Ep 383 – Acts 4:1-4

In Acts 4:1-4, Luke provides us with the ramifications of Peter's message that day. There were those who were enraged by what they heard, and there were those who believed. Two completely opposite responses to the very same message. And as Luke continues his recounting of the early days of the church, he will come back to these two disparate responses, showing that the gospel of Jesus Christ always got a reaction, but not always a positive one. Yet, there were always those who believed in the message of the gospel. The word concerning Jesus as Savior and the work of the Spirit through His disciples always elicited a response. Sometimes it resulted in the arrest of those who preached. Other times it resulted in the salvation of those who heard. What was the difference? Why did some respond positively while others responded negatively? The animosity against the church was mounting. The religious leaders were growing increasingly more hostile. And yet, there were many who were accepting Christ as their Savior. On this one occasion, more than 5,000 became believers in Jesus Christ as their Messiah. God was at work. And not only by equipping and anointing the apostles to share, but in preparing the hearts of those who would hear and later believe. This was all the work of God, from the Spirit-inspired proclamation of the good news, to His regeneration of the hearts of those who would ultimately believe. The growth of the early church was not the result of great preaching. It was not the byproduct of persuasive men. It was the sovereign work of a loving God.