Listen, being able to go around to a bunch of different churches
while I was with the abcp, now pastoring a church there in Rockwall
and seeing how this world is changing, it reminds me that we as
God's people need to be busy about the Lord's work.
In chapter three of the Book of Acts, we'll get to four in a minute.
I'm not going to read out of chapter three, but in chapter three,
Peter and John, they heal this lame man and made the religious people
of that day just angry at them.
It seems sometimes that the worldly crowd, even some Christian
people, they get angry when God moves in a mighty way.
Now as we get to Acts, chapter.
Number four, verse number one, the Bible says this.
And as they spake unto the people, the priests and the captain
of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them being grieved
that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection
from the dead.
And they laid hands on them and put them hold and hold until
the next day.
For it was now eventide.
So all they were doing was doing something good.
And as they were doing something good, here comes the religious
leaders, and they're.
Like, hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,.
You can't do that anymore.
And they laid hands on them and.
They put them in prison.
Verse number four, I like this.
It says, how be it many of them which heard the word believed,
and the number of men was about 5,000.
I'm thankful that even during the times.
Of persecution, I'm thankful that even during.
Times where it seems like we're doing what we're supposed to
be doing and the results aren't the way that we think they
should be, even in those times that God always prevails.
Amen.
Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed.
Verse number five.
The Bible says this.
And it came to pass on the morrow that their rulers and their
elders and scribes and Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and
John and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the
high priest were gathered together at Jerusalem.
And so they had all of this group of people there gathered together.
In verse seven, it says, and when they had set them in the midst,.
They asked him, by what power or by what name have you done this?
What power or by what name have you done what you've just done?
In verse number eight, the Bible says, then Peter, filled with
the Holy Ghost said, he said unto them, ye rulers of the people
and the elders of Israel, Let's pray.
Father, we thank you.
God, for this, Lord, I pray that you would use me now in a mighty
way.
God, I pray that you'd help us not to be distracted.
God, I pray that you would help us to take your word, Father,
apply it to our heart.
And God, you promised you would accomplish what you will in
through your word.
God, I pray that you would accomplish things in each person's
life today.
In Jesus name, Amen.
As they set them in the midst, the rulers asked them this question.
By what power or by what name.
Have you done this?
This morning in Sunday school, as I talked about our motivation,
about the constraining love of Christ, and I asked, why did you
come to church today?
What brought you here?
What was the reason behind you coming to church?
I could have asked it like this.
What power brought you here today?
What was the cause of you coming here today?
Look, these religious people, they saw that, they healed the layman.
They're preaching the resurrection of Christ.
They're just basically doing things that they weren't supposed
to be doing according to the religious leaders.
And it just dumbfounded them.
And they asked the question, by what power are you doing this?
Have you done this?
Jonathan Edwards, the American revivalist preacher, he said this.
He said, I assert that nothing ever comes to pass without a cause.
Nothing in our lives ever comes to pass without a cause.
Listen, all across our world today, all across our world, there
are many causes that affect people to completely give their lives
to it.
Oh, they cause people to be devoted in such a way that there
is no doubt as to what they stand for.
Look, we see it.
We see bumper stickers.
We see people out marching, protesting, doing this, doing that.
People are devoted to these causes.
And sadly, many people today doubt that.
Christians all across this world, what we.
Are actually standing for.
If somebody knows that you're a Christian, do they know what you
stand for?
Do they know why you do what you do?
When people drive by Heritage Baptist Church or come to visit Heritage
Baptist Church, do they know that what we do here, do they know
what's going on in this church?
Do they know what this church stands for?
Listen, for the early church and these early Christians, this
is exactly the case.
They had to stand upon the cause of Jesus Christ in order to
do anything.
You got to understand that they weren't liked by many.
They weren't liked by most.
Look, they were following this religion for years and years and
years.
And then here comes this man and completely changes everything.
And these people had to leave families, had to leave jobs, had
to leave their livelihood to.
To follow this man.
And now this man is gone.
And this man told them to go out and to continue doing what I
was doing.
And listen, they only could do that if they had a cause, and that
cause was him.
Listen, coming out of the Gospels, where.
Christ started this church, into this great transition book of
Acts, the apostles, these early Christians, they had to make
their lives, everything that they did all about Jesus Christ.
It had to be all about him.
Listen, this church was started to be about Jesus Christ.
In my prayers, this church stays to.
Be about what Jesus Christ is all about.
Listen, we have to understand that Christianity, again, it was
not well received among the leaders, the Jewish leaders, and
the Roman leaders.
Can I remind you today that Christianity is not well received
even in the.
