Acts 4

· Placed in a jail for the evening for preaching and healing 4:3

· They were placed on trial for doing a good deed 4:9

· They were strongly threatened 4:17-18

I. The Preaching of Jesus Christ causes persecution to come on the early church

a. It wasn’t their attitude towards others nor their weirdness

i. Many times we are known more for what we don’t do than for what we do

ii. We tend to like to be critical more than constructive

b. It was doctrine. It grieved the religious people that they preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 4:2

c. It was their success or the result of preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus 4:4

d. They wanted to stop this doctrine from spreading 4:17

e. They didn’t even deny the change or the miracle just didn’t want it spreading 4:16

f. The problem was their teaching about and in the name of Jesus 4:18

II. Persecution was to be expected

a. Jesus said that we were to count ourselves blessed or happy when we were persecuted for righteousness sake Matthew 5:10-12—we are to rejoice and be exceedingly glad

b. Jesus had warned that He did not come to send peace but a sword Matthew 10:34

i. This would happen even in the family 10:35-36

ii. Every Christian was to choose whether he loved his family or Christ more 10:37

c. Jesus warned his disciples that they would possibly even die because of the persecutors knew not the Father John 16:1-4

d. Jesus warned the disciples that in this world we would have tribulation but that He had overcome the world John 16:33

III. How did the early church deal with the persecution

a. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and given an answer 4:8, Matthew 10:19-20

b. They boldly told them that it was the name of Jesus Christ 4:10-12

c. Their boldness came because they had been with Jesus 4:13

d. From the beginning they said that they had no choice but to speak about what God had done 4:20

e. They met with their church family and shared what had happened 4:23

f. Together they prayed 4:24

g. In prayer they asked for boldness to speak the word 4:29

h. They asked God to give them signs or answers to prayer in the name of Jesus 4:30

i. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke with boldness 4:31

· We can expect to be persecuted if we preach Jesus

· We should not be persecuted for the wrong reasons

· We should decide that pleasing Him is more important than pleasing family, friends, or ourselves

· We should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit that he can use us in getting the gospel to others

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