“HOW TO RESPOND TO PERSECUTION” (PART 2)
ACTS 4:13-22

I. Introduction
There is an architectural wonder about 65 miles from here. It is located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the northern Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Illinois. It is constructed entire-ly of white Portland cement and clear and white quartz. Its dome is 90 feet in diameter and 191 feet high (about the height of a nineteen story building). The cornerstone was laid in 1912, but the building and surrounding gardens were not completed until 1953.

By almost any definition it is a beautiful structure. When it is seen for the first time, it could easily be mistaken for a church or a synagogue. But it is neither. It is known to those who frequent it as the “Mother Temple of the West.” Its formal name is “The Báha’í House of Worship for the North American Continent.” But most people know it as “The Báha’í Tem-ple.” While it is anything but a church, it most certainly is a center for worship.

But who do they worship? Let me read from the Báha’í’s own literature.
“Out of love for His creation, God has revealed Himself to humanity through a series of Divine Messengers that bring teachings to address the needs and condition of humanity. We may know them by different names, such as Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, and Muhammad, but they all reflect the same Divine purpose. These Messengers are the chief educators of mankind and assist it to progress materially and spiritually.

Bahá’u’lláh (a Shi’ite Muslim), Founder of the Báha’í Faith, teaches that there is one God whose existence is beyond our understanding. He is the Creator of everything, and although we may call Him by different names – God or Yahweh, Allah, Brahma, or the Great Spirit – we are speaking about the same loving Presence that has sup-ported and guided humanity throughout history.”

Now listen carefully to the Báha’í’s core belief…
“The fundamental principle enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh, the followers of His Faith firmly believe, is that Religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revela-tion is a continuous and progressive process, that all the great religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in complete harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same, that their teachings are but facets of one truth, that their functions are complementary, that they differ only in the non-essential aspects of their doctrines and that their missions represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society.”

So there you have it! Báha’í’s believe that Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, and Muhammad are all equal.
Báha’í’s believe that God, Yahweh, Allah, Brahma, and the Great Spirit are all equal. And why wouldn’t they? They say that, “…all the great religions of the world are divine in ori-gin… their basic principles are in complete harmony… their teachings are but facets of one truth… they differ only in non-essential aspects of their doctrines.” And they hold to the ultimate false teaching, saying, “Religious truth is not absolute but relative…”

But Báha’í’s have another belief that is central to their thinking. They insist that God is both impersonal and unknowable. Therefore, they teach that an intimate relationship with God is impossible. In this they stand in direct opposition to biblical Christianity. That’s because the Scriptures clearly and repeatedly teach that God is knowable through a personal relation-ship with His Son, Jesus. In fact, Jesus Himself prayed, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent (John 17:3).” Sal-vation itself is found in that relationship. Knowing Christ is the key to everything!
*Philippians 3:7-11
7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,
9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
10 that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

But the Báha’ís do not believe in the resurrection from the dead, which is fundamental to any understanding of both Judaism and Christianity. Yet they claim all of the world’s religions can be ultimately reconciled. But how could you reconcile Buddhism (which is atheistic – no one is god) with Hinduism (which is pantheistic – everyone is god) and Islam (“There is no god but Allah”)? Today there are at least five million Báha’ís in the world, and at least 170,000 here is the U.S. They’re everywhere. There’s even a small colony up in Door County.

The Báha’í faith is but a microcosm of the religions of man. It believes everything and it believes nothing. It says everything is true, but it rejects absolute truth. It says Jesus was a messenger from God, but it denies His divinity.

At first glance we would say that Báha’ís have nothing in common with Christianity, and at first glance, we would be right. But the sad reality is that some of what they believe has been working its way into the professing church for decades now. It is no longer uncommon for liberal theologians to question things like absolute truth and the deity of the risen Christ.
But what about Jesus’ own words…
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me (John 14:6).” And what about the words of the Apostle Peter, the words we ended with last Sun-day morning? He said… “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).”

It is the absolute exclusivity of Jesus Christ that separates Him from every other religion on the face of the earth. It always has and it always will. That very exclusivity not only renders the doctrines and beliefs of the Báha’í faith null and void, but it does so to every other man-made faith as well. Listen, there’s no compromise about Jesus because there can be no com-promise about Him. Jesus Christ is God and there is no other. He said, “I and the Father are one (John 10:30).” He said, “He who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me (John 12:45).” He said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father (John 14:9b).”