Greatest state on the face of the.
Planet, Texas, it's not well received.
If you don't know that, go knock on somebody's door, go try
to pass.
Out a Bible and see what kind.
Of response you get.
They didn't want these new Christians disrupting the policies
that had already established.
You realize that the Jewish people, they were in cahoots really,
with the Roman leaders, that they can just kind of do their own
thing.
And they would just kind of just let go of some of the things
that they were supposed to be doing just to appease the Roman people.
And they didn't want these Christian people disturbing anything
that was going on.
They got comfortable living the way that they were living.
I feel like all too often Christian people in churches all
across our world,.
We've got comfortable living by the values of the world and stopped
living by the values of the word of God.
Our churches are full of people that just live by these values
and they don't stand upon this book.
We got to remember why we are here.
Listen, too many Christians in this world are too comfortable with
the way that things are going.
And can I remind you again this.
Morning that this world is not our own, our home, so we should not.
Be comfortable in this world.
Look, there was work to be done.
Christ is gone.
The leader of their church was gone.
And so Peter and John, they had to do something.
And they were thrown in jail for doing exactly what their leader
left them to do.
See that in verses 2 and 3.
Listen to me this morning.
Church, there is work to be done.
Amen.
There's work to be done not only in this church, but there's
work to be done in the neighborhoods that are surrounding
this church.
And if this church is not doing.
What they're supposed to be doing for.
The cause of Jesus Christ, then Those neighborhoods are not
ever going to hear.
The glorious gospel message.
Amen.
It's a work of sharing hope with the hopeless.
I know some of you, I don't know some of you, but every one of
us at one point in our life was just absolutely hopeless until
somebody shared hope with us.
And that is the work that this church still has, is to share hope
with the hopeless.
Listen, I'm thankful that you and I, we have a hope, and that has
cause enough for us to boldly take a stand for the cause of Jesus
Christ.
When we get to verses 8 through 13 of chapter 4, here we
see.
The first cause or the why they.
Did and what they were doing when.
Listen, can I remind you that everything in our church and our
Christian life should start and end with Christ.
Listen, it's not because I say it.
It's not because another preacher says it.
It's not because I'm your husband or.
I'm the wife or whatever.
I'm the mom, I'm the dad, et cetera.
It's because of the person of Jesus Christ.
Listen, the reason for salvation is because of him.
The reason why we baptize is because of him.
The reason for church membership is because of him.
Listen.
Forsaking not the assembly of God, the reason why we come to church
is not because of our neigh.
It's not because of the preacher.
It's because of him.
Amen.
Oh, the reason why we give the reason why we yield ourselves.
The reason why we plant the reason why we sing the reason why
we go.
The reason why we do anything is because of Jesus Christ.
And these people, they asked him, by what power have you done
this?
And he's like, good question.
Now I'm about to give you an answer.
Paul Chappell says in his book, keep the Faith, he says, we
don't serve the Lord to prove anything.
We serve because Jesus paid everything.
Amen.
The reason why we serve is not to prove anything.
I don't have to prove anything to you.
You don't have to prove anything to me.
But I serve because Jesus Christ has paid it all.
Chapel goes on to say in his book, what God has done for me is
secondary to who God is to me.
Let me ask you this morning, Church, who is God to you?
This morning?
I believe the reason why we have seen or could see a decline
in salvations or baptism, et cetera, is because of the cause that
we're doing what we do.
Oh, there's too many Christians that are doing things
so God will bless them and not because of who God is to them.
This quote.
I remember when I first started going to Bible college, and
I don't remember what class it was.
I think it was probably Bible Doctrine 1.
There's this quote from A.W.
Tozer that I will never get away from.
He says, the first thing that you.
Think about when you think about God is the most important thing
about you.
If I were to ask you, what do you think about God right now?
The response in your mind is the most important thing about us.
For this early church, for these early Christians, they knew
who God was.
They knew that he was the answer to every problem that all
of these people had.
Because he answered their problem.
He answered the things that they were longing for.
Oh, listen, Peter and John were facing persecution for standing
up for this cause.
Listen, in verse number 29, we're not going to get there, but
you can go look.
It says in verse 29, talking about this early church, it says,
and now, Lord, behold their threatenings and grant unto thy servants
that with all boldness they may speak thy word.
Do you realize in Acts, in Acts, chapter four, going down to
verse number 29, this church is being persecuted.
This church was being basically destroyed.
I believe it was the Apostle Paul probably out there trying to
destroy this church before he became the Apostle Paul.
And their prayer was, and now, Lord, behold their threatenings and
grant unto thy servants with all boldness that they may speak
that word.
