Acts 4:23-31

Our text for this morning is going to be verses 23 through 31, but before we get into that, let me set the scene for you a bit and talk a little about the last two weeks and what we've discussed together in chapter 4.

In chapter 3, you'll note that Peter and John are going up to the temple at the hour of prayer.

They encounter a lame man who's been lame since birth.

We find out later in chapter 4 that he's more than 40 years old.

For a significant amount of time, he sat at this gate and he's begged.

He's begged for alms, for his daily sustenance.

And they come by him and Peter looks at him and he's healed.

This sets a great stage up.

God ordains this, that they're able now in the temple to preach.

A great crowd has gathered.

We find out in chapter 4 that the number of the church is now 5,000 men.

So many more, many more responses of faith to Peter's preaching.

So many responding favorably, but some not so much.

We see at the beginning of chapter 4, their arrest.

We saw that they were imprisoned overnight and that they then stood a trial before the Sanhedrin,

which were the ruling Jews of the day.

It's the first picture of Christian persecution.

This is the first time that a member of the church has been arrested and imprisoned because of the gospel.

And I spoke to you over the past two weeks of the normalcy of Christian persecution.

The fact that it should be the regular experience of the Christian.

Christian persecution.

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

We have taken persecution and we have narrowed it down to a particular type of persecution.

And that is the persecution of the body.

It's what we witness here.

The imprisonment, arrest and imprisonment of Peter and John.

And we have made persecution a far-off thing.

A maybe one day thing.

If we live in another place or if suddenly the political environment in our country changes,

maybe then we'll deal with persecution.

But it's very difficult to get around what Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3.12.

And so there are varying kinds of persecution.

Certainly the persecution of the body.

It is something to be considered around the world as believers are beheaded for their faith in Christ.

And imprisoned and tortured.

The church has a great history of physical persecution.

But there is also a persecution of the ego.

And I'm not trying to equate the two.

And I'm not trying to suggest that ours would be the same as others.

But what I'm simply trying to say to you is that it ought not be a thing that we don't experience.

Some form of objection to the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly proclaimed in this world.

The more we, as the people of God, push against the system of this world,

the more this world will push back.

I would love to think that as we boldly go forth and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ,

that everyone we proclaim it to will accept it with open arms.

The scripture consistently tells us this will not be the case.

Many will, but many will not.

Don't let American religious freedom numb you to this reality.

If you preach the good news of Jesus Christ boldly,

you may lose your reputation, your status, some position, possibly your job.

People may think you strange or narrow-minded, judgmental.

People may not like you.

They may not want to have you around because you talk about sin.

And you present to them God's holy standard.

And with great love, you ask them to repent, turn from their sin, and turn to God.

They may not want to hear that message.

The problem of us not experiencing this type of persecution is not because of where we live.

It's because of a lack of boldness on our part.

And I am not suggesting that we go out and we seek out this type of thing.

But what I am saying is that we need to be boldly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And then not surprised when the persecution comes.

And so, because persecution of one kind to another,

if you live here in the States or someday God takes you across this world,

it will happen, it should be the normative experience,

we begin to prepare for it by considering from our text

seven ways to honor God in the midst of persecution.

But I hope you're hearing that this shouldn't be a far-off thing for you.

That this is a thing you need to be hearing for this week.

That if you are a follower of Jesus Christ,

you will go and be about the work of Jesus Christ in the world.

He came to seek and to save the lost.

He came to give His life as a ransom for many.

And just as the Father sent Him into the world,

in the same way He sends us into the world

to proclaim the good news

and to call people to respond in faith to that good news.

So this has bearing for this week.

This has bearing for today.

And I hope you hear it as such.

In the past two weeks,

we've considered the first four of these seven ways to honor God

in the midst of persecution.

The first week, the first three.

Last week, an additional one.

Let me recap those quickly for you

and then we'll look at our text.

The first was to be expendable,

which is implicitly taught in the text, right?

You have Peter and John.

Peter, the great ear lopper,

as Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane,

like rebelling against,

now willfully accepting, right?

His seizure and His imprisonment,

willing to lay His life down.

That was the possible eventual outcome

of being arrested by these men

and standing trial before them.

These are the men that were intrinsically involved

in seeing Christ put to death.

So being expendable,

verse 4, chapter 4,

but many of those who had heard the word

believed,

and the number of the men came

to about 5,000,

willing to boldly proclaim

the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Solomon's portico,

the very place where Jesus gave

the good shepherd dialogue, right?

