Good morning and welcome back. Let’s commit this time to God.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we are meeting again online to worship you, to acknowledge your presence in our lives and for your help throughout this circuit breaker time.
There are moments of anxiety, restlessness, boredom and worries, but you are with us. That’s what makes the difference.
May our eyes be on You. May our minds and hearts be on Your Word, the only unchanging truth in the midst of all the changes around us.
Bless us with your Word again. This we pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.
Let’s recap the context. Peter and John healed a lame man, born crippled.
• It drew the attention of the crowd. Peter preached the Gospel and urged the Jewish crowd to believe Jesus the Messiah, repent and receive God’s forgiveness.
• The priests and religious leaders were unhappy that they preached Jesus as the risen Saviour and so they locked them up.
• The next morning, they convened the Sanhedrin court and threatened Peter and John not to speak again in the name of Jesus any more.
Let continue - Acts 4:23-31
23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
"`Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.'
27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
After the threats that were levelled at them, this was their response to God.
• They prayed, with one voice and one heart. Luke records the prayer, clearly someone led the prayer.
• They prayed, ACKNOWLEDGING God as sovereign, SUBMITTING to God’s will for all that is happening, and ASKING God to give them greater courage to preach on.
• This isn’t a common response in a crisis when one is under threat, unless you know WHO God is and understand His will.
This is a prayer that moves God, evidenced by the spectacular response God gave at the end. We see the act of God in response to the prayer of His servants.
The disciples ACKNOWLEDGE GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
The moment they heard of what Peter and John reported, “…they raised their voices together in prayer to God” and calling out, Sovereign Lord. (4:24)
• They acknowledges God as the Lord of all creation. He made the heaven, earth and sea and everything in them. He spoke by the Holy Spirit and determined His will. The conspirators “did what God’s power and will had decided beforehand should happen.” (4:28)
• He makes the world, speaks His will and determines His way. God is sovereign and He seeks no counsel. There is no one above Him, there is no one He reports to.
And they use the word ‘Sovereign Lord’ is a rare word, not the usual ‘Lord’ that we see.
• In Greek despotes, the word is used of a slave master/ruler whose power over the slave is absolute. It cannot be questioned. It conveys power and control.
• And that’s WHO God is. And that’s the basis of our prayers, isn’t it? We pray to Him because God reigns and He rules. He has the authority and power to do the right things and get things done.
Prophet Isaiah urges the Israelites to return to this God, the one and only.
• God spoke through Isaiah in Isaiah 46:9-10 “9Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
• There is no force outside of God that can thwart or frustrate His will.
• The truth is, even Satan is on a leash. He has the freedom to prowl around like a roaring lion (cf. 1 Pet 5:8) but not without limits. God’s hand is on the leash.
Job’s experience tells us that. Job 1:12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
• Satan can cause harm and suffering but he is not ultimate. He cannot hurt us without God’s permission.
• Jesus said to Simon Peter in Luke 22:31-32, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. [He has to ask permission.] 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." [this outcome is sure, it’s God’s will.]
Prayer is not getting God to do what we want; it is getting us to do what God’s wants.
• We align our heart with God’s will when we pray. Jesus said this is how we should pray: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt 6:10)
• This explain why the disciples were not shaken by fear or anxiety. Their eyes were on God, the One who created all things and spoke that which would come to pass.
• The enemies of Jesus can only do what God allows. That’s the basis of our faith. We have confidence and peace today because He is sovereign and in control.
The disciples SUBMIT TO GOD’S WILL
The disciples were not taken aback by the oppositions against the message of Jesus because they know God’s will.
• Jesus forewarned them in Matt 10:17-20 17"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
• Peter and John said to the Sanhedrin, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God." (Acts 4:19)
And in their prayer, they quoted Psalm 2:1-2. God spoke through King David: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.”
• Which expresses the futility of fighting against God and His anointed One. The nations, the peoples, the kings and rulers that come against God will surely fail.
• They are no match for God, just like Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city, conspiring against Jesus. They will fail.
• They did “what God in His power and will had decided beforehand should happen.” (4:28)
They believe in the sovereignty of God. They believe in the will of God being fulfilled.
• It has nothing to do with the persecution; it has to do with God’s purpose.