And it was Jesus’ Father who said…
Isaiah 43:11-13
11 “I, even I am the LORD; and there is no savior besides Me.
12 “It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; so you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “And I am God.
13 “Even from eternity I am He; and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”

These statements about God the Son and God the Father are the truths upon which the early church was built, and they are the truths upon which you and I stand here today. But when lost people are confronted with these truths, they often rebel against them and try to shut the mouths of those who speak them. When they are spoken without compromise, persecution follows. That is as true here in Lake Geneva today as it was in Jerusalem in the first century. Today, in Acts 4:13-22, we’ll see how the Apostles Peter and John reacted to it.
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II. Review
Last Sunday morning we studied Acts 4:1-12. In those verses we saw the Jewish religious leaders – the priests, the temple guard, and the Sadducees – arrest Peter and John for preach-ing the message of Christ. In v. 2 the leaders were “greatly disturbed because they (Peter and John) were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” They were jailed and the next morning they were brought before the Council and asked, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this (v. 7)?” By “this” they meant the healing of the lame man who would beg for alms on the steps of the temple.

Peter’s answer was clear, straightforward, and bold. In v. 10 he told them it wasn’t what he and John had done. Rather, the beggar had been healed “by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified (and) whom God raised from the dead.” Then he spoke what many consider to be the key verse in the Book of Acts.
*Acts 4:12
12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under hea-ven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

And that brings us to this morning’s text.
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III. Text
The religious leaders who have heard Peter know full well what he is saying. The name “Jesus” is the key. All the way back in the beginning of the gospels His name was defined.
Matthew 1:20b-21 (an angel speaking to Joseph)
20b “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”

Believing in that name means infinitely more than believing Jesus actually lived His life on this earth. It means that you believe everything about His name and all it implies. If you come to Jesus, you are coming to Him for salvation because there is nowhere else to go.
• Religion can’t save you. How religious would you have to be?
• Obeying laws can’t save you. Which laws would you have to obey?
• Ceremonies, rituals, and rites and can’t save you. How many would be enough?
• Doing good deeds can’t save you. How much would you need to do…and how often?

And with regard to good deeds, Isaiah tells us…“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment (64:6).” Acts 4:12 tells us that only Jesus can save. And that’s why every other religion – every other religion – is a man-made and false religion that only leads people away from Christ and into eternal destruction.

It is precisely this exclusivity that pits biblical Christianity against all the world’s systems. It’s why we’re accused of narrow-mindedness and religious bigotry, and why we’re often called “haters.” And it is why – in a post-modern world that loves to tolerate every other religion (think Báha’í) every kind of evil, and every form of perversion, deviance, and out-right blasphemy – serious, committed, and Bible-believing Christians cannot be tolerated. This is what Peter and John are facing as we go to the text.
*Acts 4:13-22 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had no-
thing to say in reply.
15 But when they had ordered them to go aside out of the Council, they began to confer with one another,
16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 “But in order that it may not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to any man in this name.”
18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;
20 for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.”
21 And when they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which they might punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened;
22 for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

Even though Luke did not record John’s words to the Sanhedrin, it appears that he spoke as well. Can you imagine the response of the religious leaders? Peter and John have accused them of murdering an innocent man and standing in opposition to God! They might think it laughable except they have recently heard some of the same accusations from Jesus. They must be wondering, “We just rid ourselves of one of these people. Now we have two more?” While it is evident that the apostles’ words have not softened the hearts of these men, they have gotten the Sanhedrin’s attention.
*Acts 4:13
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Peter and John were confident. They knew they spoke truth, and even though their accusers didn’t want to hear it, they were impressed by the apostles. They marveled at them. The word translated “marveling” is the verb “thaumazō.” It carries with it a clear implication that the Sanhedrin admired the apostles’ command of the facts and their obvious courage. Peter and John were “uneducated,” meaning that they had not gone to the rabbinic schools of the day. Furthermore, they were “untrained,” meaning that they were not theologians. How could they speak effectively from the Scriptures?

The same attitudes exist among today’s religious elite. How many godly, wise, and capable men who, due to their lack of a college degree or seminary education, will never be given an opportunity to challenge the religious leaders of the day?

Let me be very clear about this. I am not in any way denigrating formal schooling, college degrees, or seminary educations. If you want them and can get them, go for them.
But don’t think for a moment that God can only use people with multiple degrees strung out after their names. Listen, and I say this to all of you, young and old alike, if it is the desire of your heart to serve God by preaching and/or teaching His Word, ask Him to give you an opportunity. I believe that He will use you.
Psalm 37:4
4 Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.

(back to Acts 4) The Sanhedrin’s attempt to silence Peter and John and to stifle the truth they are preaching has only served to open a door. The apostles stand before the rulers of Israel with a priceless opportunity to preach the gospel. And here is a fundamental lesson about what to do when faced with persecution for the sake of Christ. We are to preach Christ!
*Acts 4:14-17
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had no-
thing to say in reply.
15 But when they had ordered them to go aside out of the Council, they began to confer with one another,
16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 “But in order that it may not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to any man in this name.”

