Get Closer
From The Message: Peter’s Proximity To Power
It is well known that the Vice President has very little power on his own; his power comes from his nearness to the president.
Let’s set the scene: in the era of the persecuted Church after the Day of Pentecost the apostles are put on trial before the Sanhedrin- a court of 71 jews with a grudge against the newborn movement of Christianity. The Sanhedrin were amazed how Peter and John- untrained & uneducated in the scriptures- could speak with such boldness, clarity, & knowledge. The irony of the situation is that the apostles’ power came by the same way that the Sanhedrin’s power did: proximity to the One who actually holds the power.
That is where the similarities end though; the Sanhedrin’s power was purely religious and political, while lacking actual spiritual authority and understanding. The apostles, through the authority of Jesus, had the power to change lives, break chains, and perform miracles. The apostles were arrested after healing a lame man, the miracle disturbed the religious elite because it broke their perceived control and favor. It showed that the Kingdom of God is not bound by human rules and traditions, but rather bound up in moves of the Holy Spirit. Persecutions like these would actually cause the Church to grow, demonstrating God’s unstoppable power.
This all begs the question: are you close enough? Are you close enough to God to have the same response and Peter and John when commanded to stop preaching? Are you close enough to God to operate in the same authority and power that they did? We invite you to ponder these questions as you watch this mighty message.
• Do not lean on religion, lean on revelation. Operate in the power God gives you through closeness to Him
• The power of God is unstoppable; those with perceived authority are actually His footstool
• Adversity is simply an opportunity for the power of God to be put on display
