Speaking What We Have Seen And Heard

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE, 16 November 2025
Sermon Series: “The Acts of the Apostles” (#6)
Sermon Text: Acts 4:5-22
Main Points:
Introduction
I. Seen and heard, and hidden
II. The visible weakness, the hidden glory
III. Being right in the sight of God – Speak what we’ve seen and heard
Conclusion

We give thanks to God today for the wonderful news of the safe arrival of a baby boy for Lynn and Alex Colebourn. As we rejoice with them, it reminds us of something every life begins with. A newborn soon starts to roll, then crawl – though for parents it sometimes feels like that stage takes forever. Once crawling is mastered, they pull themselves up – wobbly at first, but soon steady. Before long, that tentative stand becomes a first step … and then, eventually, running. No one begins by running. There’s a natural order: rolling, crawling, standing, walking, running.

The same is true for Christ’s church – especially the very first NT church in Jerusalem. That church was born when the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. On that day, around 3,000 people repented and believed in the Lord Jesus.

The next ‘step’ of this infant church was the healing of the lame man at the temple gate. Peter and John were God’s instruments in that miracle, and Peter preached the gospel of the risen Lord Jesus to the amazed crowd. Luke tells us that after hearing the gospel, about 5,000 more believed! I’ve called that church ‘infant,’ but by the beginning of ch. 4, it already had at least 8,000 members – likely close to 10,000. That’s a church that crawled quickly! And we might wonder: if a crawling church can grow like that, what will happen when it stands up and starts to walk?

But, as every parent knows, babies don’t grow without challenges. They catch colds, spike fevers, or struggle through difficult patches. Between each milestone, there are obstacles to overcome. And just like that, the early church in Jerusalem soon faced a serious challenge – opposition from the Jewish leaders.

Today, as we look at Acts 4, I want to show you the remedy God gives – not only for that first church in Jerusalem, but for every church in every generation. And it can be summed up in one simple sentence: ‘speaking what we have seen and heard.’ When Christ’s people face pressure and opposition from the world, we keep speaking what we’ve seen and heard – namely, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, I’d like to shape the sermon with seeing and hearing.

I. Seen And Heard, And Hidden

Let’s begin with what we can see and hear in Acts 4 – and then look at what is hidden between the lines.

The first thing we clearly see is this: the apostles are arrested. The Jewish leaders come with the temple guards, Peter and John are tied up, and because it’s already evening, they’re thrown into prison for the night.

Now, being bound and locked away, what might’ve been going through their minds? Scripture doesn’t tell us. But we can safely say it would not have been a pleasant experience for them. And it certainly wouldn’t have been easy for the rest of the apostles or the young church. You can imagine the believers gathering somewhere, kneeling in prayer, pleading for the Lord’s help. But we’re not shown what Peter and John were thinking that night. That’s hidden from us.

The next morning, they are brought before the high priest and a whole assembly of prominent Jewish leaders. And the first question put to them is this: “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

And at that moment, Peter and John must’ve felt a real sense of déjà vu. Why? Because their Master, the Lord Jesus, had heard almost the exact same question from these very same leaders just a few months earlier. In Lk. 20, while Jesus was teaching in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and scribes – very likely the same men who are now staring at Peter and John – challenged Him: “Tell us by what authority You do these things, or who it is that gave You this authority.”

And we know what followed: they arrested Jesus, mocked Him, and handed Him over to Pilate to be crucified. Now the same people sit in judgment again, asking the same question of His disciples. A true déjà vu.

Before we focus on Peter’s reply, notice how the high priest frames the question: “By what power or by what name did you do this?” See how he reduces the miracle to ‘this’? He avoids calling it a healing or an act of mercy – because if he did, he’d expose the injustice of their own actions in arresting Peter and John. He is caught in a dilemma: he wants to stop the preaching of Jesus’ resurrection, but he can find no fault in the miracle itself.

So – what does Peter say? He preaches. He delivers a bold, clear sermon in the name of the risen Lord Jesus. He declares that God raised the One whom they crucified, and that Jesus is alive and powerful – the very One who healed the man born lame. The leaders rejected Jesus, but He has become the cornerstone. And salvation is found in no one else but Jesus Christ.

And notice how Peter speaks. He is filled with the Holy Spirit. And that is an extraordinary change. We remember Peter in the courtyard of Annas the high priest, terrified when a servant girl recognised him as one of Jesus’ followers. He denied Jesus three times that night. Without the Spirit, Peter would’ve crumbled again when Annas questioned him. But now – faced with the same council, the same pressure, even the same question – Peter stands firm. He is a different man; he is a changed man, in the name of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit!

II. The Visible Weakness, The Hidden Glory

As we hear Peter speak, the high priest and the other leaders can’t help but stare at him and John. These men are unknown to the scholarly circles, and, on top of that, they speak with a Galilean accent. In other words, they are unlearned, uneducated, and – being Galileans – considered among the lowest socio-religious groups of the time. They certainly had no recognised connection to any of the Jewish training institutes.

