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BIBLE STUDY
From Inadequate to
"More than Conquerors"
Acts 4:13-14
13 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. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.
"More than conquerors..."? Yes, we're making our way through the
Book of Acts, not
Romans, but Scripture is all about context (and Scripture interprets Scripture) and both
Acts 4:13-14 and
Romans 8:35-37 are incredibly complimentary. Let's dig in!
To be fair, I had planned to teach through the end of
Acts chapter 4 at last week's
Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry/FCPO-Denver "cop church" fellowship but the Lord had another plan for us and I'm striving to walk in obedience under the power of the Holy Spirit rather than my own way. As I prayerfully prepared for this study, I took note that my own pastor -- Ed Taylor of
Calvary Aurora -- also paused to focus on what God has for us in these two verses in his own inductive study through the
Book of Acts so I had some excellent confirmation.
First, note that Dr. Luke writes that the "elite" Jewish ruling class to whom Peter (and John) preached in this passage "perceived" them to be "uneducated, common men" yet the Sadducees were "astonished" at their boldness and authority of their teaching. Representing "the world" of Jewish society, the Sadducees considered Peter and John to be wholly
inadequate.
"Inadequate" -- now there's a word that many of us can relate to. In keeping with what is essentially a mini-series comprised of this and our last two studies in
Acts, I find it compelling that over and over again the Lord uses those the "world" considers
inadequate to accomplish His purposes. Perhaps that is how you're feeling today --
inadequate to serve and
inadequate to be used by God. If so, let me encourage you to draw close to the Lord in daily prayer and the study of His Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you, transform you and use you according to His purpose in the midst of a "world" that deems us wholly unqualified and inadequate to be much use to anyone. Then, in His power and under His direction, step out boldly knowing you're in good company:
-- Peter denied Christ
-- Noah was a drunk
-- Moses and David were both murderers (and Moses had a speech impediment and David was an adulterer to boot)
-- Abraham and Caleb were too old
-- Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
-- Gideon was a coward
-- Jacob was a liar
-- Rahab was a prostitute
-- Job went bankrupt
-- John the Baptist looked homeless and ate bugs
-- Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
Ours is the "God of the second chance" (and third, and fourth, and...) and He is waiting to not only make us adequate, but make us "
more than conquerors" (
Romans 8:37) even in the midst of impossibilities so long as we are willing to repent and allow Him to mold and transform us according to His purpose!
In considering the question of inadequacy by the world's standard, the late Pastor
Bob Hoeksta wrote, "
For us to be ultimately defeated, we would have to be separated from Christ's love for us. We would have to be cut off from the loving care of our victorious Lord. Can any foe or any situation accomplish that?" NO! "For who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8:35) God goes on to answer this question in
verses 38 and 39
. "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Neither can
any circumstance or impossibility separate us from our loving God who seeks to use us for His purpose.
Verses 35 and 36
list some of the impossibilities that make us feel as though we are inadequate and defeated: "Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'" When troubles and pressures arise, when we are attacked or are lacking resources, we may be tempted to think that victory is no longer available. Nevertheless, the truth is that "in all these things we are more than conquerors" in Christ who strengthens and empowers us (Philippians 4:13).
Again to quote Hoekstra, "Our victorious position in any situation is not circumstantial. It is
relational. We are united by faith to the victorious one, the Lord Jesus Christ!" "
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (
1 Corinthians 15:57). Amen?
So where do you stand today? In your own weakness and inadequacy or victorious in the power of the only One who can make you a more than a conqueror? Understand that the latter position is ONLY possible if you are in a right relationship (not "religion") with God in Christ. Does that describe you? If not, NOW is the time to
REPENT
of your sin and be
born again
in Jesus -- the ONLY One (and the
ONLY way
) who can save us, change us and empower us.
How? Consider the following:
MC
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