“And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord . . . ,”  Acts 4:23-24.

Today, in the will of the Lord, we are going to consider ‘What we should do when threatened by the enemies of God.’

I. NOTICE PETER WAS NOT AFRAID TO DEFY THEM AND OBEY THE LORD.

You remember that we ended our study last week with Peter and John being let go with the threat that they must not “speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus,” verse 18. What did they do in the face of such a most serious threat from those who had murdered the Lord Jesus? “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard,” Acts 4:19-20. The Lord Jesus told us that we must, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s,” Luke 20:25.

There are times when we must put the Lord before the civil powers!

II. THEY SOUGHT THE COMPANY OF FELLOW BELIEVERS.

“They went to their own company”.

1. Boy and girls, when we find ourselves in trouble with those who don’t believe the Gospel, it is always wisest to seek out the company of those who do! There are none who can sympathise with the troubled believer like those who have likewise obeyed the Saviour.

The worldling cannot understand why the Christian must speak and act in a manner which upsets the world. Therefore we will find no sympathy there! It was earlier stated of the believers: “And all that believed were together, and had all things common,” Acts 2:44.

2. When we are saved we are ‘adopted’ into God’s family. We also receive the Holy Spirit Who is called “The Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father,” Romans 8:15. We know God truly is our Father and His Spirit prompts us to call Him ‘Father’. Therefore all Christians everywhere are our brothers and sisters and being of one family, we should love one another!

3.The word translated “their own company” appears in Matthew 14:13. “When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.” There it is translated by the single word “apart”! Boys and girls, Christians are a people ‘apart’ from all others! Never forget that!

We will return to these verses next, in the will of the Lord.