Fuelled by Hope, Empowered by the Spirit
Acts: The Final Chapter • Sermon • Submitted
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Ewan started our gathering this morning with these words: “As a church, our vision is to share the hope that comes from our faith in Jesus” Now the truth is that many of us - myself included - find it’s a struggle to actually do that - to share the hope that comes from our faith in Jesus.
If you’re here this morning exploring faith, I’m so glad you’re with us. What I want most of all for you is that you’d make progress towards finding your own hope in Jesus. As we think about today’s bible passage, it’s going to make us talk about why that’s so important - but it’s also going to make us think about what makes it hard for followers of Jesus to share their hope - and what can help.
But before we get there, if you’d already call yourself a follower of Jesus, I want to ask you a question as we begin - and I’d love to hear your answers through slido - if you hop over to slido.com/hopecity right now, you’ll see the question there, waiting for you. Followers of Jesus, can you tell me for you what’s the single biggest thing that keeps you from speaking about Jesus, and about your hope? I know that’s a personal question, and one that we can feel awkward or embarrassed about answering - but your answers are anonymous! And it’ll really help us today to think about the different challenges we face - I don’t know what those are for each one of you. So, thirty seconds just now, hop over to slido.com/hopecity and tell me: what’s the single biggest thing that keeps you from speaking about Jesus, and about your hope?
30s - have a think. And if you wouldn’t call yourself a follower of Jesus yet, try and imagine what might be holding his followers back from speaking.
Thank you so much - now because of complex techie stuff, I can’t see your answers for about a minute, so while we’re waiting for that, let me give you a little context for today’s passage, and then we can read through it together.
We’re right at the beginning of the story of the church. The camera is still fixed on Jerusalem and that very first gathering of believers, now a few thousand strong. Peter and John, two of the key leaders, have performed an amazing miracle through the name of Jesus: healing a man at the temple who everyone knew had been lame from birth. As that draws a crowd, Peter takes the opportunity to speak about Jesus, the source of that healing, and the way he offers an even greater restoration: restoring our relationship with God. The authorities show up, and they’re not impressed - particularly since they had this Jesus killed just the other day. They arrest and question these disciples, but ultimately they can’t deny something amazing has happened, and they let them go with just some threats - this time, at least.
Put yourself in those disciples’ shoes for a moment. These authorities arrested, questioned and then killed Jesus just a few weeks back. Now they’ve arrested, questioned and threatened you. What are you thinking? What are you feeling? What happens next? …
Well, let’s read together and see. Lystra’s going to read for us this morning.
On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You 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? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’ Indeed 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. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 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.
[slido to q+a?]
Thanks Lystra. Even though we can’t be together in person yet, it’s great to have so many people be a part of our gatherings week by week, isn’t it? Thank you to the team working behind the scenes to make this possible, too.
Well, what I want you to see first of all here is that Peter and John, these apostles, these leaders in the very first church, weren’t fantasy heroes from a different planet, but ordinary people - and they were in danger of shutting up as a result of their powerful enemies’ threats. Although they’re clear on what they should do - last week we heard them declare “as for us we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” - notice here they have to pray that God would enable them to speak - because without God stepping in, they were not feeling able to speak - they needed enabling.
But that ask, that prayer, is nearly at the end of what we read. It’s not where they begin, it’s not where they started - and there’s things for us to learn from the journey their prayer takes. Before we dive into that, though, it’s worth asking ourselves what this has to do with us. After all, I don’t think any of you have been told to stop speaking about Jesus by powerful enemies, threatened by known killers who want you to shut up. Not that we don’t have brothers and sisters around the world for whom that is a reality - but thankfully we live in a pretty free country just now. So what has this got to do with us? What does it have to say to us?
Well, I think the way these first followers of Jesus respond can genuinely help us with many of the challenges we face too. I asked you earlier what those challenges were for you - let’s take a look, and see what stops us speaking about Jesus.
[slido to poll][slido.com] … 60 sec live interaction with responses …
If you’re still exploring Jesus, perhaps these responses show you some of why Christians aren’t as forthcoming as you might expect given they think they have the answer to life. Followers of Jesus, thank you for being so honest about what holds you back. I know speaking about Jesus is a huge challenge for many of us - but it is at the heart of our vision as a church.
Now, keep these sorts of challenges in mind as we look at how these disciples respond - I think you’ll find there are really helpful things for us to learn here, things which we can apply to our own challenges.
[slido to q+a]
As I’ve studied this passage and this prayer, I think there are four big steps the disciples take as they face this huge challenge, four logical stops on their journey, ending with that prayer for enabling. And the first is they remember who their Lord - our Lord - is:
#1 our lord
“Sovereign Lord,” they begin - that’s an unusual way to address God in the New Testament. It’s a single word underneath meaning “master”, a term used for a slave owner, or a ruler of unchallengable power. Right away, they are reminding themselves of who God is: master, ruler, unchallengable power.