And yet, the message Peter delivers leaves them speechless. Every one of them is astonished. The delivery, the clarity, the depth of understanding, and the authority with which Peter speaks – all of it is extraordinary. They have lost words. The message itself is undeniable, and they cannot deny its brilliance.

Luke uses a specific Greek word in v. 13 to describe their reaction and the word is “thaumazo,” translated as astonished or marvelled. This word carries a sense of wonder, admiration, even being struck with awe. To understand the depth of this astonishment, let’s see how Luke and Matthew use it elsewhere in Scripture.

The first use is in Mt. 8:10, when Jesus marvels at the faith of a Roman centurion who asked Him to heal his servant. The centurion says to Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (v. 8), and Jesus is amazed and said: “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Jesus’ heart was deeply moved by this Gentile’s understanding and trust in God.

The second usage appears a few verses later, when Jesus calms the storm. The disciples, fearing for their lives, wake Him and plead for help. After Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves, Mt. 8:27 says, “the men marvelled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?’” Their minds could not comprehend who Jesus really was. Their bodies were tossed by the mighty storm, and now their hearts are overwhelmed by the Almighty!

One last usage I’d like to point out to you is in Lk. 24:41, after Jesus’ resurrection. He shows His hands and feet to the disciples, and invites them to touch Him. Luke notes that the disciples, still disbelieving but filled with joy, were marvelling.

This is exactly the state of the high priest and the other religious leaders in Acts 4. They are astonished – bewildered even – because an unlearned, lowly man delivers a message of the highest calibre. A man from the lowest socio-religious group not only challenges their expectations but persuades them with the truth of God’s Word.

Their astonishment raises the real questions: ‘How is it possible that this man speaks with such deep understanding of Scripture, knowledge that should be reserved for the most honoured scholars here? How do they know this?’ Yet they are so focused on Peter’s status that they fail to see the real source of his authority. Instead of questioning his credentials, they should’ve beheld the glory of Christ revealed to them. Peter’s weakness is visible, but the glory of God behind him is unmistakable.

III. Being Right In The Sight Of God – Speak What We’ve Seen and Heard

When the Jewish leaders commanded the apostles to stop preaching the resurrection of Jesus, Peter and John responded with remarkable clarity and courage. In Acts 4:19-21, they reveal the source of their authority and say, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

What they had seen and heard – the reality of the risen Jesus – formed the unshakable ground of their message. And that message cut through man-made barriers and human resistance with divine power. What a description of the truth’s unstoppable force! Their words send a chill down my spine every time I read them.

I once thought Peter’s words to the lame man in Acts 3:6 were unbeatable: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you.” But what he and John say here in 4:20 rises to another level entirely. It exposes the ultimate source of Christian power: ‘We cannot help but speak what we have seen and heard.’

It is often the simple and sincere – people like Peter, John, you, and me – whose words God uses with astonishing power. Through ordinary speech, the fetters of sin are shattered and souls long held under the devil’s grip are set free. You may wonder, ‘Is that really so?’

Think of it this way: How many people have come to faith because they witnessed a miracle with their own eyes? How many have trusted Jesus because they saw Him transfigured with clothes shining like the sun? Hardly any of us.

Instead, most of us came to Christ through the witness of ordinary people – fellow sinners who spoke the name and works of Jesus to us. Many believed that God exists by watching Christians live out their faith. They spoke what they had seen and heard, and we heard them – and by God’s grace, we believed.

And now, we do the same. We speak what we’ve seen and heard of Jesus, and through our testimony, the Spirit breaks Satan’s strongholds, pierces hardened hearts, and brings life to dead souls. The power of the gospel goes forth through ordinary mouths speaking of an extraordinary Saviour.

This is exactly what Paul means when he says in Rom. 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Isaiah knew this as well. He cried out in Isa. 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news.” Then he captures the gospel’s power flowing through human speech: “He publishes peace … brings good news of happiness … publishes salvation.”

So, what happens when we stay silent? On one hand, we block the flow of the gospel’s power from reaching those dead in sin. When we keep our mouths shut, we withhold treasures from the spiritually poor. On the other hand, if we speak but distort the message – cutting here, pasting there – we pollute what God intended to remain pure and powerful! We begin, in effect, to play God.

The call is simple: Speak what the Lord has shown you and told you. Speak it plainly. Speak it faithfully. Then trust the Spirit to carry your testimony into hearts and transform lives.

Conclusion

What is the conclusion of all this? In v. 21, the Jewish leaders warned Peter and John but in a sense of saying, ‘Would you please not to continue?’ Their malign power was nullified by the fruit of what the apostles spoke according to what they’d seen and heard. V. 21 says that all “the people were praising God for what had happened.”

Speaking the gospel plainly, vividly, is the God-ordained way for Christians and the church to withstand every challenge from the world. This is the task the Lord Himself has entrusted to His Church – and what follows in the rest of Acts demonstrates how Christ affirms that calling. ***