and keep them from separate. I don't know what I do think it was just a is not even replaced after he skill he can do me just well, and I'm going off track. We get to that when when he is modern, but these leaders were notorious for covering up facts and glad it doesn't happen anymore. The devil at this point didn't have to lift a finger. He had enough corruption in these mentally other news is not Jim and they're all in the same to you probably know people like this in the workplace is universal in the neighborhood. The devil doesn't do anything with him. There there just on the payroll now and they're hauling the chili for the enemy every chance you get. Every time there behind the wheel. They are on his Aaron move you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply visit cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of acts right here on cross reference radio