The lamb that was led to slaughter.

This is where they're standing

and He's preaching.

So hold your life,

your reputation,

your position,

your job loosely

for the sake of others.

Be expendable.

Second, be filled with the Spirit.

Verse 8,

as Peter stands before the Sanhedrin,

we see that He was filled

with the Spirit.

And I fear that summary statements

on this matter

cause a lot of confusion.

So at this point,

I'm just going to say,

please go back and listen to part 2

of Acts 2, 1-12.

If you want to know more about this,

if you haven't been here,

let me encourage you to that.

We will talk more about

what it means to be filled with the Spirit

as we work through the book of Acts.

But number 1, be expendable.

Number 2, be filled with the Spirit.

Number 3, be bold.

Here is Peter standing before the Sanhedrin

and he presses forward

instead of shrinking back.

And it's so difficult for me

to think myself in his shoes

and to wonder what I might do.

I hope by the power of the Spirit

I would do what he did.

He presses in.

Boy, they ask him a question.

Under whose authority

or by whose name do you do this?

And it's as if he says,

well, since you asked.

And he launches into

this third sermon he preaches

as recorded by Luke.

He doesn't remove any offense

of the Gospel from his preaching,

but he rather boldly indicts them.

These are the men.

These are the builders

who have rejected the cornerstone,

he says,

who have put to death

the Christ.

In verse 12 of chapter 4,

he says,

there is salvation in no one else,

for there is no other name

under heaven given among men

by which we must be saved.

He's saying to these men,

this is the Messiah.

This is the anointed one of God.

This is the one you've been waiting for.

And you killed him.

If you don't hang

all of your hope of salvation

in the personal work of Jesus Christ,

you will be destroyed.

It's a narrow path.

To be expendable,

be filled with the Spirit,

be bold,

and last week,

be obedient.

I added to that,

be obedient at all costs,

despite the cost.

We obey God

before we obey men.

So in summary,

we could say,

be humbly and boldly obedient

by the power of the Spirit.

Be humbly and boldly obedient

by the power of the Spirit.

Let me give to you an example

from history

of humble,

bold obedience

in the missionary

John G. Patton.

One of my favorite missionaries

lived in the 19th century,

just barely into the 20th century.

He was a missionary

from Glasgow, Scotland,

to a group of islands

that were then known as

the New Hebrides.

The Hebrides are a group of islands

off the coast of Scotland,

so they called it

New Hebrides

if you want to look it up on a map.

It's in the South Pacific.

It's now called Vanuatu.

If you care to see

where he served

in the 19th century.

And these islands

were known

for their cannibalism.

The very first missionaries

to go to Vanuatu

in 1839,

John Williams

and James Harris

were clubbed to death

and eaten on the shore

in the sight of the ship

that had dropped them off.

They stood on the ship

and watched this happen.

The first two missionaries there.

And John G. Patton,

moved by God,

decides to go.

And from his journal,

let me read to you

one of the objections

to him going.

He wrote,

Amongst many

who sought to deter me,

one was a dear old

Christian gentleman

whose crowning argument

always was,

the cannibals.

You will be eaten

by cannibals.

At last I replied,

Mr. Dixon,

you are advanced

in years now

and your own prospect

is soon to be laid

in the grave,

there to be eaten

by worms.

I confess to you

that if I can but live

and die serving

and honoring

the Lord Jesus,

it will make no difference

to me whether I am

eaten by cannibals

or by worms.

And in the great day,

my resurrection body

will arise

as fair as yours

in the likeness

of our risen Redeemer.

Then he records,

the old gentleman,

raising his hands

in a deprecating attitude,

left the room exclaiming,

After that,

I have nothing more to say.

The boldness on his part

and his account goes on

to talk about how

these cannibals

would come to kill him

and he would get in arguments

with the chief

with a machete in his hand.

He'd hold him by the wrist

and he would lecture him

on how evil

the thing he was trying to do was

and the man would finally feel

some conviction

for the evil of it

and they'd flee back off

into the jungle.

A great deal of boldness,

holding his life loosely

for the sake of others.

And so this week,

we will address

the final three ways

to honor God

in the midst of persecution.

So Acts 4, 23-31.

Beloved, this is God's Word to us.

It was written for His glory

and our good.

We would all do well

to listen to it

in order to believe

its promises

and obey its commands.

When they were released,

they went to their friends

and reported

what the chief priests

and the elders

had said to them.