Then they tell God what he did. Which seems a bit redundant, since I don’t think he’s forgotten: “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them”. Why? Not for God’s benefit, but for their own. See, remembering God as creator helps us see ourselves - and others around us - more clearly; helps us see that we are his creation. The creator is master over his creation: the painter decides what will be on the canvas; the potter shapes the clay; the writer sets the story. When I remember God as creator, I reframe not just myself, but those around me, as his creation; he is the master who shapes and defines.
#2 his plan
They start with creation but they don’t stop there. After remembering our Lord, they remember his plan.
You spoke, they say, quoting from an ancient part of the bible, Psalm 2.
You 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? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’
Anointed one there means chosen one, promised one, marked-out one. The old testament, the first part of the bible has hundreds of pointers to a promised servant from God who would come and restore - this is just one of them. Why do the disciples pick on this one? Because it describes what’s just happened - as they go on to explain. We might like to imagine people would welcome someone sent by God, a promised rescuer, come with power, come to serve, to restore. But centuries before Jesus set foot on earth, God had already told us he’d not be welcome. Instead he would see nations, peoples, kings, rulers - enemies of one another - banding together against him.
And that’s just what happened, the disciples say: even though Jews were enemies of Gentiles (that is, non-Jews), the Roman and Jewish authorities and peoples came together to put Jesus to death. But what they say next is the big one: this was the plan, not a mistake.
They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
Opposition to Jesus, God’s chosen one - opposition which saw him killed - was all part of God’s plan. God’s decision. Under his power. It’s a really emphatic statement of what we call God’s sovereignty - his rule, his control of all things. It happened because God had decided beforehand that it would. Not because he couldn’t stop it, or things didn’t turn out the way he expected, and this was the best he could do. It was all a part of God’s plan.
I just want to take a moment to explore why there was such concerted opposition to Jesus - because Psalm 2 expands on this if we were to read on after the disciples’ quote. The very next verse says this:
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”
Breaking chains and throwing off shackles - that’s how these nations, peoples, kings and rulers see their opposition to Jesus. They can either be chained, submit to him, or rebel, and break free. It all boils down to this: who will be king? Who gets to call the shots? Who has the final say? Him? or Me? That’s the issue.
Maybe you’re here today exploring faith and this is what’s holding you back, this is what’s stopping you. It was for me. I was right there at the edge of faith. I knew enough - I knew plenty. The issue wasn’t knoweldge, it was control. Was I really going to give up control, stop being my own king, bow to Jesus my king instead? That felt like it would be giving up my whole life, letting it all go, like death, actually. That’s what it looked like to me. Maybe that’s you just now?
I have just two things to say to you: first, he’s a good king. He hasn’t destroyed my life, he’s given me life - in fact, he gave his life in my place - so I could live instead. He didn’t give his life up for me so he could waste and ruin mine, tear around like a thief in a stolen car, only to crash it and leave it to burn. He gave up his life so I could really live. First, he’s a good king - giving up control is life not death.
Second, the alternative - saying “I will be king, not you, thanks very much” - meets his answer: “not for long.” Psalm 2 lays out God’s plan - rejection and opposition, yes - but that’s not the end of the story and these first disciples know it. Here’s the next line from the psalm - and it’s a little chilling.
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.
Do you really think you can say “no” to the one true king and there’ll be no consequences? God laughs at our petty opposition to him. At kings and nations gathered together against him. It’s like ants - no, like microbes thinking they can rebel against a tank driving towards them. Re-bell though we might, he’s still king. We can’t and we won’t overturn that.
And the day will come when he has had enough. The psalm tells us more of God’s plan for his messiah king:
You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Judgement is coming for those who rebel and reject God’s king. But it doesn’t have to be that way for you.
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He’s good, and he’s the king. Are you ready today to bow to him? For me, it happened in a moment - suddenly, one otherwise ordinary evening, I was ready to let go and give him control. I believe that was God at work in me that night. Is he working in you right now, too? Is he opening your heart to be ready to say yes, to choose life rather than death? If that’s you, take the step. Respond now. Say it and mean it: Jesus is Lord - my Lord - my king.
I want to give you a concrete way to respond so you kno you’ve really done it - so in the livestream chat right now there’ll be a chance to raise your hand, digitally. A button to click. No-one will see it’s you except God. If you want, you’ll have the chance to pray with our team - but you don’t have to. What matters is doing business with God. He’s good, and he’s the king - if you’re ready to bow to him, do it now. Don’t wait.
Just a moment to respond. God, please do for others today what you did for me, and open their hearts to give up control and bow to you as king. amen.
So where are we? The disciples are threatened and told to stop speaking about Jesus. We’ve got many things that hold us back from speaking about Jesus, too. They respond by remembering our Lord and by remembering his plan. And then they go one step futher, a step which I think can really help us today.
