This Week\’s Sunday School Lesson, \”Stand Up For Jesus\”, 9/4/2015

STAND UP AND PRAISE GOD

Acts 4:23-31

Upon the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus, the early church had it\’s start.

When the Apostles began preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ there immediately

arose a conflict with the Jewish leaders and the chief priests.

 

Peter and John at the gate of the temple healed a 40 year old man, lame from birth.

The man in front of many witnesses, who had never walked before, came into the

temple walking, leaping and praising God. Peter and John took no credit, but preached

Jesus.

TAKE NOTE,  WALKING, LEAPING AND PRAISING GOD

 

Peter and John preached that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior was crucified at the hands of the Jewish leaders and the Chief Priest. Many Jews believed in Jesus and this upset the ruling Jewish leaders. They took hold of Peter and John then threaten them not tomention the name of Jesus.

 

YOU CANNOT STOP THE GOSPEL, DON\’T TRY

V:23. \” On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.\”

1. No one can stop the spread of the Gospel, because it is powered by the Holy Spirit.
2. The ruling Jews used their threats of persecutions to try to prevent the spread of the

Gospel.

1. No weapon formed against us can prosper.
2. Peter and John undisturbed by the threats, told the congregation of believers what

the chief priest and the elders, the enemies to the cross said.

1.You cannot let nobody discourage you from talking about your Jesus.

1. I cannot stop taking about Jesus because it like a fire shut up in my bones.
2. I cannot stop taking about Jesus because He has been too good to me.
3. I cannot stop taking about Jesus because He is the light that world needs.
4. I cannot stop talking about Jesus because He told me to keep on talking.

 

GIVE GOD THE CREDIT

V:24. \” When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. \”Sovereign Lord,\” they said, \”you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.\”

1. When people tell you to quit talking about Jesus, get on your knees and pray.
2. The devil is busy and the only way to rebuke Him is to stay connected with Jesus.
3. The ruling Jews had proven that they could kill the body, but they had no power

over the soul.

1. We need to fear God and not man.
2. God can kill the body and the soul.
3. Man can do no more than what God allows him to do.
4. To stay strong in the Lord, you need constant prayer.
5. You need to remind yourself that we serve a God that is the creator of everything.
6. You need to remind yourself that we only exist to give God glory.
7. You need to remind yourself that when you stand for God in the mist of the enemy

that God stands with you and He gets the glory.

1. The threats of man are God\’s opportunity to be glorified.
2. You need to remind yourself that enduring trials and tribulation increase your faith

in God.

 

GOD ALLOWS OPPOSTION TO GLORIFY HIMSELF

V:25. \” You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: \”\’Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? \”

1. Through out the ages God has given us His Word through His prophets.
2. Throughout the ages God has shown us His power over creation.
3. Throughout the ages God has shown the world that no one can stand against Him.
4. The enemy rage and plot against God and His people continuously.
5. Satan and His demons influence others to fight against God and His people.
6. Why do we listen to Satan who has already been defeated?
7. It is the lust of the flesh that influences us to believe we can disobey God and win.

 

ALL AUTHORITY BELONGS TO THE LORD

V:26. \” The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.\”

1. Anytime we sin, it is against the Lord.
2. It is the rulers of this world who sometimes think they are above the Lord.
3. They fail to realize that the position and authority they have was given to them by

the Lord.

1. It is pride of man that God hates.
2. It is our pride that makes us think that we are more than others.
3. If our objective in life is to gain power and authority over others, we miss the

point of our purpose set by the almighty God.

1. God has set the rulers of this world to be just leaders and role models for

righteousness.

1. It is easy to forget that the true authority is the Lord.
2. When our focus is our gain, then the Lord cease to be our ruler.
3. When the Lord cease to be our authority, then Satan takes His place.
4. We are living in a time when the law is to separate the Church from the state.
5. In the beginning, the Church was the state.
6. God gave us His commands to govern ourselves according to His

righteousness.

1. God promised the Israelites success in the promise land if they followed

his commands,

1. The reason we are in the miserable state we are in is because we try to operate

without the Church.

1. The state operates according to the flesh, and therefore is opposed to the God.
2. The flesh is an enemy to the anointed one.

 

 

THE PLAN TO DENY JESUS BACKFIRED

V:27. \” Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.\”

1. The truth should always be told.
2. The leaders and the chief priests of Israel did not want to hear the truth about what

they did.

