ACTS 4:5-12 

⁵ The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. ⁶ Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. ⁷ They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹ If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, ¹⁰ then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹ Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Waking Up Problem

Waking up or getting out of bed has been a struggle as long as one remembers.

Waking up early to go to work is a problem that has been accepted but only a few have paid attention to and found solution for it. You love your job and you don’t want to be late but you have a problem waking up early for work, what would you do?

History tells that parents find it tough to wake their children up for school. Schools have tried to solve the problem of students waking up by scheduling their classes a little bit later in the day. Yet, waking children up is enough cause of parents-children conflicts at home.

So, what have you done to help yourself or your children wake up on time not reluctantly?

One suggestion is: “Go to bed early!” but others have problems going to sleep early. Another suggestion is: “Avoid fatty foods or meat instead eat fish or veggies for supper!”

Someone said: “Whatever you eat at night will affect your sleep or waking up.” Nevertheless, how does faith in God help with this problem of waking up pleasantly? Should God be concerned of waking us up or helping us get out of bed without hesitation?

Asking God to wake them up feels like an embarrassing act for many believers. They would rather use alarm clock than asking God to wake them up.

To grow in faith in God is to become more dependent like a child’s dependency to his parents. A little child would not care if his parents will get angry but would trust and ask his parent to wake him up and doesn’t bother to set an alarm clock.

If we have child-like faith in God, we are not embarrassed to ask God of anything we need. Closer relationship with God helps us to understand that God eagerly wants to show His love and care for His children even in helping us to be awake from our sleep.

Have you considered if Christ is insulted when one put faith in alarm clocks and not in God?

During spiritual awakening, it is God not man who wakes up a spiritually sleeping person. If God is willing to wake us up spiritually, would He not be willing to wake us up physically?

The crippled man was spiritually and physically [bones and muscles] awaken. Peter was also crippled in his speech because of fear of his life that was why he was scared, timid and denied Christ three times on that night just before Jesus was crucified. When he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he was spiritually awake when he faced the leaders.

⁵ The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. ⁶ Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. ⁷ They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Have you ever been accused of something and stood before a judge or a police investigator?

There is a feeling of nervousness or fear of unfairness because not just a few stories but actually, there are those who were reported and proven as corrupt judges or police officers. Likewise, many believers are nervous and scared when they are told to evangelize.

Sharing the gospel is God’s work, therefore, if it is God’s work, let His Spirit leads. When the Holy Spirit leads the believer in witnessing, courage is exposed or displayed.

1. Courage is Exposed

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹ If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, ¹⁰ then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed… 

Remember the night when Christ was interrogated before Pilate, Peter denied Jesus three times because he was so scared and panicked for his life before few ordinary people. In our passage, Peter was facing not just ordinary residents but leaders of the people. They were the rulers, elders, teachers of the law, high priest Annas and Caiaphas, the same leaders of the Jewish people who presided for Jesus to be crucified. But Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, stood his ground.

Undeniably, courage was very evidential when Peter told them that they crucified Jesus. Peter obeyed Christ’s command to wait upon the gift of God, the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit filled Peter, courage to witness was manifested in his life.

Let’s check what the Lord Jesus said in Acts 1:8… ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Take note what Christ said here, “…you will receive power and …you will be my witness.” These phrases signify that first: “Receive power!” and then next; “Be witnesses!” These are two subsequent results or effects when the Holy Spirit comes on our life.

Traditionally, we believe that it is God’s mandate for us to go and witness. In witnessing, we need to wait upon the Holy Spirit then upon receiving power, we witness. Peter and the first disciples prayed and waited to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When filled with the Holy Spirit, dynamic courage to witness is exposed or displayed.

Wherever we are and when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, there’s explosive-like-dynamite kind of courage to witness to the person whom God has prepared for us to witness to. Believers filled with the Holy Spirit are courageous witness not timid or scared.

When you are nervous in sharing the gospel, it is a warning sign that you need to ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, there is courage to witness and Christ is exalted. Without the filling of the Holy Spirit, there is discouragement and anxiety in witnessing.

When Christ is magnified, when Christ is glorified in any conversation, the Holy Spirit is active because He wants Christ to be exalted and praised.

2. Christ is Exalted

¹¹ Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ ¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Peter displayed courage to hold the leaders of the people responsible for Christ death. He rebuked them because they have rejected Christ, the cornerstone of their faith in God.

When filled with the Holy Spirit, there is courage to exalt and glorify Christ before others. The Holy Spirit wants Christ to be magnified, glorified and exalted in the believer’s life.

Normally, we hear someone saying, “How do you like my song, drawing, the cake I baked, my flowers, my dress, my new shoes, my hair style, my car?”

One can easily discern that the spirit of the person asking those questions wants himself to be exalted or glorified, right? The spirit of man wants to glorify the self, the ego. People want to display the best and hide unpleasant things because criticism is unacceptable. The tall, beautiful, fair skin, beautiful teeth normally gets all praises and people desire them. A number of people despise their life because they assume that they are of less importance.

China

China pertain not just the country China but also chinaware, ceramics or pottery. There are various pottery designs: “Some are glossy, rough, fragile, small, and huge.” Moreover, there are perfectly made potteries but some are deformed. The deformed potteries are not rejects but set aside for special purposes.

It is common preference of many to display or use perfectly shaped pots. But great artists would prefer deformed potteries in their choice of arts, though.

One might have asked, “Why did God allow me to be like this, to have problems or infirmities? Why am I so, short? Why am I so skinny or fat? Why is my hair curly or straight?”

The potter makes small cups for drinking tea and the huge China is for display, not for tea. Small cups are good for tea or coffee but not a good choice to plant your favorite flowers. Various sizes and forms of potteries are made for their purposes but all are equally important.

Just as the potter equally cares for the different sizes or forms, perfect or deformed potteries he made, God, our potter moulds us with care according to His design for us. Each person is designed according to what God has intended for each individual. Spiritual gift is given so that every believer will know the plan God has designed for us.

The distinction between talent and spiritual gift is this: “With spiritual gift Christ is exalted.” Talent is being used when the person wanted himself, his ego to be magnified.

Before he was filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter normally spoke of what he can do. In Matthew 17:4…⁴Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters–one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” In Matthew 26:33…³³Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

There is pride of what one can do or wants to impress others when personal talent is utilized. Many believers are acting like Peter and trying to impress the Lord with their talents. After Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, God used the same talkative Peter but it is remarkable that Christ Jesus is glorified, exalted in his speech.

You know that the Holy Spirit is at work in your life when Christ is exalted in you. There is courage to witness for Christ even in the midst of opposition or problem. When the Holy Spirit is at work in our life, courage is experienced and not discouragement. When the Holy Spirit is at work in our life Christ is exalted and not the self, not the ego.

Keep on waiting and asking God unceasingly to be filled with His Holy Spirit.

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