When they remember opposition - and it’s eventual fall - is written into God’s plan, they don’t do what I’d be tempted to with this psalm, and pray “smash ‘em, God. Bring it on. break them. dash them to pieces.” They don’t fall into a fatalistic stupor either. You know, that “que-sera-sera, whatever will be will be” way of thiking. “God’s plan is for rebellion and then judgement, so let’s just suck it up and stick it out. This is just the way it is.”
Instead they see the hope in this psalm, in this plan, too. That’s the only way to explain their prayer to keep on speaking.
#3 our hope
See, here’s where that psalm ends:
Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
It ends with an invitation into blessing. “Kiss the son” (that is, God’s son, Jesus) - here’s the picture: you’re walking into a vast royal court, far ahead of you, the king on his throne, dressed dazzlingly. You anxiously approach, awestruck, and as you draw near, he extends his hand towards you. Kneeling, you bow your head and dare to fleetingly kiss the hand that’s offered. You are recieved, accepted by the king, to whom you have bowed.
This is the hope that Psalm two holds out. The story’s not finished. The game’s not over. The day of wrath has not yet come. The invitation still stands, even for those who oppose him: bow the knee, kiss the son, take refuge. That’s why we’ve called our series in Acts “the final chapter” - because we still live in this final chapter, this day of opportunity.
This is our reason for hope as we think about our friends who do not follow Jesus yet - even those who have set themselves hard against him, even those who want to lead the rebellion: still they are invited to kiss the son, still there is a way back. One big challenge is not to close the door for them, decide for them that they will not bow, and so never invite them to. Because some will respond - even some of the most unlikely.
If you know your bible characters, think about Paul, once a leading persecutor of the church, a self-appointed travelling Christian-killer - but even he can bow, kiss the son, and take refuge. I think about one of my friends growing up. I was so confident he would never become a Christian, that he wasn’t “that type,” I did the exact opposite of speaking boldly to him about Jesus - and yet God was calling him to bow - and I think he did, no credit to me. The disciples hadn’t given up hope - even for those people who conspired against Jesus, who threatened them.
Some will respond. Followers of Jesus, we’re the proof - it’s our own story, every one of us - and it can be others’ too.
Think about your own journey to faith - often our jouries are long. Who was a part of it? Who gave up on you and wrote you off? Who kept hold of hope for you? I wonder, would you have managed to keep hold of hope for yourself? Looking back at my journey, I think there’s a good chance that I would have given up hope for me - I know some around me did.
It is hard to keep on believing that Jesus is still holding out his hand to people who reject him time and time again. It is hard to believe that they may yet bow, before it’s too late, even after years of turning away. Is there someone you’ve lost hope for? Someone you’ve given up on? I wonder if God will bring anyone to your mind - perhaps it is time to rekindle your hope for them once more to fuel your prayers.
So the disciples remember our Lord, remember his plan, and driven by hope, finally, they pray “enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness”.
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
And this is a great place for us to close. This is the prayer we see answered at the end of our passage, at the end of their prayer meeting - answered by God filling them with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who enables them to speak with the boldness that hope demands. The Spirit who enables them to speak despite the threats, despite the rebellious hearts of their hearers.
I think the key thing I want to pull out for you here is that they needed to be enabled. Not to grit their teeth, try harder, learn better, practice more - they’re praying for something supernatural, a gift from God, not looking for something natural, that can worked up or learned. Their boldness doesn’t come from someone shaming them into trying harder, or shouting at them to try harder. It comes from God.
You and I need to be enabled to speak too - and yet so often instead we just try to open our own mouths. So when’s the last time you prayed “enable me to speak?” When’s the last time I did that? When’s the last time you knew you were going to be with a friend you love, someone you wish could share your hope, and so you began your day by praying for that sort of enabling? Could this be one thread relevant to many of the things we’ve talked about which stop us from speaking?
We use the acronym BLESS to help us think about different small steps we can take to share the hope that we have - each letter stands for a different thing we can go and the B right at the start is for Begin with prayer. When I think about that B, I find myself praying that God would work in their hearts - because I know that’s what’s needed, or that they would think about the big questions in life. These are fine prayers - and you and I should keep praying them - but perhaps also I should be praying that I would be enabled to speak too. Maybe God would use me?
...
So we’ve talked about the challenges to sharing the hope that we have in Jesus - and the challenges these disciples faced too. Let’s learn together from their response: we should remember our lord, his plan, our hope, and his power.
Let’s pray.
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boldness here doesn’t capture exactly the sense of the greek word underneath - sometimes there’s just no word-for-word match between languages and this is one of those words. When we think about boldness, we can think about being loud or brash - “impudent,” says the english dictioary. The word here does have the sense of confidence or courage - which makes total sense in response to the threats these disciples face. But the greek word also means passing over nothing, concealing nothing - which is not really picked up in our word, but makes complete sense in the context: would you be inclined to softpedal parts of your message in response to threats, or leave bits out that were inconvenient? I bet the disciples felt that draw.