And when they heard it,

they lifted their voices

together to God

and said,

Sovereign Lord,

who made the heaven

and the earth

and the sea

and everything in them,

who through the mouth

of our Father David,

your servant,

said by the Holy Spirit,

why did the Gentiles rage

and the people's plot

in vain?

The kings of the earth

set themselves

and the rulers

were gathered together

against the Lord

and against His anointed.

For truly in this city

they 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 your plan

had predestined

to take place.

And now, Lord,

look upon their threats

and grant to your servants

to continue to speak

your word

with all boldness

while you stretch out

your hand to heal

and signs and wonders

are performed

through the name

of your holy servant Jesus.

And when they had prayed,

the place in which

they were gathered together

was shaken

and they were all filled

with the Holy Spirit

and continued to speak

the word of God

with boldness.

And so the fifth way

to honor God

in the midst of persecution

is to be committed

to fellowship.

Be committed to fellowship.

Verse 23

and the first part of 24,

notice that the very first thing

that they did

was go to their friends

and report what the chief priests

and the elders

had said to them.

I find it so fascinating

that they've gone through now

this epic trial,

spent a night in prison,

and the very first thing

that they do

is they go to their friends.

And it seems to me, beloved,

that when we have trouble

in this world,

we are less likely

to gather with believers.

Something just doesn't go

quite right in our day.

The morning starts out

a little rough

and we choose

to not gather together.

Beloved, when things

aren't going well

in our lives,

that's all the more reason

to be with the people of God.

And this speaks

to the plasticity

of our environment.

All of us as people

have a front stage

and a backstage.

We hang a great curtain

between the two

and we have the front stage

all neat

and all tidied up.

And when something

spills out of the backstage

onto the front stage,

we're so quick

to run people

out of the theater.

Are we not?

The very best thing

for all of us

would be if the curtain

would be torn down.

That you would truly

know me.

And what better way

to do that

than when things

aren't going well,

we get together.

If you have a fever

or you're throwing up,

don't come to church

on Sunday.

Don't meet

with your community

outreach group.

But if you're in town,

otherwise,

you should be

with the people of God

when the people of God

gather.

Think about the way

I would have felt

after having spent

a night in prison.

This is not

a fancy accommodation

that they spent.

It was likely

not much more

than a hole

in the ground

where they spent

their time.

I think I could have

gone for a shower

and a nap

before I showed up

to fellowship

with the people of God.

But they go

immediately.

They desired

fellowship

after leaving

the council.

And they go

to see their

friends.

friends.

This should not

be limited

to the apostles.

I also don't think

it should be expanded

to the entire church.

There wasn't really

a great place

for them all

to meet together.

It could have been

that initial

120 that received

the Spirit

on the day of Pentecost

or some subset

of that number.

But they were

their friends.

It's a single word

in the Greek.

the NASV

renders that phrase

their own companions

which helps give

more meaning

to the idea.

We could say

in the ESV

we could add

the word

own their own

friends.

It signifies

that they belonged

to one another.

Here not many days

into the birth

of the Christian church

and because of what

Christ had done

on their behalf

they already saw

themselves

as belonging

to one another.

They were a

faith family

as I love Kyle

says so often.

They went to

their own

friends

and they

shared the news

and the first part

of verse 24

what did they do

when they gathered

together?

They prayed.

They did spiritual

things together.

When they heard it

they lifted their

voices together

to God.

So persecution

draws the church

of God

together.

And we should be

experiencing that

beloved.

We should be

feeling so strange

out in the world

rejected so often

by the world

that we come

together

when we can

whenever we can

to just not feel

crazy.

Other people

believe in this

Christ.

Other people

have been changed

by Him.

We come together

to rejoice.

Our singing

together should be

so warming to

your heart

because you go

I'm not losing

my mind.

Other people

believe this.

It creates

solidarity

amongst

God's people.

You might not

care to meet

with God's people

because you don't

need God's people.

Because you don't

experience

the hatred

of God's people

in the world.

It creates

solidarity.

We can see an

example of that

in a very practical

way on into

chapter 4

verses 32

through 35.

The way in which

they come and

share their

possessions together

and meet each

other's needs.

It creates

solidarity.

On the front

of your bulletin

is a Charles

Spurgeon

quotation.

Some Christians

try to go to

heaven alone

in solitude,

but believers

are not compared

to bears

or lions

or other animals

that wander

alone,

but those

who belong

to Christ

are sheep

in this respect

that they love

to get

together.