Do you realize there's people all around this church that wants
this church to fail, that wants the door shut on this church,
that wants this church to be no more.
And look, they were not fighting with each other.
They were not fighting among these people.
They were simply on their face before God and they were praying,
God, give us boldness that we can speak your word in the midst
of persecution.
Amen.
That's what they were praying.
That was their mindset.
That was their focus.
Because they made their calls about Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ
alone.
You know what happened?
God answered their prayer.
You go look the next few verses down.
It says in verse number 31.
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were
assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.
And what happened?
And it says, and they spake the.
Word of God with boldness.
Imagine that they prayed to the Lord not for selfish reasons,
but they prayed to the Lord for unselfish reasons.
And God immediately answered their prayer and gave them boldness
to go out and speak the word of God.
Amen.
That's the God that you and I serve.
That's who we're coming to worship today.
That's the God.
Amen.
You ever wonder what would happen?
I'm talking about all churches, all Christian God following
churches that are in existence today.
You ever wonder what would happen if that 1st century church
was made up of 21st century believers?
You ever think about that?
If we were back there and they were threatening us, they were wanting
our demise, There was slaughter.
People were dying for their faith.
I wonder that sometimes.
Would the church still be around 2,000 years later, Thank God
that the same cause that they had 2,000 years ago was the same
cause that we have today.
So the answer to the question when they asked him, by what power
or by what name have you done this?
In verse number eight says, then Peter, filled with the Holy
Ghost said this, Number one.
It's the person of Christ.
He's the reason why.
He's the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing.
He's the reason why this lame man is healed.
Listen, look at verse number 10.
In verse number 10 of Acts, chapter.
4, he says this.
Be it known unto you all 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, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
In verse number 10, we see that we have the ability to stand
not just here, but we have the ability to stand everywhere because
of him.
Amen.
Listen.
Peter stands here boldly and preaches to them the truth of the
Gospel.
I can stand here before you today whole because I am complete
in him.
You can sit there today, you can leave the church today and you
can proclaim the name of Jesus Christ because him.
Amen.
Listen.
We as Christians, we can stand and proclaim boldly because of the
person of Jesus Christ.
What a wonderful name is the name of Jesus.
You ever think about his name?
The name Jesus?
You know what Jesus means?
Jehovah is Savior.
You know what Christ means?
He means he's the anointed One.
He's the Messiah, Emmanuel.
He's God with us.
He's the Master, He's Lord.
He's Light of the world.
He's the Rose of Sharon.
He's the Almighty God.
He's the counselor.
He's the Son of God.
He's the Son of Man.
He's He's Savior.
He's the Amen.
And we can go on and on and on about this wonderful name.
And it's by this name that this man stands here before you whole.
Listen.
He's the one that all the prophets were waiting on.
He's the one that the one crying.
In the wilderness was paving the way for.
He's the one that I needed.
He's the one that you needed.
Amen.
It is by this person of Christ that any of us have any hope.
It's because of him that we can pray.
It's because of him that we have forgiveness.
It's because of him that this church exists.
And it's because of him that we.
Have something to look forward to when our eyes close in death.
How good has he been to you today?
How good has he been to you throughout your life?
How many of y' all are thinking, why does he need a microphone?
Amen.
The fact that you're even here today shows that you serve God.
The fact that you're here today shows or tells me that you
want something, that you need something, that you want to worship
someone.
Let me ask you, do you know him today?
As the songwriter says, please don't turn him away.
Listen, he's our rock.
He's our shield.
He's our buckler.
He's our joy.
He's our peace.
He's our brother.
Amen.
And he's our friend.
He's a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Over in Philippians chapter two.
I want to read this to you.
Philippians chapter two.
It says if there in verse number one.
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort
of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bows and mercies
fulfill ye my joy,.
That ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord,
of.
One mind, Let nothing be done through.
Strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the
things of others.
And then verse five says, let this mind be in you, which was also.
In Christ Jesus, who, being in the.
Form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men and being found in the fashion
as man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto the death, even
the death of the cross, whereof God also hath highly exalted
him, and given him a name which is above every name.
That in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to.
The glory of the Father this is the same name that was the power
behind those men getting up about those men getting up and preaching
and talking about the resurrection, about this man being
healed.
In Colossians 2.
9, it tells us, for in him.
Dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
And to that I say, what a cause.
What a cause.
Number two.
We see the placement of Christ.
The placement of Christ in their life.
Look here with me.
Verse number 11.
The Bible says this.
It says, this is the stone which was set at naught of you builders,
which has become the head of the corner.
