The Power of Owning Our Actions

Reading of the Word

Acts 4:23–31 NASB 2020

When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported everything that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, “Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why were the Nations insolent, And the peoples plotting in vain? ‘The kings of the earth Took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and purpose predestined to occur. And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant it to Your bond-servants to speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

Prayer of Illumination

Gracious God, As we open Your Word, we ask for the light of Your Holy Spirit to shine upon us. Illuminate our hearts and minds, that we may understand Your truth and be transformed by it. Guide us to not only hear but also live out Your message, so that we may grow in faith and faithfully fulfill Your mission.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction

There was a time I decided to eat healthier. I bought a big, vibrant salad, convinced it would make me feel amazing. But a few days later, that salad was wilting in the fridge while I reached for pizza instead. Sound familiar? Sometimes, we treat our spiritual lives the same way—we have good intentions to grow but neglect the care and consistency we need. Just like a salad needs to be fresh and ready to eat, our faith requires daily nourishment to thrive.

So, what could have helped me stick to healthier eating? Accountability. Programs like Weight Watchers have people check in weekly to stay on track and take responsibility for their choices. The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. Without accountability, seeking and serving God can feel like trying to blow up a balloon without air. We have all the tools, but we’re missing the power to fill and sustain it. Accountability is the air that inflates our spiritual growth, helping us grow in grace and holiness as God intended.

Today’s message helps us to consider how accountability and gathering together not to learn, but to be real allows us to grow in grace and holiness so that we can become disciples that disciple others.

I. Consider the affinity group (Acts 4:23).

A. The newly released believers could go anywhere they wanted to go in Jerusalem.

1. Homes

2. Places of employment

3. Cafés

B. They chose to go immediately to the group with which they most identified: “their own people,” fellow believers.

It is good for us to gather together with people that have a common interest: Our faith in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 133 NASB 2020

A Song of Ascents, of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, Running down upon the beard, As on Aaron’s beard, The oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For the Lord commanded the blessing there—life forever.

C. They belonged with this covenant group.

They found emotional and spiritual support.

They were real with one another.

They shared their struggles.

They shared their pain.

They found people that could empathize with them because they were going through a similar situation.

They found encouragement.

In the pain and struggles, they found the one thing that gave them hope through other people: their faith in Jesus.

Others with the same common goal allowed them to find strength to press on.

They found accountability.

Accountability is a term that many in the church today are hesitant to embrace. The church’s current struggles can often be traced back to a lack of accountability.

John Wesley made sure that accountability was a huge part of everything he did within Methodism.

He realized that accountability made it possible to grow in grace and holiness of heart.

They found an inviting group that encouraged vulnerability.

When people come alongside others who are striving to live out their faith, it creates space for God to work and bring transformation through vulnerability. But let’s be honest—this isn’t easy, especially for men!

They found partners in ministry.

Thus the whole passage abounds with joy and affection, focusing primarily on their role of “partnership in the gospel”—the very stuff of friendship.

Gordon Fee

As we partner with Jesus, we’re also called to partner with one another in the mission He entrusted to us. To do this effectively, we must not only work together to fulfill the mission but also encourage each other to pursue good works and grow in holiness of heart.

There is strength in numbers.

The American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) recently completed a study on accountability. The ASTD discovered that if an individual commits to another person for the completion of a goal, that individual has a 65 percent chance of completing the goal. However, that percentage jumps to 95 percent if that commitment is coupled with a “specific accountability appointment.” According to the study, the most challenging goals can be successfully achieved if a person commits to regular accountability.

Barber, Sam. People of Grace: Becoming Disciples Together (pp. 115-116). The Foundry Publishing. Kindle Edition.

They worked together for a common goal.

There are different ways to get to the goal but the goal for everyone is the same.

In my family, when we clean the house, we all share a common goal: to have a clean, welcoming home. But we don’t all do the same thing. One of us tackles the kitchen, another cleans the bedrooms, and someone else focuses on the bathrooms. Each person has a different task, but together, we work toward the same outcome.

