EASTER 4 – April 25, 2021 – Acts 4:1-12
“GREATLY ANNOYED”
Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the first reading, from Acts 4. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- I do not like to annoy people. In fact, today it has gotten dangerous to annoy some people, with incidents of road rage and verbal abuse increasing. People seem more on edge than ever these days, after the pressure and stress of the pandemic.
- We see from our text that being a Christian, especially if you are speaking to people about Jesus, His resurrection, and God’s call to all people to become Christians, it is certain that you will “GREATLY ANNOY” some other people. It happens.
- Even within the church, when error and mistakes are identified and the truth is presented, it often creates “GREAT ANNOYANCE.” Our sinful flesh is such that once we have decided on a thing we will defend that decision and rationalize it. Any further resistance is considered rude, abrasive, and annoying.
- So, I do not like to annoy people but I do like to speak the truth of God’s Word, the Bible to others. This creates a dilemma for me. If I want to continue as a Christian who “continues” faithfully in the Word of Jesus I will have to put up with conflict, perhaps even threat and persecution. If I want to avoid all conflict I will have to stay at home, or if I venture out I must make sure that all of my utterances are politically correct.
- So, how do we decide? Well, it is certain that each of us will have to decide for themselves. But our text gives us some things by which to work through this dilemma.
I. The Gospel – Preaching and Teaching It – Is A Good Thing
A. It Brings People To Faith – And To Joy And Salvation In The Lord
Text: “But many of those who had heard the Word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”
Acts 5:40,41 “When they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the Name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.”
B. But Such Preaching Annoys Unbelievers – And Especially Those Who Have Come To Hate Jesus
Text: “As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.”
Statement: So the matter of “suffering dishonor,” including arrest and beating, has to be evaluated against the backdrop of the importance of preaching the gospel for the salvation of souls. Wherever the salvation, or the health and safety of souls is concerned, Christians must always be willing to stand up for the sake of Jesus, for the Name of Jesus. Jesus warned as much: “Whoever is ashamed of Me and of My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He come in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” [Mark 8:38] And so the apostle Paul proclaimed: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” [Rom. 1:16]
Application: The challenge, then, is to make sure we understand the true beauty and essential nature of the gospel itself, and also of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is a matter then of whether we will be within His will and His plan for humanity, or outside of it. Yes, it is distasteful to suffer the same kind of animosity and hatred as Jesus did. But all of His prophets and apostles suffered in this way, and countless numbers of Christians have been willing to forfeit life and limb for the sake of the Name of Jesus.
So, how about us? How are we doing? Each will answer that question individually, but it is an important question to ask, especially as the “Equality Act” of Congress has now made it illegal to stand for and to preach certain biblical principles, the teachings and Words of Jesus! And so we must also remember that:
II. Still, In The End, Jesus Prevails
A. He Rises From Death
Text: “By the Name of Jesus, Whom you crucified, Whom God raised from the dead.”
B. He Is Now The Cornerstone, Lord Over All
Text: “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.”
Phil. 2:9-11 “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every Name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Heb. 1:3 “Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the Word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
Eph. 2:19-22 “So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in Whom the whole structure, begin joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
C. He Heals And Does Whatever He Wants
Text: “Let it be known to all of you 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 is standing before you well.”
D. Jesus Is Still The Only Way To Salvation
Text: “And there is salvation in no none else, for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Statement: So again, in evaluating where we want to stand in this conflict and “GREAT ANNOYANCE,” we might want to consider which side actually prevails, and what the blessings and benefits of that side are going to be. Jesus is the King, and while He still suffers people to abuse Him through His church, and through His preachers and teachers, that time will come to an end. And it is not trivially that His people suffer, but rather for the great good of mankind – the preaching of the Gospel which is God’s power to bring faith and salvation to people.
Application: So, while we certainly do not welcome suffering for Christ’s Name – that is, for the faithful proclamation of His Word, His whole Word, nonetheless it is far preferable to sitting on the sidelines safe from the combat but ashamed of Christ’s Word! And God forbid we should ever find ourselves on the side of those who are opposed to faithfulness to God’s Word – because this also happens even within the church! The fate of those who do this – troubling and even murdering the souls of Christ’s dear people – is frightening to even contemplate!
Conclusion: The older I get the more eager I am to escape this conflict and the oppression of those who remain “GREATLY ANNOYED” at God and at His beloved Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
I must also take care not to become “GREATLY ANNOYED” or even somewhat annoyed by those who reject the gospel and persecute Christ’s church. I must remember that God reserves vengeance for Himself.
So, while I wish I could share with you the formula for avoiding this conflict and annoyance, I have found none. In fact, Jesus urges us to anticipate this conflict. He told His disciples: “I have said all of these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father nor Me. . . . I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” [John 16:1-3,33]
So we have this choice. It is not that we seek to annoy others, or seek rejection and persecution. No, it is for the sake of the joy of God’s salvation, and for the sake of the good of other human beings that we are willing to endure the conflict.
May God grant each of us such vision of the beauty of His love, that we grow in our devotion and love for Him and for all people, so that we serve them with the gospel even though it may make them “GREATLY ANNOYED.” Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.