Preparing to Be Heard

Acts 4:1-4
And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

The leaders of the religious community in Jerusalem had a pretty significant problem on their hands. These two preachers, Peter and John continued to talk to the people, they couldn't keep them quiet. The problem was the people were beginning to listen. How can we stop this madness they thought? Let’s put them in jail until the next day. Then we can try to explain that they need to stop spreading this message that is going against all we believe.
Is there a similar problem today? Most certainly there is. How so you ask? Well we can’t post the ten commands in government buildings; we can’t pray in schools, our children can’t be taught about how this country was founded on Christian ideals and principles (at least not in school). At work new policies are put in place so we cannot mention religious ideas or put up religious sayings on our desk. After all we might offend a non believer. There is a movement to remove God from our daily lives. So in short we are just like Peter and John we are being put in jail—if only figuratively. Guess what today it is working our witness is being shut down. Or it is trying to be shut down. For if people begin to listen and are saved this world would really change. We sure would not want a world where there was peace and folks loved each other and cared for each other and God was the center of every life—would we?

Witnessing is like that. It seems as if we're making no progress. Our words are falling on deaf ears. We have nothing but opposition, disagreement, and argumentative people. Who is opposing the gospel the most? Those who are afraid it will put light on them and what they are doing. We are just to be witnesses as did Peter and John and tell the world about Jesus. We need to let God do the rest.
Whatever the circumstances, it can feel like you are making no progress at sharing the message. The encouragement for me is in Verse 4, "but many who heard the message believed". Despite the fact that Peter and John were now in jail -- many who had heard believed. In other words God’s Word will not return to Him void. Look what God did—“and the number of the men was about five thousand.” You think if you were going to be put in jail for preaching Jesus that you would get an audience like that? Would you even start preaching?

The people's hearts were prepared to hear by witnessing the healing of a man crippled since birth, someone they had all seen or known about. It wasn't as if these people had never heard about Jesus, His claims, or the claims of His followers. The difference was the circumstance -- before their eyes the cripple was healed -- the example or demonstration of Jesus power. In other words God had prepared the field the seed had been sown, the preachers or witnesses watered and God gave the increase.
What is the example or power that is evident in your life? Think carefully about that. If you are having a problem with getting people to listen to you about Jesus, then it could be He is not evident in your life? You are the witness, is your life convincing?
If you were to be tried in a court for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?