A Courageous Witness
November 21, 2021

Acts 4:1-13

Introduction

We have a call on our lives to be witnesses and make disciples (Acts 1:8; Matthew 12:19-20). Many of us desire to be courageous witnesses, but we live in a culture where people can be sensitive, offendable and reactive. In this hostile climate, it can be uncomfortable and even frightening to tell others about Jesus. While we don’t face the same type of persecution that people face in other countries, there is still a high cost to sharing our beliefs and witnessing about Jesus. Now more than ever, we need courage in order to witness. How we can be courageous witnesses in a culture that feels hostile towards Jesus? In Acts 4, Peter and John model 3 characteristics of a courageous witness. A courageous witness is rooted in relationship with Jesus, motivated by the Father’s love, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

A courageous witness is rooted in relationship with Jesus.

• When the religious council saw Peter and John’s courage, they recognized that they had been with Jesus. In their 3 years of walking with Jesus, Peter and John developed deeply rooted relationships with Him (Acts 4:13).
• John had a uniquely intimate love relationship with Jesus. John was the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” John leaned on Jesus during the Passover meal before Jesus’ crucifixion (John 13:23). While on the cross, Jesus gave his mother into the care of John. “Behold, your mother.” (John 19:26-17 26)
• Peter’s relationship with Jesus was deep in a different way… it was one of rupture and repair (ruptures can strengthen a relationship when it leads to repair). Jesus rebuked Peter saying, “get behind me Satan!” but also called Peter the rock upon which he would build his church (Matthew 16:18). Peter denied Jesus but was later restored to Jesus.
• A witness is someone who declares as true what they have seen and heard first hand. We may know of Jesus, but unless we know Jesus personally we can not be courageous witnesses of him. Have you seen and heard Jesus first-hand?
• We can see and hear Jesus now through reading the Word. John referred to Jesus as the “…Word of life…” (1 John 1:1).
• We must allow the Word and the Person of Jesus to transform our hearts, minds and behaviors (Romans 12:2). The greatest witness is a transformed life!

A courageous witness is motivated by the Father’s love.

• Courage is the will to move towards something that you know is dangerous.
• The most powerful motivator of courage is LOVE.
• The end of verse 12 is literally translated from the original Greek text “by which it is necessary for YOU to be saved.” Peter is inviting these religious leaders to receive salvation! Peter LOVED them.
• Agape love refers to a pure, willful, sacrificial love that intentionally desires another’s highest good. Agape love is NOT an emotion based on preference, it’s a choice based on principle.
• Agape love is NOT selfish, it is sacrificial. Peter cared more about their spiritual life than his own physical life.
• Agape love motivates courageous witnessing. If we want to be courageous witnesses, we must love those we are witnessing to with God’s agape love.
• Agape love does NOT come from our own hearts, but God’s heart. We have to know God’s agape love for us first before we can have his agape love for others. When we are in alignment with God’s heart, we do what he says and love who he loves (John 15:19).

A courageous witness is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

• Without the Holy Spirit, Peter could not be a courageous witness!
• One month ago, Peter denied Jesus to a servant girl (Luke 22:54-62) and now his is witnessing about Jesus to the Sanhedrin. How? Because Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2).
• The Holy Spirit gave Peter the boldness to speak as well as the wisdom to know what and how to speak (Luke 12:11-12 11). Both boldness and wisdom are essential to witnessing.
• We must rely on the Holy Spirit We must rely on the Holy Spirit to tell us what to say and how to say it. If we rely on our own ability, what we say will be ineffective at best and eternally harmful at worst.
• Peter and the disciples were continually filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to speak boldly (Acts 4:29-30). We need continually filling of the Holy Spirit to continually witness with boldness and wisdom.

Conclusion

God has called each of us to be courageous witnesses in a hostile culture. Peter and John showed us that a courageous witness is rooted in relationship with Jesus (they knew Jesus because they have been with him). They modeled the Father’s agape love, which motivated them to witness courageously. And they were empowered with boldness and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. God is inviting us to step into these characteristics so that we can be courageous witnesses to our community.

# Discussion Questions

  1. Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Have you allowed Jesus to reveal himself to you through reading the Word?
  2. Does your heart break for those who do not know Jesus? Do you have the Father’s agape love for those around you?
  3. Have you be filled with the Holy Spirit? Do you rely on the Holy Spirit for boldness and wisdom when you are witnessing?
  4. Who is someone that God is giving you his heart for? Who is God calling you to be a courageous witness to?