Acts 4:1-12

jump on the computer here and make sure that everybody's been able to get online. So I'm going to shoot out the text message to everyone. There we go. So sending out that text message and making sure we go live over there. Well, good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions.
This is where every day, you and I, we get together, we get into God's Word, and we grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year, 2022, we will make it from Acts to Philemon. So good to have you this morning. We're at Acts chapter 4, verses 1 through 11.
Let's go ahead and have something to drink, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day and we thank you for your word. We pray now that as we read your word, that you would teach us that we would believe in Jesus name. Amen. All right, let me go ahead and grab my Bible over here. And we are at Acts chapter four, verses one through 11. Acts chapter four, verses one through 11.
Now as they spoke to the people, that being Peter and John, right? They're preaching to the people here. And as they're preaching to the people, what does it say? 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. Hmm. 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 Annas, 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? has sorry 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." Well, we need to ask ourselves, A, what is this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this passage? And C, what are we called to do in response to these words? So, A, what is this about?
Well, Peter and John, they've healed this lame man and he's clung to them and everybody's amazed by this. Peter somehow, this guy who had once denied Jesus in the high priest's court, has now been preaching about Jesus. And so the priests and the temple police, these are the same temple police who arrested Jesus so he would be crucified, they are not happy about this. They lay hands on him, they seize hold of him.
Right? Being greatly disturbed, verse 2, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. They're not happy about this. Hold on here. But it's evening. So what do they do? They lock them up in prison. They put them in jail for the night and the next day all the head honchos are gathered together.
Everybody's there, right? What does it say? It says that, on the next day, their rulers and elders, the scribes, as well as Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. There's all the religious leaders, all the religious authorities are there, and they're there because, well, one, it's Pentecost, so there's all sorts of People still in Jerusalem, but they're all gathered together for this trial. What's going on? Why are you guys doing this? And what is their question that they ask? By what power and by what name have you done this?
Remember, it's the same high priests, the same scribes, the same elders. These are the same ones that thought they had ended this whole Jesus thing. They thought that they had done away with this problem. And now they're what what authority do you have to be doing this?
And peter is once again filled with the holy spirit And these people who he was so scared of just a few short weeks ago Was denying jesus in front of them now He is speaking clearly to them because the holy spirit is upon him. And what does he say? Well, he tells them He tells them that it's by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that he's done these things, and that they were the ones who put him to death, and that they fulfilled the prophecy in Psalm 118, that the stone the builders rejected would be the chief cornerstone, that they tried to end something, but God was determined to make it happen.
And that this is what Peter is saying, that God raised him from the dead by him, by Jesus. This man stands here before you whole. You might have tried to kill Jesus, but he was raised again from the dead. and the power of Jesus is not gone, but now this man stands before you whole.
See, it concludes in the last verse, nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. This is the problem that many people have with Christianity. It's exclusive. There's only one name and his name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. No one else. No other way to the Father, but through the Son.
And people will try to expand. There are false teachers today who try to expand the name of Christ, which isn't even his name, it's his title. Christ is the Anointed One. People will try, people, horrible teachers will try to say, oh, you know, this person was Christ and this person was Christ and this person was Christ. Bull hockey. No. No, there is one true savior. His name is Jesus Christ. Don't let thieves and liars and charlatans try to trick you out of this. There is but one name by which we are saved and his name is Jesus Christ.
And it was by the Holy Spirit that Peter was able to say this to the faces of those high priests just a few weeks ago. He was cowering in fear from them. What boldness we have and notice the boldness is met with resistance. Don't be surprised. Do not be surprised if you speak the name of Jesus Christ. If you show that he alone is the one who saves people don't like it. Not everybody's going to receive it quite the opposite. Often people will resent you for it and that's okay. If they hated our master, they might also hate us. So do you believe in Jesus Christ? Are you one of those who have been added to the number? Do you hold to him alone? Do you believe in his resurrection? Do you confess him as Lord?
Let's pray. Father, I thank you so much for this day. I thank you for the time you've given me with the friends to gather together now. Lord, and I pray that you might let us have faith in Jesus Christ alone. Lord, with all the lies and the false teachers, with all the challenges of this life, Lord, we pray that we would believe and have faith in you alone. Thank you. that the grave could not conquer you, and that your Holy Spirit is even now making sinners saints. In Jesus's name, amen. Well, may the Lord bless you today. May you have comfort and peace in your soul as you rest in Jesus Christ. And I'll see you, let's see, it's Friday. I'll see you on Monday. Bye.