That’s exactly how Jesus works with His disciples. He gives each of us unique gifts and calls us to different roles. Some teach, others serve, and some lead—but all of it is directed toward the same mission: helping people come to know and follow Christ. Just as every part of the house needs attention for the home to feel complete, every disciple’s work matters in fulfilling God’s purpose. Together, we’re building His Kingdom, one task at a time.

They used each other’s gifts so that their ministry could be effective.

II. Consider the action plan (Acts 4:24-28).

A. They could have conducted a committee meeting to devise the best way to avoid further attention by religious authorities; they did not do this.

B. They could have decided to take their treatment by religious authorities to the public and expose the ways they were mistreated; they did not do this.

C. They could have decided that the threats of the religious leaders put their freedom, and perhaps their very lives, at risk and simply given up; they did not do this.

D. They decided on a spiritual action plan.

1. They gathered for prayer.

A Christian without prayer is powerless for the cause of Christ.

Prayer united them. Acts 2 tells us that they were in one accord, united in prayer.

Prayer is the powerhouse of our faith, fueling us to carry out the mission.

2. They acknowledged the sovereignty of God.

God reigns as the all-powerful King, and no force can ever overcome Him. He holds ultimate authority over the world and all creation. Yet, in His sovereignty, He grants us the gift of free will, allowing us to make our own choices.

Though He is in control, He doesn’t force our decisions; instead, He invites us to choose Him willingly. His reign is both mighty and compassionate, giving us freedom while still working all things together for His perfect plan.3. They recounted God’s incredible power to create “the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them” (v. 24).

3. They recited Scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit.

They soaked their minds and hearts in the Word of God. It came back to them later to help them in their ministry.

4. They recalled all that Herod and Pilate did to conspire against Jesus.

They remembered the past to mould their future.

Just as they conspired against Jesus, people will do the same to us. Not because of who we are but because of the one who we place our trust in.

The world hates him so they will hate us.

III. Consider the prayer requests (4:29-30).

A. They did not pray for God to destroy the religious leaders.

Matthew 5:44 NASB 2020

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

B. They did not pray for the persecutions against them to cease.

They instead prayed for the grace to endure them and stand for Jesus.

C. They did not pray that God would change the mission to which he had called them.

The mission was entrusted to them by Jesus, and it was not optional. They were called to fulfill it, no matter the cost—even if it meant laying down their lives. Their commitment was absolute, driven by the understanding that the mission of spreading the gospel and making disciples was worth any sacrifice.

D. They prayed for two important things:

They prayed for renewed strength to preach the gospel message of Jesus with “great boldness” (v. 29).

They prayed for God to work in miraculous ways to magnify “the name of your holy servant Jesus” (v. 30).

Conclusion

What happened next testified to the unity of the believers and the pleasure of God with their affinity group, their action plan, and their prayer requests.

The meeting place was physically shaken much like an earthquake. God blessed them with a new infilling with the Holy Spirit, reminiscent of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. God emboldened them with new spiritual courage; they continued to preach the gospel message of Jesus throughout Jerusalem, Judea, and ultimately to the ends of the earth.

We serve the same God the disciples served two thousand years ago. He is as interested today in spreading the gospel message of Jesus to the ends of the earth as he was two thousand years ago.

We do not have any greater personal ability to succeed in the mission of God than the first disciples did. But we do have access to the unlimited ability of God to work mightily through our affinity groups, our action plan, and our prayer requests. May God do for us what he did for the early church as we partner together in God’s mission!

Prayer After Message

Lord, We thank You for the message You’ve shared with us today. We acknowledge that we need one another to grow in grace and holiness. Help us to be accountable to each other, offering encouragement, support, and honesty as we pursue a life that reflects Your love and truth. Strengthen us to be vulnerable, open, and willing to walk alongside one another in faith. May Your Spirit guide us to grow deeper in our relationship with You and one another, becoming more like Christ in every area of our lives.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Benediction

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. As you go forth, may you walk in His light, grow in His grace, and encourage one another in holiness and truth. May your lives reflect His mission, and may you be a beacon of His love to all you encounter. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.