Acts 4
The Power of Annoyance!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, July 7—our church’s 110-year anniversary of gospel ministry. Congratulations!
There is a lot to be annoyed about in the world, in our nations, and in our own lives… you probably can’t watch the news or go on social media without being annoyed right now.
Did you know there is a lot of pent-up power in the emotion of annoyance?
Peter and John were arrested for preaching in the temple after they healed the man lame from birth because the religious leaders felt “greatly annoyed” by their teaching and proclamation about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Acts 4:1-2).
Interestingly, the Greek word, translated “greatly annoyed” is used only twice in the NT. The second occasion is in Acts 16:18 when Paul cast out the spirit of divination from the slave girl being used by her masters to make money fortune telling. Paul was “greatly annoyed” at the unclean spirit’s tormenting of this girl so he cast the demon out and that got him and Silas beaten and imprisoned by the Romans in Philippi.
The religious leaders were moved to take action against Paul’s Holy Spirit activity to heal the man in Acts 4 with the same emotion of annoyance that moved Paul to take action against a demonic spirit’s activity in Acts 16. Both times, the followers of Jesus end up in prison. Both times, God used their imprisonment to expand the work of the gospel and save souls!
The emotion of annoyance is in both stories—it is a human reality that fuels action. The question is: what kind of words and actions does “annoyance” empower in you?
Seize the moment and align annoyance with faith. Love what God loves. Hate what God hates. Pray before you speak, before you act, before you post something on social media, before you hit send on that text or email.
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