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Acts 4:23–31 NKJV
23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ 27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
We find here a prayer meeting in the early church. This comes directly after an incident involving Peter and John which begins in Ch 3
Acts 3:1–10 NKJV
1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
So Peter performs this incredible miracle in the name of Jesus - which Peter makes very clear later that it was not by their own power or godliness that they had made him walk but it was the power of Jesus Christ and through faith in His name.
But this miracle caused a huge crowd to gather just outside the temple and Peter began to preach the gospel to them. the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus.
So this was a revival. A powerful display of God’s power and an enormous opportunity to preach the gospel to many. Peter and John no doubt were soaring on a spiritual high. but as is often the case in our lives when things are going really well, something bad is waiting around the corner. Or at least it seems bad at the time. Look in vs 4
Acts 4:1–3 NKJV
1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
So they get arrested. It says in vs 4 that many believed who had heard Peter preach, the number of which was about 5000. But I’m not even sure that they would have know that because it appears that they were arrested immediately after Peter finished preaching. You see the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They believed in annihilation after death. So they were greatly disturbed by Peter’s sermon because he was preaching that Christ rose for the dead.
So they wanted to put a stop this teaching. People have been trying to silence those who preach the resurrection of Jesus ever since Jesus rose from the grave. But they have been unsuccessful. The reason they have been unsuccessful is because those who believe in the resurrection of Christ are filled with the Holy Spirit who give boldness to proclaim the Gospel. Just as Peter was in vs 8
Acts 4:8–12 NKJV
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
It says that they marvelled at their boldness because they could see that they were uneducated and they realised that they had been with Jesus. And then it says in vs
Acts 4:14–18 NKJV
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” 18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
But then look at Peter and John’s response
Acts 4:18–20 NKJV
18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
Now I don’t know about you but at this point i don’t think I would be poking the bear. I think I would have Thanked God that I got off with a warning and quietly gone my way. But I guess they were stilled filled with the Holy Spirit and boldness and they basically tell them sorry guys but we’re not going to do as you ask, we’re going to keep on preaching like we have been.
But rather than any farther punishment it says.
Acts 4:21 NKJV
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.
So Peter and John go from this spiritual high of healing this man and preaching to a low point of being arrested and held in custody overnight and facing a terrifying trial - to another spiritual high when they get set free with nothing more than a warning which even though they outright say that they have no intention of complying they are still set free.
Now there is no denying the power of God in this situation. God healed, God empowered the word spoken, and God delivered them from the hands Sanhedrin. But is that all?
Do we see our lives as a series of events in which God occasionally intervenes or do we see that God is powerful and sovereign over every moment of our lives. Was not God just a in control of Peter and John being arrested as He was in the healing, the preaching and the deliverance? I believe that Peter and John and the early church believed that God was sovereign in every aspect of their lives. And I believe that that is evident in the prayer that they prayed in
Acts 4:23–31 NKJV
23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ 27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
You made
You spoke
You decided
God is sovereign in your life, every aspect of your life. The good and the bad. Which means that everything in your life has purpose. The good and the bad. We may not be able to see it many times we can’t but He who made you has spoken and has purposed what ever you may be going through.
And God has purposed that you would be here this morning and hear this message. So I pray and trust that God’s purpose will be fulfilled in you what ever that purpose is.
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