People Pleasing Rarely Works in Your Favor

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Acts 4:1-22

Title in NIV: Peter preaches about Jesus to the Sanhedrin.

People Pleasing Rarely Works in Your Favor With God

Last week Peter took the opportunity to tell people about Jesus. My last comment was, “Sad they did not turn from their wicked ways.” Peter and John were arrested by the captain of the temple guard because the priest and the Sadducees were disturbed because of their message that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. But, many believed and the number of men grew to about 5000!!!

Peter and John were brought in front of rulers, elders, teachers, Annas high priest, Caiaphas, John (who is this John???), Alexander and others in the high priest’s family. This is also called the Sanhedrin.

It is interesting that the men Peter and John were brought in front of, knew scripture backward, forward, up and down, but when prophesies from scripture were being fulfilled right in front of their eyes, they did not see it.

I also find it interesting that they were brought before all these men for doing an act of kindness and discussing the power by which they did it. Have you ever been condemned for doing a good deed? Don’t be discouraged. Only God knows the motives of your heart and others don’t. And if you flip this: you don’t know the motives of others actions either.

Their good deed was noticed and deserved explanation. Interesting that their explanation to the unschooled population resulted in 5000 believers and their explanation to the teachers and rulers and elders resulted in self preservation. Peter and John said the healing came from the name of Jesus Christ. He told them the stone you builders rejected is now the capstone (Ps 118:22; Is 28:16). He also said salvation is found in no one else and there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

When the Sanhedrin saw their courage, they realized their respect was on the line because Peter and John were unschooled and ordinary. The Sanhedrin worried the people would not find them (the Sanhedrin) as important if they started following Jesus. They did not want that to happen so they wanted to stop Peter and John from speaking in the name of Jesus.

Peter and John said, “Judge for yourself whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” They decided to let them go because they did not want to loose the people’s confidence that were praising God for the miracle.

This is more than peer pressure. These men did not want to loose power, respect or their appearance of righteousness. They did not want to loose constituents.  They did not want to have to compete for the people’s allegiance so they tried to stop the conversation. They were trying to walk a fine line and ride the fence and please both sides. (sound familiar?)

Don’t be a people pleaser. Be a God pleaser. Don’t try and make everyone happy. Just do what is right in God’s sight.