But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 

Acts 4:19-20 

Peter set forth the issue of whether the witnesses of Christ should listen to God or man. After the healing of the lame man at the Temple, the authorities arrested Peter and John. After holding them overnight, they brought them before the ruling council and threatened them, ‘not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.’ Our text is their response. Several points come out of this. First, listening to Christ’s commands is listening to God’s commands. Second, God’s commands supersede the commands of man, especially when it comes to the proclamation of Christ. Third, there is no contest in the mind of the witnesses. Fourth, the witnesses of Christ accept whatever consequence comes as the result of their preaching Christ. In this instance, there was only more threatening. Later there would be beatings, incarceration, and death. Peter planted the flag in the face of the enemies of Christ. He would obey God by preaching Christ. This has not really changed over the course of the centuries. Whoever preaches Christ has made the decision to listen to God rather than man.  

Our Wise and Holy God, 
we rejoice that You have spoken to us 
and called us to proclaim Christ. 
We praise You that we have this privilege 
every day and in all circumstances. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. 

Acts 4:12 

Christ is the Continental Divide of humanity. Either He is all He claimed or deserves to be relegated to a place in history alongside other influencers of human thought. When Peter and John went up to the Temple to pray and encountered the man who had been, ‘lame from his mother’s womb,’ they healed him. He became, by his healing, the introduction to Peter’s second sermon, recorded in Acts. This caused many to hear the gospel and also disturbed the rulers of the Temple who had played a large role in the crucifixion of Christ. They arrested Peter and John, and held them until the next day. They convened a council to challenge the preachers.  Christ was at the center of the controversy. Peter boldly answered them. Our text is part of his answer. This is the critical fact which everyone must face. There is not salvation from sin apart from Christ. We cannot approach God except through Christ. This was inherent to the gospel since before Peter articulated it. In the years since Peter uttered his confession, the message has not changed.  Christ is the only Savior and is still saving people. We are witnesses of His free and saving grace. 

Our Great God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You have set forth Christ 
as our Redeemer. 
We praise You that we look to Him for everything. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 

Acts 4:19-20 

Peter set forth the issue of whether the witnesses of Christ should listen to God or man. After the healing of the lame man at the Temple, the authorities arrested Peter and John. After holding them overnight, they brought them before the ruling council and threatened them, ‘not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.’ Our text is their response. Several points come out of this. First, listening to Christ’s commands is listening to God’s commands. Second, God’s commands supersede the commands of man, especially when it comes to the proclamation of Christ. Third, there is no contest in the mind of the witnesses. Fourth, the witnesses of Christ accept whatever consequence comes as the result of their preaching Christ. In this instance, there was only more threatening. Later there would be beatings, incarceration, and death. Peter planted the flag in the face of the enemies of Christ. He would obey God by preaching Christ. This has not really changed over the course of the centuries. Whoever preaches Christ has made the decision to listen to God rather than man.  

Our Wise and Holy God, 
we rejoice that You have spoken to us 
and called us to proclaim Christ. 
We praise You that we have this privilege 
every day and in all circumstances. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. 

Acts 4:12 

Christ is the Continental Divide of humanity. Either He is all He claimed or deserves to be relegated to a place in history alongside other influencers of human thought. When Peter and John went up to the Temple to pray and encountered the man who had been, ‘lame from his mother’s womb,’ they healed him. He became, by his healing, the introduction to Peter’s second sermon, recorded in Acts. This caused many to hear the gospel and also disturbed the rulers of the Temple who had played a large role in the crucifixion of Christ. They arrested Peter and John, and held them until the next day. They convened a council to challenge the preachers.  Christ was at the center of the controversy. Peter boldly answered them. Our text is part of his answer. This is the critical fact which everyone must face. There is not salvation from sin apart from Christ. We cannot approach God except through Christ. This was inherent to the gospel since before Peter articulated it. In the years since Peter uttered his confession, the message has not changed.  Christ is the only Savior and is still saving people. We are witnesses of His free and saving grace. 

Our Great God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You have set forth Christ 
as our Redeemer. 
We praise You that we look to Him for everything. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

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.

Acts 4:19

We who bear the message of Christ always encounter those who would rather have us be silent.  Under certain circumstances, these opponents of Christ will attempt to enforce their will by intimidation or even by law.  The Apostles faced the religious authorities of their day.  Those opponents of Christ wanted Peter and John to be silent.  Therefore, they threatened them, hoping to effectively shut them up.  Peter and John refused to allow the authorities to put them in fear.  Their answer is clear and firm, ‘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.’ The choice for them was to obey Christ, and fulfill the Great Commission which He had given them, or to submit to the will of these oppressors.  They declared their logic to their opponents.  So, also do we declare that we, as the spiritual inheritors of the message of Jesus Christ, will either obey His will or be silent in the face of opposition.  The choice is clear and our course of action is clear as well.  We will listen to Christ and act accordingly.  Christ is our message.  His Person and Work are what we have to declare as far and as wide as we have opportunity.  Opponents will seek to silence us by whatever means that they can devise. We are resolved to make Christ known.

Our Strong and Righteous God,
we rejoice that You give us strength,
which we could never have of ourselves.
We praise You that You enable us to make Christ known,
even in the face of opposition.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning