PETERWere On Offense, Not Defense

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power or by what name did you do this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the deadby him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:513

For the last several years Ive been privileged to coach my kids soccer teams. More than once, one of my players got turned around on the field and began driving toward the wrong goal. Thankfully each time, my little players heard their parents and coaches yelling, Youre going the wrong way! before it was too late!Sometimes we get turned around too. We get backed into a corner by our circumstances and by the enemy and we forget that were on offense, not defense. Were playing defense trying to protect the wrong goal which is ourselves.See, Jesus has already won the ultimate victory over sin, death, and the devil, and when we believe in Him, we enter into that victory (Romans 5:17, 8:37). We are secure both now and for all eternity. So we never have to worry about defenseprotecting ourselves. The tricky part comes in that while these forces have been beaten (Colossians 2:15), they have not yet been evicted from our world (Revelation 20:10-15). So the battle rages on. Since weve already won, we have nothing to be afraid of. But since the wars not over, we still have everything to fight for. Like the Allied forces marching victoriously from Normandy to Prague from D-Day to V-Day, we advance the victory Jesus secured at the resurrection until He returns in glory to sit on His throne.Sounds good, right?Well, it doesnt always work so easily. In fact, we often feel hopeless. The Bible is full of heroes of faith who felt overwhelmed with discouragement. Sometimes the fog of dread sweeps over us and we feel powerless against it. But just because we feel hopeless, doesnt make it so! Gods victory applies in our lives regardless of whether we feel it. And when God rescues us from such places, we are even further equipped to help rescue others from their stuck places (Romans 5:3-5, 2 Corinthians 1:4, 12:10, James 1:2-4).Lets look at how this worked with Peter and his friends.I. After the resurrection, despite Jesus repeated appearances and assurances, the

Todd Millikan The Coastlands 1May 2, 2015 www.coastlands.org

disciples continue to be overwhelmed by fear. The doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you.Eight days later, his disciples were inside again Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. John 20:19, 26

II. Just prior to His ascension Jesus instructs His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. Hes challenging them to face their fears and hold onto Gods promise. The disciples would naturally have wanted to return to safety and familiarity by going home to Galilee. But Jesus specifically calls them out of fear and into faith. He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Acts 1:45

A. God promises always feel flimsy compared to the potent reality of our fear.

B. This is what faith is all about. When we choose to believe His promises, were telling God that we love Him more than we believe our fears.

III. After the ascension, theyre still hunkered in an upper room, but theyve stayed in Jerusalem, and now theyre praying: They went up to the upper room All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer Acts 1:1314

A. Although we might feel overwhelmed and controlled by fear, we can still pray.

B. The enemy will tell us that we cant pray or that if we try, God will reject us. But this is a lie. Theres no force in hell that can keep us from coming to Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). We might get assaulted by condemning thoughts and feelings, but if we call out, Jesus will always find us. Jesus saves everyone who calls out to Him (Acts 2:21).

IV. After the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples experience an incredible outpouring of boldness (Acts 2-4), but that doesnt mean that theyre forever finished with fear. But after Peters arrest, theyre shaken and they ask God to restore their confidence. Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness Acts 4:29

V. After many believers get killed in the persecution led by Saul (Acts 8:1-3) and then another led by Herod (Acts 12:1-5), the disciples once again find themselves hunkered down behind locked doors. But look what theyre doing: [Peter] went to the house of Mary where many were gathered together and were praying. Acts 12:12

VI. Fear will come. But it only lasts if were aimed at wrong goal, which is self-preservation. We can turn from that goal through prayer together with other believers. If we will pray, Jesus will give us fresh instructions and promises that will reorient us to His already-won victory. He will send a fresh outpouring of His Holy Spirit so we can be on offense advancing His already-won victory rather than being on our heals trying to protect ourselves.

Todd Millikan The Coastlands 2May 2, 2015 www.coastlands.org