“Cannot But Speak” Introduction

I do not agree with an old saying, “Children should be seen and not heard.” When it comes to Christians (God’s children), our society attempts to adopt such an archaic philosophy. Most non-Christians care less about what we do on Sunday morning and where we give our money. However when we open our mouths and express a biblical view of the world, an all-out assault against God and our faith can follow.

Most church-going people fall into one of two categories. There is a minority of people who speak out vehemently against anything that is against the teaching of the Bible. These Christians will quickly provide a list of businesses that they are boycotting and know every bill of legislature that could prove to be a hindrance to religious freedom. On the other hand, a “silent” majority of church-goers have decided that their religion is a private matter. Friends and family know of their religious practices but hear very little of their faith testimony.

Neither of these extremes brings glory to God. For the Christian activist, one becomes known more for what he is against rather than the compelling love of our Lord. Sure, our Lord stood firm against sin and those who would teach false doctrine. But our Lord came not “into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (see John 3:17) Even among non-Christians today, Jesus is recognized more often for what He offers (salvation) than what He condemned.

Religious leaders in Jerusalem were both annoyed and amazed at the words of the first disciples. In Acts 4, Peter and John were arrested, yet continued to speak boldly of Christ’s Gospel.  The leaders were confounded and had no resort but to issue a threat. “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘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.’” (18-20, ESV)

Can we keep quiet about our Lord?
Is there anything about our relationship with Him that compels us to boldness?
Do we face an ominous threat today in speaking the Gospel?

These are some of the questions we will examine within this series, “Cannot But Speak.” I hope you will join me as we unpack some of the principles from this passage. As a preview, we will look at:
Speaking to God first through prayer (Acts 4:23-31)
Speaking of “what we have seen” (Acts 4:20)
Speaking of the Truth “we have heard” (Acts 4:20)
Speaking of Jesus: A singular focus (Acts 4:7-12)

I hope you will join me on this journey in Acts 4. My prayer is that all followers of Jesus would use the ability to speak wisely, boldly, and in a way that brings glory to our Lord.

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