• If this is God’s will, then regardless of the threats, they will continue to preach in the Name of Jesus.
Reminds me of the conviction shown by Daniel’s 3 friends. They were threatened.
• If they do not bow down and worship the image of King Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), then the King will throw them into the burning furnace.
• When threatened, this was what they said - Dan 3:16-18 "16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. [God is sovereign and powerful enough to save us, if He wants to.] 18But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." [Even if He does not, we will still trust Him; they will not turn against God!]
God did not prevent it. God did not remove their trouble. They were thrown into the furnace. The Lord met them INSIDE!
• The Lord led them THROUGH it. The Lord PROTECTED them, not be apart from the furnace, but IN the furnace and THROUGH the ordeal.
I believe they would have preferred not to be thrown into it, like any one of us, but the Lord has other plans - one that would allow Nebuchadnezzar to see Him and know Him. He ended up praising the God of Israel.
• That’s the will of God. He allowed it for His greater purpose and glory.
So we don’t ask, “Why bad things happen to good people?” That’s premature to ask, because God has His set purpose and foreknowledge, and all things work together for good to them that loves Him.
• No one who is serious about Christ can be immune from the trials in life, but God is sovereign and His will is perfect, so we can trust Him. God does not waste our pain.
The disciples RELY ON GOD’S HELP
Listen to their petition – 4:29 "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
They prayed for GREATER COURAGE and MORE MIRACLES.
• GREATER BOLDNESS because they are going to keep on preaching the Name of Jesus.
• Peter said to the Sanhedrin, “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (4:20) That’s the TRUTH, we cannot hide it nor deny it.
They were asking for courage not because they have no courage.
• 4:13 “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.”
• They are asking for MORE courage. They are asking for greater courage to do more.
And with more preaching, MORE MIRACLES. They were taught that way.
• Mark 16:20 “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it.”
• The signs and wonders are there, not to glorify the disciples, but to confirm the truth of the Gospel. Miracles affirm the truth of the living Christ among them.
• Lives are changed by the Gospel. Life-change itself is the greatest miracle.
The rulers, elders and teachers of the law might NOT LIKE the truth, but the truth remains. The truth stands because it is true.
• Our belief does not make it anymore truer. Our unbelief does not negate it.
• For those who are sincerely seeking to know God, I hope you understand this. Our belief in Christianity does not make it true. The truth of something has nothing to do with our belief. We believe because it is true.
• Consider the message of Jesus Christ. He is the Saviour that God has sent. Our sin is forgiven because He died on the cross for us. He is the one we trust and follow.
We have a wonderful end to the prayer meeting. The Lord responded with His tangible presence and answer to their prayer.
• 4:31 “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.”
• God answered their prayer. They were filled with the Holy Spirit AGAIN.
• For Peter, this would be the THIRD time it was mentioned that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. 2:4 (on day of Pentecost), 4:8 (before Sanhedrin) “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!” and now in 4:31.
• Eph 5:18 “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” [ D-bore-cheer-ry ]
• Let us be filled with the Holy Spirit and be empowered to do His will.
Let us pray and acknowledge His sovereignty, be willing to submit to His will and rely on His help.
• When things are bad, we trust in the God who is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, in the One who alone is sovereign and in control. In Him we trust.
• We are overcomers in Christ, not the overwhelmed.
PRAYER
Lord, we thank You that You are the sovereign God who is in control. We trust in Your ability and not our own. Teach us to see difficulties in our lives from Your perspective. Help us to focus on You and Your power. Let our hearts be governed by Your will.
We want to be like these disciples who trust You and whose eyes are on You even in hard circumstances. Today we bring before You our own difficult situation - ________ (you can tell the Lord the hard situation you are facing right now).
Help us, Lord, not to fear but to trust You in this situation. We acknowledge Your sovereignty and rule. We submit to Your will and plan for us. We lean on You and trust Your Word.
May everyone – our leaders, frontline workers, the sick and frail, the elderly, those hard hit by this crisis, those who have lost their jobs – may everyone experience, Lord, your grace and help during this time of need.
Thank you Lord for hearing our prayer, for we pray this in Jesus’ mighty Name, AMEN.