Sheep go in

flocks

and so do

God's

people.

So the fifth

way to honor

God in the

midst of persecution

is to be committed

to fellowship.

The sixth way

is to be

thankful.

It's to be

thankful.

Last part of

verse 24

through 28.

This is the

beginning of

their prayer.

They were

thankful for

the fulfillment

of God's

eternal

plan.

Thankful for

the fulfillment

of God's

eternal

plan.

The persecution

of Peter and

John was no

surprise to

them.

And they

start out

this prayer,

Sovereign

Lord.

Some of your

translations might

simply say,

O Lord.

It's one

word,

which is why

it's translated

that way in

some translations.

ESV tries to

give us a little

more meaning

to what they

meant by

Lord.

Sovereign

Lord.

It's only

used five

other places

in the

entirety of

the New

Testament.

So ESV

is weighting

it,

giving it

this

larger

title,

because it

denotes

an

absolute

master,

sovereign

Lord.

They were

thankful for

God's

complete

control

of

all

things.

They go

on to say,

who made

the heaven

and the

earth

and the

sea

and

everything

in them.

You are

creator.

You created

all things

and you

sustain all

things

by your

sovereign

hand.

I don't

understand how

Christians who

don't believe in

the sovereignty

of God go

through difficult

times.

It makes

absolutely no

sense to me

whatsoever.

God is

fully in

control of

everything and

nothing

escapes

his grasp.

They have

great reason

to be

thankful,

to see

his sovereign

purposes

working out.

They understood

that what

was happening

was the

fulfillment of

what God

had said

would

happen.

And they

cite Psalm

Psalms 2:1–2

chapter 2

verses 1

through 2.

See the

sovereign

Lord,

verse 25,

who through

the mouth

of our

father David,

who penned

Psalm 2,

you,

your servant,

said by the

Holy Spirit.

So they

recognized that

God wrote

by the

inspiration of

the Spirit

and the

pen of

David,

Psalm 2,

1 and

2.

Why did

the Gentiles

rage?

And the

people's plot

in vain.

The kings

of the earth

set themselves

and the

rulers were

gathered

together

against the

Lord,

against

His

anointed.

In

Hebrew,

Messiah.

In

Greek,

Christ.

Against

God and

Christ.

So they

reference

canonized

Scripture.

They knew

to be the

Word of

God,

to see

this

fulfillment.

Now we

have a

broader

canon now,

do we not?

We have

John's

writing,

which came

after the

record of

what's

happening

here.

They

didn't have

John's

writing yet,

but let's

think about

together

some

broader

canon.

John 15,

18-20.

Jesus says,

If the

world hates

you,

know that

it has

hated

me before

it hated

you.

If you

were of

the world,

the world

would love

you as

its own.

But because

you were

not of

the world,

but I

chose you

out of

the world,

therefore

the world

hates you.

Remember

the word

that I

said to

you,

a servant

is not

greater

than his

master.

If they

persecute

me,

they will

also

persecute

you.

If they

kept

my word,

they will

also keep

yours.

So they're

remembering

these

things,

right?

It's

yet to

be

canonized.

They're

citing

from

Psalm

2,

1 and

2,

but they're

bringing

to their

remembrance

the things

that Jesus

had spoken

to them.

So the

persecution

of Peter

and John

serves

as further

confirmation

that Jesus

is the

Christ.

A great

deal to

rejoice in

at this

point.

So they

go on to

simply say

in verses

27,

28,

that there

were in

fact people

in the

city gathered

against your

holy servant

Jesus.

Fulfillment

of 2,

1 through

2,

Psalm

2,

1,

2,

through,

whom you

anointed,

your

anointed

one,

your

Messiah,

the

Christ,

Herod and

Pontius

Pilate with

the Gentiles

and the

peoples of

Israel to

do what

your hand

and your

plan had

predestined

to take

place.

Christ was

crucified by

the preordained

purpose

of God.

Their

thanksgiving

in the

midst of

persecution

reminds me

of the

instruction of

Paul in

Philippians

Philippians 4:4–7

chapter 4,

verses 4

through 7.

So here

they are

rejoicing,

being thankful

for the

thing that

has happened.

Verse 4,

Philippians 4,

rejoice in

the Lord

always.

Again, I

will say

rejoice.

Let your

reasonableness

be known

to everyone.

The Lord

is at

hand or

He is

present.

Do not

be anxious

about anything

but in

everything by

prayer and

supplication.

