For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20
Between 12 and 20 Christians will be executed today in North Korea. The brutal communist regime of that country has embarked on a savage campaign to get rid of all Christians, and to prevent anyone from owning a Bible. A Christian who witnesses to anyone there does so in peril of their life. One woman was tortured and shot to death within a couple of hours of having her New Testament fall out of her pocket within sight of a guard. Special pre-execution tortures are used on anyone who is caught passing on a Bible to someone else. All of the Christians in North Korea know about the persecution and the very real perils of sharing their faith. When they hear of a fellow Christian who has been caught and executed, they are deeply saddened but not surprised. So has this repression and slaughter of the saints put a halt to the spread of the Gospel in North Korea? Absolutely not! According to some insiders who have been there, North Korea has more Christians per capita than Canada does. North Korea is proof that you can’t stop Christians from spreading the Gospel.
Facing a stern demand from the Jewish council not to speak or teach in the Name of Jesus, Peter replies with today’s text. Essentially, he is telling the council, ‘It is impossible for you to shut us up! We have a story to tell and neither you nor any other council will prevent us from telling it.’ The apostles are enthralled, literally enslaved, by their experience of Jesus. They’ve shared their lives with Him. They’ve become convinced of the truth of who He was, the very Son of God Himself. They’ve witnessed His death. They’ve seen His resurrection. And they’ve understood the urgent, vital importance of these events for the entire world. They simply cannot keep it to themselves. And that is the reason why you and I ever heard the Gospel, someone was unable to keep it to themselves because of what they had heard and seen concerning Jesus Christ. Every word of witness, every Gospel message, every Gospel tract carries with it the impetus of Christians who must share the Gospel because of what it has done for them.
When Muslim people are saved, they face a drastic decision. If they acknowledge their faith in Christ, they lose everything. All of their Muslim connections, including their families, are forever severed. If they are in a Muslim country, they are killed. If they are from a Muslim country, they can never go back under the certain peril of death. And yet, Muslims do get saved, and former Muslims do confess their faith in Jesus Christ before men. Why do they speak up? They realize that what has happened to them is more important than life itself. Is it the same with you and me?
Nothing can silence the Gospel. Those who are affected by it must speak out and share it. -Jim MacIntosh