Pity Me Not, For I Believe!

Acts 4:1-4

4 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. NKJV

I had the privilege to attend a beautiful funeral ceremony yesterday. It was well thought out and put together in a manner well pleasing to the Lord. The gospel was preached clearly and accurately, and the mother of a brother in Christ was honored and respected. But when I came home to complete my daughter’s lesson for Heritage Studies, I felt a deep sorrow for my brother’s loss. The lesson was a story about a man named John Kvsvick. John was a Norwegian immigrant who worked really hard on a farm in America for four years to save a lot of money to return to Norway and have a nice living, but John didn’t agree with the practices of the church in Norway. Soon, he married and had three children, but it continued to be a struggle to raise a family in Norway. So John returned to America to earn enough money to bring his family over. One of the Bible action truths in the lesson called for the reminder that a Christian is to realize that preaching must be true to God’s Word in order for it to minister to hearts. Maybe it was due to the lack of good Bible preaching that Norway was having economic struggles? I don’t know? However, it led to many Norwegian immigrants coming into America to find work. Some of the lesson’s questions caused me to identify more with my friend and brother in Christ’s earthly loss.

One of the questions was, “How do you think John’s family felt during the years that John was away from them? This causes me to remember what the Lord said:

John 14:1-4 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." NKJV

John was a bold and courageous man who was willing to leave his family to prepare a better place for them. But how much more so God who sent His Son into the world to be crucified by it, and having redeemed some lowly men, to then again leave them, and prepare a heavenly home for them. What awesome love the Father has lavished upon His children!

Another question was, “Have you ever been away from someone you love?” Even though Christ left the glory of heaven to come to man, He was never away from the Father’s love. But because He was a man in every way like us, He could only continuously experience the Father’s indirect love. The Father was always present with Him, but it was never in direct personal form, but only in the Person of the Holy Spirit who made the Son and the Father one. When a loved one dies, and goes to God, we lose only the direct presence of the person; but if we live in the Spirit of God we retain the indirect presence of that person. Therefore when God says, "I go to prepare a place for you", and reminds us that He will always be with us, we have an indirect and a direct presence with God.

Matt 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. NKJV

The last question of the lesson was, “How did you feel when you finally got to see that person again?” I know how I am going to feel when I see God. Elated!! What manner of love has God bestowed upon us to give us His beloved Son? It is incomprehensible! John worked really hard all his life, but when he got to see his family come to him -- no doubt it was a “time of refreshing” and a “time of restoration”.

I say all of this because this was the Apostle’s motivation in being willing to be arrested by the Jewish leaders who will forbid them to speak in Jesus’s Name.

Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, . . .

As Peter is preaching this message not only are the people gathering, but also the religious leaders, and the temple ‘security’. Peter had quite a diverse and interesting crowd.

. . . being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

The Sadducees were the religious sect that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees were a really sad bunch of worms. I would be personally sad, too, if there was no resurrection of the dead. In fact, you should be too:

1 Cor 15:16-19 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. NKJV

All the priests and temple authorities who gathered to hear that day, in spite of the healing of the lame man, and two thousand Jews who believed, were disturbed that these low life preachers were giving good news in the name of the man they murdered.

And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.

Being late in the day at the evening sacrifice in the temple, they physically seized Peter and John, and put them in jail for a night. This was the reward for healing a man and preaching good news to the poor. This testifies that the religious leaders were jealous of the power and authority given to these meek men. The leaders were afraid of losing their power over the people, because they loved money and esteem. But Christ’s disciples loved righteousness and were willing to be thrown in prison for the truth and for God’s great Name.

However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

Some may think that this verse means five thousand believed this day, but I think Luke is adding to what he has already written. In Acts chapter one we studied that there were one hundred and twenty seeking the Lord at Pentecost, and Peter’s sermon reaped another three thousand, and the miracle at the gate called Beautifulreaped an additional two thousand, adding up to a total of five thousand ‘men’ ; not including the women and children. Therefore, I believe Luke is saying that the number of men “came to be” about five thousand total, thus far in the history of the acts of the Apostles. My question to you is, “Will you be among the final number of sinners that have been declared saints? Will hear and believe the miracle of the gospel? Will you hear His voice? Will you follow His voice? Will you obey His voice? Will you rejoice in His voice?”