With

thanksgiving,

let your

requests be

made known

to God

and the

peace of

God which

surpasses all

understanding

will guard

your hearts

and your

minds in

Christ Jesus.

They're

recognizing the

presence of

God in

fulfilling

His

promises.

and they're

thankful for

it.

So be

committed to

fellowship.

Be thankful.

And finally,

the seventh

way to

honor God

in the

midst of

persecution

is to

be prayerful.

Now, they've

already been

praying.

I recognize

that previously

in our text.

I want to

pick up in

verse 29

through the

end

through 31

through the

end of our

text.

be

prayerful.

Verse 29,

And now,

Lord, look

upon their

threats and

grant to

your servants

to continue

to speak

your word

with all

boldness

while you

stretch out

your hand

to heal

and signs

and wonders

are performed

through the

name of

your holy

servant,

Jesus.

Be

prayerful.

Certainly be

prayerful

independently.

Closet

prayer is an

important part

of the

Christian

life,

but

specifically

the

exhortation

here is to

be prayerful

corporately.

The example

of corporate

prayer is

found in

a multitude

of places

in the

book of

Acts.

I just

want to

show you

a few.

Ready?

Chapter 1

verse 14

and chapter 2

verse 42

see the

church

devoted

to prayer.

Today's

text,

424,

they lifted

their voices

together

to God.

Chapter 6

verse 6

the church

chooses

seven

deacons

and they

pray

for them.

Chapter 12

verse 5

Peter is

in prison

and earnest

prayer is

made for

him to

God

by the

church.

And when

he escapes

from prison

he finds

many gathered

together

and praying.

That's

chapter 12

verse 12.

Chapter 13

verse 3

after fasting

and praying

the church

in Antioch

sends Paul

and Barnabas

on the

first missionary

journey.

Chapter 14

verse 23

elders are

appointed

and committed

to the

Lord

with prayer

and fasting.

Chapter 16

verse 25

Paul and

Silas

are imprisoned

and they're

praying

and singing

hymns

while in

jail.

Chapter 20

verse 36

Paul prays

with the

Ephesian

elders

when departing

from them.

So we're

seeing a

clearly

prescriptive

pattern

of corporate

prayer

just in

the book

of Acts

and it's

commanded of

us

elsewhere.

So they're

praying

together.

Be

prayerful.

And what

is it that

they request

of God?

More

boldness.

And that

just astounds

me.

On the

heels of

such great

boldness

they ask

for

more

boldness.

They know

that they

need the

power of

God

to fulfill

the purposes

of God.

Grant

to your

servants

to continue

to speak

your word

with all

boldness.

And interestingly

they ask

that while

God works

miracles

notice verse

30

while you

stretch out

your hand

to heal

and signs

and wonders

are performed

through the name

of your

holy servant

Jesus

give us

boldness

to speak.

Amidst the

miracles

amidst the

things that

are going

on around

us

grant us

boldness.

And you

can see

that this

is a

prayer

that's

within

the will

of God

because

in verse

31

it says

at the

very end

of verse

31

they were

filled

with the

Holy Spirit

and continued

to speak

the word

of God

with boldness.

They have

been commanded

by the

Sanhedrin

to no

longer

speak

in the

name

of Jesus.

And before

the Sanhedrin

Peter and

John

collectively

have said

for we

cannot

but speak

of what

we have

seen

and heard.

And I

think that

they know

how sheepish

their own

hearts

could be.

And so

they pray

for more

boldness

and God

grants it

to them

and they

act

accordingly.

So we're

to be

bold

proclaimers

of the

gospel

of Jesus

Christ.

And we're

to be

prepared

and expect

that some

people will

respond

unfavorably

to that

message.

John writes

in 1 John

3.13

Do not be

surprised

for others

that the

world

hates you.

So when you

are hated

for the message

of Christ

as you go

out from

this place

and you

preach it

boldly

to people

who desperately

need it

remember

these seven

ways to

honor God

in the midst

of persecution.

Be expendable.

Be filled

with the

Spirit.

Be bold.

Be obedient

at all

cost.

Be committed

to fellowship.

Be thankful

and be

prayerful.

And I

want to

conclude

with another

quotation

from C.T.

Studd.

He was a

late 19th

early 20th

century

contemporary

of John

G.

Patton

on the

front of

your

bulletin.

Some

want to

live

within

the

sound

of

church

or

chapel

bell.

I

want to

run

a

rescue

shop

within

a

yard

of

hell.

Let's

pray

together.