Read Acts 4:1-31
Acts 4 begins with the imprisonment of Peter and
John (v. 1-2). They are brought before the high priest Annas and three other
men of high priestly descent. These were some of the most powerful men in
Israel. Yet Peter and John were not dismayed. Just as Jesus had promised, the
Holy Spirit showed them what to say (Luke 12:11-12). The Holy Spirit empowered
Peter to give another speech about Jesus (v. 8-12). We have now seen Peter
giving a Spirit-inspired message three times in the book of Acts! There are two
important background factors that allowed Peter to give this speech. First, He
trusted wholeheartedly in Jesus. Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit will
defend us is conditional upon us entrusting ourselves to Him, as evidenced by
our lack of worry (Luke 12:11, 1 Peter 2:21-24). Second, Peter and John were
blameless (v. 21). If they had been found guilty of breaking the law, Peter’s
speech would have been disregarded. There is truly no law against bearing fruit
in the name of Jesus (Galatians 6:23). After they are released from prison,
Peter and John immediately share what happened with the other disciples (v.
23). Their testimony led the community of believers to worship Jesus (v.
24-31). The same principle is at work today: the purpose of our testimony is to
lead people to worship Jesus.
Journaling
and Prayer
1. One reason why Peter’s speech was so impactful
was that the listeners recognized that he was uneducated (v. 13). God loves to
use weak people to display His glory. When He does this nobody can deny that it
is the Holy Spirit who is at work. Ask God how He wants to use your weakness
for His glory.
2. Peter was able to receive the Holy Spirit’s
empowering because he did not defend himself. Peter believed that God’s
promises were true, so he waited for divine deliverance. While most Christians
in North America have never been put on trial for our faith, we are still called
to entrust ourselves to God. We must wait for Him to move in our defence. Ask
yourself: Do I trust God with my reputation? With my job and financial
stability? What would your life look like if you completely entrusted yourself
to God?
3. Pray for the persecuted church. While it is difficult
to obtain definitive numbers, we know that millions of Christians in dozens of countries
are at risk because of their faith in Jesus. However, God is at work. The
greatest revivals around the world are happening in these nations. Pray that
the Holy Spirit would continue to guide churches in creatively spreading the
Gospel. Pray that God would reveal Himself more and more, resulting in
increased trust in Him. Pray for provision of Bibles and other discipleship
materials. Pray that believers imprisoned for their faith would experience deep
inner peace and receive favour from prison officials. Pray for strength and provision for the
families of imprisoned believers.
