“WE CAN’T STOP!”
Season: Book of Acts
Episode 4: “We Can’t Stop!”
Today’s Bible Bite: Acts 4:1-31
Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQhkWmFJKnA (The Bible Project – Acts 1-7 – for parents and older children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQTFNyctPVU (Lifekids)
“But Peter and John replied, ‘Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.’” (Acts 4:19-20, NLT)
The people were amazed when they saw the miracle that Peter and John had performed…helping a man to walk for the first time in his life. Peter and John told the crowd they hadn’t healed the man by their power, but by Jesus’ power. The crowd praised God for this act of healing. But the religious leaders responded much differently!
The religious leaders didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah….and they didn’t want anyone else to believe either. They had Peter and John arrested and put in jail overnight. The next day, they called them to stand before the council and explain what had happened. Peter told them it was Jesus who had done the miracle through them…Jesus the Messiah…Jesus the one they had crucified. The leaders knew that Peter and John had been followers of Jesus and they couldn’t deny that they gave a testimony for God that was powerful. They wanted to punish them, but knew they’d be in trouble if they did because all the people would be angry that they had punished two men who had done a miracle—the man who had been healed was standing right there!
So, instead, the religious leaders told Peter and John that they shouldn’t tell anyone about Jesus anymore. But Peter and John refused. They knew they had to obey God, not these leaders who didn’t believe in Jesus. The Council threatened them to try to keep them quiet, but the first thing that Peter and John did after they were allowed to leave was to go and tell the others believers. The whole group asked God for more courage to tell others about Jesus and for more power to heal; when they did, the Holy Spirit showed up by shaking the building and the believers continued to preach the good news without hesitation.
Think about it...
• Peter and John healed a man so that he could walk. How do you think you would have responded if you had been there?
• The religious leaders weren’t happy. Why not?
• The religious leaders didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah. But what happened?
• Peter and John were warned not to talk about Jesus? How did they respond?
Prayer: Thank you, God, that you sent your Son, Jesus. And even though he’s in heaven, you still help Jesus’ followers to obey you, by telling others about the good things Jesus has done for us. Give us courage to be just like the early believers.