Kingdom Harbor

This is a summary of my recent sermon at Brookdale Covenant Church.

Modern public discourse and Christian witness in the public square is often defined by the clamor of “culture wars,” where the primary objective is to seize political power, silence dissent, and impose viewpoints through sheer force of will. This environment of heated rhetoric and “owning” the opposition creates a profound weariness for those seeking a more meaningful way to embody their faith.

In the Book of Acts, we encounter a starkly different directive. In Acts 1:8, the followers of Jesus are not commissioned as “culture-warriors” or political operatives; they are called to be “witnesses.” It is essential to recognize that the true protagonist of this narrative is not the Apostles, but the Holy Spirit. The Book of Acts is, in reality, a record of the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the church. By exploring the experiences of Peter and John in Acts 3 and 4, we can uncover counter-intuitive lessons on how to move beyond the noise of public debate and toward a lifestyle of authentic, Spirit-led impact.

1. The Surprising Legal History of “Witnessing”

This summer we are examining various characters, or “witnesses,” in the book of Acts, and asking what we can learn about how they bore witness to the Way of Jesus. So, let’s define what a “witness” was and is.

The term “witness” carries a specific historical and legal weight that we often miss today. The Greek word used in the New Testament is martus, which refers to a legal witness in a courtroom. A martus was someone who stood before a judge to provide a marturia (testimony) based on what they had personally seen or heard regarding a crime or a contract.

In the earliest days of the church, being a “witness” carried a strict, historical job description. It was not a religious sales pitch or a lifestyle brand, but a testimony rooted in objective experience. To fill the vacancy left by Judas, the replacement had to meet specific criteria:

“Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” — Acts 1:21-22

The meaning of martus eventually shifted because this testimony—that a man executed by the Roman Empire was actually the cosmic King of the world—faced violent political and religious pushback. When witnesses refused to recant their courtroom-style testimony under pressure, they often faced execution. Over time, the word for “witness” evolved into the word “martyr.”

Today, witnessing is less about winning a rhetorical debate and more about the “loyalty under pressure” demonstrated by the early church. It is the refusal to change the story of what God has done in our lives, even when faced with social or political opposition. Let’s look at Peter and John’s public witness in Acts 3 and 4 to see what lessons we can learn. Here’s the text:

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (Acts 3:1-10)

2. The “Burning Bushes” of Daily Routine

In Acts 3, Peter and John perform a miracle on their way to the temple to observe their “fixed time of prayer” at 3:00 PM. This reminds us that God uses these set-apart times to redirect our attention toward His agenda. However, the greatest enemy to spotting these “burning bushes”—those moments of potential impact—is distraction. When we are consumed by our own schedules or digital noise, we fail to notice those in need who are placed “at the gate” of our daily lives.

True intentionality often requires a change of pace or scenery. This summer instead my regular practice of walking on solitary trails in the woods for prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to walk as many streets in as many neighborhoods as I can — deliberately placing myself in the path and proximity of others. It’s yielding interesting results and some interesting encounters. Ministry happens when we allow our routines to be interrupted by the people God has placed in our path.

Do you have set-apart times or spiritual practices that move your heart and feet toward God’s mission?

3. The Radical Act of Bestowing Dignity

When Peter and John encountered the beggar at the temple gate, the text highlights a profound moment of connection: “Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!'”

In this moment, Peter was not just performing a miracle; he was bestowing dignity. It is easy to provide charity from a distance—sending checks to nameless faces or tossing money into an offering plate—while shielding our eyes from the messy reality of brokenness. But a loving and compassionate gaze is the prerequisite for true help. We honor others’ humanity by looking them in the face, recognizing that we see the face of Jesus in “the least of these,” as famously modeled by Mother Teresa.

“The Lord make his face to shine upon you… and turn his face toward you and give you His peace.”

— The Aaronic Benediction

Just as the Lord turns His face toward us to grant peace, we extend the peace of God to others when we refuse to look away from their struggle, and look full in their wonderful face to echo the old hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”

4. The “Silver and Gold” Principle of Personal Resource

Peter’s response to the beggar was a masterclass in humility and resourcefulness: “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.” This highlights the importance of admitting our limitations to unlock the unique value of what we do possess.

By recognizing what we lack, we stop making excuses for inactivity and begin to give generously from our actual resources. Consider these modern applications:

• “Silver and gold I do not have, but I have the gift of time now that I am retired.”
• “Youthful muscles or a truck I do not have to help you move… but I have decorating skills once you’ve moved in.”
• “Preaching gifts I do not have, but I can serve in the nursery or as an usher.”
• “Personal evangelism skills I do not have, but I can host a book club.”
• “Silver and gold I do not have, but we have an extra bedroom to house a college student in need.”
• “Miraculous healing gifts I do not have, but I can offer the healing power of affirmation and love.”

The story continues with a glimpse at how these early Christians and witnesses of the Way of Jesus were disrupting the status quo and threatening the religious establishment. Let’s read how they responded under pressure.

“The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead…. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”  (Acts 4)

5. Kindness as the “Best Offense”

The early church did not respond to smear campaigns or suspicion with long-winded rhetorical arguments. Instead, they utilized a “good offense” by being proactive in their kindness. When questioned by authorities, Peter pointed to the “act of kindness shown to a man who was lame.”

The early church did not spread by grabbing the levers of power—partisan politics, Supreme Court decisions, heated rhetoric, or cancel culture. They did not try to force their beliefs on a pagan society. Instead, they put the healing power of Jesus into practice, and that proactive goodness won over the masses in a way that political maneuvering never could. Peter was living out what he would write in his first letter:

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us… For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.” — 1 Peter 2:12

The scene continues:

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus…. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it… Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  (Acts 4)

6. The “See Something, Say Something” Growth Strategy

The evangelistic method of the early church was based on personal experience rather than soapbox preaching. Peter and John told the authorities, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

Their lifestyle “betrayed” them; their courage made it obvious they had “been with Jesus.” This is what I like to call the “tea bag” analogy of the soul: they had been steeped in the presence of Jesus until they were saturated. Just as a tea bag is steeped in water until the flavor is undeniable, the Apostles had been steeped in Christ long enough to give off His “aroma.”

This “see something, say something” approach is powerful because personal experience is far more undeniable to an adversary than a rhetorical argument. When a life has been visibly changed by grace, even opponents of the faith find it difficult to deny the results.

Conclusion: From “Power-Over” to “Witness-With”

The story of the early church offers a profound shift in mindset for our modern age. It moves us away from a “power-over” approach—where we seek to control society through political debate and social leverage—and toward a “witness-with” lifestyle, where we stand alongside the broken and testify to the healing we have experienced through the Holy Spirit.

The ultimate question for us today is this: Would people look at our lives—how we spend our time, talents, and treasures—and know that we have spent time with Jesus? By stepping into the public square with proactive kindness as our primary tool, we can silence the noise of the culture wars and offer something far more compelling: a witness that the world cannot deny.