Listen, whenever they ask what power, he says, first of all, the
person of Christ.
Number two, the placement of where he's at.
Listen, it says there in verse number 11 that he is the cornerstone,
the foundation, the chief cornerstone.
Let me ask you this morning, where do you have Christ in your
life today?
Where is Christ placed in your life?
The placement of Christ is so important to what we're going to
be doing for Christ.
Psalm 118, verse 22 tells us the stone which the builders refuse
has become the head of the stone of the corner.
Look.
The chief cornerstone is the rock upon which the weight of the
entire structure rests.
Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of our faith.
Listen.
Our faith.
Your faith.
My faith is only as good as.
The object that it's placed in.
If Christ is the object of your faith, then your faith is doing
well.
Is he the object of your faith this morning?
In Isaiah 28, verse 16, the Bible says this.
Therefore, thus saith the Lord God.
Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone.
And I'm thankful it doesn't stop there.
It says, I lay in Zion for.
A foundation of stone.
But then it says, a tried stone.
Do you realize that our chief cornerstone has been tried?
He's been tested, and he's been proven perfect.
It says, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.
He that believeth shall not make haste.
Oh, I'm so thankful that you and.
I, we can rest upon Christ, our tried stone, tempted in all points,
yet without sin.
He is our sure foundation.
Listen, the fact that Christ is our sure foundation should be
the cause for you and I to take a stand.
Number three.
And I'm hurrying.
I promise.
We see the power of Christ.
Verse number 12.
The Bible says, neither is there salvation in any other.
For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby
we must be saved.
Listen, Christ has the power to save the entire world.
The reason why that you and I should take a stand.
You and I have the cause and.
Effect of Christ, if you will, is because he has the power to save
the entire world.
Peter was telling these religious rulers that their salvation
was not based on anything that they could do, but the power rests
solely in the name Lord Jesus Christ.
And the fact that every single person in this world can be saved
should motivate us to stand with boldness.
Second Peter, chapter three, verse nine.
I'm thankful for this verse being in the Bible.
I hope you are too.
It says the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men
count slackness, but is long suffering toward usward not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The power of Christ.
The reason why they did not care.
About their own life is because they knew the power of the
name of Jesus Christ, what power it had.
If there was a man that needed.
Something, and if there was a bunch of people that needed to hear
about the resurrection of Christ, then why not give up their
life to stand and boldly proclaim the word of the Lord?
The power.
There's power in that name.
And one day the Bible says that every knee is going to bow and
every tongue is going to confess Jesus Christ.
Number four.
We see the presence of Christ, verse number 13.
The Bible says this.
Just imagine.
I like to imagine being there.
And maybe one day.
I don't know how heaven's going to be other than what we see
in the Bible.
I don't know if we're going to be able to replay things that happened.
I would love that.
How many of y' all would love that?
Like, see a movie of things happen?
Hey, God, would you let me see Acts chapter four in live action?
They're standing there and they're not apologizing for healing
the man.
They're not apologizing for preaching the resurrection of the
dead.
They're just simply preaching Jesus Christ to them, telling them
why they're doing what they're doing.
And then verse number 13 says this.
Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived
that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled and took
knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.
What caused them to stand was the presence of Jesus Christ in their
life.
We will never be able to properly do what we should be doing
if we're never in the presence of him.
Listen, our being with the Lord should be evident on our life.
Look, it makes me always think about Moses when he went up in the
mountain and was with him.
He comes down and his face was glowing.
He had no idea that it was glowing, but everybody else did because
he had been with Jesus.
When's the last time somebody came to you and was like, have you
been with Jesus?
The presence of Christ is where we gain strength.
Zechariah 4, 6 says, then he answered and spake unto me.
This is the word of the Lord.
Unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might nor by power, but by my
spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
The way that we get the spirit of God and walk in the spirit of
God is being with God.
Amen.
Let me ask you, how much does the presence of Christ in your life
change you?
I was in chapel last year at the school, and many of y' all know
Brother Shelton.
Brother Shelton's a great.
I love listening to him preach.
But he preached chapel that day, and he asked us this question.
If the Holy Spirit was removed from your life today, how much would
your life be different?
And he said that, Ms. Weatherby.
And I was like, good night.
That's a good question.
Because sadly, a lot of my life would be the exact same.
I would still get up.
I would still go to work.
I would still be friendly to the people that I work with.
I would still provide for my family.
Let me ask you that question.
If the Holy Spirit of God was removed from your life, if the presence
of God was removed from your life right now, how much would your
life be different?
Now, let me say it this way.
If the presence of the Holy Spirit of God was removed from this
church, how much would this church be different?
