Peter Preaches the Gospel in the face of Opposition Acts 3:22 – 4:18 Presented by Bob DeWaay October 17, 2010

Peter cites Deuteronomy 18:18, 19 Acts 3:22, 23 Moses said, “The Lord God shall raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed in everything He says to you. And it shall be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.”

The prophets spoke of Christ Acts 3:24 And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. Acts 10:43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.

Peter cites Genesis 22:18 Acts 3:25, 26 It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, “And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.

The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body Acts 4:1, 2 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

God continues to add to the church Acts 4:3, 4 And they laid hands on them, and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

The power brokers gathered Acts 4:5, 6 And it came about on the next day, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.

They want to know where the power came from and who authorized them Acts 4:7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

Peter preaches Christ to the Sanhedrin Acts 4:8 - 10 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead by this name this man stands here before you in good health.”

Salvation is only in Christ Acts 4:11, 12 He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very corner stone. 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.

They had been to the school of Jesus Acts 4:13 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.

The Jewish leaders have a problem Acts 4:14 - 16 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, 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.”

They command the end of gospel preaching Acts 4:17, 18 “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.” And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Implications and Applications 1) There will always be opposition to the gospel 2) If we preach the gospel God will add people to His church 3) Salvation is only through Jesus, the true Messiah

1) There will always be opposition to the gospel Acts 20:22 - 24 And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

2) If we preach the gospel God will add people to His church Acts 2:47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

3) Salvation is only through Jesus, the true Messiah Titus 2:11 - 13 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,