Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “An Understandable Conclusion" – Friday, 17 October 2014 - Scripture: Acts 4: Nothing to Hide1-4 While Peter and John were addressing the people, the priests, the chief of the Temple police, and some Sadducees came up, indignant that these upstart apostles were instructing the people and proclaiming that the resurrection from the dead had taken place in Jesus. They arrested them and threw them in jail until morning, for by now it was late in the evening. But many of those who listened had already believed the Message—in round numbers about five thousand!
5-7 The next day a meeting was called in Jerusalem. The rulers, religious leaders, religion scholars, Annas the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander—everybody who was anybody was there. They stood Peter and John in the middle of the room and grilled them: “Who put you in charge here? What business do you have doing this?”
8-12 With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: “Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I’ll be completely frank with you—we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.’ Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”
"An Understandable Conclusion" by Matthew Thomas
Peter and John had once been tentative. They did not know how to appropriately respond when Jesus was on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. They struggled with the crowds and children. They tried to guess who would betray Jesus. They fled the scene of His arrest. They hid after Jesus was crucified. However, after Jesus rose again, their hesitation went away. The early chapters of Acts assure us that the apostles’ questioning was gone.
Instead, they became bold and courageous, confident in speech and theologically certain. The resurrection removed their doubt. They became convinced that Jesus is the Savior of the world, and by faith, we can share their certainty. God’s Word and our experience of His grace help us to affirm Christ’s statement, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6b).
“Salvation is found in no one else” (Acts 4:12). Thankfully, it is available to anyone who will come to Christ in faith. Salvation is found in Jesus alone, and he is more approachable than you may think. Reach out!
Hymn for Today:
"Jesus Is The Sweetest Name I Know" by Lela Young
1. There have been names that I have loved to hear,
But never has there been a name so dear
To this heart of mine, as the name divine,
The precious, precious name of Jesus.
Refrain:
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
2. There is no name in earth or Heav’n above,
That we should give such honor and such love
As the blessèd name, let us all acclaim,
That wondrous, glorious name of Jesus.
Refrain:
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
3. And some day I shall see Him face to face
To thank and praise Him for His wondrous grace,
Which He gave to me, when He made me free,
The blessèd Son of God called Jesus.
Refrain:
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
Thought for Today:
“As Wesleyans, we affirm that we are justified and made righteous by grace through faith in Jesus the Christ, Yeshua the Messiah"(Session Truth).1. There have been names that I have loved to hear,
But never has there been a name so dear
To this heart of mine, as the name divine,
The precious, precious name of Jesus.
Refrain:
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
2. There is no name in earth or Heav’n above,
That we should give such honor and such love
As the blessèd name, let us all acclaim,
That wondrous, glorious name of Jesus.
Refrain:
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
3. And some day I shall see Him face to face
To thank and praise Him for His wondrous grace,
Which He gave to me, when He made me free,
The blessèd Son of God called Jesus.
Refrain:
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
Thought for Today:
Prayer Needs:
For faculty and students as they prepare for full-time Christian ministry in Mexico.
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