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A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
I. CONFLICT
A. DISPUTE
Acts 4:1-3 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
>>1. ANNOYED (Jn 15:18-20; 16:2; I Pet 2:21)
>>2. ARRESTED
B. DETAILS
Acts 4:4 But many of those who had heard the Word believed, and the number of the men now totaled about five thousand.
>>1. ACCEPTED (Acts 3:19)
>>2. ADDED (Acts 5:14; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24)
II. COURAGE
A. DIFFERENCE
Acts 4:5-7 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what ability or by what name did you do this?”
>>1. ASSEMBLED
>>2. ASKED (Deut 13:1-5)
B. DEFENSE
Acts 4:8-12 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you 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 is standing before you healed.
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
>>1. ANSWERED (Acts 2:23-24; 3:15)
>>2. ASSERTED (Ps 118:22)
III. CONFRONTATION
A. DOUBT
Acts 4:13-14 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to add in opposition.
>>1. ASTONISHED
>>2. ARGUED
B. DISCUSSION
Acts 4:15-17 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a noteworthy miracle has been performed through them is evident to all residents of Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”
>>1. ALTERED (Acts 26:10)
>>2. ANALYZED
IV. CONCLUSION
A. DECISION
Acts 4:18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
>>1. ANNOUNCED
>>2. ADVISED
B. DECLARATION
Acts 4:19-20 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, but we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
>>1. ASSUMED
>>2. ACTED (Acts 1:8)