This study was first taught on December 6, 2020

Topic: That it Spread no Further

(use the audio to study)

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Background
Last week, we saw that serving the Lord is going where God sends you and doing what He asks you to do where He has sent you to. To serve God acceptably, you must offer yourself as a living sacrifice—totally give over your life, including your body (eyes, ears, brain, feet, hands, reproductive organs, mouth, etc.), to Him.

When we do this, we would be able to serve the Lord faithfully and fruitfully, with humility and in holiness, and with fervency and passion. We would also be ready for persecution and receive it with joy, knowing that it is the Lord we are serving!

The lame man who was healed moved from sitting at the gate to serving the Lord—and all he had to do was to go stand beside Peter and John; an act that silenced the Sanhedrin. Let us, therefore, serve the Lord whether or not we know aforehand what awaits in the course or place of service!

Scripture Text(s)
Acts 4:14-21
The Sanhedrin, being unable to justifiably sanction Peter and John, hatched a plan—Peter and John were not to preach, teach, nor perform miracles in the name of Jesus! Sounds ridiculous, but the Sanhedrin were dead serious, and they showed it by threatening them (and only because they feared the people).
For clarity, “it” refers to the gospel—preaching, teaching, miracles, healing, soul-winning, discipling, propagating the resurrection and eternal judgment, among others. “That it spread no further” was the goal of the Sanhedrin (and for good reason—the spread of the gospel would show that they crucified the expected Messiah and went on to lie about His resurrection, having paid off the guards to lie about it. It would also have proven that the dead do indeed rise, thereby dismissing the claim of the Sadducees and proving them to be irreligious! The truth is that the Sanhedrin and Sadducees were doing the bidding of their master, Satan (<strong>John 8:44</strong>)! So, here we see the goal and means that Satan applies to stymie the gospel!
Acts 4:17, 18, 21; 5:14-18, 19-41; 7:51-60; 12:1-2; 8:1, 3; 9:1-2; Galatians 1:6-10; 3:1-9; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1-6; 3:10ff; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15; Romans 1:16.

Conclusion
As Satan’s goal is to stymie the spread of the gospel, the Lord’s goal is the spread of the gospel. And as Peter and John asked the Sanhedrin,
"<em>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.</em>" (<strong>Acts 4:19-20, NKJV</strong>),
so must we listen to God and actively engage in spreading the gospel. The Lord Jesus said in the Gospels, “Go and preach the gospel everywhere” (<strong>Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-49</strong>). So, whose side you are on—Satan’s or God’s—is known by your action or inaction (<strong>Matthew 12:30</strong>)!

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