But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20
One of the markers of following someone is obedience. After all, if you follow them, you do what they say. For example, if you follow a king, you obey him, no questions asked. On a smaller scale, when you follow someone on social media, you probably listen to the tips and tricks they teach and buy some of the recommended products. It makes sense that you obey and listen to the person you follow. If you have dedicated your time and commitment to that person, you do what they say. As a follower of Jesus, this is even truer. After all, He is the King, and if we follow Him, we will obey Him. If we do not obey Him, we are not truly following Him. Jesus’ disciples knew this. They demonstrated extraordinary obedience even when following Him cost them everything. One place in Scripture where we see Peter and John demonstrating extraordinary obedience to God is found in Acts 4. They had been arrested and questioned for preaching about Jesus and healing people in Jesus’ name. After being questioned, they were finally released but left with a command from the leading religious leaders “never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus” (verse 18). This instruction might have shaken some, but the boldness of these disciples only grew with this instruction. Peter and John responded to the religious leaders by saying, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than Him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard” (verses 19-20). They had resolved to obey God over anyone or anything else. They refused to disobey Jesus’ command to share their faith, even when they were threatened. This, my friends, is unwavering obedience. What about you? Are you willing to obey Jesus no matter the cost? Are you willing to obey Jesus, even when it means you might be misunderstood or mistreated for your faith in Jesus? If Jesus is the King, and He is, His opinion is the only opinion that matters, and He is to be obeyed regardless of the costs. So will you trust Him, your good King, and obey Him today?
Is there something you know God has been calling you to do but have been hesitant to do? Then, it is time to commit to obedience by doing that thing. If nothing comes to mind, offer a prayer to God: “Father, I commit to obey you. What you ask, I will do. You are the King, and I will obey.”
Acts 4:16-22 (NLT)
“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
21 The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God 22 for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years."
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