Does this church rely on the power and the presence of God, or
do we rely on things that we've always done?
These religious people who did not know Christ, they looked at these
two men and they're like, they've been with him.
I perceived that they had been with Jesus Christ.
Does anybody know that you've been with Jesus?
There are too many Christians out there that make Christ prominent
without making him preeminent.
There's a difference there.
God being prominent in our lives is a good thing.
That means he's big.
I pray that he's big in all of our life.
It means he's large in our life.
But making him preeminent in our life means that he surpasses
all others.
God is not going to say, well, brother Cox, you made me preeminent,
so I'm just going to remove everything good out of your life.
No, he's not going to do that.
He's going to say, where you been?
Here.
Jesus Christ came to give us life and life abundant Amen.
Are you living in the abundance that Jesus Christ has promised
us?
When you and I look at the person of Christ, we look at the
placement of Christ, the power of Christ, and are in the presence
of Christ.
I believe it will cause number one a proclamation and persistence.
In verse 16 through 20, he says this and his name through faith.
Excuse me, 16.
And chapter number four, he says, saying, what shall we do to
these men?
They're like, they've been with Jesus.
In verse 16, it says, now what shall we do with these men?
For that, indeed a notable miracle had been done by them is
manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem.
And we cannot deny it.
They're like, I don't know what we're supposed to do now.
These guys, they've already started disrupting everything.
And a lot of people have already believed.
Now what are we doing that we put them in prison?
And now we've asked them these questions and they're still talking
about Jesus.
What are we going to do?
And verse number 17 says, but that it spread no further among the
people.
Let us straightly threaten them that they speak henceforth to
no man in his name.
They're like, I got it.
This is what we're going to threaten them.
You better not do it, or else, you know.
Verse 18 it says, and they called them, and they commanded them
not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus.
And they said, just shut up, be quiet, don't say anything else
about him.
But if he is our cause, the effect is we proclaim, have a persistence,
proclamation.
Look here what it says.
Verse number 19, it says, but Peter and John answered and said
unto them,.
Whether it be right in the sight.
Of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
What does it say here in verse number 20?
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
He's like, threaten me all you want, put me in prison all you want,
kill me if you want.
But we cannot help but speak the things which we have seen and
heard.
Is there anything that's keeping you from speaking today?
Is there anything that's keeping this church from speaking
today?
Lastly, number two, there was a passing of faith.
Verse number 21.
Says, so when they had further threatened them, they let them go,
finding nothing how they might punish them because of the people.
For all men glorified God for that which was done.
See what happened there?
The effect was all of these people that were around them started
glorifying God for what had been done.
Now, how many of you Want the neighborhoods around Heritage Baptist
Church to glorify God for all that's been done at Heritage Baptist
Church.
I know the negativity that's been going on.
My wife worked here up until just a little bit ago.
What many of the neighborhoods around this church want this church
to do is to completely shut its doors and fail.
But if we have the proper cause, we'll have the proper effect.
And that proper effect is that all men will glorify God for what
has been done.
Do you believe that God will get the glory out of Heritage Baptist
Church?
I do.
But we have to have the proper cause.
We have to have the proper motivation.
The Bible tells us to let our light so shine before men that he
may see our good works and glorify our Father, which is in heaven.
Amen.
Let me ask you, is Jesus Christ your cause?
Is the reason why this church here for Christ and Christ alone?
What is your purpose?
What's the purpose of this church?
Why did we come to meet today?
Is it to check a box?
Or is it to get fired up and to go shine as lights for the Lord
Jesus Christ?
Let's pray, Father.
We thank you, God, for this, Lord.
I pray, Father, that you would take this message now and help us
to apply it to our lives.
God, I pray that your spirit, Father, would deliver it in such
a way that it's undoubtedly you that has delivered it.
God, I pray that you get the glory from this invitation time.
I pray these things in Jesus name.
Amen.
Let's all stand together.
Several occasions, Paul said, we preach Christ.
And this sermon that we heard is exactly what that means to preach
Christ.
There's a little chorus sometimes we sing Christ is all I
need.
And people say, yeah, but you don't understand all my other needs.
Christ is all we need.
You say, well, that's easy for you to say, you're a preacher.
Someone said, I've never forgotten it.
They said, when you get to the place to where Christ is all you
have, then the light comes on and you realize he's all you need.
A lot of our troubles and trials that we go through is to try
to wean us off the things of the world and find out that Christ
is really all we need.
We'll sing a verse of invitation and some have already
come and you might want to join.
Come and kneel for a few minutes and pray and go back to your
seat.
If you need someone to help you, just come right now.