Scripture:
Acts 4:13-17 NIV
[13] When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. [14] But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. [15] So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. [16] “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we can not deny it. [17] But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
Observation:
The Book of Acts contains some powerful moments as the church is beginning to come together. The Holy Spirit comes in the form of fire and gives boldness to the disciples in a way they had never seen before. Peter and John find themselves with courage they didn’t know they had. Walking into the temple for the hour of prayer. They encounter a man who is lame and speak the name of Jesus Chris over his life, bringing strength to his legs that he had never felt before and giving him the ability to walk in, which he had never done. Standing in front of the sanhedrin for what had happened. The sanhedrin was taking note of how they had looked and their level of education. Which was minimal at best. In fact, it’s the first thing that was mentioned about them the the courts. For the jews education was a big deal they had teachers that they looked up to and respected. You might say they even idolized some of them. They taught the Jewish law to the letter were highly sought-after and respected in the Jewish communities. But these two men were without education by any of the respective teachers of that time. However, one thing was note worthy… they had been with Jesus, and that was easy to see. There was something else that could not be denied. The man that had been lame all his life was standing right in front of them with the ability to walk. They know him as the lame beggar who sat by the beautiful hate daily. They had seen him day after day year after year. They heard his voice asking for spare change for so long that it more than likely rang in their ears as they drifted off to sleep every night, and he was standing right in front of them. It could not be denied. Telling Peter and John to leave the room so that could discuss what to do. They came up with the conclusion to tell them they could not speak in the name of Jesus anymore. You see, even though they wanted to deny the mirrical and couldn’t, they realized that the power was not in the uneducated men, but in the name they spoke, and to silence that name would be to cripple the cause.
Application:
Although it would be easy to make this SOAP about me and the level of education that I have… which isn’t much to be completely honest. I think I’m going to go another route. The Bible says knowledge puffs up, but wisdom builds up. It also says HE (GOD) will use the foolish things of the world to confuse the wise. Just one more thing the bible says, and then we will get into this. The Bible says let another man praise you and not your own lips. Ok, with that, let’s go. Over the years of following Jesus to the best of my ability. I have met a lot of people and had lots of conversations with educated men and uneducated men, and it seems to me like education can sometimes get in the way. The more you know, the harder it is to walk in faith, and if you are not teachable, your pride gets in the way. My understanding of how all this works and who GOD chooses to use changes regularly. The more I know, the less I can learn. I never want to be so full of myself that there is no room for Jesus. To be honest, I think it’s kind of easy to get to that point and not even realize it. To sit in our high places and think we have it all figured out… refusing to listen because the people talking to you don’t really know what the bible says. I never want to be so prideful that I forget to listen to those the Holy Spirit uses to speak the name of Jesus over any situation and / or person. The power is in the name, not the education. I have seen a lot of people who will study the Bible and study the Bible, knowing it inside and out but having no faith in the one the book is about. Please don’t get me wrong. You have to know and read the bible. But don’t forget the author of it. Jesus Christ is the living word of GOD… in the beginning was the word the word was GOD, and the word was with GOD HE was with GOD in the beginning. So my question is, can you be too smart to believe. I honestly think it’s possible. Without faith, it’s hard to believe some of the things the bible teaches. You have to take the word at its word. You have to know the truth and believe that the things spoken about in the bible can happen. Listen Jesus Christ is the very son of GOD. HE walked this earth as a man to show us how. We nailed HIM to a cross, and HE died. HE was then placed in a borrowed tumb for 3 days when HE rose again and is now sitting at the right hand of the father. Waiting to come again and receive HIS spotless bride. The church. That is the word of GOD, and I believe it. Your education of the world won’t change what it says. My point is I never want to be too smart for jesus… to smart to walk in faith… to smart to believe that what the bible says is true… or too smart to believe that miracles can happen. I have seen them. Right in front of me. Men and women are set free from the power of sin…addictions over come …and the light of Jesus shining through them in ways educated men could not understand… because they are just too smart to believe in the impossible.
Prayer:
Father, if we don’t praise you, the rocks will cry out, and although it may seem like our heads are full of rocks at times, we believe that you are who you say you are and will do what you say you will do. Every dot and tidal in the bible will come to pass. I pray thank you for your salvation. Thank you for your love. Thank you for allowing us to believe in you. Our prayer this morning is simple. Please increase our belief. Solidify who you are in our lives. When others look at us, let them see that we have been with Jesus and that HE lives within us. We know that the very same Spirit that brought HIM back from the dead lives inside of us. You are such an amazing GOD, and your plan is perfect. May we always remain teachable. Never knowing too much to walk in faith. Let every step bring us closer to you. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.