【Bible Study】Acts 04: Glory to God for the Wonders He Has Done
Bible Study: Acts
- 【Bible Study】Acts 00: Introduction
- 【Bible Study】Acts 01: You Will Receive Power When the Holy Spirit Comes on You
- 【Bible Study】Acts 02: Beginning with the Filling of the Holy Spirit
- 【Bible Study】Acts 03: Miracles and Signs Will Follow You
- 【Bible Study】Acts 04: Glory to God for the Wonders He Has Done
- 【Bible Study】Acts 05: What comes from man is corrupted, what comes from God is Incorruptable
- 【Bible Study】Acts 06: Managing the Church Requires an Intellectual Understanding of God
- 【Bible Study】Acts 07: Telling The Truth Brings Persecution
- 【Bible Study】Acts 08: Persecution Cannot Stop The Gospel
- 【Bible Study】Acts 09: We Are All God's Chosen People
- 【Bible Study】Acts 10: God Works with His Chosen Vessels
The most common phrase I have heard in the church is "Glory to God". However, I see a lot of problems in the church. Although they say Glory to God, their actions stir up trouble and dissent in the church.
1. Five thousand believers coming out of one sermon
I used to be so envious of this. When I used to preach, not even one person would believe after listening to my sermon. I prayed to God and tried to find a reason. I concluded that I did not have the faith that the Holy Spirit gives. After examining this issue for a while, I found out that this faith is not found, but rather, bestowed on people. So why didn't I have it? Also, why would Jesus scold us for having no faith, when faith is given by the Spirit?
The faith given by God is for us to give glory to Him. I realized that faith is a choice. I did not serve God because he called me, but I was serving God by my passion. I will serve God with my passion until he calls for me.
The type of people that God chooses as his treasure is people who have character. Do you have a persistent faith? Or will you shrink back when you encounter difficulties? If you are sold to Egypt, will you still persevere in your faith as a slave, or will you give up? This type of faith is the faith that God is looking for.
When Abraham came to Canaan, he experienced a severe famine. But he still believed in God's promise that this land would be given to him and his descendants.
When I preach, I am not looking for the 5000 people to believe. My wish is not for a ton of new believers, but to make everyone here a disciple. Jesus did not call for believers, he called for disciples.
Our vision is to build a church that is holy, united, glorious, faithful, and victorious in battle. A good soldier for Jesus is called a disciple.
2. The courage of Peter and John
Their courage is very interesting. They were filled with courage after being filled by the Holy Spirit. When confronted by the High Priest, Peter was filled with faith by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit began to speak through him.
Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 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, 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.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:6-12 NIV)
Therefore, I encourage everybody to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit. But faith is not a substitute for reading the word of God, as praying in tongues is not a substitute for praying with words, and vice versa. We have to understand God in the physical sense, as well as understanding him spiritually.
Once a person has some power, they may begin to think that everything they are doing is right. However, you have to humble yourself and understand that there is still a lot to learn about God. Claiming to give glory to God and doing it are two very different things.
So, I am not looking for mere believers, but I want to build a church full of disciples that give glory and honour to God.
3. All in the name of Jesus Christ
I am not sure if Peter understood the meaning of salvation, or whether he believed it meant to die and go to heaven.
These things were done in the name of Jesus Christ, but what does that mean? And what does it mean to us? Because of the name of Jesus Christ, he was crucified, died and was buried. Because of this, we also live for the His name. If Jesus hadn't died, was buried and raised from the dead, where would I be today? How would I have healed myself?
Because of my faith in Jesus Christ, I know that if the sick aren't healed today, they will be tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, then next week. The name of Jesus Christ is a treasure. Don't only call on his name when you get excited. "Lord, I will die for you!" No, tell yourself that you were born for God, that you came into this world for God; you will live for God, and you will die for God.
Today, in the name of Jesus Christ, I cast out demons, and release the captive and the oppressed. I also give glory to Him because of the name. What a glorious name it is! When we dedicate our lives to God, wouldn't it also be great to do it in the name of Jesus Christ?
4. The apostles were powerful and testified to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus
When the apostles faced the priests in trial, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke so boldly that the chief priests were at a loss for what to do to punish them. So they were reprimanded and went back to tell their brothers and sisters everything that had happened. They thought that Peter and the rest of the apostles were too powerful.
When people are easily excited by these things, they feel like everything they do is right, and they will ruin things. Peter thought he was so powerful because he could testify to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then, all the believers sold everything they had and distributed it among the poor, beginning to do very rash things.
This is why faith and understanding are both important.
5. Many believers are single-minded
During this section, Luke was not present to record it happening. But stories of the believers spread so far and wide that it was common for the believers to sell their property and wait for the coming of Jesus. Even today, two thousand years later, many Christians are still fooled into selling everything they have and waiting for God.
This is not called single-mindedness. The will of God is not for us to eat, drink, and have fun until the day he comes, rather it is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Everyone is selfish, and everyone has a selfish single-mindedness. Since ancient times, no one has been able to solve the problem of selfishness. That is why the core of the church is to deal with problems such as selfishness, which is rooted in human flesh. We have to constantly deal with the flesh, and even so, we don't know when selfishness will return. That's why the church is full of all kinds of problems, so you know we're still dealing with this stuff today.
Therefore, it is only by becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ that these basic problems can be solved. If you work and someone else receives the money, will you want to work? No. I want to create people with value. I don't want to create people that eat together with glad and sincere hearts, I want people to create value with glad and sincere hearts.
Many Christians like to say that they will repent right before they die so they can go to heaven. But I want people to be like God while they are living on the earth.
If you do not deal with the flesh, do not shepherd, and do not thoroughly solve other people's problems, you are not a disciple of Jesus Christ. I hope that everyone will gradually remove these absurd things from our belief system.
Tags value Peter John courage glory to God name of Jesus Christ prayer