Unquestionable Evidence

Over the past two weeks the LTG (life transformation group) that I’m in with a few guys from the Countryside Missional Community Hub have been wrestling through the 1st 6 chapters of Acts. Our hope is to uncover the roots that inaugurated the Church, looking to connect and recalibrate our lives in a way that resemble the lives lived by the founders of our faith.

This past week I was studying in Acts 4 and God brought something to my attention that I hadn’t seen before. At this point the Church was only a few weeks old, the Holy Spirit fell on Pentecost and empowered the once fear stricken Apostles and core group of Jesus to now move in Power and fearlessness with the focus to advance the Kingdom to make Jesus known as the one true Christ.

The Apostles preached where ever they could, not to win debates or because they felt they had to in order to please God, however it was if they couldn’t hold it in. “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard”, this was their fuel to speak boldly of Christ. (What are we seeing, what are we consistently hearing?)

Acts 4 begins with John and Peter getting arrested for preaching and healing in the city. Their arrest occurred for reasons similarly to the arrest of Jesus. Their faith was impacting the community at such an extent that the rulers in power were fearful and were losing control. These highly regarded officials made certain that Peter and John were seized so that a hopeful end would come of this movement..

I love this picture; it’s as if the ultimate courtroom battle is set up. The jurors are in place, the Judge and rulers of their time are in place, the prosecuting attorney makes the plea against Peter and John, and then the rebuttal occurs. Peter filled with the Holy Spirit steps up and begins to explain with boldness of who Christ was and is, “He is the Stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone, Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved”.

This rebuttal was undoubtedly powerful, however the officials weren’t convinced until the ultimate evidence of the power of Christ entered the court room. The once crippled beggar whose daily residence was at the city gate called beautiful stood up. This man was know by most in that town because he had spent his entire life at the city gate begging, crippled and lonely until John and Peter passed by in Acts 3. As the officials looked at this man they had no case, they had no rebuttal and were left speechless.

“Since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say”

I’ve been thinking about this passage all week and have been pressed to think and wonder if there is any undeniable evidence in my life. Seriously, think about this!
Is the evidence in our life leaving others speechless? Is this evidence convincing people beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is King and that his Kingdom is advancing

Lets Chat.