Christians Follow Jesus | Disciples Series

Acts 4:13 puts the whole thing in one sharp line: the leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John, knew they were “uneducated common men,” and recognized they had been with Jesus. The text does not make Peter and John look like religious professionals. The text makes Jesus look powerful through ordinary people who had simply been with him.

Peter and John had just seen a lame beggar healed at the temple gate. Peter did not offer silver or gold, but gave what he had, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The man who had been lame from birth got up, walked, leaped, and praised God. That miracle drew a crowd, and Peter did not turn the moment into a show about Peter. Peter pointed straight to Jesus, the one Israel had denied, the “author of life” whom God raised from the dead.

The gospel produced real fruit that day. About five thousand people believed. But the religious establishment got annoyed because Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. The same crowd that should have celebrated a healed man wanted to know by what power and by what name the miracle happened.

Peter did not back down. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, told them plainly that the man stood well by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom they crucified and whom God raised from the dead. The Holy Spirit gave Peter a boldness that Peter did not have in himself. The same Peter who had denied Jesus three times now stood in the middle of the very power structure that helped kill Jesus and doubled down.

Jesus had promised this. Christ told his disciples that the Father would send another Helper, the Spirit of truth, to dwell in them and bring his words to remembrance. The Spirit now indwells everyone who has trusted the gospel. That means boldness does not come from personality, education, pedigree, or some self improvement plan. Boldness wells up because God himself lives in his people.

Following Jesus still means being with Jesus. Christ is not bodily walking beside one believer at a time, but the Spirit makes God present with his people twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. God’s written word is where his voice is heard. Prayer is the gift of talking with him through the day. Laziness, fear, and excuses keep common people from the very communion that makes them bold. The call is still simple: “Follow me.” The life that follows Jesus may suffer, but it will not be wasted.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Boldness comes from being with Jesus Peter and John did not impress the rulers with credentials, training, or social status. Their boldness made sense only because they had been with Jesus and were filled with the Holy Spirit. Christian courage is not worked up by personality. It is produced by communion with Christ and the indwelling presence of God. [09:13]
• 2. The Spirit empowers ordinary people Peter’s past failure did not disqualify him from Spirit-filled witness. The same man who denied Jesus now stood before the rulers and named their sin without flinching. God does not wait for polished, impressive people before he bears witness through them. He fills common people and makes Christ unmistakable through them. [27:31]
• 3. Following begins without full details Jesus called fishermen with two simple words: “Follow me.” The call did not come with a map, a schedule, or a guarantee that life would stay safe. Obedience often begins before the destination is understood. Trust grows when Christ himself is treated as more certain than the path ahead. [56:29]
• 4. God’s word is God’s voice A life that is not in Scripture is not truly listening to God. The Holy Spirit uses the written word to teach, remind, correct, and strengthen the people of God. Excuses about ability often hide a deeper unwillingness to do the work of seeking him. Spiritual growth cannot be outsourced to somebody else. [52:18]
• 5. An unfollowed life gets wasted A deathbed has a way of stripping life down to what mattered. Time spent avoiding prayer, Scripture, obedience, and gospel witness cannot be redone at the end. The fear of wasting life is not meant to crush the soul, but to wake it up. Nothing matters more than a living relationship with God.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:34] - Acts 4:13 and Being With Jesus
• [05:26] - What Makes Someone a Christian
• [09:13] - Boldness Comes From Jesus
• [09:49] - The Lame Beggar Is Healed
• [15:14] - Religious Leaders Get Annoyed
• [16:14] - Fear in Sharing the Gospel
• [21:11] - Peter Was Ordinary Too
• [27:31] - Peter Filled With the Spirit
• [31:38] - Jesus Promises the Helper
• [38:04] - Uneducated Common Men
• [41:00] - Jesus Says, Follow Me
• [49:30] - The Spirit Makes God Present
• [52:18] - Hearing God Through Scripture
• [54:07] - Prayer as Daily Communion
• [59:34] - Do Not Waste the Life Given

1. In Acts 4:13, what three things did the leaders notice about Peter and John before they recognized that they had been with Jesus? [38:04]
2. In John 14:15-17, what does Jesus say the Father will give, and how long will the Helper be with his people?
3. What details stand out in the account of Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John in Matthew 4:18-22? What did they leave behind when Jesus said, “Follow me”? [41:00]
4. What happened before Acts 4:13 that brought Peter and John before the religious leaders, and what name did Peter say had healed the lame man? [09:49]

1. Acts 4:13 says the leaders saw boldness in “uneducated, common men.” What does that suggest about the real source of Christian courage and usefulness? [09:13]
2. Peter had once denied Jesus, yet later spoke openly about Jesus in front of hostile rulers. How does that help explain what the Holy Spirit does in a believer’s life? [27:31]
3. Jesus says the Helper will dwell in his people and bring his words to remembrance. How does that shape the way believers should think about obedience, witness, and daily dependence on God? [32:15]
4. Jesus called ordinary fishermen with the simple words, “Follow me,” and they moved before knowing all the details. What does that reveal about the kind of trust Jesus calls for from his people? [56:29]

1. Where does fear tend to show up most in personal witness right now? Is it fear of rejection, feeling unprepared, worry about saying the wrong thing, or something else? [16:14]
2. If boldness comes from being with Jesus, what is helping or hindering real time with him these days? What habits are feeding that closeness, and what distractions are weakening it? [09:13]
3. God’s word is God’s voice to his people. What does time in Scripture honestly look like right now, and what would it take to move from occasional exposure to a steady pattern of listening? [52:18]
4. Prayer is a gift of walking through the day with God. When during the day is prayer most natural right now, and where has prayer become rushed, thin, or mostly absent? [54:07]
5. Following Jesus often begins before the whole path is clear. Is there an area of obedience that has been delayed until more details, more comfort, or more certainty show up? What might it look like to take the next step anyway? [56:29]
6. Peter and John were ordinary people, yet Christ used them publicly and powerfully. In what setting does it feel easiest to assume, “Someone more qualified should do this instead of me”? [38:04]
7. Life can be wasted by endless delay. If everything were stripped down to what matters most, what would need to change so that communion with God is not treated like an afterthought? [59:34]