The courage and boldness exhibited by Peter and John have actually served to befuddle their accusers. Back in v. 10 Peter had said that the formerly lame beggar standing there before them had been healed by the power of Jesus’ name. How can the religious leaders deny it?
The formerly lame beggar is standing there before them! So in v. 14 “…they had nothing to say in reply.”

Now please don’t miss the significance of this. The leaders of Israel – all of the religious and political leaders of the nation, with all of their power and authority – are being stymied by two simple fishermen from up north in Galilee. The Sanhedrin may be surprised but I doubt that the apostles are surprised at all. Jesus had told them to expect this very thing.
*Luke 21:12-15 (Jesus speaking of what we should expect in the last days.)
12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will perse-cute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.
13 “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.
14 “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;
15 for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.” (back to Acts 4)

What happens next is almost comical.
The Sanhedrin had no answer so in Acts 4:15 they order Peter and John out of the room and they “confer with one another.” In v. 16 they acknowledge their problem – “Everybody knows the beggar was miraculously healed so we can’t deny it.” And in v. 17 they attempt to solve their problem – “So we will just forbid them to speak in Jesus’ name.”

This is spiritual blindness on display. These men have been confronted with Jesus’ resurrec-tion. They cannot deny it, yet they have. Now they’ve been confronted with a miracle done in Jesus’ name. They cannot deny that either, yet they do. They know the truth but they deny it. The unbelief of the members of the Sanhedrin is willful. They refuse to put their faith in what they know to be true. It is deliberate unbelief. The Apostle Paul defines it.
*Romans 1:18-21
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Listen, you all know people who are like that. I was like that. And before you came to sav-ing faith, you were like that too. The members of the Sanhedrin are in spiritual darkness, they’re spiritually blind, and they will be judged for it.
John 3:19
19 (Jesus said) “And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.”

The simple fact of the matter is that these Jewish religious leaders have already killed Jesus. Now they are bent not only on killing His Word but on putting an end to the very mention of His name. If that isn’t the epitome of evil, if that isn’t driven by Satan himself, what is?
*Acts 4:18-20
18 And when they (the members of the Council) had summoned them (Peter and John), they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;
20 for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.”

Right here, at this early date, the Church of Jesus Christ has come to its first crossroads. Here we find that Peter and John are actually standing in the presence of two courts. They are being tried in the presence of two lawful authorities.
The first is the high court of Israel, a lawful authority. The second is the Supreme Court of God, the absolute and final Lawful Authority. We might say that the apostles have found themselves “between a rock and a hard place.” What will they do? Who will they obey? I wonder if they remembered this…
Isaiah 45:8
8 “Do not tremble and do not be afraid; have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.”

In this Peter and John have their answer. And you and I have ours. “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:19b-20).”

They do not argue. They are respectful. But they have drawn their line in the sand. They will obey all of the Sanhedrin’s lawful orders, but they will never disobey their Lord and Savior. That, in a nutshell, is really all you need to know when a question arises as to whose laws you are to obey.

You obey men’s laws until they conflict with God’s Laws. Then you obey God!

*Acts 4:21-22
21 And when they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which they might punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened;
22 for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing
had been performed.

I think it is safe to say that the Sanhedrin would have liked nothing better than “eliminating” Peter and John. But vv. 21-22 make it clear that they would have had a rebellion on their hands. So Peter and John walked out of the chamber unpunished and free. But in the days, weeks, months, and years to come they, the other apostles, and countless Christians would undergo horrendous persecutions. Thirty years later Peter would write…
*1 Peter 3:13-17
13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right
rather than for doing what is wrong.
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IV. Conclusion
In Acts 4:1-22 we’ve seen the beginning of the persecution of the church. But the persecu-tion to come will not destroy the church; it will build it. It will not weaken the church; it will strengthen it. And it will not pollute the church with unbelief; it will purify the church with a deeper and richer faith. That is what persecution does to the true Church of Jesus Christ. It did so in the first century and it still does so today.

So when persecution comes, there are three things we need to remember.
• We are called to submit ourselves to it. We can only do that if we are filled with the Holy Spirit. How can you be filled with the Spirit? If you are daily walking with Christ and allowing Him to lead, guide, and direct you, you’re already filled with the Holy Spirit.
• We are called to see persecution as an opportunity to glorify God.
• We are called to tell the truth.

Peter and John did these things, and in doing them they stood upon the one great eternal truth, the truth of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).”

~ Pray ~