1. I can imagine the chief priests and ruling Jews being upset when their plan backfired.
2. They killed Jesus and thought His teaching would die with Him. Mark 3:6
3. They killed Jesus and the 12 Apostles immediately began preaching

Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

1. The death and resurrection of Jesus propelled the Gospel truth.
2. The teaching and the miracles of Jesus was powered by the Holy Spirit.
3. The rulers of Israel could not see Jesus in the Old Testament Scriptures because

the scriptures were second to their traditions.  Mark 7:13

1. They used the scriptures to justify their inaccurate and sinful traditions.
2. God said that we shall have no other gods before Him.
3. Jesus claim to be the Son of God, opposed their traditions and not

scripture.

1. Jesus was born in the flesh with them, but since His teaching attacked their traditions

they rejected Him.

1. Since Jesus teaching and miracles drew large crowds who believed in Him,

they felted that their position and authority was in jeopardy.   Mark 11:18

1. They couldn\’t see the truth because they were blinded by their ambitions.
2. In fact, they couldn\’t see the truth because God left them blinded by

their traditions so that the scriptures could be fulfilled.   John 12:40

 

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER THE FOR GOOD OF BELIEVERS

V:28. \” They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.\”

1. The Chief Priest and the Jewish leaders thought they were destroying Jesus, but

they were playing the hand the Lord had given them to promote Jesus.  Mark 8:31

1. Jesus said, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me.
2. If they had read and understood the scriptures they would have known that

God set them up to crucify Jesus so His blood would atone for the sins of

the entire world.  Isa 53:3-12

1. If they had read and understood the scriptures, they would have known that Jesus

was the Messiah (Dan 9:26) and that John the Baptist was His forerunner (Mal 3).

1. If they had read and understood the scriptures, they would have known that

what God plans He executes.

1. If they had read and understood the scriptures, they would have known that they

were living in the exact time frame of the coming of the long awaited Messiah.

Dan 9:24-25.

1. We need to be sure that we read and understand God\’s Word.
2. The Word says in all your getting, get an understanding.
3. The Word says, study to show yourself approved, so that the man of God

can rightly divide the Word of truth.

 

V:29. \” Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.\”

1. This is a very necessary prayer for any believer who openly confess Jesus as Lord

and Savior.

1. When you stand for righteousness, folk who practice unrighteousness will attack

you.

1. We need the strength of the Lord to boldly stand against the wise of the devil.
2. We cannot run this Christian race by ourselves.
3. The Apostles empowered by the Holy Spirit were able to stand against the

persecution of their Jewish counterparts.

1. They boldly professed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
2. At the same time the Apostles preached the wrongful crucifixion of Jesus by the

Chief priests and the Jewish leaders.

1. The Apostles proclaimed Jesus knowing that they would die for their profession.

 

V:30. \” Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.\”

1. The death of Jesus was not the end of miracles but the promotion of miracles

by the Apostles throughout Jerusalem and the world.

1. Miracles at the hand of the Apostles was the drawing card that brought large

crowds to hear the Word of God and to confess their faith in Jesus.

1. Peter preached and 3000 were saved. He preach again and 5000 were saved.

Acts 2:40, 4:4

1. God stretched out His hand and drew men to Himself.
2. No one can come to Jesus unless he is drawn by the Father.
3. I Stretch out my hand to thee, no other help I know.

 

PRAYER WORKS

V:31. \” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.\”

1. After they prayed…..
2. Prayer changes things.
3. Prayer changes our behavior.
4. Prayer is our first line of communication with the Father.
5. Prayer keeps us connected with God.
6. Prayer keeps us focused on the Lord.
7. Prayer can shake up the community.
8. They assembled together and prayed and they were empowered by the

Holy Spirit.

1. Prayer draws the power of God into our lives.
2. Prayer draws the protection of God into our lives.
3. Prayer draws the direction of God into our lives.
4. Prayer drives fear out of our lives.
5. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to stand boldly in the face of

the enemy and proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior.

1. It is a Holy Spirit filled life that produces the fruit of the harvest.
2. The harvest is bringing folk out of the dark into the marvelous light.
3. It is a Holy Spirit filled life that praises God and glorifies Him in all things.
4. It is a Holy Spirit life that give God honor in mist of troubling situations.

 

DON\’T BE SHY, PRAISE GOD

 

DON\’T BE AFRAID, PRAISE GOD

 

BE BOLD, PRAISE GOD

 

BE THANKFUL, PRAISE GOD

 

PRAISE GOD JUST BECAUSE HE IS GOD

 

Rev M. Mitchell,

 

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church